new in town

[Mel]

Hi! I'm Mel. I'm a single mom with one teenage son. I like to hike and bike and generally wander around in the woods, or by the water, or in thrift stores.

We're living up by Westwood Lake, staying with family for the time being. It's not terribly convenient for getting to stores and such because I don't drive, and getting up the hill we live on on a bike is no picnic, but it is awfully nice for evening walks around the lake, or spur-of-the-moment walks to Morrell or Westwood Ridges.

I've posted on the forums before when I was visiting Nanaimo (from Ontario.) Now I've finally come to Nanaimo for good, and it is good indeed. Everyone I've met here so far is awfully friendly.

I love these forums - the photos section is my favourite. Boy, you guys are awesome photographers.

[Raen]

Hi Mel,

Welcome to Nanaimo! The Westwood area is beautiful for walks but yeah, I can see how the walk or bike ride into town would be abit of a drag!

[Gail]

Welcome to the Island! Hope things work out for you and your son.Nanaimo is a great place for outdoor activites. If you get to know someone around the area, perhaps you could "invite" yourself for a ride into town when they are headed that way?
How about the bus route? I am not up oin the sched's for the routes.but it may be a good thing to bone up on

[Mel]

Yep, I've taken to carrying a bus schedule with me practically all the time. (Although it seems faster to walk, sometimes.) I do hitch a lift with family when someone's going downtown (or wherever) but I'm going to try to ride my bike as much as I can, to work and on errands - I could use the exercise, plus a bike is non-polluting, so it's win-win. Er, except for the part where I feel like my legs are going to fall off, but maybe I'll get used to that.

[Gail]

How many times have you walked the Westwood trail now Mel I haven't been on that trail for years.....used to take the boxers for a good walk up there.now we have 1600 acres up the road that we take the dogs walking off leash.much easier!

[RyanCoffey]

Welcome to Nanaimo Mel.

A few years ago I was living in a place where I had to do about a 2km walk to get to the train station, and as the train left at a specific time and I had to catch it or be late for work ( a very big problem in my job at the time) I often ended up running like mad to make sure I made it. For about two months, I had sore/stiff legs. After that period, and progressively more so in time, my legs got used to it. In fact, they became stronger than they were even when I was a teenager. what used to make my heart pound its way through my chest, eventually made me sweat a bit and that was it.

Now, the thing is, it's going to start raining in a few months. Maybe you're the sort who doesn't care, and I respect people like that, but for most people the rain will eventually get to you.

I'm rambling aren't I? I'm nowhere near old age, yet I'm already blabbing like an old man.

[Gail]

You know.I have lived in B.C. all my life.and the rain has never bothered me? I was looking forward to the rain yesterday.actually HOPING for wet stuff to fall!
Mind you, when the days get in to the 20's for days in a row, I tend to get a little feverish We have such a lush landscape here in B.C., and the wetter the greener, I look at it that way.
We have realtives in Alberta, and they are in a constant state of marvel when they come out here.....the prairies are fabulous.but a tad monochromatic

[RyanCoffey]

It all depends on what you're used to. I grew up here and am not usually bothered by the rain, unless it lasts for a week non stop or something. I spent a few years in Nova Scotia at university, and absolutely hated the snow. I mean, passionately. (I showed up there excited about snow like most people from here, but it really didn't take long for that to change.)
I told the people out there how it rarely snows here. Some couldn't comprehend, some thought it sounded nice but many were like "But, what kind of winter doesn't have snow? That's weird. If it's not at least -15 outside in the winter, it just wouldn't feel right." (It was often -25 plus major wind in the winter out there.)

Then I moved to Osaka, and people were making a big deal about the cold when it was like 3 degrees out (yes, above zero).

LOL. I once knew someone who was from an island in the south Pacific and asked her what the coldest day she remembers was like there. She said "Once, it was so cold, we couldn't go swimming." He he... I love that one.

They're all nuts as far as I'm concerned.
I do think that our summers are the best I know of anywhere though. This one isn't going as well as they usually do, but oh well.

Ryan

[Mel]

We have such a lush landscape here in B.C., and the wetter the greener, I look at it that way.

Absolutely! I agree 100%.

Everyone keeps trying to warn me that it rains a lot, but I'll take the rain over six months of snow any day.

[Gail]

Lol.yessiree, we don't need a snowblower here We did buy a 580 Case backhoe a few years ago for work around the acreage, but it did come in handy a couple years ago for moving the white stuff off the driveways in the neighbourhood