Going Wild with the Dutchies

Got the in-laws out in the BC wild when they were here. Whenever we have visitors from outside British Columbia, we try to get them into some of our local natural settings. Our choices are pretty much unlimited, ranging from a two-minute walk into a city park to a five-hour drive into stunning wilderness. No matter where we take our guests, we love sharing the beauty and wonders this part of the world offers. And those wonders, even the views from our neighborhood park, always amaze.

Kathy’s sister Chrissy, her husband Eugene, Cecil, their eight-year old daughter and Iken, their six-year old son stayed for a few weeks. Our natural adventures took us down the street, where we picked blackberries in the park, and up to the Sunshine Coast for a full-on week of hikes, swimming, huckleberries, bird-watching and fishing.

Eugene and Rosie pursue a trout on Ashlu Creek.

One morning I hauled Eugene’s butt out of bed and took him up to Ashlu Creek for some fishing, because at times he looked a bit shell-shocked from parenting. I figured  time on the water would do him good. The fishing was flat. Okay, it sucked. Bright sun, hot day, and people had already fished the pools ahead of us. But to the Dutchie, none of that mattered. He spent a lot of speechless time with big eyes, just scanning the mountains and sky and water.

Rosie decided that, if we weren’t going to find her a fish, she’d do it herself. You guys are hopeless.

Finally he curled up against a log and took a badly-needed nap–perhaps his first nap in months. Or maybe since his daughter was born. He slept for an hour in the cool shade, while the dog continued fishing without him.

This is what nature does. It heals. It soothes. It rejuvenates. He got up from the nap looking about two years younger.

“Let’s keep fishing,” he said.