Denman Island

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Lady in Red
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
I'm a lumberjack! Look at all the wood we chopped and stacked, and the tractor we got to drive :)
Lady in Red

Quite a few of the wwoof hosts have a book for you to write in as a way of remembering you, and for you to share your positive experiences. Here is what we wrote tonight, in advance of leaving tomorrow morning...

They say that pets' personalities reflect their owners. I cannot think of a more positive way to describe the welcome we received here. Ringa and Screech are friendly, relaxed and happy to have company. The ducks are always pleased to see us too!

Your hospitality has been incredible. We feel very lucky to have chosen to visit East Cider Orchard and to have had a brief window on your wonderful land and lifestyle. The food has been amazing, and you have been very generous with sharing your alcohol too. The Margarita's were a particular hit.The variety of jobs we did were great, and we have a new found respect for strawberries!

Our trailer was cosy and fun, and we enjoyed being able to take out the bikes and explore the island a little. We have enjoyed seeing the hummingbirds. The trips to the 'cinema', the bbq, the music and the art gallery were much appreciated too.

What particularly stood out here was the relaxed atmosphere. We felt very much at ease, and feel rejuvenated through being here. The conversation was
always interesting and we felt welcomed and valued.

So, get in touch if you ever go to England again, we'll show you the North East, and maybe let you sample the kale and sorrel and strawberries we're growing!

A big, big thank you (especially for turning me into a lumberjack Larry, and for letting us drive the tractor!) As well as giving us ideas for gardening, you have planted some seeds for how to live a friendly, relaxed life. You've made a big impact :)

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We went to visit an art gallery this evening. A small selection of photographs from London and Cuba - 'Cockneys and Cubans'. And we also called in to listen to some local music too. The first act was a Londoner who sang 'Maybe it's Because I'm a Londoner', 'Daisy, Daisy' and 'My Old Man's a Dustman'. It was fun!

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It's tempting to think that life here is idyllic, some sort of paradise. It's reassuring to know that even in beautiful British Columbia communities have disagreements, people argue with their spouses and solitaire is still a necessary distraction sometimes.

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This is about a third of the total stones we pulled out the ground :)
Busy weeding!!
Quack
I have been 'picking' stones out of the ground.

Today I have been mostly watching hummingbirds, a frog and a woodpecker. And weeding.

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Tempestuous bedfellows
fortune and fate
courting past tragedy
and asking why

Playing with comedy
toying in mystery
delving in deeper
then tripping on lies

Sailing on sorrows
towards tapestries woven
running from Icarus.
Drifting on by

Dancing with maybes
and scratching at lines
circling closer
to questions and sighs

Searching and seeking
and salving the soul
flirting with futures.
Riding the tide.

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I do not know what came before
now, is to reason why.
For here is the present.
The gift of today
And past is a glint in the eye.
Breathing it in,
straight in the face
a blow that comes from all sides.
Screaming live and all that it is,
light and sky, the time is nigh
take it while it's thine.

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Fords Cove, Hornby Island
Cool tree!
View of Denman Island from Hornby
On the ferry back from Hornby island

Hitch hiking on the islands means we get to meet interesting people. We also get to ride in interesting cars! On Sunday it was a Chevrolet Lincoln, today it was a Buick Skylark from 1967. It had an eight track of War of the Worlds stuck in the machine! Personally I don't care much about cars as long as they go.

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There are chickens here, and a rooster. He crows every morning, but also at regular intervals throughout the day. In the morning I can sleep through it but during the day sometimes he's noisy repeatedly. I never knew how loud they could be. We're thinking up ways to assassinate him!

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I've been thinking about what to do when I return to England. I love teaching. It's all I ever wanted to do. But when I see what the conservatives are doing to education. When I recall how utterly worn out and fed up and exhausted I was, I don't know if I want to put myself in that position again.
Is it possible to teach without being worn out? And demoralised? Teaching is what I do. It is who I am. But can I put those skills to use, with children, in some other way? It's a big question.

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Denman Island at 4:30pm PDT in Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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Our cost little trailer

Denman Island at 4:30pm PDT in Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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Kale to eat
Kale to sell
Transplanted kale!
The kale I harvested, at the local co-op
Digging and filling raised beds
Very cute mink :)
Dirty feet!
Birthday mash!
Our little cottage
The view of Vancouver island
Swimming on my birthday
Sointula has an interesting history
Heron from the kayak
Fun at Bere point
Bere point
On the beach

Denman Island from 3:48pm to 3:58pm PDT (10 mins) in Hornby Island, British Columbia, Canada.

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