Brisky Comes Home

The trip home from Port Hardy was seemed to take forever. The Nanaimo ferries were all booked so we had to drive all the way to Victoria. After arriving in Vamcouver we dropped Uncle Andy's fish cooler off at his home, had a good but short visit with Uncle Jonathan and then started on the long journey home very late in the evening. I had to listen to a snoring bear and dog for most of the way. Listening to someone sleeping tends to make me sleepy too, so I stopped to have a nap around 2am and then started driving again at 4am. 

As we got got closer to Vernon, Brisky and Trooper woke up and asked "Are we there yet?"  "Almost", I said. "We should be home in about 10 minutes, around 8am". 

"Yay!!!!", they shouted. "We get to see Grandma and Jack and Josiah and Evelyn and Lucy and Jasper again!"

"Well, you should be able to see most of them", I explained, "but Lucy and Jasper are further away since they live in Calgary". "Maybe next time".  They seemed to be okay with that but they sure miss Lucy and Jasper. 

As we drove into the driveway and stopped the car, they got out of their seatbelt and ran straight to the front door and rang the doorbell.  Soon they could hear footsteps and Trooper said "That sounds like Grandma's footsteps!"  

The front door opened and they both shouted together "Hi Grandma!  We're back! We missed you!"

Grandma picked them up and they gave each other a big hug. Brisky gave Grandma a Brisky Bear Hug. Trooper licked Grandma's face. 

Then, the two of them started telling Grandma all about their fishing trip. About the whales they saw, the food they ate, the people they met and most of all, about the fish they caught. Then, an argument arose about who caught the bigger fish. To stop the argument, Grandma gave them both a Really big hug. 

When they went into the house, the argument about who caught the bigger fish continued and before long, they started wrestling on the carpet in the living room, laughing and tickling one another. 

It was good that they did that because it freed up Grandma's arms so we could give each other a big hug and a big kiss. I sure missed Grandma. Yup, there's no place like home!
 

 
 

 

Brisky learns to ask

We were on our way home now and Trooper was talking non-stop. I think he was hyper from the ice cream they ate. 

Brisky, however, was pretty quiet. We talked and he soon opened up a bit and then started crying. He was upset at himself for not asking Uncle Andy if he could drive the boat. Through sniffles and tears he told how much he desperately wanted to drive it but was afraid Uncle Andy would say no and he said "If he said no to me, I might start crying right in front of Uncle Matthew and there's no place on a 26 foot boat to hide."  I snuggled him close and Trooper put his arm around Brisky's shoulder to comfort him. It was nice time to have a good friend nearby. The truck was quiet for quite a while after that. Every now and again their was a little bear sniff, as Brisky's tears made his nose wet. Trooper gave him a Kleenex and he wiped his tears, blew his little bear nose, flopped his little bear paws on his lap and sniffed "I just have to be more courageous, I suppose". "Bears are supposed to be courageous, I think". 

Trooper nodded in agreement and said "I think your courageous Brisky". 

We drove on in silence and the two of them fell asleep on the long drive to the ferry in Victoria, snoring occasionally, like little bears and dogs usually do. 

They woke up when they heard the ferry honk it's loud horn. "What's that?!" They asked. I said, "That's the ferry, see, it's coming in right now and we're going to be traveling to Vancouver on it." The last time they were on the ferry it was dark so they didn't get to see what it looked it. 

"It's HUGE!!", they both exclaimed. "Wow!", Trooper said, "Now there's a boat to drive!"  We all laughed and I told them it's called "The Spirit of British Columbia and can carry 470 vehicles and 2,100 passengers".  

When we got on board we walked around on the ship and I showed them all the different places and the people who worked on the boat.  They were interested to know what the people who had uniforms did for their jobs, so I explained it to them and in some cases they talked with them and asked them questions. 

We came to a little room that had a sign on it that said "Chief Steward's Office". Brisky asked him all kinds of questions and in doing so, found out that he is basically in charge of most things except driving the ship, which is done by the Captain and the First Officer. 

Brisky looked a bit nervous at that point and he took a deep breath in and asked "Can I drive the boat?"  Second Steward Steve said only the captain is allowed to drive the boat and nobody is allowed to even go onto that deck and no one is even allowed to speak to the captain. Brisky looked and at me and Trooper and then back at the Second Steward Steve. He took a deep breath in, stuck out his chest and said "Could you please do me a favour and ask the captain if I can speak with him?  I'd like to ask him if I can drive this boat."  The Steward smiled and said, "I can ask him if you want, but I don't know if he will allow you". Brisky answered, "Well, I suppose you'll never know unless you ask, will you?"  "I suppose you're right", Second Steward Steve said. "Come with me, but don't get you're hopes up". 

We went up some stairs and then through a door that said "Staff only beyond this point" and then up some more stairs until we were at the very top of the boat. Then we walked until we came to the front of the boat and there were signs that said "DO NOT ENTER" and the Chief Steward walked us through.  Then we walked up another flight of stairs and came to a door that said "NO ADMITTANCE - Captain and navigating crew only". 

The Steward asked me to stay outside and he went inside. A little while later he came out and said "The Captain would like to meet Brisky and Trooper". Grandpa , you must stay here until the Captain calls for you. I waited outside wondering what was going on inside. I was afraid that Brisky would be inside scared and maybe even crying. I was glad that Trooper Dog was there to comfort him. 

A few minutes later the Steward came out and said Captain Jody  and Secind Officer Peter would like to see me now. I got my handkerchief out of my pocket so it would be ready to blow  a little bear's nose. When I came in, this is what I saw;

Brisky and Trooper were on Captain Jody's lap, helping him drive the boat!!! 

Captain Jody said, "Hello Grandpa, you have some very nice nice and very polite friends here. The politely asked if they could drive the boat and I'm proud to say that I think this is the first time a bear and a dog have ever driven a BC Ferry!" 

Then, Captain Jody asked if they'd like to sit in the chair of Second Officer and drive the boat on their own for a few minutes. They gladly agreed and sat quietly in the leather chair. Brisky called out "LEFT FULL RUDDER!" and then Trooper called out "RIGHT FULL RUDDER!" 

Brisky called out "WARP SPEED, MR. ZULU!"

The captain laughed and Second Mate whispered to them "I don't think we can go quite that fast". 

Later, Second Mate Peter showed them the navigation system. It was a big screen with a map of where the boat was    

And then he showed them the power system;

The two pals sat on the power system for quite a while and enjoyed the view. They could see the whole room from their spot on the power system.  Every now and again Captain Jody would give them instructions on where and when to turn. Unlike Uncle Andy's boat, there was no steering wheel on this ship.  No steering wheel like they have on pirates ships, that are round and have handles on them that stick out and you can grab the handles and steer the ship with them. 

Nope, nothing like that. They just have buttons and dials and levers. 

After a while, the Chied Steward said it was time to go and the boys thanked them and shook the Captain's hand and said they would never forget the day that they drove the "Spirit of British Columbia!" 

As we were leaving Trooper Dog gave Brisky a big hug and thanked him for being such a courageous bear!  

And I agree. 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Brisky doesn't ask

We were having a lovely time fishing, cruising, eating, and sightseeing on our beautiful BC coast. Brisky, however, was looking a bit sad. I asked him if he was okay and he said just shrugged his shoulders. "What's wrong?", I asked. 

"Nothing" he said, "Except, I was just wondering how come Uncle Andy won't let me drive the boat". 

"Did you ask him, Brisky?"

"No" Brisky answered, "I just thought he would let me drive, that's all". 

"Well", I said, "How is Uncle Andy supposed to know if you don't ask him?" 

"Can you ask him for me, Grandpa?"

"I could", I answered, "But I think you're old enough to ask him yourself". "If you don't ask him, you'll never know whether he'll let you or not". "However, you need to know that driving a boat is a big responsibility. You have to have good eyes and watch out for floating logs that could damage the boat.  If you see someghing dangerous, you need to quickly steer the boat away from it. Can you do that?"

"Yes, I certainly can", Brisky answered "Ans I have Trooper and his excellent eyes to help me watch out for the logs". 

"Okay then", I said, "As soon as you feel ready, you ask Uncle Andy, okay?"

"Okay" Brisky said. 

But he didn't ask him. 

Maybe he was afraid, or maybe he just didn't feel ready yet. Another day went by and now we were back on the shore and the boat was taken out of the water and was back on the trailer. No more chances to drive the boat anymore, at least not on this trip.  Poor Brisky!  

 

 

Brisky and Trooper Watch Whales

The good buddies Brisky and Trooper were hoping to see some whales on this trip and they were not disappointed. They  probably saw around 10 sightings of whales and a couple of times they were very close. The trouble with seeing whales though is that they come up and you see them and then run and get your camera ready to take a photo of them but they dive down deep into the ocean water and can stay under the water for a long time, usually about 5 minutes or so. When they come back up again they can be far away from where you are so it's hard to get a good photo. 

Nonetheless, Brisky and Trooper sat for a long time waiting to get another glimpse of the whales. 

Usually, they were humpback whales and there would be two of them together. It might have been a mother with a very big baby whale. When they come to the surface to breathe, they shoot a tall spray of water out of the blowhole which is 

located on the top of their backs.

 Brisky and Trooper watched for whale "spouts" when they come up to breathe. 

 One time, they came right out of the water and made a big splash!

 Brisky and Trooper stayed sitting on the front of the boat for a long time, even after the whales were long gone. We have a very beautiful coast here in BC and it is wonderful to see so many of God's beautiful creatures. 

 

 
 

Brisky gets his way

We were driving back from Port Hardy and after we passed Sayward BC, I could hear Brisky and Trooper whispering to each other. Then they both looked up at me and Brisky said "My, you sure are a good driver, Grandpa!  We haven't had a single accident this whole trip"  "Thank you, Brisky", I replied. 

Then Trooper said, "You sure are a good fisherman, Grandpa!  Maybe even the best fisherman in the whole world!"  

"Better than Uncle Matthew?", I asked. 

There was a bit of a hesitation and he said "Yup, because you netted every single fish perfectly". 

There was a moment of silence and Brisky said "Grandpa, you're a really good cook, too. Maybe even the best cook in the whole world!"  "Better than Grandma?" I asked. There was a long pause and then they whispered to each other and Brisky said, "In some things you are. Like the halibut you cooked up and that breakfast with the eggs and hash browns".  

"Yes, I guess that was a good breakfast, wasn't it", I responded. 
 

Then Trooper joined in "And the surf and turf steak and salmon dinner and the grilled cheese sandwiches and the Blueberry pie, and the ..." 

"Okay, okay, I get it" I interrupted, "But I didn't make that blueberry pie. I bought it."   

Brisky responded with "But if you had baked it, I'll bet it would be even better that that one you bought and that one was pretty good!"

Something was going on. They don't normally give out compliments like this. "Come on guys, what's going on? You can't mean all this stuff." 

They both said "What are talking about?  Of course we mean it. You're the best!"

Then Trooper looked up at me and said, "You know, you look really handsome today. You have that rugged unshaven look like the movie stars. I think it really suits you."

"No it doesn't!" I said. "It makes me look like a bum". 

Brisky and Trooper laughed. Trooper said "That's not true. You look great. Let me take a photo of you and see for yourself".  "Pull over at the next road and I'll take a photo". 

"No way", I said. "We have to keep going so we don't miss the ferry."  

They looked at each other and I could see they had a worried, almost panicked look on their faces. Then Brisky said "Oh, look up ahead, there's a good place to pull over so I can take that photo".  Again I disagreed and said we had to keep going. 

Then Trooper yelped and said "I have to go to the bathroom NOW!  RIGHT NOW!"

I quickly pulled over just in time to be able to get into the little road or driveway of a cafe. Trooper took the camera and jumped out and said "Let's take that photo now" and Brisky jumped up onto my shoulder and said "Say cheese".  Trooper took a photo. 

"I thought you had to go to the bathroom, Trooper?"  "Not any more" he answered. "I think the fresh air has helped". "Oh look" Trooper asked, "Isn't that the place where we got our ice cream cone last time?"  

Suddenly, everything was becoming clear to me. They were softening me up to get another ice cream cone. The place where Trooper just HAD to go to the bathroom just happened to be Tammy's Cafe, home of the best ice cream cones on the planet. 

"Okay, guys. I see what you were up to now. You just wanted an ice cream cone, didn't you?"  They looked embarrassed and with the saddest eyes Trooper could produce, he said "Please?"  Brisky did the same but he didn't have as sad looking eyes as Trooper. "Pretty please". "Pretty, pretty please?"

Looking at those cute little creatures was too much for me. It reminded me of my own kids when they were little. I just couldn't resist. "Okay, but you'll have to share again". I tried to sound like I was in control but it was very clear that they got the best of me.  This time they looked at the menu and ordered a double scoop Rocky Mountain Raspberry and Espresso Flakes. 

I have to admit that I had a few licks of that delicious ice cream cone too!

 

 

 

 

 

Brisky goes ashore

Brisky and Trooper were very exited that they were able to go ashore after two whole days on the boat. We went ashore at the Duncanby Lodge & Marina to get bait and fuel. There's was so much for them to see and do. 

First, they spent some time just smelling the flowers. Brisky loves flowers, and is always on the lookout for ones with a heavenly smell and bright colours. Sometimes he even eats them when nobody is looking but he has to be careful because some of them can make him very sick. 

Trooper likes flowers too and can often be seen smelling one flower after another. However, his reason for smelling them is quite different. Trooper has such a sensitive nose that he can actually smell bees and can smell whether the bee is from a hive that has lots of honey in it or not. If he smells a good honey bee, he uses his good sight to watch where the bee flies and sometimes can show his best friend, Brisky, where he can find some fresh honey. There were no honey bees in the flowers at Duncanby Lodge though, so this time he just enjoyed their bright colours and nice smells. 

After the flowers, they watched the fishing guides cleaning and preparing the fish. They were very fast at what they were doing and both Brisky and Trooper were very impressed at how carefully they treated the fish. The laughed and joked with each other while they were working and it made Trooper wish he was a fishing guide. He said "I would love to have a job where I could watch the rod tips all day long and tell them when there's a fish in the line". Brisky said "I think it would be boring unless I was able to eat the fish whenever I wanted to". 

Then Brisky and Trooper walked around and spoke to the nice people who worked there and some of the visitors who were there fishing and enjoying the beautiful surroundings. What a nice place to have a vacation!

They didn't want to leave and neither did we. 

Duncanby Lodge is a jewel on our beautiful west coast.  It was hard to say goodbye to the people there but we had to leave and Brisky and Trooper sadly waved goodbye to all their new friends as we drove the boat away to do some more fishing. 
 

 

 
 

Brisky Bears Bad Weather

Poor Brisky and Trooper. We had some bad weather and the seas were quite rough. They loved to watch as the big waves came right over the bow of the boat and sprayed seawater on the windshield and all over the deck. 

 That was great fun, for a while. But looking out the window at the tossing seas and big waves, along with "rollers" which are even bigger waves which lift the boat high and then come down quickly, was a bit too much for them. The rollers lifted the boat up high, and then came down quickly, over and over and over again. 

Poor little Brisky. Poor little Trooper.  They were getting seasick. Their fur started looking almost green, they were so sick. Then Brisky looked at me and said "I think I'm going to throw up!"  Trooper said "Me too!"

I quickly grabbed the two of them and placed them outside the window on the sill so that the didn't throw up inside the boat cabin. 

Afterwards, the two of them came inside and lay down on the bunk, wishing they were on land. Poor little fellas!