HOME FROM WHISTLER

Our trip to Whistler was wonderful! Day one... playing in the snow in Hailey's yard...

When snack time came, neither one of them wanted to come in .... so they got their plate of strawberries in the snow!
Both boys got on skis...
River fell in love with skiing, for sure -- Gibson was a little less enthusiastic, but still had fun trying! He was pretty tuckered out by the end of the day...
River also went to the tube park with Kobe, the son of a friend of Hailey's, who is the same age.
We ate, we laughed, we cried, and in spite of a fairly busy schedule, I found lots of knitting time... the burgundy shawl is *this* close to being finished, I'm on the edging but waiting to hear back from the designer about a mistake in the pattern:
I finally finished the black pair of socks I cast on right after Christmas, too ...
(The black stripes are the result of simply purling two rows with the black every 1/2"!)

We got back Friday, and Hailey came back with us because it was Michael's birthday this weekend. But first, on Saturday I was part of the committee hosting the day-long Victoria Hand Weavers and Spinners Guild 'Spin In'. There were about 60 spinners...

Three merchants... Show and tell, as always...
Isabel hadn't put her mitred socks in to the show and tell, so I asked her to model them for me:
And Carroll even brought her pet llama to entertain us!
Saturday evening Mischa and the boys and Hailey and I took Michael out for his favorite Chinese smorg dinner (wow, can you tell *my* priorities? I didn't take a single picture!), and yesterday, we accomplished pretty much nothing.

I teach a class tomorrow and Hailey has to go back to Whistler on Wednesday, so I'm hoping to get her help organizing my stash room today!

HAVING A BLAST IN WHISTLER

Mischa and I and the boys are having a great time in Whistler -- but I forgot the cable to upload pics from my camera, so I can't show you any of those until I get home. Which was supposed to be today, but -- now, isn't this funny? The entire lower Vancouver Island got a huge dump of snow yesterday, with more expected for today -- so no one's supposed to be driving in it if they can help it! Here's a couple of web cam grabs from near Clover Point...
And you can see a whole gallery of them here if it interests you!

We're off for brunch now, and then the rest of this gang is going to do the Peak2Peak Gondola ride .... I think I'll find a warm place to knit, personally!

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE WEEK?

It's been a busy one, I know that. On Valentine's Day we went out for dinner with Mischa and Joe and the boys, and Michael gave me this lovely little 'air plant.'
I've been working hard all week to 'clear the decks' because we leave on Sunday for 5 days in Whistler, but I took a break last night and went to my Handweavers and Spinners Guild meeting - I had just finished my 5th shawl for the Ravelry challenge but I had a big debate going in my head about whether to put it in the 'Show 'n' Tell because it's not handspun. It IS natural fibre, one strand of which was hand-dyed locally, and it's my own design ... so the two women I was sitting with convinced me to put it in....
The Guild's Show'n'Tell always blows me away because there are SO many talented weavers and spinners there ... look at some of these items!
Look even closer! :)

During our break, we are all encouraged to vote for our 'People's Choice' of all the entries. At the end of the evening the coordinators announced a few prizes for participants .... they had gift bags for the 'most colorful,' and a few other interesting on-the-spot categories, and then they announced the 'People's Choice' .... my shawl!! I almost fell off my chair -- and my prize was a little leather Namaste case which will hold my stitch markers perfectly. :-)

More work this morning, and then off to Knit'n'Cafe this afternoon!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY

Happy Valentines Day to everyone! My wish for you is that you have love in your life .... I know I sure do, more than my share, and I'll count my blessings today for sure.

I'll also be tackling a loooong to-do list this week -- I have a brochure design to finalize, an interview article to write, and a website to finish, because on Sunday I leave for 5 days in Whistler with Mischa and the boys, and that will be my last little break before full-on Victoria FibreFest planning/doing! There are already several things in the works for that event, which you'll hear about this week if you're on the mailing list...

We've had two or three nights of big winds in the past week, and another storm is supposed to blow through tonight -- lots of rockin' and rollin' goin' on here!

SEE THE SEA LEAVE LEAVE

I've been talking about Mike's boat, the Sea Leave, since he acquired it in October -- and yesterday, finally, it left our marina bound for his home in Whaler Bay on Galiano Island. It was a flat calm and sunny day, so just Mike and my Michael went -- it's a 7-hour trip, all being well.

I pushed them off at 9:30 a.m. . .
Then I drove along the waterfront to watch them leave the harbour ...
Penny joined me at Clover Point for this adventure, and we drove to Trafalgar look-out and then along Dallas Road to watch them go through Enterprise Channel...
Then, when we were waiting at 10-Mile-Point for them to come out of Baynes Channel, I got distracted by SEVEN otters playing in the water below me....
They finally emerged from the channel, and took one final pass in front of us before heading off into the distance in Haro Strait..
We drove out to Sidney hoping we'd see them at the top of Haro Strait, but they were long gone, so we treated ourselves to lunch and came home. At 4:30 almost-on-the-dot Mike called to say that they were safely tied up in Whaler Bay -- even Active Pass gave them no trouble, and it was just a beautiful day!

I'm so happy for Mike -- he's 77 years old, and this boat is twice the size of the one he's been living on for the last 4 years. He'll be much more comfortable on the Sea Leave -- and he told me yesterday, he'll probably change the old girl's name to 'Just Right.' :-)

Spent the morning yesterday with Esther -- we had breakfast together and then went out to the yarn sale in Metchosin. When we were leaving there Esther directed us to Durrance Lake (Esther called to tell me that, even though there *is* a Durrance Lake in the area, we were actually at Matheson Lake) ... I had no idea it was there!

It was a little desolate this time of year, but it would be a lovely spot to visit in the summer! But speaking of this time of year, guess what we saw on our way home...

 Wanna see those a little closer?

I *know* our winters are paradise compared to lots of places, but I still look forward to seeing those first signs of spring!

SLOWWWW WEEK

Not much action around here! Still laying low trying to get rid of this cold ... no fever yesterday, so that was a slight improvement, but still not having fun. Michael has the cold, now, too, and he always gets bronchitis - so we've decided that the universe is telling him to QUIT SMOKIN (ha! like he didn't already know that....) and telling me to SHUT UP (ha! like I didn't already know that...)

Again, today we were maybe going to be taking Mike's boat to Galiano -- or at least Mike and my Michael and our friend George were, I managed to weasel out of it! -- but we woke up to torrential rains, and there's a 20kt SE'er blowing in Haro Strait, so that's cancelled yet again. Here's what it looks like at Ogden Point (our harbour entrance) this morning...

 And along Dallas Road to Clover Point...

I've published this link before, but here it is again -- most of the Vancouver Island webcams are listed on this page!

Oh, well, today is Knit'n'Cafe, always a bright spot in my week ... and knitting IS taking place. Actually, unknitting took place this morning ... after taking a picture of my shawl progress yesterday (draped over the van's steering wheel) ...




... I had to frog back a row (about 273 stitches at this point) to correct a glaring mistake. Oh, well, I'm liking how it's turning out, otherwise...

FEBRUARY ALREADY

Still sick, but yesterday I had to go out briefly -- to drive Mischa to her new van! After over a year as a single parent, and several years walking, bussing or taking taxis (or having us drive her) she is in the process of renewing the driver's license she'd let lapse, and she's acquired her very first vehicle. I'm really happy for her -- and the boys already love it! It's a 2000 Dodge Caravan with minimal miles on it, and it's in great shape.

Back home in the recliner, where I spent the rest of the day, I've cast on shawl #5 for the year, and I think it's going to be a stunner.

The photo doesn't do the color justice -- it's a deep but heathery teal green, my own design, and if you look dead centre, I've placed the first bead of what will be many.

I don't intend to leave the chair much today, either, so I should get lots of knitting done!