2021 Groundhog Year
01.01.2022
-5 °C
Thanks to Covid, we spent 2020 not attending dinner parties, theatres, concerts, reunions, birthdays, and weddings. Nor were we able to travel anywhere beyond a short pre-pandemic trip to Mexico.
So, at the end of 2020, we said we were looking forward to resuming our travels and we started making plans. Unfortunately, our optimism was misplaced and whatever we didn’t do in 2020 we didn’t do all over again in 2021. Are we downhearted? No. We are fit and healthy and live in a peaceful and beautiful place. With nowhere to go we spent the winter and spring adding to our series of travel books based on our blogs. We now have 14 books chronicling our adventures in 70 countries… 
The spring saw us preparing our garden for a visit by the Island’s Garden Club at the end of July. However, when we agreed to open our garden, we had no idea that we would be in the midst of the hottest and driest summer on record. Inland temperatures reached a scorching 50ﹾ Celsius and an entire town was destroyed by a wildfire. The temperatures were somewhat more bearable on the coast but without rain for several months it was hard work keeping the garden alive for the upcoming visit by discerning horticulturists. We added several new Japanese garden features this year including a pagoda to match the torii gate…
A living painting…
A thatched gatehouse…
And a trio of lanterns… 
While recovering from a knee replacement, Sheila made more quilts, including one with a Japanese theme for a friend’s significant birthday…
As we slid from the record drought of summer into autumn, an atmospheric river streamed ashore off the Pacific Ocean and drowned the parched land. The flood damage to many communities around Vancouver was catastrophic, but our clifftop home was well above water and, when the clouds finally cleared, we had some fabulous autumnal sunrises…
After the record breaking heat of summer, perhaps it is only right that we should now be in the grip of an Arctic freeze that has dropped temperatures to almost fifty degrees below zero in parts of the province. Fortunately, for us, minus fifteen is about as low as it will go…
And, thanks to our time at home again this year, we now have a Jacuzzi hot-tub from which to enjoy the snow and the distant views of the mountains…
So, no – we are not downhearted. But we are looking forward to getting out and about again in 2022 and re-uniting with our family and many friends around the world.
Here’s wishing everyone a Happy New Year, (with fingers firmly crossed).
Posted by Hawkson 01:29 Archived in Canada Comments (11)
