Sunday, June 1, 2014

"Nice to meet you"

Last week we had a home school field trip to the Kinsol Trestle. It was amazing. A place we plan on visiting with our whole family for a picnic very soon! It's located in the Cowichan Valley. It is one of the tallest free-standing timber rail trestle structures in the world. I can not wait to sit underneath this trestle while our children swim in the Koksilah River. What's even better, it's wheelchair accessible!Here is some pictures from our field trip.
 The picture below with the walk ways that look like roads, those little squares are picnic tables!


Our weekend was good. Saturday was interesting. A friend and I went to my favorite place, Hornby Island. I purchased Oprah's new June magazine, packed blue berries, dill pickle rice crackers and water bottles. We set ourselves up for relaxation for the day! An hour later a thirty year old dentist asked if he could sit with us. While sitting, he told us all about his background, his education, his business, his travels and adventures. He never left. He had lots to say. An extremely smart well established young man. He was so intelligent, I thought my brain was going to explode with all his different philosophies. Approximately a hour later an overly dressed couple sat down next to us. Very young. I'm guessing around twenty one. The male started commenting on the jets in the sky and on how the cloud lines are government related possibly protecting us from global warming with their own pollution cloud cover. While his girlfriend (a herbalist) was "rolling" her own remedy (dried herbs previously soaked in vodka) to smoke. I politely declined when offered to try her lit herbs. Not long after a bongo instructor age thirty six arrived, he was carrying his life on his back. He stopped where we were all still sitting and explained he would be back to play his bongo after he sets up camp in his home. (A log structure located on the beach) When he returned he explained that he is currently looking for work on Hornby and until then, his home was a log fort. By this time we had four new individuals that joined us on the beach. Approximately another hour went by when an elderly man arrived. While standing in front of me he explained he was "Reverend Don Hogan High Priest of Pot" who rode his horse from Winnipeg to Hornby Island in 1986. That he comes to Hornby Island every month to visit his dead horses grave. I thought "Wow" that's amazing. Especially getting a horse on BC Ferries without a trailer. Just riding on......not to mention riding a horse clear across Canada! SO I do what I do best, I researched Reverend Don Hogan also known as Galloping Hogan and sure enough his story is all over the internet. And apparently he claims he could be related to Marilyn Monroe. And not only is he a famous individual, this high priest of pot has been challenging Canada's drug laws. Don was innocent enough, a polite friendly older man with many stories and a different belief system. He explained before coming to Hornby his marijuana was confiscated, and this would be why he has several convictions according to my research. While offering me several times over the pot he had left.....I politely denied his generosity. By this time my friend and I were packing up. It was time to leave. I shook every ones hand saying, "Nice to meet you" but we have to catch the ferry. The bongo player played a farewell song as we walked to our vehicle. During my research I didn't find any documentation that proved his story about riding a horse from Winnipeg to Hornby Island but I did learn more about his passions, which is legalizing drugs. Nonetheless it was an interesting Saturday at my favorite place. I don't mind meeting people. Saturday I met five interesting people from different paths. Bizarre how our little beach area was the centre of attention but I seem to attract anyone and that was OK. My only thoughts while driving home was, "I'm exhausted from every one's theories and I didn't get to open my Oprah magazine after all!"

 


Sunday was a day full of birthday party invites. While I waited for one birthday to finish I brought five to Englishman River Falls. It was a beautiful walk. Another gorgeous day in our neighborhood. After our walk we were early picking up my one son at the birthday party that was located at a farm. So we ventured around looking at all the animals. There was an area where children could hold baby chicks. I had my grand babe with me and I thought what I first great experience for her to hold a baby chick! So my one son brought the baby chick to her while I had my camera in hand. I thought I was going to get this awesome picture of my little grandchild holding a baby bird! NO, I clicked the camera and started yelling, "Let go, let go of the bird!" After release I thought......"Oh no, that poor poor bird" My grand babe grabbed that chicks head so quick, all I could see was its back fur and legs with some squawking involved! We believe the bird will be just fine - just a slight shock to its system. After that we left, I thanked for the invite and headed home!

 We don't have to visit Fiji.....it's in our own back yard!
 
Our Sunday night dinner consisted of homemade smoked salmon sushi and egg cheese muffins. My father and mother from out of town stayed for dinner. It was a nice end to a productive interesting weekend. Funny.....when I told my story to my husband about the encounters I had on Hornby Island, he asked, "Why didn't you leave?" I responded saying, "Why leave?" I didn't get to relax and read a magazine that I originally planned. I had something better.....real life stories regardless if they were true or not, different opinions and theories, I listened to experiences and places that I never heard of and most importantly I met some really interesting people that I had no judgement towards. Who am I to say that I'm not as unique as they are? After all I have sixteen children! Too conclude it was a great memorable weekend with awesome people and awesome food. My husband proudly continued on our daughters wheelchair ramp and now we're welcoming the month of June! Bring it on.....summer time awaits with new adventures and new interesting individuals - like me! 
 Sushi!
 Wheelchair ramp almost finished!

 
Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of others' opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.
Steve Jobs

I like nonsense, it wakes up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it's a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope. Which is what I do, and that enables you to laugh at life's realities.
Dr. Seuss

An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity.
Martin Luther King, Jr.



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