dopey and doe-eyed

when amy got home she had some time to rest and refresh after working outside in the glaring sun all day.  we sliced some of the baguette and devoured it with goat brie and red pepper jelly.

we decided to go for a walk in the enchanted forest and then a dip at craddock beach on south pender.  we were both really tired but we roused ourselves and went.  i parked sahib on the side of the road in some long grass right by a curve in the road.  across the road was a community mail box and a little house shaped cuppboard on a stand.  it had glass doors.  inside were books.  leave a book take a book!  amy found a book she wanted to read and tossed it into sahib.  then we started down the trail.

i have been a slug for so long.  this hike was super strenuous for me, while a mere idle ramble for amy who was very patient with my huffs, puffs, stumbles, and bumbles.  i was a real laggard.  i needed breath breaks.  my heart thudded in my ears, and my thighs were leaden stones--heavy burdens instead of vigorous tools.  but sometimes one must be birthed from out of the slug suit and labours are painful.  we had good talks while we walked and i took pics of amy as inspiration grabbed me and it grabbed me often.

we met a little black terrier tied to a tree alone and whimpering softly.  he melted our hearts.  amy gave him pets and looked for his information but there was none.  we agreed to see if he was there on our way back.  we reached a road deep in the green shade and dappled light of the woods and we sat there for a while and talked.  a lady stopped to see if we were ok.  "i can't  give you a ride..." she said.  amy rushed to reassure that we had a vehicle.  so pender.  people give people rides here.  we walked on to the place where the waterfall would have been.  we sat on a bench.  we turned back.  we decided to walk all the way back on the pleasant road and we saw a steep path up.  i foolishly suggested it and amy nimbly scampered up it.  i had a harder time.  my lead legs and stiff foot didn't seem flexible enough to manage it.  i ended up sitting in the path before i fell.  after gathering my energy i tried again and succeeded in a desperate graceless but hardwon way.  

the shadows of trees on the road were so beautiful.  i felt it was the right place to have amy jump and she did.  it was perfect the first time.

we made it back to sahib and that's when i found that i did not have my keys hanging from my camera bag any longer.  amy went back to look for them and i slumped in the long grass by sahib in a pool of my own sweat and exhaustion.  i felt good but tired--weary of limb. i said a little prayer that amy would find the keys.  she did. she returned and we left.  after we passed an elderly couple on the road we turned around.  craddock beach was the other direction.  we went up to the cliff top with garry oaks and arbuti (my plural for arbutus) and down to this little flat pebble beach with an awesome view of mount baker and a little stony mound off shore.  the water was calm and still and a guy was kayaking. some kids played at the point.  

the water was super icy.  i don't know if it was because i was so hot, but it took a good while to get used to.  we gathered favourite rocks.  we were so hungry and didn't stay long.  the talk about what the food should be wandered from things we could make to ordering pizza.  we needed food faster than anything we had the desire to cook.  penderosa pizza had gourmet and creative toppings.  they all sounded amazhing.  i picked the freakin beggan  and amy picked the spicy ben.  hers had banana peppers, taluse sausage, chicken and roasted asparagus. mine had bacon, goat cheese, pear, caramelized onion and arugula.  both were divine.

at the pizza shop i witnessed a skinny man in golfer's cap and long stringy hair, leave the shop holding a ladle and disappear around the corner of the liquor shop.  amy was buying zesty cheese doritos which we relished with satisfaction.

we gorged and then we lounged.  relaxation and chilling was our vibe of the night.  i climbed up into the loft and fell asleep early.