The NFA NA Tour Continues!

Comox, Canada

Today is the last day of my stay in the beautiful Comox valley. Tomorrow I start the next phase of my No Fixed Address North American Tour (NFA NA Tour).

I last blogged about the NFA NA Tour in August. Then I was in Clearwater, BC, near Wells Grey Provincial Park. I headed into the greater Vancouver area the next day to stay for a few days with my long time friends Karen and Allen in North Vancouver. Since then some things I had planned happened and some things that weren’t part of the plan inserted themselves.

First of all, I had planned to spent a couple of weeks in the lower mainland camping and visiting with my friends and family. And I planned to head to Vancouver Island to visit family there toward the end of September, after my trip to the Balkins. However, since my Mom had a fall earlier in the summer and was in hospital recovering I decided to make a quick 3 day trip over to the island as soon as I arrived in the lower mainland. Probably the best decision of my life.

Mom was doing great, in a bed in the transition unit having decided to wait for a spot in the Comox valley where she could get a little more care. I went up to see her the first day I arrived and had a great visit as well as an even better one the next day. She was animated and had asked the nursing staff to help her change into one of her nicest outfits in anticipation of my visit. We had a lovely visit in the garden of the extended care facility at St Joseph’s Hospital in Comox.

The following day my sister, Charlene, and I were on our way to her previous residence to finalize things there before going up to see Mom again in the afternoon when we received word that Mom had suffered a massive stroke. She never recovered and I stayed with her for the next few days until she passed away really peacefully on August 28 with Charlene and I at her side. I am so thankful that I had a great visit before her stroke and that I could be there with her at the end. Also thankful that my sister Charlene, who was a nurse before her retirement, was there as well, for Mom, but also for me! And Char’s husband, Leif, was a rock for us. Couldn’t have ask for more support. And great that other family Lori, Jo-Anne, Danika and Noah came to see Mom in the final days as well.

Plans were made for my brother, Rae, to fly to Comox from Winnipeg the following weekend, and my friends Karen and Allen were so gracious as to suggest that I stay with them rather than camping alone in the lower mainland for the week. I was more than good with that, and appreciate their support more than they’ll know. I’m sorry I wan’t in touch with anyone at that time, but as you would imagine I wasn’t great company.

So after a family dinner in Comox to celebrate Mom’s life privately and a couple of great hikes, which Mom would have approved wholeheartedly, the following weekend, it was back to North Vancouver to prepare for my trip to the Balkans. I blogged about that trip in a separate entry which you can read on my blog site if you’re interested.

After the Balkans I came back to the Comox Valley and have been here, at a great campsite on the ocean for the past three weeks.

The campground was completely revamped 2 years ago and has great facilities, and probably the biggest and cleanest bathrooms I’ve seen in my travels across the country.

During that time it’s been great to spend extended time here. I’ve met some friends of my family, gone to a local theatre production, done some dinners and lunches with a couple of my friends, had a great Thanksgiving dinner at Charlene and Leif’s, and gone on some great hikes.

But now it’s time to get on the road again! Next stop, the United States of America. By the way, this was always part of the plan and isn’t because of the results of the election yesterday.