The Evacuation

Big White to the Rescue

The call for us to evacuate the house and pets we were sitting came early and was inevitable.

The Prime Minister of Canada had announced that all Canadians were to return home as soon as possible. Our homeowner was on her way back from Mexico.

We cleaned the house, fed the birds and left.

We boarded Big White, our twenty-three-foot recreational vehicle. Later that day, the homeowner returned to her townhouse.

Journal Bee

Our choice to keep a journal of our conduct and conditions during the Covid 19 pandemic is meant to help others get through being isolated in their homes. And, to save our marriage.

 We pulled away from the neighbourhood in Duncan and pulled into the parking lot of a local grocery store. 

Our RV fridge

Our habit, over the last 6 years of living in our bus between house sits, has been to create a 2-week menu and buy what we need to satisfy our appetites and cravings. We’ve chosen to limit our meat intake. Our bar-sized fridge has a small freezer and limited space.



While off the road, we called a friend living on Malcolm Island and asked how he and his family were doing. He reported that his wife and kids were in good health but he was taking many medications to support his recovery from recent heart surgery.

“But, don’t worry. Come here and stay on our property,” our friend said.

“That sounds great but we don’t want to be the ones to bring the virus to you and your family,” Frank said.

“I’m taking my condition seriously and would need you to isolate for two weeks.”

“We’ll think about your offer,” Frank said.

We got in touch with the Bere Point campsite on the island and they said it was closed. That sealed our decision.

Later that week, we reported our findings. We let him know that we would not be coming to Malcolm Island.

That evening we rested our heads on soft pillows, wrapped up in warm blankets and lulled ourselves to sleep to the low drone of our new diesel heater.

When we awoke the following morning, our Malcolm Island friend had left a text to say that his son had been diagnosed with the virus. He'd been doing work on Mount Caine and had contracted the virus there.

"At a time of another crisis, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá offered these words of counsel: “In a day such

as this, when the tempests of trials and tribulations have encompassed the world, and fear and trembling have agitated the planet, ye must rise above the horizon of firmness and steadfastness with illumined faces and radiant brows in such wise that, God willing, the gloom of fear and consternation may be entirely obliterated, and the light of assurance may dawn above the manifest horizon and shine resplendently.” 

(From letter of the Universal House of Justice to the Bahá'ís of the World, Naw-Rúz 177, 2020)