Crystal's Epic Adventures

  I love this photo - a bee is flying just a little too close! August always holds a powerful place in my heart as it represents the anniversary of the day I started my life transformation. Sometimes life will throw us some serious curve balls.  All we can do is accept and be open to what comes next. Five years ago big change started in my life and I am not sure how I made it through some of those trying days back then.  With the love and support of family and friends... Today, I am one HAPPY girl!! ❤  My secret to a happy life is about continually learning about myself, my history and where I am headed.  Keeping up with the July roll, C250 Adventure Challenge August started off with a bang.   C250 Adventure Challenge #12 - Create a Vancouver stay-cation weekend and go on a city tour The first weekend of August was BC Day, making it a long weekend with 30+ degrees and blue skies weather.  While still recovering from our Downton Creek backpack, I q...

Duffy Lake Think back to life before COVID and lockdown restrictions. Does it feel like just yesterday? Or does it seem like ages and ages ago—like some distant era?  Apparently, it takes 23.9 hours for the Earth to make one rotation on its axis, but that’s not how I have been experiencing time.  Rather time has been more like something I felt or sensed, than objectively measured.  Back in the early days of the pandemic, when it became clear that the virus would upend our everyday lives, it wasn’t a stretch to assume that the coming weeks and months would be an emotional roller coaster for me. So of course I Googled it, and learned it seems our emotional state tends to play a big role in our perception of time . Bridge along Slesse Memorial trail A pen pal of mine, a wonderful lady who has struggled with mental health issues in her past, read my June Blog post and felt she needed to ask if I was okay.  Her care really struck me.  I went back and rea...

Wow, I have now completed C250 Adventure Challenge #7 - Set up another multi-day backpack TWICE.  Originally Klaus and I were really looking forward to spending the last two weeks of July in Germany with his family.  Instead, the pandemic forced the cancellation of those plans.  Both of us have been working full-time with no breaks and we still needed some time off.  So, with two more peaks to bag for my C250 Adventure Challenge #6 - Bag five new peaks this year , we decided to keep one of the weeks off and spend 4 days / 3 nights in the Downton Creek area. All of this, plus my food... ...fit nicely into my pack.   What a spectacular four days!  Everywhere you looked in any direction was stunning.  So many flowers, gorgeous sunshine and fantastic company.  Even the drive up was beautiful. Duffy Lake At first we were quite disappointed to see so many cars parked when we arrived on Sunday at the trailhead, but relieved...