Safe Return Home With Sincere Thanks To All

Well it was indeed great to be re-united my very good friend Bodie and have him join Grant and me on the final leg of the trip.

He had been staying at Kate's new house enjoying the freedom of her yard and the company of Kate's assembly of dogs, cats and kids. I was disappointed to learn Daisy was at her dad's but will catch up with her soon.

For a post-modern girl, Kate surprised me by falling in love with a hundred year old house in the Squamish village centre. Some work ahead, but the house has a wonderfully calm feel and Kate is indeed "happy". She has been painting and cleaning with the help of family and friends and the old house is becoming Katie's home and feels very welcoming. Her modern furniture and hand made lamps and tables look quite at home on the old wood floors. Lovely to sit in the garden in the sun and see the contented smile of her face as she builds her new life here.

When we arrived, the yard was full of friends doing battle with the overgrown garden, retrieving all manner of treasures that had been lost under decades of blackberries. Amongst them a chicken coup and a tiny cast iron stove. We joined the battle and with whoops of joy, discovered the scattered tops and handles that complete the stove.

Sarah particularly, blackberry warrior was criss-crossed with stinging scratches. We stopped to apply salve and force down a dose of medicinal beer.

Sunday morning was clear and sunny and Bodie reluctantly sulked in a cat carrier tied to Grant's bike with yellow poly. His proper plush lined dog carrier was in town.

The highway up to Squamish is just about finished and the views of the mountains and water are fabulous. Lots of bikes passed us and I envied them their ride up the coast in the sea air and sunshine.

Couldn't wait to get to town and see my mother, daughter Zoe, her man Geoff and baby Zara. We stopped at mum's first. It was so wonderful to see her after so long and share a hug. She treated us to a wonderful lunch and a few hours visit. As we were leaving, a gentleman approached and introduced himself as Harold who had kindly acted as go-between for my mother. He printed off our emails and blog entries and slid them under my mum's door. It was a kindness much appreciated.

Great to see Zoe and Geoff and enjoy another sunny afternoon in the retreat they've created in their backyard. They shared their plans for the future as Zara enjoyed pouring dirt down the front of her shirt. She has discovered her voice and speaks with her mum's lilt. They all looked great and we made plans for my return for a longer stay before heading out to the ferry. Bodie was back in his usual plush carrier for this leg of the trip.

We wanted to get in a visit to our friends Al and Denise on the Sunshine Coast before heading back to the Island. Once again, we were wined and dined blessed by their warm friendship. Denise and I shared a great day of chatter exploring the trails of Gibsons picking lusciously huge sweet blackberries. Grant spent the day off with Al, no doubt glad of some male company and conversation.

We woke the next morning and excitedly loaded the bikes for the return trip home. The sky was grey and rain threatened. It seemed somehow appropriate. We were lucky with connections and rode off one ferry and onto the next. Bodie caused quite a stir when his head poked out of the sunroof in his carrier. The paparazzi gathered and their photos must have looked very similar to the one at the top of our blog.

There were a number of bikers on the ferry, one of whom had also crossed Canada this summer on a solo "retirement" ride. We shared rain stories. He had ridden in some areas with 5 inches of water on the road.

We asked him about any adjustment he's experienced returning home. A jovial sort, he said he didn't know. He been on several other trips since his return, embracing every invitation to join a buddy on a 2 or 3 day adventure. He smiled at the thought of his patient wife of 36 years who blessed him with a "Just go!". He rides with some friends to Port Alberni every Friday at noon. They stop on the Quay for some of the excellent home made donuts and invited us to meet up with them there.

It felt lovely to return to calm and peace of our home. I suspect we shared a deep tiredness that goes to the bones and doesn't quite leave the body after 8 hours of sleep. It's taken two days and I'm coming round.

Aside from the experiences of the trip, the blog has been great fun. Grant's undiscovered writing talents have blossomed and he's enjoyed the process. It became a race to see who could get to the keyboard first.

The blog has been a great way to stay in touch and acts as a journal of sorts. Grant's dad, Mel has been kindly printing off entries and assembling them in a book so we can have the pleasure of re-visiting our trip in the years ahead.

Returning home has been followed by a busy two days as we've dealt a table top of mail and catching up with the business of life. It's interesting that Grant spent his first day home on his bike riding east to the motorcycle dealership and bike shop getting parts and oil for the bikes. He finished his day happily tinkering in his shop. I think this for him means being home.

For my part that has meant being out in the garden gathering flowers for arrangements and generally playing house. It feels good home and be still in body and spirit for awhile.

That being said, we're already talking and planning about our next trip. It won't be as long a duration, but being in the clear, fresh air on your bike with the promise of things new and unseen around the next corner is very addicting.

It is an interesting thing to travel and be away from job, home, friends and all the things that define us. It's an opportunity to revert back to basic self. One of the great pleasures of touring is the luxury of time to be alone with your thoughts.

It will take some time to process the events of the trip and what it has meant to us. Our chance meetings with people have enriched us. One of the great gifts of the trip has been an opportunity to renew our connection with Nature.

I looked at a map of Canada yesterday and was shocked that I, a granny biker, had ridden that distance. Aside from the rain which I have chosen to think of as character building, the trip was not terribly difficult. Like most of life's challenges it's clearly best taken one day at a time.

Our experiences on the road were made possible and enriched by the kindness of friends, family and strangers. We thank you all very much.

I'd also like to thank Grant who in so many ways made this trip possible. He introduced me to the joys of biking and patiently encouraged, not to mention financed, my journey to ride my own. He has been a wonderful road partner and life partner. Thank you.