How to Host the Perfect Ramble - JT's Tales From the Trail

Jill Thomas is a rambler, traveler, and storyteller with a big laugh who lives part-time in Pensacola, USA, and the rest of the time in Salt Spring Island, Canada.

Last summer I enjoyed one of the best rambles ever with a group of women I've come to adore. I've known these women for a long time, but our friendships are relatively new and have been nurtured or renewed by Sole Sister Ramblers.

If one considers the years during which we typically start careers, get hitched, and raise kids a time of growing up, I grew up with these women (even though most of us rarely hung out). My life mingled with theirs in one way or another for decades, each in a unique way.

All but two women in this group spent decades living on Salt Spring Island in British Columbia, Canada. It's a small island, so if you're of a similar age, have kids in school, and work and play in the community, you come to know each other - at least a little bit.

However, we only started hanging after each of us left the island and scattered ourselves around the globe. We got to know each other better via participating in virtual rambling challenges during the pandemic.

Bonnie, who was in Victoria, British Columbia visiting family, initiated this ramble.

My first memory of Bonnie is seeing her on the beach at Stowell Lake on Salt Spring Island and thinking, "Who is that beautiful woman?" It was a hot summer day, the kind when moms take their restless kids for a swim, which is what we were both doing. Bonnie is uncommonly beautiful with her freckles and extraordinary strawberry-blond curly hair, one of the many reasons she stands out in a crowd.

Bonnie and her husband, Raj, left Salt Spring and moved to Hawaii a decade ago. They were integral community members and well-loved on Salt Spring. Bonnie is charismatic and kind and usually up to something interesting, and her popularity made her kind of a local celebrity. 

Bonnie and I weren't close when she lived here, but our lives intersected. She worked at a store called Stuff & Nonsense, which my sister owned. She also grew and arranged the flowers for my and Stormy's wedding. My daughter was her son's protector in high school, but I didn't know that then.

Judy is a long-time educator and was the principal of our local High School, and so oversaw the education of many of our kids. Salt Spring is a quirky place where parents have strong (and often strange) opinions. I shudder at the idea of being in charge of their kids - sometimes, it was overwhelming just being their barista.

Judy is strong, fearless, intrepid, athletic, and outdoorsy. She doesn't crave attention, accommodate nonsense, or rest in her successes. Many years ago, Judy's teenage daughter (who worked for me then) uncovered a small-scale crime ring in our restaurant and told her mom and Judy back-channeled the info to me via a mutual friend.

Claudette and I attended the same high school in Toronto at the same time, yet we never met. She had hung out with my friends before I met them but had met a boy and was hanging with the older crowd when I arrived, so I missed getting to know her. I am glad to know her now; she is the kind of person one instantly loves.

During our celebratory post-ramble lunch, I learned that Claudette has a rare gift for entertaining - a capability I love. Her beautiful and welcoming home makes one feel immediately spoiled and comfortable. And her post-ramble snacks were Gourmet Magazine-worthy, next-level yummy. The kind of food that makes you feel both nourished and loved.

Dale is my cousin and was my first best friend. Our lives diverged as our respective parents divorced and our families scattered. We managed to stay connected until our late teens and then lost track of each other for a long time.

After a couple of decades of separation, she wrote me a letter. I knew her as Dale-Ann Thomas; the letter came from Dale Jensen, and it took me a minute to figure out who that was.

She wrote that she was a school teacher, married with two kids, and living in Red Deer, Alberta. A few years later, she and her husband moved to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island, and we reginited our friendship where we left off. She is the only non-immediate family member I am close with.

Lorraine moved from Salt Spring to Vancouver Island after retiring from her  successful and interesting career with the Canadian Border Services Agency. We all adore her thoughtful, intelligent, and loving comments on posts in our Sole Sister Ramblers Facebook Group. She is the best-ever cheerleader! 

Lorraine is a pure sparkle. We were frequently in the same room and had friends in common when our kids were young. I wanted to be closer, but you know, life was busy. I'm so glad we've reconnected via this incredible group.

And then there is Jane, aka Billy Goat Yogi. We were close when we both lived full-time in Salt Spring. Our daughters were friends, and we worked together. Her ex-husband and I coached our daughters' soccer team, which is hilarious because I don't know how to play soccer.

Our friendship has ebbed and flowed over the years due to distance (she moved to Panama and then Spain) and life's upheavals, but we reconnected during the pandemic via daily rambles. In fact, she thought up the name Sole Sister Ramblers, and she and I were the first members. Jane is brave, kind, energetic and less introverted than she gives herself credit for.

Jane is the only person I have directly asked if she wanted to be my friend. She responded, "I am an introvert, and I think you are too much for me." I wasn't deterred, and today, she's the kind of friend who would help me bury a body without pause or judgment.

For this ramble, Claudette, unbeknownst to the rest of us, planned a gorgeous seaside route from Ogden Point near the cruise ship terminal along Dallas Road in to Oak Bay, where she led us up a discreet neighborhood path with 125 stairs and then up a steep dirt path to a stunning panoramic lookout. We could see Victoria laid-out far below and Washington State's Olympic Mountains in the distance.

While we walked, we took turns connecting with walking partners and chatting about frivolous and vital topics. Occasionally we grouped together up for water and picture breaks. We discussed some of the issues we've explored in this group - especially judgment. We were intrigued by how different we are -with some of us feeling judged for being bold and others feeling most judged for being accommodating.

Claudette surprised us by having her car waiting at the end of the ramble to transfer us to her home. She then served oven-roasted chickpeas on a bed of hummus with olive oil tossed heritage tomatoes, and a round of goat cheese layered with fresh herbs, balsamic vinegar, and pumpkin seeds, and large slices of buffalo mozzarella atop fresh tomato topped with roasted chicken, homemade focaccia bread, and a lovely local lettuce salad. She also introduced us to the wonder of soda water spiked with Elderflower concentrate. It was divine.

My advice on how to best ramble is multi-faceted and depends on the day, but this was a particularly exceptional one. I think rambling is a beautiful way to test the waters of new friendships, deepen long-time friendships, and spoil yourself with the company of women. A post-ramble visit with lovely food is always a good idea.

I am grateful to Sole Sisters for bringing these joys into my life, and I hope you leverage this group to fill your lives with the same. Please reach out to me by email at hellorambler@solesisterramblers.com if you want to be connected with a Sole Circle in your area for In Real Life Rambles.

Claudette's Post Ramble Snack Recipes

Goat Cheese, Pesto & Sundried Tomato Layered Dip

• Line a small round bowl (soup size) with plastic wrap
• Whip 2 cups of the goat cheese
• Chop 1/4 cup of sundried tomatoes in oil
• Chop 1/2 cup of fresh basil & parsley
• Layer half the goat cheese, then sundried tomatoes, pesto, then the herbs, then other half of the goat cheese
• Cover with plastic wrap and press down 
• To serve invert onto a plate and then drizzle with balsamic vinegar and sprinkle with toasted pumpkin seeds

Marinated Grilled Chicken on Fresh Tomato and Mozzarella

• Make marinade - 1/4 cup of ketchup, 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar, 1/2 cup of olive oil, lots shallots and tons of fresh herbs of your choice
• Grill chicken legs or breast (boneless) 
• Marinade chicken and let warm meat absorb marinade for a bit
• Make large round thick tomato tomato slices
• Slice buffalo mozzarella into slices approximately the same size as the tomatoes and place on top
• Place marinated chicken on top of tomatoes and mozzarella and serve.

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