VISITING ANOTHER ISLAND

Actually, I visited two other islands.  Charlie invited me along when he went to check one of his current construction jobs on Hornby Island the other day.  We took a ferry first to Denman Island then drove across it to catch the ferry to Hornby.  While he conferred with his crew, I wandered the property and along the beach below.
We've been laying a bit low with the warmer temperatures and the motor home air conditioning is getting a workout.  It malfunctioned the other day so I was up on the roof yesterday taking the covers off and Charlie brought his air compressor over so we could blow things out.  It worked fine in the afternoon when needed.
We have a friend closing up her parents home with things to dispose of so one night Charlie and I went down and removed what we could then another day my brother in law, John R and I took away a couple loads of firewood.
Last night, Aileen and I picked up my sister Sue and John R and went to play cards at my sister Janet and John H's house.   John H won the game of 2500 while the ladies trounced us guys in Hand and Foot.

We spied this Mink while waiting for our first ferry

Overgrown doorway

1953 Ford Jublilee tractor 

Immature Bald Eagle

And a closer shot

Down on the ocean's edge

This search and rescue plane was on maneuvers circling Hornby while I was on the beach 

I saw this Mink while wandering the beach on Hornby

I think this must be some type of seaweed.  It made loud crunching noises when he was eating it.

Looking from Hornby Island to Chrome Island lighthouse at the toe of Denman Island and over to Vancouver Island

Mature Bald Eagle

Chrome Island Lighthouse framed from Hornby

Some old Hornby houses

An old oak tree on Hornby that I played with in Photoshop

The same tree taken from the other side 

A spiral Arbutus tree

Closeup of the Arbutus.  The green is the new bark while the red is the old bark being shed.  An Arbutus in a deciduous evergreen in that it has leaves but it doesn't drop them every year.

The Ford Jubilee framed by some Arbuitus 

A couple of moon shots taken the night before full.  Handheld

ITS A WARM SUMMER NOW

With some of my siblings still working and others travelling, it isn't too easy to get all eight of us together so it is nice when it happens.  My sister Sue took the initiative to make it happen this time.  We are currently experiencing what the weather office is calling  the longest hot spell in history but it isn't nearly as bad as many other areas who have higher temperatures combined with humidity.  Aileen is thankful that we are at Charlie and Sheila's where we have 30 amp power so we can use our air conditioning.  The forecast is for cooler temperatures next week so we may move somewhere off grid for a few days for a change of scenery.  There is no ATVing in this area now as the forest is all closed due to extreme fire danger.  I've only had the RZR out once since we get to the Island this spring.

The town of Duncan, BC has the 39 days festival with music at different venues around town every day.  I went one evening with Cousin Neil and Carol.

Close up of the drummer in the above photo

This venue was right along the abandoned railway tracks

Audience feet

Returning to the car, we used Alvin's Alley

These murals and more graced the alley

Wild rabbit on my evening walk

Lavender

Farm land above Quamichan Lake near Duncan

Curious sheep

Near the motor home at Charlie's, this spider was chowing down on an earwig

Great Blue Heron coming up empty at Qualicum Beach, BC

Great Blue Heron success

This is how a heron throws its prey up and turns it so it can be swallowed

Great Blue Heron cruising past

Evening colour at Qualicum Beach with the sun behind me

Not much colour when you shoot into the sun

All the above photos were taken with my Canon SX60 

The two below are from my full frame Canon 6D on a tripod using the self timer.

My brothers and sisters and I got together on Tuesday for supper.  We are in age order from the left so that's me the old guy on the right.  There is just under fifteen years between me and Becky.

Then we added our spouses