A December anniversary dinner, on an isolated Gulf Island beach. Romantic...or what? :)

Heading out for some fine dining on Saltspring Island late this afternoon.

OK, so today is our 39th anniversary (I know, we were incredibly young!) and I wanted to do something really special. I mean really special. So...what to do? Hmmm. Yes! I'll take Joan out for dinner to neighbouring Saltspring Island. There's some very elegant dining over there. And, I know an oceanfront location that will guarantee to make this evening very memorable indeed. In fact, I'm almost positive we'll have the "place" to ourselves - since we have to paddle our kayaks to get there.

The menu? Ahh, simple: Some homemade pea soup and hot chocolate, heated up on our tiny MSR stove. No point in getting fancy about the food, we're here to paddle!

I ask Joan what she thinks of the idea. (After all, it's a pretty low budget night out.) She doesn't even flinch...which is one of the many (many!) reasons I was a very fortunate guy when this special woman agreed to marry me! :)

Midway across Sansum Narrows and enjoying a "photo op".

 Leaving Maple Bay and entering into the Narrows, there were some nice rolling waves, a result of earlier brisk winds. They were fun but they didn't last long. We had to wait for a few minutes as a deep sea tug pulling a barge passed by in front of us. While we waited and as the sun set behind Maple Mountain, the sea calmed and we took a few pics before paddling on to our destination - looking forward to soup and a warm beverage.

You'd think a place with this kind of view would have "valet" parking!

Our dining venue was, indeed, deserted and we had the driftwood "furnishings" to ourselves. Heating up the soup and hot chocolate, we reflected on the meaning of "simple pleasures". Really. Life does get overly complicated...all on its own. How refreshing it is when you can just "simplify".

Love warms the heart and soul...
but soup and hot chocolate warms the body,
especially when it's just a couple of degrees above zero!

 Who would have thought that an early December paddle, some home made pea soup, and a cup of hot chocolate could bring so much pleasure...

But mainly, it's just spending life with someone very special.

39 years ago - a different time, place, and "space". It was fun too!

So there you have it, paddling to an anniversary dinner and a simple meal, on an isolated beach on a nearby Gulf Island, under clear skies and a bright moon. Romantic...or what? :))

Duncan.