New Cronk Arrives

It's a Boy!

Grandson no 2 has arrived, weighing in at a healthy 8lbs. Born 29th October, Laurence (Laurie) Alfred River is home, putting on weight and making his presence felt.  Grandson no 1, has assumed the role of big brother and after a complete indifference to his sibling's impending arrival, has proved to be a caring and gentle big brother.  

Not sure how long this love-in will last; I suspect until the little one starts knocking over big brother's creations or 'borrowing' his toys. Mum, baby (and Dad) are all doing fine albeit getting re-acquainted with diapers and sleep interrupted nights.

Cherubini's Requiem on Remembrance Day was a huge success.  Two packed and appreciative audiences, with the singers accompanied by a small orchestra, all brilliant musicians.  If you have not heard the Requiem, there is a great recording on YouTube.

  

 Rehearsals have started for Handel's Messiah which the Coast Messiah Choir and Coast Messiah Orchestra are performing on 2nd December.  We have only four rehearsals (one with the orchestra), though fortunately most of the 25 or so singers have sung it before.   

Next spring, the Messiah group are doing Bach's Cantata BWV 182 - Himmelskönig, sei willkommen.  Rehearsals start in the New Year.  

While poking around in YouTube I stumbled across a programme on BC's Sunshine Coast.  The scenery looks great and it's not a bad presentation but curiously if the listing details stating it was filmed in 2024 are correct, it was well out of date long before it was published.  The paper mill at Port Mellon hasn't produced paper since 2015.  Instead it now takes in logs and exports chips to China where the paper is now made.  That said, it does give a beautiful introduction to our much loved Sunshine Coast.  The programme is here.   There is a follow-up programme that explores the Sea to Sky Highway which is our usual run up from Vancouver to Whistler.  This was probably filmed about 10 years ago.

Meanwhile  the truck that hauled us and our 30ft trailer some 20,000 km across Canada and back, is in the repair shop having the roof fixed where glass from the busted sunroof got stuck in the sliding roof track and broke the track; that, plus the roof resprayed where the duct/Gorilla tape took the polish off while it was bandaged up to make it driveable and watertight.   It will have been gone a month before I get it back.  At that point I can collect the trailer, which is currently stuck at the dealership after having had some warranty work done.  

Autumn/Fall has arrived though the golden and red leaves of the various Maples have finally been shed from the trees.  As 3.5 yr old Sebby observed during his last visit while his young sibling was being born "this is the Sunshine Coast and it's raining"; which it seems to have been doing a lot of lately.  Still this 'rainy season' means snow in Whistler, which opened for the winter season on Friday 21st November.  The mountains seem well endowed, though snow has not yet reached the 'village'.  I'm not sure why it has clung to the homely village title, as it is a town whichever way you look at it.

The long-range forecasts are predicting a colder, snowier winter based on the behaviour of either El Ninõ or Nina, I can't remember which one.  I will, as they say, believe it when I see it, as the last couple of weeks have been unseasonably warm .... and wet.  

I have had a few busy weeks in the workshop on small projects for friends and family.  A bassinet stand for Nick and Lizzie, a galley table for a friend's yacht and probably the most usual project that has ever come my way, a floating vessel to send the ashes of a friend's late mother on their way into the Salish Sea.  

The request started with a replica viking ship made from beach driftwood.  But, it has to be disposable and environmentally friendly, so it's now more Kon Tiki raft than Viking ship.  The challenge now is to make sure it floats long enough to carry its own weight and that of the 'cargo'.  

Sail being made by the owner

I have been trialling various forms of buoyancy.  Starch based biodegradable bags deflated too quickly; starch based packaging-peanuts dissolved in seconds; blocks of balsa are hugely expensive so we're now checking out wine bottle corks.  

This would have been easier if I hadn't ceased my regular wine intake to get back to my fighting weight (albeit many of our favourites seem to have screw tops these days), so an order is in for some new corks.  

Further weight/displacement/float tests are pending. Launch date is scheduled for New Year's day when a flotilla of various candle-lit craft are set adrift from the mouth of Roberts Creek at sunset.  Quite what the plan will be if it is an onshore wind, or breakers are crashing over the beach I have no idea!   

While assembling the raft I have had the film 'What we did on our Holiday' in the back of my mind.  A lovely British comedy starring Billy Connolly, Rosamund Pike, Celia Imrie and David Tennant, amongst others.  A funny, if not slightly poignant film.  It's worth a watch if you have not seen it.    The kids are a scream.

On our local beach, the resident Bald Eagles have been active. The pair who last year nested in one of the local beachside Douglas Firs, were breakfasting on a salmon during my morning Jack walk, oblivious the me standing there.




Sebby was with us just before Halloween, which is taken very seriously here.  Houses and gardens were adorned with ghosts, ghouls and skeletons, and staff at Molly's Reach café were appropriately dressed when we popped in for coffee and muffins with Sebby.... the blood effect was very realistic!

Molly's Reach Cafe made famous by CBC's
Beachcombers Series on TV in the 70's

Sebby was more bemused than anything.  He returned home on October 31st to meet his new brother and take part in the local Trick or Treat in the townhouse complex where they live.  

I'm assume his costume (below) was a devilish dragon. Not a native species to BC!

The local bears are still in evidence, as are the grazing  groups of young and older deer.  Driving off to choir practice at the end of October a bear cub rushed across the highway.  Quite a young one, so probably born this year.  No sign of mum!

Not sure it is going to see the winter through if it doesn't develop a better road sense.  







Sunrise

Autumn Colours



It was chucking it down on Trick or Treat night - he came back drenched but happy






 

 

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