The Cabin is Mine

It’s mine, all half acre of it including the six thousand gallon cistern. Yesterday I told realtor Dwayne to remove the subjects on my offer to buy the cabin. They come off on Friday; today I get the certified deposit cheque.

I absolutely love the cabin and can hardly wait to move in. The kitchen is in a weird location so choosing how to design my rooms is a challenge but in every other way the place is perfect for me.

The studio is not at all how I remember it. I will want to make lots of changes but I won’t be doing anything for a while. Instead I’m going to focus on just getting settled.

I was overwhelmed by the complexity of my water system. It’s a room of compressors, filters, valves and tanks. Today, the company who installed the well is coming to do an inspection and once I get possession, they’ll come back to get it running, sign me up to a service contract and teach me about how to manage it.

Solar panels are out. I’ve been educated. But the house passed its inspection with flying colours. The water and septic inspections are today but I’m not returning because the neighbours surrounding me say the water where I am is the best on the island. (That means no sulfur.)

On the way home, I was attracted to a Golden Retrieve/Poodle cross and met his owners, Todd and Amy. They moved to Gabriola in February and were full of hints and tips (and I never once stuttered talking with them). They told me about The Commons and the “707” (trails through vacant public land; my place borders on the 707) and that the best swimming is just five minutes from my place.

They also told me there’s curbside garbage pick up and how incredibly fast response time is to 911. And … there’s a marijuana dispensary.

We exchanged email addresses and committed to exchanging dinners. I’m smitten. Plus, they told us about the Welcome Wagon and I’m doin’ it. You get tons of free swag including a ½ price ticket on the seaplane between Vancouver and Gabriola.

I learned many really interesting and relevant things about life and recreation on the island from my new friends. I spent an hour and a half with them.

What’s really clear already is that island life is a passion for those leading it. Todd and Amy are young and typify the radiant joy of everyone living the slow life.  

In the evening Robin, Dwight and Laura came over for champagne and I took them to dinner at Ancora to celebrate my new life.

What a day.