July 18, 2016 Rest day in Port Coquitlam

Spent most of the morning catching up on the blog, looking at maps and talking with Carin. I made the final decision to stay over until Wednesday morning before resuming my journey. Take my time doing laundry, cleaning the bike, spending time on the revised route preparations, catching up with responding to some emails, and trying to rest a little. Plus, taking advantage of the opportunity to spend a little more time with Pam, Carin and Max - I am even getting occasional peaks at Molly before she realizes I am there.

A while back, Carin had been looking for someone to dogsit for Max when they needed to travel for a few weeks. She came upon one of those organizations that advertise just such a service, and interviewed a young woman over coffee to see if she fit the bill. Unfortunately, she did not fit the bill for a number of reasons. But what Carin realized was that providing that type of service for others was  something she would probably enjoy and be interested in doing. To make a long story short, she now works for a young couple taking care of their nine month old dachshund named Ferdinand. In essence, she is Ferd's "day mom". She goes over 4 days per week for 2-3 hours and spends time with him. More recently, Carin has begun taking Ferdinand out for walks and "socialization" training. Teaching him to like and get along with others, and how to behave in public. The next step has been taking Ferdinand on hikes to Minnekhada. Good physical conditioning in beautiful natural surroundings, and the opportunity to meet and greet other dogs and people.

Today, I got to along with Carin to take care of Ferd. He was adorable, albeit a little hesitant about who I was at first. We took him for a hike at Minnekhada, and he behaved perfectly. It was amazing how easily he hiked the rocks and boulders with those little legs churning and that tail wagging. By the time we returned to his house, Ferdinand was exhausted and clearly ready for an afternoon nap. And he and I were definitely on another level of friendship. He rolled over belly up to allow me to take off his harness. 

The rest of the afternoon was taken up with practicalities - a light lunch, getting my hair cut, going to the bank for more Canadien money, and shopping for snacks to take on the next leg of the journey. Then spent a little more time looking at possible places to stay the first couple of nights after I leave. 

After Pam got home from work, she proceeded to happily engage in preparing yet another delightful culinary experience. This time, it was Yakatori chicken skewers on the grill, grilled bok choy and zucchini, and both accompanied by seasoned rice. Unbelievably good - she has the "less is more" regarding seasonings and cooking down to a science, and the result is amazing. I am trying to take notes, but fear that I probably do not have the right temperament to be a gourmet cook - I am much better suited to being a grateful diner. 

Ended the evening watching a show with Pam that was on the Knowledge Channel called Secrets of the Castle. These archeologists and others built a castle in France using the same techniques and materials available as in the 1300's (I think). It was fascinating. But I was struggling to keep my eyes open, and when the show ended I immediately headed for bed. 

Another great day...