Tag: holiday

Westport


by KandE

At the stroke of midnight last night, New Year’s Eve, I was bedeckt in black tie finery, crowded around an upright piano. Richard Anderson, Delta’s CEO, was honoring me and my former coworkers by arranging for Sir Elton John to perform for us at the prom. Unfortunately for me, I was gravely ill and couldn’t properly sing my part, to the chagrin of all involved.

There begins and ends my NYE excitement, brought to you by one snappy subconscious already in a deep, sleep induced coma. In reality, the night was quite quiet for Eric and me. We pulled in to a deserted parking lot along a modest, roadside waterfall and set up camp. (Setting up camp=parking, naturally.) We cracked open a couple bottles of local brews, played a few rounds of cards, and scratched some lottery tickets that Eric thoughtfully surprised me with, thus cementing our first and only holiday tradition.

I’d love to say that afterwards we lay back on a picnic table, holding hands, recounting the best year of our lives while picking out late night constellations, but the truth: I can only find a dipper and a measly belt. Also: I was out cold before the sun could properly set.

There were no corks being popped in our van, nor any cheap, plastic fedoras covered in glitter on either one of our heads. I let my exhausted limbs lie after a solid morning hike, my love beside me planning our next driving route and doing more mysterious battery calculations.

His face was the first sight of my 2016 at 5:30 this morning; his feet, the second, as I slipped outside for a moment. It was his bare back shortly after some swallows of fresh air, as I slipped back under the covers for a warm spoon. And so, life carries on into the new year. Nothing seems to be too markedly different, nor do I desire it to be, for I suspect we’re already on a course that doesn’t require many goals, resolutions, or piano accompaniments from aging, British pop stars.

-K

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^ One of the several beautiful views our NYE hike led us to.

Golden Bay


by KandE

Today’s goal: to avoid every jackass in a Santa hat and reindeer antlers wishing strangers a Merry Christmas. We strategized well– only 2 today.

It helped that we were bounding out of bed before sunrise, because like a kid on Christmas morning, I just couldn’t sleep. I had to go check under the tree for thistles before I emptied my bladder just out of sight of the campsite. (Do I post too often about peeing outside?)

After watching a small pink sun yawn over the horizon of the bay, we were off. Our sunscreen, cameras, water and trail mix were loaded into the backpacks and we chose our route. Compared to the quasi-disaster that was our Cable Bay jaunt a few days prior, this was a walk in the park. Although this time our park was not bathed in blinding mid-afternoon sun, the peaks were more modest and manageable, and we were rewarded with he most beautiful scenery I’ve seen on this trip yet.

Also: we saw not a soul until we were on our final descent. And that mofo in his red stocking cap was too far away to share some seasons greetings with us.

-K

 

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^ Sleepyhead watching the sun

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^ Standing in front of a “lighthouse” near the trailhead + the beautiful countryside we spent the next few hours hiking over

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^ Rather than finish the hike all the way to the beach, we turned and took the road back. We drove instead to keep it relaxed. Adventures include burning the bottoms of our feet, swimming beside a seal, and exploring the deserted coastline. What a lovely way to spend a holiday. 🙂

Takaka


by KandE

Add 2 points if you have a dreamcatcher swaying from the rearview mirror.
Subtract 1 if there’s a GPS on your dash.
If the female in your front seat has dirty hair: take 1.
Dirty AND full of dreds: collect 5.

This tiny town on the bay is the stage for an ongoing competition to see which campervan can be the most run-down yet still running (trump card for a vintage VW) and which set of inhabitants has the best aura and busking ability. (I vote the blonde with the accordion perched outside the supermarket.)

Although to be fair in this contest, we shouldn’t exclude those that aren’t showing off their musical abilities. There IS that gentleman selling “orange juice made with <3” and clippings of organic wheatgrass from a cart on the sidewalk. Or how about the ubiquitous female with homemade hemp jewelry, her printed harem pants billowing as she exits one of the many “ethnic urban” shops dotting Main Street?

Now it may sound like the only kinds of people to inhabit this place are the kind that hang their wet wash to dry in the neighborhood park, but the cast of characters in this town is vast and varied. There may be an incarnation of Father Time sitting in a slice of city green, a STAFF legitimately balanced across his lap, however 10 steps away on the sidewalk is another 65 year old man: a retiree in a bucket hat, window-shopping with an ice cream cone. Yes, you may notice a burly, bushy haired ragamuffin wobble by on a scooter (Eric contends he’s homeless) but if you follow his path down the sidewalk you’ll notice he passes more than one yuppie tourist whose shoes are perfectly coordinated to her pastel pink earrings.

This, my friends, is Takaka.
PS. Merry Christmas Eve.

-K

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^ Xmas Eve dinner: lamb, green beans, and garlic mashed potatoes with cheese. Not pictured: a view of the beach outside our curtains.