it's amazing that we found any of this, really, because the driver (that'd be me) got us lost. i guess previously i turned in a different direction at the t-intersection, i don't know, i don't drive much. i was looking for the parking lot near the meadow that's easy to cross and get to the ocean path with the petroglyphs along aways. (a good wilderness hike would have been most enjoyable, but they're octogenarians and so we compromise.) lucky for us, and with thanks to the sunday day after valentine birthday driving spirits, we ended up at a trailhead that conveniently lead along an 'all ability' pathway with a beach half an hour later (approximately, according to the crd sign and no need to pay for parking because maybe some areas of government can actually, and without any legitimate criticism, distribute taxes collectively thank you very much). it was a bit of magic, to be sure, ending up in that place, considering how very lost i had assumed we were.
east sooke park is a good chunk of wilderness, i realized as i was driving along it, passing the partially cleared lots and 'for sale' signs. i'll bet there are lots of good hikes at east sooke park. it's almost as impressive as the bear mountain wilderness. almost. too bad it's so difficult to access without a motorized vehicle, otherwise i'd definitely be there more often. oh well, c'est la vie, that's life.
so there we were, hiking along a very pleasant green corridor, surrounded by some ancient forest and some younger forest and lots of ferns and lichens and a bit of clean running water here and there, and about a third of the way along the path i realized i'd left my camera kit in the car. and it's my step-dad's 84th birthday. who knows how many more of these there might be, and how many sunny days with a car and able mobility. darn it. i was offered the opportunity to run back and get the camera, but i instead offered up the excuse that i connect the camera kit with 'work' and it just slipped my mind to bring it and besides, mom suggested, the photo's never quite the same as the real thing. so we were all in agreement that it wasn't a big deal and the only memories we have, of my step-father's 84th birthday, aside from the experience itself, is an agreement that next year we oughta do something similar.
i wonder what the world will look like if/when i reach my 84th birthday? will there be any wilderness left to contemplate? some days it seems like we'll be lucky if we can stroll the gardens of bear mountain, if such things even exist (which i don't think they do). other days i wonder what new york city would be without central park, or vancouver without stanley park etc etc etcetera.
