It's all about the traffic today.

The summer season is beginning. With the weather projected to be beautiful this weekend, it seems as if everyone on the continent is coming over to Bowen. The ferry had a huge overload last night, and it seems a little early to start to avoid the Friday afternoon runs, but there you are. Ever proud of my fellow islanders, there was some beefing about how early summer seems to have started, but it was all taken in stride. Seems a lot of people just called ahead to Tuscany and ordered a pizza.

You cannot live on this island with sanity and not grow to appreciate ferry overloads and delays. I actually love them now. There is nothing else to do when you are stuck in one. Fuming at BC Ferries is futile and anyway, you can't blame them if thousands of people choose to take the same boat as you and you show up after it overloads. If we're stuck together in an overload, please don't come to me with tongue clicking and veins popping out of your face. Come shrug your shoulders and we'll share a laugh instead. The best strategy is always to appreciate the delay, take a book or some good music and chill out or visit friends and neighbours. Perhaps the Friday regulars will resume the occasional practice of carrying a bottle or two of wine and some glasses to share with fellow strandees. There is nothing more fun than a friend walking up to your car and splitting a beer with you in the shed in Horseshoe Bay while you wait an hour for the next boat. An hour is also the perfect amount of time to head over to the Troller for a pint of Guinness. Foot passengers only of course!

And also on the traffic note, the gas station has closed I think now for good. This situation has been going on for 18 months now and the landlord finally terminated the lease. There is a nicely clearcut piece of land by the entrance to Artisan Square that was intended for the gas station relocation but something fishy has stopped that whole process. Wish we could have those tress back. Someone should at least let the kids get started on a skaetboard park down there.

Anyway, the owner got what he wanted, which was some allowances to build a little inn at Artisan Square sans fuel pump and the rest of us are stuck without gas which is a huge pain in the ass now that it has finally come to fruition. It's made worse by that fact that, rushing to make the ferry overload, we neglected to fill up tonight and so we have fumes for the weekend, or another trip to town. Can't blame the principals in the dispute for that, but it doesn't seem very community minded all round that they guy with the land is holding up a relocation of the gas station. It would be a sour irony if he ran out of fuel or if the builders working on his project suddenly got stranded. Not that I would wish that on anyone...

The lesson here, especially for newcomers or those of you thinking about moving over here: living on an island is never going to be tailor-made for convienience. So come on over and join the chorus of those of us who learn to cheer ferry mishaps, power outages, cougar sightings, gas station closures and fine arts performances held in gyms. Contribute to the positive vibe of being dependant on many, many outside forces and help make things better anyway. Always look on the bright side of life: it makes it easier for everyone.

And anyway, the first time you sight a killer whale off Tunstall Bay, you'll forget everything you thought you should be mad at.