There is nothing quite like a storm when you live by the ocean. Admittedly our little piece of the ocean is often so calm it could be mistaken for a lake but on days like to day it comes alive. We have had rain non-stop for almost four days straight and I have been anticipating the storm since day one when the ocean turned steely grey, reflecting the clouds above and every now and again the wind picked up, creating waves; at one point there were even white crests but much to my disappointment that was the extent of it. To be honest, stunning as the North Vancouver Island scenery is, I am so bored of seeing nothing but grey skies, murky waters, and gloomy fog obscuring the horizon. Finally the storm has arrived!

Sadly, I am at work and although I can hear the booming thunder and the sound of the rain, I don’t even have a window in my direct line of vision. It’s also nighttime. I imagine that my journey home will be precarious on the winding mountain roads with a deluge at my windscreen. Not quite the most ideal way of experiencing the first storm of the season! I had imagined it would break while I was safely tucked up at home with my pyjamas on, a hot chocolate in hand, the dog curled up (or freaking out about it) next to me and possibly an episode of Game of Thrones as I stare mesmorized at the lightening reflecting off the water.

I can’t wait to get home to curl up in bed, listening to the waves beating the shoreline, the trees swaying furiously and the rain patting my window. Actually the night-sounds of this place are one of my favourite things about living here. The leaves in our garden are so over-sized that the raindrops make the most satisfying sound when they hit them and even on a calm night the waves make a soft swooshing noise. I often hear wolves howling and in the early evenings eagles screech. Last summer I even heard humback whales singing. While my new home is definitely calm and therapeutic, it is anything but quiet!