Summer Solstice

i spent a great deal of time last week being sad about leaving.  It's tough when you're happy somewhere to move on & here, in this Canadian yurt, i'm REALLY happy.  Having been travelling since 2004, i've finally found somewhere i could settle.  Except i can't because my visa is finishing & the yurt is rented to someone else for the summer.  Thus, once again, i shall stuff my things into a backpack & venture into the unknown.  But that's not for a few days yet.  There's still a few days left for Antoine & i to play here together (he will spend the summer in an apartment in Gaspé town).

Anyway, i'd rather be sharing with you what's been going this glorious past weekend.  For glorious it was!  

The beach 15 mins walk from the yurt.

As soon as Antoine got home from work on Friday night, we celebrated the solstice by taking the bikes to the nearby beach of Seal Cove. We didn't actually think there were any seals there...but just before we left, something jumped out of the water.  Twice.  It seemed to have 2 tails, so we think they were either playing or being amorous. 




 



A Day on the Beach with The Worm

Saturday's weather was

the worm stick = hours of laughter

stunning.  We packed a picnic & took a trip to the local beach.  On the beach we amused ourselves with a stick.  Like this...

We recreated a Scottish mythical beast...can you guess which one?

Laughter is a must when the worm looks at your ~ your turn!

We danced alone on the beach at sunset.  It felt like Thailand, until we went in the sea ~  then it felt like Canada again!




Les Enfants du Parc Forillon
The following day we woke

Parc Forillon, Gaspé

up ridiculously early for a Sunday & went to the National Park.  We hiked a small loop through the forest & ate a splendiferous picnic (yay Antoine!) overlooking views like this...
Afterwards it was time for more whale watching.  i sat for another hour and a half in the sunshine, with my eyes glued to the expansive golden water.  Antoine slept next to me on the trail.  i saw no whales, but the water had a wonderfully calming affect & allowed me to work through a lot of the feelings i have about leaving.  i love the sea.

My legs began to ache so i stood & walked around.  As i turned to face away from the water, i noticed what i thought was a horse stomping through the tall grass 10 metres away.  Then i realised 'That's no horse! That's a moose!"

"Antoine!  Antoine!" i called.  But the moose heard me long before Antoine did.  Turning it large head around to stare at me.  Eventually Antoine surfaced from siesta~ville & sat up.  We both noticed the baby at the same time:  only its ears & eyes visible as it trotted to keep up with its striding mama.

"Be careful" Antoine warned "We have to be ready to run."  But i felt so peaceful, there was no way this gentle giant was suddenly going to charge at us (we were by the edge of a cliff).  After a beautiful moment of meaningful eye~contact, she was off...the baby in tow.

And most likely because the park wished to compensate for the hiatus in whales, on our drive out of the park we saw a baby bear - just for a minute! 

***
Beach Party
That night there was a party on the beach.  Once again it felt like Thailand, except with campervans!  Fireworks, full moon, dancing, singing, chatting.  One man welcomed Antoine & i to build a yurt in the forest on his land.  It may have been the beer talking & perhaps it will never come to fruition, still i was deeply touched by his offer.  His land is stunning, high up, overlooking the sea. 

i was extra happy this night because after 1 or 2 beers i managed to speak 98% French (& was understood about 73% of the time!).  Those are passing grades people!

That busted open thing, that's the player!

Impromptu 8-Track Party
Also, sometime last week we busted out the 8-track player that Antoine fixed & hooked up to our awesome speakers.  Our Japanese friend, Satchi, was visiting & we all grooved our way through a huge collection of 8-tracks, from 70s disco, to Québecois crooners to Hendrix/Floydesq stuff...What was especially magical, is that the tapes were so old, that after they play once, they break.  So each listen was the last.  It was trés poetic.

8 Tracks

 
Onwards... 
Having been following this nomadic lifestyle (minus the yurt) for quite a few years now, i am very familiar with the emotions of leaving & moving on.  i know that it's the *transition* part which is the most challenging.  Once i arrive in the next destination, i'll be fine, but the packing & unknown aspects always rock my world.


This summer i am looking forward to:
~ seeing my family (including one brother i haven't seen for 3 years!) 
~ spending time with friends in Scotland (Emma, Claire & Chris, David...) 
~ showers & hot running water
~ extra long daylight hours
~ visiting my angel~sisters, one in Finland & one in Belgium
~ seeing friends briefly in London (Katie, Simon & Sonya & Pete!)
~ getting Antoine up to Scotland & all the fun we'll have there
~ making more crystals & finding work to put money in my account to fuel my journey to India to meet my soul-family, the Lhashikamos! & most likely up to Nepal too, for the beloved Annapurna mountains & crystal~weaver, Aya.

There's a great song in my head just now, repeating itself like a mantra: "i believe in the good things coming..." wanna hear more?...

Just to wrap up, i'd like to say how much i love this amazing human being...

Wild Life

A couple of mornings ago i was awoken to what sounded like Dodo Rouge tap-dancing on the yurt.  Somehow the squirrel had managed to locate the precise position above where our sleepy heads where & commenced his routine.  It sounded like he was also gnawing his way through the rope he'd climbed up (perhaps he wanted to free fall or bungee back down?).  We called out "Dodo Rouge, it's too early for breakfast...let us sleep".  But he continued, until Antoine gently punched repeatedly at the soft, insulated roof.  It probably felt like a minor earthquake in the squirrel's world and he vacated the premises.

Side note ~ On the subject of earthquakes, one friend suggested that a tiny earthquake may have caused our water container to jump off its shelf in the middle of the night last week.  (More plausible that most of your suggestions, Peter! ~see that post's comments)

***
Park Forillon

En route to the end of the world...

We've done lots of fantastic stuff this week, to celebrate Antoine's short holiday before he starts working on Monday.

An excursion with the local walking group to Park Forillon (where Antoine will be working). The weather was thoroughly Scottish (i.e. rain) but we had the right clothes.  We saw lots of wildlife...a small army (dispersed throughout the trail) of Porcupines ("Porkypigs"/porc-épic en français!), who kind of shuffle around slowly.  In response to photographs they often throw up their quills, reminiscent of a punky peacock. 

There was also lots of evidence

Porcupine - new playmate for Dodo Rouge?

of moose (the Grandma friendly way of saying Moose Ca-ca).  We also saw bear caca.  Lots and lots of bear caca.  Old bear caca.  Medium old bear caca.  And fresh bear caca.  Then we saw a bear.  To be honest i didn't want to see a bear.  i wanted to see whales (we were walking along the coast where there are whales).  However, not to be ungrateful to nature for its gifts, because it was pretty wild to see a bear.  Especially because it was at a safe distance & just chowing down on some foliage.  He looked up at us, but didn't seem to care about our presence.  After about 5 minutes we moved on.

This bear is larger than he looks in the pic

Even dogs are happy at the end of the world!

Edible seaweed!

We arrived at 'the end of the world' around 3pm, with suitably apocalyptic weather.  Indulge me in playing tour guide for a moment...Gaspé (where This Canadian Yurt is situated) takes its name from Cespeg which means 'Land's end' in the traditional language of the indigenous Mi'kmaq people.  The cliffs where we were standing were the end (or the beginning) of the Appalachian Mountains before they dive under water & resurface in New Foundland...or so wikipedia tells me.  In the other direction they apparently stretch all the way down to Georgia.


On the walk back i was talking about my first Reiki initiation, when i saw my first whale!  It silently surfaced, curved & slipped, diving beneath the water.  A dream discovered.

~~~The photos from Parc Forilion were taken by Christine Aspiros (thank you!)~~~

***
Whale Watching

The beach

We returned to a beach in this national park with the intention of seeing more whales.  We brought coffee in thermos, baklava & a picnic.  There was a lot of waiting, which was wonderful - the warm sun, lapping easy sea.  We watched as Northern Gannet birds dive bombed the water:  each splash drawing my eyes & heart, which lept wondering if it was a whale blowing water! 

Part of Antoine's whale dance

In order to encourage the whales to make an appearance, we did whale dances.  This didn't work.  i tried chanting as though at an american football, ice hockey or shinty match but apparently these whales weren't sports fans. i also used EFT/Tapping (to get over my expectations & desire to see a whale), but Antoine suggested perhaps the whales were also beneath the water tapping on their fear of seeing us.

Whale watching

After 3 hours when we spotted a whale, i whooped for lack of better expression.  It may've
been the playing of my kalimba (African Harp/Piano) which finally enticed the whale to surface & breathe.  It wasn't quite like seeing the killer whale Shamu at SeaWorld when i was 8, but the feeling of awe was similar.


Mount Pudding Stone

Bubbles at Mount Pudding Stone

Yesterday we walked up Mount Pudding Stone (400m apx!).  Incredibly beautiful views from the top.  i'm so in love with the nature here.  i got to drive down the bumpy, dirt tracks, dodging stones & ditches - rally style except at 15km an hour!


This Canadian Yurt Neighbours
We went to visit a neighbour.  His wife's just opened up a Vet practice & Antoine wanted to give her some photos for her practice.  The neighbour gave us some honey from his bees and a car.  We baked him some bread, but it still feels like the balance is slightly off.  It's going to be wonderful to have a 'new' car.  The one we've been driving, we start with a screwdriver & its sounding more like a jet engine each day.  i can hear Antoine about a kilometre before he arrives.