Whistler RV Campground, Hunting Holiday

I came back early this morning.  I’m losing faith and stamina.  I’ve seen 25 grouse but they’ve all flown out of the tall grass along the FSR when my Honda Rancher ATV is 50 yards away.  The grouse are individual or pairs and I expect that a dozen were born in the spring but coyotes and other predators ate the rest.  These are the elite fast and smart troops.  

This morning I sat in my little folding cammo chair beside the quad at 730 am.  I’d been up at 615 and good at getting away.  Beautiful dawn view. Yet I’m no longer patient and meditative as I once was.  My mind is at peace but not still. It sustains meditation for 15 minutes. I remember when I meditated with SRF monks dawn to dusk.  My mind is weary today as are my legs and back.  I climbed and hiked a mountain trail yesterday for over an hour. Today my body is tired.

I trip and stumble too much when I follow the grouse. I shot one at 50 years with the 22 . It jumped but then took off again.  I climbed the shale cliff holding onto branches.  Madigan couldn’t follow but eventually joined me.  No sign of the grouse.  I don’t think it was wounded.

There is no fresh deer tracks. No new or even old deer poop.  There was coyote stool on the trail and what might have been black bear poop as well.

How do you tell black bear spore from grizzly bear spore.  The black bear spore is black with berries and leaves in it with hair from small animals while the grizzly bear spore smells of pepper and has human hair and bits of clothing along with being black and having berries. 

I’ve seen three rabbits.  All scattered before I could stop the ATV and get my rifle.  Law says I can’t have the rifles loaded either so it’s a timely process.

Today is Madigan’s 3rd birthday.  We’re having. Arb excused steady and grouse tonight to celebrate. We gave him the new squeaky duck toy. He’s have a dog’s life. 

I only sat for an hour.  I used to sit from 7 to 10 then walk for an hour then drive about after 11. I sat till 9 and then drove about till 1030 before coming back to the camper. I only saw one grouse in flight.  

I showered.  I even washed a pair of underwear and socks.  

I want to go on the snowmobile trails but the entrance is so steep, going down was easy in first gear but coming up in second gear was scarey. I worry I’ll flip back wards and rides standing.  I can miss that.  I’ve been enjoying reading Lee Child.  Now I’ve started a Wilber Smith Seventh Scroll.   I took care of a couple of patients so have a little money coming in. I didn’t book any one this trip feeling. I need a real break.  It’s certainly that.  

I’ve got a hunting routine now and just have to get on my socks and boots. The rest is easy.  I like the quiet and the magnificent view.  I’ve the electric heater going at night. It’s chilly.  I love my bed.  

I had a nightmares of being with Tom in an old house dealing with the Communist Chinese invasion of Canada.  A chinese couple were helping us explaining that so few liked the Maoists and XiJinping. The rest like themselves were anti communism.  It was a reflection on Canada.  An apocalypse seencior

I’ve been enjoying my expresso coffee in the morning and my Twinning Early Grey or Lemon and Ginger Stash tea in the afternoon and evening.

Thank you Jesus for this vacation and all the many wonders.  Thank you for Laura and Madigan.  

Bungalow Motel, Harrison Hot Springs

“I love Bungalow Motel”, says Laura when I tell her I’ve booked a weekend for us and the Godkid Family (Kevin, Anna, Kendra, Izek, and Alex).
“What it’s like,” Anna asked.
“It’s like a motel but the cabins are the quaintest, rustic, most incredible little spaces in a glorious piece of heaven called Harrison’s"
“But what do I need to bring."
“The kids."
“Yes, but do they have sheets and blankets and towels and running water?
“They have everything but indoor laundry.  There’s pickup pizza and Chinese. They’re right at the edge of the town of Harrion’s, the opposite end to the Spa.  The public hot springs is just a short walk away.   It’s right on the beach, right beside the boat launch.  I’ve been going for thirty years and Laura’s going for a dozen.  It’s her favourite place."
I love the owners too.  Incredible people. I always feel like I’m related, part of the big Bungalow Motel family of people who come back year after year.  They write about such places in New England.  It’s easy to forget we have our own uniquely west coast getaway so close to Vancouver. It’s only an hour and a half away from the city but once I’m here I feel like I’m in a different universe.  The Natives thought the springs sacred. The white cap mountains surrounding the little town are always starkly beautiful. The huge Harrison Lake is a pristine playground for sailor’s, fishermen and motorboat’s.
Throughout the years coming at different times I’ve enjoyed the events In Harrisons.  I first heard Glen Chatten, Vancouver singer/songwriter playing here.  Canadian geese were walking around the back of the stage at the time.  The Sand Castle event is truly a favourite.  But mostly I like walking the dog around the lake.  We’ve brought ATV’s and headed out into the back roads up into the mountains. In the fall I’ve come with a friend and used the cabins as a base camp for hunting upland game birds.
Laura likes walking into the little town and shopping at all the little tourist stores.  Little boutiques.
“They’re not touristy,” she says. “They’re little boutiques. Every one is unique. There’s a little book store with different types of books, Canadiana.  That beautiful glass store with beautiful china.  There’s an incense and chimes stores. Just a whole bunch of precious little shops. Then the great little store with candles and moccasins. There’s even a fabulous dress store that’s right out of New York. I love the pastry shop."
I told the kids I’d take them out for dinner if I didn’t pick up steaks for us to cook at the cabins. I love the German restaurant.  The fish and chips and burger places are great too.
We planned to arrive the first night at 5 pm. I’d finished my clinic at one.  Laura drove her little red smart car over to my place and we loaded my  white Ford F350 truck with the hitch so I could tow up my little boat. Kevin Anna and the kids have been having a great time on it enjoying the little lakes around Vancouver.  The trailer  lighting harness that they’d been using for towing it with their  work truck had to be changed out for a standard one that would fit my truck. Thank God for Canadian Tire. I got a little wire stripper and electrician bits for $11 and then was back reconnecting a new harness.  This takes time.  Back and forth to the store.  And rush hour traffic.  There was also  major Friday accident on the highway.  We stopped for groceries at Superstore on the way.
Well, as usual our 5 pm arrival ETA turned out to be 9 pm.
Laura said, “It’s beautiful here. And no tent. We don’t have to put up a tent.”.  She’s been with me twice, when I’ve headed out Friday night with a new tent.  Each time  it was the wee hours of Saturday morning that I gave her a place to lie down in after an hour or two trying to figure out a new tent in the headlights of my truck.
The cabins were perfect. All set up and waiting for us.  It was just so peaceful here with stars and moon visible above the snow capped mountains.  A June night, Laura comfortable in her U2 hoodie. I had my jacket on. Gilbert was running around as if he’d had the Red Bull in stead of me. In the country he has to sniff everything at once..
 Kevin had to work late so they arrived at 10, the kids in pj’s  in their car seats, having slept on the ride up.  I showed them their cabin and they were enchanted.
"This really is clamping," said Kevin.
“It’s so lovely.” Anna said. I was carrying sleepy little Bea from the car to the cabin while Kevin was hoisting out backpacks, two at a time. Laura was laughing.
Later  she told me.  “I heard  Anna telling the two boys to lie down in bed and not to move or she’d make them sleep on the couch."
“I told you.  So glad you love it. See you in the morning."
Now it’s morning. Laura has made me coffee. I’ve slept the sleep of Kings after watching a late night movie. They have cell service and wifi here.   I’ve just walked Gilbert who is in dog heaven.  It’s a hassle to get out of the city on a Friday but now we have all day Saturday and a half day of Sunday to relax and play.  I’m writing because I really like to write especially looking out at the lake where a whole family of Canadian geese have just passed by with their fluffy yellow goslings.
From this window I can see Anna and the kids walking on the beach too.  That didn’t take long. Laura is getting into the shower.  No doubt since I brought the boat Kevin will expect us to get it out on the water.  Young guys like to do that sort of thing. I could sit on the deck and read my novel . Having a boat and motor is a kind of summer guy styling anyway.   Right now I’m up for another cup of coffee. I”m feeling kind of decadent here at Bungalow Cabins.  Laura said she’d make me breakfast after her shower.  I’ll leave off on doing any physical virtue signally summer activities until after that.