ATV RIDE UP CHEF CREEK FOREST ROAD

We moved back up to Charlie and Sheila's in Errington on Tuesday.  On Thursday, we hopped in the car and drove down to Victoria to attend Georgia's end of school party held at a lady's house.  This lady put on a huge spread of food and it was all gluten free except for the graduation cake for one of the girls who is leaving the school.  We had left early in the morning and that turned out to be a good thing as there was a major accident necessitating a long detour.  Our trip home was much smoother but it turned in to a thirteen hour day.
I went down to Duncan on Friday to meet three others in the RV Club Chapter to change signing officers at the bank.  I officially took over the books as treasurer after we were done.  I managed to get a quote on a set of tires for the motor home down there also.  It seems that getting tires in our size isn't all that easy.  The existing tires still look fine and have no visible checking that I can see but they are past nine years old so it seems current thinking dictates they should be changed out.  I also stopped and visited long time friends Jim and Wendy who I hadn't seen in many years.
We hung around the property Friday and Saturday as we were the caretakers as everyone else went to Tofino for C&S's #3 son's wedding.  The old cow had her calf Friday morning just before Charlie left and it had some issues with its front legs but seems to be doing pretty good now.
Yesterday afternoon, I took my ATV and went half an hour northwest from here and went geocaching and photographing.  I timed it so I could catch some evening light.  I did some caching at the lower level until mid-afternoon then headed higher to take advantage of the late afternoon light.  I had taken a sandwich for my supper and my view while I ate was similar to the image below. It was 9 pm when I loaded the ATV back on the trailer and headed homeward.  The weather turned beautifully sunny yesterday and we are supposed to be in a sunny pattern for a while.

Looking north up the channel between Vancouver Island and Denman Island to Comox

Deep Bay harbour

A little lake near the top of the mountain.  Beating my way through thick brush to get this image caused me to lose my lens cap so now I will have to prowl the camera stores looking for a 77mm replacement as that isn't too common a size.

Overview of the little lake and down to the ocean

Looking down on Denman and Hornby Islands

Alaska bound Celebrity Inspiration passing Hornby Island.  The boat is in excess of 25 kms distant from me

This is Mt Baker down in Washington State and it is about 250 kms (150 or more miles) from me

The two ferry boats passing are going between Nanaimo on Vancouver Island and Vancouver.  The ferries are at least 70 kms and Vancouver is about 110 kms from me.  These last three images are very poor quality but I thought it interesting in showing my location from a different perspective.

A WEEKEND WITH GEORGIA

We picked up Georgia from school Friday afternoon after we left the rally.  We got lucky by arriving early at Bamberton Park as we managed to grab the last spot the motor home would fit into.  The park was full Friday and Saturday nights but so far on Sunday is mostly empty.  We took a drive into Duncan yesterday to go to the street market.  We did buy a few peppers and tomatoes plus a piece of fudge.
Today, we drove along the ocean road to Mill Bay village then out anther road to get to a beach access.   The downside to camping in this park, as in most provincial parks, is the dense tree cover. Our solar panels aren't able to charge the battery bank so we have to run the generator for a while each day to give us enough power to last the night.  We have some nice sunshine happening right now but hardly any charging going on.
Richard will be coming up to the campsite tomorrow to retrieve Georgia.  I think we will stay another night here before moving on again.

Taken through the windshield in a Duncan mall.  The man had just bought his dog a new collar at Pet Smart

Keir Rd, Mill Bay, BC

Mitzy made herself a nest beside our campsite

Mill Bay

Saanich Inlet.  Mitzy, John, Aileen, Georgia

Mill Bay.  We thought we were going to get wet, but it fizzled out.

An old Arbutus Tree along the ocean

Father's Day lunch at the campsite, Bamberton Park

These Maple Trees were posing for me so I had to take their portrait

AFTER THE RALLY

Well, our five days of RV rally have flown by.  We had twenty rigs so the available space was pretty much filled up.  We had a great time with a lot of fun people.   I have taken on the position of Treasurer for the Vancouver Island Chapter of Escapees RV Club.   We enjoyed several meals together in the great clubhouse at Chemainus Gardens as well as two meals out.   Quite a few of us attended the live performance of Footloose at the Chemainus Theater yesteday afternoon.  I was able to borrow the remote control so I was able to use the digital projector in the clubhouse to show some of my slide shows set to music.  Both evenings the audience seemed to quite enjoy the shows as I received many nice compliments.  A few other attendees are also interested in photography so it was great being able to speak the language.
Tonight, we are parked at Bamberton  Provincial Park north of Victoria and it is just starting to rain. Showers are forecast for the next couple of days.  We picked up Georgia this afternoon and she will be with us until Monday when Richard returns from his conference in Ontario.  We may stay here for the weekend or we may move somewhere else.  One of the main problems we have with provincial parks is that the campsites are in heavily forested areas so we have next to nothing for solar gain necessitating running the generator.  With the rain forecast that could be worse.

On Thursday morning, I led a group to Stocking Creek Falls.  Other than a couple of ladies getting wet feet while crossing the creek, we enjoyed our morning.  Aileen is third from left and I am on the right.

STORMY AND SUNNY BY TURNS

We had to return to the vet clinic in Courtenay for Mitzy's post-op checkup on Friday.  We were told 10 am but when we got there, it seems the girl had forgotten to mark it on the board so we were rescheduled for 2:30.  We had our friend Bev D with us so decided to run up to Campbell River to have fish and chips at Dick's as Aileen likes their gluten free fish.  Bev and I spent lots of time looking for photo subjects along the way.  We had a mix of sun and cloud with some heavy showers thrown in.  We stopped at Deez' Bar and Grill in Qualicum Beach for supper and Aileen was pleased to note they now had a two page gluten free menu.  She was also pleased to report no bad reaction to the food.
We've had a mostly quiet weekend catching up with laundry and grocery shopping.  Tomorrow we are off to the RV rally in Chemainus until Friday when we go pick up Georgia for the weekend while Richard is in Kingston, Ontario at a conference.

One last image from the west coast.  I was intrigued by this Western Red Cedar that looked like a giant wishbone.  It was located on a side road near Tofino.

 A gaggle of Canada Geese near Campbell River

Not sure how this mature Bald Eagle got so wet.  Could have been the rain storm a few minutes earlier, he could have been having a bath or perhaps he got dunked while catching a fish.

These two images are the marina in Campbell River

Getting closer to the storm at Union Bay

Just north of Buckley Bay looking across to Denman Island

A storm over the ocean at the mouth of Nile Creek

This old barn is north of Qualicum Beach on the old highway

These two photos, top looking north and bottom looking west were taken minutes apart between Parksville and Qualicum Beach 

A FEW MORE WILD COAST IMAGES

Just a few more photos to share.  Today is our last day here on the west coast of Vancouver Island near Ucluelet.  We have enjoyed our stay here at Surf Junction RV Park.  I have enjoyed meeting many younger people in the hot tub in the late evenings.  For anyone visiting this area, we highly recommend walking the Ancient Cedars Trail then after 1/2 km turning north on the  Wild Pacific Trail to its terminus about one km further.  If you only have time for one hike, this will give a great overview of what the trail has to offer.  There aren't any really steep parts so it is suitable for most anyone who is able to walk a little over three kms.
Tomorrow morning we will pack up and make our way back to Charlie and Sheila's in Errington. Friday we take Mitzy for her follow up appointment at the vet in Courtenay.  On Monday, we will move down to Chemainus Gardens RV Park for the Escapees Island Chapter RV Rally.  Then on Friday of that week, we move to another campground and head to Victoria to pick up Georgia from school and she will spend the weekend with us.  By then we'll probably be ready for another holiday!

Aileen at the north end of the Wild Pacific Trail

Yellow Monkey Flower growing in the rocks above the ocean

A Sea Lion at a boat ramp in Ucluelet, BC

Aileen at the Ancient Cedars Trail

Natural archway on the Wild Pacific Trail

A fine clump of Indian Paintbrush along the ocean on the Wild Pacific Trail

Mitzy and Aileen at the Indian Paintbrush

Mitzy's new pack for when she poops out on our walks.  At nearly fourteen, she does pretty good but will suddenly get too tired to continue.

MORE WEST COAST IMAGES

After a couple of damp days, Saturday was a gorgeous blue sky warm day.   I went off on my own along the Ancient Cedars Trail then hooked on to the north section of the Wild Pacific Trail.  I had a great walk.  There weren't many people along that section so it was quite peaceful.  After supper we toured around Ucluelet then spent the rest of the evening at Amphitrite Point.  I was surprised how many people were out there.  There seemed to be about fifty people at all times with a lot of coming and going.

This guy was in a hurry to hit the water

This is how the sea smoke is created

When this guy decided his ride was about over, he did a back flip off his board 

His board didn't wait for him

On the Ancient Cedars Trail

Yup, she's a biggie!  Western Red Cedar.

This was neat.  The one tree fell and is cradled by the one on the right.  Notice the branches on the fallen tree have taken off and grown up straight.  Co-operation in nature! 

A windswept Hemlock.  Because the prevailing wind is from the ocean, the trees tend to veer away from it.

This eagle was sitting on a nest high above the Wild Pacific Trail yesterday.  Just her head sticking up. 

Nodding Onions and a Bumblebee who has a good load of pollen on his legs

Whale Ho!  Not much of a picture, but at least we did see a whale on our walk last night along the Wild Pacific Trail.

Amphitrite Point Lighthouse

Some of the many sunset watchers last night at Amphitrite Point

Our sunset