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More photos from our drive west are now on my Flickr page: here . I'll also be adding to the sets vancouver island and vancouver island north as we explore.

This is the view around the corner from our place, maybe 100 metres down the main road into town -- when it's not raining.

Last year at this time, the wmtc i hate christmas tradition -- after being in decline for several years -- roared back in full swing. This year we enjoyed the two extra days off, and I found nothing to hate, or even dislike. About half the houses in our neighbourhood have holiday lights. People wish each other Merry Christmas, and when I say Happy Holidays, it appears unremarkable. And now it's New Year's Eve, one of the few holidays I really love . A time to look back and look forward, to take stock and to make plans. On this arbitrary date (it hasn't always been January 1!), the whole secular world flips the calendar and tries to make a fresh start. This has been an eventful year! Events were fun, stressful, horrible, surreal, nerve-wracking, heartbreaking, amazing, and wonderful. - We visited Vancouver Island with my brother and sister-in-law, to see if we wanted to live there. - I was asked to stand for election in the Ontario provincial elections, and accepted the n

The Hissing of Summer Lawns , 1975 Front and back covers: The landscapes of the songs Joni's seventh studio album (her ninth album overall) is both a continuation and a departure.  The Hissing of Summer Lawns is rich and multi-layered, somewhat enigmatic, full of interesting images and sounds that are open to interpretation. When I'm in a certain mood, this becomes my favourite of all Joni's albums, surpassing even Court and Spark in my imagination, flooring me with its beauty and complexity. Musically, on this album Joni continues to bring more jazz arrangements to her songs. But she also begins something new: the music is used very sparingly, sometimes only for rhythm, while the melody is carried by only one instrument, Joni's voice. This is most pronounced in some of the album's most memorable numbers: "Edith and the Kingpin," "Don't Interrupt the Sorrow," "Shades of Scarlett Conquering," and "The Boho Dance". Listen

We knew there was a veterinary clinic in our area, the North Island Veterinary Hospital . But I was a bit concerned. This is a bias a mine, perhaps unfounded, but in my experience, people in rural areas may be less vigilant about the health of their dogs and cats, leaving things more to nature than to modern medicine. I wondered, would we find a vet who "got" us, who would understand and support the place our dogs hold in our lives? Would it be a problem to order Diego's special food? Would they be up to date on the latest treatment options? Earlier this week, we learned the answers are yes, yes, and yes. This is a great relief! We are still treating Diego for a skin infection, likely caused by allergies. We're running out of meds, so this was an excuse to meet a new vet and check out the clinic. As soon as we walked in, I knew we would be all right. It's a large, bright, modern facility, with all the prescription foods for sale, and friendly, professional staff.

This is the other shopping story. The one in which I don't come out looking like a rational adult. I don't care much about clothes, shoes, bags. I don't buy expensive cosmetics or skin-care products. As long as I have what I need, I'm good. It's easy to watch my spending about any of those. But. There's always a but, right? I love home things. Towels, linens, dinnerware. Rugs. Shelves. Lamps. Organizers. (I could go on.) And I love home-decorating. When buying clothes, I hold my nose and get it over with. But don't let me in Bed Bath and Beyond or Ikea without adult supervision. Despite this, I still try very hard to not buy gratuitously. I won't say I never  buy home things that we don't technically need. But once I've got our "needs" covered, I try to leave it there. (Scare quotes around needs, acknowledging that these are not true needs, but needs of privilege.) Does it seem like I'm avoiding something? Not getting to the point?

I have two stories to tell about my shopping habits. This is the one with a happy ending, the story that makes me appear to be a rational adult. On our road trip from Mississauga to Port Hardy, I quickly became aware that my boots had become useless. They were light hiking boots from New Balance ( shown here ). I wore them in Egypt and on our Northern Ontario trip, but they were suddenly taking on water like a leaky raft. If it was at all wet outside, my feet were wet and cold. Note to self: buy new boots. But how? Where? Surely not in Port Hardy. Not even in Campbell River. There really is only one answer: buy them online. I buy almost everything online; it's been my preferred method of shopping for a very long time. But can you buy shoes online? Of course I know shoes are sold online, but how do you buy shoes if you can't try them on first? And don't you need to try on multiple pairs, until you find one that fits? I also realized I need not just new boots, but better  bo

The first few days after we arrived in Port Hardy, the weather was beautiful for late November. It was overcast, occasionally sunny, but around 8-10 C, with very little rain. Through December, it's been raining off and on -- mostly on. Occasionally it's cold enough for freezing rain or light snow, but that will be brief bursts. Mostly it's been around +3 to +8 (high 30s to mid-40s F), cloudy or raining. Since moving here, I've yet to put on a winter jacket. I've been wearing a fall-weight jacket, or else a rain jacket that's just a shell ( my new find from L.L. Bean). So for winter, it's warm and it's wet. Here's the thing. Wet weather has always made me feel bad physically. Yep, that's the dirty little secret I didn't want to talk about before we moved. In the back of my mind, I was concerned about potential fibro/arthritis flare-ups. But... nothing. I've been completely fine. I don't have an explanation for this! I do have a theory

One thing we had heard about Vancouver Island as compared to the mainland is that everything would be more expensive -- groceries, wine, personal care products, and so on. We've been looking at our receipts and discussing them (practically daily!) and we don't find this to be true. I was also concerned about the quality of the supermarket, hoping moving to a small town where there is one supermarket would not mean a return to the crappy grocery stores we had in New York City. Now that I've been to the supermarket a few times, I'm actually pleased: it has a good selection and quality products. The building itself is a bit old and run-down (Save-On-Foods: please renovate!) but the store is actually quite good. That's a relief. But simply put, groceries do not cost more than they did in the GTA, and many items are less expensive. We knew that the nearest town with big-box stores is Campbell River, almost three hours away, and we were fine with that. The only thing I fi

I am so happy  to be home! I got home late Friday night and on Saturday gave myself a full day off from all devices. My last few days of training were very interesting. I went back to Nanaimo for an all-day meeting for professional staff -- regular librarians, next-step-up librarians such as me, managers, and system executives. To my delight, this meeting was followed by an annual union meeting, the BCGEU local of which I am now a member. Both meetings were very interesting and positive. The librarians' meeting was a look at goals and plans for 2019. It gave me great ideas on what committees I hope to join and specific work I'd like to accomplish in the new year. The union meeting had nearly 100% attendance. Comparing turnouts to my former CUPE local's meetings isn't really fair, as the circumstances and access to the meetings are very different. Even so, there was excellent engagement and participation, and in general a strong understanding of why our union matters. Un

It was wonderful to have Allan and Diego with me this weekend. The weather was "cold" -- cold for the island, between -2 and +3 C -- and wet, and I wasn't prepared for that, so we didn't do a lot. We went to Ideal Cafe twice, a famous local haunt with amazing breakfasts, now a must for all Campbell River outings. (I can also recommend SoCal Restaurant , in Willow Point.) We drove down the coast, which was wild and windswept, and very beautiful. And we read, and watched a few episodes of a new series. I was so happy to see my guys! And sad to go to work, knowing they wouldn't be there when I got back. I really want to go home and begin my new life and new position. But training continues apace. Last week was all the big-picture stuff/ This week is all the nuts and bolts, the how-to -- circulation, collection management, payroll, time-off requests, revenue reports, and so on. In a bit of excellent timing, this week there is also an all-librarians meeting for the wh

Are you writing for rights? I almost gave myself a pass this year. I'm living out of a hotel room and I don't have easy access to a printer, and... what the hell? I'm one of the most privileged people on the planet. Surely I won't skip Write For Rights because it's a bit inconvenient! On December 10, 1948, the newly-formed United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the first document of its kind in history. Every year, on and around December 10, people who have human rights use them to help others whose human rights have been violated or negated. Here are the 2018 Write For Rights cases. Notice anything different? Join me and thousands of others. Join the biggest human rights event on the planet. By giving 15 or 30 minutes of your time, you can join thousands of others who believe that all humans have rights, no matter who they are, where they live, and what they believe. The right to peaceful protest. The right to inform others. The right

For the portion of my training taking place in Campbell River -- two days this week plus all of next week -- I was booked into the Coast Discovery Inn, a Coast chain property. Before this trip, I was unfamiliar with the Coast chain. Their slogan "Refreshingly Local" means they acquire already-established hotels and bring them into the Coast brand. We stayed at one in Tsawwassen the night before taking the ferry to Vancouver Island, I stayed at one in Nanaimo. They were both very nice -- lovely rooms, amenities, and service. Based on those experiences, I was very disappointed when I saw my room in Campbell River. It was tiny -- one bed, and the bed took up the entire room. This is fine when you're out exploring Paris, but when you're living in a room for 10 days, it would be confining and inconvenient. In addition, Allan and Diego are spending the weekend (yay! can't wait!), and I don't see the three of us living in a shoebox together, even for a few days. I as

I've completed another two days of training and orientation. It's been pretty awesome. In the past three days, I've had a tour of the Nanaimo Harbourfront branch, which is something of a showpiece and central library, and a tour of the Nanaimo North branch, which is new and beautiful. I've met with managers of: library systems, payroll, scheduling, facilities, human resources, purchasing, health and safety, communications, finance, technical services, the Creativity Commons, and e-resources. Each one has given me an overview of their functions and talked about how I will interact with their departments. And each one has been warm, friendly, welcoming, genuine, and generous with their time. It was both overwhelming and wonderful. I've also been watching videos for all kinds of regulatory requirements. This is pretty typical when you work with the public and/or are a supervisor -- health and safety, respectful workplace, violence prevention, emergency preparedness, am

Allan wrote some really nice things about our new life, both in emails to me and on one of his non-baseball blog. With his permission, I've collected some of them here. * * * * I drove into town today, thinking I would go to the library and museum, but I forgot they are closed on Monday. I went into the Cafe/Book Nook. Small book area in a semi-lower floor, way more new books than used. There is a craft store upstairs that has all kinds of nice things, including earrings I'm pretty sure you like - and a wonderful golden-haired adorable young dog. Quiet as a mouse, s/he followed me around and then went back to the register and laid down. I got a tea and walked over to the library (sign on door said something like "No bathrooms - Key is missing"), went over to Mo's pizza/sub place (they deliver for an extra $2, fwiw). I found the Ministry office but this was the 12-1 PM closing time, so nothing was going on. I walked back to the main street. One business had a handw

I've just finished my first day of training and orientation at [my new library]. I have a lot to report on! Much of this may be of interest only to library workers, especially my union buddies. I took notes all day, and I'm getting it all down here -- in no order, with no attempt to weave it together. All questions are FAQs I've been getting since announcing my move. 1. Who had this position before you and why did they leave? It is a newly created position; I am the first person to hold the job. The position is part of a larger strategy to bring more robust library services to the North Island, to put them on par with the rest of the Island. 2. My position, the "Customer Services Librarian II", is the equivalent of the senior librarian position I recently left. However, there are only a handful of CSLIIs in the system. 3. Will the manager be in the branch with you? I will mostly work on my own. I will report in to a manager, but he will work out of Campbell River,

I am in Nanaimo and will be in Campbell River, for two weeks of training. My former co-workers in the Mississauga Library are amazed and envious. Training in Mississauga ranged from nonexistent to inadequate. I'm at a lovely hotel in Nanaimo with a view of the harbour, but I'd much rather be home setting up my office or organizing closets. Allan and Diego are going to visit me on the weekend. I don't know what this training will entail, other than mandatory first aid. I'll keep you posted. Yesterday we took a break from working on the house to take a walk on the bay. We drove five minutes from the house to a paved path right on the water. It was so quiet and peaceful. A few other people were walking, some families were in a playground. Mostly it was just water, trees, and sky. It was overcast, making the scenery even more dramatic. It's hard to believe that this is our backyard. (Photos to follow.) On the walkway, there are interpretative signs posted about the wild

Here are some really nice things about our new life in Port Hardy. 1. It is very quiet. In the house, we hear bird song, the occasional barking dog, a car going by. No sirens, car alarms, bus announcements, school bells, screaming children. We have never lived anywhere quiet. It's lovely. 2. People are friendly. Very friendly. Also lovely. 3. It has not rained since we got here. It is sometimes misty or foggy. I can tell the air is humid by how long it takes damp laundry to dry. But so far, no rain. 4. We are very near water. Mississauga and Toronto are technically on a huge body of water, but you never feel it unless you're right beside it. 5. Having laundry in our own living space again is very wonderful. 6. All of the appliances in this house are shiny and new, and not the bare-bones that we usually find in rentals. I always say, I am destined to have crappy kitchens. This seems to have changed. 7. We have had two very good meals in restaurants in town, including really good