Last night I did two things I never thought I would do when I was young. I went to a concert that paid tribute to singers from the 60’s, and I walked home wearing neon stripes. The concert was a lot of fun. It was called Legends and the audience, who were primarily retired folks, […]
In Nanaimo harbour, on the seafront walkway, is a three-sided sculpture that captures the imagination. It is by the artist A.G.J. Johnny and was installed in 1985. The descriptive plaque says: SWY-A-LANA. The eldest son of of the first man in (Snanimoch) Nanaimo. THE BEAR (Spa-Ach). Represents food and clothing to Swy-A-Lana. THE EAGLE (Yuqh-Will-La). […]
Here are some photos of another beauty spot on Vancouver Island. Moorecroft Regional Park provides sea views, sea lion sightings, invigorating forest air, and occasional oddities.
The recent rain brought a shine to the ferns in Cottle Lake Park, which is a part of Linley Valley. The area has numerous trails to discover and, perhaps, get lost in but they are all close enough to a main road that even being uncertain about the route does not detract from the pleasure […]
Yesterday I went to Vancouver Island University in order to attend a course through Elder College. I had never been to the university before, and I arrived much too early so that I could find my way about. As I had time to spare, I walked around the campus for a while and discovered these […]
When we set out to go on our hike today, the weather report told us to expect clouds and occasional sunny breaks. While we were en route, though, we realized that we would be experiencing very different weather! We were at a higher elevation where there was wet snow, and slush bombs were falling from […]
While visiting Santa Cruz yesterday with my sister and niece, I noticed several lovely murals and sculptures. Here are two murals that I thought were outstanding.
This magical place is too glorious for words, so I will just show you some of the many photos and one of the videos I took when I was there today. Click the arrows to see the slide show.
Yesterday morning I took a stroll along Departure Bay Beach and was surprised to see some hardy folks actually swimming in those cold waters. The beach was busy with people enjoying the almost-spring weather and the lovely wide view. As always, I was particularly fascinated by the pleasing and sometimes intriguing driftwood shapes. I was […]
“Black Frank” was the pirate persona adopted by Frank James Ney, a former mayor of Nanaimo. A statue in his honour is in a prominent location by the sea wall at Swy-a-Lana Lagoon. When I took these pictures I noticed that someone had given him a scarf to keep warm and a yellow smiley face […]
It was a chilly -6 C (21 F) this morning when I set out to join my hiking group. We enjoyed a delightful 4 km walk around Buttertubs Marsh, a bird sanctuary in Nanaimo. As you can see, there is ice on top of the water and we didn’t see many ducks until we had […]
The Monday morning short hike today was along the Cable Bay Trail just south of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. The trail itself is a wonderfully immersive forest experience with huge trees, ferns, streams, rocks, fungi, moss, and birds. We breathed in more than our fair share of oxygen-rich forest air. The prize at the end […]
This morning, while out for a walk, I saw a man who was stylishly dressed in maroon and gold pants with a matching maroon hat trimmed with a gold band. He was tuning a guitar and then, just as I passed him, he sang “Why-y-y-y?” That was it. No additional lyrics. Just, “why”. As I […]
In between rain showers today I enjoyed a 5 km walk through Linley Valley Drive Park and part of the way into Linley Valley/Cottle Lake Park with my Monday morning hiking group. The trees were resplendent in their coatings of lichens and moss, and I also enjoyed seeing several nurse stumps. Nurse stumps are mother […]
When you visit the Surf Lodge Pub on Gabriola Island, you will be amazed by the massive size and beauty of the wooden joists and beams that support the roof above you. When you leave the Surf Lodge Pub on Gabriola Island, you will be in awe of the view of the Strait of Georgia […]
While visiting Gabriola Island today, I was enjoying a great lunch at the Ground Up Cafe with my eldest son and his family when this family of wild turkeys crossed the road just outside the window. Traffic was sparse and slow enough that all the turkeys got to the other side safely.
Whether you call them public conveniences, toilets, washrooms, or loos, these two in Nanaimo are a pleasure to look at. The first set of murals is by Van Charles Art at Maffeo Sutton Park and the second is by Don Richey at Brechin Boat Launch.
Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park on a frosty December morning.
Snowbird of Paradise 