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Vancouver holiday and meeting Klahanie!

34 comments


We are back home after a wonderful but exhausting holiday on Vancouver Island with the Downunderlings (as Steve nicknamed our Aussie family): Mike, Gabriella, Chiara, 8 and Francesca (Frankie), 5. It was bittersweet as Steve (who died in May from a heart attack) should have been with us, and would have loved it . . . he was a brilliant photographer, and would have enjoyed the fabulous natural world and the wildlife. This is the only photo of the wildlife that we managed!

The house we rented together was right by the sea on Vancouver Island, with the Seattle coastline on the horizon. There were occasional sightings of dolphins and seals from the balcony, an Orca one day, and sea otters playing on the rocks below. Deer, rabbits and hummingbirds in the garden. One day we had fun exploring this rocky park . . .

Tower to knock down if you can throw accurately – son Mike won.

Mike and Chiara

Visited Klahanie and her husband one day at their beautiful house on the east coast of the island. We had a lovely long chat with drinks and snacks on their terrace with the fantastic view.

This tree in their garden is an Albizia julibrissin (‘silk tree’)

Story time before bed, back at the house


This is a bit short as several of our photos were too big to download – and apologies for some that are sideways – I’ve no idea why! Hope you enjoyed it anyway :)

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Comments

 

Thanks Denise and Resinone 🙂.

21 Jul, 2019

 

Lovely photo's and lots of wonderful memories I am sure for you.

21 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you Honey, yes, we made some good memories.

21 Jul, 2019

 

What a lovely place to go. Would you recommend it Sheila? I think its somewhere we might like to visit.

21 Jul, 2019

 

What a beautiful place. So glad you got to see Canada Sheila. Good memories!

21 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you for sharing some of your wonderful holiday with us,Sheila..so glad you had a lovely time,with your family..my ,those pretty little girls are growing up so quickly! How lovely to meet Klahanie and spend some time with her,and her husband..I am so pleased to see the photo of you both together,and so nice to see Klahanie at last..:o)

21 Jul, 2019

 

Karen, if you like wildlife and wilderness then go! The Island is thickly forested (I’ve never seen so many fir trees) but beautiful away from the towns. Maybe drive to the unspoilt west coast? Also the ferry ride between Vancouver and the Island weaves between the Gulf Islands and is a highlight.

Bathgate, many thanks!

21 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you Sandra, yes the “girls” are adorable, and impressed us with their ability to amuse themselves without help. We all enjoyed painting with watercolours - such a peaceful pastime, lol 🙂.

21 Jul, 2019

 

What a beautiful place - a long way t go but worth it, and good to meet Klahanie too. I specially liked your walk in the rocky woodland. Glad you had a wnderful holiday!

21 Jul, 2019

 

Thanks so much Sue. Yes, the tiring journey was worth it for the quiet house by the water and the dramatic scenery. I’m so glad we went 🙂.

21 Jul, 2019

 

The photos depict the peacefulness of your lovely surroundings and they also show the pleasure you got from being there with your family.
What a truly wonderful place to visit.
Do ask Klahanie to return to us - haven't seen her for ages.

21 Jul, 2019

 

That’s a lovely comment Chris, thank you. I did chat to Klahanie about coming back to GoY but I think she’s too busy with other things. She’s very artistic, and gave me a painting she had done of the Golden Wedding rose that Steve gave us last year ... such a generous gesture.

21 Jul, 2019

 

Thanks Sheila! We’ll see.....

21 Jul, 2019

 

Sounds like a wonderful time, Sheila. The ferry ride is a wonderful highlight and scenic. I was last there 50 years ago! my goodness how time does fly.

21 Jul, 2019

 

Lori, we were there about 30 years ago and Victoria is very much busier, but there are still very few roads to the north and west which keeps the Island unspoilt.

22 Jul, 2019

 

Lovely photos Sheila how amazing to meet someone from GOY so far away, and receive your special painting :-)))

22 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you Daylily - yes, I'm a lucky lady!

22 Jul, 2019

 

Sheila, I am so pleased you all had a great time in Vancouver, and I would love to have seen Dolphins, Seals and Sea Otters, how wonderful! How generous of Klahanie to have created a painting for you ... :o)

22 Jul, 2019

 

That sounds like a wonderful holiday, Sheila. Family time is so precious. We are off to Cromarty on Saturday (not quite such a long journey!) with children, spouses and grandchildren, 13 of us. It may not be so far, but I daresay we shall be pretty exhausted by the end of the week! That said, we are greatly looking forward to it. Your photos are lovely!

22 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you very much Shirley - yes, the wildlife there is exceptional, and Klahanie was very generous.

Have a great holiday Mel ... family are so precious 🙂. Thanks for your comment.

22 Jul, 2019

 

Mel....I really hope the weather improves when you arrive in Cromarty :)

22 Jul, 2019

 

Thank you, Sheila!

Oh so do I, Karen! The forecast is very mixed. We’ll have a good time anyway, but even so...

23 Jul, 2019

 

Yes, its been miserable generally this summer. You never know, August might surprise us!

23 Jul, 2019

 

With any luck, it will. We have had some nice weather here, although some days have been very changeable. Very hot today!

23 Jul, 2019

 

What a wonderful time for you after such an upsetting start to the year. Lovely to see you having a good time with the grandchildren and it seems Klahanie made you very welcome with a lovely gift to bring home, strangely you look very much alike in the photo!.

24 Jul, 2019

 

How lovely, I'm very envious:-)

24 Jul, 2019

 

Phyl (Stroller) that’s kind of you ... I appreciate your comment. Yes, I think it was good for us to be somewhere so different with the family, and it’s always a tonic to be by the sea 🙂. Thank you!

Thanks BA, yes it was lovely.

24 Jul, 2019

 

I'm so pleased you enjoyed a lovely family time on your Vancouver holiday Sheila. The heron photo your son Steve would have loved is just beautiful, it would make a stunning watercolour.
The girls are looking gorgeous enjoying the wildness and then meeting up with Klahanie and the fabulous view from her place, not to mention sea otters and hummingbirds and all the wonderful wildlife...
Thinking of you Sheila X

6 Nov, 2019

 

Thanks so much Janey . . . it’s lovely to see you! Have you been away to Tazzie by any chance? Hope you are doing well. X

6 Nov, 2019

 

Hi Sheila, it's lovely to have popped back in...
No, Jim and family are now in Palm Beach, back in Sydney, they were moving as I left in February. BUT I have a beautiful grandson...Will. He's gorgeous, very easy and laid back like his Dad and Aleks adores him..:))

25 Nov, 2019

 

Ooh that’s great news Janey. Glad you were able to have a few cuddles! We drove up to Palm Beach a few years back ... what a great choice. (Except it’s probably a bit too hot at the moment?).

25 Nov, 2019

 

Yes it is Sheila, I've still to give him a cuddle, but I can wave and make him laugh by Wattsapp. We are lucky to have this technology aren't we...:))

2 Dec, 2019

 

We certainly are lucky Janey . . . being able to Skype for free is such an amazing treat. I'm hoping we'll do that this weekend. xx

3 Dec, 2019

 

:)) XX

3 Dec, 2019

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