A World Apart

Challenges Little Different

Wed Sep 1st
Clear skies looking across to mainland mountains

Thu Sep 2nd

One of the BBC headlines today (Thursday) was about council bin collections being hit by driver shortages.  A few days back the Coast Reporter, which largely serves the Sunshine Coast, headlined Waste Pickup Interruptions Continue on Sunshine Coast.

The truck driver shortage in Canada is about 25,000 (Pop. 38m).  Proportionately smaller than the UK, but nevertheless having an impact on waste management, food deliveries and courier services.  This at a time when online sales have doubled during the pandemic adding to the demand for delivery services.


Looks like honeycomb
but probably not edible!

Similarly Covid numbers have been rising.  In the interior and northern BC the increase is pronounced amongst  the unvaccinated.  The latest report is 801 new cases, a total of 5931 total active cases of which 199 are in hospital and 116 in ICU.  This is in a BC population of 4.9m.  

More restrictions were introduced in Northern and interior BC, where socializing numbers are again being reduced indoors, in groups and at sports venues etc.  

At the same time there have been a number of demonstrations against the requirement from Sept 13th for vaccination 'passports' to be required, before being allowed into certain events and activities.  Sadly the same 'anti-vac' mentality exists in some parts of Canada, though not as much as south of the border!  

Unique to Canada, so far as I can establish, is the movement that suggests using Ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug for use in humans and animals is a cure for Covid.  Apparently equestrian suppliers have had to remove it from their shelves such has been the demand!

Having administered wormer to our horses in the past, I'm not sure what those who were successful buying it planned to do with it!!!

While Fred was playing tennis on Wednesday, Jack and I went exploring on one of the Forest Service Roads towards Roberts Creek.  It was a track we'd driven before but had lost phone and GPS coverage in the thick canopy so had turned back.  

The trails in this area were primarily for mountain bikes, but there was nobody else about.  After a couple of kilometres I headed back, mindful I'd not told anybody where I was going.

One surprising image caught my eye as we walked through the trees, of a moss covered tree stump.



Geronimo?

It reminded me of a recently departed alpaca in the UK!


Fred has already fallen in love with her new wheels - 'Evie'.  She is taking after Nick who names his cars.  His current 4x4 off-road Toyota 4Runner beast is called 'Betty'.  I am sure mum would have been chuffed!

We have clear skies forecast for the next few days, the last long weekend of the summer.  It's Labour Day on Monday and the schools go back over the course of next week.  I suspect the ferries to Horseshoe Bay will be busy this weekend and the Coast much quieter next week.  

We plan to use the next few weeks to explore Keats and Gambier Islands, a short, small boat ride from the local ferry terminal.  

Early October we are spending a few days on the East Coast of Vancouver Island, crossing via the Powell River ferry at the top of the Sunshine Coast, and a few days back at Garden Bay where we stayed in May on the way back.  We're keen to see it at a different (and cooler) time of the year.

It was a lovely sunrise this morning over the distant mainland mountains and West Howe Sound.

Sunrise from the deck


The view from Hopkins Landing Beach was 'uplifting"

West Howe Sound - incoming ferry

Incoming ferry to Langdale


Thursday, after a late start, we headed off to Tuwanek for a bit of paddle boarding; it is at the very top of road on the eastern side of the Sechelt Inlet, where the road ends, unless you head 'offroad' from there on to the Forest Service Roads in a 4x4.


Jack was on the board before I was!

Me standing up on paddle board - and not falling off!!!!!

We had lunch at the Gumboot Cafe in Roberts Creek on the way back and then a walk around Cliff Gilker park.  More trails and swimming for Jack!  It is criss-crossed by creeks and with walkers about feels reasonably safe from bears and coyotes.

Fireweed (Great Willowherb) seedheads floating off for next season!

Talking of bears an email arrived today to say that Whistler was closing a number of trails for the local Grizzly bears to get ready for hibernation without humans getting in the way.  Go grizzly's!

As for the election, latest reports suggestion Trudeau may be about to go the route of Therese May.

Comments

  1. BobSeptember 3, 2021 at 6:24 AM

    Great update - I wish Boris would go the same way! Any plans for a compendium travelogue....?

    ReplyDelete

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