It’s Always Sunny in British Columbia

In this gorgeous mansion we are pretty blissfully free of television, video games, current events, etc., partially because that is a great way to connect with family members we don’t see very often, but mostly because the wireless router is located in the owners adjacent house so the only spot we get WiFi is in one corner of the formal dining room. So I didn’t post anything yesterday which is really annoying because I just want to go to bed but now I have too much to write. 

I used to journal all of our travels but got out of the habit years ago and now every time we come back from a trip I regret that I didn’t write anything down. As a former teacher used to say, my mind has become like a sieve. So this time Zach encouraged me to use the public format as incentive to write, but it is so against my nature to put myself out there like this that every entry is agony. Hopefully it will be worth it when I can actually remember most of our trip!

Yesterday after Zach made everyone delicious blueberry pancakes we spent most of our time wandering through the Butchart Gardens, a beautiful but overpriced expanse of the most gorgeous and meticulous landscaping I’ve ever seen. At 30 bucks a person our expectations were pretty high, so it felt a little too Disney for my tastes. But the cousins all had a blast together and the weather was gorgeous so it was a win. Speaking of weather we are convinced that the sun always shines in the Pacific Northwest, and not a drop of rain ever falls. Oh, and the only bugs they have are butterflies, dragonflies, and happily oblivious bees. We haven’t had one mosquito bite in a week and a half and believe me, if there were mosquitoes here they would have found us.

 Today was a little more stressful, as the grown up ladies had plans for tea while the men and kids hung out in Victoria. Sounds simple, I know, but try organizing 18 people in 5 cars to do anything, and you’ll understand why this was not the most relaxing activity. But we did make it to an amazing snack shack on pier with grilled oyster sandwiches and fresh fish roll ups, and I had a very nice tea time, and to top it off we discovered a free garden in Beacon Hill Park that rivaled Butchart (just as gorgeous if not as big, but free!).

But any stress melted away with some blackberry picking, a glorious pasta dinner with the entire family, and a night of talking, laughing, and gathering around the piano while the professional performers in the family did their thing. Melina has been a little crazy but overall both girls have been angels and are having the time of their lives. It really is too bad they can’t see their cousins more often- cousins are the best.