August 2024

August 31, 2024

Had a broken night… Adam was up and down. When I woke at 8am, he was conked out. Snuck into my running clothes and headed downstairs. Ran the same two-mile loop Lyra and I did a couple of days ago, running more and walking less. Kept it very gentle – that’s my only hope of achieving this half marathon ambition. 

Woke Adam in time for his afternoon Arsenal match – first of the season. Picked up groceries, the ate lunch with Nova before getting down to work.  She was out this evening so it was just Adam and me for dinner – bodged together a sort of paella-ish thing with the leftovers, while he invented a cocktail to finish off some random Austrian pine flavoured liqueur that was languishing in the fridge. 

Watched The Teacher’s Lounge, which I’ve been wanting to see for ages. Very tense and engaging. No surprise it was up for a foreign film Oscar last year.

August 30, 2024

Adam did his usual Friday walk with his brother, returning in a bad mood. I don’t if it had anything to do with it, or if he’s just stressed about work. We had a brief conversation, but he was being argumentative and I had a work deadline – a fitness site meeting I needed to prep for. 

When Adam came into the office, he noticed two little cardboard boxes on his desk. He interrupted me (I was trying to follow instructions from a video) to ask why they were there and what he should do with them. 

Despite restraining myself from sharing my top suggestion for where he could put them, took offence at my tone and threw a massive tantrum – yelling, throwing and kicking the boxes, and scaring the cat. I can’t understand why he chooses to act like that – it is simultaneously ridiculous and upsetting. 

Lyra headed off with Stewart and Loki to music events on the south coast for the weekend. Aside from some cordial group chitchat at the front door, Adam and I gave each other a wide berth for the rest of the day. 

Adam was off at his Arsenal fixture picking meeting in the evening. Nova and I had a cocktail, then Mediterranean chicken roasted on a cauliflower tomato olive base – very nice. Watched an episode of Homicide about Phil Spector and Lana Clarkson. Dick Wolf is good pair of hands for that sort of thing…

Adam got back before 9pm. He ignored the dinner I’d set aside, falling straight asleep in his chair for the rest of the evening.

August 29, 2024

Went for a run with Lyra this morning. She’s keen for us to run a half marathon together this winter. I’m on board in theory so long as my knee gets with the plan. I’m still getting over the respiratory thing, and we did an easy two miles round Priory Park, with copious walk breaks. It’s a line in the sand. 

My nose started streaming like a tap afterwards — had no idea I was still that congested. On the plus side, my knee seems to be fine. I did some stretching first, which may have helped. I want to start doing some strength training as well, to build up the muscles that support the knee joint, which can’t hurt. 

Did three mega loads of everyone’s laundry… it was a good hot day for drying on the roof. It’s pretty time consuming doing it like that with all the pegging out and shifting things around, but I much prefer it to using the dryer. 

Managed to get a reasonable amount of work done – I’m slowly getting my mojo back. Dinner was a spinach salad from the cookbook Jackie gave me – with apples, walnuts and bacon bits in a creamy dressing. Watched My Cousin Vinny, which is always a laugh.

August 28, 2024

What a rotten sleep… It may have been the heat, plus Adam was up extra early to drive to Finchley, collect a stool sample kit and drop it round his mum’s before heading to the office. 

I was too tired to work, so did housey things – tending to my neglected patio plants, and dealing with my composting buckets. Even after three weeks they aren’t filled with the promised compost. Either they don’t work as advertised or I’m not doing something right… Bottled the kombucha as well – mango-ginger this time. 

Got down to client work about noon. The girls swapped over today, a little earlier than planned, as Lyra had been feeling homesick. Nova will be there until Friday afternoon, which will be good for working on her dissertation, as there are less distractions, aside from Harry nicking her stuff and burying it in the garden… 

Lyra is home for a couple of days before heading off for more music festivalling on the weekend. After that, it’s a uni visit (Glasgow) and then back to school for her final year!

Made pork with roasted vegetables and a sundried tomato sauce for dinner, which was pretty good. Watched Three Colours Red – Lyra and I both gasped at the ending. To bed by 11pm. Margo and Aaron coming for Christmas!!

August 27, 2024

Today is my first official day back to work. About time…😉 I’d had visions of catching up over the long weekend to hit the ground running, but that didn’t happen mainly due to feeling meh. 

Kate came round for a fitness website meeting, and there is also lots to do for the sustainable beauty site. Other clients are popping up like whack-a-moles… 

Made a primavera cocktail before dinner, which Jules made when we visited them – vodka, green apple liqueur, celery syrup and lemon juice. Dinner was a mozzarella chicken thing. The recipe called for way too much sauce – only used half the dish was still too liquidy. A rare fail from the Fast 800 book…

August 26, 2024

Feeling a bit better today… Adam had created a mounting of shredding for me to do. He’s impatient with the shredder and invariably jams it.  Took a good chunk of the day to get through it.

The machine overheated regularly and went that happened I sorted through our collection of programmes. Cleared out some, but not enough. One find was Jerry Springer, the Opera, which Stewart wrote and produced. According to him, despite its critical success, the show nearly ruined him and is the reason he had to go back to doing standup.

I made green wraps with curried chicken for lunch, a recipe from the low-carb cookbook that I really enjoy. The wrap is pretty close to being an omelette, but adding a tablespoon of flour makes all the difference.

In the evening, Nova and I watched the Laci Peterson thing on Netflix. So sad… that husband seems so fucking guilty to me – I’m surprised that the Innocence Project is supporting his attempt to have a retrial. He was convicted on circumstantial evidence — an absolute mountain of it — plus the outrageous, suspicious lies recorded by his mistress.

August 25, 2024

Feeling a bit ropey again this morning… my stomach is dodgy now. I almost never have stomach issues and have no idea what could have triggered this one. 

Put in a chunk of time organising the office – Adam going through papers, and me sorting slides. We want to optimise the space for use as a guest room now Nova’s moved back. 

It’s a conundrum how to best tackle it, but getting rid of shit can’t hurt… Stuck at it until Adam headed over to see his mum. She’s not been well – her stomach complaint has flared up and she’s scheduled for another round of tests. 

Made a chicken Caesar salad for dinner. Afterwards, returned to the office to beaver away. I was feeling ropey and left him to it.  Started a film, but was too tired to watch it…

August 24, 2024

Slept like I’d been drugged… I had a vague memory of Adam getting out of bed, and by the time I woke properly it was 11am. The whole house was up, the Ls had been to Sourdough Sophias for pastries. 

Lyra swapped with Nova on the dog sitting this afternoon. Adam drove her over and went for a pond swim. After the crazy downpours today, I didn’t really fancy it. Heavy rain stirs up the muck, and there’s potentially runoff from the streets. I’ve got enough going on infection wise not to add to it… 

Dinner was kofte with Greek salad, eaten at the table. Nova is good for getting us back into better dining habits. We always ate at the table until Covid with very occasional exceptions. I think things changed then with all that family telly watching, Gilmore Girls etc., and we’ve never properly gone back…

August 23, 2024

Woke up at 3:30am, which was the perfect moment to watch Kamala Harris’s acceptance speech live. I thought it was very strong – let’s hope all those undecided (what the fuck are they undecided about?) voters feel the same way. 

Managed to fall back asleep afterwards until Adam woke me with a coffee at 9am. Felt very groggy and took ages to become fully alert. I wasn’t even sure where I was at first… 

Took Cleo to the vet who agrees she likely has some arthritis in her back leg. We’ve been given five days of anti-inflammatory meds to add to her food (which we’ll have to keep little greedy guts from eating. If that makes a noticeable difference, then it’s definitely arthritis, and we have a choice to keep giving her medicine, or monthly shots (much more expensive). It’ll be the medicine… 

A funny moment… I had a hell of a job stuffing her into the cat carrier and she bitched the whole car journey, and in the waiting room. When we let her out, she had a good explore round the exam room, and submitted peacefully to weighing and stomach palpitation. After Mina inserted a needle to see if there was excess fluid in her abdomen, Cleo headed straight to the carrier and hustled inside. Lesser of two evils I guess… 

Adam headed over to Beulah’s in the afternoon. She’s not feeling great – one of her periodic stomach episodes has left her weak and experiencing pain after eating. She had a phone consultation this morning with the GP, but it sounds like she couldn’t hear anything the doctor said, which she blamed on a bad line. Adam fixed the telly again, tightened her table leg and put on the sofa cushion covers that had been washed. 

Broccoli soup with half a cheese bagel for dinner, and watched Chef, which has long been on my watch list. Lyra got back from Derby about 9pm with Loki, who’d met her train at Finsbury Park. Sounds like the course went well. 

He’d agreed to treat her to a Wingstop order, and for some reason it was advantageous to add more food, so we ended up with a portion as well. Very tasty…

August 22, 2024

Feeling anxious about how my ears would cope with the flight, I’d stocked up on lozenges, cold tablets, nasal spray and pressure managing ear plugs. Things were fine on the way up, in fact I felt great in the ultra-filtered cold air. No coughing at all and my sinuses were dry and clear. 

The descent was another story… I experienced considerable pain in my left ear, and the earplugs didn’t do a thing. Chewed gum furiously, yawned, pulled on my ears to do what I could. I was completely deaf on that side for at least an hour, but eventually things eased up. 

The train ride in was smooth enough, and we only waited a few minutes for a short bus ride to the front door. We are better connected to all the airports at this house. Nova was there when we got in – and it was great to see her. 

Elsie came tearing downstairs to greet us but there was no sign of Cleo. I found her snoozing behind the office futon. She seemed quietly happy to see me. Taking her to the vet tomorrow – I suspect she has some arthritis. 

Unpacked and showered, while Nova made us scrambled eggs. She’s off to dog sit in Highgate. Our former neighbours Chiara and Tim are away for eight days, and want someone to stay in the house with their rambunctious Irish terrier Harry. The girls are splitting the gig – and the £500. 

I had a little doze in the afternoon but was otherwise busy sorting house stuff: cleaning the fridge, tending to my neglected plants, triaging email. Adam went upstairs for a shower and didn’t return for four hours… 

Neither of us felt like eating any dinner – we’ve eaten enough in Canada to last us the rest of the month. Headed to bed at a relatively normal time and was asleep by 11pm.

August 21, 2024

Slept through until 9am, which felt sufficient. Carol prepared a cooked breakfast – toasted bagels and hardboiled eggs, with a generous side of fruit salad. We’ve certainly been well catered for here. 

Repacked my suitcase for the last time, wrapping the Chilliwack album in layers of clothing and sandwiching it between books. If it doesn’t make it, so be it… 

Set off for the airport before noon. Dropped the hire car and checked in (which took about 45 minutes), but everything else pretty smooth. In my experience, YVR is a well-run airport.

Our flight left about ten minutes late. These seats were okay, and it was better being in the wider part of the aisle. Watched three films – Belfast, Dazed and Confused and Promising Young Woman – and had a bit of a doze. Three pm is a nice time for a flight to the UK. It’s not that big a deal if you don’t sleep, as you land back in the UK at midnight.

August 20, 2024

Our last full day in Canada… ☹ Slept until 8:30am… With earplugs in, I didn’t hear the thwack of tennis balls, bickering crows, or nearby construction work… 

Drove to Ladner to have lunch with Brenda, Alisa and David Zinfandel. He’s 17 years old a good six feet tall. Kids change a lot between the ages of 8 and 17. It was good to see them all and we had a good catch up. 

Bernard died on August 5, and they plan to hold a memorial service for him this autumn at Trinity Church in Pat Bay. We also discussed getting our grandparents names, and the three sons, on the big Horth memorial. 

Popped into a Canada Trust on the way back. I have some money that needs to be rolled into another term savings, plus I wanted to know when I could cash my RSP. (Not for quite some time as it happens…) 

Appies and martinis on the balcony before walking up to a place called Nightingale for more cocktails and small plates. It had a great vibe and the food was excellent: ceviche, beet salad, buttermilk fried chicken, cauliflower hummus and a pepperoni pizza. 

After closing the place out, we stopped to play table tennis in a courtyard on Hastings for an hour. There were beautiful paddles and balls just waiting to be used. (Those would have lasted about two hours in London before someone nicked them.)

Walked back along the sea wall to the West End. There are so many luxury yachts docked here now – I’m sure that didn’t used to be the case. 

Carol brewed me more lemon ginger tea when we got home – she is such a nurturing person. Adam and Scott had nightcaps while I sipped my tea. To sleep about 3am.

August 19, 2024

Slept until 8am, which surprised me until I realised that Adam had slipped out early. I tend to sleep better without him tossing and snoring beside me…😉 

We had a gentle start to the morning, with leftover crumble and yogurt for breakfast. Headed off by 11am — back to the West End, where we parked at Carol and Scott’s. There was a potential idea of walking the seawall with John M and his sister, but she has a foot injury so that was off the cards. 

Instead the two of us headed over for tea and a visit. I brought a mask, in case they were uncomfortable with the laryngitis/cold, but they were fine, and I just sat by the open window. 

Drove to East Van to check out Commercial Drive – something I haven’t done in years. Loki mentioned that his dad had asked him to pick up Chilliwack’s second album but we’d were never around any record shops. 

As Audophile was across the street from where we parked, we popped in on the off chance. There was a Chilliwack section with three albums in it, the first of which was Chilliwack 2. Gave it a listen before opting to purchase. The album is more than fifty years old, and not in pristine condition but it was only $12, so I bought it. 

Strolled the length of the Drive, which felt much as I remember. A number of the shops are probably from my time, including Joes, which unfortunately wasn’t open.

Ate dinner at Jackelopes dive bar – couple of pints, and shared nachos, wings, ribs and a Caesar salad. The drive home took us along East Hastings. It looked like a zombie apocalypse – people lying on the street, sitting in front of tents, shuffling along doing the fentanyl fold. Heartbreaking…

August 18, 2024

Woke to a message from Lyra. She’d made it to Repton School in Derbyshire, where she’ll be attending summer school this week, but is a few hours early (Loki’s dad drove her from Wales, on his way to the Edinburgh Fringe). 

She was sitting in a churchyard across the school, husbanding her phone and not sure what to do. I found the main contact number for the school, and fortunately someone answered on a Sunday morning. They put her in touch with the person setting up the dorms and things were swiftly resolved. 

My throat is a little better today. Still pretty gravelly but at least I can converse relatively normally. I’m pretty sure it’s just laryngitis (or a garden variety cold) but I did a covid test to make sure (negative). 

In the morning we drove over to East Van with Mike and Tanya, picking up groceries at Bosa’s, visiting an amazing kitchenware store, and hitting the liquor store for tonight’s dinner. 

After a breakfast sandwich – they have this amazing machine that somehow cooks a raw egg in an English muffin – we drove a few minutes and hiked some of the Baden-Powell trail to a point overlooking Deep Cove and across to SFU, up to the Vancouver skyline. 

Had supper with two other couples who are going to Mexico with us next spring – Colin & Karen, and Perry & Lauren. They seem really nice, which bodes well for the trip. Three other couples are on board as well…  only one more to sign up.

August 17, 2024

Up early to pack and say our goodbyes. Stopped at Greg and Wendys for coffee before leaving town. Drew, Andy and the kids had arrived yesterday – I haven’t seen them since our visit to Edmonton in 2013, before Sadie was even born. 

Did the drive to Vancouver the same as before, with me driving to Cache Creek and Adam doing the Vancouver leg. Over the course of the day I pretty much lost my voice – what a drag. The last thing I want is to get sick… 

Stopped for lunch in Cache Creek again, hitting the Desert Hills taco place. There was a bustling kitchen preparing authentic Mexican tacos, with tempting shelves filled with Central American groceries. They seem to be giving Horstings a run for their money… 

Drove into the West End to connect with John & Brad, who happened to be staying in their old Chilco flat this evening. Brad is just back from a funeral in Nova Scotia for one of his brothers, and John is in town to spend time with his older brother who has been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer. 

Just time to grab dinner (at an Italian place in the old Mildreds) before saying our goodbyes and heading to North Van. I drove, as I had only had one drink. We couldn’t get the Google map working and still don’t know the route but made it fine. Mike was waiting up for a nightcap (tea for me) before bed.

August 16, 2024

Our last day in PG… Took the girls out for a shorter dog walk before heading into town for a Denny’s breakfast. They are a current client of Adams, and he was keen to visit and send them a photo. The 55+ menu got us all excited – basically smaller portions of food for a lower price. 

On Liam’s recommendation, we drove out to Ferguson Lake a few miles north. I’ve never been before – I think it’s been developed since my time. There was a boardwalk/trail around the lake with numerous interpretive signs about its history and the wildlife. 

Spotted an eagle, loon and thousands of tiny toads, who were migrating across the path. You had to take care not to step on them.

Headed into town for a last visit with Jackie. Today is her wedding anniversary – the first one without John. Her friends Peter and Mary were there when we arrived but left after a bit. She gave me another Whitewater cookbook – she’s always so generous. There was just time to drive past the McBride house (which has been painted a crazy shade of turquoise) before heading back to Wade’s place. 

There was another present waiting for us – Gale had made individually embroidered aprons for the family. Those will definitely be well used – she’s such a sweetie. There were eight of us for dinner — Isobel and Kaden, plus Liam and Hope. Steak, mushrooms, a beetroot, feta, rocket and walnut salad (I made that), with courgettes and potatoes. Dairy Queen ice cream cake for dessert. Quite the feast… 

After dinner, Isobel proposed playing pickleball. There wasn’t a lot of enthusiasm aside from Kaden and me – I was interested to watch people who know how to play. In the end we all headed for the courts, with both pickleball kit and tennis racquets. All eight of us played for an hour swapping places occasionally. 

Isobel whipped up another batch of hwachae – I really like that stuff, and will make it with the girls when we get home.  Headed to bed about 11pm – I wanted to get a decent sleep before tomorrow’s long drive.

August 15, 2024

Nine years since dad died… Met up with Greg and Wendy this morning. There was some confusion about when we’d meet, which resulted in me being ready at 6:15am, but there was no call for that.  Spent an hour over coffee at Tim Hortons before we needed to head into town for breakfast at D’lanos. The food was good – and breakfast poutine surprisingly tasty. 

Picked up the Rolls Royce (part of Herb’s estate) and took it for a spin to Cottonwood Park. I’m pretty sure it’s the first time I’ve even driven in one – what a beautiful car, and such a smooth ride. Did a loop and checked out the new Chuck Chin memorial bench before dropping round Gale’s store, where she whisked up a couple of embroidered caps for us. 

Made delicious bacon, blue cheese and tomato sandwiches for lunch before Wade and I did the dog walk. All was well until we got to the dog park, where Olive was driven into a frenzy by the sight of another dog. She barked like a maniac and flung herself against the chainlink fence, injuring her paw.  Not her finest moment… 

Dinner was Caesar salad with chicken, followed by blueberry pie. Dad would have approved of the menu. Had another drink and watched some telly. Tried to find In The Loop but couldn’t get it to play. Went with a show that Wade likes called Toast. I was funny but Adam and I both nodded off, providing Wade with the opportunity for some embarrassing photos. 

We were just heading down to bed when Isobel asked if we wanted to sample her hwachae – a Korean cold fruit soup with strawberry milk, lemonade, chopped exotic fruit and cubes of jelly – she’d seen on TikTok. Who could say no to that offer? It didn’t look like much, but was surprisingly moreish…

August 14, 2024

Took the dogs out again this morning, stopping at the dog park this time to let them have a run around, which they enjoyed. I think they behaved a bit better today – less tugging and barking. 

We had what Wade calls a “bacon bunnie” for lunch before heading over to the courts to meet Greg and play tennis. Brought Isobel’s pickle ball racquets and ball along and had a go, but none of us took to it. At one point Greg said, “Loads of people like this game – I think we must be doing it wrong…” 

We had a lot more fun once we switched to tennis, and I was going great guns until my hip started feeling off after about half an hour. That’s the second time it’s happened – it’s like the joint slips slightly out of alignment or something. So annoying… Fortunately Gale, Isobel and Wendy had turned up by that point, so there was someone to take my place…   

Headed into town for dinner with the McLaughlins. Swung by the good bookstore first to see if they had a copy of the Live at the Commodore book I’d seen at Mike’s, but they didn’t have it. 

There was enough just enough time to cash our winning lottery ticket, which is when Adam realised he’d put them in the laundry. We called Wade to check the machine but he was unable to find them. Oh well… 

Brian, Danielle, their kids and Moira were there as well. Brian did most of the cooking – salad, meatballs in yogurt, spinach and rice. It was bittersweet without John but nice as well, and we had a fun evening.

Moira’s current hobby is painting rocks. They are really pretty, and some remind me of Ukrainian Easter eggs. She has boxes of them in the carport, and urged me to choose a few for myself, Wade and Gale, and the girls. 

Back at theirs we watched Wicked Little Letters before bed, which was very entertaining.

August 13, 2024

I slept like a log, not waking until 8am when the household up. Gale is doing some work this week. Liam had gone out first thing to drop off resumes and returned with a job. They interviewed him on the spot, and he starts tomorrow. 

After my coffee we took the dogs for a walk. They are currently dog sitting a long-haired daschund called Libby. She’s a sweet thing, aside from not being housebroken. There was a lot of excitement when we started off, but they settled down after a bit and enjoyed themselves. 

We just about dodged the rain and were on the home stretch by the time it got going in earnest. It’s the worst weather we’ve seen all holiday – at least it should be good for the wild fires. 

Put in an hour’s work on the beauty website while Adam went for a haircut. After lunch, headed to the Pine Centre, where I found a great pair of Lulu Lemon running shorts, and Adam bought some lotto tickets. 

Stopped round Jackie’s for a drink, then on to Betulla Burning for dinner where Isobel works as a hostess. The food was really nice and we were stuffed as ticks when we left. Ended up working until 1:30am, but sorted the website issue…

August 12, 2024

Happy birthday, Greg! The sky had clouded over in the night and the lake looked much greyer this morning. Still, it was lovely having coffee in bed and enjoying that view. 

We got on the road at 10am, taking the Lougheed highway to Hope then onto the canyon. I haven’t driven this road since 2013 – in 2015 we flew, we didn’t go to PG in 2018, and in 2022 we had to go via Merritt because of landslides following the Lytton fire. 

It didn’t look as bad as I’d feared. Loads of burnt trees but there’s some infrastructure still in place. I think the worst damage is maybe lower down by the railway tracks. 

Stopped at Horstings for a sandwich and switched drivers. I love the road from Cache Creek to Prince George, it’s so familiar and stirs up a constant stream of memories. Gassed up in Quesnel, then did the final stretch to Wade’s. 

Dinner was ready soon after we arrived – delicious grilled chicken, Greek salad, potatoes and tzatziki, with a bottle of retsina. That was a treat and something I haven’t had in ages. Met Liam’s girlfriend Hope, who seems really nice. He’s doing well and has just finished his second stretch of electrician’s studies. 

Isobel was working but got home before we went to bed. Spent a bit of time on the deck hoping to see shooting stars, but the air is smoky and I only caught one. The cat popped in for a visit when we were to bed. She’s a shy little thing, but granted us a small patting session.

August 11, 2024

Woke early, showered and breakfasted with Trevor and Marni before heading off at 9am. There was no issue with the ferry and we were on the mainland before 10am. 

Stopped at Park Royal as Lyra was keen to get some Lulu Lemon shorts – the same pair that Mike’s daughter had. She convinced me by pointing out how much cheaper Lulu Lemon is here than in the UK. I bought Nova a green tennis/exercise dress in the sale. I’d like a new pair of running shorts, but the two pairs I tried didn’t suit. 

Next we returned the rental car downtown. When the guy inspecting it asked if we’d had any issues, we talked up the trunk release not working to distract him from the caved-in side door. Amazingly, he signed it off and waived the charge for the two hours we were past the day rate, which was nice of him. 

Ubered to the airport, saw the kids through to security, and then there were two… Straight back to Enterprise for a smaller car – a Jetta Sport this time – then headed out of town. I’d booked a room at Harrison Lake Lodge, taking advantage of a 30% last-minute discount. 

The room was gorgeous, with big windows overlooking the lake and a nice balcony. Drove into town for dinner, where we split a burger and a salad. Bought some beer thinking we might be able to watch meteors from bed, but Adam conked out straightaway and the clouds had moved in. 

Stayed awake long enough to see the kids’ plane land on flight tracker about midnight, then lights out.

August 10, 2024

We wanted an early start so we could have a bit more lake time and mostly managed it. Adam and I did another kayak loop, Adam and the Ls took a spin in the motorboat, and Aaron took Nova for a motorbike ride. 

We were on the road at 11am as planned, after several sweeps of the house. I was sad to go… It was a slightly shorter visit than usual but we packed a lot in. The drive was pleasantly uneventful and we made it to the ferry in good time. I’m loving that assured loading… 

Had a White Spot lunch (clam chowder for me) which was a big hit with everyone. Out on deck afterwards to read my Zoomer magazine. I have no idea what a Zoomer is. I’d have thought it was a nickname for Gen Z, but Keifer Sutherland was on the cover, and most of the ads featured grey-haired folks. Still not sure… 

Disembarked and made our way round to the Bowen Island queue. It was a close-run thing and we were one of the last cars to board. Lyra was nagging to be reimbursed from some minor expense like tapping her card on Vancouver buses and remarked that she was asking dad instead of me because I was cheap. 

It was lucky for her that Loki was on vacation with us or things could have got ugly. I was pretty pissed off. She spent the whole ferry crossing apologizing, while we watched orcas surfacing on the port side… 

Trevor and Marni are in the midst of house renovations to turn their ground floor into a rental suite. They were hoping it would be done before we arrived, but the balconies are missing edges, the downstairs kitchen is half installed, and the bathroom is half finished. 

They had sad news about their dog Monty, who has leukemia. They have spent a fortune on medical investigations, followed by chemo, which has bought him six months to two years. He’s still incredibly boisterous, and they admit themselves that if you didn’t know him it would be hard to believe that he’s seriously ill. 

After dinner — chicken with lemon and potatoes, followed by a plum tart – we sat up talking until about 11pm.

August 9, 2024

Our last full day here…☹ Another morning kayak – we are so much better than when we arrived. In an alternate life, I would happily kayak daily. 

Scrambled eggs, bacon and toast fortified us for this year’s swim across the lake. Lyra opted to join us for the first time. She managed really well and I was very proud of her. It’s quite a big deal to swim a kilometre of open water. Loki opted not to swim and boated across with Margo instead. His back is a bit burnt where Lyra was sloppy with the sunscreen. 

Another laidback afternoon – more rides in the tin boat for Adam and the Ls, and playing with Aaron’s remote control boat – which was good fun. 

Started the evening’s dining with mai tai cocktails (potent little numbers), cheese and crackers, followed by delicious fish tacos. When it was properly dark, I headed down to the wharf with Nova, Adam, Loki in the hope of seeing shooting stars. The visibility wasn’t as good as last night – there has been some forest fire smoke blowing in – but it’s a lovely thing to do all the same.

August 8, 2024

Bagels and more of their delicious smoked salmon for breakfast this morning. Afterwards, Adam and I went for a longer paddle, back towards where we’d collected the kayaks on the first day. I can definitely maintain a straighter line, especially when I remember to rotate my body with each stroke. We were running late on the way back, and Adam had to paddle for dear life to make his 10:30am meeting. 

Another chilled day on the wharf, swimming, chatting and soaking up the sun. Aaron took the kids out in the motorboat and showed them how to run it. He’s also put in some sterling work on the side of the car, touching up the scrapes. It’s looking pretty good… Reminds of me of the hire car we scuffed up in Provence, and doctored with felt tip pen…😉 

Ate dinner in town at a cocktail bar called Antidote. There was live music playing when we arrived – a four-piece band of children in pork pie hats playing oldies. They were obviously siblings. Kind of cute, but I preferred it when they were between sets. 

The cocktails were really inventive. Margo is obviously a valued customer and able to order off menu. All of us ordered either burgers or mussels, followed by all three desserts to share. Bought a bottle of their gin for Trevor and Marni, as his family hails from these parts. 

Back home, we had a tequila nightcap – we’re making quite a dent in their lovely bottle of patrón. Headed down to the wharf with Aaron and Loki and sat in the deckchairs looking for shooting stars. Saw several, though it’s a bit early yet…

August 7, 2024

Adam and I went for a kayak together first thing while the lake was calm and quiet. I’d watched a kayaking basics video first thing, which was informative. I hadn’t even realised that kayaks have foot pedals, or how to position the drip guards (not that they made much difference).

Another tip was to rotate your body and push into the foot pedal which each stroke which worked much better. Travelled a good way down the left arm of the lake this time before doubling back.

Coffee and fruit for breakfast, though surprisingly no peaches or cherries. Apparently, the Okanagan has had an awful growing season which has decimated the wineries as well. And now the BC Tree Fruits Cooperative has gone bankrupt, leaving growers with no way to distribute their crops

Took Toot Toot for a spin afterwards, while the water was calm and relatively quiet. Such a civilized was to tour about – I much prefer it to zooming around in a speedboat. After getting an update on Sproat developments from the water, Margo and I went for our usual neighbourhood walk, and I got the skinny from the land side as well.

Took the kids into town for a Dairy Queen and bought some beer as well. Today’s apertif was Margo’s unmatchable martinis, with crackers and hummus. For dinner we had salmon and pesto pasta, followed by a patrón nightcap.

August 6, 2024

Set off after breakfast to catch the 9am ferry. When we looked into ferries in London, there weren’t any reservations aside from the 6am. Fortunately the company has an assured loading card, which guarantees you a place on any main ferry crossing so long as you arrive 20 minutes in advance. Pretty sweet… 

Grabbed coffee and a muffin, then headed outside for the rest of the journey – where it was sunny but breezy. Disembarking the ferry, Adam managed to scrape the entire right panel of the vehicle against a yellow railing. Gah… good thing we declined the damage insurance…☹ 

I’d emailed my cousin Brenda when we were in Vancouver, hoping we’d be able to meet up.  She replied today with the sad news that Uncle Bernard has died… 

We’d arranged to meet Pat for lunch at Coombs (which has been crazily overdeveloped since the last time I visited). He biked down from Campbell River this morning, before heading to the Sunshine Coast to stay with Kent for the evening. 

Ate pizza at a nice place with a big terrace. It was so good to see him, but so sad as well. We didn’t talk about Adam until the end of the visit, when he and I hung back as we were leaving and exchanged a few words. 

Said our goodbyes, then carried on to Port Alberni and Sproat Lake. It was so good to see Margo and Aaron, who are both looking great. Lake life clearly agrees with them. Apparently, we’d just missed the bomber, which is leaving the lake this weekend, with a big send-off. 

Hopped into our swimsuits and straight down to the wharf for some afternoon sun. Nova and I headed off in the boat with Aaron to collect a pair of kayaks from a friend’s place. I don’t have much experience of kayaking but figured a couple of things out on the long paddle back. 

Margaritas on the deck with home-smoked salmon and crackers. Dinner was prawns with fresh-baked bread, followed by courgette pasta and salad. It’s great to be here! 

At bedtime, Nova headed down to sleep on the boat, and Lyra and Loki retreated to the office/guest room. We have our usual comfy downstairs suite.

August 5, 2024

Slept really well last night. Mike had returned with fresh pastries by the time I came downstairs for coffee. Nice… 

Went for a good hike in Lynn Canyon. Not the suspension bridge – that would have been a zoo on a sunny long weekend. Parked up and walked round Rice Lake and then another hour or so before stopping for lunch at the general store near the end of the route. 

Went for dinner at Joeys down by Lonsdale Quay. It’s their thing to offer customers a welcoming glass of prosecco while they wait for their table. They served both girls last time, but this evening they ID’d Nova (but not 20-year-old Emma and Matt, who both look about 16.) It’s odd how often that happens to her… 

Tanya managed to secure a patio table with a great view. We shared appetizers, then a tuna burger (which was excellent) and Earnest ice cream for dessert.

August 4, 2024

Awake at 5am again. I didn’t have a great sleep – the heat doesn’t help… We had the ceiling fan going all night, but it just stirs the warm air around. Air conditioning is one of the mod cons the Sylvia lacks, and I hope they keep it that way. I like it just the way it is…

Headed over to Carol and Scott’s at 8:30am so she could run us up to Enterprise. We’d reserved a small SUV, thinking we might need the space for five of us plus luggage. They upgraded us to a massive Jeep Grand Cherokee – I feel a little intimidated by its size. Amazing to think that people own vehicles like this in London. 

Parked in a guest spot at Carol and Scott’s building, then walked back to the Sylvia to pack up before the noon checkout. The Pride parade was just getting underway. It was busy but we staked out a good spot eventually. Grabbed a quick Vietnamese lunch then headed to for Mike and Tanya’s place in Deep Cove. 

Their house is pretty big and there were bedrooms for all. Their cats Nigel and Kona are also pretty big and were an immediate hit with everyone. 

Mike mixed up a round of margaritas and we all hung out on the patio for the rest of the day. Dinner was a traybake of sausage and veg, with ice cream for dessert. Lyra started developing a migraine and she and Loki retreated early. 

The rest of us migrated to their fire pit for a whisky nightcap. Adam slept like a log through that portion of the evening. He increasingly struggles to stay awake after dinner, then doesn’t get a good night’s sleep. I know jetlag is a factor at the moment, but it’s a pattern in London too…

August 3, 2024

I was awake at 5am this morning, which is progress… Showered, chopped a platter of fruit for everybody, then redressed the wounds, which had seeped through their bandages in the night. It was encouraging to see how much better things looked already. Nova is a fast healer…

There’s been a massive landslide in the Chilcotin, which has dammed the river and may result in flooding downstream affecting the Fraser Canyon. What’s next, swarms of locusts? On a more positive note, a meet-up with Pat may be on the cards. He’s fishing in Prince Rupert but will try to get on the coast ferry to hook up with us on Vancouver Island.

Caught the little ferry to Kits, where we stopped at the Viva coffee shop and bakery for a second breakfast like a pack of hobbits. Caught the bus out to UBC on the bus to visit the Museum of Anthropology. UBC so developed now – I barely recognize it, which is kind of depressing. Fortunately, the museum is excellent as ever and we all really enjoyed it.

Back downtown, we grabbed tacos on Granville Street before indulging the girls with a bit of shopping. The fentanyl scene is maybe a bit less bad than last time, or perhaps it that there was a broader mix of people on the street watering down the impact.

Bought the girls stuff at Bath and Body Works, Roots, La Vie en Rose before I resheathed my credit card. Adam and I nd caught the bus with Loki back to the Sylvia so he could make his dinner date with his rellies at the Cactus Club, leaving the girls to do more shopping on Robson Street.

Taxied to Kitsilano for dinner with Bruce, who has moved into an assisted living facility called Tapestry a few months ago. It’s a conversion of the former Carling Brewery on Arbutus Ridge. He’d assembled the usual gang – Carol, Becca and Michael. The food was pretty good and the facilities seem nice. I could tell it’s been a difficult adjustment for him though…

Popped up to roof afterwards to take in the view. The building is about eight storeys high and on the Arbutus Ridge, making it higher than everything surrounding it while still being relatively low. It was a neat contrast to Carol and Scott’s view yesterday.

On the trip back to the West End, a police car veered in front of our bus bringing us to a halt. Officers climbed on board and politely arrested a young guy in a hoodie, escorting him off without incident. Never seen that before…

Nova, Adam and I met Carol and Scott downstairs for drinks and a bit more to eat (it hadn’t been a large dinner). Brought them upstairs to see the suite, tiptoeing around as the Ls were asleep.

August 2, 2024

Awake at 4am. Actually it was a teeny bit before, but 4am sounds better. There was a screamer down on the beach with an urgent political message to share, and another person yelling to shut him up.

Went for an early morning walk with Nova and sea dip near the outdoor pool. Very nice, if a bit kelpy… 

Breakfasted in the suite, then set out to collect our e-bikes. Started with a cycle round the seawall, stopping to look at the totem poles. Lyra was a bit nervous at first, and we went pretty slowly. 

Next we decided to take the gravel trails to Prospect Point. Lyra was feeling more confident by this point, and ready to go faster. We let them go in front with instructions about which turns to make.

When Adam and I reached Prospect Point five minutes later there was no sign of them. Instead of turning right/uphill they’d turned left and were at Ferguson Point. After a brief conversation, they decided to come to meet us. 

We waited… and waited… then Lyra rang. Nova had come off her bike and was badly scraped up. She had nasty grazes on both forearms, a cut on her chin, and her knee looked horrible, with several significant cuts. Even worse, the path was thick with dust and her wounds were filthy. I splashed everything with water, and patted it dry with Adam’s head cloth. 

Nova walked her bike up to the Point, where a waiter called Eoin from Dublin applied basic first aid. She was pretty shaken up and tearful, but nothing was broken or even bruised fortunately, and after some discussion we decided to continue with our plans. 

Cycled all the way round False Creek, then stopped for some lunch in Granville Island. Ended up returning the bikes a bit late, but once they saw the state of Nova they didn’t charge us extra. 

Walked back to the hotel via Shoppers for wound care supplies. After a good shower, I disinfected and dressed everything. Round to Carol and Scott’s for an Indian feast on their gorgeous roof. Stayed until sunset by which time we were all fading.

August 1, 2024

And we’re off! Once we changed our bed, did the litter boxes, fed the cat, emptied the dishwasher yada yada yada… The taxi arrived at 7:30am to shift the five of us to Finsbury Park where we caught a direct train to Gatwick.

We’d allowed for three hours at the airport if the journey went smoothly. Just as well it did, because we needed all of it. It’s just more complicated downloading five boarding passes, auto-checking five bags, and getting everyone through security.

They were demons for flagging bags on this occasion – Nova, Lyra and me all received hand searches, with items from our ziplock bag zapped in a machine that looked like something out of a kids’ cartoon, that flashed a big ‘safe substance’ message after analyzing my hand sanitizer.

We had time to buy some duty free and have a bit of breakfast before trekking to the gate and boarding the plane. Aside from it being one of the worst seats I’ve ever been assigned – middle of the middle four, next to a very hefty woman who overspilled before she started knitting an enormous lap blanket, her elbow nudging me thousands of times over the next nine hours. As a cherry on top, the woman in front of me opted to recline her seat for much of the flight.

Rather than be pissy about it, I started a conversation with the knitter. She was travelling to Kamloops (first trip to Canada) to visit a girlfriend who’s been unwell. The blanket was a gift for her, and she was working hard to finish it before arrival.

Our Indian veg lunch was very nice, but the dreaded lattice pastry snack was pretty much as remembered. We landed early, swanned through the airport (aside from a delay getting all five bags) and were out in the Vancouver afternoon sunshine by 3pm.

Grabbed a Japadog, then a taxi to the Sylvia. Our suite in on the top floor (8^th) with windows overlooking English Bay on two sides. A big master bedroom, Murphy bed for the Ls in the enormous lounge (and a camp bed for Nova), separate kitchen and bedroom. Carol had surprised us with two bags of groceries waiting at reception – so sweet of her to think of that.

Had a drink on the patio – an obligatory “welcome to Canada” Caesar, then went for a wander. Lyra and Loki headed to the beach, Adam had a snooze and Nova and I walked up to Second Beach then around the lagoon.

There’s lots of recent signage about habitat restoration and making the lagoon suitable for a range of birds and mammals, including beavers. I scoffed at the beaver bit, but within five minutes a beaver came paddling by hauling a large branch, so I guess it’s working.

We tried to stay awake until bedtime and pretty much made it late enough to enjoy the awesome sunset from our room… Life is good!