We just got back from Castlegar to visit my Aunt and Uncle. More specifically, my Auntie Dee-Dee and Uncle Mark live in Ootischenia, an old Doukhobor community. They usually have chickens (maybe even a turkey) and a dog for the kids to torment, but they are downsizing. Every year they plant their "last" garden, which my Aunt then spends weeks freezing and canning.
Needless to say, the kids loved it there. Francis loves to garden, and Mark let him crush grapes, and took him fishing and golfing. "We're doing guy stuff, Mama", Francis told me. (Apparently that also included peeing into the river, which Francis thought was fabulous).
I wish I visited more often - the drive can be up to 10 hours with the kids, depending on traffic and/or how much meandering wildlife is blocking the highway. The pass was very hard for Stella -- her eardrums ruptured the next day, from the pressure I am sure. And the winding roads are hard on Francis -- on the way back he threw up 3x. Maybe just as well -- I think that the 3 of us exhausted Auntie and Mark (especially Mark, since he had 2 days of Francis, Francis and more Francis).
They live in such a beautiful place, right on the river, in the middle of the mountains. My goal this winter, now that Stella is bigger and stronger, is definitely to spend more time in the mountains.
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