Heatwave Back

Jack to Vet, Toads on the Move

Fri Jul 30th
Sat Jul 31st

Friday

Today it's a 34 C day and no sea breeze.  Tonight it will cool to 23 C.  We have another day of it tomorrow before the weather returns to seasonal norms, whatever that is these days.  Threats of rain and lightning over metro Vancouver will probably not reach us.  The rain would be welcome, though lightning brings with it a greater  risk of forest fires, a double edged sword.

This sign adorned the vet's surgery.  We think Jack might score 10.5 out of 15 on the attached.  

He loves rolling in the mud, the forest floor, beach/foreshore, carpet, lawn (dry and brown) and in recent days to 'scratch' his ears.  Hence the visit to the vet.  A yeast infection in both ears, common in dogs that like swimming!!!  You try keeping him out of the water Dr Vet!  

I'll leave you to judge the 4 - 5 fails!  He rather took to the vet, which is unusual.  She had him eating out of her hand, literally, a few minutes in!

This morning's walk down to Hopkin's Landing was beautifully still.  I didn't take my camera, so the image of the young Black Tailed buck who had decided to explore the rocky foreshore at the end of the beach, isn't going to win any photography prizes.  


It was a lovely light over the becalmed West Howe Sound, part of the wider Salish Sea.


Back at the ranch, I gathered up the garbage (we're not here when they collect next week), the failed irrigation timer and set off for the landfill and a shop that that had an irrigation timer in stock.

Mission accomplished, I fitted the new timer, sealing the manifold with some newly acquired PTFE and took Jack to the vet.  

Call from Fred, the good news is the timer works, the bad news, the manifold is pouring water over the deck! The lower deck is a waterfall. Failed connector, so back to Gibsons for a 98 cent connector.  So far so good..... 

'Can you hear water' Fred asked over lunch?  'It's the waves on the beach' I replied.  No it wasn't.  The new fitting was leaking badly and another waterfall was underway.  Several layers of plumbers tape and the system was watertight and working to time.  Fingers Crossed.

Saturday - Whistler


Supping my morning coffee the light caught the bowl I'd made on the glass topped table and its reflection.  Lovely symmetry.

We were booked on the 11.00 ferry across to Horseshoe Bay and had a 3-4 minute commute to the ferry.    Off the ferry we were on the HW99, northbound to Whistler.  Traffic was light until we got to the outer reaches of Whistler and the series of traffic lights that serve the major junctions.  The traffic queue stretched back to the huge carved "Whistler" rock.... about 10km out. It is a long weekend texted Nick!  

BREAKING NEWS:  It rained on the way up to Whistler!  

We'd arranged a late am ferry on the basis we couldn't access the house until 1600 only to learn on route the it was ready.  The house is about 50m from the house we rented when we were in Whistler last time, when some friends from Burbage were skiing here at the same time.  The only difference is we are 20m from the piste rather than 200m!  Would be great if there were some snow!  We can hear the Blackcomb Gondola squeaking away from the house!

A quick trip to our favourite local supermarket and we headed off for a walk with Jack.  Whistler promotes itself as dog friendly.  The marketing hyperbole exceeds the reality.  Dogs are not allowed on Whistler/Blackcomb mountains, trails are limited and lakes are few.  We don't have an issue with the rules just the marketing BS.  There are alot of places we can go, not necessarily the ones we'd like.  

It is strange seeing Whistler at the height of summer, rather than the depths of winter.  Last time we skied down this slope it had a metre of snow on it.  This is under the Blackcomb Gondola.


Lost Lake, we last saw in the depths of winter.  

This is Nick, walking on cold water as only Nick could!!!
.  

The one below is the view from the beach.



And this is today's view, looking back towards the beach, ski runs in the background.


You can see the same dive platform from the other side.

Jack, inevitably went swimming, on the 'dog beach'. 



The most unusual aspect of today's lakeside walk were the toads, or the Toad Migration to be precise.  They were everywhere. A little larger than my little fingernail, they were fleeing Lost Lake, heading for higher ground.  There were many squashed examples of those that did not make it under the onslaught of foot and trail bike traffic!

Toad crossing points have been constructed to help them avoid the human traffic.

There are thousands of them!


















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