It’s not always(!) sunny here, but when it isn’t, you can still find spots of colour and brightness, particularly when searching for spring near the harbour.
Bright enough, but what about the pink tree?!
Scout and I remembered we hadn’t visited “the pink tree” yet this spring, often because we’d been distracted by the beach and/or a sunny deck on recent bright days.
Logged out and distracted
We decided to put that right, hoping we hadn’t left it too late to see the tree in full glory…
Pops of orange, but not what we’re looking for
There was no need to worry, and although the morning wasn’t bright, the display more than made up for it – what a sensory delight!
Spring splendour
Let’s keep it short yet bright, like blossom on a spring day… or something… Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
It’s not a competition, but the daffodils weren’t too happy…
What a relief to be off to a sunny May start! We’ve fingers crossed the sunshine will continue, if not every day, then for more than we enjoyed in April. Like the hockey playoffs or the end of a Premier League season, it’s the hope that kills you…
May Day morning sunshine on the inner harbour
I’ll keep it brief this week, and with a hopeful spirit, signing off with a few images from our hikes in a mostly bright May month so far. May ok!
May Day afternoon sunshine at our favourite cove
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Scout and I decided to wait for a break in the rain before heading out. After three or four days, we gave up on waiting and off we went. It was raining.
We enjoyed the rainy view across the inner harbour:
Rainy view
Can we get a close up on that, confirm the rain?
Sure!
Then we went to look out across the inlet to Hitacu. Scout was distracted by the mirror dog following her every move:
“You following me?”
It was still raining, giving the place a glistening and spruced up look:
Shiny!
We thought we saw something pop up to say “hi” but missed it. We waited, but I think they decided it was drier beneath the surface…
Damp up top!
When we turned for home it started to rain even more heavily. Really?!
Yup!
When the hail started, even though we were very close to home, Scout insisted we take shelter and wait for it to ease up before continuing:
It’s now several days later – we’re probably still under this tree…
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend! (What was that? Our weekend forecast for here? More rain!)
I knew I shouldn’t have been too excited about spring appearing last week – since then, we’ve had a couple of cold and dry days, and now we’re in the middle of a rainy stretch, one where we’ll far exceed the expected monthly rainfall long before April reaches the midpoint. Oh well, it’ll keep everything green!
Taken at the start of the week
The other day Scout and I hit the nearby beach at low tide and we enjoyed the greenery revealed, some welcome brightness on a generally overcast/rainy morning. The chill seemed to have deterred other walkers and we had the place to ourselves, aside from the crows and eagles. And everything else I didn’t spot.
Low tide
Crows! Now, aren’t they clever birds? Scout was desperate for a spa day on one of the cold yet sunny mornings, and with a little time on my (poorly manicured) hands, I was happy to oblige. To get going, I warmed up by trimming my beard, and then… nope, that was it for me. Scout’s turn. Soft brush, then hard brush to remove the shedding hair and undercoat of shedding hair. Although Scout is a shedding dog, we’re fortunate she only sheds once a year, and that her shedding season only lasts twelve months. She sheds at least five times her own body weight in hair each year.
Spring greens
What has this to do with crows or spring greens? Getting there, but don’t feel you have to stick around for this one – an un-shaggy dog tale…
Is this one about me? I’ll stick around…
A couple of crows were watching from the spring green branches hanging over our yard. Given the tremendous excitement a PlaidCamper spa day can generate, who could blame them for wanting to get closer? They hopped across to the little fence screening our yard, clearly excited. Scout has long ago learned to ignore the tricky ways of crows and their cousins, having too often been made to look foolish when she makes a friendly approach, only for the crow to hop back just out of leash range. And anyway, she was totally blissed out from the pampering to care about the crows.
Fresh
We wound up the activities, avoiding the need to take before and after selfies for the Insta. I know, and so sorry to disappoint, but trust me, there wasn’t really a discernible difference. As we opened the back door, a crow cawed behind me and flew down from the fence to pick up a clump of dog hair. Away it flew into the forest. Scout shepherded me indoors, and when I turned back, down came the crow again for another clump. I didn’t clear up the rest of the hair – laziness, or curiosity about the crows? You decide…
By the following morning, all dog hair was gone. I like to think there is a happy crow couple out there enjoying their newly insulated space, yet looking at each other wondering if perhaps it smells slightly doggy and do you need a bath dear?
Spa day? Me? Please, for the love of dog, spare me!
Scout continues to look good, professionally groomed or not, and she continues with shedding season, so please don’t look too closely at our rugs. I’m thinking about getting in touch with the crows, see if they’d like to come inside, help themselves to all the dog hair they can carry?
Beachy
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful long weekend!
Finally, after many false starts and disagreements, the calendar and weather decided to align and reach a decision – spring!
Spring!
To check it was really so, we went down to Combers Beach for an earlyish walk, so Scout could run a few mad beach circles on near empty sands, and we could enjoy a second cup and feel the warm sunshine.
Through here to the beach
Combers is often a windswept space, but we could tell from the still treetops in the forest fringe that the morning was a calm one.
Warm your bones…
What a delight to be able to shed off a few late winter blues, let the shoulders drop and breathe in the new season.
On your marks…
There were a few families turning up to enjoy a coastal spring break, and we enjoyed watching one winter-wrapped family of four gradually peel off the unnecessary outer layers as the sun gently warmed them up.
The two children, no more than six or seven years old, were almost beside themselves with excitement at being on the beach. They beach combed and splashed and laughed their way up and down the sands, checking out the logs and streams. Playground or classroom? Both! Free range, a spring without end? (Slightly obscure music reference) Totally taken with where they were and what they were doing – wonderful to see!
Be gone, clouds!
We’ve fingers crossed that the last of the late winter weather is behind us, and we’re looking forward to more spring!
A decent direction
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Got back to the warmer west coast last weekend after a brief and chilly (but chilled) eastern Canadian trip, and hoped to see early spring signs – nope, not for now. Hmm…
Huh?
A very short placeholder this week, before getting back to more complete posts next week, once we’ve defrosted/dug ourselves out!
Not so bad – all paw drive
Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend – I’ll leave you with a taster and unsubtle hint as to where we were for a few days last week:
…stepping away for a week or two, and heading out of town for a week or two for a change of scene and some time to recharge and refresh.
Top me up!
Before signing off until March, here are a couple of photographs from a wonderfully welcome almost warm and very sunny spring day we enjoyed earlier this week.
Hello sunshine!
Looking forward to a few more days like this as we transition into a hopefully early spring!
It soon warmed up!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Dazzling……dazzling you say? Why thank you!At last!
Exhilarating though it is to be (safely, and from a distance) facing into the teeth of powerful storms, or pretending to do so just after they pass, it is also quite exhausting. Nature’s noise and frenzy is exciting for sure, but sometimes it’s nice to wander on the quiet side.
Still
This is what we did last week, heading out in a different direction for our morning walk, on an almost dry day, stepping away from the coastal trails and across town to the inlet side.
Inner harbour
It’s rarely entirely calm, being so maritime, but on the inlet side it can get close to almost quiet. The rain had stopped, and the wind was barely there, as reflected in the still water. We saw a few ducks – my eyesight and identification skills aren’t up to positive naming – but they were fun to spot. One flew below us, past where we stood overlooking the inlet, a long graceful swoop and glide along the top of the water, a slight skimming wake created before setting down. Nice landing!
Touches of colour!
Although the day was muted and grey, we enjoyed the pops of colour from the floats on boats and the bright paintwork on the wooden and metal harbour railings.
Almost calm
We’ll head back out on the wild side for sure, but it was very pleasant to have the option of a walk on the quiet side!
The quiet side
Thanks for reading, and we hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Could be a nursery rhyme, could be what we chant as we head along the shore, and it could sum up our recent outings.
Yesterday morning had the sort of weather that could ruin your hair do, but with a toque and rain hood protecting my hair don’t, and Scout happy enough as a high shedding short hair, we didn’t let the start of a storm stop us from looking great as we headed out.
Straggly and flattened, as the barber often tells me
Definitely a high energy nature turning up the power kind of a morning. Gulls were wheeling and swooping, seemingly just for the fun of it. Waves rushed in, sporting wind blown crests and crowns, and the noise was almost overwhelming – rain on hood, wind through trees, screeching gulls, the lighthouse foghorn, and the scrunch/crunch gravel sounds of the tide running up and then down. What a blast!
A blast!
Earlier in the week, we’d trotted back up the trail to see if our favourite little cove was accessible, knowing full well it wouldn’t be even after the bulk of the storm had passed. We could hear the thump and thud of logs in the surf before we got there, and when we reached our little viewpoint just off the trail, we were met with quite the sight. I even took a short video:
A short video
Anyway, we’ll keep it fairly brief this week as we need some time to towel dry our hair, see if we can’t get ourselves halfway presentable. Although, why bother, as rumour has it there’s another big one rolling in this weekend! Ready? Log, rock, wind and rain…
“No, no, not this one, I’m not ready – look at my hair!”
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
The turn of the year has brought a fair number of blustery days, and these have been good for blowing away any cobwebs and waking us up.
A day to be above and not on the beach
We’ve stuck to the coastal trails after each storm, excited to see the waves and admire the churning waters. One of our favourite little beaches has been off limits due to high tides and strong surges. On a calm day you can sit beneath the rocks and look up at the enormous logs, marvelling at how big the weather must have been to wash them up there.
That’ll do it
We’re looking forward to calm day so we can scramble down to the beach, see what’s been washed up – Scout is convinced there must be a decent chew twig or two – and we wouldn’t mind a few quiet minutes with a cup of coffee and waving at the resident bald eagles drying their feathers out (the two wet blobs in a couple of the photos this week are the said eagles – they are stoic!)
Churning
Looking at the forecast for the next couple of weeks, those calmer days are still a little while off, but it’s been pleasant to notice and enjoy an extra daylight minute or two as the days slowly lengthen…
Here comes another one!
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Very big matchsticks January 2022 Down on that beach, on a calm day!
OldPlaidCamper 