dog – Page 11 – OldPlaidCamper

Logging on, logging off

A brief post this week, as we’ve struggled (or not) with intermittent internet at the office, meaning I’ve had to work from home in order to communicate. Oh no…

I have agency in deciding how to approach the day, but if Scout is home and happens to lead me astray, there’s little I can do. When the line manager (leash manager?) gets to decide? You log off and head out the door!

Yes boss. It’s been some time since I last tried to be nimble on a log, and you’ll be happy to know that with age and experience and a dedication to lifelong learning, I’ve still to acquire the skills Scout has. When something is as easy as falling off a log, and you do, is that success? I fall off a log very easily. Applause! Go me! Is it correct that you have to stick the landing? I didn’t, but suffered no major injuries other than to my pride, and the distinct sense Scout was laughing at me.

As easy as… (the top one, if you were wondering…)

The sooner we have functioning wi-fi at work, the better for all concerned, so I can focus on my professional development from a chair rather than unprofessional physical prowess on a log. Like I say to students, it’s good to have a goal, but make sure it’s realistic and attainable with a bit of effort.

“I’m busy, working from home. Time to log off, so we can go out now?”

I’ll log off now, might be time to apply a little ice to tender areas, so let’s end by wishing you a wonderful weekend ahead!

Searching

For Spring! Have you seen it? I like to imagine Spring is wandering around, looking for a place to settle, but has been unable to decide…

…and perhaps Spring has overlooked or possibly forgotten to pay a visit to the island? Overly fanciful? All I know for sure is seasonal norms for spring temperatures here have yet to be reached. Spring is lost, I tell you!

Scout and I have tried very hard to find Spring this past week. There have been rumours of warmer weather and spells of prolonged sunshine, but it turned out they were mostly just that – hints and rumours.

We looked from the top of Marine, but couldn’t see Spring, or not much more than a hint…

We went all the way to Sproat Lake the other day, into the interior where it’s always warmer than the coast. What a joy to see the outside readings on the Jeep temperature gauge fall from a “balmy” plus 5 on the coast to a practically frigid plus 2/3 at the lake. Spring was not lurking by the lake. Hmm.

To be fair, spring signs are everywhere – the birds are busily vocal, the undergrowth and trees are greening up nicely, and there’s been plenty of blossom and such. Just no warmth, no opportunity to sit in the early evening sun and enjoy a beer. Maybe May will be the month for that?! C’mon, Spring, come and find us, if only for a day or two. Or three.

Lakeside blossom, very pretty, but it wasn’t warm

Before I sign off, I understand Scout took control of the blog last time out and she was a touch judgmental about my range of beer choices? I’d be more than happy for her to go into the store and make her own selections, but she’s not an (official) emotional support dog so that can’t happen. Sadly, she’d just choose any old lager and then be disappointed about the relative lack of froth – the part she likes best. I won’t succumb to beer pressure and make bad choices Scout, let me be clear about that!

No, I will not succumb to- oh… (Don’t tell Scout, but I quite liked this!)

“It’s too cold to sit out, and I am not touching that – where’s the froth?”

“But thank you for choosing something different!”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Trail tails

Scout here. Old PlaidCamper is asleep right now, nodded off in his chair. I think he’s finding the pace all a bit much, between unpacking boxes and getting out on the trails. I go slow most of the time, but even so, he will insist on stopping “to take a picture” – we both know that means he needs a break.

Anyway, while he’s asleep – he makes this weird yipping sound and twitches sometimes, like he’s chasing rabbits? – I thought I’d use this time to do a post about me, put a paws on the usual “man goes for walk with dog then has beer after” – he always chooses a pale ale or stout, have you noticed?

Although, when it’s this good, can you blame him? Yes, sometimes he lets me have some of the froth…

I’ll sit outside the beer store smiling at passersby, and eventually, after an hour or two, out he comes looking pleased with himself, and showing me what he’s chosen. Oh, a pale ale? And a stout? Brave choice old boy. I wag my tail, pretend I care.

Probably going to the beer store after this

He’s still asleep, so how about another photo of me? This week, I’ve had to drag him away from the boxes. He gets stuff out, puts it somewhere, moves it somewhere else, shakes his head, and then puts it back into a different box. Odd behaviour… I help him realize he’s being boring, and manage to nudge him outside for a little while, encourage him to scamper about a bit. It does him good. More importantly, here’s me, keeping busy:

Now this is real work, keeping trails tidy

I think he’s waking up, and it’s probably what he calls beer o’clock. So funny, never heard that one before. Just enough time for one more picture of me? I think so. And here I am, looking away from the camera ‘cos he thinks I don’t know when he’s about to take my shot – perhaps I’m camera shy?

Not looking at the camera, not looking, still looking away – oh, I like this one!

Thanks for reading. I expect “normal” service will resume next time, so that’ll mean something about going for a walk and having a beer. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Scampering

A very brief post this week, as we continue to be enthusiastic about unpacking the boxes we spent the past two weeks packing. An invisible modern life problem to be sure, but goodness, where did all this stuff come from?

Anyway, one of the many delights of our new neighbourhood is that Scout and I can scamper along the beach for our morning walks. Yes, if you’re up early and out there, you’ll catch a glimpse of a scampering PlaidCamper, gambolling in the surf and chasing sticks. Honestly, how does Scout keep up with me?

Right, time to shake off the sand, a quick towel down, and it’s back to the boxes…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Spring breeze

Sounds like a drink that comes with a little umbrella in it, or maybe a perfume? And that’s why I don’t work in advertising…

Anyway, it’s been breezy and rainy, and barely sunny the last few days. The umbrella would have been a proper umbrella, not a decoration, although the “breezes” we experience here mostly turn umbrellas inside out. Best to stick with a hat or a buzz cut.

A great capture of trees swaying in the breeze. Well done, PlaidCamper.

We’re putting the finishing touches to our house move, and that should be happening by the end of this month. Or next month. Or a month. At least we’ll be fully boxed up and packed.

Thankfully, it has been quieter for me on the work front this week, with students on Spring Break, and only a short literacy/numeracy camp last week with a small but enthusiastic group of young learners. I’ve had time to sit and think, and make use of my new outside office.

What rain? Look at that workstation – tidy! Successful planning happens here.

I like to sit and think – work thoughts, of course – and if the spring breeze blows away the paperwork, well, that’s a bonus!

Brief again this week – there are boxes to fill and surely we have some of those little umbrellas somewhere…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Change

Keeping this one brief – we’ve a few changes ahead, and we’re busy preparing!

Definitely seeing the change of season. It hasn’t been too warm or sunny the past week, far from it, but it’s been nice to see some early blossom.

In a change to the usual, here I am going against my own fashion grain:

The big change for us is an impending change of location out here on the coast, moving from our little apartment to a little home nestled in the trees. We’ll be able to hear the ocean from our bedroom window. We can now, but only on the big storm days.

All this change is exciting, but it’s also exhausting…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Ocean Blue Monday

Not too bad, not feeling too blue, we sat and enjoyed the blue ocean view from a variety of spots around town last Monday.

It was a sunny one, not too chilly, and we wandered from one place to another, basking in the extra day off for a long weekend, and slowing down. That meant from not too quick to almost at a crawl. It felt good, sun on our faces, bald eagles singing, a relatively calm ocean, and some time on our hands to enjoy it all.

I don’t always enjoy the long weekends, it sometimes feels like there is an extra pressure (all in my own head, no doubt) to “make the most” of the extra holiday. I like most days, in my own way, most of the time, so no need to add any extra significance or burden.

Anyway, an extra day, why not go crazy, and have an extra beer? We did, a couple of new ones, from quite local to very local. Both winners, and the red ale edges it if only for being a bit different to my usual fare. A good way to round off a not too blue Monday…

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

February already?! How time flies when…

Goodness, the weeks are racing by, particularly now we’ve been able to return to in person work, head across the bay and get the work year going – a happy new, new year?

We’ve been busy the past few days, catching up with friends and colleagues, and getting on with stalled projects. In amongst all the fun and being busy, we arrived at our 25th wedding anniversary – another goodness, where has the time gone?!

We’re off to the mountains this weekend, a little celebration and a chance to play in the snow. (Please let there be good snow…)

Old photo – let there be this much snow!

A brief post this week as we turn our little place upside down trying to find snow gear we haven’t made much use of the past few years. I was going to write something about the ups and downs of mountain slopes and the ups and downs of a (happy) relationship, but that’s a slippery slope and I’m likely to fall down…

Instead, I’ll head off now, to some real slippery slopes, to go and fall over and get up again as we rediscover our snow feet and aim to enjoy an alpine weekend.

More to follow. More of what? Well, of course I mean another 25 years happy years! Oh, ok, and perhaps an island snow post next week.

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

Axe throwing? Why not?!

What could possibly go wrong?

It was cold, getting dark, too dark for the planned archery (and by planned, I mean the archery gear was in the truck, but by the time we set up a target, we couldn’t really see it…)

Earlier – a day that got better and better

Plan B! Too dark for archery? How about axe throwing? Keep moving in until you can see the target. That’s safe. Enough. No one was hurt, although I did draw blood. Turns out no matter how close I stand to the (really rather large) wooden target, at least one of my attempts at burying the hatchet will miss, and go flying into the undergrowth. The tangle of thorny undergrowth. So, yeah, I drew blood after pulling out a sharp thorn from my finger. I didn’t cry.

Light enough for archery? Yes, if we’re quick about it…

It was an almost planned meeting of young warriors, the first since the latest pandemic restrictions, and optimistically convened following a flurry of phone calls and texts earlier in the sunny afternoon. A (fool)hardy few gathered around a fire pit overlooking the bay just as it was getting dark. Too many mentors and not enough students meant the fire took quite some time to light – it was a chilly evening, so fire first – sharp objects and play (I mean safety learning and setting up a range) second. With all the expertise delaying the fire, by the time it was lit and we were warming up it was too dark to loose arrows safely.

So no archery, mission not accomplished, and we didn’t care, because it was so good to see friends and familiar faces for real and not on Zoom etc. There’s nothing like a group of awkward men meeting up after a number of months and discovering the pandemic hasn’t eased the awkwardness. Nothing like a pandemic to improve communication skills. Anyway, you can’t just stand around (not) saying how much we’d missed each other, that’s for your inner voice or a blog. Hence the axe throwing. Doing something slightly silly and feeling less awkward? That’ll work. It was wonderful!

We’re hopeful more of the pandemic precautions will ease as it becomes prudent to do so, and as they do, I’m very much looking forward to getting back to working with mentors and youth on life affirming projects – and picking up a few more scratches and bumps along the way. With very early hints of spring here on the coast, it is time to get back outside – playtime!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

A little fuzzy

Not warm and fuzzy, perhaps more like the day after your birthday, and you find yourself a little closer to early middle age than you might like…so let’s say grey and fuzzy…

Scout and I were wandering once more, taking advantage of a small window in the rainy weather a few days ago, and we were quite enjoying the soothing effects of mist and light rainy suspension on a brow that might have needed it. Scout will overdo every now and then.

Yum! Robust, like a PlaidCamper the following day

It was all a bit of a blur, most likely the adjustment to new contact lenses, you know how it is, or the atmospheric tricks of light sometimes at play between bouts of heavy weather. That’ll be it.

I’m back on working from home, or if I’m out with Scout, working from phone. Please hold the line, your call is important, and you’ll be connected to the first available OldPlaidCamper once he’s ordered his thoughts and can string together a coherent sentence that doesn’t run on unnecessarily. Did you just hang up?! Well, really.

It’s been good to be able to wander aimlessly mid-week and at random times (after seeing to all the important WFH stuff, of course) with no mission, in a pleasantly fuzzy blur, and enjoying not seeing the forest for the trees on purpose. No doubt I’ll sharpen up once we are called back, but in the meantime we’ll maintain our socially distanced meanderings and check in with our neighbours, ensure all is well.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re fine! Barking? Us? No, check the other platforms…”

Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

	Maria on Happy Holidays!
	plaidcamper on Happy Holidays!
	plaidcamper on Happy Holidays!
	plaidcamper on Happy Holidays!
	plaidcamper on Happy Holidays!