I'm on my way at last. Although I didn't leave Salt Spring Island yesterday on the 6:20 AM ferry as planned, I was able to get on the one at 4:15 to Tssawassen, the same ferry as my children and grandchildren were on, so that was fun. It gave me a little more time with them.
As I'm sure you all can imagine, I will miss them very much.

There was one minor glitch, if you don't count the computer problems that developed yesterday and the frantic packing, or rather cramming, of my car. When I got off the ferry and looked for my travel folder, it was nowhere to be seen. So I pulled off the road to start a thorough search. My son and his family had picked up their car at the terminal, and noticing me at the road side, kindly joined me in the search. The travel information was finally located, and because by that time we were all getting hungry, we had dinner together at a nearby restaurant, which gave me a little more quality time with them. Just wish my daughter and her youngest son could have been there, too.

It was after 9:00 PM when I arrived at Tom's house to pick up the BC Sierra Club newletter. Tom is a friend of the Club, and turned out to be a kind and interesting person. He had a moving Global Village poster on the wall of his washroom, one that I'm going to try to acquire.

Tom generously offered me a bed for the night, and shortly after I spread my sleeping bag and stretched out, I was gone. Slept soundly until 5:00 AM, dressed quickly and took Tom to the bus terminal. He had to drive, as the passenger seat was to crammed for him to fit.

Of course, being Sunday, there was nothing open, and I didn't get my first cup of coffee and my juice until 7:00. I ate at some kind of "Pantry" drive through next to a filling station, an experience I don't intend to repeat, at least not in this lifetime..

Onward after that, following at first Highway 1 and then 97, arriving in Williams Lake just at 4:00pm, tired and very hot. It's 30 degrees C in the shade here. I haven't run the air conditioner and have decided that I won't unless it gets life threatening.

Terribly sad driving through the hill and seeing all the trees that have been killed by the pine bark beetle. It's not as bad as what I've seen in Alaska, but in time it will be. You see trees that are still healthy among the dead and dying ones, and you feel so sorry for them. They can't run away. And of course, this calamity is caused by the warmer winters here; it doesn't get cold enough to control the beetles any more.

I'm at the Super 8 tonight, one of the same hotels I always looked for when Arta and I crossed the country. No frills, but the staff has always been friendly and helpful. Feels like coming home.

All for now. Off to find something to eat and then crash again. I want to get an early start, before it gets too hot.