Not much to say except — still, so much pleasure. This island is truly magical. When we’re driving, I can’t get over that beside the road, where in the city are endless high-rise buildings, here are endless high-rise trees, a thick bank of a million very tall Douglas firs and other trees. Nothing but trees on all sides. I’ve been doing some serious forest bathing every day; we walk the dog on trails in dense silent forest. The air is fresh and smells of pine and ocean. Divine.

Below, Chris and Sheba at crowded Sandwell Beach, and Monsieur watering one part of his tiny denuded garden. (LOL)

We are eating well, largely because we’re not cooking much. Chris did make a great spaghetti sauce for two dinners, but we lunched again at the Surf yesterday, in the sun near the water, and today at the little Sunday market where there’s a place selling Chris’s beloved fish tacos. Absolutely delicious. We sat at a picnic table with four of his good friends, as two excellent musicians played the music of our youth – the Mamas and the Papas, Stan Rogers, Neil Young, Blue Rodeo. The Beatles. Once again, it could not have been nicer.

On the way home we stopped at the Gabriola cemetery so I could visit Patsy Ludwick, who threw a party for my twentieth birthday the summer we met in Halifax and became housemates and best friends. She moved to Gabriola many years ago, built her own house here and made a good life, until she was diagnosed with the vilest disease, ALS. She immediately signed up for MAID and two years later was able to stage-manage the exact time and manner of her death. She even chose the design and placement of her funeral plot. I was glad to let her know she’s very much remembered and loved.

The cemetery is beautiful and tranquil, sloping right down to the water. Next to Patsy’s is a stone that reads “An ocean view at last!” Someone with a great sense of humour.

Chris and I laugh a lot and talk a lot. We disagree on some things, have different tastes in some movies and books and attitudes. We disagree vehemently about J. K. Rowling. But it doesn’t matter, mostly we are in accord and get along wonderfully. Still, I’m sure he’ll be glad to get rid of me and enjoy his solitude, with his beautiful pets, once more.

Tomorrow Chris, Sheba, and I get the ferry across and drive north to Courtenay where we’ll meet Marsha for lunch. Marsha helped run and did the lighting at the Arts Club Theatre where Chris and I worked in the seventies. She lives on Denman Island. Then I’ll get the bus to Campbell River for my next ferry ride, for two days on Quadra Island.

The tree-lined adventure continues.