And we shall call it "The Most Ideal Weekend Ever."

Last weekend was the first I'd had off in awhile.  A long while.  My friends Dana, Heather and I decided to celebrate my freedom with an adventure, and through the unbelievable generousity of my friends Larry and Karen, we ended up on Galiano Island in their ocean-front cabin.  We pinched and pinched and pinched ourselves, and somehow it was all still real.

We hiked, biked, kayaked, and ate under sunny skies filled with bald eagles.  At one point, while preparing breakfast and dancing around the kitchen, I felt so euphoric I had to stop, breathe, and take a moment to realize how utterly happy I was; only then could I carry on with my biscuit-making.  It's a great thing to feel so consciously alive.

And how could I not?  These are the two beauties with whom I spent the weekend.

In an over-enthusiastic shopping trip before we left, Dana and I purchased endless amounts of food (the phrase "let's just get it, we're on vacay!" was tossed around multiple times in each aisle).  It all went to feed our fresh-air-induced appetites, and one of my favourite snacks was simple: cheese biscuits with sliced avocado, salt, and a background of blue ocean.  Eaten with my legs slung over the side of a chair.  So good.

One of the best hikes we did was to Dionisio Point at the island's most northern tip.  

Along the way, Dana made friends with a joke-telling crab,

and Heather found a leaf that transformed her into a forest nymph.  She's since grown wings and made her home in a shady grove there.

I too made a friend.  This dog belongs to the lady who rented us our kayaks, and as you can see, we're having a grand time.  He was such a ham.

From Montague Harbour, we kayaked out to a rock on which dozens of seals like to sunbathe.  We came in slowly, rested our paddles, and stared.  They stared back.  We had a stare-down with some seals and they absolutely won.  Also, if you're thinking "why do these two photos look like they were taken in the 1980's?" it's because we took them on a disposable, just like in the olden times.

It truly was The Most Ideal Weekend Ever.  Thank you Larry and Karen, thank you Heather and Dana,  and thank you Galiano for showing us such a good time.