Starts today.

Dad’s out all this weekend with a friend from Edmonton.

I hope he wins this year, in case it’s the last.

… “We’ll see if there is a No. 42 after we crunch the numbers from this one,” festival organizer Dan Washington said. “The board said let’s go for it this year so we’ll see where it goes.”

According to Washington, changes to the marina grounds and liability requirements significantly raised the event’s costs. “The festival is 41 years old and you could say it’s going through a mid-life crisis,” he said. …

Organizers ponder Port Alberni Salmon Festival’s future

After years of waiting, Yvonne’s requested transfer to Parksville came though. She works for Canada Post.

Long planning to move to the left coast … one day, that day came a little early. My brother and his wife drove possessions not abandoned in Calgary to my parents place on Vancouver Island.

Departing 8:30am, arriving Parksville about midnight.

How about this packing?

Most went into a storage locker — free month with a U-Haul rental.

Brandi? … How much do you bid for this locker?

Next? … Rob & Yvonne are shopping for a house.

Mom and her 3 boys.

The McCharles clan are all on Vancouver Island, our first time celebrating Christmas in Parksville, B.C.

After picking up Randy and Val at the Comox Airport, the day seems to have been one long meal.

We had a few laughs, my Dad relating stories I’d never heard before.

In his youth, Dad had a buddy in northern Ontario who worked at a brewery. Every 3 months they cleaned out all tanks and vats, starting a fresh batch. … The boys went into the brewery on Friday night … and stayed until Sunday night.

On another bender weekend, Dad came back to town from working out of town … and bought a suit. By the end of that weekend the new suit was completely worn out, and he had somehow sold his prize Buick for only $100. … The details are still fuzzy.

Mom won our favourite bored game, Mexican Train.

more photos …