The Country Mice

Nothing like a brisk dash through the woods to invigorate the soul and ready the blood sugar for the onslaught of holiday baking!

Saturday morning broke rather early as the family taskmaster cajoled, bribed and jovially managed to convince us that what we really wanted to accomplish by 9 a.m. — more than anything else–was an act of island solidarity requiring us to ease out from warm bedclothes into the frosty morn.

Let’s just say the taskmaster’s day job rewards him more than this particular undertaking…

See these reluctant runners?

They survived! And were happy to tell the tale!

Turns out we were joining Bowens’s annual Reindeer Run, organized by a lovely and ebullient woman, Mary Letson, who owns a fitness studio on the island, and pulls together this run (most definitely not a race) just to get people up (that would be up and out of bed, I assume) and moving in a healthy direction.

These ducks were definitely in the spirit — antlers provided with your registration fee.

The gal in the middle, fourth from the left, is the same woman I bumped into mid-market in Aix-en-Provence.

Cookies, coffee, hot chocolate and prizes for the winners participants!

Homeboy and another girl from his school actually won came in first completed the course before the rest of us sloggers and managed to take home a prize gift of a pre-assembled gingerbread house (“Just add icing!”) and as the first family (in fact we were the only family showing up in its entire nuclear glory) to finish we snagged a box of chocolates to replenish the vast amounts of energy discharged running up and down a couple of hills.

All profits from the registration benefitted the Bowen Island Christmas Hamper Fund.

The taskmaster was vindicated. Maybe we should listen to him more often…

After more than a dark week’s worth of sullen cloud and mould-inducing wet the sky’s single golden orb came out to play.

So too did a class of ten-year-olds.

In behind the fish hatchery where the Princess takes her classes on Mondays (yes, in a little decked-out room adjacent to the tanks of salmon-steaks-to-be; we’re into collaboration and co-operation on our little isle) is a flat! piece! of! land!

On this rocky Pacific outcrop, very few pieces of grass and bushy bits have the luxury of sinking their hairy little roots into anything more substantial that a couple of centimetres of earth.

These few acres of meadow are therefore a popular meeting place for dog walkers and equestrians — there’s even enough space for a white-fenced riding ring.

And on a sunny school day, what better place to refresh one’s lungs than with an impromptu mushroom hunt and soccer match.

And then, when the lunch hour is up, to follow the teacher — and her dog — back to the fish hatchery.

Fish, school… ahhh, I get it now!

At Homeboy’s school they underscore three core values — wisdom, courage and integrity — which thread through the fabric of the school culture.

I hadn’t realized such noble aspirations extended to Hallowe’en.

And while it’s always been easier to go from gal to guy I think a good fistful of bravery is required to go the other way.

Wisdom and integrity we’ll leave for another day.

I think we’ve got the courage covered.

And for the record, the Princess scored nicely with those handing out the treats in her Storybook Grandma (her label) outfit.

My mother would have had a conniption (as we kids used to say) to see herself portrayed thus, hey, Alice?