Rainforest Status Restored

It's Wet

Mon Jan 16th

Roberts Creek

Towards the end of last year as the drought continued into Winter, if we had doubts about the area retaining the status of a Temperate Rainforest, we should not have worried.  It has been wet.  Not enough to cause the level of flooding that the UK and California has suffered, but wet.  The creeks are in full flood.

In the mountains the snow has been abundant, unlike much of Europe - though that appears to be improving, but interspaced with warm and occasional wetter weather.  As a result the snowpack is

Avalanche Warnings in SW BC

unstable and the avalanche risk is at 3 of 5.  A "considerable" risk rating.  Off piste and backcountry skiing is not advised. The blue blobs at the top of the map are the Whistler area.

Not that it affects us, we have cashed in our season passes as Fred's hip replacement is due in Feb.  I hope to get up for the occasional boys-day-out before the op and and when we get back from Calgary, but Fred will not be skiing this year.  

We had planned to make the visit to Calgary as a road trip going up on highway 1 and 5 via Kamloops and Banff, with a few overnights and enjoy the snowy mountain scenery.  After last week's consultant's video consultation, we're flying.  

In short, we were a). mad to think of driving because of the potential delays due to winter weather, and B). post op, several days of sitting in a car is not advised.  Past advice was that flying after surgery was not recommended, if not banned; but as it's only just over an hour away, the risks are off the bottom of the scale, especially as blood thinners are part of the procedure.  It will be in comfortable seats on the way back!  Medical necessity you understand!  It's -3c in Calgary today, due to go down to a high of  -10c just before we head out there.

Actually we are slightly disappointed, as we were rather looking forward to the drive.  We will need to reschedule as we want to start to exploring SW Canada.

In other news. 

Red Breasted Sapsucker - I think!

I have been trying to get a picture of what I think is a Red Breasted Sapsucker, a member of the woodpecker family.   It has been working a small section of Douglas Fir every morning for the last few weeks, creating a large brown patch of woodpeckered tree. Three times I've lugged my camera down there and each time the damn bird must have known I was coming and disappeared.  My iphone is not good enough to confirm what it is.

As we're flying to Calgary, we cannot take Jack.  We exhausted the list of potential dog/house sitters thanks to the Snowbirds (Canadians who don't like cold weather), who head to warmer climes in Florida, Mexico et al in Jan-March and need their dogs looked after.   

Saturday before last (Jan 7th) we met some friends at the Persephone Brewery for a drink and a young lady walked up to Fred, who she'd met on the local Bonniebrook Beach dog walk, and started chatting.  She and her husband are trying to move to the Coast and taking on dog/house sitting projects, giving them a base while they search here and let out their up-market condo in Vancouver.   Unbelievable! They are now booked, so Jack and house are in good hands! He is the co-owner of a non-alcoholic beer company "Nonny".  A growth business activity.  Amazing how a chance encounter can work out.  They are a lovely couple.

Teryl Mullock artwork

Last Friday week, Jan 6th, we headed out to the opening of a joint art exhibition by Teryl Mullock and
Marlene Lowden.  We bought a modern abstract piece from Teryl last October, that now graces our wall.  What a fab evening as not only did we enjoy their artworks, Teryl played guitar with the The Billy Hill Picker Band.  The video is not one of their best but they are pretty talented and we hope to see them play again during the summer.

Sailing was cancelled on Sunday 8th due to lack of wind and too much rain.  

As we are going to be sailing Mandala for a few more weeks (months?)  before the new boat arrives, we spent Tuesday afternoon measuring the sails to get our rating confirmed for PHRF (Performance Handicap Racing Fleet).  The only day of the week when it didn't rain.  Sails removed and carried over to the local car park, measured and details submitted, we wait to hear what our confirmed rating, (handicap if you are a golfer), is going to be.

Rehearsals restarted for the Sunshine Coast Phoenix Community Choir on Thursday.  We are collaborating  with the Messiah Choir to do Vivaldi's Gloria in the Spring.  The Phoenix concerts are early June.  A busy Spring ahead.

Sail Measuring

'Spare' seems to have created a bit of a media feeding frenzy.  Personally I would have put it below Ukraine and the Russian invasion and numerous other news items.  I did though catch a Piers Morgan commentary on the book.  I'm not a fan of Piers Morgan,  but for once I came close to agreeing with his perspective.   I shan't be rushing out to buy the book.  It doesn't seem to have done them a lot of good and even on this side of the pond, particularly south of the border where they are more celebrity than Royalty the reviews have been pretty mixed.   The main criticism being that having slammed the Press for the invasion of their privacy, the book then bares all.   The hypocrisy appears not to be lost on most people.   

Whilst on the Sussex's I see that Jeremy Clarkson has got himself into a bit of bother.  I have never quite understood why he is so popular.  I stopped watching Top Gear when serious car reviews gave way to stupid stunts.  That's going back a bit!  It seems to me that the most fitting thing to do would be to follow his own advice and set him upon a horse .............

Sunday's sailing race went ahead despite light winds.  We headed out to the Salish Sea for the start only for the fog to start rolling in and engulfing Pasley Island, so we headed back into the Howe Sound and started the race at 11.30.  The winds were light to start and I assumed they would shorten the course but as we headed down to the windward mark the breeze picked up on the beat to the Soames Buoy.  We were a crew of three, so it was hard work getting the spinnaker up with one person helming, leaving two of us to do the rest of the work.  We crossed the line in second place and remained second on corrected time.  Great fun, if not a tad moist!

Having started talking about the BC's rainforest, it's fitting I finish on the theme of wood.  In the past few days I have visited two local wood carvers who make abstract pieces from old, often salvaged Red and Yellow Cedar, as well as Douglas Fir.  Both workshops had the rich aroma of the cedars they were working with.  Some of the timber is 400 years old.

The more longstanding carver, David Evanson has produced some lovely pieces.  A Henry Moore of wood.  He doesn't have a website, but some of his pieces are featured on the Suncoast Art Crawl website from last year's Art Crawl.

No large machinery like my workshop; no detailed drawings beforehand, just working with the form of the wood using chainsaws and sanders and allowing the wood to guide him in creating flowing, almost living pieces.

He is shortly to have a piece displayed in the library of the public art gallery.  Pics to follow.

Weathered tree stump on Bonniebrook beach

Sunset over Van Island

Clack Creek in flood

Roberts Creek Falls