Hi there! We’ve had a really fantastic summer week around here, enjoying our new kayak and this beautiful place we live. This week has been:
Monday:
We tested out the kayak by paddling across Sechelt Inlet to Piper Point. The girls and I had never been there before but Peter camped with friends at this spot last year. We spent several hours, exploring and swimming, and then made it back in time for a playdate (and ice cream) at the park with a friend.
Tuesday:
Every week we pick up a box of fresh fruit and veggies from various farms here on the Coast. Our local pick-up spot happens to be the cidery in our neighbourhood. This week we walked there together, stopping on the way to get slashes at the corner store for the girls. (Coupons thanks to a lovely EA at Pearl’s school.) Pearl and Rose drank their slushies while Peter and I had grown-up drinks in the orchard at the cidery before walking home again.
Wednesday:
The girls got to have a sleepover at their grandparents’ which meant Peter and I got a date night! We started with happy hour at a new local restaurant, The Porch. We shared some appetizers, sat in the sunshine, and had a drink. From there we launched the kayak once more (we had yet to take it off the roof of our car at this point!) and paddled up the inlet to Tuwanek Point. This is another camping spot but we just hung out for a while before paddling back. Quick clean up and we went for a late dinner at El Segundo in Sechelt.
Thursday:
A slow morning without little people waking us up early. We picked up the girls in time for low tide at the beach and had some fun at the sandbar before heading to Gibsons for our friends’ daughter’s birthday. It was lovely to be together with a bunch of friends, some of whom we haven’t seen hardly at all in the past year.
Friday:
Started off with a bang when I got my second COVID vaccine shot. It feels amazing to have both done and to soon have full protection. From the clinic I went straight to work and after work met friends for our monthly ladies night. This time we tried out another new restaurant in Sechelt, the 22 Taphouse. It’s been such a gift this year to have this group of friends and to prioritize time together.
Like my first dose, my arm felt very sore after my shot. This time though, the vaccine definitely hit me harder. I woke up a few times in the night on Friday and felt awful and then in the morning felt pretty miserable. I went into work and did okay for most of the day but left early when a headache hit me hard in the afternoon. Saturday evening I felt aches and chills and went to bed early. By Sunday my arm was still a bit sore but I feel otherwise back to normal. We have 3 other friends who got their second doses the same day I did and 3 out of the 4 of us felt pretty miserable. Still definitely worth it!
We also had Bella the Dog staying with us Friday and Saturday and though I didn’t spend much time with her, Peter and the girls went on some nice walks.
We are now gearing up for our next adventures and continuing to enjoy summer on the Sunshine Coast. Hope you are all having a great week too!
Karissa Reads Books 
I feel like I always get the weirdest side effects from medicines and vaccines. I only know a couple of people who, like me, got a big, swollen armpit on the arm where I got the second dose (I didn’t have any side effects from the first). Right now, the big news in the U.S. is that republican governors are finally getting on board with the message about the vaccine because so many of their constituents are dying from the Delta variant, and the hospitals are full to the point of cancelling elective surgeries. Because there is a breakthrough COVID case every so often, vaccinated people are panicking, too. It all feels like I’m going backward.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a side effect from a vaccine. This one ended up hitting me hard on the 2nd night but I don’t think I know anyone who got a swollen armpit like you.
I’ve heard about the republican leaders (finally!) pushing for constituents to get vaccinated. Canada is kind of using certain states as a cautionary tale right now, like a “See what happens when you don’t get vaccinated?” I’m having trouble keeping me cool these days when I hear people in my own community who say they don’t see the point in getting vaccinated. As long as those under 12 can’t be vaccinated, herd immunity is their best protection, plus adults who can’t get the shot for various reasons.
A few minutes ago I watched a time lapse video of covid cases in the U.S., and you can see how the southern states get redder and redder (which, ironically, is the color of the republican party, and these are all republican-led states). I have to wonder if republican leaders are now getting on board because it’s largely their constituents who are dying.
I know it’s become a political issue but I just don’t get why. We have it a bit here too. Some of our more conservative areas in the province are seeing some rising numbers again due to low vaccinations rates. It’s just so strange that a public health issue can become this polarized!