July 19, 2016 Rest day in Port Coquitlam

Spent the morning catching up with the blog and responding to emails; doing laundry; and performing basic maintenance on the bike. 

I discovered that the sensor for my cateye odometer was missing - most likely got knocked off in the process of trying to lock the bike on the ferry, or when I took the front tire off to put the bike in the car at the ferry, or maybe somewhere in the garage. At this point, Carin was leaving to go to Ferdinand's, and since I been pretty productive I was able to go with her to take him hiking again at Minnekhada.

While Carin retrieved Ferd from his house, I searched the car high and low for my cateye sensor. No luck. 

On the road entering Minnekhada, we were treated to the sight of a mid-size black bear walking on the road toward us. His fur was gorgeous. When he saw us, he turned around and sauntered down the road, then eventually veered off into the weeds. What a thrill to see the bear!

We took the same path hiking as yesterday. Ferdinand seemed even more at home, and performed admirably. There were quite a few families and dogs hiking out there. Another beautiful day. A sign mentioned a toad migration, but we only saw one and he disappeared before I could get a picture.

When we returned Ferd home, he once again headed for his bed - worn out from his hike,  and anxious for us to leave so he could take a nap. However, I forced him to get up for one last picture with me. That is one darn cute little dog. Carin is going to take care of him while his Mom and Dad visit Portugal in August. The plan is to try and get Maximillian and Ferdinand to develop a friendship so they can stay together when Ferdinand' s family is out of town.

The next mission consisted of finding a bicycle store where I could get a replacement odometer for my bike. Then returned home to install the new odometer and get everything packed and ready to go for the morning. I plan on getting on the road early since I have a 65 mile ride ahead of me, some of which might involve some climbing. At least I should have fresh legs. The plan was briefly jeopardized when my iPad went on the blink. Since her office has a tech center that can fix iPads, Pam offered to take it in for a diagnostic test and repair if possible. Which meant a possible delay in my departure. However, Pam was able to figure out how to do a special reboot, and the problem was solved. I told her she gained big brownie points for that feat! While I could continue on using just my iPhone, having the iPad really does make everything easier. 

For dinner tonight, Pam fixed grilled ham and cheese samdwhiches, with freshly picked corn on the cob and a spinach salad. As you have figured out by now, these were not just any old grilled ham and cheese sandwiches. And the color combination made for just the right presentation. 

After dinner, Pam played her ukulele and sang for me. She got the ukulele for Christmas and has been teaching herself to play. I really liked her song selection and hummed along a little.... It was fun. Pam is a real Renaissance woman.

I reached another milestone tonight when Molly the cat came out of hiding and kept making little appearances in the wings, checking me out from afar. I am convinced she would come closer and stay in the same room with me if I only had a few more days....but, time to move on to the next phase of the journey. These new friends, like all the others new and old that I have stayed with on this journey, have thoroughly pampered me. I will leave tomorrow, once again feeling renewed in spirit and with a heart full of gratitude. 

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...