Earlier this month, Cindy had a woman shadow her at work as part of the bridging program for Education Assistants. They got along well so we invited June to join us for a holiday walk. We went through Beacon Hill Park (hey, it's close and it's stunning) but had to stick to the paths because the ground was completely soaked and spongy from all the rain this month.
The ducks were out again, as were the peacocks, so we bird-watched for a bit before zig zagging through James Bay. The skies were relatively clear but there were massive winds again, so we only braved Dallas Road and the shoreline for a block. It's never good to get blown into the sea on a first walk with a new friend.
It's remarkable and a little disconcerting just how many trees and large shrubs are budding out when it's still December. I still don't know what is normal here but it's not even 'next year' yet!
The wind was so strong that when we showed June Fisherman's Wharf, we got to watch the houseboats bobbing vigourously in the harbour. I'm so glad we didn't buy a houseboat in 2013 when we had the chance. One should never throw up from seasickness when sitting in their own living room.
We capped off our tour with a stop at the Gingerbread House display at the Grand Pacific Hotel, and left several donations for Habitat for Humanity, who puts on the event. It seemed fitting because I later read that Jimmy Carter had died, and he was a big supporter (and builder) for Habitat.
It was an excellent walk, especially when we could get some shelter from the wind. I was so windswept and frozen when we got home that I never did really warm up again until very late in the evening.