The Final Countdown

My last ferry ride for this year, and a definite change in the weather!

Wet and deserted outside, but warm and cosy within.

Dave braved the weather to take photos of this 'ghost ship'

appearing out of the mist.

Apparently, it is used for transporting timber and is equipped with some kind of unique mechanism for unloading.

I couldn't resist a turn on this life-size computer matching game,

at the Skytrain station. I didn't beat the time of 26 seconds.....no way!!!

Hometime very soon.

After checking in my case, we spent a very relaxed couple of hours in the lounge bar of the Fairmont Airport Hotel. It was a special ending to a special holiday.

We shared delicious food......

.....and drink......

.......and memories.

Relaxing on two very comfy couches!

Thanks, folks, for a wonderful holiday!



In the Garden

Not many opportunities to sit in the garden this year but, as with any garden, there is always work to be done.

Karen and I have just removed a great number of weeds and unwanted plants from this bed, which will no doubt be transformed during the summer months.

This is the latest bed, still in its infancy.

The most enjoyable project, which only lasted one afternoon, was ....

The Day of the Satellite Dish.

Quite simply, we needed to put up a pole for the dish as quickly as possible if we wanted to watch any decent television! So here it is in pictures.

Karen digging the trench while Dave went for concrete.

It had to be very deep.

The hole had to be even deeper!

This is back-breaking work!

My extremely important job........to hold the pole straight!!

Two days later and there was the pole complete with satellite dish.

A good job done by all.

It had been great fun, and a good laugh...... and hard work for some!!



Creatures great and small

Sadly, no bears to be seen during my stay in B.C., but on a simple morning walk up from Gibsons, four deer appeared out of a  garden. Here is one of them.

On another stroll, around Bonniebrook Beach, we saw squirrels, many different birds including a tiny white-crowned sparrow, a heron, a loon and a chipmunk. 

But we were greatly surprised to see, on the beach, a bald eagle being dive-bombed by crows. We watched it for ages as it drank from a small creek.

 What a wonderful experience! Not such a wonderful photo, but we couldn't get any closer than this.

This is a real close-up of a rather smaller creature.
Tent caterpillars make silk tents in the branches of trees, usually alder, hawthorn or apple trees, and as they grow, they strip the trees of their leaves.
There has been an invasion of them this year!!

Pets

This is next door's little dog. I don't know if I have the facts entirely right about this little survivor, but when she was a tiny puppy she was picked up in the talons of a bald eagle, which then dropped her from quite a height!

On recovery, she was adopted by Karen's next door neighbours.

What an amazing escape!

Finally, here is Ben, eighteen years old and curled up cosily in his bed.

He is no longer with us but it was a joy to share his last summer with his family.



Food and Drink

We had many delicious home-cooked meals, courtesy of my versatile son-in-law, but we also ate out at a variety of different establishments. They don't do things by halves in Canada. Oh, sorry, but they do! The meal below is a ' half and half '  meal.....half a bowl of soup and half a sandwich.  Huge or not?

I'm trying to watch my portion sizes..........unsuccessfully!!

As anyone can see, I enjoyed my daily beer.

One beer a day keeps the doctor away!

Whatever the size!

Below is Smitty's Oyster bar. We didn't eat here, just went to watch oyster shucking.

They did serve other delicacies too!



A Day in Vancouver

The ferry was at 8.30. Not many photos of the day but some jottings from my travel journal.

   'A beautiful, sunny day. It is so peaceful on the ferry, even though it is busy. The view of the mountains and islands, the slow pace of the ship on the calm water, all combine to just formulate PEACE.'

    It was a real mixed bag of a day! Lots of relaxation and hurrying here and there, lots of different types of transport, loads of eating and drinking, and bucketloads of fun!!

Here's some of it.

A sculpture of Emily Carr and Friends. She is honoured in various ways in the Granville area of Vancouver.

It was definitely a grazing day today. After a beer and a snack, we visited the most awesome cake shop----Bon Ton Pastry----and indulged in some of the most delicious cakes on the planet! Sadly, no photos.

False creek from Granville Island.

After a feast of flatbread, goat's cheese, tomato...........and beer, we took a seabus to Lonsdale Quay.It was a strange experience....just a bus on water, really.

This is Lonsdale Quay. A pretty place with a quaint market and, as always, a pub.

Mine wasn't a beer this time!

I've no idea what is being celebrated here!

It just seemed a good photo opportunity at sometime during the day.

After a feature-packed day, we wandered around the seashore and pier at Horseshoe Bay, then sat and watched the world go by before a very peaceful ferrry journey home.

We were all very contented with life.

  

More of Canada 2012

After the saga of Whistler, here are a few snippets of our other activities on and around the wonderful Sunshine Coast.

This photo says it all!

Places we visited.

Singing in the rain on the way to Gibsons harbour.

Dancing in the sunshine at

Egmont Marina.

This is a beautiful resort at the end of  Highway 101. (and then a bit more!)

It was a lovely day......Stunning views, scrumptious food, and delightful company.

Gospel Rock has connections with the Indian band, and is, at present, a source of controversy over building land.

We just sat and took in the view, even on a cloudy day, and soaked up the peace.

Little and Large.

We stood on the jetty at Sechelt watching two tiny tugs manouvering this huge ship into place.

'Timber'

Is this another case of little and large?

These must have been huge trees!