The Morning Commute

It has been awkward adjusting to the shorter days, long evenings and darkness. The rainy season is now officially upon us, which means more time in front of the fire and making sure that the property is prepared for winter. The morning commute is the theme of this post, as I struggle to find the rhythm of nature in my sleep/wake cycle now that the clocks have been adjusted. Early to bed and early to rise, which is very different from the spring and summer months, in which you find yourself taking advantage of the longer days. However, using my recent trip to Victoria as a point of reference I have come up with the following based on a simple conversation.

The morning starts early these days (4:30 am). I walk downstairs from the second floor in which we sleep to hear or see the cat clawing at the front door "please let me in!" Once Perky is inside and the coffee machine is turned on to warm-up the day is started. I am still in the mode of running to the computer to log-on and catch up. However, this will soon be replaced with reading and/or exercising. The time in the morning on the laptop to read papers online and do some work related research comes when the house is most peaceful. After a short period of time, I will usually make my way to the coffee machine and prepare the morning latte.

When the morning latter is in hand, I am off to the hot tub. Pitch black. Roosters crowing and even the presence of a resident barn owl has been kind enough to say good morning. The time relaxing in the hot tub, under the stars, in the rain or beneath a covered sky is the most rewarding way to start anyday. Calm and peaceful thoughts roll through my mind as I prepare for the morning and finish the morning latte (usually cold by the time I have soaked long enough in the tub). Back inside to start the fire and think about the rest of the house waking up. Allow me to reinforce "think," for there are others in the home who do not enjoy early mornings in the same fashion as myself.

So, why do I write this?

It is very simple. The other day I was speaking with a colleague in Victoria who had a lot of questions about living on a Gulf Island. These were introspective questions, as he asked more he thought more. Eventually concluding with statements such as:

" I bet the morning commute is much more relaxing"

" It must be nice not too have all of the distractions and focus clearly"

" Are there a lot of deer on the island?"

"What is the cycling like?"

With these simple questions I could see the smoke coming out of his ears as he was evaluating the benefits enjoyed by making the break. Make the break from what we have all come to accept as our common or familiar routine. The magic of the Gulf Islands comes for most during the summer months. The months in which thousands flock to Hornby Island and cannot recall ever being to Denman Island (for some reason, most admit that they have heard about it). The beauty of Gulf Island living extends for the locals on a year round basis, not simply the months with sun (perhaps my next entry will start to evolve with the benefits of raising children on the Gulf Islands!).

Eventually, the rest of the house will wake up. Slowly and quietly. I will proceed to feed the pigs, let the chickens out and check on the sheep before heading into the office. The office is 7-minutes away, 8 minutes with traffic and always a refreshing experience (considering I have commuted through downtown Toronto in times past). The Gulf Islands have a lot to offer for young and old- stay tuned!