Sometimes You Win…

Today was our last full day on Vancouver Island and it was pretty darn wonderful. We started the day searching nearby Patricia Bay for harbor seals, but no luck. We did see lots of bird and shellfish, including 6 sand dollars that we can hopefully get through customs. 

Then we set off to Victoria where we sampled chocolates and spent hours in the Royal British Columbia Museum. At first I was disappointed when we went straight to the animal displays; honestly, when you’re used to the Smithsonian, replicas of a Mastadon and a few elk just aren’t impressive. But the special exhibit detailing the race to be the first to reach the South Pole was fascinating, and Melina was devastated to learn that “her” British team not only lost to “my” Norwegian team, but also all died before returning home. So I taught her the phrase, “you win some, you lose some.”

Then we went up to the third floor, and all four of us were captivated by the displays of British Columbia from the first natives through the modern day. It was complete with totem poles, sawmills, mines, and a replica of Victoria through the years, complete with a mini movie theater where the girls enjoyed Charlie Chaplin films and a train station where Diane got excited every time we heard the train whistle and “chicka chicka”-ed like a train until she got distracted by an always exciting flight of stairs. 

We had all had such a great time, and on the ride down the escalator as we left we were deciding what our favorite part of the museum was, and Melina enthusiastically said, “right now! On the escalator!” Then a few minutes later she was again mourning the death of the Brits on their way back from the South Pole and I said, “but remember, sometimes you win…” and she finished my sentence with, “And sometimes you die.” I love that kid.

We also were able to meet all the cousins plus Marc, Glenna, Tyler, and Deb for afternoon tea at Murchie’s, where the atmosphere was laid-back and the cakes were uber sweet. A huge hit for all of us.

We returned to the house for John’s 75th birthday party. This was the reason for our trip, and it was heartwarming to see the whole family gathered to pay their respects to such a loving and generous man. Nick’s Korean pork dinner was delectable and loved by all, including Maddie who upon her first ever taste of pork declared, “I am NOT a vegetarian!” We sang and toasted and Kristin and John entertained us with some beautiful and impromptu singing. 

Before settling in for the night we handed the baby monitor to Glenna and took Melina on another seal “hunt.” This time Liz directed us to a nearby pier, where we skirted a barbed wire fence to get within 100 feet of about 20 harbor seals resting and swimming on and around a breakwater. HEAVEN. A few swam up to check us out, and as we walked back to the car we would periodically see a sleek little head pop out of the water as if to say goodbye. Melina and I contemplated jumping in to live as part of the pod, but we figured it would be warmer to sleep in a bed so we returned home. 

What a perfect end to our time on Vancouver Island.