With summer saying goodbye to make room for autumn, I've been working to defeat the usual onset of farewell to summer blues. Historically this is a dull and drawn out affair for me that gains momentum as the sunsets keep coming earlier and I have to start packing a flashlight with me on early morning and late afternoon jogs. In the country there are few (to none) street lights and seeing in the dark isn’t one of my talents. On the bright side, last fall and this fall I've had something out of the ordinary to help me adjust to the air being heavily laced with pumpkin-spiced-everything, my hair succumbing to winter-dark, and watching my tan fade. I’ve been keeping my chin up putting together memory-projects from fall 2015’s excursion. It was stellar and I’m still smiling about it! The summer-to-autumn transition was enjoyed with good friends on the Sunshine Coast and several other places in B.C. Dark and chilly mornings were met with steamy, rich cups of coffee while we watched the twinkling city lights of Vancouver (on the left) and Nanaimo (on the right), fade out as the sunshine spread over Davis Bay. It was always enchanting, and (for me) even more so when sunrise had to compete with misty clouds and rain over rolling grey seas decked out in foamy, whitecaps. For this year’s transition, I'm home, in the rivers land, but I have a heart-full of wonderful memories from last year and I’m using them to my advantage in not only helping me stay positive and upbeat with the season transition but also to share with you the huge list of reasons to love and visit British Columbia. I've been busy editing images for slideshows and videos of our adventures and outings there and want to share them with you here, throughout the year. In this edition I want to highlight the coastal waters and the huge ferries that play a crucial role as part of the British Columbia transportation system. Glass seas...If the Pacific could be consistently calm, I can imagine a career spent working on these ships would be a dream come true for scores of folks. Even back and forthing over the same course every day would maintain interest and satisfaction, much like hiking or cycling a well-worn, familiar, favorite trail. The views are spectacular over and over again. Not only was I blessed to enjoy several voyages to multiple destinations on these ferries, I was even more blessed to enjoy them in the excellent company of folks who are well experienced in traveling via the ferries as well as having wonderful knowledge of the areas we traveled through. My close friends and colleagues, Vicki Warner (of WarnerWords) and her husband, Bob Scott made for awesome tour guides, sharing information about the people, histories, businesses and cultures of the places we visited. Both are semi-retired authors, educators and active members of the independent business community. You can learn more about them and their work by clicking here for Vicki and here for Bob. Once on a voyage there, Vicki spoke with the captain of our ferry and he was kind enough to give us a tour of the command center. The view was dazzling and something that was felt as much as seen. Looking out the big windows, I was certain the crew had one of the best jobs in the world. No wonder so many poems, songs and stories have been written while on the water. It produces a euphoria I can’t quite describe. While on trips, Vicki would show me around the restaurants, coffee bars and gift shops. The folks who worked in them were all super kind and helpful and I learned later that some are volunteers. Vicki would introduce me to total strangers and next thing I know, they’re telling me they’ve visited Kentucky (my native commonwealth) and wanting to know what sort of literature we produce. I never ate on these vessels because boats and food don’t mix well with me, but I had coffee on every trip and enjoyed every cup to the last drop. The gift shops were big and had all sorts of dry goods in them for both locals and tourists. The ferry system isn’t the only option for touring B.C. via boat. You can click here to learn more about other boat touring options there. Beyond the boats there’s a nearly endless list of things to see and do along B.C.’s coast. I can’t imagine anyone who ever lived there, ever not loving it and wanting to live somewhere else. It really is that special and that fascinating. Below is a short video for you, that only covers the ferry rides. In upcoming editions I’ll have more on other things, people and places I adore in B.C., but this one seemed to be the perfect one to start the series off with. ShoutOutsThe wrapThanks so much for joining me today. Your readership and interaction is valued and personally appreciated! I hope you enjoyed my video-tour of B.C. ferries and sorry I couldn't include the sound of gulls and the tang of salty air for you, too.
That's it for this one... God bless you, thanks for the read and see you next week! femmeflashpoint
6 Comments
HI femme,
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femmeflashpoint
10/5/2016 04:47:00 pm
Hi Vicki!
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Angelia Phillips
10/5/2016 06:30:39 pm
Prof. Mahreer,
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Gail Sobotkin
10/7/2016 04:11:46 pm
I enjoyed vicariously experiencing this part of your trip with you, especially the video which shows the stunning views from the ferry.
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Angelia Phillips (femmeflashpoint)
10/7/2016 05:59:14 pm
Hi Gail,
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