LAST CAMPBELL RIVER AND FIRST PORT MCNEILL PHOTOS.

 We left Tony and Rita's on Tuesday and made the drive up to Hyde Creek near Port McNeill.   My cousin Steve passed away last year shortly after we visited him and one of his son's who reads my Facebook posts invited us to park at Steve's while we are in the area.  So here we are, parked up near the house away from the dusty road.  There is some industrial noise during the day but very quiet at night and on the weekend.

So far we have only visited Aileen's sister Anne and John.  John and I did some geocaching on two days already.  This morning I went and checked the geocaches I put out last year.  I changed one container to a better one for the wet climate and replaced some of the log sheets so they are ready for other cachers to find.  It has been mostly cloudy and much cooler than where we came from since we arrived and today we've had some rain.

This eagle was perched right above a group having a picnic.

Some Cormorants off the Spit at Campbell River.

Just a man and his dog enjoying life.

The Cormorants weren't concerned with the boat going by.

The Kennecott, an Alaska ferry in Seymour Narrows.

The Kennecott, an Alaska ferry in Seymour Narrows.

The Kennecott passing the Spit in Campbell River.

Lupine at Steve's.

Daisy at Steve's.

Lupine at Steve's.

Blackberry at Steve's.

Daisies at Steve's.

Bumblebee on blackberry at Steve's.

EAGLES, EAGLES AND A VULTURE.

 One day earlier this week I had been out geocaching and on my way home I was checking out ocean viewpoints just north of Campbell River when I happened on a flock of eagles having fun.  Once when they were quiet and roosting I counted six mature and two immature along with a vulture.  When they started flying again more joined in from elsewhere out of my sight so I have no idea how many there actually were.  I just tried to lock on one with my camera and follow it for the brief time it was in view.  There were several large trees that would hide them from me.  It was fun while it lasted!

Aileen continues to improve with less swelling and discolouration.  Her eye is opening a little more as well.  Still dressing the open wound at night.  Tomorrow we plan to head up to Port McNeill for a while.   The temperatures are going to be way lower than what we've been experiencing so I may have to give up my shorts and go back to wearing pants.  I see some rain in the forecast too.

Immature Bald Eagle, they don't usually get the white head and tail until they are about 5 years old.

Immature Bald Eagle.

Turkey Vulture who thought he was an eagle.

Turkey Vulture who thought he was an eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagles.

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagle.

Immature Bald Eagle.  Is that an eel or a snake, I wonder?

Immature Bald Eagle. 

Immature Bald Eagle. 

Immature Bald Eagle. 

Immature Bald Eagle. 

Bald Eagle.

Bald Eagles.

INJURY UPDATE.

 Aileen's eye is slowly starting to open.  She continues to be tired and achy.  The swelling and discolouration are lessening.  She thanks everyone for their kind words.   On Saturday afternoon,prior to the injury event, we had visited our friend Gay in Berwick a senior's complex.  She has a beautiful view over the ocean and some of the docks.  I spent some time out on the balcony with my camera.  Earlier in the day I had taken a walk down to the estuary.

Bindweed in a patch of sun with shade behind down at the estuary.

A little mushroom tucked in a cavity in a rotten log.

Momma Common Merganser with some of her babies.

Looking down on a fountain from three stories up at Berwick.

Looking down on the pond from three stories up.

Looking down on the pond from three stories up.

Boat traffic from Gay's balcony.

The two ferries serving Quadra Island.

Part of the view from Gay's balcony.

OH-OH WE HAVE AN ACCIDENT.

 Last evening we were down at the beach and Aileen somehow lost her balance and fell striking her head on a beach log.  There was lots of blood from a puncture wound on the right side of her head just behind the eye.  We spent over three hours in emergency getting it taken care of.  They performed a CAT scan as they were concerned there could be a skull fracture or broken facial bones.  Thankfully nothing was broken.   However, she has a dandy black eye today and I imagine it will hang around for a while.  I guess we'll lay low for a couple days to see how things go.

Here are a few photos from the past few days.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Wall Beach, Parksville.

Lichen, Wall Beach, Parksville.

Bald Eagle near Campbell River.

A ship in Seymour Narrows.  Seymour Narrows is about 750 metres wide and the tidal current can reach 17 mph creating dangerous conditions for marine craft.  It is used by many of the cruise ships going to and from Alaska and they tend to time their passage through here for less strong tidal currents.  The average depth is about 330 feet.  The Narrows is about 5 km (3 miles) long.

Seymour Narrows just north of Campbell River.  Back in 1958 they tunneled under the seafloor and blasted out a navigation hazard known as Ripple Rock that had sent many ships to their doom.  Ripple Rock sank or damaged 119 ships claiming nearly that many lives over the years.  On April 5, 1958 the world's largest non-nuclear explosion reduced the rock to rubble.

Arbutus Point, Parksville.

Arbutus Point, Parksville.

This seal wanted to share our fish and chips on the wharf in Campbell River.

Robert's Lake north of Campbell River.

Apparently this is goose fencing in an effort to stop them from eating all the native grass and the critters that live in it.  The grass is flooded during high tide and provides a home for many native species of marine life.  The theory is that the geese won't use these areas as they like to be able to take off easily and the fences create a barrier to flight.

A barge being repaired in the Campbell River estuary.

Campbell River estuary