WINDING DOWN OUR TIME AT PORT MCNEILL.

 We've enjoyed our stay up here but it is about time to move along to the next part of the journey.   We'll spend some more time on the lower Island before heading home to Oliver.  Some of today's photos are from a folder I hadn't edited back in June.  Every once in a while I get busy and miss finishing a day's photos.  

Broadleaf Maple in the sun with a shady background.

Wild Rose.

Wild Rose.

Llama or Alpaca.

Young Llama or Alpaca.

Dew drops on a fir branch.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee.

Chestnut-backed Chickadee.

This past weekend was Orca Fest in Port McNeill.  We gathered with family and friends at cousin Donna's to watch the parade.

Nice location to watch a parade.

The Shriners came up from Campbell River to entertain us.

There were lots of activities for the kids down at the waterfront.

Port McNeill harbour.

The kids activities area.

SCALLOP CAVE, A GEOCACHING FIND.

 When John and I were out geocaching the other day, there was an earth cache that we went to.  Vancouver Island, especially the upper part, is riddled with extensive cave systems.  This one is a smaller system, I think.  There was the upper cave exit followed by a section open to the air of about forty feet then the entrance to the lower cave.  I don't know how long the lower cave is but it runs down to and under the logging road.  I poked my nose in around the first corner then looked around the second corner using my phone's  flash for lighting.  I didn't use the flashlight part as I just wanted to take photos.  It was mentioned that one could walk through the lower cave but a light and a backup light and good footwear would be required.  Maybe a backup to the backup would be a good idea as you wouldn't want to be without a light!  We had some rain showers here yesterday.  

The exit from the upper cave.

Looking into the upper cave.

Looking into the upper cave.

Looking into the upper cave.

The entrance to the lower cave.

Starting in the lower cave.

The second corner.  I was able to stand up fairly straight the whole time.

Looking around the second corner.

Looking around the second corner.

Looking back to the first corner and the way I had come in.

MORE OUTDOOR ADVENTURES.

 I've been on a couple more geocaching trips and Aileen and I took a drive up to Port Hardy the other day.  Our weather here in Port McNeill continues to be foggy overnight and much of the morning then a few hours of nice sunshine with the fog rolling back in late afternoon.  

We were down at the ocean the other night when this eagle came swooping down and grabbed something off the beach.  I was pretty surprised to see that it was just a fish skeleton.

Burdock, the original velcro.

Storey's Beach near Port Hardy.  We lived here from 1967 - 1971.  We walked along here many times.

The Ruby Princess ghosting past Storey's Beach.

The Ruby Princess.

Mussel shells.

Common Sandpipers, Storey's Beach.

Common Sandpipers, Storey's Beach.

Saw this baby Common Nighthawk out in a logging slash while we were geocaching.  One of the reasons I take my camera with me.  I just had to go back to the side by side and grab it.

Baby Common Nighthawk.

Baby Common Nighthawk.

Baby Common Nighthawk.

Baby Common Nighthawk.

A very large old Cedar stump.

TIME FOR AN UPDATE.

 I thought it was time to check in and let you know we're still around.  I've been geocaching a few times.  Aileen and I have checked out a few ocean views in the area and have enjoyed visiting with Anne and John.  Today we're hoping to visit Chris and Gord.   We'll catch up with Donna and Ken later in the week as they are in Oliver visiting friends who live about ten kms from our place.

The weather has been quite nice with mostly foggy starts to the day then the sun coming out.  22C has been about the highest temperature unlike what most of the rest of the province is experiencing.  The morning temperatures range from 11-14C so cool for sleeping.

We came across these elk while geocaching.

While geocaching one day we were up in the clouds.

This slug was having a nice meal on this mushroom.

A beach artifact.  It's a front hub of a big truck either logging or gravel.  The wheel fits on the left and you can see the leaf spring on the right.  Not sure why there was a complete truck disposed of on the beach.  I guess eventually the ocean will disintegrate it.

The ferry from Port McNeill approaching Sointula with Mt. Stephens looming in the background.

Lots of fungi on the trees in this area.

I saw this along the beach the other night.  There was a huge old stump that became a nurse stump.  There are at least four trees growing out of it.

We stopped here at the narrow section of Mohun Lake to get a geocache.

An old railway trestle that crossed Mohun Lake.

Foxgloves love the climate of the upper island.