4 Weeks and ...

...Counting

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I was sitting by the window in the bedroom last night looking out the window. Past sunset, which is early here closer to the equator, by 7:00 the sky was dark and the city lights sparkled. It was clear enough to see 3 planes stacked up at a time, approaching the runway by the airport. The upside down quarter moon was shining through a bit of high cloud haze.Through my binoculars I watched the nightly fireworks way way out by Manila Bay.

I've already talked about the view as way up there on the list of things I appreciate here and the fireworks are part of that. The best night here by far was last New Year's Eve - what a blast - literally. I am SO glad we decided to stay in Manila to see that.

We are now weeks away from leaving. The movers come in 2 1/2 weeks to start packing, in 3 1/2 weeks they load everything on a truck and take it away to put in storage for 2 months. In 4 weeks and 2 days I'll be on a plane heading for Vancouver Island. For good this time.

I've timed my departure to arrive at my favorite spot by the water in Victoria on July 4th, American Independence Day. Why? The Fireworks. The house faces San Juan Island on the American side of the Strait and I intend to be sitting outside that night with my binoculars watching the show, as I did last year. You can see several different Fourth of July fireworks celebrations going off from different parts of the island. Impressive, even from such a distance. Of course arriving after a voyage of 18 hours, I may have to prop my eyelids open.

It's time to leave. That's starting to sink in now. On Friday afternoon I returned to mah jong after an absence of several weeks to find that more people are leaving. This past year has been hard with so many friends departing. People are hosting going away lunches and dinners for us this month and "good byes" are starting. Meanwhile although I'm still straddling the Pacific as it were, a foot on each side (what an image, inner thigh burn) my attention is turning more and more to the other side. My internet prowling is starting to move away from Asia (although there are a couple of sites I will follow for some time, I'm sure) to searching Vancouver Island. I'm sad to leave Asia, very sad, but at the same time my new home is starting to spark some interest. Summer events are starting to appear in my calendar and I'm finding places I'd like to visit including a couple of Northern Gulf Islands not too far from us.

I think there is another great adventure in my future. Soon come.