‘Slow Lane in passing’

Share this story

Tweet

• The Slow Lane Chronicles – in snippets and with italics
• Doing laundry in the Slow Lane
• The very best Slow Lane on music ever
• The Sporting Life: Slow Lane Goes to Brazil
• The Slow Lane takes a turn at literature...
• Reflections on painting the numbers

I grew up in Victoria and for years the old Victoria Colonist ran a column called ‘Seen in Passing’ whereby the writer would note various Victorians he or she had crossed paths with that week. Way back on June 16, 2006, I wrote a ‘Slow Lane in Passing’, though only chronicling Bowen dogs I`d seen.  Here’s another such column, this time including humans, cats and Sarah-Jo Lightbody’s fish .

I reckon it was Friday last that I spotted Will and Kit giving their mom, Sarah Cummins, a cuddle on the pier before hopping on the 6 o`clock.  Without a doubt, a heartwarming scene.  Then last week, saw the twins` brother, Beau Cummins, smelling grass in Snug Cove; he`s a cheerful sort.

Here are a few islanders I saw working out hard at the Gym on Bowen: Dennis Molnar, the always-amusing Dee Anderson, Angus McTavish, Herb Paterson, Annabelle Coon, Alex Kirkpatrick, Ryan Gisby, Patricia Boston, Marie Boissonneault and Ayden Radley.  David Cameron was in but David mostly talks and flexes his muscles in the mirror.  He’s an actor.

Saw 40 or so Bowenians one evening last week at Ambleside Park, there for a soccer game against a North Van team.  Bowen lost 3-2 but while the other team, older and bigger, played kick and chase, the Bowen Bears moved the ball, often connecting five or more passes and Cole Jennings, Ben Welsh, Tobin Sparling, Thomas Bement, Molly Quarry, Gabrielle Santiago and Romeo `the Moose` Minoose were awesome.

The kids’ coaches, Burns Jennings, Chris Wilson and Morgan Quarry, have taught them that winning and losing each carry lessons and that the joy comes from together playing the game as it was meant to be played.  The team, who won most of their games this season, played the beautiful game beautifully.

It was a fine night.

I passed roofer Mike ‘the Cannon’ Bannon working hard…but not as hard as brother Steve.  Max Dyke was working hard; Max has various duties down at the Marina, as does co-worker Jessica Mitts.  Spotted Jack and Stephan Lowdon making their way along the lawn down there; those two are from Turkey and though brothers, look nothing alike (one’s both black and white, the other orange).

There was a group of Ruddy Potato staff in one corner of the store getting in the way of clientele trying to buy the ready-made meals; that group included Louise Wright, Bill Hoopes, R. Kynaston Kemble and…was it Ryan Matthews?

No, Ryan was busy working.

And this week there was Susan Lin keeping the General Store orderly and showing me how to spell my surname in Mandarin; it’s a special name, she tells me, which I’m somewhat chuffed about.  Rick the Painter was there, boasting that he married well.  Working the counter was young Lucy Robichaud.

Saw Bridget Knipe backing a car up, Ed the Kane at the Knick Knack Nook (Angie McCulloch was there, too, handing out good cheer and change), Bob Doucette at the Snug Café and Bob and Henry Lightbody at home going around in circles.

I both saw and experienced Tracey Wait raining on her husband’s parade by pointing out the new wallet he bought, which he’d been quite pleased with, lacks a pocket for change.

Later saw her flick a bug a good 10 feet across a room: “Well, it was crawling on my leg,” she said.

Saw Rick Sinke coming off the ferry.  Saw Mimi Jones coming off the ferry.  Saw Charlie Welsh coming off the ferry.  Saw Doug Davis coming off the ferry.  Saw Moira Greaven coming off the ferry.  Saw Rob Forbes coming off the ferry.  Saw Jessie Milstead coming off the ferry.  Saw Jim Coker and his bike coming off the ferry.

And finally, witnessed Goldie Urquhart go past our gate, smelling the ground.  She stopped and left something and Chris White came along and picked it up with a plastic bag.  I happen to know that Chris is getting married this summer.

I’ll be there to see that, too.