Harbour City Ramblings

It’s happening again.

This time every year- and I do assure you it happens consistently once a year, for weeks on end- when the weather returns from dreary downfalls in spring and leads us into the depths of what we are hopeful will remain a summer full of sun-filled days, the crows a’cometh.

I hate them.

I don’t hate much in this world. Because it is in fact true as far as falling under the category of “what mother always said” goes. Hate is too strong a word to use sparingly.

I hate crows. More specifically, I hate how crows insist on waking me up before 5:00 am daily with their aggravating cawing. And how their already rude behaviour turns even more vile with swooping and stalking tendencies as the summer progresses. Luckily I have recently returned home from two weeks away from their incessantly irritating disruptions. For it seems the entire city of Powell River does not have as many crows as the lone tree sitting out front my bedroom window, thankfully.

Mike & Justine’s Wedding

The day after the Blink 182 concert in Vancouver I took the ferry back to Horseshoe Bay. Mom and brother Matthew picked me up in Nanaimo and we commenced the journey up-island and over the ocean again for wedding 1 of 2 that week.

Mike & Justine’s ceremony and reception took place on the grounds of Aunt Claudette & Uncle Stan’s property in rural Powell River, a mere couple of blocks from the water’s edge. The serene surroundings quelled the chaotic going-ons throughout the few days leading up to the ceremony on Saturday, August 1st, if only slightly.

From Wednesday to Friday evening myself, mom, the aunts and various other helpers of either side of the families scurried about the property grounds like worker ants about a colony. I managed to walk away with variable wedding war-wounds while assisting with the garden and food preparations. Deadheading plants was a term I familiarized myself with rather quickly, in between helping out in the kitchen with peeling 60 lbs. of potatoes, opening 50 cans of beans, chopping an assortment of vegetables and cooking a multitude of pasta with my aunts.

In these few days, I learned that anyone considering catering to a wedding of such a capacity, should not overlook the option of eloping.

Come Saturday morning all the preparations were complete, and the grounds beautifully set-up to host the nearly-150 person crowd for the big day.

The pool-side ceremony was harmonious and the reception an absolutely blast. I was fortunate to have joined in the celebrations with Mike and Justine, and spend plenty more time with dad’s amazing and supportive side of the family. The following day the family and I packed our two vehicles, hopped back to Vancouver Island on the morning ferry, and I sadly increased my carbon footprint a little further by driving down to Nanaimo in order to catch a flight to Saskatoon, SK for wedding 2 of 2- my best friend’s wedding.