BDay in BC

November 2

The big day has arrived as we knew it would when we left home a month ago.  This is Jutta’s birthday, and it is a special one…….65 years old today.   It is always my favourite time of the year, because for 5 weeks I get to say I am sleeping with an older woman…..…we look forward to a nice round of golf later this morning, and having dinner with Collingwood buddies Kathy and Rick this evening.  I have already posted my birthday greeting on FB for all to see, but just in case you missed it, “Words cannot describe my love for this woman….every year is better than the last”.

 
It is chilly today, but luckily no rain, so we head out to Highland Pacific Golf Course and get hooked up with our playing partners for the round…….initially we thought they were a couple, but turns out it is a man whose wife doesn’t play, but a single friend of her’s fills in for her, and plays with her husband all the time (plays golf with her husband).  Really nice people who play here a lot, and we realize quickly having some local knowledge is a real bonus on this track.  Initially just a two tiered driving range and practice facility, the owners decided to develop the surrounding lands they owned and create a course……….they built three holes, then expanded to nine, and eventually back in 2009, they opened up a full 18.  It is tight, interesting, with huge elevation changes, and diabolical greens.  We loved it, but scored like shit!  Deer everywhere, and on certain holes there were large flocks of geese.  While playing up a long par four towards the end of the property, we could see the next hole coming back the other way, and the fairway was covered with the critters.  All of a sudden it was like a cannon went off……huge BOOM……we looked over and saw a cloud  of smoke next to the approaching foursome’s carts, and the entire flock now taking to the air, heading for the pond below.  It was an interesting demonstration of how to clear the golf course of geese.  We figured the three geese remaining on the fairway were either deaf or just didn’t give a shit……”Seen this one before buddy”.  I think they sell cherry bombs at the pro shop here.

 
We have a quick turnaround back at Plan B…….shower, shave, put on the duds, and out the door heading over to Oak Bay to meet up with Kathy and Rick at their place……..gorgeous…….great neighbourhood east of downtown, and their place is right on Beach Rd. overlooking the Straight of Juan de Fuca.  We go for a little beach walk and check out the hood, before returning to crack open the bubbly and the celebration begins.  A surprise for Jutta is in the works, and her golf pals from GBC initiate a ZOOM call, and try to sing Happy Birthday online…….performance rating  7.5……..French judge 6.0……..my rating, a perfect 10, you guys are the best and Jutta loved it. 
Off to Vis a Vis in Oak Bay Village for drinks and eats…….perfect…..and what a really nice sub-setting close to the heart of Victoria……we really like this city more every day.  Many thanks to Kath and Rick for making this a special evening.

 
We can’t believe that we are so close to everything at the Salish RV Park……anything we Google is no more than 25km away……easy ride back from Oak Bay, and we are dying to hit the sack……..hoping the rain holds off so we can play golf tomorrow at Bear Mountain.