It's all abut Bear

NOOOOOOOOOO -- time goes by so quickly, and it's time for us to leave today. I confess I'm a bit sad. Not only were we here for a beautiful wedding, but we had a wee vacation, and spent a lot of time visiting with friends and family. Not nearly enough time, but we did what we could. Not only do we have to go home, but others must as well. Several people left yesterday, and I think the last of the guests, including the bride and groom, will leave tomorrow. We have a two-day journey home, so we need to leave today. 

Now we could probably have pushed and done it all in one day, but too many connections that could go wrong, so it's best to leave some flexibility in there, and no sense killing ourselves. 

We had breakfast with long-time friends in the Pointe Restaurant. The view of the ocean was spectacular, and the company was great. 

There are two bald-headed eagles in the neighborhood - could be more - we've only seen two at the same time. They were flying in very close proximity to each other, and OH—we could see why. One of them had a fish in its mouth, and the other one wanted it. They had a bit of a mid-air fight, and the fish dropped. WAIT --- I haven't seen any fish in the ocean, so what the heck was it? Anyway—whatever it was, it got dropped. 

Then we spotted one of the eagles, and perhaps he was looking for what they dropped. It was beautiful to watch soaring over the waves. We had seen them the day before as well. 

The eagle is looking for his lost lunch.

And here was my rhubarb waffle. A lot of decoration on that waffle. The portions are not huge, but the prices are! This hotel has the Relais & Chateaux designation. In my unsophisticated world, that means absolutely nothing. To DH and alas to M, that is a huge deal. I just see $$$$ when the bill arrives. 

My rhubarb waffle

But you can't beat the service at the hotel. Everyone has been super attentive, supportive, and helpful, remembering your name and why you are here! They are also young, and many have accents from around the world. As a matter of fact, I don't think I've seen any middle-aged staff members, let alone older ones! 

Bear and I had wandered out for a walk along the beach, and it was spectacular, as usual. I noticed that the tide seemed quite far out, and we never got the waves we had the previous day. But I'm pretty sure that's all in my head!!!! 

What was interesting was that this is the view in the morning. The sky is clear and sunny, and the view is spectacular. 

The view in the morning

This was the view (from a different window) a few short hours later. The fog just rolled in, and we couldn't see a thing. You couldn't even see the beach chairs close to the hotel. It was wild, and it stayed like that for a long time, but eventually the sun burned off the mist, and we were back to a wonderful day. Hmmm - that reminds me of the Stephen King book called The Mist. Very creepy book!!!!

The beach is gone in the mist!!!!

But let's talk about Bear because it's his day!!! He is so funny, and as I was getting dressed to take him out, I spotted him lying on the bed like this. What a pose. I think he knows he is special. 

Grandma, hurry up! I'm waiting!!!!

And then we were off for our walk. This is all pre-fog, and with few people on the beach, it was amazing. WAIT --- I had to drive one of the girls back to their hotel. More on that in a bit. 

Grandma -- I love the beach!!!!

And look at this cutie!!!! He is such a good dog and listens pretty well. I will say that the wedding was a bit much for him - he is 10 or 11, so it makes sense. 

Grandma - I'm so handsome!!!

He was exhausted by all the commotion the day before, and yet, he was super patient and sat for a long time while I fiddled with how to put the pillow on him. He slept a lot yesterday, but as the day picked up, he was back to his scampering and mischievous self. 

While I will miss visiting with M and Dillon, I will miss Mister Bear and his attitude as well. So we made the best of yesterday. 

The word was out that the "party" was on the beach, and as the afternoon wore on, more and more people came out and joined us on the beach. Little Bear needed a break and to escape the hot sun, so he found shade behind an empty deck chair. 

It's nice and cool behind this chair.

I mean - just look at him -- he's such a comic. He had a huge bottle of water in front of him, but you couldn't really see it because it was clear. But what a little monkey!!!!

Hey world -- look at me!!!!

At first, it was just a few people, and I spent a lot of time chatting with the groom's parents and their good friends. It was good to chat and get to know them better, since the bride and groom spend so much time with them. They went into town to get some food, and while they were away, the group exploded, and Bear and I decided we were done with the beach. 

The friends party on the beach

Besides, I don't think the younger people really wanted us old fogies around!!! Oh my -- I haven't used that word in a long time. 

But then Bear and I found a quieter place, still in view of the big group, and it was somewhat shaded. I ran into a couple about my age, and their son is getting married next weekend, but not here. He's getting married on the other side (more populated) side of the island. Anyway, we got to talk about travel, and this lady would be the perfect travel companion for me. I thought of The Celestine Prophecy as we sat there. 

No cross-body bags for her!!! She has pockets in her vest to keep her valuables. I still like my small flat pouch, and I've been wearing it the entire time I've been here, including at the wedding!!! No one knew I had it on. I mean, how can someone even think about robbing you when they can't see what to take!! 

She had friends who had cross-body bags in Italy, and got swarmed and had passports and money stolen. I will never wear a cross-body bag while traveling. Take the MINIMUM you need (passport, room key, and a credit card); you don't need more. Unless you need meds, and then that is a whole different story. 

I forgot to mention, only because it didn't fit in the flow of the pictures, but I had an amazing visit with my aunt and cousin. Oh my—how nice it would be to be a bit closer, but our family doesn't work that way, and we seem to be able to pick up where we left off. If we lived closer, that may not happen! 

The owners had a dog named Charlie, and his dog house is still here. I think it's a wee bit big for Mister Bear, but he had to explore it nevertheless. 

Grandma, this doghouse is huge!!!!

Speaking of big dogs, we saw a couple with two retrievers yesterday. TWO big dogs. I can't imagine the chaos in the hotel room. It's bad enough with Bear and all his stuff. 

And see him scampering down the hall. He's back!!!!!

Grandma - let's run!!!!!!

That little devil. He was getting his mojo back and was happy to try to scamper down a hall when we needed to reach our room. And it didn't take him long to learn where his room was. He is so darn cute!!!!!

Before the wedding, M had sent out a note asking people to send her a voice message about the wedding day. Bear and I did that yesterday. We sent THREE messages about how we felt during the wedding and to wish them the best as they start their new life together. It was a very cool idea. 

I think the bride was a bit overwhelmed yesterday (and tired), and busy with her friends. She will have a lot to process when they get home. But first, they have one more, hopefully, less busy day, and more for themselves to enjoy on their own before they take on the enormous task of packing stuff in their car. I can't even begin to imagine how much stuff they brought. They are NOT light packers, and since they are in the car, it's easy to overpack!!! 

M even said that NO ONE was allowed to comment on how much stuff they brought. I totally get it -- it's like when we go to a quilt retreat. We have an empty car and X days to quilt, so you might as well fill the car and have lots of choices. I've been there and done it!!! But on a plane? That's different - I don't want to deal with all the stuff, so I pack very light. 

One thing I noticed over the last couple of days is how M and I are pretty similar. Well, certainly not in all ways, but a couple of things came to mind. I like jigsaw puzzles, she likes jigsaw puzzles. She likes to read, I like to read, and can you believe that we read a lot of the same books? She's not into the murder/mystery ones I love, but she's into many other philosophical ones (The Celestine Prophecy) and historical fiction. 

She likes cucumbers, I like cucumbers. And she always wore mismatched socks when she was a kid. I swear she bought new socks (or we bought them, more likely), and I swear she took one sock out of the package and threw the other away. When she left, I found a lot of single socks and never found the mate for any of them!!!! 

So imagine my surprise yesterday when I pulled out a fresh pair of socks to find this!!!!!

OH MY  - mismatched socks

I almost died laughing. They are similar in color and feel, and when I was folding the laundry, most likely not paying attention, I grabbed these and put them together as a pair!!! It doesn't bother me in the least!!!! Oh, M—you have no idea what's ahead of you!!!!! But I love you to bits, and that's all that counts. You have learned to be flexible, and you'll go far with that character trait. Very proud of who you have become!!!!

In the late afternoon, I left Bear at the hotel and took a long walk on the beach. Something I'm not always able to do with Bear, unless I carry him. He does get interested in everything - other peeps (not his own) and dogs. I decided that I had to put my feet in the ocean - at least just to feel the water on my feet. YIKES --- that water is freezing. 

VERY cold water

People have been surfing along this shore, but they are wearing wetsuits. Others are going for short swims in the water. A bit too cold for me!!!!

And here I am on the beach. The weather has been perfect. This was about 7 PM last night. 

Me on the beach

DH and I ended up eating at The Point restaurant again last night, then we wandered back to the hotel room, where I tried to clean up some of the mess. I am usually very neat and tidy in the hotel room, but there was stuff strewn everywhere. So that all got cleaned up, and after I finish the blog, I can pack the office backpack. 

We have to make two stops on our way back to the other side of the island, and we have travel plans we have to meet at 4 PM, so we don't want to leave here too late. 

As I was packing, I found my wedding earrings. They were long and dangly, and they matched my outfit. I don't think the two greens in the earrings matched each other, but it all worked out. They were a bit heavier than I wanted, but I put my little studs back in, and my ears are almost back to their normal self. 

My wedding earrings

I bought a couple of other pairs while I was at the store, so you never know what you'll see me wear in the future!! You might as well have fun with this stuff!!!! 

After the reception, we went to the party tent. I would say that by 11 PM, most of the "older" people were gone. And I'm OK with that. The tent shut down at midnight, but it was still too early for the new couple and their friends to call it a night. So they changed, went, sat on the beach, and watched the sky. OH MY GOD ---- what a beautiful way to end the wedding night. I was so excited for them. 

I got the feeling that many of them barely slept. That was the case with the friend whom I drove back to her hotel very early in the morning. I am so glad that so many of their friends could make the wedding, and the comingling of friends from both sides was solidified that night. What a wonderful idea. 

While we had seen the stars on our walk home from the party tent, we did not see as many as if we were on the beach. So last night, I was determined to stay up until it was dark enough. That's why I puttered and put everything away. 

I know, it's very hard to see in this picture, but there are loads of stars. Not like what they would have seen hours later, but it was fun. 

A starry night

And then I grabbed these photos of the beach. 

The beach just after 11 PM

All of those photos were taken with my camera phone at about 11 PM. Wow!!!!!!! It's no wonder we pay a lot for those darn phones - the thing we are really buying is the camera!!!!!

And then I had some time before I finally fell asleep to check out some social media stuff and OH MY GOSH. Can you believe I found this?????

Well, I can't find the announcement at this point - it may have been on IG, but the World Jigsaw Puzzle competition will be held in Toronto in 2027!!!!! I will not be signing up, but I can volunteer and check it out!!!!!

I've already marked the dates in my calendar - it's the beginning of June. Good grief -- I had no idea this puzzle world was so big. I would love to get home and work on my gradient puzzle. I'll be there soon, but I do NOT have much time. When I get home, I have a couple of urgent things to finish, and I need to pack for the next trip. Nothing for months and then everything this month. Sigh.......

I think I got a bit too much sun on my head yesterday! Of all the days we have had here, the weather order was perfect for the wedding. The prayers that M sent up (and many others, I'm sure) were answered. I hope that's a good sign!!!

Well, I'll share more wedding pictures and memories another day, but I must get myself organized to take the little guy out for his walk, and then I'm taking one last bike ride into Tofino for my last donut. Tomorrow, no more donuts!!!!!

And on that wonderful note, have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

The Wedding

What a wild and crazy day! I feel like I lived through a very surreal moment! You know - you go to weddings all the time (OK -- not all the time, but time to time), but you go to weddings, and they go through the formalities, and everything is beautiful. And you hope that one day your child(ren) will find someone they deem worthy of themselves to marry. 

And then it happens, and well—it was a beautiful day. Absolutely beautiful. But I'm going to start at the top. 

After writing the blog, Little Bear and I were out on the beach. That little guy is pretty funny! He's just so little, and he's like a chick magnet. Sorry if that term offends anyone, but you can't go anywhere with him without someone falling in love with him! 

Little Bear on the beach

And of course, the little guy overestimated the depth of a pool of water and fell in and then walked in the sand, and he was dirty. Well, I certainly wasn't giving him a bath, and thankfully, the sand fell off. I brushed off as much as I could, and I swear the rest fell off in the car when I went to pick up one of the guests at another hotel. 

OH NO -- Bear got dirty!!! 

A few of the guests joined M on the beach for early morning yoga. Bear and I hung around to get some pictures. I knew no one else was covering the event, so I helped out. 

Early morning yoga on the beach

Then I was off to Tofino and Rhino Cafe for my morning breakfast. Yes-- I could have eaten at the hotel, but riding the bike in was much more fun! DH brought Bear in the car, and they joined me. I hate when they put a pastry with lots of icing into a paper bag. You lose half the icing that way!! Anyway -- it was an apple fritter kind of day, and it was yummy. 

Bear and I are having our morning breakfast.

And there I am with my helmet on and my two jackets, but I was having an amazing time. It was so much fun!!!!

Happy to be riding a bike

I had to stop to take some pictures. That's the beauty of riding a bike; there is so much to see, and since you are much closer to things, you wouldn't see from a car. And since you are on a bike, it's super easy to stop and take pictures.  

A red poppy

This flower was from a huge flowering bush, and those blooms were as big as my hand. They were stunning. 

Massive pink flowers

And then I thought this was an interesting sign. Nicely made up, so it wasn't just a casual thing. I was tempted to take the bike and see just how deadly they were!!! I mean—don't you want to know what a deadly pothole looks like? Perhaps today I can find out!

What's a deadly pothole look like?

I stopped to take a picture of the hotel sign, but now realize, looking at it, there was too much shadow at the time. No worries—we have the memory. 

The hotel sign

At one point, I needed something from M's room—what the heck was I delivering or picking up? WAIT -- it wasn't that at all. I was trying to finish the ring bearer pillow, and they had goodies, so I stocked up for fortification while I finished the pillow. Yes -- it was a big day for pastries. I'll deal with the consequences when I get home. 

More pastries

And then Bear and I sat in the library and worked on the pillow. The pillow was done basically. I had to find someone to put their finger on the thread so I could tie it tightly, so I went to M's room, where some of her friends were, and one of them helped me tie it. That was to give the pillow a tufted center. 

Working on the ring bearer pillow

And there was Bear, and he sat between my legs on the chair while I tried different ways of attaching the pillow to his harness. The pillow just kept wanting to shift, but I think I finally figured something out. But as I sat there, two couples came by, took pictures of Bear, and asked all kinds of questions. And then they started asking about the puzzle that was still there. Oh my—I have work to do!!!! But you never know what's going to happen when Bear is around. He was such a good boy and patient as I worked on his pillow. 

Grandma says I'm a very patient boy, and I am!!!!!

Speaking of which, I had a near panic moment earlier in the day. It was a beautiful day. More on that in a moment, so Bear and I decided to sit in the lawn chairs near the hotel. Let me rephrase that, I decided to sit in the chairs and was hoping Bear would join me. He did stick with me for a bit, and then he started to wander around. I decided to get up to keep an eye on him, and all was good. 

Then he went left, while I went right, or he was looking for a quiet place to do his business. It happened so fast, I don't even know what happened. But all of a sudden, he wasn't there! OH MY GOD!!!! I'm not a panicky person, but I had a moment of panic, to say the least. It did NOT help when my phone rang —it was a call from M. OMG—I cannot tell her that Bear is missing. 

She was laughing and said that Bear was just around the corner. They had been watching me from their hotel window!!!!! PHEW --- saved by the onlookers, but busted as a trusted dog sitter!!!! We all had a laugh, and then I kept a closer eye on the little guy. 

This was Bear with all his wedding garb. He had on a white shirt, and I made him a green bow tie - more on all that another day. And then he had a new leash and harness, and his pillow. At one point, I think there was a corsage for him, but he had no more room!!!!

I'm a very handsome boy!!!!

The one thing that I am very proud of M for is her attitude towards the day. She has spent enormous amounts of time planning the wedding, and you could tell. Details were taken care of, some things probably went awry behind the scenes, but through it all, she was graceful, gracious, and so at ease. There wasn't a single moment that I felt she was "panicky" because something didn't go well. She said, " It is what it is." And that just made my heart sing. Be flexible, and nothing will ever disappoint you. I am so proud of her for that. She really and truly has grown up. But do your kids ever grow up in their parents' eyes? I am very proud of her for the woman she has become!

Thankfully, I'm a quick-change artist. I was watching some videos on my phone, and at 12:35, DH came back from hanging out with the guys. I was still lying on the bed with Bear, and we needed to be in the room at 1:15. Oops. I ran downstairs and grabbed a sandwich and a chocolate croissant for lunch. Then into the shower, but not before comforting Bear, as there was a tsunami-warning drill (no danger for us), and poor Bear did NOT like that. 

Anyway, I showered, blow-dried my hair, got dressed, ate my lunch, and still arrived at 1:15. There is no time to waste!!! Close friends and family members (ladies only) met in M's room, and when she came down the stairs in their loft room, she was radiant!!! The photographers and videographers captured the moments, and it was an unreal experience for all of us to share. 

But I have to include this memory here. I got my ears pierced years ago when I was a teenager. Over the years, I stopped wearing earrings, and one of the holes had closed. So I haven't worn earrings for eons. She had mentioned to DH that she wanted me to wear long dangly earrings, which - you know me - if someone asks me to do something, I tend NOT to do it. And can you believe that someone called me spiteful because of it!!! Well, we don't want any negative thoughts here, but the idea stayed in my head. 

One day at the mall several months ago, I spotted a place that does ear piercing, so I thought, "What the heck," and got my ears pierced. It didn't hurt nearly as much as when I was younger! Then, the day before we left, I hadn't bought any earrings yet, so I had to scoot to the mall, went back to the same place, and found some funky dangling earrings. 

I never told anyone about the earrings, and no one at home noticed that my ears were pierced! Now I can wear funky earrings -- yes -- I didn't need pierced earrings, I could have worn clip-ons. 

I wore them yesterday, and when we hugged when I saw her, we both started crying, which was OK for me but not for her! Her day was just beginning. But it was all OK, and I feel like we have cemented our relationship that much more! I swear the first thing she noticed was those long, dangling earrings! 

Then DH and I walked down to the beach where the wedding would take place. I wanted to get Bear prepared. When I came through the trees to the beach, it took my breath away. The view was stunning, and the weather was perfect. They could NOT have asked for a better day or place. 

The wedding venue

Just a side note: they had their first date on the beach somewhere in Vancouver. They got engaged on a beach in Maui and are now married on a beach in Tofino!!! The beach is their happy place!

Here is the arch that we picked up at the party rental place. The hotel did an amazing job of camouflaging it. 

The wedding arch

But seriously —look at that view!!!!

The view from our chairs

They had a commissioner do the ceremony, and it was beautiful. They did NOT want anyone taking pictures during the ceremony except one of their best friends. That way, they would get some immediate pictures of the ceremony. I had to chuckle because, from a couple that posts a ton of pictures on IG, to tell people not to take pictures was an oxymoron. But they had the professional photographers there, and the one friend who took some, so they could have some pictures of the ceremony. 

Why? They wanted people to be in the moment of their ceremony and to experience it through their own eyes, not through a camera's lens. I thought it was a brilliant move, but OH MY -- it was hard to sit on your hands!!! 

Anyway, the ceremony was beautiful, and the sun beamed down on them as the waves crashed behind them. We could NOT have asked for a more perfect day. 

Wait -- I'm coming to their picture. Here is a close-up of the ring pillow. And I love how the commissioner called it. The ring BEARer pillow. It was so adorable. 

The ring pillow

I had made some small (6") pillow forms way back when, and they were made to put some funky folky stuff on the outside. I used the satin from her dress and made a cover. I'll tell you more about that experience another day. The lace is the bits of lace that the dressmaker sent me, and I stitched it to the pillow. 

And there are their two bands attached to the pillow. 

The wedding bands

Once the ceremony was over, it was time for family and friends' photos. We had picked up a bunch of games at the party rental place, and so while the photos were happening, the games were used. And it was almost time to go before I realized that I did not have a picture of the happy couple!!!

The happy couple - Dillon and Madeline

They both looked amazing, and Dillon had a bespoke suit made —oh boy, it really makes a difference in the fit. And M's dress was covered in tulle and lace, and that was quite the task to wear that on the beach. While the beach wasn't very deep in sand, it was deep enough that it was hard to walk on with shoes. I went barefoot until it was time for pictures. And in all that—I do NOT have a picture of me in my outfit!!!

Dillon and Madeline

After pictures, we headed to the dining room for dinner. And I have stuff to share there, but not today. And after that, we went to another party venue on the property for the dance! Here's a picture of the first dance, and they have been practicing it, and they were so cute!!!

The first dance

We walked back to the hotel (about 5 minutes), and it was pitch black. No lights, but I have zero issues seeing in the dark. 

As we arrived at the hotel, I looked up and OH MY --- look at the stars. Yep -- this photo was taken with my phone camera. It's amazing what those cameras are capable of. 

The night sky

Bear hung out with me for most of the day, but he had a sitter from 4 - 10 PM. So that gave me a bit of a break, although he's no trouble at all. Just not allowed in the dining room! I came back to the room to get him and took him back to the dance. HEY -- I had to get some steps in somehow!!!! 

When we finally got back to the room, the poor little guy was exhausted. He went straight to bed and hasn't moved an inch. WAIT --- let me rephrase that. He's a snuggler, and I swear I woke up sleeping on the edge of the bed. But what a cutey and you can't complain!!!

Exhausted after a very long day

And there it is --- the wedding. It was perfect! The couple looked stunning; the weather was perfect; there was laughter and joy; all their close friends and family were nearby; and all the hard work of planning went off so smoothly that it was seamless. People kept asking me about details, but I had nothing to do with the planning. I may have helped with a few things, but it was all Madeline and Dillon. They did an amazing job. 

I am so proud to welcome Dillon into our family, and I wish them all much joy and happiness in their new life as a couple. Love you both to bits!!!!!

And a huge thank you to all the friends and family who came to the wedding. As mentioned last night at dinner, getting to Tofino is not easy, and it took us two days to get here. But it was so worth it, and it holds such special meaning for the happy bride and groom. We had been here 27 years ago with Madeline when she was little. I need to dig those photos out when I get home. And I believe they were here a couple of years ago or last year? I'm not sure about those details. I'm sure they will be back!  

On that happy note, I'm out of here. We are meeting some friends for breakfast, not in Tofino, and I might go for a bike ride afterward. I'll see how the day goes. 

There is lots more tos hare, but that's it for today. 

Have a super day!!!!

Ciao!!!!

 

A puzzle and a rehearsal

Today is the day!!! The big wedding, but FIRST - I have to tell you about yesterday, and then you'll hear all about the wedding tomorrow. 

I'm not sure where the others were, but I asked the previous day if anyone wanted to go for a bike ride! I had a couple of takers, but when push came to shove, they were working out in the gym! But that's OK - I thoroughly enjoyed riding the bike. And sometimes being by yourself on a bike is best! 

Off for a ride

However, I had to sign a waiver, which is normal, and wear a helmet, which is the law. I decided to ride the bike into Tofino (about 4 KMs) to see what I could see. Oh my gosh --- what fun that was. You never forget how to ride a bike, and if you maintain your balance, it's a piece of cake. The bikes are single-speed, which I am not used to. Even my townie back home has three speeds. 

That meant a wee bit more oomph to get up a couple of small hills, but really, the road is flat, and all was great. You cannot help but smile when you ride a bike, unless you have been in the pouring rain for hours and your shoes are filled with water, and you have to set up a tent, but only after you finish climbing this 5 KM hill!! 

I've had a day or two like that in the past, but seriously? It's so much fun. When I am home, I NEED to get my bikes serviced and get out there!! To heck with walking --- let's get on the bike! My knees didn't seem to mind it so much, and everything feels fine today. 

I have to tell you a story about the seatpost, which is why I took the picture above. It's for adjusting the seat height, and I feel dismay when I see people riding a bike with the seat in the lowest position. That is the HARDEST way to ride a bike. Your leg can't extend fully, and you have ZERO power. Your knees will not thank you later. And you struggle. At one point yesterday, the seat fell right down. I guess the latch wasn't as secure as it should have been. I put it back up, and all was good. 

I remember on one of my bike trips that, unbeknownst to me, the seat was slowly descending, and after a break, I got on my bike and couldn't figure out what I could barely pedal. Then it dawned on me that the seat had slipped lower. Once that was fixed, I was back in business. So if you have grandchildren, spouses, or anyone who rides bikes, make sure the seat is the correct height!!! It's important, and pedaling won't be as much of a struggle. 

What did I discover in Tofino? Oh my -- there was a cute little cafe called Rhino, and well, I stopped. And I had a tea and OH MY --- look at the donuts. So I had one!!

The breakfast of champions!!!

I figured I deserved it since I rode the bike there!!! 

Then it was back to the hotel and Bear, and we were exploring and decided to check out the library, which is just a big open space on the third floor. Guess what we found? By the way, we had already been out on the beach several times. 

This is a Stave puzzle. Technically, you are not supposed to look at the picture. I don't think the picture came with the puzzle, but the hotel had conveniently placed a copy on the table. I was not familiar with Stave puzzles, but each one is handcrafted and is the Cadillac of wooden puzzles. If you check out the prices on the website, you'll see what I mean! 

A jigsaw puzzle - how could I resist

Once I flipped that card over, where it said NOT to look at the picture, I turned the picture face down. I placed all the pieces face up and realized there were many with special shapes. They were insanely beautiful. The signature piece in each is a clown, which I did not get a picture of, but we spotted the clown. 

Insanely intricate pieces

And there are often puzzles within the puzzle. There is a note inside the box that tells you if you have any of those and how many there are!!

I started traditionally—digging out all the edge pieces. But wait—this is NOT working. I was struggling when M came along. So we worked on the puzzle together. Dillon spent time with his mom in the gym, while M and I worked on the puzzle. It was a beautiful memory for us. And she's good at it!!! If only she were closer - I could have a speed puzzling buddy!

A great teammate for puzzle assembly

Once we figured out how the puzzle works, it was "easier." I use that word very lightly because every single piece of this puzzle was a struggle and therefore a win when we got it in. 

Between the two of us, we worked amazingly well as a team, got the bottom (waves) part of the puzzle together. The sun was cut into the shape of a sun!! 

Progress on the puzzle

She had stuff to do, so she left. Then my aunt came up to visit while I attempted to work on the sky, but I wasn't getting anywhere. But it was at this point, when I couldn't figure out what went into that weird opening, that I realized the two puzzle pieces that spelled out an island fit in that weird space. And then I realized that the TOP of the puzzle was not a straight line. It was puffy clouds!!!! 

Very weird shapes

Then I had to run some errands, so I left the puzzle in this condition. OH NO!!!!!  

DON'T touch the puzzle.

My aunt, cousin, DH, and I went into town for a late lunch. Poor Bear - even though we ate on an outdoor patio, he wasn't allowed, so I had to put him on the outside of the little fence, and I was on the other side. It was an open fence, and with a few bits of French fries, he was just fine. I know—people food, but I had to keep him entertained. He loves being with people, and this situation was not satisfactory for him. However, he was able to watch people and dogs go by, and that did keep him busy. 

I swear that dog is a people magnet. Everyone stops to talk to him!!! And he loves it. He just saoks up all the attention. 

DH and I explored the property and found this little path through the woods. 

The entrance to the Rainforest Beach Trail

What a pretty trail, and Bear had fun walking along the wood chips. He is not a fan of walking on pebbles, but wood chips are OK. 

The path to one of the beaches

There is a beautiful spot in the forest to stop if you wish. 

A wonderful clearing in the forest for faeries! 

We didn't have any rain yesterday, so that was good, but it's not warm. Which is probably OK, but I could stand a couple more degrees of heat. Since I didn't have a jacket with me and I know that the temperature on a bike is about 5 degrees lower than if you are just standing, I put on my jean jacket and then my flannel shirt jacket. I was toasty as I could be. 

OH -- there's a picture of Bear on the beach. For some reason, it's very hard to get him to look right at the camera. 

Grandma --- NO pictures please!!!

Then we were off to the beach (Shell Beach) for the rehearsal. It took three tries for us to get serious, pay attention, and decide who was doing what and when. Actually, M had it all planned out, but we needed to get on board. So that got done, and all was good. Then we went into the dining room for the rehearsal dinner. Actually, we were in the wine cellar, where they have a long table for a more private event. 

Practicing at the rehearsal

They really are a cute couple, and I wish them so much happiness. The big bet for today is who is going to cry at the wedding!! 

Bear was not too happy to be in someone else's arms. He was pulling on the leash to get to me, but he soon settled down. 

When he hears a voice he recognizes, he freaks out! When one of M's friends walked by when we were working on the puzzle, he went wild!!

I didn't get a picture of the wine cellar, but let's just say there was a lot of wine there. And here is the dessert from last night's dinner. I mean, you can always eat dessert. 

Dessert from the rehearsal dinner

The food is amazing, and earlier in the day, I had read up on the Executive Chef, who isn't that old. So they asked if he could come to our table, and he did. What a nice young man, and I had told the single girls at the table about him. I was praying that the pictures on the internet were not old. I pleaded that if he was not good-looking, the photos on the internet were airbrushed! Thankfully, he lived up to his pictures! Hmm -- I can't find that link to him at the moment. WAIT --- found it. 

OH -- if you go to this link, you can see a photo of the wine cellar -- just scroll down. 

So you want to know what happened to the puzzle? When we got back from Tofino after lunch, we had about 35 minutes before we were to be at the rehearsal location. I was going to take a nap, but the moment I lay on the bed, my mind went to the puzzle, and I'm wide awake. So off to the puzzle Bear and I went, and I was under a lot of pressure to complete it in 35 minutes. At least at this point, I had figured out how the top border would look—somewhat —and there were fewer pieces. 

The completed puzzle

But see what I mean about the top border? It was crazy, and there were small openings along the top as well. On the left, they almost look like seagulls. 

There were even cutouts in the top.

What a little treasure it was to find that puzzle and work on it with M in the morning. 

It was a great day, and as the day progressed, more and more people arrived. Not everyone is staying at this hotel, so I was on pickup duty once yesterday, and I have to pick someone up this morning for the beach yoga session. I think that is only for the young ones. But I'm OK with that -- I'd much prefer to go for a bike ride. 

I have to say that the bride is pretty chill, which is exciting. She says she spent so much time planning and has this massive spreadsheet of who needs to do what when, that it's all coming together. I just need to remember to pick someone up today and finish sewing that pillow! I completely forgot about it yesterday, and I need to get that done this morning. 

The weather today looks halfway decent - it's cool, and we hope to have some sun. WAIT -- speaking of sun, when we were on our final run of the wedding procession, and the bride started down the "aisle," a massive wave crashed on the rocks, and the sun came from behind the clouds! A sign!!!! 

It was a fabulous day, and everyone had a great time!!! A few more people are arriving this morning, and then I think we'll all be here! 

On that note, I'd better get Bear up and out for his walk, as I don't want to be late fulfilling my pickup duties! 

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!!