My favourite run several years ago was to run the loop road around Mayne Island. I was training to run a marathon in Seattle with my son, Shelby. I used to do it in an hour and fifteen minutes. But when the pain in my legs became too intense my doctor told me I needed to listen to my body. Was it telling me to stop hurting myself?
We asked our next door neighbour to join us in a walk around the island last week... and he said he could only go for part of it... and then had another commitment he needed to keep.
We hiked this loop road again today (highlighted in yellow)... with not as many side tours as last week. Today it was 3 hours and 40 minutes... 10 miles (16 km.) start and finish from the star on Heck Hill and back. My Surge watch is showing 132 floors climbed today. The new World Trade Centre has 105 floors.
I have an interest in sketching Mayne Island barns... so have been going out of my way to take pictures that I can later sketch... or paint in watercolour.
We walked down Simpson Road to get a good angle on this red barn... which is likely the most awesome barn on this island! This barn has some serious renovations.
When this was Punch's farm, there were no skylights in the roof.
Last week I took this shot of the red barn. Love the fence... but didn't quite get enough of the barn.
But this week I crossed the fence to get a clearer angle on the barn. Much better for a sketch or watercolour. Now I will try putting the best of each photo in to the final sketch.
Memories of my father are awakened when I see old farm equipment... he used to enjoy collecting it. He always had a story to tell about how he remembered the first time when...
This commercial building has a number of interesting artsy shops and a restaurant ...
And on the lawn outside the cafe Terrill Welsh was starting an oil painting demonstration.
We stopped and sat at a table here at Farm Gate for a short break and a snack.
I noticed that we were not the only ones stopping for a break.
Spring on Mayne Island is in full swing...
But it still is not all that warm out... we still need our jacket to be comfortable.
Our Mayne Island School has a lovely level play field...
How fitting that that the children here grow up with art decorating their school house. This is just one artsy island.
And just across the street is our Health Centre, Ambulance Service and Fire Station, all side by side.
A major reconstruction of the Fire Hall is under full swing... and it looks like the fire trucks have temporary cover under this tent next to the construction trailer.
It was a major trick to take down the old fire hall in order to rebuild... but they have it well on the way to completion, scheduled for this summer.
It just happened that last weekend all the artists had their studios open...
So we stopped in to see what creative things they were working on. This is an artistic glass design water feature... so I asked Michael Anthony and Bill Jamieson for a picture of them by their work.
They do some really cool stuff... and their quality is amazing.
Michael was cutting out the letters (upside down and backwards) for a glass baptismal font. The quality of their work is truly awesome!
I'm glad we weren't in a hurry... there were so many good things to stop and see along our hike. A number of artists had work on display in the Ag Hall.
At the park beside the Ag Hall, where the Farmer's Market starts end of May, they were doing some live music... a Mayne Island kind of thing.
Toby Snelgrove has his photography on display in this house.
We stopped at the grocery store and picked up a couple of oranges, apples, bananas and some strawberries. There was enough room in my backpack for everything but the strawberries.
I asked these two boys if I could take their picture... aren't they cool? Who says you can only do this on Halloween?
Trees in bloom... I love the colour.
This is the most Un-Re/Max office I know of... it's so tiny. I'm used to seeing these real estate offices with lots of agents... 50 to 100... But this is Mayne Island... and things are much more laid back.
Nothing happening at the moment at the ferry terminal... but we have one of the best queuing arrangements of any of the small islands.
Besides being farmers and living their dream, both Garry and Diane had their creative works on display.
Diane had paintings hung around the fence in the garden and on the barn wall...
And we went upstairs in the barn to see Garry's photography... a large selection of Black and White's were very impressive... as we'll as some colour pieces. It was the greatest surprise of the day.
Several years ago Garry ran the excavator to level up our meadowland... but he started doing photography three years ago and his work is very creative.
I used this photo as the inspiration for a sketch.
"Strangely enough, with minimum clues the viewer's mind tends to complete the best image it can. The viewer, in turn thinks you are a wonderful artist." -Gordon MacKenzie
The goal is to see how much you can leave out and still tell the story. The trick is to stop before you wreck it by doing too much.
