Friday Favourites

 

Outside my window pale morning light glows along the hills I see beyond the rooftops. Grey clouds drift steadily, but slowly overhead, tinted pink where the light catches them. We filled our bird feeder again, and a host of white-crowned sparrows, chickadees, house finches, and dark-eyed juncos chattered and argued as they vied for a place at the table. The little juncos with their black hoods are such pretty birds and I am always happy to see them appear again in the autumn. 

Here's a report on the flooding. You can skip down if it doesn't interest you, or if you've been inundated (pun intended) with news. 

Yesterday, the rain fell again, but nothing like the atmospheric river we experienced last weekend. Much of my family lives in the affected area, but they are all safe, and although at least one home flooded a little, they are fine. My sister and brother-in-law went home from work early on Monday and have not been able to return because of the highway that is still flooded. My brother is up in Prince George and due to fly home this weekend. He can fly in, but won't make it home, again because of the highway closure. In an area called the Sumas Prairie, more than 1400 farms - mostly dairy and poultry - are still underwater. There have been heart-wrenching stories of farmers working round the clock to save their livestock. 

Highways are still mostly closed although one route opened for essential traffic to allow stranded motorists to return home. Some will go through the US (Washington State) to be able to return east. 

The major east-west highways remain closed, and crews are working day and night to try to open at least one of them to allow essential goods through. 

Have you ever watched the television show "Highway Through Hell"? It's about a vehicle recovery and towing company that works in BC and largely features incidents on the Coquihalla Highway, our major connector to the rest of Canada. That's the highway that has been greatly damaged, with at least five spots where the road has completely washed away, falling into deep river canyons and sweeping away bridges and rail lines. We have been told it will be months before it is repaired. The coming winter, with its heavy snow will be a severe complication. 

All said, it's a catastrophe, affecting not only our province, but much of western Canada. At least 1 fatality has been confirmed, but there are others still missing. 

Many motorists were stranded in the little town of Hope, BC. The townspeople came together and provided blankets, food, and shelter as they were able. At least one church opened its doors for people to sleep on the (fortunately) padded pews. The Salvation Army in Chilliwack prepared boxes and boxes of food that were sent in via helicopter.

Here on the Island, our highway connecting Victoria to the rest of the island was closed. There is a little ferry (about 15 vehicles) that crosses the inlet, and it added sailings throughout the night to allow people to cross. People in the village near the ferry terminal passed out cookies and snacks, along with blankets to those waiting for hours in their cars.

It's these kinds of actions that stir me to tears. People of all walks of life coming together to help each other. If we can act this way in times of crisis, surely we can treat each well all of the time. 

Here at home, life goes on as normal. I cook and sew, clean and read, but in the background there is this awareness of how the same normality has been stripped away from so many. 

When we were in Wales a number of years ago, we toured a manor house where the kitchen dresser was filled with beautiful blue and white dishes from the Burleigh Company. I have gone to the website to look at their dishes, but the cost to purchase and ship to Canada is very high, so I've admired them from afar. 

I was surprised and delighted to find the above plates and bowls at our local Home Sense store and even more surprised when I saw they were manufactured in England. They are from the Royal Wessex company, not Burleigh, but the look is similar. I purchased a variety of plates and bowls. Can anything surpass blue and white? I don't think so. 

A mug of tea (in a blue and white polka-dotted mug given to me by my daughter) along with a seasonal magazine is a lovely way to spend some quiet time in the afternoon. 

Today is another pro-D day for one of my grandchildren and we're going to visit the museum. Maybe we'll have lunch there, too. This weekend I hope to sew more, as the list of things I want to make is growing! 

I hope your weekend is beautiful. Be thankful for the little normal routines.