Stone Solid Friendships

Just like people in the city, there are a lot of stones on the beach. Some look similar. Others you might not even notice. There's rough ones and the ones that are ultra unique or odd shaped and then there are the ones you're drawn to and just have to pick up and keep. Usually, they're smooth. The kind you need to try and see how many times you can skip. You take them home from your vacation or your short day tripping beachcombing and place them in a spot that you look at every once in a while when you're feeling a little wistful to remind you of how you felt at the beach where you found them. When you think about it, it's a lot like how you feel about your good friends.

My friends Anne and Bob are two of the smooth stones. I don't see them very much anymore but they're there and I know they're there and I'm sure they would be there if I really needed them.

I met Anne at the UBC Faculty of Education in the late 1980s. Whenever I visit I marvel at what incredible hosts they are and how much I am spoiled by their servitude. It becomes a running joke. "No, don't get up. Your our guest. We are here to serve you."  It gets a bit ridiculous. So this is what it feels like to be famous when you're not I think to myself. Do you realize that so many people in the world NEVER get such treatment.  I have always thought of them as "surrogate parents". In fact, I am lucky because I have more than a few couples in my life who treat me in a similar fashion and I always wonder what I did to deserve such a blessing.

Anne and Bob have moved quite a bit. Maybe even more than I have but I'm not sure about that. Sometimes they build a new house. Sometimes they buy an old house and fix it up. Sometimes they buy a condo. Their digs are always super nice with the highest quality finishings and I always enjoy seeing how the furniture fits into the latest residence whether it be a beach house near Pender Harbour, a farmhouse in Robert's Creek, a condo overlooking False Creek or their newest place just outside of Sechelt.

 

This is Anne with Charlie, the Heinz 57 master who undoubtedly requires even more attention than I do. 

This is the guest bedroom which is actually a full floor with ensuite and a living room area outside the door with a big screen TV and couches and thick rugs and nice paintings. Believe me, when you go from my humble abode to this bedroom, it feels a bit like you've become a contestant on that show America's Extreme Home Makeover. They're lucky they can pry me out at the end of the visit.

We went for a walk at Smuggler's Cove on a beautiful end of summer day.

Bob with the dogs, Buddy and Charlie.

 

 I liked the way the leaves looked beside the dock.

This is Smuggler's Cove

We took a break to inhale the view with their friend Patricia.

Afterwards, we went to a pub in Halfmoon Bay with a fantastic deck where we ordered Blue cheese burgers.   It's a rare event to get four people at a table all of whom are blue cheese lovers. Then, we took a stroll across a walking bridge to John Henry's Marina store where I had the biggest one scoop ice cream (with three scoops) that I have ever had. Not sure who taught them math (which is worse than mine) but  it's to their customers' advantage. Sorry no pic.

Before I popped over to Sechelt, I split up the ferry trips with a drop into Vancouver. 

Here are a few other stones on the beach that are keepers.

This photo just makes me LOL. I have no idea what THEY were laughing about.

They're pictured here seated at the bench that honours Peggy's Aunt Mary. It's at Third Beach in Stanley Park. 

We had to kick a couple of cute guys over to the next bench so we could sit on Mary's. The guy from Honduras was alot of fun when we explained why we needed to sit on this specific bench. He was fascinated with the story and had pretty decent sense of humour, especially when he found out how much it costs to purchase a bench in perpetuity in Stanley Park. It's more than a Honduran family makes in a year or 3!

Not so bad for two 50-year-old chics.