Expedition Canada

It's not all rain Sat Nov 5th Coastal rain falling as snow around Chapman Lake I was once told that if you can't see the Pennines from Manchester it's raining; if you can see them it is going to rain.  Our reference point is Vancouver Island but the parallel is apt.   The good news is that the hundred+ days of drought is over, but there is still a shortage of water.  The bad news is that in the Chapman Lake watershed it's falling as snow.  Unless there is a warm spell and we get some snow melt, water restrictions could remain in place till Spring.  'Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink' as the Ancient Mariner might say. We have gone from shorts and tee shirts to winter gear in a little over two weeks. Even low-lying Gibsons had a few inches of snow this last week.   The first, seasonal 'atmospheric river' has just passed through leaving a trail of destruction in it's wake.  Trees have been brought down across power lines and large...

Technology Woes Continue Tue Nov 30th Our planned early season excursion to Whistler has been canned.  We were due to go up the same day as the latest 'Atmospheric River' was due to arrive. Nick was skiing at the weekend as the last weather system went through and gave up skiing Saturday after getting a soaking from rain on the mountain and he didn't ski Sunday.   The freezing level Tuesday was around 2,000m, so the snow is going to get a soaking at the alpine level. Disappointing but there will be plenty of other opportunities.   We hope to get up there for a couple of days next week before Nick and Lizzie arrive for their weekend up there.  Friday onwards its getting colder and more snow is forecast.   The lathe continues its reluctance to turn, so I stripped down the head and removed the system board on Tuesday to check it over.  Alas, no obvious faults so the shipment of new parts from the Far East is eagerly awaited. One bit of good...

And It's Raining! Sat Nov 27th  Not quite the Burbage Christmas Tree Sale and Market and we didn't need to steal in to the forest in the dead of night to choose a tree, though as you might imagine there is quite a selection! 'Crazee Mike' (not me - though some may disagree) runs a Christmas tree farm near Gibsons so we headed off  yesterday to choose a Douglas Fir. Selected, tagged and paid for, we will collect next weekend.  They are felled to order so it will be pretty fresh. Now for the confession.  I have never been a fan of drama series or serials.  Eastenders, Neighbours, Coronation Street or the ones with posh frocks such as The Forsyth Saga or Downton Abbey.  I think I was put off by watching Crossroads when I was little! Truck in one of the mall car parks Interesting finish! Canadian/North American TV does not quite have the richness and variety of the UK.  We have somehow ended up 'binging' on Downton Abbey.  Not bad I suppose but I can...

News Travels Slowly Wed Nov 17th      If you depend on BBC News to keep you up to date, you would be three days behind the events of the last few days that has been breaking, literally, across southern BC.   Of course if you are a regular reader of this blog, you would have had an early heads up!   The ' Atmospheric River ' that hit BC on Sunday and Monday of this week has caused major disruption, significant flooding, road and rail washouts which has effectively cut southern BC off from the rest of the province and the rest of  Canada.  Port Mellon, our nearest weather station recorded close to 200mm of rain.  Sky News , to their great credit picked up the story onMonday.   Highway 1 - Tank Hill in the  Fraser Valley So the ' Yesterday's Chip Paper ' prize goes to BBC News ! Sadly one person is known to have lost their life as a result of a landslide on one of the highways and searches continue.  Sever...

Remembrance Day 11/11 Sun Nov 14th  Canadian Remembrance Day this year represents 100 years since Canada first recognized the end of WWI on November 11, 1921.   Snow on the local peaks The diversity and pluralist nature of Canadian gives it a different feel compared with the UK. November 11th is a public holiday for federal employees.  Public offices and schools close.  Many small businesses are also shut, though not the national chains.    The Canadian Legion, the equivalent of the UK's British Legion, has a major role and individual groups such as the First Nations, Sikhs and Punjabis honour the day. It feels as though they get better coverage than in the UK.  Canadian Poppies, which are a different style to the UK, are evident but perhaps not quite so prominent, except on TV.  The only common feature is that the pin is just as useless at keeping a poppy in place!  My Nikon nightmare started when I sent my camera body and the lar...

Foraging Course cancelled Sat Oct 16th We are gripped by an 'atmospheric river' according to a report on Friday's CBC news for BC.  Perhaps shrouded might be more accurate. Not some euphemistic term to describe the collective mood in bad weather or a mystic meaning aligned with one's inner-self.  They   are a like ' rivers in the sky '  according to a CBC report, 'that transport large volumes of water vapour from the equator', before dumping it down on us.  Canada gets several a year and the volume of rain can apparently, 'exceed the volume of water flowing into the ocean from the Amazon'.  It feels like it.  The rain started Friday morning and is due to continue until Sunday evening when 75mm to 150mm of rain is forecast to have fallen. We'd had 40mm by the end of Friday.  Roads are awash and running with waves of surface water, the small stream that usually trickles across the front of our property alongside the road is a torrent....