It is December something and I have a Camellia in bud and geraniums ready to flower. The Calla Lily is up out of the ground and I shit you not…. a rose is blooming in the garden. But yesterday it was rainy and cold and it felt like winter for the first time this year.

Yesterday, we had the second worst trip across the water I have ever had. Two years ago we were caught in fog off Duke point. We couldn’t see a foot in front of us heading into Nanaimo. The Vancouver ferry and the Gabriola ferry were out there “somewhere”. It was nerve racking. That was the worst.

We went to town yesterday, not for any real good reason but to load the car up for the trip to town for Christmas. It was windy going over and rainy. But coming home was near to dark and windier and colder… I had forgotten my gloves and my fingers grew numb holding onto the aluminum boat to steady myself. It was not a pleasant trip. Easily the second worst time out there since moving here in 2012. Four years ago E had had a much worse trip, he actually had to turn back at Morris’s point. But for that one I was at home snug by the fire.

Last year we had to leave the island early for Christmas due to an impending wind storm which turned out to be as bad as predicted. The year before that we had a huge storm just before Christmas which provided a ton of fire wood. It doesn’t look like there will be a problem getting off the island this year. With any luck we will be able to get back on when we want.. Travel dates have to be flexible.. Just a fact of life. I am glad we have a nice big boat which we trust.

It has come Christmas time again. Definitely the hardest part about living here is being away from the big family home at this time of year. Those were the best days of my life. The kids decorating the tree. E making gingerbread mansions with them. My Mom living just around the corner. The memories are great ones.

When I see a video of my granddaughter taking the ornaments from her Mom one at a time to hang on the tree like my kids took from me for twenty years it warms my heart. When I see a picture of my daughters new condo on moving day full of chaos and bedlam, I see boxes surrounding a fully decorated Christmas Tree. I am thrilled.

E and I may have had the best years of our life, but now we get to watch our kids have the best years of theirs. So it is all good.