Monday, March 30, 2009

lake of spirits


Horse chestnuts. Photo by Tim Lyon


When I came across this pic of horse chestnuts, it reminded me of that little hamlet on Vancouver Island where my friends Gary and Glynis live.

I met them in 1987 when I lived out there with Jamie's dad, and visited them every year, even after our break-up. I introduced Dale to them in 1991, and they drove the thirteen hundred kilometers to attend our wedding in 1993. Every year after, Dale, Jamie and I would either drive, or in later years, fly out to the island to visit.

We'd always take a walk around town because it was so fascinating - one hundred people living in thirty or so houses, which had all been brought in on trains and unceremoniously dumped to the sides of the railroad tracks for loggers and mill workers.

The owners of the mill, originating from the UK, brought with them a huge supply of horse chestnut trees which they planted in rows along the tiny "main street". Each tree has a stake with a plaque, commemorating the dates they were planted and for whom.

You can read more about Mesachie Lake here. Scroll down a bit to the picture captioned Bear Lake Park, and you can see the dock where Bill and I were married in 2007.

Have a good Monday.

12 comments:

  1. :) I hope you have a wonderful week.I have missed you.

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  2. Interesting little village! I've been wanting to go to Mara Lake, have you ever been there?

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  3. I had to look it up, but yes, I think I was there when Jamie was a baby. We were driving through Vernon and decided to stop. Bill and I stopped near Enderby on our way back from getting married.
    BTW, have you seen the blog, Cake Wrecks? I often wonder what you'd think of some of those cake monstrosities, lol.

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  4. we have many chest nut trees around where I live. I had a fruitless one planted in my former yard (where my ex still lives) because it had such beautiful pint blossoms.

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  5. What a beautiful place to have gotten married!Thanks for sharing -I'd never heard of that place before. Canada is filled with such beautiful places. I look forward to discovering some of them with my family:)

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  6. What a stunning place. Lovely picture as well.

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  7. i've never been to vancouver and i've heard that it's really beautiful there. someday i'll go and see the place.

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  8. That is stunning - a perfect spot to get hitched

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  9. Planting a tree is such an awesome way to memorialize someone or some thing. Chestnuts are so cool because within the shell they hold yet another tree ready to be born.

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  10. That's a pretty park and Lake. I like that I saw picnic tables there too. :) Nice place to get married.

    Back in Michigan we have horse-chestnut trees too. I like the hazelnut trees the best, good eating.

    Was fun to take along small paper bags and collect them, along side of the country roads.

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  11. My Monday is nearly shot, so have a great Tuesday, Kate!

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  12. :) I clicked a link to Cake Wrecks on here! That's a fun page. My kids were just asking me what I would do if I had an order for a truly awful cake. Like a pregnant belly cake for a baby shower. I said I would probably point out that they would be cutting into the pregnant belly (or beloved pet or whatever) and eating it, and ask if they were sure that's what they wanted to do at their celebration.

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