I recently headed off to Tofino to help out at the 2014 Pacific Rim WHALEFEST and had (sorry folks, I cannot resist) a whale of a good time!  I took my girls along with me to help as my hubby was busy with his fire department duties and we had an amazing girls getaway together.  How incredible to share with my girls the magic of my most favourite place on earth, the beaches where I first played and fell in the love with the sea.  Did you know I lived in Tofino until I was 6 and a half? No wonder I am part mermaid and have made a career of teaching kids to love and protect the sea and rivers!  Here’s hoping all the love my little mermaids have for the ocean also stays with them their whole life….from the look of these photos, I think it probably will!

When I returned, it was time to finish a painting for the upcoming MUSIC SHOW at Artzi Stuff.  I was so inspired by our time in Tofino and Ucluelet that I had to start this singing whale painting too.  We didn’t see a whale while out there, but we celebrated them and their watery home in so many inspiring ways….the girls performed in a play they created with some new friends, they listened to stories in the belly of a giant inflated fabric whale, they listened to whale songs recorded by scientists and sang timeless songs with Roy Henry Vickers (one of my long time favourite artists) in his traditional longhouse gallery, they took part in a whale race (plastic, think rubber ducks) down a creek and they even made their own stuffed whales to bring home.  Did I mention that they won a whale book and a triple chocolate orca whale made by Chocolate Tofino?

Oh those beaches still call to me and the sand in my shoes reminds me that I am not far away.  I will most definitely be taking my girls out there again soon!