It’s been a long, stormy week. Last Friday we had a power out. We worked by candle light and headlamps. Our dinner was cooked on a camp stove—there is so much you can do with one of those little things, although baking fresh bread is not one of those things. For us, Saturday was relatively uneventful. Sunday, two other girls and I headed into Vancouver to hear J.I. Packer speak. We tried to catch the 2:30 ferry back to Bowen Island, but there were “technical difficulties.” The employee told us that we could park the car over-night and take the water taxi back to the island—we would just have to wait because moving everyone would be “kind of like Tetris.” We waited in the queue for about half an hour before we were able to squiggle the car back out and park it in the garage. We met two other L’Abri unfortunates stranded on the Vancouver side with us. We followed them to the water-taxi line and waited. . .for almost three hours in the rain. Arriving in Snug Cove, we called for a ride (car’s back in Vancouver) and drip-dried in the local market till it arrived.
Monday I headed back to pick up the car with Mark, the other driver: another day of the run-around, almost too painful to recount. Apparently, even though the signs say take exit four to go back to the ferry, you can’t actually take exit four, and all the ferry workers know this, although they continue to encourage lost souls to trust the signs to bring them safely back. In any event, we arrived safely home.
Wednesday we had another power out that lasted past supper-time. We worked on the house using just the ambient light to fill in the insulation and vapor-barriers. Power-tools were of course out of the question. Again, we had to haul water to flush toilets and kept the wood stove burning for heat. The ferries were down, and as the water was too rough for any vessel, even the water taxis were docked. I felt imprisoned by the water barrier.
Yesterday we had another brief flicker of the lights, but fortunately the electricity held. Vancouver is much worse off than we. Apparently the water is shut off city-wide as the sewer line is leeching into the main line. Power is out in patches and the public transportation is way behind. I guess it could always be worse.

New Steps!

So Yesterday we had a house tennis tournament. Surprisingly, everyone was gung-ho; only one of us had played much before. I was pumped! Then I realized I don't even know if I play left-handed or right-handed. I decided I would just play the same as my partner--who turned out to be a southpaw swinging righty. We got to the courts and strung webbing between the poles to simulate a net. Raquets were handed out, and our star tennis player gave us a quick lesson in basic rules (which we bent at times). Without further ado, we took to the courts. We probably should have stretched, but no one sustained any major injuries. Doug and I advanced to the semi-finals, which will take place at some later date. Wish me well!

The Daily Grind

After breakfast, morning work varies daily. I am developing skills at ditch-digging, sewing and fine tuning my cleaning methods. Yesterday I burrowed into the huge brush pile and built small ready-to-light fires. My new calling may be to pyrotechnic engineering. After this labor, we are rewarded with a hearty lunch. Lunch time is our intentional discussion times. Topics range from economics, to trust, to immigration, to vocation. I think this is the time that feels most like family time. Following lunch, we have "study time." I am reading The Idiot. Then the bell rings for dinner.