Expedition Canada

Yacht Refurb Progresses Sun July 30th Sechelt Inlet Sunset - Print now framed and on wall This time two years ago we were in the grip of a heat dome with temperatures in the high thirties peaking at 43c.  This year we are closer to seasonal normal, unlike other corners of the planet which are suffering significant heat-waves ...... or floods.  Rain is in short supply and the 43mm (first rainfall in two months) that fell some days ago will do little to alleviate the water shortage on the Sunshine Coast, or indeed the rest of BC.  Across the other side of Canada in Nova Scotia floods are the order of the day.  We live in a time of stark weather contrasts around the globe.  There are,  according to current press coverage , climate change deniers still out there.  I wonder what it will take to change their perspective.   The current Ashes Test series continues to engage  this very small part of the Coast.  If England are lucky they will...

'Abbey Rd' Bears Tue July 11 Off to the diner You don't need to go down to the woods today to be sure of a big surprise.   It's not my picture, I wish it were,  but taken by  Mark Mendonca a resident of Pemberton, just north of Whistler.  You can read the full article from Pique, the Whistler/Pemberton news magazine here .  We have not seen our resident local bear yet this year, though neighbours have.  The Black Tailed Deer are also wandering around with their fawns who are not unlike UK Fallow Deer. We continue to deter them from the garden and have now erected a $300 fence around our blueberries for the $30 worth of fruit we will probably eventually harvest.  As we can now buy 5lbs of Canadian blueberries for $25, I have serious doubts about the economics of our fence.   At least we can use the fencing again next year if I haven't erected fencing and watchtowers around the whole house! Friends opposite us have been hosting a mother an...

Hot and Humid Wed Aug 3 Night sky over Van Island After the highs of the sailing regatta weekend, the last ten days have been interesting!  Much health related.  Ros tested positive for Covid  two days into her UK trip and had to cancel most of her plans. The couple who ran the business we flew around NZ with some years back, flew in to Wisconsin for the annual flying show - Oshkosh 2022 - and had to put an email out asking for help on their stand as they too had tested positive for Covid and had to isolate.  It's easy to see how international air travel helped spread Covid. Thursday it was my turn to check out the local health services.  Fred, not to be left out, has been providing personal food bank services to the local Mosquito population.  I tell her it’s because she’s so hot in bed!   Happiest in water Ros has since tested negative and arrived back in Canada late Sunday, the same day Oshkosh 2022 finishes. We’ve not heard if the NZ ...

Ferry Delays Sun Mar 13th Even if you managed to get past the lorry load of logs strewn across the Gibsons Way/Highway 101 junction Friday lunchtime on the way to the ferry, you would have been out of luck as five of the day's crossings were cancelled due to engine problems on the Queen of Coquitlam. The junction was blocked for about 3-4 hours while the trailer was righted and cleared away, and a new rig brought in to clear the logs.  There were no serious injuries. Not the first time a logging trailer has overturned.  High centres of gravity and fast cornering is never going to be a successful experience!  Local coverage here. The ferries were cancelled through to the following morning with the first ferry out and back from Horseshoe Bay being replaced by a 12-seat water taxi! The Queen of Coquitlam, at 139m can take 1470 passengers and up to 362 cars/trucks on three car decks.   Quite how a water taxi running to the ferry timetable was going to help was ...

Trash Trashed Tue Nov 2nd Autumn colours in the garden - glorious! Some may recall the difficulty we had getting fares back from BA which promoted them to the 'World's least favourite airline' on the Cronk list of airlines.  Right now they rate behind Air Ariana, the national carrier I used when flying to Kabul some years back.  They only had one pre-used Air India airbus. Wanting to use the e-vouchers which BA refused to refund when our flight to Canada was cancelled last year, I spent 68 minutes holding on a call today before the call was dropped.  Nick is heading to the UK for a few days, and better he use the vouchers before they expire in March rather than BA win the money permanently.   An hour and thirty minutes later, I had got through, booked the ticket and Nick was scheduled to fly using the e-vouchers.  Ten minutes later an incoming call from India and the flight won't be honoured.  "As the booking is not being used by one of the two on...

And then it rained! Sat Aug 7th An obscured Whistler Mountain Whistler Mountain seen on my bear abandoned morning walk.  You actually can't see the mountain because the low cloud and rain has at last arrived.  It dampened the dust on Lost Lake trail and produce a lovely wet pine aroma that has been absent for some six weeks. Yes, it was our fifth bear this morning.  For the first time I'd let Jack off the the lead as I'd started round the back of the lake with the hillside to the left and lake on the right.    One hundred metres further on a black blob appeared at the side of the path.  I called Jack back and put him on the lead and waited as the bear ambled up into the hillside.  I waited a few minutes and assuming it had gone, slowly continued on down the trail.  It reappeared, twenty metres closer and heading towards us.  We backed up and watched it head off down to the lakeside.  At this point the margin between lake and track was na...

Lakes 3 - Temp 30 C Sun Aug 1st A few years ago we were staying in a traditional log cabin north of Pemberton for a few days.  The main rail line that ran  North,  ultimately   to Prince  Rupert Sound passed within 20 metres of the cabin.  Being on a curve in the track we grew familiar with haunting train whistle that is so synonymous with North American trains.  The same trains run alongside Alta Lake in Whistler where this picture was taken. We've yet to hear or see the trains, though the likelihood increases.  CN (Canadian National railway) are planning to increase train frequency on this route because of the disruption to rail traffic from forest fires in the interior of BC. Freight trains are being blamed for some of the wildfires in the interior.  As yet unproven.  We have seen a lot more bear scats today, full of seeds,  but no bears.  On my morning walk around Lost Lake first thing, this pa...