Boating, Gulf Islands

We took our boat out last weekend. We bought the boat in April this year, but have been too busy to use it. Finally, a chance to get on the water. We headed into the Gulf Islands, passing Salt Spring, a long three sectioned island, the biggest of them.  We stopped at Chemainus and Ladysmith on Vancouver Island for a family visit, then went across Stuart Channel to Kuper Island, then Thetis.

If you look at a map of the west coast, you’ll see that the American border zigzags just below these islands.  We tied up at Telegraph Harbour Marina for the night,

and travelled on to a Thetis Island cove the next day to try out the anchor and have a saltwater swim. Then home. It was a great getaway, if short. Before summer is over, we will definitely go again, with a longer timeline. Here is an arbutus tree, a unique green-leafed evergreen species.

They grow along the coastline, and on the gulf islands. It likes drought, thus lives well in the rocky, thin-soiled island areas. The arbutus has a lovely aromatic white blossom in the spring and bright red berries in the fall. This tree is peeling its bark, normal for the time of year, and the bright red underneath is the new bark appearing.

What have you done this summer for a getaway?

 

Banderos, The Last War: Book Six

Release day is April 16th. Buy now–

Apple https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1456567738

Kobo  https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/banderos-the-last-war-book-six

Barnes and Noble  https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130713022?ean=2940156512126

Amazon  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07NYHK43N/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5

Loyal Hawker, while working as a travelling seller, has joined an elite team of undercover agents run by the Khandarken military. On a trip south, he’s approached by Angel, only daughter among the many sons of Gerwal Banderos. Gerwal is a well-known strongman who seized much of the unclaimed territory north of Adar Silva at the end of the Last War. With Emperor Carlton invading in an attempt to reclaim his Empire, danger hovers over the Banderos land, and the brothers show they’re not as united as they first appear.

During the ensuing chaos, when the the Banderos compound is beseiged. Loyal must work in the midst of deceit and betrayal to protect what is left of Angel’s heritage. Can he survive long enough to find out who’s targeting Angel and save her from her treacherous brothers?

Loyal Hawker has been drawn into the Banderos family feud and he must protect Angel any way he can from her brother’s ruthless ambitions.

Readers reviews –

5 Stars – As with the other five novels in the Last War series, the descriptive narratives of their world, and of the characters and their family groups are terrific.  Each of these can be read as a Stand Alone with a HEA!  However, there are so many fine characters that build upon their inter-relationships, I urge you to start with the first book and read each one successively, as I have done.  I was hooked with the first story and will continue to read each subsequent novel. Amazon reviewer

5 Stars –  I found myself watching a movie in my head through Sylvie Grayson’s words. Her world seemed a cross between a historical time period and Star Wars and it works! It had pieces from both, and they flowed together to create this brand-new world that is not only colorful but also imaginative.— BookBub reviewer

Follow me at BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sylvie-grayson

 

 

Snow has arrived

The snow has finally arrived, and winter is officially here on the Wet Coast. I know it doesn’t look like much white stuff compared to what you have been putting up with, but right now it is coming down in a clear fall. Will it block the drive? Not too likely. All our vehicles are 4 x wheel drive, this is Canada after all so we can get through most any kind of dump, unless the rain washes the driveway out. It is only -3 here, we have the wood fireplace going and it’s very cosy. I love that fireplace. We also have a gas one, and it works well, but there’s nothing like a wood burner.

Just got home from the World Outlook Conference in Vancouver.  What is the world outlook these days? Lots of upheaval and uncertainty. A bear market is on its way but not quite yet, according to most of the speakers. That’s good news, right?

Best Lies contest – winners and their answers :)

Dear Readers, I had a lot of fun with this contest. Thank you so much for your funny and often touching stories about lies. I know we all lie a bit when it’s awkward or hurtful to tell the truth, but some of these are hilarious. Have a look!

The most embarrassing lie was telling friends we were staying home and then meeting them unexpectedly at a restaurant with other friends.

Can’t really remember one, I’m so truthful. Maybe that is a lie… ?

I still hang my head over this particular lie—There I was, a 5th grader in gym class, not wanting to touch any of the boys. It was mandatory to participate in square dancing and that involved holding hands. The only person excused was one of my best friends who had a note from her mom excusing her because she had scabies on her hands. So, I got the brilliant idea to write a note that would excuse me from participation. Well, it was also forged *hangs head in shame* with my mother’s name and my excuse *covers face with hands* was that it was against my religion. I still wonder to this day why I thought it was a brilliant idea!

While I was a teenager I lied to a boy I liked because I was embarrassed to tell him I liked him. Instead I told him I liked him but not like that. To prove it, I started dating another loser. I really did like the first boy. I regret that now

I was very young and happily told my parents I’d brushed my teeth. Considering the meal we’d eaten, it was probably very obvious I hadn’t. Without a word, my father went to the bathroom, brought out my toothbrush and simply said, “It’s dry.”

One day we came home from the store to find several eggs splattered on the roof. We asked our boys, who had stayed home, what had happened. My oldest, who never got into trouble, stated with all seriousness that a bird must have laid them while in flight. So, you are saying we have chickens flying around here? we said. Must be, he said. He finally owned up and admitted that it was a pretty ridiculous stretch.

The funniest lie I ever told was when I was in high school many years ago. I was in math class with a friend when the teacher was writing/teaching on the whiteboard with his back to us. My friend and I were advanced in the class and often bored… One day I smacked myself in the face as hard as I could take it to leave a mark and make a loud sound, and exclaimed, “Ouch, damn it, Jacob.”

The teacher immediately turned around, pointed at Jacob, scolded him and told him to stop horsing around.

I’m sure my best lies would be telling mom – No, I didn’t eat it!!!

I don’t know that this is funny but it was my most tactful stretching of the truth!

For our wedding, my aunt from rural East Texas gave us a ceramic plate with raised fruit on it. The plate was intended to be a wall hanging. My aunt hand-painted it in bright colors, too! She was my favorite aunt but her talent was cooking, not art. It was soooo obviously an unskilled undertaking! So we hung the plate in our laundry area in the garage. Ouch! But when I wrote her my thank you card, I told her we hung it in a room that needed color! I miss her cooking!

I am a grandmother who enjoys traumatizing her grandchildren. My most recent was the story of where they came from. I told the eldest, a girl, she was left with her mother while she was waiting for the bus— an old guy came up to her and asked her to hold a bag for him but he never came back. When her bus came she decided to take it with her. Once she was on the bus and the bag started making noises, she realized it was a baby. I told the middle one, a boy, that she found him at the store when she asked the produce guy to pick her out a watermelon. She didn’t realize it was a baby till she got home and he started crying because he was hungry. The baby girl, well, it was storming outside and there was a huge boom and the sky lit up with lightening and a tree in the yard exploded. Their mother looked out the window to see the damage and there was a baby laying in a roasting pan on the front porch so she went outside to grab her. Yes the story changes. This is just the latest version and it depends on if they are harassing me or if I am being a brat. ?

Well it’s not so funny but the biggest whopper, was when I was in grade school, I have vitiligo and instead of letting the other students make fun of me, I said I was pushed into a bonfire and they were scars from the fire.

When my sister and I were was kids we were climbing a pine tree. The bark was skinned in a little spot and sap was running out. I told her it was where syrup was from so she tried it. Needless to say, she had that nasty taste in her mouth for awhile.

I’m not a good liar so I don’t tell them. However when I was a little girl I loved little Debbie oatmeal cream pies and I would sneak them out of the cabinet. My mom noticed they were disappearing rather rapidly and asked me about it. I told her I knew nothing about it and didn’t even know their whereabouts. I don’t know if she believed me or knew the truth. I just figure she blamed it on my Dad or sister

Thank you to everyone who participated. Leave a comment with your best lie!

 

 

The Lies He Told Me, win a book contest

CONTEST!! I have a contest for you today— ?

Send me an email at sylviegraysonauthor@gmail.com by December 1st with the subject line “My Funniest Lie” and tell me the most embarrassing lie you ever told! I will pick 4 names to win my book—The Lies He Told Me.

When a police detective falls for his main suspect, life gets complicated.

When Chloe Bowman’s husband disappears, never did she imagine that in the midst of the search to find him, she’d discover she didn’t really know this man at all. She’s left alone with her young son and a time bomb on her hands. Lurking in the shadows is the mysterious Rainman.

Police Detective Ross Cullen was already investigating Chloe’s husband when he disappeared. But the deeper Ross digs the less he knows, and the more he’s attracted to the young wife as she struggles to put her life back together. Can Ross break through the Rainman’s disguises to solve the case so he can be with Chloe?

Remember— I need your email to sylviegraysonauthor@gmail.com by Dec 1st for your chance to win!

*** ~ ~ ~ ***

Click here to buy today!

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