Coast Art Crawl

Tue Oct 25th

Moody sunset over Vancouver Island

Note from Ed:

Production difficulties this last weekend have delayed publication of this blog. Our six month old grandson has been in town (with his mum and dad) and he is sooooo much fun, the blog went down the running order!

Newly acquired 4' x 4' artwork

This last weekend has been the annual Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. Stretching the 80km from Langdale to Earls Cove,
169 artists have their work on display. Painters, potters, sculptors, wood and metal artists, and more. With a population of a little over 32,000 the Coast is quite a creative hub. Musicians and performance groups are also in abundance.

There is some amazing talent here!

We have been on the search for a large painting to go on the main wall at the top of our stairs. A local Gibsons artist, Teryl Mullock caught our eye and we visited his studio on Friday. A former architect who designed his own house, (and greenhouse), he has replaced the drawing board with an easel and now paints full time. HIs studio and gallery is part of a new wing. The home is striking with views over West Howe Sound and has thoughtful detailing even down to the unique stainless steel cups that form the water ‘downpipes’ from the gutters.

After visiting several studios, we ended up where we started with our preferred painting. It gets delivered next week.

Jack on the lookout for spare toys!

The Kitsilano branch arrived Thursday evening so we’ve been sharing our time between doting on Seb, family walks and visiting artists on the Crawl. Seb is a delight, but aren’t all grandparents completely biased! Jack and Seb were getting to know each other as the weekend progressed. Sailing took a back seat.

Friday, Jack retreated whenever a grab was made for his ears, by Sunday he was just going with the flow. Paws and head on Seb’s playmat his eyes were focused on the toys.

We awoke Monday morning to puddles and grey skies after heavy overnight rain.. The rain came a week after a State of Local Emergency (SOLE) was declared on the Coast as Chapman Lake water levels had dropped to a record low. Businesses that use water have had to cease their production. Farms had already been told to stop using water. Breweries, cideries, concrete for consutrction have all now had to stop using pubic water supplies. The only exceptions are where a business user has their own well. Rain is forecast for the next couple of weeks but 150mm is needed to replenish supplies to allow the water restrictions to be lifted.

The last ten days have seen huge flocks of Snow Geese flying over to winter in southern BC and particularly around the Frazer River area. Over 100,000 are estimated to arrive in BC. They fly high, with dozens at a time in changing formations. We lost count of the number of flocks that flew over. An article from a local TV channel last year highlights some of the downsides!

Hundreds of Snow Geese arriving in BC (better on a big screen)

We continue to follow the UK pantomime season and recent cast changes. The next few weeks look as though they are going to be quite critical if the money markets are going to be reassured. The audience can only boo, hiss and shout ‘they're behind you’. An improvement in the £-CA$ exchange rate would be welcome.

While the UK pantomime season continues its run, events elsewhere in the world evolve. US midterms and the spectre of Trump in the wings and rise of pro-Putin republicans; Ukraine and Russia’s faltering ambitions; Chinese ‘elections’; Iran demonstrations …….. the list goes on. We live in strange times.

A recent article about the Chinese mining company take-over of the only Canadian lithium mine, that slipped through unnoticed, is now raising questions in Canada. The creeping control of some of the world's limited resources by a few nations is alarming. Increasing influence in Africa, India and elsewhere by Russia and China; regions ignored by the West for decades for lack of strategic benefit are, for example, making it more difficult to build a global consensus condeming Russia's war in Ukraine. Saudi Arabia's realignment towards Russia must leave many western and particularly US diplomats scratching their heads. It seems the forming of new alliances between more autocratic dictatorships is changing the world order, and not for the better.

Sea Lions have been much in evidence in recent weeks and only now I have seen them reasonably close up do I appreciate theri sheer size. Usually one or two at a time, they have been feeding around the GIbsons area. They are huge!

Motoring back to Gibsons on Sunday 16th after the race course was shortened due to lack of wind.

Third over the line, last after the handicap was applied!

And finally. The 2022 invitations for Permanent Residency have gone out and for the third year running we didn't get through the lottery. Another year to wait until we can try again! On a positive note the first of the seasons snow has started to arrive in Whistler. Last week we were hot in shorts and T shirts, this week we are cold and back in long trousers!

Some other images from the last ten days.