I loved watching motor racing when I was a child – apparently I cried when my driving hero, Jackie Stewart, couldn’t get past another car due to the side-to-side manoeuvring of the driver in front. To my young mind, that wasn’t racing to see who could drive faster, it was blocking the track. I’m welling up now at the unfairness I still feel from that distant memory…
All that has absolutely nothing to do with anything, except that it came to mind as I started writing. We will be in the Jeep, a vehicle not noted for speed or aerodynamics, and racing across Alberta and BC, within the posted limits, so we can arrive on the coast in time for the long weekend. There, we will be seeing and soaking up the greens and blues (and cloudy/rainy greys) and signs of real spring.
By the time this is posted, our trusty Jeep will be shiny and black, dripping with rainwater and looking cleaner than it has for months, rather than the road salt and mud covered motley look it normally has for most of winter.
We are looking forward to brisk sea breezes, the cries of bald eagles, and the barking sea lions from down near the boat launch. If the sun appears, then the blue and gold of Long Beach will beckon, and if the sun doesn’t shine, we’ll go anyway and get wet. We’ll warm up later by the fire, with a glass of something good from Tofino Brewing.
A ferry, then fishing boats and kayaks. Dancing daffodils and bright tree blossom. Fresh air, full of the heady scent of wet cedar. Are we there yet? Keep it under the limit, PlaidCamper – who do you think you are, Jackie Stewart?
A very short post this week, as we are busy racing (safely) towards the green!
Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful long weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 
My, that green is green all right! Enjoy it and the sea breeze as well. It’s really rejuvenating to drop into a different environment.
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Thank you, and yes, the greens are particularly green to us right now, starved of them as we have been under a blanket of snow back in Alberta – we are enjoying the contrast!
Enjoy your week ahead!
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It is nice to see the green and I wish you a great weekend and emergence of Spring. But really, Plaid Camper, if you expect your jeep to be shiny and black, well, you might need to adjust that expectation. Have fun!
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Thanks, Jane, and I hope you are having a pleasant long weekend. Spring has sprung here on the coast, and it is wonderfully green (and a fair bit warmer!)
The Jeep was a bit cleaner for about 10 minutes, but we put that right after a few muddy puddles…
Enjoy your week ahead!
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PC, I’m using your words and beautiful west coast imagery to balance out the winter-weary scenes and pre-spring greens of dawdling Narragansett Bay here in RI this April Fools’ holiday. There’s no beating that BC coastal retreat, methinks, so enjoy the race into oceanic green and grey and other splendid color, but let the Jeep take on some mud and character without getting ticketed in the process. Thanks for another fine one!
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Thanks, Walt! It is remarkably green and blue out here, especially after a few months of snow back in Alberta – flowering plants and some warm spring sunshine have done the job for us. I hope your weekend is passing well with family in RI, even if the pre-spring gloom is lingering there – breathe in the ocean air…
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Oh what a lovely picture you paint with your words and photos, pc. I can see you now enjoying a lovely long weekend and fun getaway. I have never had the pleasure of whiffs of wet cedar, but just reading your description gave me headiness. Thanks so much for this wonderful post and have a blast, as I know you will, rain or shine.
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Thanks, Jet! We’ve been treated to some fine spring sunshine and long, long, ocean and forest walks, so all is well (the rain has held off, but it is coming!)
I hope you are enjoying a pleasant long weekend on your part of the Pacific!
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