Maynelining

Mayne Island was quite spectacular - and educational.

We had to manage without plumbing (and TV). I don't know whether the island has mains water supply or whether it is just that the houses and cabins are so spread out that most of them have wells and sceptic tanks, but our friends' well had run dry - in their absence - and this had been helped along by the previous people who stayed, having had a freak toilet incident, which resulted in all the remaining water escaping. All the remaining bottled water had been used up, presumably flushing the loo.

We, being trained boy scouts and girl guides, had fetched water to flush with from the sea, used the bottled water we had brought, to wash hands and clean teeth only and we bathed by swimming. A grand time was had by all, especially the teenage one who played his guitar, smoked - whatever - and roasted marshmallows round the fire pit - which, given the lack of rain, we weren't even sure we should be using, but we had our trusty seawater on standby.

On the last day, we hired a double kayak for four hours and all took it in turns to go out and tame the waves. We saw beds of purple and silver starfish and scary-looking seaweed. The weather, which was supposed to have broken, was in fact sunny and warm and quite, quite perfect for kayaking.

We were all, however, on our return to the mainland, glad to be able to shower and wash our clothes, not to mention flush the toilet.
Odd how, all together in the cabin, and under drought conditions, able to easily adopt the Aussie, 'if it's yellow, let it mellow' philosophy of water conservation, but on our return, unable to extend the same at home. Difficult in any case, when across the road, people are still gratuitously watering the pavement.


Yesterday evening, our last supper before Ben's departure, we all went to Memphis Blues Diner on the Drive and sampled the Priscilla Platter. All, that is, bar Alex, who had generously stayed behind to sit on the kids.

And so my boy has returned to the UK today. A difficult parting.
Today has been spent washing clothes, tidying and getting Ben ready for departure. Afterwards, Alex and I mooched disconsolately round Steveston, then I took Kevin and Austen to the Skytrain station - thence to go to watch another BC Lions game.
The next adventure starts soon.
And I have just one more week with Alex.