Hello, my name is Molly McCue and I am 10 years old. I have lived in the Comox Valley my whole life. First we lived in Union Bay for eight years and now in Courtenay for two years. My family lives near the Puntledge River and close to my elementary school.
I walk to and from school every day with my 6-year old sister Jillian, my dad, and our dog Lucy. Lucy is a really fluffy 2-year old Wheaten Terrier who loves playing fetch and chasing small animals. I go to an amazing school called Ecole Puntledge Park Elementary. I am going into grade 5. I take French Immersion because I think French is a super cool language because it has so much history. I feel good and smile when I arrive at school, and I think my dog smiles too. Wednesdays are my favourite because it’s Whacky Wheelie Wednesday, and they close the parking lot so we can bike and Rollerblade before and after school.
On summer vacation I like playing at the Puntledge River and jumping off the rocks. Sometimes we go there twice in a day and swim the whole time. Once we went tubing and my dad and I followed my mom and sister over a big rapid and they made it, but my dad’s tube and my tube were attached together, and we went over and our tubes flipped, so we had to chase them down the river. Tubing is really fun! We bring snacks, do handstands in the water, and look for fish. In August it becomes a salmon flowing river, and it’s amazing to swim with the salmon.
This summer my friend, my mom, and I went to Strathcona Park and hiked 7.8 kilometres, there and back, up to Kwai Lake and camped for one night. We did not see any bears, but we saw some whiskey jacks around our campsite. They are curious birds and not afraid of people. It did not rain and was really quite warm. My mom was surprised that I didn’t complain much about the long hike or my big backpack.
Another highlight of my summer break was kayak camp on Gabriola Island. Every day we paddled to different islands and ate lunch. We learned to do different types of rescues and navigate with charts. I met kids from all over Vancouver Island. My Omi and Papa live on Gabriola, so I get to stay with them for a week every summer.
My main sport is soccer and I love it. I’m on a few teams with almost all my friends. Soccer is awesome because I get all the exercise I need in a day. I go to soccer jamborees and tournaments where teams come from all around Vancouver Island. Soccer is popular in the Comox Valley.
The end of summer does not make me sad because I know winter is coming. I like skiing because Mount Washington is really fun, and I love jumps. I am in the Mount Washington Freestyle Club. It’s challenging to learn how to ski better and do jumps in the parks. I like my coaches and the other kids. My favourite is skiing powder on the backside with my mom.