Big changes ahead

After an eight day house sit in Duncan we made the desision to move to Vancouver Island. But the big issue is where on Vancouver Island. We are both a blend of urban and suburban people. Shelagh has lived in downtown Montréal, I have lived in downtown Toronto and Vancouver. Bust most of our lives have been lived in the suburbs. The suburbs provide you with a larger living space while unban living gives you a more vibrant community. Confusing eh? So what is it to be? An urban lifestyle with everything you need within walking distance or breathing room and a hot tub in the back yard... Time will tell... But first, a little more about our Duncan House sit.

This is Casey, a Cairn Terrier cross, 13 years old and full of life and joy. We had the best time with him staying at his small cottage like home just off the main drag through town. Close to the Cowichan river where we took him for two walks daily to meet his many human and canine friends. He could stay home alone for about four hours at a time... After that he gets bored and might eat the furniture.

While we were with Casey we toured many local towns and little beaches including a day trip to Victoria where he was very much admired by locals and tourists alike. We also met a dear friend and collegue from a previous employer, who met with us in Duncan for lunch. It was great to catch up again and we will definitely reconnect in the months to come. Lorna and her husband Paul now live in beautiful Chemainus...

When we returnd home to Langley we listed our house and it sold within two weeks for slightly above the list price. The hunt for our new home begins now as we start purging the house of all that stuff one accumulates over a couple of decades. Thankfully we are good at purging our stuff, and we do it regularly bringing boxes of slightly, gently used things to the local "Hospice Society" thrift shop. So even if at times it seems a bit overwhelming, the task at hand is not a huge one. We are now in the process of putting together a moving sale which will take place next weekend on Saturday and Sunday.

Our home for the last 20 years was amazing. Shelagh's decorating sense made it look so nice and peaceful. But as the Lower Mainland swells with new arrivals, so do the roads and traffic is so congested and noisy it drives me out of my mind. Hopefully Vancouver Island will be a bit more tranquil. We will leave for Victoria on Monday for a four day stay and tour the town with a realtor who has spent his entire life there and knows the city like no other. It will be very exciting. If Victoria does not produce a house or condo to our liking, we will continue to the Cowichan Valley and look for a nice bungalow style house...

We will keep you posted...