When my husband Matt and I lived in Nanaimo B.C., we dreamed about having a place right on the ocean. Matt had even had a vision board at one time and living on the ocean was one of the things that he had posted on it. I wanted to be close to my work on Fairwind’s Golf Course, but I too had dreamed of living on the ocean ever since I was a little girl. I used to daydream about living in B.C. right on the ocean, with a view of the mountains and I wanted to see whales in my backyard.

One day while working on the golf course, Matt and I heard a loud yell. “Hey!’ “Hey!” We turned to look and a man with a younger man with him, who turned out to be his son, approached us. They had seen us drive by on our golf cart with Eddie on my arm and they wanted to take some pictures. It turns out that they lived in Dubai, where having birds of prey is very popular. He told us that they come every summer for a month or two. After they got their pictures, we said goodbye and later on when at home, I turned to Matt and I said “I am so dumb! Why didn’t I ask what they do with their house when they are not using it?” “If we see them again, I am going to ask them.”

About a week later Matt and I were out on the golf cart and we saw two people on bikes coming toward us. I recognized the man and yelled out, “Hey!” We have since come up with a more extensive vocabulary when meeting than “Hey!”

They came over and I asked him straight out “What do you do with your house the rest of the year when you are in Dubai?” He had a huge smile on his face and said that they rent it out and that ever since our first meeting he had been thinking that it would be perfect if they rented it to us. We found out where it was and went there that very night to take a look. It was amazing! It was a nice big house on a beautiful piece of property right on the ocean. The view was spectacular, with amazing decks!

They were fine with us having a dog, cat and Eddie. We found the perfect spot to put Eddie’s pen. We moved in a few weeks later and stayed for three and a half years. We all got along great! We even got to see whales! We could not believe how lucky we were! All because they saw Eddie.

Last winter Matt and I started thinking about finding a new place because we knew they were probably going to move back permanently the following summer. We did not want to leave Nanoose Bay or the water. I wanted to have the same view. You’ll never guess.

Once again leave it to Eddie.

I was flying Eddie loose one day and a seagull was pestering him and he took off on me. I called and called but he didn’t come. I jumped in the car to go looking for him. I was driving up and down yelling out the window and blowing my whistle all to no avail. I could not find him. I got out of the car to search and a guy in a truck pulled over. He thought I was nuts because he had seen me go by a couple of times with what he thought was a soother in my mouth!

He could tell I was concerned, so he asked if he could help. I told him I was looking for my eagle. He then said “I remember you!” It turns out we had met a couple of years prior and had talked for a while.

He told me that there was an eagle that seemed to be in distress down on the beach right where he was doing some work on a house. He was finishing up building a big deck and told me to come with him. We went down to the backyard and looked down on the beach. No Eddie. I called and blew the whistle and finally Eddie came flying over. He had gone back home. Well, it was strange. He would not come to me. He circled over us, flying back and forth and all around above us. It felt like he was trying to tell me something. We stood watching him and then he finally settled on the rooftop next door.

I went and got him and put him in his crate in the car and then something made me ask the guy what he was working on. He told me he was finishing up a new deck and the finishing touches on a suite. My whole body sprang to attention. I asked if I could see it. He said “Sure.”

As soon as I walked in, I took one look and knew without a doubt that this was our new place. Just a few houses away from where we were now, with the same view and right on the water. It even had steps down to the beach. I asked if it was for rent. He told me “No, it was not.”

I thanked him for letting me see it and then went home. I walked in and said “Matt! Eddie found where we are going to live!”

We’ve been calling it home for four months now. Right after moving in, five Orca whales swam right into the little cove. We have never seen them that close. It was like a welcoming committee.

I did say I wanted whales right in my backyard.