Tag Archives: tofino

Farewell Fair Tofino

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Amidst fears of war and revenge, of wildfires destroying homes and lives, of floods and storms washing away villages, drowning hope, I sit by the edge of the sea and seek the solace of the waves flowing in, flowing out. Flowing in. Flowing out.

To the west, the vastness of the ocean stretches away, touching land in far off China.

To the east, coastal forests climb up mountainsides creating an impenetrable barrier penetrated only by one long winding sliver of road giving access to the world beyond.

Troubles diminish here by the sea.  Death and bombs. Fire and floods. Anger. Revenge. They feel so foreign. So far away.

Me and My Shadow

We are leaving today. Travelling east. Travelling across land and water and land again to return to our home on the river.

For five days, Middle Beach Lodge has been our home away from home. Our solace. Our retreat.

It has been divine. Restful. Regenerative.

Perched upon the cliff, above Mackenzie Beach, the lodge offers an expansive view of the waves crashing against the rocks, the trees dancing in the wind and the ocean undulating out towards the horizon.

Low tide beauty

And more than anything, it creates a comforting and caring environment in which to savour the moment and all its beauty and possibilities.

Years ago, when my daughters were in junior high and high school, I would bring them here every Spring break for a week of fun in the sands, leaping across rock-strewn beaches and run along boardwalks through the rainforest.

It was a time of magic. A time of connectedness. Memory building. Joy.

While C.C. and I do not tend mores towards sauntering than leaping and running, it continues to be a time of magic. Connectedness and memory building.

My writing, reading spot.

This is the first time we have come here together without Beaumont our Sheepadoodle. And while, his antics are priceless as he races through the waves trying to catch seafoam and flotsam, we have treasured this time away without any responsibilities other than to be present to one another.

We start the journey home today. We take with us the peace and joy that has come with being in this place where land and sea unite in a beautiful dance of life come undone from the cares of the world.

See you on the other side of the Rockies.

Namaste.

 

Stormy Take Outs

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It was a day of rest. A day to savour time by the fire. Chatting. Reading. Playing crib. (I won’t mention the fact C.C. skunked me! Cad! 🙂 ) And, a day to appreciate the power of nature and the benefits of electricity.

It was at 2pm the lights flickered and then went out. Completely. For almost 3 hours, a large swathe of Vancouver Island was without power. Storm. Power surges. Faulty lines. Not sure what the problem was but it was rather exciting for a while with just the fire and candles to add light in the storm.

Inside, at The Lodge at Middle Beach, we were warm and cozy. Outside the winds howled. The surf surged and trees danced in the storm.

By 5pm the power began to reappear. On. Off. Until after about 10 attempts, it stayed on.

I had taken a walk on the beach earlier. The wind blew fiercely. The waves roared and the tide crashed against the shoreline. Within fifteen minutes, the path I’d taken along the beach was awash and I had to find the high tide trail back. It was wild and beautiful and intoxicating.

When I returned, my pants were soaked but my upper body was dry as I had worn one of the bright yellow slickers the Lodge provides.

I felt exhilarated. Revived by the wind and sea and salt air.

This morning, the storm has died down. The skies are a misty grey, white flecks dotted with blue struggle to break through. Rain still falls. Soft and gentle, not the skin prickling sensations of yesterday.

The power is on.

We had a delicious dinner last night in The Great Room at Longbeach Lodge. Their generator had kept the kitchen running, albeit at limited capacity, throughout the afternoon and by 8pm when we arrived, everything was back on. We chatted and listened to the waves and savoured the delectable food and toasted our ‘togetherness’.

And my heart expanded, my breath deepened and my thinking mind drifted effortlessly into silence.

Inside me, I feel the ebb and flow of the waves pulling me into stillness. I feel myself slowing down, once again becoming attuned to my heartbeat, the blood flowing through my veins, the feeling of my bones grounded in space and time, connected to the ‘everythingness’ that is all around.

I breathe. In. Out.

I feel my breath move throughout my body. Energizing. Life-giving. Connected.

I feel my breath move down, down, down into my legs. Into my feet. Tingling against my soles. I feel it move through me into the ground beneath me. And I say a silent prayer of gratitude.

My body is present. I am aware. Alive. Awed.

Outside the wind continues to howl.

Inside, I am rested. Peaceful. Connected. Present.

Life is an adventure. Life is grand.

Beaumont the Wave Chaser

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He is a wave hound. A chaser of the curve as it falls over onto itself racing towards the shore.

He follows the line of the water, running at full speed along the beach.

He does not bark. He does not zig nor zag. He runs like a bullet speeding through air, following the wave.

Beaumont loves the beach. He loves the ocean.

As always happens, no matter where we are or who we’re with, I am the first person up in the morning. It is my habit. My way of being.

I treasured those quiet mornings in Tofino. As the sun rose behind the trees lining the eastern horizon, the light advanced in long shimmering lines, reaching far into the western shores of the Island, pushing night’s blanket away from the shore. Beaumont and I would quietly leave our cabin at the edge of MacKenzie beach and walk in the early morning light, down the steps to the golden sand of Crystal Cove. I’d let him off his leash and he would race around me in circles, his mouth open in a great big huge grin, his body quivering in anticipation of the frolics to come, just on the other side of the rocks protruding from the sand. I’d throw his ball. He’d grab it and make a beeline for the first wave washing ashore.

And the fun began.

Ball in mouth, he races along the curve of the water, splashing and leaping in the waves. If there are others out in the early morning light, they inevitably stop and watch and smile.

Beaumont in the waves is a smile making machine.

He does not pay attention to humans, other dogs, birds. Nothing. He only has eyes for the waves, the water cascading over itself as it rushes to shore.

One woman couldn’t resist his antics. She waited patiently to grab just the perfect photo. She walked towards me, camera outstretched to show me. “I’m so excited I caught him leaping in the waters. His smile is contagious.” She showed me her photo and added. “I want a dog just like him!”

Every morning I walked the beach with Beaumont and was reminded of how easy it is to be in the moment, to be present to joy and share smiles with strangers.

Lesson from a Dog: Chase waves. Smile lots. Life is an adventure.

Growing up Beaumont – Tales of a Sheepadoodle

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Beaumont is off on an adventure.

Tomorrow, we are heading west to the coast and then, across the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island and to delightful, laidback in a, hey dude, I’m chillin’ on the west coast, kind of way town on the farthest western shore of Canada, Tofino. A week of beach-combing, cuddling by a cozy fire and chilling out in the rainforest.

I think he’s excited.

Okay, that’s just transference on my part, but if he were aware of where we were going, he’d be excited!

Tofino is a place of treasured memories for me.

Throughout their growing years, my daughters, their friend Vicky and I would head out to Tofino for a week every Easter break. We’d pack the car with everything possible (including 100 Beanie Babies, dress up clothes and other paraphernalia necessary for 3 pre-teen to teens girls to play dress-up on the beach and indulge in other escapades). We’d spend the week by the ocean where we would gambol in the surf, wander the boardwalks through the rainforest and sit on rocks watching seals cavort in the waves. We’d eat and laugh and chatter and dance and play cards and board games and skip through tidal pools and lay in the sun when it was shining, which, given this is the west coast, was sometimes dubious as the weather can often be moody.

Every morning, I’d sneak down to the beach to write a daily installment of a story I’d created just for them in the sand. Every morning, they’d awaken and race to the shore, read the story and act out the tale of three star maidens who climbed down the staircase from heaven to earth every night to cast dreams upon sleeping children. Some mornings, the tide devoured the story before they could. And that was okay. It was all part of the adventure.

C.C., nor Beaumont, have ever been to Tofino.

I’m excited. To share one of my favourite places on earth with the man I love, and the puppy who continues to bring pure joy into our lives every day.

I may, or may not be blogging regularly. For sure tomorrow morning I won’t be as we plan on heading out early to arrive in Vancouver in time for dinner at my sister’s.

For the next week, I will be enjoying the company of my beloved, our pooch and as a special treat, my eldest daughter will be joining us for the weekend.

What a gift. To spend time with those I live in a place that has always filled my heart with loving memories.

Life is delicious.