Hello Family,

Yesterday was the Lyssa's due date, but of course it's just an estimate.

No photos taken most of the day, because Lyssa and I went into Sechelt and I forgot my camera! First we walked to the pizza restaurant to pick up the van.

We stopped in at her "Bellies" group for expectant mothers and new mothers. The government- sponsored group is run by a lady who was a midwife for many years.  The group was very pleasant.

We didn't stay for the entire meeting and lunch; instead she and I went for lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, an especially delicious phō.

We stopped at the tiny fabric store and found some cute flannel for me to make receiving blankets, for the baby girl whom Dale Jr. and Michelle are expecting later this month.

We got back to the house in time for a visit from Lyssa's midwife. It was wonderful to meet her. I was ready for a nap, besides I wanted to leave them alone for most of the midwife's visit. 

The midwife, who came here from Holland in her 20's, said that the baby was lower, but she didn't think signs pointed to within the next day..

After returning the van to Mike so he could deliver supplies to the little warehouse where his "take and bake" pizzas are made (he works 55+ hours a week, on average) we walked along the coast highway, past the turn-off to  their house and  to Davis Pier, where Lyssa and Mike got married last year. It was so beautiful in the late afternoon light.

A local preservation society did a beautiful restoration of Davis Pier, paid for by many local donations. Brass plaques all up and down the length of the pier gave credit to those who donated.

Lyssa and Mike were married on this pier. 

The same preservation society also raised funds to build the sea wall and walkway along the shore. Lyssa said that before this sea wall was built, the bay often flooded onto the highway and the buildings on the other side of the road.

This photo shows the sea wall walk, but also a charming driftwood structure which people keep adding driftwood to.

To the side of the restored pier you could see the remnants of the old one, contented gulls still finding refuge there.

In the evening we went to the "Legion", the Royal Canadian Legion, that is. Various musicians and groups got up to perform. I enjoyed it; the music was good and it was nice to experience

the homey, small-town scene. This Legion Post was way off in the woods near a small adjoining town; Mike said that there is a much more official one, actually in Sechelt, which has more of a military presence.

Up to you whether you want to look at the rest of this post; it contains a selection of photos of things that caught my interest: ph rose hips, dead salmon in the creek by the coast highway, Lyssa's beautiful coiled braids, and political posters for the four political parties which are running in the coming election: the Green Party (green) "sort of socialist party" (orange), Liberal (red) and Conservative (Blue).

Love, Lennie