Horseflies 1, Wendy 4, Mountain - The Clear Winner!!

Horseflies leave a memorable bite!

Large inflammation - the size of a fist

Pain - like a bruise that is constantly pressured

What happened to the simple itch of a mosquito??

I am home from the Hills again!!  

Meadow gardens everywhere, with dynamite views of mountains as a backdrop!  Don't you just love those trees??

Yes, the Residency was GREAT!  Well expect for the bite which now a week later still looks bad but fortunately no longer hurts.

 Caroline Scagel, Encaustics and Silk  painter from Mayne Island. Valerie Rogers, Wildlife artist from Salmon Arm and Myself

We started out Friday morning at 9, meeting each other for the first time. We instantly clicked!!  Quite a relieve when you figure we were going to spend 4 days together in a 1 room cabin!!

We were excited, we rushed up the mountain, found the cabin and settled in.  Then we went exploring.

The first place we explored was our food cooler!!  Well, we didn't bring food, it was to come up each day in coolers and who knows what that can be like.  Well, cadoodles to Modern Bakery in Revelstoke.  Opening that cooler was like opening a treasure chest.  There was wraps, salads, cookies, squares, drinks of varies sorts and lots of them.  Our meals were definitely a delight but we were sure going to be hiking lots to burn off those calories!!

Balsam Lake, our home for the Residency

The meadows were bursting with flowers of every colour! Just 2 -3 short weeks, then they are gone!!

Balsam Lake was everything it was billed as - an alpine meadows in full bloom.  The sub alpine firs, like tall thin cones framing everything.  It was overwhelming -  everywhere you looked was a picture! We walked, we talked, we photographed and we laughed! Then headed back to our treasure chest.

The Cabin

The cabin, our mountain top home, was everything it was billed as too - rustic, no water, power, or electricity.  Of course no wifi but if you walked a kilometer up the trail and stood in a certain spot you could get your phone to work!!  The outhouse wasn't far and pretty clean.  And the moonlight!  At 4 in the morning, the full moon and the starry skies were certainly much brighter than what we have here in the 'burbs' of Vancouver.  The cabin was cool in the day and held some heat at night. It was bug-free and the bunks were comfortable.  What more could you ask?

Inside - no way I could sleep on top!!  Thanks Caroline for offering.

We had our trials figuring things out.  Turns out, all our husbands do the propane stoves and lights!!  Good thing there were lots of matches.  Who knew the propane lights had a secret shut off valve behind the bunk-bed!!




Our first day went like a blink of an eye.  When the tourist left and we had the park to ourselves, it was like magic.  The birds came out, the air settled and there was a feeling of calm.  We climbed the summit trail to  watch the sunset and we felt like kings!!

Me with my support team, who waited below.  Thanks Steve and Rusty for making the trek there with me. 

Next installment in a few days, I have to catch my breath! 

Meanwhile I am preparing for my next  Art adventure "Canvas Combat", Saturday August 23 - 45 minutes to Paint!! 

 I will be part of the second session 4-5pm.  Come and watch and don't forget to vote!  

Winners are chosen by popular vote.  

Good Day Sunshine Cafe, 2950 King George Blvd, Surrey

Have a great day and enjoy the summer, it is disappearing fast,

Wendy