Exploring

Mon May 10th

I have been struck on my morning walks along the shoreline by the distinct absence of rubbish of any kind. Seaweed, discarded crab and occasional sea shells and wood, a lot of wood, but no plastic bottles, general rubbish, fishing lines, or the general detritus so often found at the high-tide mark.

Some days I'll see nothing to photograph, other days i'm stopping every few metres. Today, two new birds to add to the list and a young Bald Eagle who obligingly sat still while I snapped away, plus a raft of 8-9 sea lions. We are very fortunate to be living amongst such a rich natural environment.

Spotted Sandpiper

Our plan to organize various visits to properties up for sale was slightly dashed to find only one was still on the market. So I went for a run and Fred continued to check out more property options.

The afternoon was spent checking out local trails on the mountains up behind Roberts Creek. We have missed the long North Vancouver trails, which are well marked and mapped. Not quite the same on the Coast.

The first planned walk was postponed when after 8k of dirt logging track we lost phone and GPS connectivity and didn't like the idea of not knowing where we were. The trails map was not very detailed and not one to safely navigate with, unlike the North Van trails map. We re-traced our drive and picked a small trail heading in to the woods halfway up the logging track. It was an abandoned bike trail, the ramps and jumps no longer being safe to traverse, unless you are a spaniel.

The weather has slowly started to get warmer and for the first time since we arrived, the cloud over Van Island's mountains had cleared. Stunning views.