We recently returned from a few weeks reprieve in springtime New Zealand to this horrific sight. When we left on November 26th we were escaping from almost 2 months solid cloud and rain, with October breaking records for days and quantities of rainfall. Not usual. It was so bad that the west coast of Vancouver Island, no stranger to a lot of rain, saw the collapse of the highway outside Tofino and Ucuelet due to extremely over-saturated soil. In our absence, I am told, Qualicum Beach had endured nothing but cold and snow and rain and wind. Records broken for low temperatures.

The water pipes to The Bunkie are frozen it seems, and there is no water in The Bunkie, a little problematic as our honoured guest staying there (#2 Son) just arrived.

And the GreenHouse was a scene of mayhem and destruction as 3 prized large jade plants, minding their own business in their winter season home, totally collapsed in the persistent sub-zero temperatures.

Now I’m not going to reveal how cold it is here, as my friends east of the Rockies would be rolling their eyes in disgust. “Piker!” they would say. “Stop your whining, do you know what’s happening here?” But no matter, I LOATHE snow, spent most of my life in it, and I did not move to coastal BC to spend my dotage in yet more snow. Normally, it may snow twice in a season, three times at most, which would be gone in just a few days. But there is no “normal” anymore.

The forecast is for some relief ahead. I hope there is something to it as I’m dreaming of a green Christmas. And who knows, sometimes dreams do come true.

Meanwhile I’ll be huddling inside, writing tales and developing photos from The Best Vacation Ever.