Sunshine Coast? Not always, but it has been sunny, the most sunshine we’ve seen in the past few months, and we’re very happy about that!
Sunnier than we’ve been used to!
A brief post, as we spend a few days in an internet free cabin a few miles outside Powell River on BC’s Sunshine Coast. Powell River is home to Townsite Brewing, and we spent a very pleasant hour in their lovely garden enjoying a jar of Suncoast Pale Ale.
Brewery garden and Suncoast Pale Ale
More to follow (from Townsite Brewing and our trip) when we return home next week. In the meantime, I hope you have a sunny weekend ahead. (I’ve seen the forecast for Ucluelet, and apparently it will be raining by the time we return – there’ll be time to catch up on blog reading. More rain and cold? Oh well…we’ve seen the sun!)
If we can’t bask in the warm glow of a sunny Spring day, then we’ll enjoy the warm glow colour and looks of a sodden cedar log!
Warm glow
The season continues to be damp and chilly, so when we head out, we do so kitted out for February or March rather than May. Cold and rain aside, everything looks fresh and green, and it is a delight to be out there.
Tangled fringe
To keep warm, we’re walking at a brisk pace, and stops to sit and admire the location are brief but enjoyable enough. With summer just a few short weeks away, we’re hopeful there’ll soon be days when we can sit on a (dry) log, basking in a proper warm glow.
Damp underfoot (underpaw?) – can’t stop for too long…
Until then, it’s appreciate the scents, sights and sounds of the dripping rainforest fringe, and don’t think too hard about why we have winter beers in the fridge…
A failed attempt at a tan and black. Almost a waste of a good stout…
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Last weekend. Mid May? Or early March?
PS Of course, the day before posting, what happens? Why, there’s an improvement and blue skies reappeared:
We took a quick trip to Victoria last weekend, and for the first time in a long cold spell, it felt like Spring. The wind was gusting, but we found a sheltered spot outside a coffee shop, and it was very pleasant to be sitting in warm sunshine contemplating the late turn in the season.
Spring!
The next morning was grey, with a hint of rain in the air. That hint was misleading, because by the time we were heading back on the Malahat Highway, the rain had turned to snow, and snow was our intermittent companion all the way home.
Spring?!
Monday promised a touch of Spring. Without knowing it, I captured a stunning image of a hummingbird – I think the image below speaks for itself, and certainly shows how attentive I can be to the local wildlife.
Hummingbird – or smudge on lens?
Did Spring stick around, with a slow yet steady increase in temperatures? No. More snow, rain, hail, sleet, and fifteen seconds of sunshine has been the week since Monday morning. Very happy we won’t have to worry about melting Easter eggs this coming weekend…
Spring arrivals
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
A very brief post this week, as we continue to be enthusiastic about unpacking the boxes we spent the past two weeks packing. An invisible modern life problem to be sure, but goodness, where did all this stuff come from?
More boxes? Hmm.
Anyway, one of the many delights of our new neighbourhood is that Scout and I can scamper along the beach for our morning walks. Yes, if you’re up early and out there, you’ll catch a glimpse of a scampering PlaidCamper, gambolling in the surf and chasing sticks. Honestly, how does Scout keep up with me?
We gambol here. Or do we scamper? Hmm.
Right, time to shake off the sand, a quick towel down, and it’s back to the boxes…
What boxes? Easily distracted. Hmm.
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I won’t lie, and as others have commented, it isn’t easy trying to have a positive spring in your step given the way global events are playing out, but here’s an attempt at some spring sparkle…
Bright
Last week I wrote about March murk, so we were pleasantly surprised over recent days to be enjoying quite a bit of sunshine. Being out and about and enjoying greens, blues and sparkly bits on the water, our mood was lifted, and we were happy about that.
Blues, greens, and sparkly bits
I might have mentioned it once or twice, and if you’ve ever visited the PNW, you’ll know it can get a tad damp out this way from time to time. To time, to time, to time, to time… Anyway, when there is a pattern change and a spell of bright sunshine, you do feel it and enjoy it.
A good mix
The spring sparkle did put a little extra bounce in our step as we hit the trails and wound up on some sun warmed rocks overlooking the ocean, finding time to watch the logs tumble and crash in the waves beneath our feet. The remnants of the last storm were still providing enough power to cause a splash or two. Pretty spectacular.
A splash
A small attempt this week to offer up a little warmth and positivity, or at any rate a brief distraction from all that plagues the planet right now, so let’s leave it there for this week.
Some warmth
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Not too bad, not feeling too blue, we sat and enjoyed the blue ocean view from a variety of spots around town last Monday.
Not too bad, quite blue, ocean side
It was a sunny one, not too chilly, and we wandered from one place to another, basking in the extra day off for a long weekend, and slowing down. That meant from not too quick to almost at a crawl. It felt good, sun on our faces, bald eagles singing, a relatively calm ocean, and some time on our hands to enjoy it all.
Bright blue, inlet side
I don’t always enjoy the long weekends, it sometimes feels like there is an extra pressure (all in my own head, no doubt) to “make the most” of the extra holiday. I like most days, in my own way, most of the time, so no need to add any extra significance or burden.
Pretty good
Anyway, an extra day, why not go crazy, and have an extra beer? We did, a couple of new ones, from quite local to very local. Both winners, and the red ale edges it if only for being a bit different to my usual fare. A good way to round off a not too blue Monday…
Very good
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
It was cold, getting dark, too dark for the planned archery (and by planned, I mean the archery gear was in the truck, but by the time we set up a target, we couldn’t really see it…)
Earlier – a day that got better and better
Plan B! Too dark for archery? How about axe throwing? Keep moving in until you can see the target. That’s safe. Enough. No one was hurt, although I did draw blood. Turns out no matter how close I stand to the (really rather large) wooden target, at least one of my attempts at burying the hatchet will miss, and go flying into the undergrowth. The tangle of thorny undergrowth. So, yeah, I drew blood after pulling out a sharp thorn from my finger. I didn’t cry.
Light enough for archery? Yes, if we’re quick about it…
It was an almost planned meeting of young warriors, the first since the latest pandemic restrictions, and optimistically convened following a flurry of phone calls and texts earlier in the sunny afternoon. A (fool)hardy few gathered around a fire pit overlooking the bay just as it was getting dark. Too many mentors and not enough students meant the fire took quite some time to light – it was a chilly evening, so fire first – sharp objects and play (I mean safety learning and setting up a range) second. With all the expertise delaying the fire, by the time it was lit and we were warming up it was too dark to loose arrows safely.
Too slow! There’s a target?!
So no archery, mission not accomplished, and we didn’t care, because it was so good to see friends and familiar faces for real and not on Zoom etc. There’s nothing like a group of awkward men meeting up after a number of months and discovering the pandemic hasn’t eased the awkwardness. Nothing like a pandemic to improve communication skills. Anyway, you can’t just stand around (not) saying how much we’d missed each other, that’s for your inner voice or a blog. Hence the axe throwing. Doing something slightly silly and feeling less awkward? That’ll work. It was wonderful!
It’s good to be out
We’re hopeful more of the pandemic precautions will ease as it becomes prudent to do so, and as they do, I’m very much looking forward to getting back to working with mentors and youth on life affirming projects – and picking up a few more scratches and bumps along the way. With very early hints of spring here on the coast, it is time to get back outside – playtime!
“Playtime? I’m ready!”
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
Another short post this week, as we’ve been busy in the best possible way.
Sun and rain
We’ve enjoyed some quiet time, with sun, rain and a sprinkling of snow. Best of all, Junior was able to join us for a few days, and it made up for only seeing her a few hours the past couple of years.
Faint rainbow, no unicorn…
We drank coffee, beer, more coffee and more beer, as well as wandering the local trails and drinking in the almost sunny sights.
A magical ice tree
It’s been a challenging couple of years for most of us on many fronts, and I’ll end this brief post by expressing the fervent hope that the coming year will be better and brighter than the past twelve months.
Boats in the snow
Thanks for reading, take care out there, and Happy New Year to you!
We’ve had below seasonal temperatures for weeks and weeks, and above seasonal rainfall throughout the same period. Maybe when fall/winter is done and dusted, it’ll all average out and all be recorded as seasonal norms. In the meantime…
Chilly
…it’s chilly! We went to Florencia Bay on Saturday, enjoying a favourite beach late afternoon on a falling tide. There were a few cars in the parking lot, and down on the beach there were a few hardy surfers braving the water. Cold, cold water. No thanks! The air temperature was a few degrees above freezing, just warm enough to sit on a log – with jackets – and enjoy a rare sighting of the sun.
Not so chilly
Scout was delighted to be able to dig and dig, purposeful in the moment, fully attentive to the task, and then happy enough to abandon the excavations if there was an off chance of a crumb or two from one of us enjoying our coffee and cookies. Off chance of a crumb? No chance, but we always bring a milk bone or two. Scout also likes them.
Saturday was our sunny day, and Sunday was meant to be a snowy day, or snowy overnight into Monday morning at any rate. There were some disappointed students when the promised snow didn’t materialize. More rain though! We braved the elements and enjoyed the dry hour or two early afternoon along the coastal trails before the next band of cold rain appeared.
I’m predicting more rain!
We consoled ourselves about no show snow with a bottle of Spinnakers Flanders Style Red Ale – it was a little too close to a sour to be a sure fire winner, but we did finish it to be certain our conclusions were sound.
Spinnakers slightly sour seasonal offering – now it’s open, we might as well finish it…
We might not be enjoying seasonal norms, but we’re enjoying where we are, and making the most of the season, whatever it looks like! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
I’ll stop writing about our forever storm season when we run out of forever, or storms, or both. (Huh? That last sentence doesn’t really hold up to rigorous scrutiny. Still, why pick on that sentence? There are many others, equally guilty…)
Failure to capture the full droplet photo
I’m exaggerating about forever storms – if you stick around to the end of this piece, you’ll see it’s not all storms and floods. Just mostly, or so it seems.
Raining, but less so
We went to clamber over some rocks and splash along the coastal trails last weekend. It hadn’t exactly stopped raining, but it felt like a lull, so off we went, in rain gear and high spirits. Well, most of us had rain gear and high spirits – one four legged friend has never liked to wear anything extra, rain or snow, and is understandably reluctant walking in very heavy rain, but after the first minute or so, switched from disbelief at going beyond the house boundaries to active enthusiasm.
“I think I see the next storm out there!”
It was good to stretch our legs, and inhale huge lungfuls of fresh sea air. Birds were buffeted by winds, but seemed to be enjoying it, and we had the trails to ourselves. Who would go out knowing a storm’s a brewin’? We would, knowing there’s a storm’s a brewin’ at home, a well earned reward and winter warmer. A new one from Ucluelet Brewing Company, and a real winner!
Very good, even if the thought of a latte stout is off putting.
After another week of rain and flooded roads – admittedly not as bad as last week on the roads – it was a relief to wake up yesterday to a chilly dawn, calm water, clear skies, and all followed by a day of wall to wall sunshine. The sun might be dropping early these days, but at least we got to see it on Thursday!
Storms? Where?
Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a wonderful weekend!
OldPlaidCamper 