Good Gawd, it's August!
How in hairy, old hell did that happen? It was just May a couple of weeks ago. Now, in a couple of weeks , the Mister and I will celebrate one year on this Island of ours. Yup, Vancouver Island has lived with us for a year! I'll do a larger blog on that when we get closer to the date all about our year here and how we still look for our orange cat Doyle who will be missing one year on August 17th! We hope he's well and someone has taken him in back there in Winnipeg but I would still give anything to have him back in my arms. ~sigh~
Boy, it's been hot on this Island! I can't remember the last day with rain and like many other days in the past weeks it's been above 30c. The big different here on the Island than back in Ontario, is the heat continues without a thunderstorm- they are rare here, like tornadoes and summer bugs including mosquitos. Our heat pump has been keeping Palm Villa nice and evenly cool. Much better than the air conditioner in Orillia did. We always had a room there at Pine Tree House where we could hang meat or store ice cubes. Here, in this house, the cool seems to be evenly spread and the cost is lower.
The sun seems more intense here somehow. Maybe the lack of pollution. It's so hot on the east front side of Palm Villa that we would have to sit under an umbrella but boy are we tan! Tan like Hawaii tan. It's a much more golden brown. I don't sit for hours in the sun mind you. I mean, one doesn't have to or want to but one still tans up. Occasionally, the Island wind would topple our yellow umbrella, so the Mister and I spent a horrible amount of money on a new awning. The awning has an Italian/Western flair- since it is made in Italy, assembled in Mississauga and shipped here to the Island Awning boys. At times during the year they make their own but the install boys says it's just too busy these days, so they order the awnings from Italy, the parts in Mississauga and assemble them at the company warehouse in Victoria. Ours is sage green in colour- like Palm Villa, with a cream stripe matching the trim on our house.
Palm Villa with an Italian awning!
Imagne, it's like living in Tuscany without the Italian men!! Oh, you could count a couple of the building boys as Italian if they didn't open up their mouths to speak English. You know, chests covered with curly, thick, black chest hair. Talking with their hands. Nicely tanned.
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| Is it Tuscany or Vancouver Island? |
The Mister and I were just off the Island over this past BC Holiday weekend. We took the ferry to Vancouver and stayed with friends to celebrate Vancouver Pride. The Vancouver Boys live just a block off Davie Street where the Gay Village is located. That's just a few clocks from the Ocean and the beach.
Vancouver is a beautiful city. Expensive and busy but beautiful and the boys in the parade were lovely to look at as well. We watched the parade go by from our vantage point on Robson- the main drag, for two and a half hours. It moved much faster than the Toronto Parade but Justin was still there with a ton more security and his two special cars following closely behind. We never saw that in a Toronto Parade but then again some Aboriginals are so crazy pissed at the pipeline that Justin insists is going ahead whether they like it or not that tighter security is in order. I just ask myself- do these folks drive cars or heat their homes or buy products made of petroleum? We know many live in houses where garbage is spread from pillar to post across their land.
Oh yes folks, that's reality here on the island. On many Aboriginal lands one sees broken down homes, rusting cars and garbage spewed from one end of a property to the other. I should take pictures and show you. We're not supposed to talk about that or point it out. Everyone knows it though like the Emperor and his New Clothes.
Once you're here a while, you just get used to it. I'd like to say to these Indigenous BC' ers to clean up their lands before they point a finger at big petroleum. You should see the garbage laying next to the Casino in Duncan. Not what we were used to seeing adjacent to Casino Rama back in Orillia, Ontario and believe me what I'm say is mild. Very mild compared to what I hear.
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| That's Our Justin! |
Anyhoo, there were mega branches of this tribe and that- including two-spirited folks, in the 40th Annual Pride Parade. Did you know that "two-spirited" folks were held in high esteem in Aboriginal Society. This could possibly mean they had "Pride" celebrations long before us Gay white folks even thought of the idea.
Huh, the things you learn...The remainder of the parade was filled with floats, bands, walking groups and muscle boys. I only saw one pair of lady titties- much different than in Toronto, as well, there were no penises flapping in the midday sunshine....more's a pitty.
Oh...
In Toronto, the Christians are all in the parade- except for the Baptists and the Catholics who still live in the middle ages. At the Vancouver Pride Parade I saw no religion marching. It doesn't appear to be such a big thing here on the left coast. Religion, I'm referring to here, however the Humanists (the Atheists) were there- signs and all. Did my heart good. One sign said- "This Atheist gives free hugs"
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| Boys and their Parade! |
We made it both ways across the water to and from Horseshoe Bay in West Vancouver. The ferries are very comfortable, have a couple of restaurants like White Spot and offer comfortable seating while you pass the 90 minutes to and from Horseshoe Bay on the mainland and Departure Bay here on the Island at Nanaimo. It takes us about 40 minutes to drive home after we dock on the Island.
Our Island Days continue to be full and there are times we feel like we are running our Bed and Breakfast again what with the company we get.
But, you know what?
It's all good.
