A FEW PHOTOS AS WE LEFT NANAIMO DEPARTURE BAY TERMINAL AND ALONG THE OKANAGAN RIVER AT HOME.

It was a dull overcast morning  as we left Vancouver Island.  We had many small rain showers much of the way home that day.  We are now experiencing some gorgeous weather with the current temperature at 2 pm today sitting at 25C/77F.   The mornings are cooler at about 13C/lower 50's F.

We canned 20 pounds of Bartlett pears yesterday and today getting 21 pints.  We also made 5 pints of apple sauce today.  No local peaches to can this year since the flower buds got froze during the winter so pears and apples are going to have to make up for it.

Barnacle and mussel encrusted at the ferry terminal.

Barnacle and mussel encrusted at the ferry terminal.

This was a self-appointed guardian at the ferry terminal.  Nothing fazed him, he just sat there the whole time and he was still there the last I could see as we departed.

Looking into the Nanaimo inner harbour from the ferry as we left.

Closeups of a little island as we departed the ferry terminal.

Closeups of a little island as we departed the ferry terminal.

Closeups of a little island as we departed the ferry terminal.

Closeups of a little island as we departed the ferry terminal.

Shortly after we left the terminal we passed this sailboat.

This Great Blue Heron watched me from the other side of the Okanagan River last night.  That's poison Ivy all around him.

The Sockeye Salmon arm making their way up the Okanagan River.  The Vaseux Dam is one of their obstacles to surmount.

The Sockeye Salmon arm making their way up the Okanagan River.  The Vaseux Dam is one of their obstacles to surmount.

The Sockeye Salmon arm making their way up the Okanagan River.  The Vaseux Dam is one of their obstacles to surmount.

This one might have made it.

These ones took the wrong trajectory and will just smack into the cement.  The wall is wet from the large number of fish that are hitting it.

BACK TO OUR HOME BASE IN OLIVER, BC.

 I guess it was time to make an appearance back at our house.   We've only been here two months in the last eleven months!  We drove all the way home in the one day rather than stopping part way like we usually do.  We got off the ferry just before 11 and were home before 6.  We had stopped for lunch and a nap for Aileen and again to make supper plus some other stops.

We drove over to Keremeos yesterday looking for fruit to process.  We came home with twenty pounds of Bartlett pears and twenty pounds of Ambrosia apples plus two cucumbers.  My sister Becky gave us a flat of plums so yesterday we made plum jam.  Tomorrow we can pears and tonight we had an apple crisp for dessert.

I took the General for a ride today.  I used it to check some of my geocaches up on some logging roads.  I could have taken the car but what's the fun in that.

Apples alongside the highway near Keremeos.

Apples alongside the highway near Keremeos.

Apples alongside the highway near Keremeos.

One of many fruit stands in Keremeos.

One of many fruit stands in Keremeos.

The milkweed seed pods have popped.

The milkweed seed pods have popped.

We had two large tomato plants that travelled in the motorhome with us this summer.  I picked these last night.

Shaggy Manes along on my UTV ride this morning.

Shaggy Manes along on my UTV ride this morning.

The Okanagan River this evening.

TIME TO HEAD HOME.

We left home June 5th to come over to Vancouver Island so it's time we headed home for a while.  We had a good summer on the Island.   We did lots of geocaching and visited friends and family including having  a siblings reunion with only one couple being absent.  As the years go on it gets harder to schedule these get togethers.

I found it difficult to get off the Island this time.  One of the main ferries from Victoria to the Mainland broke down so that has put more pressure on the Nanaimo Duke Point ferry to the Mainland which meant I couldn't get a reservation all this week for the motorhome.  We managed to get a reservation on the other Nanaimo to Vancouver ferry which means a lot more traffic through the Vancouver area which we normally avoid.

Down at the ocean one evening.

Old arbutus bark peeling with the new bark underneath.

Old arbutus bark peeling with the new bark underneath.

Old arbutus bark peeling with the new bark underneath.

As we were leaving our friends Dan and Betty's one evening, this owl was calling.

Aileen and I sat down by the ocean last night.  While the sunset didn't materialize I got a couple of silhouettes.

Aileen and I sat down by the ocean last night.  While the sunset didn't materialize I got a couple of silhouettes.

BACK TO ERRINGTON FOR A WHILE.

 We moved back down to Charlie and Sheila's a few days ago and will be here through the coming weekend.  Shortly after that we'll probably head back home.  We've been relaxing and not doing too much so far.  We do have a siblings get together later this week and hope to have all my siblings and their spouses there.  These things seem to get more challenging to pull off.  We have some things left on our agenda that still need to be addressed before we leave the Island.

French Creek harbour.

Gumweed.

The Qualicum Market on Saturday morning was crowded.

We dropped into the Errington Market later Saturday morning and listened to some good music.  The person on the right in jeans performed at our 50th anniversary party.

On the busy Labour Day weekend,we found this deserted beach access near Saratoga where we could sit on a log and enjoy our lunch.  Looking across to mainland BC.

I thought this had a Mediterranean feel.

WARNING, SPIDER IN THE NEXT THREE PHOTOS.

On the fence beside the motorhome this morning.

A NICE TRIP UP THE MOUNTAIN IN THE SIDE BY SIDE.

My brother in law John invited me to go for a ride yesterday.   We took his side by side and went up some logging roads that took us up into the alpine zone and while we were hoping for a nice view over the ocean, fog rolled in so we couldn't see anything in that direction.  It was nice and quiet and as we gazed over the openings in the trees down below I was pleased to spot a black bear wandering along looking for treats to eat.  We were around 400 metres away from the bear but my 100-400 lens helped bring him closer.  

We are having light showers today but overnight and tomorrow are expected to be pretty wet.  Tuesday is forecast to be sunny so we're hoping so for our drive down to Campbell River.  We try to not drive in the rain as the motorhome is so large to clean when it gets dirty.  We've sure enjoyed our parking spot for the past month or so thanks to my late cousin's son Clay.  It has been nice and quiet tucked away out of sight all by ourselves yet not too far from town and family.

This first image was taken Friday looking out over Campbell Lake.  We had just found a geocache here.

A little alpine lake up where we ventured to in the side by side yesterday.

Lots of little puddles.

The bear as viewed with my lens at maximum.

Heavily cropped in the computer.

Do I hear voices?

Darn tourists!!!

Back to looking for berries.

Trailing black currants.

Trailing black currants.

Bunchberry.

Mountain ash and blueberries.

Fireweed.

Looking out toward the ocean.

Looking out toward the ocean.