The Road Less Travelled

Duffy Lake Route to the Coast...long and curvy!

One of the many old Log Cabins one finds anywhere in the Cariboo...

Did I say long and very curvy?

We took a different route to the Coast this time. The Duffy Lake Road would be treacherous in the Winter, in my opinion...there are many curves and cliffs along the way...but it is well worth taking in the Summer. So many wondrous views!

My daughter and her family were in the middle of renovating their home...the kitchen and two bathrooms were being ripped out and  re-done...and so when we arrived it was to controlled chaos.

At the Water park, it was difficult to capture Graydon in a still moment...

Graham and I have renovated many times before; therefore we completely understand the process.

But I managed..

After a restful sleep, we left the construction workers to their jobs and visited the Roger Creek Water Park...it was a truly lovely, warm day, which I really appreciated, it being quite chilly and wet in the Cariboo up to that point...

Brianna at the grand old age of three...

I watched Brianna, my granddaughter, go a little further along the path to adulthood and maturity when she was picked up from home by one of her friends who drove. No longer is there any need to beg rides to the Lake from her parents...although she doesn't as yet have her own driver's license, many of her friends have theirs.

Ahhh...independence!

It brought back memories of when my daughters found freedom from requesting a ride from parents. It was bittersweet...on the one hand, I was grateful and on the other...well, on the other, this was the beginning of their own independence, further away from me, so many years ago.

He's so active! Pictures turn out fuzzy.

Brianna is well on her way. She's in Grade 12 this coming year; she is maturing in leaps and bounds...way too fast for this grandmother!

What happened to my little girl?




And Graydon, too...He and I have discussions, now. No longer does he take everything someone says as complete and utter truth. He questions everything. He tells me the folks around him don't always like to be bothered by his questions, which centre around the "why?" category. So I countered his nonsense Why's with Why not? Given that scenario, he loved to pass on his knowledge by answering the question himself...

Maple Trees in the Park entwined for eternity...they look like they are dancing a wonderfully slow waltz...

The Park was crowded. There were children everywhere. I noticed there were young parents there whom I knew many years ago when they were youngsters themselves. Wasn't that only yesterday?

At a younger age, when my daughters were small, I never noticed the shrieks and shouts of children. Those sounds were part of my World. I'm much older now; I find myself sneaking away at times to seek some peace.

A favourite spot, in the centre of the two Trees, for hide and seek!

I remembered Roger Creek Park. It was a favourite venue for weddings and photos for special occasions. It was a park I went to when I needed the comfort the large Maple Trees give the human population.



And so I wandered away with my camera for awhile, renewing old acquaintances, still there after all these years.

Still Waters capturing reflected Trees and Sky.

The River was low and still. I remember it as being rushing and busy. But it is Summer and the River is called Roger Creek. And my memory is not what it once was. I think, too, my memories can get confused with other Rivers, other Creeks... all melding together in my mind.

Serene and peaceful Ponds...lovely, lovely Water!

But it was exactly what I needed, regardless of the Creek's stillness. I sat and stared at the Water for a long time, letting my tired body receive satiation from Mother Nature and allowing my mind surcease from problems.





When I felt the urge to go back to the playground, I felt refreshed, as is always the case when Mother Earth and I connect.

Back to the laughter of children!

The rest of our vacation passed in double quick time, as it always does. We travelled back on Hwy. 1 through the Fraser Canyon...the Duffy Lake Road made me a little dizzy with its twists and turns. It is a great alternative route, though, on the way to the Island, as it is a good hour shorter than Hwy. 1.

At least in the Summer, this road, which is less utilized than the other, more up-to-date routes, will be one we'll choose more often.


It is good to shake up complacency, sometimes, by taking a road less travelled...