South on TransCanada Highway 1 to the Ferry: Oct 18

I make a morning portrait of Art before we load up and leave Rathtrevor.

Today we're driving to Sydney, where we'll pick up the ferry tomorrow to Anacortes, Washington. As Art pulls onto the freeway and merges, we realize it's the Monday morning rush and I can actually feel my super-low blood pressure rise slightly.

We're entering a different world, populated not by the hawklike bird who sat in a tree this morning above the camper and make ka-chuck noises, but by giant malls with Home Depots and Walmarts and higher speed limits than on secondary roads. Not to mention grotesque billboards.

The visual shock of seeing structures everywhere is surprisingly jolting. In nature, the eye mostly rests.

Once when we were positioning to meet a morning ferry time we stayed farther away and had to hoist ourselves to make the deadline. Now we park where we did last time--at Cedarwood, right on the water and just several blocks from the ferry loading dock.

Water view from the balcony isn't bad, plus they have full laundry facilities and good internet connection.

Also, a kitchen with the room. Eggs and pastured beef breakfast sausages for dinner--meh. Wouldn't buy them again.

I repair to my Scrabble jammies to do the laundry and write to you...