Fall Leaves and Rainfall

Jack Vs Car

Sat November 9th

Fall seems later this year and the deciduous leaves have been a lovely mix of golds and reds with the predominance of Maples in all of its varieties. After last week's storms, most of the leaves are now down along with quite a few trees.  Further up the Coast a tornado was reported taking out multiple trees that closed the main highway and took out power for local residents for around three days.    A local driver caught the trees coming down on video.  After two consecutive dry summers, 2024 has been wetter with no significant water restrictions on the Coast.  I assumed this was good news until reading an article in the UK press that suggested late autumns are just another sign of global warming.

The storm left us without power for nearly 12 hours and a huge number of properties were similarly affected across southern and central BC.  Fortunately we had a good supply of candles and a gas lamp.  Some friends near the reported tornado were without power for 3 days.   

Vet says fracture - looks more like a break
Jack is largely unbothered by it

Speaking of things breaking, Jack took it upon himself to run into the side of a passing car while we were down on the beach road, hitting the rear wheel of the car that had anticipated Jack's momentum and had almost pulled to a stop.  Car 1 - Jack 0.  With a bad limp we headed off to the vet who after a follow-up x-ray a couple of days later discovered a fractured ulna on his front left leg. 

It seems these don't get strapped or plastered these days, just medicated.  A week on, all Jack wants to do is chase balls, go for walks (50yds only at the moment) and eat.  As if to make his point he's even stopped limping.  I'm not quite sure how we are going to get through the next 4 - 6 weeks trying to persuade a spaniel that he ain't going for a walk! 

I'm bored!

Choirs season is in full swing.  A septet from the choir I sing with has just supported a local contemporary dance show with three pieces, including Rajaton's -  Dobbin's Flowery Tale.  A really tricky piece of a cappella music, probably one of the most difficult I've had to learn.  This is Rajaton's version, almost as good as us!  Having the dancing ability of a drunken octopus, I have never been too interested in dance. I recall seeing Nutcracker in London eons ago and the only time I've ever watched any contemporary dance was when I worked on Top of The Pops in my early BBC days.  This was when Pan's People and Legs & Co et al used to put in an appearance .... I don't remember being too focussed on the dancing! That said, it was interesting to watch the show, though I shan't be signing up for dance classes any time soon.

Monday the choir is performing Sir John Rutter's Requiem for two Remembrance Day concerts.  It is a beautiful piece of music.  The septet is reconvening to open the performance with Randall Thompson's Alleluia.  The choir is supported by the local children's A Cappella choir called Chorelations singing an arrangement of John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields by Helen Litz.  I've not heard it nor can I find a recording of it.

The beginning of December the two choirs I sing with (Suncoast Phoenix and A Capella Strait) have their Christmas concerts.  As usual a mix of contemporary and traditional music with a Christmas theme, including some beautiful Renaissance pieces as well as some modern classical music written for a full choir.  A busy few weeks ahead but as Elton John said in a Classic FM interview of his time at school and the Royal College of Music, choral singing is the most uplifting experience.

News south of the border looks set to provide an interesting four years ahead.  Whatever one's politics I was a little surprised that the UK Labour Party thought it a good idea to send volunteers out to help support the Democrats.  Methinks Starmer must now be wondering about the wisdom of that.  

The problem of foreign interference in national elections seems to have been a constant theme over the last few years.  Coupled with that, some of his front bench having been vocal critics of the President Elect in the past, it is going to make for a difficult relationship.  It's not going to be any better between Canada and the US, though Trudeau's tenure may not last much longer and probably not until Canada's next Federal elections in October 2025.

Chosen steed

Over the last month we have been researching RV's in readiness for our trans-Canada trip next year. 
We've finally whittled it down to a chosen unit and will be haggling with the dealer over the next few days to agree a price.  We've been picking the brains of local friends who have done the trip and are starting to work out an itinerary and places we want to visit.  Advice is that we should allow three to four months for the trip.  Our original plan had been go head off late April early May but we have been warned off such an early start because of the risk of snow.  Rosalind may also be in Canada for four months from April so it suggests a later summer/autumn trip.

Speaking of snow, the forecast is for a colder winter this year and snow is already down to the mid-level
in Whistler.   Our year-long rental in Langdale had a long steep drive, as does our current house.  After shovelling snow several times each winter, usually taking several hours at a time, only for it to snow again a few hours later, I decided I needed a better solution.  Coincidentally some friends who live up in Squamish were visiting a couple of months back and he mentioned his neighbour was selling a less-than-one-year-old snow blower at half price.   It's now in the garage!  The snow cannot come soon enough.

A few weeks back I was in Vancouver for the day having some bits added to the truck (a tonneau and load rails).  I had a few hours to kill while the work was done and strolled down to the Public Market on Granville Island.

The walk along the False Creek sea walk took about 30 minutes and was a few days after a weekend storm that brought flash floods to parts of North Vancouver.

Some of the marine real estate moored in False Creek faired little better and there were a number of tenders alongside yachts sunk by the rain and one yacht where only the masts remained.  One suspects the yacht was not in pristine condition before succumbing to the murky shallows of False Creek.

Sunk yacht tender

In need of TLC

And finally, six oak dining room chairs I made 10 years or so ago, which are no longer required, have been sold to a family from north of Tofino, Vancouver Island.  They came over by ferry and I met them at Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal (they had come into Tsawwassen, the other side of Vancouver).  They had a five hour drive to get to Victoria then a two hour ferry ride.    We didn't know until they got home that they live on an island off Tofino called Flores in a first nations village called Ahousat.  This was the final part of the chairs journey, which effectively started in Burbage 10 or so years ago!

The oak chairs are now owned by a First Nations family on Flores Island island near Tofino. Some journey those chairs have been on!

And some other pictures

Sunrise in Bonniebrook

A felled Dogwood I was helping mill - beautiful wood

Sunset

Sunset