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“North!!! …to Alaska???” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Sep 12/20) – The 1960 Johnny Horton song conjures up all sorts of imagery and nostalgia of yearning for adventure, discovery & travel …but COVID-19 has other ideas in mind, so N&J do what they can within the limits of Be Calm, Be Kind, Be Safe….. Along with their great friends and fellow Westfalia disciples Chris & Olivier (C&O), decided a trip North is timely, albeit Alaska won’t be on the menu due to the travel (and political) restrictions. The Yukon Territory is welcoming British Columbians (part of the bubble consisting of BC, Yukon, Nunavut & N.W.T.) without the ‘quarantine restrictions’ that apply to visitors from anywhere else.…
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“♫ Summertime Covid Camping Blues” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Aug 22/20) – Traveling & camping in a Westfalia camper van is probably the safest way to get out and enjoy the great outdoors during this crazy pandemic time we all live in. That said, N&J have endeavoured to ‘get out’ and enjoy the fresh air & adventure that British Columbia has to offer as much as possible. A week was planned (and reserved 3 months in advance) up on Shuswap Lake near Salmon Arm. N&J (and Jesse) left a few days earlier to spend some alone time before the big onslaught meeting of family & friends. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru…
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“6 Years & Counting” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Jun 22/20) – Such a challenging start to 2020, living with Covid-19 virus and the ensuing pandemic has been daunting… finally some good news!!! N&J are celebrating their 6th wedding anniversary today!!! Looking back to 2014, it was a beautiful sunny day on Spanish Banks along English Bay in Vancouver. The water sparkling, a gentle breeze, boats dotting the marine landscape, the wedding ceremony laid out on the lawn by the beach… seems only like yesterday. Today also marks the 7th year to the day that N&J met for the first time at a Westfalia meet-up camp in Salmon Arm, BC. Little did they know what the future…
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“A New Year, A New Decade” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Jan 16/20) – Christmas 2019 has come & gone… in a blink of an eye (Where does the time go?). N&J enjoyed a busy holiday season hosting out-of-town family & friends in Whistler, the usual winter was a no-show for the most part during the festivities, but finally it has arrived with vengeance (almost 2 metres of snow in the last 2 weeks). Just in time for skiing, sledding & strolling in ‘Winter Wonderland’. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery After a wonderful year of travel & experience for the trio, it is with great anticipation that the new year will…
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“Thank You!” by N&J
Whistler, BC (Oct 08/19) – The ‘turn around’ is both a physical and an emotional transition. No longer venturing to explore and see what is ahead but to return back to B.C. safely and in one piece. Plans of life in a bigger space with the luxuries of living at home take root, the draw to return is intense (like horses running back towards the barn). click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery The road in southern Ontario was arduous, filled with proverbial potholes (and real ones too), raining incessantly, the wind always in Hobbes’ face… is it always blowing in the east??? After…
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“Full Circle” by N&J
Wheatley, ON (Oct 02/19) – Back in the the summer of 2017, August it was… commenced on a road trip with N’s dad Rocky. Hobbes was loaded specifically for an extra participant, sleeping arrangements were adjusted & off the four of them went with the plan to explore the Kootenays of British Columbia. In this case Rocky (who was in his 80’s) slept in the main berth on the ‘main floor’ of Hobbes; N&J slept in the upper bunk & Jesse slept anyplace he darn well felt like… roaming the van, keeping a watchful eye on all of the occupants. Rocky very cozy and so excited to be part of…
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“Masterpiece of Change” by N&J
Oakville, ON (Oct 01/19) – The east coast of Maine is painted with cute harbours, quaint villages, vistas galore (hard to see every nook and cranny, you would need to live here to do it justice). A good choice of ‘so many’ would be Bar Harbour. This tourist mecca & looky-loo’s delight is chock-a-block full of shops & restaurants, narrow sidewalks & colourful buildings. The intimate harbours expand out to the various islands, pleasure craft boats abound, cruise ships anchored off shore while their charges wander the town. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery Jesse even took time from his busy vacation schedule…
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“Six Degrees of Separation” by N&J
Harrington, Maine (Sep 27/19) – Overjoyed with excitement to be in the beauty of the historic town of Baddeck NS, visiting the Alexander Graham Bell National Historic Site, N&J woke with a bounce in their step and smiles on their faces, the experience was as much fascinating as it was educational. click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery “Mr. Watson, come here, I need you” were the first words ever spoken on a telephone (after Bell accidentally spilled hydrochloric acid on his clothes & Watson his assistant was in the other room). One would automatically assumes Alexander Graham Bell’s major invention was the ‘telephone’,…
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“Where’s Dildo?” by N&J
Baddeck, NS (Sep 23/19) – The journey from the west side of Newfoundland to the far east side of the island to St. John’s is a long, long drive (900kms). Thankfully, being part of the Trans-Canada route, this extensive highway is well maintained. A nice & wide, smooth, and easy to drive mostly 4 lane highway. Signs warning of moose collisions are scattered strategically, tallying the number of incidents to date, urging drivers to slow down… an ominous beacon of others misfortune. Hobbes relies on the ‘deer whistles’ placed on his front bumper, meant to ward off any wild animals that may be close to the highway, they are doing…
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“The ‘Brocks’ are on The Rock” by N&J
Port Aux Basques, NF (Sep 19/19) – The 6 hour ferry ride from North Sidney, NS to Port Aux Basques, NF was pleasant enough with relatively calm seas (1-2 metres) & winds (10-15 knots) …all aft of the ship’s heading. ‘Below deck’ may have been a different matter though as the look of ‘miserable’ all over Jesse’s face was not easily erased, requiring continuous head rubs, love and attention to divert his mind of what he endured alone in Hobbes (he is not allowed on the passenger decks; N&J are not permitted below those decks during passage). click on pic to enlarge – right/left arrow to scroll thru the gallery…