Canada :: Hawk Walk + Our Return Trip

Dave and Mason took Zane to the Raptor Center on the Island one day while Hannah, Kate, and I stayed behind to nap. They got to walk amidst the birds - various hawks, bald eagles, and kookaburras, + more- see a show, and then Zane got to wear a special glove and have them land on his arm!

Here are the trainers trying to get a hawk, named Anakin, to land on Zane's arm. Mason said the second he started the video Anakin wouldn't do it anymore...but I still like how it swoops down on him.

They were all talking about the Kookaburras when they came home. Such kooky little birds.

 Alas, all good things must come to an end. We caught a ferry in Departure Bay to head back to the mainland on Wed. morning. We placated the beasts with candy necklaces...they sat still for nearly 7 whole minutes!

 After a failed attempt to see the suspension bridge in Vancouver, BC (we were not aware it would be $32 per person...and it was pouring) we drove down to Seattle to meet our newest nephew, Owen! He's a cute little munchkin, much like his big sis, Alice, and it's always great to see the cousins together. We didn't stay long because that stomach bug the kids had hit me on the last day. I'm happy it held off for most of the trip, but we didn't want to infect the Seattle Rippeys so we hit the road. Hopefully a longer visit will be in our future!

Canada :: Turkeys, Totems, + Tattoos

Kate's parent's, Jim and Nancy, have a beautiful spot with lots of land and a lake. We went over to do some exploring and play with turkeys. Kate helped Hannah find the turkey nests and eggs.

Mason with his adorable kitty mug.

Dave tries to be as Canadian as possible. He and Mason know each other from Gettysburg HS.

The fish weren't biting, but he was eager to try.

Not a bad view to wake up to - Dave and Kate's back yard.

They took us to an ice cream and candy shop near the bay for some delicious treats.

Kate graciously shared her Nerds. The Nerds kept falling off Hannah's hand, so Kate taught her how to lick her hand first to make them stick...Hannah thought that was the best.

Duncan, the city they live in on Vancouver Island, is the "City of Totems." Naturally, we did the totem tour.

Hannah kept Moosy protected from the rain.

Then we stopped by the tattoo parlor where Dave works on the side. The kids each got to pick anything they wanted. Hannah picked a Moose (of course) and Zane wanted Toothless, the main dragon from the movie How to Train Your Dragon.

Canada :: Crabbing in Maple Bay

Kate's dad, Jim, was gracious enough to take us all out on his boat for a short joyride (it was cold!) and then the boys dropped the crab pots. 

 We stopped to fuel the boat first and as we were pulling away the guy working there chucked 2 bags of fruit snacks into the boat for the kids. They thought that was pretty awesome!

 Swans hanging out by the float homes. We were informed that house boats are called float homes now...not sure if that's all over, or just north of the boarder...?

 Blue Heron.

 Jim got a kick out of Hannah's need for speed. "We go fast now?!"

 Lots of cool boats at the docks.

 Two days later we returned for the pots. It was sunnier, but still cold when ripping across the bay. Kate was teaching a class and we dropped Hannah and Dave off at the beach to poke at small crabs and collect seashells, the rest of us accompanied Jim back out.

 Mason hauled the pots up from 96ft. It was Dave's special spot...he's an expert crabber you know. He's been doing it for, like, 4 years. Clearly he knows what he's doing though, look at all those keepers!

 5 keepers.

 Zane navigating us back.

 Dave and Hannah wrapping up their beach explorations. She was completely fine leaving with him. Dave said she didn't fuss at all! Many times throughout the trip she told us that Dave/Kate were her best friend :)

 Many, many purple shells were found!

Dungeness for dinner (and chicken for the kids and I).

Canada :: Our Arrival

We woke the kids as 3:30AM to make the 8:20 ferry out of Port Angeles. The kids slept most of the way while Mason navigated through the steady downpour and winding coastal roads. It was perfect because once they were up and getting restless (something that seemed to only take 10 minutes) we were there and they could get out and stretch. Breakfast was had immediately - Zane was very excited about his donut and, luckily, there was oatmeal for Hannah. Apparently ferry oatmeal is much better than the kind we get at home.

 The ferry ride was about an hour and a half. We did a lot of walking around, inside and out. It was very windy and Zane liked running into the gusts. I took this photo through the window. Hannah and I were standing inside watching and she would occasionally shriek "There my Papa!"

 Of course she wanted to go outside like brother, but she didn't really want to be outside.

 Zane made the trip more interesting right from the start. We were getting close to the harbor so I took Hannah to the bathroom while he and Mason took one more spin outside on deck. Hannah took her time, but it didn't seem like that much time had passed, but when we came back out, nearly everyone was cleared out and we quickly headed down the steps to our car thinking we would meet Mason and Zane down there. Halfway down the stairs and Mason is coming back up with an anxious look and says "Zane cut his face. He needs stitches." Um..WHAT!? Zane was in the medic's office with gauze over his eye, but wasn't crying or actively bleeding (that part was over). He'd been running on deck next to the railing and a metal outlet cover (that should have been shut!!) was sticking out and gave him 2 deep gashes, one above and one below his left eye. The medic was an ex US fireman who cleaned Zane up and gave us an ice pack, a rag, and directions to a walk-in clinic for stitches. He radioed ahead and got us in the quick lane out of customs and off we went to get some stitches in Victoria! Obviously, we don't have a Canadian health care card and had to pay out of pocket - it was only $150! Amazing. The doctor was a stoic older gentleman who told Zane he was proud of him afterwards because he said most of the time parents have to hold their kids' arms during the process. So there ya go...Canadian stitches.

 Hannah enjoying her "my brother is so brave" Slurpee.

 And then all was well again as we arrived at Dave and Kate's house in Duncan, BC and were able to relax. Their home is like a French villa on the most picturesque plot of land! Ahhhh.....

 The kids loved helping Kate feed the chickens. Did you know that chickens eat their own eggs?! Kate said she dropped one once and they devoured it. The kids both got to throw a few and watch the chickens go after them.

 Dave demonstrating his prowess in chicken wrangling.

 Listening to the ocean. Zane said he heard a shark in his.

Dave and Kate are both extraordinary fine artists, and as such, have a household of unique props to use in their work. Their home accents are a mix of medieval, vintage, and obscure. I loved the juxtaposition of the kids eating their oatmeal in their bright pajamas in front of a shelf of props. You should pop on over to their blog about their work called Painting Stuff to Look Like Stuff, it is both informative and hilarious!