The Unlikely ADVENTURER THE SECOND INSTALMENT IN A FOUR-PART SERIES by Wendy Maurer
20 21 A YEAR FOR ADVENTURE!
I LOVED WATCHING THE DRAMATIC AND RAPID WEATHER CHANGES OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. The thrill of waves
crashing, eagles soaring, gulls hovering in the air during a brisk wind. Some days the sun was beaming off the crests of huge waves with the frothy tops a brilliant white. Other days, the ocean was flat and long lines of birds skimmed the surface as they zipped past so close to the water it was a wonder they could fly that low. Then there was the magic of weather getting socked in as I watched. The sky was filled with layers of light and shadow that flowed and shifted. In five minutes, it would transition from sun to dense fog – from full colour to black and white – then shades of grey suddenly backlit by glowing light – then rainbows. Getting out of the house and into the cold turned out to be harder than I thought it would be. Yes, I procrastinated - lots of Facebook research by joining new groups specific to Vancouver Island outdoor activities. Then one day I walked outside, and it smelled like spring. It lifted my spirits and my renewal began. My husband tempted me out of the house to go for a bike ride and I was grateful, even though the tips of my fingers almost froze because bike gloves don’t have full length finger coverage – another lesson learned. There is a certain exhilaration and freedom when riding a bicycle because the bike carries most of the weight and if you ride an e-bike, the ondemand power assist really adds to the fun. I ventured out into the garden and found plants sprouting, some blooming and tons of birds all around. Then one day the quail came back. Spring for sure. Next, my husband and adventuring partner, Lotar and I decided to check out some backroads to find potential camping spots to reserve for this year. A bonus was an annual hunt for pussy willows. Every year since I was little, my mom would challenge us to be the first to find them in the spring and it made her so happy when we found them. Lotar and I keep up the tradition. Pussy willows are much harder to find now and when we hunted this year, we found them on an active logging road busy with loaded trucks so there was no stopping to pick any. The excitement was still there though and I’m sure Mom was smiling as we spotted them. One week we decided to hunt for a campsite we had seen from the water many years ago while taking a trip to Bamfield with Lady Rose Marine Services. 13 PASSIONS | SPRING-SUMMER 2021 13
