Saturday, July 25, 2015

ROAD TRIP TO TAHSIS, BC

We had our son Richard and Granddaughter Georgia with us for eight nights.  We spent two nights at Cousin Bill's in Campbell River then three nights at Buttle Lake Park where we were beyond the cell/internet zone so we had quite a bit of extra time each day.  We leisurely explored some of the area and did a bit of geocaching as well.  On the Tuesday, we made the drive into Tahsis which used to be a bustling resource town with logging and a sawmill but since the mill closed a few years ago has had a large reduction in the population.  It could be a pretty nice place to live if you were okay with being far from the normal trappings of modern civilization such as shopping, fine dining and entertainment.  There is great salt water fishing, great scenery and lots of hiking/walking trails in the area and it would appear to have lots of area to ATV in.  There are many empty houses and some were advertised as low as $25,000 for a two story three bedroom building.  Being an old company town, the houses are very closely spaced and not much imagination used in the design or building.  We did get to see some of that very elusive commodity for most of the province and that is rain.  Not that we had overly much but most of Vancouver Island has hardly had any for quite some time.
After our busy past ten days or so, we're having a quiet senior's evening at home.  Other than doing laundry and posting this blog, that is.  Richard and Georgia left after lunch and Charlie and Sheila went off to dinner and dancing with friends.  Tomorrow we are meeting my Cousin Judith from Donnelly, AB, in Duncan to visit and do a bit of geocaching.
Our schedule into the next while is filling up.  Haircuts for Aileen and her friend Bev on Tuesday and I hope to go to Ladysmith Camera Club Tuesday night then Wednesday we take Sheila to catch a plane.  August 4th, Aileen plans to take her friend Bev to her specialist appointment and I think Aug 10-14 will see us at another Escapees Chapter Rally.  See, even not having fixed roots doesn't keep us from being busy!  I'm also trying to get some ideas together for our trip south this fall as we plan to swing over to Grand Junction, Colorado to visit friends on the way to Arizona.  I hope to find a few new routes that we haven't yet traveled so we get to experience some different scenery.  We're thinking of crossing at our earliest allowable date which will mean coming back north a little earlier next spring.

The newest addition here at the farm

Here's a shot Richard took of me heading for a geocache.  After putting on our boots and walking just out of sight up ahead, there was a land bridge we were able to walk back across without having to wade.

A dragonfly I captured and dressed up a little in post processing 

At one geocache along the Tahsis Rd, we walked down to the lake shore and saw lots of these beautiful Gentians.

Entering the metropolis of  Tahsis

And leaving the non-thriving burg

I  spotted these critters on the underside of a fungus on a fir tree

And here they are dining on the skin

I believe these are St John's-Wort.  They were thriving in the spray from Lady Falls.

Here's Georgia asleep in her berth that we make up in the motor home using the couch opened out and a large hanging blanket to keep the light out.  Both windows are blacked out as well.  Proving that she is now truly a teenager, this shot was taken at 9:30 am.

My sister in law, Sheila is just retiring as area governor for Toastmaster's so last night she and the incoming governor hosted a get together for all 22 Island clubs.  I was the person doing all the grilling on the BBQ.  There were many more attendees than are shown here so I was a busy fellow for a while.  Aileen was doing lots of work in the kitchen.

Bull Lake along the Tahsis Road where the Gentians were blooming

Having our lunch at the head of Tahsis Inlet

We got to see this bear with two cubs on our way home from Tahsis


Lady Falls just off the Campbell River-Gold River Highway from the new viewpoint

The last time we were here back in about 1976 this was all you could see of the falls.  Richard and I walked up just to compare the two views.  The new viewpoint is a real advantage!


On the viewing platform at Lady Falls.  That's me and Mitzy on the left, Aileen, Georgia and Richard.
  

Monday, July 13, 2015

NOTABLE BIRTHDAY AND ANNIVERSARY

Aileen and I went to Victoria yesterday.  We took her cousin and his wife out to celebrate their wedding anniversary.  Pat and Irene (90 and 88) marked their 67th year of marriage yesterday.
They are both young for their years and great fun to be around.  We had a great visit with them.   We enjoyed a visit with their daughter while at their house.
After having a rest at an ocean side park in Oak Bay, we made our way to Georgia's aunt and uncle's house where we had a late birthday party for Georgia who is now a teenager.  Yep, thirteen already! Georgia's cousin Megan and her baby Chloe from Yellowknife were there as were her other grandparents, Barbara and Allan, Richard and Robin and Robin's sister Nancy and Brian.  We were over fourteen hours there and back so we were pretty tired by the time we arrived home.

We saw this fawn in a suburb of Victoria yesterday

An art inspired piano was placed at Cattle Point in Oak Bay, a suburb of Victoria, several people sat down and played a few notes while we were there


Beautiful backdrop

Today while I was out geocaching I spotted these chaps at the clay banks pool along Englishman River.  The object was to get good and muddy apparently then jump in the river to wash off.  I asked them later if it made their skin healthier but they were a bit embarrassed.  They were older than I thought too as they drove away in different vehicles.

Continuing on my walk this afternoon, I spotted these nice reflections in a spawning channel 

This bumble bee on a Scotch Thistle was quite unconcerned with my camera 

On my way back to the car I spotted some nice Scouring-Rush

Friday, July 10, 2015

IT'S COOLING A BIT AND LESS SMOKE

Cedar Waxwings having a bath

Finished my bath

Yellow-Rumped Warbler

A couple of flowers here at Charlie and Sheila's


Doe and fawn on my bike ride this morning.

Today is a little brighter and a little cooler than the past while and there are showers in the forecast on Sunday.  We'll hope there is enough moisture to help with the wildfire situation.  There was another fire started a few miles away from here last night but luckily several volunteer fire departments converged on it and aggressively attacked it and put it out.

Sunday, July 5, 2015

FROM THE MOON TO THE SEA AND A DITCH

These two nearly full moon shots were taken hand held mid evening while it was still light out

For this image, my lens was extended to the full 1200 mm equivalent with four times digital zoom.  Canon SX50 

I found this interesting subject while geocaching the other day.  It appears a cedar tree fell over but didn't die.  Instead two branches vied for dominance to take over as the tree leader.  The closest one has put down another set of roots.  If you look closely, you can see the original tree trunk poking through the tree above the roots.

Better detail of the original trunk surrounded by new growth.

Clam shell at Qualicum Bay last night

This might appear to be a deep hole but in fact it is a one dimensional subject, it is flat.

Here is another oyster shell similar to the above.  It seems every shell has that multicoloured spot that appears three dimensional.

I held this clam shell up to the horizon


A cockle shell on a cedar chunk

This is a quick grab shot in between the waves as the tide was coming in.

Qualicum Beach sunset

The last bit of the sun disappearing behind the mountain

A Chipping Sparrow beside the motor home this merning

Hardhack flower 

One of our many Bullfrogs