Fort Langley, a blooming town!

On the weekend, Amy and I had gone to a restaraunt called the Kingfisher (great food).  Until recently the ferry would make the five minute trip across the water to Fort Langley.  That's done.  Now you have to drive 20-30 minutes out of Maple Ridge, through Pitt Meadows and take a toll bridge ($3 each way) to get to Fort Langley.  I'm not complaining, it's economics but the new route was a little convaluted though I recommend it highly.
When I drove into Fort Langley, it was like de ja vue.  It felt so much like the Cambridge area of southern Ontario, lush and tree and tree lined streets.  It also reminded me of St. Jacobs in Ontario, a favourite haunt for antique shoppers and people who like to visit funky little towns.  I highly recommend taking it in if you're out this way.

Tree lined steets.  Over the years I realized I can't live in newly developed urban areas.  They're devoid of mature trees.  I need trees!

I arrived around 11am and two hours later had lunch at the Village Coffee and Tea Shop on Mavis (heading toward the fort).  They make a great cheddar/brocolli soup and feta/spinach quiche (I should be a food critic).  I had wanted to lunch at the bookstore/cafe but it was  crowded, jammed packed.  I like peace and quite when I journal (yes I'm journally as well as blogging).  The Village was perfect!
I walked along main street checking out the little shops. 

As has become my habit when someone says "hi, how are you?" I launch into my story, as I did at this establishment.  The woman behind the counter said, "that's amazing".  She went on to tell me about a friend of hers who hated his high pressure life, walked away from it, travelled and has since written three novels.  Serendipity!  At another shop, the woman told me how lucky I was.  I took her I knew I was.  I gave both of them my blog site as I do most people I encounter.
I did check out the fort and the truth is, one western fort is very much like the other but what this one had was a character by the name of Merle Jones, a first nations person who worked as a tour guide.  I think the cooper building was his part of the tour but each time the female guide came around he said "I'll take care of this lady" and so it went.  At the cooper shop he demonstrated how the early settlers  made barrells.  I love history, so I found it fascinating.

This is called a woman's axe not because a woman used it (perhaps they did) but because it was shaped like a female body in a dress.  That's Merle!

This one's called a broad axe (no, not broad like woman, broad like a man's shoulders.  Interesting, eh?  Well, I find it interesting!

I think Merle ventured off the 'normal dialogue' regarding fort history when he told me it was the first nations women, the ones who married the Hudson Bay company men, who taught the newcomers about the land and were responsible for their success and survival.  Once again, a part of history that has not been recorded but makes so much sense.

At another building we were discussing abalone shells when the back of my watch, which was snuggling fastened to my right wrist, suddenly popped off and fell on the table in front of us.  We were both stunned and I said "I think there's a spirit here with us".  He agreed.

Well, the time flew as Merle took me from one building to the next speaking about the english and french speaking residence.  I was surprised to learn that there was a Hawaiin population as well, hired from the island when ships lost their men to illness and, seeing that it was Hawaii, desertion.  They were lured with the promise of money but were kept in servitude for five years. 

Anyway,  I was glad I did the fort protion of the tour.

Afterwards I had a chai tea latte at Beatnik's Bistro.  The waitress convinced me to have a piece of carmel/apple cheesecake.  Dang, my teeth screamed at the sweetness of the thing.  I couldn't finish it.  I journalled again and several minutes later a guy pops his head in and asks the waitress (in a whisper) if he could use the front in his photographs.  I was close enough to hear and asked what he was up to.  He's a local photographer who's trying to improve his profile.

I think he's got something going with this idea.  People love to pretend to be something they're not.  This is a perfect way to accomplish it.

So that was Fort Langley.  Before I move on, a few pictures for your viewing pleasure.

This grand building is the local community hall.  Very stately looking.  There's a local society that refurnished this in 1930 something and have kept it up since then.

A tiny house off the main road was a Chocolate store.  This was the one piece, Hazlen ut something or other, that I allowed myself.  This 1" pc. of yummyness was worth the $1 I paid for it.

It's like the middle of summer here with all the blooms.  I see why people want to live on the west coast.

more flowers

I think this is a rodadendrum.

And this is another one.