Expedition Canada

Shorts back in closet Friday morning Fri Aug 24th to  Sun Aug 26th Friday morning got off to a beautiful start with the mountains above the Sea to Sky Highway on the mainland clearly visible.  By sunset it was clouding over and it rained most of the weekend. The local rainfall for the Friday when we lost power has been revised up to 128mm.  It will be interesting to see what we get by the end of this week, with rain forecast to run through to Thursday before sun reappears. What a difference a day makes (colour pic!) Shorts have been returned to the wardrobe and I'm back in jeans that  have hardly seen the light of day in  six months.  Well almost six months, next Monday Oct 3rd will be half a year since we arrived in Canada.  It has flown by. I'm sitting in the office we've created on the mezzanine, looking out across West Howe Sound.  In the space of ten minutes the sun has lit patches of sea, only to disappear in a squall of rain and mist, ...

Summer Over? Wed Aug 18th Dark O' Clock Start for Vancouver Thu Aug 19th To suggest life has settled in to a routine might imply the sense of adventure is waining, which is not the case. We do feel settled in Gibsons.  It has a strong sense of community and a good base for exploring the Coast as well as 'mainland' BC.  I say mainland, but the Coast is actually part of mainland BC, but you can only get to it by boat, or plane.  Too many mountains in between. The search has started for a second car as Fred is out playing tennis 3-4 times a week, usually in Sechelt, it means I'm half a day without transport each time.  Last patch of snow I predicted a few weeks ago that the last patches of snow on the distant mountains would be gone in a few days.  I was wrong.  As the peaks emerged from the cloak of cloud that followed rain at the beginning of the week, a small patch still exists.  For how much longer remains to be seen. Wednesday was a local day, apart ...

Things not to do Naked Tue Aug 10th Sunrise Wed AM Wed Aug 11th Our local radio station, CKAY Coast FM, ran a feature this morning on things one would not want to do naked.   Picking blackberries was one of the suggestions.  Not that it would ever cross my mind. I mention this as two young Black Tailed deer, worked their way down the steep bank of our front garden grazing on the still plentiful supply of blackberries and young shoots that grow throughout the summer. They must have very thorn proof lips and mouths.  I was going to pick those same blackberries tomorrow morning - dressed! What did you think my reference to nakedness was going to be all about?   Coast FM serves the Sunshine Coast and eastern side of Vancouver Island, particularly around Nanaimo where many of the advertisers seem to be based.  They are a bit like Planet Rock in the UK, but do a good local news bulletin at the top and bottom of the hour as well regular updates of t...

Property Search Begins Tues May 4th Robin - blackbird size! The realtor we have been working with had organised 4 viewings for Tuesday morning.  An interesting mix of real estate.   The first was a wooden clad house on three levels, surrounded by pine forest with a window through the trees looking across the Sechelt inlet. Several acres of land of which 5% is not mountainside forest!  Inside the dark wood floors, dark furniture and finishes made for a very dark and gloomy feel - 3/10 bah! The second property was on the inlet but closer to Sechelt.  A lovely house right on the waters edge, though neighbouring properties were quite close by.  Some work required on the lower floor that could be turned in to a dedicated suite. A possible but slightly above budget - 7/10 On the opposite side of the inlet, and facing due north, was the third.  Set higher up and with stunning views up the inlet.  Beautifully finished, but small garden and close to t...

The Next Adventure A 3D Puzzle Sun May 2nd.  The car started ok today, no warning symbols, so packing commenced.  This was something of a challenge and just as well we left the dog crate and one piece of luggage with Nick and two pieces at our first rental for later collection.  Jack had to share the back seat with one large suitcase! Car packed, we headed off to Horseshoe Bay, the ferry terminal to the west of Vancouver.  Yet again, the auto stop/start was not working!   All our papers were to hand in case our reason to travel was challenged.  ‘No recreational travel’ was on all the matrix signs driving to the terminal.   Our dual nationality Canadian/British check-in lady, whose daughter plays for Aston Villa could not have been more helpful.  We had a nice chat with her, 'deck three with the dog, or you can stay in the car' she advised.  The ferry is only 29% full, such is the impact of Covid.  Not sure what Jack was going to mak...

Quiet Day  Sunday April 25 A local walk this morning around the trails north of the house.  It was quiet as we left but Vancouver had woken up as we made our way back. There are a number of good Apps for mobiles that hold maps and trail information, tracking you as you walk.  They are definitely a handy tool and avoid wet maps.   More importantly they show your location  when it would probably have been more difficult working out where you are when there are fewer visible reference points if you were using a map and compass . On recommendation from the younger branch Fred has acquired a set of hiking poles, which makes the uphill and downhill easier.  I've yet to convert from grabbing rocks and trees! This is our last week in North Van as we head across to the Sunshine Coast next Sunday.  Fortunately it is part of the same 'Coast" health region, so we aren't anticipating any major issues being stopped on route.   At the moment non-essent...