Birds and Boots

If you don't believe in magic, then perhaps you have never been to an old growth forest. It is here where you will find magic – the mosses, the mushrooms and the canopy of trees. If you look to the age of a grandmother's house or the greying dog that has been by your side since you were born, it is hard to imagine how the trees in an old growth forest are six to seven hundred years older. Trees here have reached the sky and jumped into the painting that is life. They have survived forest fires, floods, winter storms, humans and time itself. Even the ones that didn't make it still go on providing life for the forest floor – with a love and generosity only nature could understand.

We slept in our van and studied the forest by both eyes and feet. We rose early and hiked through tree roots and wild animal territory until we found swimming holes or places to gaze upon. By six in the evening, we retired our legs and came to the campground to cook dinner. Some meals were palatable, most of them came from a can and tasted downright dull. For every meal we ate (beans, pasta, soup, canned fish, dry cereal...) we were reminded of how good our life is at home and how lucky we are to know the taste of fresh food. I felt very grateful knowing my hunger was only temporary, for so many unfortunate souls hunger is a way of life.

Late one afternoon, I decided on making rice krispie squares. We had every ingredient we needed; the giant cloud-like marshmallows, butter, travel size rice krispie cereal packets and a frying pan. What we did not have was the exact measurements, so instead of a traditional marriage between marshmallow and rice krispie, I tossed in a packet of fruit loops and frosted flakes too. Not knowing what to expect, I dug a spoon into my dessert and pressed it against my taste buds, the result was a magical burst of flavor! I spent two days eating that dessert – straight from the frying pan it was born into – but nothing was so sweet as the local raspberries we collected in Victoria.

The forest is not for those who are easily afraid of rustling noises or shadows. When night falls, it falls quickly and without warning. There are no streetlamps or long sunsets to guide your way, only the light of a handheld lantern or waiting until daybreak to reveal where you are. The darker the campground, the more your mind wanders into a picture show of ghost stories you read as a child and images of wild bears and howling wolves. Needless to say, the forest is not for the fainthearted, but when I am there, I somehow feel brave.

If you don't believe in life and the only feeling that surrounds you is one of sorrow and disappointment, travel to the old growth forest, it is there where I learned to sing loudly again. How could I not when wild birds told me to throw away the invitations to my pity party and sing louder than ever before? I may be sensitive, restless, bold with bad timing, shy when I shouldn't be, shorter than I want to be, but I am alive, alive, alive, alive, alive. If you are reading this, you are not a rag doll, you are a living breathing human being. The world is ours to explore and discover. Let us visit the old growth forest and be glad we are alive to do so.
Our first campground was located in Goldstream Provincial Park. A picturesque old-growth forest full of deer, birds, fish, wild flowers, Western Red cedars, Douglas fir trees, Big leaf maples, Arbutus, hiking trails, waterfalls and places to swim! Next stop: Campgrounds by the Seaside.

The Outfit Birdy dress – Cichic Pants – Moon Apparel Boots – Value Village Gardening Hat – Sunnyside Garden Centre
The Location Goldstream Provincial Park & Campgrounds, Vancouver Island
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