It began the moment my feet hit home turf in early June after a month in China and Tibet. I basked in the glorious clear sky, breathed deep the fresh, unpolluted air and felt the caress of a gentle breeze blow in off the ocean – but most of all I marveled at the open spaces, gloriously empty, the view of a bay dotted only with a few happy sail boats and the lake, MY lake, dotted with a few blissed out swans. There are beautiful scenes in China but they are swarming members of the Human Ant Colony, swamping, asphyxiating, drowning – just too many of us to allow nature her freedom. Here, the freedom was intoxicating.

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I felt lucky. Lucky to go; lucky to come back, lucky to come back HERE! It is mid October now, leaves are turning red and yellow, a chill is in the air; the sun is setting on one of the most glorious summers I can remember. (Thank you Janie for the pics)

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Why so great? The weather for sure. Warn sun means warm water and warm water means swimming – in oceans, lakes, bays and rivers. Warm weather means Islands! Warm weather means hiking, cycling around the park, kayaking, fishing and eating and drinking outdoors with new friends and old. Warm weather means boating and dancing at dusk on the bow of a boat …..

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before plunging naked into the briney.

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In the early summer we wound our way down the scenic Nicola valley……

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to Stump Lake Ranch, deep in the heart of B.C.’s ranch country. The days were hot and dry, the lake water clean and blue and the evenings balmy.

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We collected wild flowers for the dinner table..

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Celebrated a birthday with friends….

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Rode bareback in the twilight….

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admired fit and fearless fifty-somethings…

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watched men walking on water…

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Later in the summer we headed up the Strait of Georgia to Sargeant Bay where friends own a glorious property which attracts a rare form of giant humming birds…

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We lollygagged on the bow of their limestone…

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and watched the sun set between the craggy bows of Arbutus trees. Late into the evening my friend announced that we should go in her boat to catch the sun’s last hurrah. “Too late” I thought for the sun has already melted, but I am never one to turn down a boat ride so we screamed into the middle of the bay and tucked away around a corner, this is what we found….

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But really, it isn’t necessary to go far from home when you live where I do. This is where I live. (Sorry about the weird-ass numbers but that is what happens when you pilfer pics off the net). No.3 is Stanley Park and I live on the lagoon visible just below the number.

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A 10 km seawall circumnavigates the park and there are many glorious beaches ideal for tanning but not for swimming unless you are a Polar Bear! Not so, this summer from the gods. The local waters were cool but refreshing and I often walked the few hundred yards to swim in my favorite water hole just on the other side of this rocky outcrop.

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My daughter came home from dancing late one hot summer night. “Let’s go for a swim” I said and we went skinny dipping in the moonlight, not a soul in sight.

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Most evenings I rode my bike around the park…

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and enjoyed the charming temporary rock art that adorns the beach…..

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like an army of water spirits emerging from the seas.

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this is why it is “temporary”!

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I kayaked along the shore after eating a picnic dinner on English Bay……

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with my favorite boy toy (yes, it sucks to be me!)

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And together we watched the sun set silver on another glorious summer day.

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The next adventure took us by float plane up the Georgia Strait to the north west tip of a rugged gulf Island where friends have a glorious cabin.

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It sits on a bank above an expanse of granite. When the tide is low, the water at the edge of the granite is deep, the tide sweeps the water in over the baked rock creating ideal conditions for swimming – or floating – naked of course!

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We continued a great Aussie tradition……..

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and watched another silvery sun descend into madness…

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I got to captain big boats..

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past even bigger boats…

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fall in love with a free spirit..

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and experience nature in all her glory….nut it was not these things that made the summer so UNIQUE….it was…..

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the NUDITY! Everywhere I went people were shedding their clothes. I expect it from Aussies and several of our friends are French (and they’re almost as bad) but CANADIANS?

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HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE..

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LIVE IT TO THE MAX!

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