Spring Break 2010

Thanks to Ana's school closure for Spring Break, we were forced to interrupt our blasé routine - to stop and take a deep breath before moving on. And, much like last year, we went up northwards to visit Nana in Beautiful British Columbia.

Ana was very excited: she remembered the last trip being very much fun. And, when I gave her a small suitcase to pack what she needs for the trip, she got right to it. I told her just how long we were planning to stay, and sure enough, she packed just the right amount - mix and match, layers of clothes - and of course, her Enid Paapaa and Polly Pocket, plus her tent and sleeping bag, just in case we get to camp out.

The drive up and down was quite beautiful but taxing nonetheless, especially for the kids. Oggie got car sick promptly - am still trying to get the stench out of his car seat...

Nana is raising a few alpacas, donkeys, and chickens in the Slocan Valley. We got to meet them, feed them, and befriend them right away. They are very sweet. Kylie and Chica are the alpacas, Missy and Paco are the donkeys, Libby and Gabby are the hens that Nana hatched and raised from babyhood.

Of course, she also hatched and raised a rooster - we call him Kung Fu Rooster - he is quite aggressive and protective of his hens... sneaks up from behind and launches flying kicks and pecks! He got Ana once, and kept me at bay quite easily...

Watching us approach with handfuls of Carrots and Apple Slices, sweet little Missy would be the first in line... shy and pregnant Chica (light brown patch on back) would come around after she sees Kylie taking the snack...

I can see how Zen-like it can be to just have these sweet animals around. But, if you ask Nana, she will also tell you how tough it is to wake up at freezing dawn to feed the animals, and to clean out their poop, and to groom and keep them healthy :)




We went on a couple of short hikes/walks - with Oggie tagging along, it couldn't be terribly strenuous. There were deer everywhere! We saw some deer bones along one of the paths we walked... which made Ana wonder who ate up the rest of the deer and left the bones...

And we enjoyed eating at Cedar Creek Cafe - which Nana used to run until she decided to pursue other interests. Charming decor with a stove providing the much-needed warmth, friendly and courteous waitress, plus a simple yet healthy and wholesome menu with lots of vegetarian choices makes Cedar Creek Cafe one of my favorite spots to eat out in the Slocan Valley... considering I rarely eat out :)



We took advantage of the beautiful weather and spent a quiet day at the beautiful Lakeside park in Nelson so kids can enjoy playing and making friends... we walked around on Baker street and around downtown Nelson rediscovering some of our favorite shops and getting introduced to new ones by Nana... we didn't have any specific agenda except to let kids have fun and maybe relax a bit...



The highlight for both Ana and Oggie seems to have been the Halcyon Hot Springs experience. Floating and splashing about in the hot sulfurous healing springs, which they refer to as "Hot Pool", out in the open, with a view of the mountains, was as much therapeutic to them as watching and splashing with them was for me.



Nana's spinning wheel turned out to be a favorite with Ana, and Jennie's Gardens book store turned out to be my weakness - I would've loved to park myself there and get lost in the books... Jennie's Gardens is the oldest book store in Winlaw, B.C., and imo, not to be missed... and so is Jennie's Book Garden blog.

Of course, Nana spoilt the kids by getting them quite a few books for their book shelves, and was nice enough to buy books of our choice for D and me! Thanks, Nana!



Now that we are settling back to the same old routine, it feels magical to sift through the 100-odd pictures and relive some favorite moments from the trip before it invariably gets pushed aside into the deep dark recesses of the brain, rarely getting accessed and reviewed...