Digby to Gotland

It's 23:30 and there's an orange glow, fading to blue in the sky across the harbour. The Dodge Cove Daffodils have bloomed. The lilacs are out now, and salmonberry honeysuckles and beautiful purple flowers next to the wilting daffodils. There's a new red roof on my house from a year ago and I didn't manage to paint the skirt of the house one more coat of red before the grass grew up around it. 

To cut the grass and do dishes are my main jobs for tomorrow. Then I'll buy pizza and work on my dads car in the evening. 

I've been doing 2 week rotating shifts at work since January and love them dearly. I should be on shift now but accidentally let my marine medical expire so am beached for a few days until I get cleared. 

The fall and winter came and went with a familiar stagnation and restlessness, coexisting moment by moment. I thought of love and family often.  A friend left to new horizons and Eva and I are off to Sweden for the summer. 

I've been discombobulated in recent weeks, adjusting to my cousin, sister and friend leaving. They were my world this year. I'm sad their gone but their energy is contagious and it ripples new horizons. 

In September I went through a break up and was sad. 

In October I don't remember what happened. I went to yoga sometimes. 

In November I had a 31st birthday part in Dodge Cove. My two favourite captains came and the food was glorious. I went on a hunting trip with an old friend to Haida Gwaii, going to Rennel Sound, getting stranded due to weather- and exploring Tlell and waves in Masset, much to my delight. Upon returning, I sold my book at a craft fair and settled in for the winter. 

In December my friend carved the family turkey and my grandmother and aunt came to visit. It was cold and a beautiful time with family around. 

In January we were tired of being cold so put in a new wood stove at my moms house and I joined politics in Dodge Cove.

In February we put in a wood stove in Dodge Cove but it was too small and to my dismay, doesn't heat the house by one degree, even with a big fire. I'm going to a heat pump next. 

In March I don't remember 

In April I travelled to the Island and Alberta and Haida Gwaii 

In May I stayed home and did a kayaking course and booked flights to Sweden for the summer. 

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I don't remember when I wrote this exactly. It must have been a month or two ago. The daffodils bloomed and then faded, leading the way for the roses and honeysuckles to bloom. And fireweed too. 

I'm in Sweden now. It is Friday July 14th. I'm sitting next to Eva and my cousin in a warm living room at a campground. We're catching up on electricity and data after 3 days orienteering on Gotland. 

I was minorly heartbroken to leave home during my favourite season but I did my best to fit a healthy section of summer in before leaving. The days will still be long when I get back. Lily is in good hands. And if I'm being honest, although I was heartbroken leaving, my heart was rather heavy at home too. 

I've been thankful to step away for a moment and regain my footing as an individual- not a tugboater, Rupert-ite, author or anything really. But simply as a family member travelling through the countryside- trying new things like orienteering and disc golf, saffron ice cream and swimming in the Baltic Sea. 

Life is simple. I can't tell what the next year will look like just yet. Hopefully I'll find sun in the winter and have a heat pump to see me through the season. The Jotul stove just didn't cut it so I might put the fisher back someday. Remains to be seen. 

Fair winds ~~ from Digby and Gotland!