Expedition Canada

Boxes Nil Fri Jun 3rd.  That's not strictly true.  We still have some stuff in boxes, but ones that were already boxed before we packed up Eastcourt House; books, children's toys etc.  They are unlikely to be unpacked any time soon, well maybe some of the children's toys! The last week has flown by.  I guess the busier you are the quicker time goes. Last Friday and Sunday, the choir had two concerts in Sechelt and Gibsons, which were both well received.  Rehearsals have now started for the next piece, 'A Little Jazz Mass' by Bob Chilcott.  We have until the end of the month to perfect it for its first airing. Some friends came in for a drink after the Sunday concert and it was warm enough to sit on the deck and  enjoy the setting sun.  "A bear has just gone down the road" said one of our guests.  I grabbed my camera and rushed down to the road, as a large Black Bear was ambling past the mail boxes, before wandering up into the woods...

Damp Squib Thu Oct 28th Nick and I settled down to watch the F1Q My son, pictured right, says I talk to much about the weather.  Because he's now a Canadian citizen he seems to have forgotten that Brits like to talk about the weather; but advice headed.  Suffice it to say it has been damp, but hardly explosive. Nick was over on the Coast this weekend but as he was 'out Friday night' was quite happy to watch the F1 Qualifying with me on Saturday afternoon.  It was clearly quite riveting - we both slept through it.  Sunday morning we'd just finished breakfast when a visitor popped by.  We have no idea how it got in, unless when Fred got up to let Jack out at dark o'clock it slipped into the mud room unnoticed.  After about 5 minutes flying up to all the open doors it headed off out.  Big fella, but not sure what type of bat it was. After the excitement of the breakfast visitor and with Fred immersed in final house removals and  furniture shipping li...

Mike & Jack have a boys day Tue Aug 31st Gumboot Cafe - Roberts Creek The shopping trip was actually to collect the 2018 Nissan Leaf and Fred decided to take the ferry as a walk-on and catch the express bus from the Horseshoe Bay terminal into downtown Vancouver.  Having dropped her off at the terminal in Langdale (she could have walked!), it was straight on the boat, straight on the bus for the $2 and 35 minute ride into town and then a ten minute walk to Nick's office.  Still without a local bank account, Nick had arranged a bank draft to enable us to buy the car.   Meanwhile I took Jack back down to Cliff Gilker Park and we wandered around the creeks for an hour.  It is a delightful spot, though the water levels are really low. But still deep enough for a decent paddle General Store We then headed off to Roberts Creek   village for coffee at  The Gumboot Cafe .  It has been a favourite haunt since we arrived on the Coast.  Roberts...

Heat Wave Looms Thu Jun 24th Pacific Banana Slug It appears that as we prepare to head back to the city,  a heat-wave warning has been issued for the Pacific North-West through to next Tuesday.  Temperatures are forecast to reach between 29c - 37c according to this morning's news, depending on your location in BC.  Saturday, the day of our drive and ferry back to North Van and Sunday, being the hottest.  There will be no cooling Mixal Lake to dip into though there are creeks Jack can swim in North Van. We rather hope the suite we go back to, which was cool in April being in the  North facing  lower-back part of the property will be as cool this visit! On our walks around the local trails, we have been struck by the number of slugs.  Small black ones to the much larger Pacific Banana slugs.  The picture on the right was one of the biggest, as measured alongside my size 11 walking shoe.   There are no hedgehogs in Canada, though there are ...