Harrison Hotsprings and Harrison Beach Hotel, March 2015

Laura and I took a three days off work with the plan of taking my sailboat out among the islands for a long weekend.  The trouble is we both came down with the cough sinus flu and though the weather is quite spectacular on the ocean there’d be more chill than on land.  Plans changed to spending the weekend at Harrison Hotsprings. I love the healing waters.
The resort was full so we decided to try the Harrison Beach Hotel.  We are glad we did.
Coming out we stopped at the BC Boat and Sportsman Show at Tradex then drove on to Harrison’s catching a spectacular sunset on the way.
Harrison Beach Hotel is so elegant. Making the reservation and checking in were a joy. A young man was simply wonderful. The room then was to die for.  Beautiful wood floors, elegant furnishings and the most lovely view of the lake.  On the other side they have mountain views.  And they like Gilbert.  This is a ‘dog friendly’ suite. Just terrific.
Before we settled in we took Gilbert for a walk.  I stopped to order Schnitzel dinners from our favourite Black Forest Restaurant. I love the hostess. She’s a beautiful young East Indian (I believe) woman who is so helpful. I have interacted with several of the staff and love them all. It’s just one of those busy upbeat places with great attitude and tremendous food.  I take out because then we can eat with Gilbert in our room watching big screen tv.  Gilbert prefers we do it this way.
The meal was a feast with delectable cheese cake dessert. We started watching the big screen tv in the living room and moved on to watching the bedroom tv, Gilbert getting a massage from Laura before falling asleep before the end of the movie.
In the morning Gilbert’s clock did not spring forward.  During the week he’s up at 7 am licking my face but somehow on the weekend lets me sleep in an hour because I push him away at 7.  This morning the clock sprung forward. Not Gilbert’s clock.  Wanting me out of bed to take him for his morning walk he insisted by sleeping on my pillow with his butt in my face. This is a beginning attention seeking maneuver.  I got out of bed before the licking and pawing escalation, threw on slippers and jacket and walked him round the wading pond. He loves Harrison’s.  I love that there is a universal understanding that if morning dog walkers are clothed in any way that’s sufficient. The morning dog walking circuit has no fashion police.
On the way back to the room I stopped at the great little breakfast place in the market across from the pool for their delicious breakfast sandwiches and lattes.  I like bringing Laura breakfast in bed.
When we got back she was up and we enjoyed breakfast in the living room with the beautiful lakeside view.
Showers and baths and dressing later, we journeyed outside to the truck.  The sun and and warm are so incredible given the snowbound hell eastern canadians are experiencing.  I hate to think but my own pleasure in this tropical paradise seems slightly increased by hearing of easterners (where I came from) very tired indeed of one of the worst snowstorm years in decades.  Windows down and sun roof window on the truck open, Laura, Gilbert and I went for a logging road drive up East Harrisons.
Lots of ATV’s and 4x4’s out doing much what we were doing.  I had to go a long way though because the purpose of my journey was to find a secluded safe place to set up a target and try out my new Ruger Mini 14 semi automatic rifle with Nikon 3-9 power scope from Reliable Guns.  It takes both the hunting 223 ammo and 5.56 nato round.
We found just the place.  While Laura basked in the sun reading with Gilbert on leash beside her,  I climbed up the side of a hill and set up targets. Then I loaded the 5 shell cartridges, donned my ear protection and began shooting at the first of two targets I’d set up 50 yards out.  I figure I’ll get to the Chilliwack Game and Fish club and rifle range I belong to,  to fine tune my rifle at 100 yards. It's grouping above the target at 50 yards but maybe better placed at 100 yards. The rifle is pretty accurate just the way it is and certainly I would hit a live target. .  Without having to crank back a bolt or leaver it’s amazingly easy to hold onto a centre target. I was so pleased with the rifle and my first results.  There was some spread on the first 20 shots I fired but the next 20 shots in one target were really tightly grouped considering all I was just leaning against a tree.
Then I killed a couple of cans and paper cups with another 20 rounds. I have 4 clips which each hold 5 shots.  It’s a really enjoyable rifle for target practice, more fun than a 22.  I can see it will serve well for deer, rabbits and shooting the heads of grouse. It’s also a varmint rifle.  When the shooting was done Gilbert joined me inspecting cans.  He sure runs around a lot when guns have been fired.  He was just a little disappointed I didn’t kill a bird for him to find.
Surprisingly an hour or so just passed with all the fun then we were back in the truck 4x4ing out of the hills down to the main lake road and back to town.  Another evening.  More reading and more tv movies.  Somehow I’ll also find the time to go to the public pool to enjoy the famed healing Harrison Hotspring waters.