Karen

Karen and Andrea, July 2013

Twenty five years ago I met a woman named Karen Harries at our local Safeway store (which is long gone).  In fact, I  remember we met in the produce section.  With her was her 2 year old daughter, Stephanie. I had Andrea with me, who was the same age.  She told me she had put Stephanie's name on the wait list for the neighbourhood playschool and I should do the same. I had never thought about playschool but now I was considering it.
That was Karen.

And so began a lifelong friendship, not only between Karen, her husband Bruce and I but between her daughter Stephanie and my daughter Andrea and later her son Lucas and my daughter Stefanie.

The Harries lived a few doors down the street from us. Our children played together, walked to school together, went halloweening together, had a lemonade stand... We both had a nanny and our kids hung out at each other's houses after school. And Lucas ate all our cheese!

Andrea and Stephanie were best friends. They went to the same schools, played on the same soccer teams, walked their dogs together, refereed together, hung out at each other's houses. Our family visited the Harries at their ranch in Naramata, BC.

When she was in elementary school, Karen introduced Andrea to her passion, horses, and frequently took the girls riding at the stable.
That was Karen.

Karen was a leader.  She was the President of the Greenfield Community League, the Greenfield School Parent Advisory Committee and taught Sunday School at St. Paul's church when our kids were young.
That was Karen.

I don't know how she did it all, being a teacher is enough and she did more than just teach. She took school kids riding and she participated in drama and other extracurricular activities.  Many times I witnessed her telling a student to be respectful.  She kept her students, and everyone for that matter in line.
That was Karen.

Some people are just neighbours but Karen made sure we became and stayed friends. When our family was in crisis many years ago she insisted we stay in their home.
That was Karen.

And boy could she talk. She packed a lot into her life but she always had time to talk on the phone or at the door, when picking up the kids. I can still hear Karen's incredulous 'what?' in many of our long conversations.
That was Karen.


Years ago I had been hiking in the mountains and mice had nested in my car while it sat in the parking lot. We cleaned out the car but a smell persisted.  Karen and I went for coffee a couple of days later and I put on the air conditioner.  The smell was putrid. Karen was determined to find the source of it smell.  She dug in the glove compartment and under the dash.
That was Karen.

Andrea became a french teacher and Karen mentored her as she did other students and young french teachers. She had them over to her house or went out for coffee with them.
That was Karen. 

Whenever there was an event in our lives, a party or birthday and she and Bruce were invited they always came, no matter how busy their lives were.
That was Karen (and Bruce).

She got her Master's degree a few years ago, something she had wanted to do for a long time. She was intelligent and blessed with common sense.
That was Karen.

Tragically, Karen succumbed to injuries from a horse back riding accident and passed away November 7, 2013.


My dear friend Karen was smart and beautiful and really cared about people. I miss her terribly.

Fog!

Living on the coast presents new kinds of weather systems I never experienced in Australia, despite my proximity to the ocean. 
One issue is temperature. For those of you who know me well, I tune into the Weather Network every evening to find out how I should dress for work the next day. It's about the only TV show, besides Modern Family (which now that I think about it will be the theme of an upcoming blog) I watch. So, in July I dressed as per the given temperature but I was usually overdressed. That's because the temperature near the water is always cooler than the temperature inland where I live and work.
So, just like the temperature difference so is the air different by the water.  It was a clear sky and sunny at home and work (15 minutes apart) the last two weeks of October but about 8 degrees cooler with dense fog by the water.
This is all fine until you need to travel off the island.
The ferries are seldom affected by fog. They sail but blow their horns every 5 minutes or so. Just ask my mother who lives on a small southern gulf island.
But trying to fly can be nearly impossible as Keith found out.  It's hard enough we live apart but when he arrived at the Vancouver airport three weeks ago he was told no flights were flying into Victoria, the airport was closed due to fog. Frustrated his only option was the ferry. He finally arrived, albeit 5 hours late.

Vancouver International Airport

We went for a hike up Mt. Douglas and guess what we saw? Nothing... but fog!
The following week Iwent to Vancouver on business but the Vancouver airport was closed. So I took the Helijet, a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter that usually flies out of the harbour but due to the fog flew out of Victoria International Airport.

The San Juan Islands

Over the Strait of Georgia

Vancouver

Despite the fog being a nuisance it was spectacular to see from the air, truly like a downy blanket. Islands popped out of it. As it got dark, the lights on the islands underneath shone a luminous glow through it. As we approached Vancouver the Lions Gate Bridge was peeking out of it.

About to leave clear Vancouver Harbour but arrived in fog in Victoria

Inconvenient yes but eerily beautiful!