Victoria

I loved riding my HD Lightning Special Motorcycle to the Twassassen Ferry.  The rain had stopped and blue sky was muscling out the grey clouds of morning.  I’d just bought my ferry ticket when I was being directed onto the ferry with the other bikes. 5 minute wait at most and when I’d looked before leaving reserving for cars was booked two sailing ahead.  It was a rainy windy ferry ride but lots of good memories

I’d lived for years in Errington North Vancouver and even before that loved to visit Victoria.  After I moved to Vancouver and had my sailboat, SV Giri I’d often sail to Victoria and stay in the Innner Harbour. I was married once at the Empress but I won’t hold that against it.  I took my Mom and Dad there and have so enjoyed the tea.  It was Victoria that I left from when I sailed in winter hurricanes to Hawaii to go on to work in Northern Mariana Islands.  Lots of memories. It’s still so beautiful.

I had the Bacon Cheese Burger “as always’ and it was delicious.  The last time I was on the ferry was returning from the Saltspring Island Round Up.  I’ve not been to the Island since Covid.  It’s amazing how Isolate we became. Now I’m out here on Government Street having a Murchie’s Mocha.  Crowds and crowds of young people.  So many beautiful women too. Victoria has always had that. Something like a 10 to 1 , female to male ration because of Victoria is a government town.  Most are young and beautiful. Always were and still are.

The ride to Best Western Plus Inner Harbour was wet. Rained the whole way. I saw the Butchart Gardens sign and was so tempted to take a detour.  Mom and Dad and I had one of our most memorable times together walking in all that beautiful.  Mom was such a horticulturalist and Dad loved growing things as well. In later years they rented grow space along the rail way tracks.  I miss them.  Life long lovers and best of friends.  I was blessed to have them as parents.

I like Best Western.  I picked this one for underground parking since I came on motorcycle.  Laura’s at my place with Madigan.   This trip was a bit impulsive. I saw that the British Columbia Museum was having a Stonehenge Exhibit.  Because I’d been so moved by the Prehistory exhibit at the British Museum when Laura and I were in London a couple of years back I signed up the the Oxford Univeristy online Prehistory, Ritual and Religion course.  I paid for the credit course and tried to switch to audit only to learn it wasn’t so easy. Now I’m committed to writing a paper on Stonehenge.  I did a masters in religion at night school when John was alive.  We attended Shirleys spirituality courses at St. Marks and Dr. James Houstons courses at Regent.  Those were good years.  Pizza night and coffee at Johns’. Dinners with professors and missionaries.  Then I’d go to church with my friend George and we’d discussed God and women at our ‘sole’ fold monthly dinner in North Vancouver before the Whitcliffe meeting.  John and George have died like my father and mother and brother.  Vivian my Urban Aborigianal priest friend died of Covid complications too. I feel alone at time.  I cry even.  Just choke and squint a bit. Not sobbing.  Self pity, really.  Regret too.  I’d paid attention and asked more questions.  

Life is good. I thought that riding my Harley under the blue sky.  Looking into the Inner harbour here and remember all the days and nights I was moored there.  I picked up some perfume for Laura. I’d asked her what she wanted a few weeks back and she said she was running low on the Lancomme Julia Robert’s one I bought her a while back.  She always smells so nice its kind of self serving gift.  The Parfumery makes their own perfume so I picked one I hope she likes. She says she likes the one I can smell. I lost a lot of my ability to smell as side effect of an antibiotic i took. I think it was the one I had to take for a year after getting TB working as a fly in doctor in northern Canada.  The Ameerican’s found it . I wasn’t infectious but needed to be on medication a year and there went a lot of my sense of smell. I can still smell smoke and musks scents.  I like this oak musk citrous one so hope Laura does too.  

I bought her a swatch too from Madigan. I’d bought her a Swatch in London. She likes them. This is the Tate Gallery collection. I took a picture and showed her a Chagall and a Mattise .  She like the Matisse. We’d seen Mattise when we were in New York for New Years Eve. I think it’s was at the MONA but it could have been the Met.  

Now I’m here outside on Government Street truly grateful having had a blessed life so thankful for the study , work and friends and the adventures.  I feel guilty as I’d like to visit a friend whose health has been poor but he lives up a mountain and I’d not be able to drive the motorcycle up the hill. I’m being very cautious not like I was when I crashed my first Norton in Sooke.  Wild times hunting an motorcycling.  

Time to get back.  I’ve a ticket for the morning and am going back tomorrow.  Another drop of rain.  Better pack up.