Bowen Island

Over the years I've gathered some friends online, mostly through a poetry forum and my blog. Occasionally these friends pay a visit to our part of the country and we get to meet in the flesh. Yesterday was such a day.

Judith is a friend I've gotten to know online through the poetry forum. (Some of the poems she has written are here and here and here.) A few weeks ago we arranged to meet on July 5 on Bowen Island, where she would be holidaying with family.

E. and I made good time through morning traffic yesterday, and got on an earlier ferry than we'd planned. I always get a feeling of leaving my cares behind when I'm on a boat bound for an island.

Yesterday was gorgeous in every way, and we enjoyed the sunshine on the ferry's the upper deck.

Just 20 minutes after leaving Horseshoe Bay, we were pulling into Snug Cove.

Since we had planned to be on the 12 o'clock ferry instead of the 11, hubby and I had an hour to spend. That was easy, as lots of roads beckoned us to explore. We got back to the library (where we'd planned to meet in the parking lot, by car description, as I'd never met Judith before, even by photo) well before the next ferry was due, but the lot was full. So we parked our car up the street, walked back to the library and proceeded to wait - I must admit a little nervously.

I scanned every car (especially the silver ones - the kind they were to be driving) and people walking by must have wondered why I gave them such piercing looks. Finally, the ferry arrived, the cars unloaded but still no Judith anywhere.

A phone call to the place they were staying assured me that Judith and her hubby had left to meet the ferry. What to do? We were about to try to make contact with a cell phone we thought they might have on them when a slim woman approached and asked timidly, "Are you Violet?" Whew! They had watched the cars unload, hadn't seen ours and had been as dismayed as we had with the botch up of our well-laid plans.

With the rendezvous part out of the way, we picked up our car and drove to a beach, where we spread out and ate our cooperative picnic. Then we all piled into one of the cars and headed for a walking trail. Along the way, we slowed to let this mother doe and her twin fawns cross the road.

The beautiful walk led through old-growth woods,

past limpid pools

and a stream with a fish ladder.

We enjoyed this view of Deep Bay near the end of our walk.

It really was wonderful -- like being with an old, yet new friend as Judith and I talked shop, reviewed the God-moments of both our writing journeys, and enjoyed the beauty all around us.

After a short visit with Dave's Mom in her rambling house that's nestled in 16 acres of virgin island forest, the five of us ended the day with dinner at Blue Eyed Mary's Bistro

and a stroll past the boats in the marina.

Thanks, Judith, Dave, and Laura for a beautiful, memorable day!