Imagine this is your backyard.

Surfside RV Resort, Parksville BC (2 stars)

We went to an exhibition at the McMillan Arts Centre in town. Lez's friend, Patti Ann, had suggested it to her. There were quilts on display, plus some wonderful wood carvings by a carver from Duncan and many nice paintings of nature scenes.

We went for lunch with Patti Ann and learned that her grandfather had at one time owned most of what is now Parksville, plus a long length of the shoreline property stretching almost to Nanoose. Growing up at the bottom of Corfield Street, all the land encompassing the current Parksville Park, Surfside RV (where we are located), the estuary and Shelly Park were, as she put it, her backyard to play in. Her grandfather, surnamed Shelly, donated all of that land to Parksville and other groups in the 50's and 60's.

What a super visit with one very interesting person - Patti Ann 'Withapea'. Her travels have taken her as far as India teaching art to the children and returning back here to Surfside area where she grew up. Lunch was a very long and very interesting conversation as we learned so much about her travels and adventures.

We enjoyed wandering the McMillan Arts Centre, where we found some artwork of cousin Jan Erwin and friend Margie Davidson too. Kinda neat to know some of the artists. The artwork is for sale, and it is great to see the support the local artists get out here. I picked up the info sheet for upcoming art classes, and there are a couple of them that I will be hoping to get into in the spring.