Tugboat Island with Susan

I awoke and immediately went into high gear yesterday morning. I had to figure out how to get another seat into my car so that I could ferry my three guests around once they arrived. Plus, I had to thoroughly clean the car. After transporting 3 new trees and months of forest crap falling off me and Sheba, the car was a moving dump. Well, no more.

And I wanted to do a quick tidying of the courtyard that had accumulated a lot of tools and crap from all my chopping and gardening from the past three weeks. I wanted Susan, who lives in pristine glory in the house she was born into, to see Pinecone Park at its best. Then it was time to go to meet my fellow dog walkers for our morning forest walk.

I trimmed lawns when I got back and then got the call from Susan to come to Silva Bay, so off I went. But things went differently than I expected. Sheba and I got into a dingy with Sudan and her son, Ian, and we went to Tugboat Island. Tugboat is a small island owned by Royal Vancouver Yacht Club. Ian belongs to the club, so they can moor there and use a lodge and the games and fields, get water and have picnics.

Susan and I walked around on the paths of the island, and then we came back to the boat (fifty-two feel of lovely comfort) and had nibblies and then Ian took Sheba and I back to the dock. I came home to sparkling clean home, and a yard flush with new plantings, both trees and shrubs. I have another friend named Sue coming on Wednesday and staying at Dan and Steve’s until Monday. I’m inviting them all for a picnic here, but we’ll likely get together more than once.

My next task is more working with wood. I hired Joe to split several of the 250-300 pound pieces of bucked wood that came from trees felled in my backyard. I justified cutting the trees for more light, but I committed to using them for heat. Joe split several into four pieces. I am going to chop all those pieces in half and then stack them.

It is so weird, I love to complain about the fatigue and my aches and pains, but I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t enjoy it because I try not to do anything I don’t enjoy. That’s why I was self-employed. 

Her Highness was exhausted when we got home, as was I. It was early to bed last night, and today I will likely putter, but I’ve no heavy task to do. I’m looking forward, though, to planting the Petasites Japonicus that my neighbour gave me. I love it, it has huge showy leaves that look like extra-wide Hostas, but they grow proudly with tall strong sculptural stems. Hopefully, the one I plant will spread.

A group of lesbians is, I hear, organizing a pride event. So, on behalf of our gay cabal, I wrote to their organizer proposing to work together. I was careful to propose a support function to ensure her that we’re not a “take-over” team. Now I wait.