A few positives

So, I'm aware the last post was a bit tragic, and I didn't want to leave that in cyberspace for too long without a follow up. Thanks for the various comments and messages, I am doing better, though still sad, and have some positive stories now.

Monday I had the opportunity to spend the day at Regent College which is a theological college in Vancouver. Martin (and others I know) has attended and speaks very positively of his time there, and I had looked into what I might be able to do there around this time but hadn't found anything that worked. So I was pretty pleased to discover a 'Summer Sampler' opportunity to attend (for a small fee) the first lecture of a week course for three papers they run as block courses over summer. Another intern, Mallory came with me, though we only attended one lecture together. It was a really good day. The first lecture on Genesis was the one that I enjoyed most from a content perspective, and I'm going to find some more material by the lecturer, John Walton to read or listen to. The second class though was the best from a 'connections' perspective. Wouldn't you know, in a class of maybe 60 people there were three other Kiwis. But wait, there's more. One is the son of good friends of my parents, another is good friends with the daughter of the missionary couple I was with for my first two weeks in Thailand, and the third, Jennie is a priest from Wellington and we also have some mutual acquaintances. What are the odds?! Then in the evening lecture I had the opportunity to get to know Jennie better as we were paired up for some discussion time. We've exchanged contact details and I hope to interact with them more. The day also included a chapel service, a pretty tasty lunch, and a spare hour where I could wander around the campus (the school is within the much bigger University of British Columbia, UBC) and get a bit of a feel for the place. So that was a great day, though it was long, we left A Rocha before 7am and got home about 10:30.

My other positive to report is quite different, but equally worth reporting. Aiden is about 15, and part of one of the families who lives here onsite. He is one of the keen board gamers, and when we do a games night (often on a Thursday) he's one of the ring-leaders. A while back he and I played a game of two-player Risk, where the aim is simply to wipe out the other person. (In games with more players there are other goals like taking over certain continents.) I beat him quite convincingly, and I found out later this was an achievement, he's an able gamer with a reputation of being hard to beat. Of course we couldn't stop at one game and a week or two later we had our second game, and this time he was the clear winner, I was royally beaten. So, there was always going to be a decider, it just had to be scheduled. And it was tonight. And I won. And I'm pretty pleased!! It was a hard fought game and it wasn't clear for quite a while who had the upper hand. In case you missed it, I'm pretty pleased :-) Of course he wants to play it again, but with our various plans and schedules I don't think there'll be another opportunity before I go. So, that will just have to be where it rests. With me as the winner. Shame that.

Last positive to report, I have started to write my toad report, but realised I didn't have a picture I was happy to use. And I thought I'd missed my opportunity, but the other night they were out in force again, hopefully the final wave before they finish migrating. So I got a photo with which I'm very pleased. And since I don't expect most of you to read my report, here it is.

That's enough for now, I'll write again soon.

The post I don't want to write

Not a happy post. Feel free to skip it.

It looks like my kitty is gone for good. He's been officially missing for more than three weeks now, but it didn't really hit me until after Dad left. I've been completely gutted for the last week or more, and even now am in tears. In the seemingly mostly superficial world of the internet, I'm still undecided as to whether I should post this. The whole saga with Shadow, from relocating him and the associated expense and hassle, to him going missing early and being caught, kept inside for a month to get used to his new home, and then doing a runner again has been one of the hardest things to deal with about this trip. It's caused me to question my decisions, and I'm sad and angry. Of course there's no one to be angry at, everyone involved, including me, made the best decisions at the time based on the situation, and the available info and advice. So I'm left with this thing that's colouring everything. I feel like I don't want to be enjoying this trip any more. And I feel like a fraud whenever someone asks me how I am and I give a stock standard response. But what are the options? If I put this out there I feel like I'm inviting sympathy or advice, and I'm not sure I really want either. I just want to wallow. I'm sure there's lots of theory about grief, but I don't really want to hear it. Maybe at some point I will. I had Tango for 20 years, and I only got Shadow three years ago this month. It's not fair. My only hope is that he'll turn up at home, but that feels pretty slim, and certainly not one to hold on to. So much for hope and endurance.

Ok, so I'm just going to post this. Please don't feel you need to respond. I won't take a lack of comment as a lack of care.

Full on birthday

Well, Dad has been here for just a few days, but we've surely packed a lot in. No surprise there to those who know either of us, but put us together and the effect is multiplied!!

On Friday, after a leisurely breakfast with a very kind couple I know through A Rocha, Ed and Bettina, we did a day trip to see the Othello Tunnels (a track through some historic railway tunnels along a gorgeous canyon (pic 1)), Hells Gate (where the Fraser River goes through the narrowest gorge on its entire route (pic 2 shows the airtram we went on to get down to the water)) and the Bridal Veil Falls (pic already on Facebook). We also happened across a small town Canada Day event in Hope, complete with a classic car show which felt very fitting. We had thought to check out Canada Day fireworks, but decided to be (slightly) gentle on ourselves and not try and do that too!

Saturday we did an A Rocha day. Dad got to see my toadlets (wth a few other interested people), help me set and pull some traps to catch (and interrupt the lifecycle of) some American Bullfrog tadpoles and have lunch with the community.  We followed that up with a trip (that included a ferry ride) up the Sunshine Coast to have dinner with a lovely couple I met through A Rocha. Bruce and Patty were very hospitable, it was just great to spend the evening with them and some of thieir family, and we managed to get a pic (3) of Bruce and me with their home in between us.

Sunday we went to a Calvery Chapel in the morning, then spent the rest of the day up Grouse Mountain doing an eco walk, watching a Lumberjack show, checking out the Grizzly Bears with a ranger talk and seeing a Birds in Motion presentation. Check out the pic (4) of the owl coming in to land! Then we went up the chair-lift to the peak of the mountain. It was a fantastic view of Vancouver and elsewhere, a glorious day with barely any wind, AND there were chipmunks!! As if that wasn't enough for the day, we stopped at the Lynn Canyon Valley Suspension Bridge (5). At least we got home before midnight that day.

Today has had a slight Birthday theme with a day trip to Vancouver Island and birthday cards, presents, cake and wishes from around the world. Thanks everyone, it's been lovely, and the 20 min fireworks display on the USA border just finished it off.

Must go to bed now, I drop Dad off at the airport tomorrow evening and there's lots to do between now and then!

I'll write again soon
Love
Sarah