Nelson, B.C. was indeed an experience. Our wildlife count expanded to include ponytails (men only) - official count: 36. Dreadlocks (unisex) - official count: 21. Tim remained confident with his hairlessness, and the rest of us tried hard not to stare all the time. In fact, Eden and I were awarded a shopping spree on historic Baker Street to satisfy our hippie tendencies. Naomi entered the same store, and was seen only by select family members and curious store clerks in a dress... but did neither enter the public in, nor purchase such attire! It was a very exciting and hopeful moment (that was short lived!).

Our education was enhanced by many new discoveries, the least of which were the following rather interesting signs:

"Cold isn't a temperature, it's a Beer!" (which makes the Celsius scale much more understandable).

"Hippies use side entrance" over the door of a pot paraphernalia shop.

"Stupidity is not a handicap - Park elsewhere" next to the electric street car track.

"Unattended children will be given a cappuccino and a free puppy" in the Old World Bakery.

The Bakery did indeed make the most delicious triple chocolate cookies that were so huge they reminded Eden very much of her beloved bovine Nelson - who was actually named after Nelson Mandela, not the eclectic, overtly colourful town where we were.

Eli discovered the hard way that a slack line strung between two trees is very difficult to see whilst running at top speed away from his father.

Tim discovered that a slack line strung between two trees is a very useful tool for instantaneously reversing the direction of travel of a 13 year old boy needing to be thrown in the lake.

Naomi discovered that you can fill an inflatable boat completely full of water and still float even under siege of siblings.

Roz discovered with great misfortune, that Kootenay Lake is not at all warm!

From Nelson we ventured to our last Canadian Hot Spring on the Selkirk Loop. We spent all of Monday (August 22) at Ainsworth Hot Springs, which was absolutely fantastic. The springs came through a series of caves which have been dimly lit for safety, but have a very real (and somewhat creepy) natural stalagmite and stalactite surface formation. I survived my claustrophobia, but I swear I saw Gollum in there.

Eli set a new family endurance record for remaining in the cold plunge pool (temperature 13.5 C) for 15 minutes. Thankfully we were able to revive him by dunking him repeatedly in the hot pool.