Wednesday, May 31, 2023

The Merry Month of May

It's been a lovely month here in the valley.
Sunny and dry...
and very hot for a spell!


We have enjoyed the blooms of spring...


...and the smell of freshly mowed grass.


The first crop of grass  is in the bunker...
 and the corn fields are planted and thriving at the moment.
Everything is beginning to look thirsty though and we hope for rain soon.



We had a few birthdays.
What better way to celebrate a milestone birthday with Broni than with a special lunch at Revive Bistro with 'the girls'? 


We took Ranen out for her birthday lunch before her shift at a local farm attraction ...
where she has been helping host school groups.

She manages to fit work into her daytime schedule, 
when evenings revolve around violin and Irish dance. 

She just received the coveted 'N' and is now driving on her own!

Where have the years gone? 

So thankful for all the good memories we have made together!


Who knew that Lucy could jump? 
She competed in hurdles and high jump at the district track and did great.
She may be short, but she has spring!


We have close friends with a special adult son who lives with them.
Chris discovered that we had a 'gangster car' and was wondering if he could have a ride sometime.
Last week Elmer picked him up and took him to DQ for an ice-cream treat.
That made his day!


After years of planning and many disruptions...
the twinning of the Trans-Mountain pipeline is finally happening in our neighbourhgood.

It makes getting around a little tricky at times.

The work is happening right across the road from the farm and through property that is leased for cropping.


We ended the month with a little get-away on the beautiful Sunshine Coast.
We stayed in Sechelt overnight...
and took a tour up the Princess Louisa Inlet from Egmont the next day. 
It is really a beautiful place,
accessible only by boat or air.


There is so much to see 'just around the corner'...
right close to home!

'The world is big and I want to have a good look at it before it gets dark.' ~ John Muir

Princess Louisa Inlet ~ Sunshine Coast

Beautiful British Columbia has so many hidden gems.

There is always more to see...
and we try to experience something new to us every year.



Though we have visited the Sunshine Coast several times over the years...
we decided to take a tour up the Princess Louis Inlet this time.

Since it can only be accessed by boat or plane...
it is rather a secret cove!


Our day began at the marina in Egmont...
a small waterfront village on the Sechelt Peninsula.


We were met at the dock by the 'captain' of our boat...
our tour guide for the day.


We travelled up the remote areas of  Jervis Inlet...


...stopping at viewpoints along the way.


Our tour guide shared a wealth of information with us...
and pointed out wildlife as we passed by.


Once we passed through the Malibu rapids...
we were in the Princess Louis Inlet. 


Right at the point sits the Malibu Lodge...
and next to it is the Young Life camp.

From Malibu to the marine park at the end of the inlet is 6 kms.


Sheer granite walls rise from the ocean to plateau areas some 5000 feet above. 


We chose the perfect time to go!

With the sun melting the snowpack there are some eighty waterfalls cascading down the granite cliffs at this time of year.


When we reached the provincial park...
there were a few boats docked in the bay.


We spent about about 1.5 hours there...


...and enjoyed a picnic lunch next to Chatterbox Falls.





Back at the dock we boarded the Sunshine Coast Tours boat for the return trip...
 along with our travel mates, Dave and Janet.
There were six others in our tour group as well.

The return trip was a quiet and peaceful one...


...without commentary.  

Five hours after we began our adventure...
we were back where we started at the Backeddy Marina in Egmont.

From there we took the winding coastal road back to Sechelt where we spent the night at an Airbnb.


Sechelt has some great places to eat.

Fish...
of course!

It was a fun time on the Sunshine Coast and a reminder to 
'Seas the Day'!



Let me just add a little postscript about a relic from the past...
for those of you who remember The Beachcombers show.

As we passed though Gibsons, we stopped to take a pic at Molly's Reach.
It was a fictional restaurant in the show that aired on Canadian television for 19 seasons, until 1990. 

It is now an actual restaurant...
though it is closed for renovations at the moment.



Sunday, April 30, 2023

Goodbye April

And just like that, we are at the end of the month!

It was an April that seemed to have all four seasons.
It began with snow and ended with a heat wave.


Is there any month more beautiful than April...


...with all the beautiful blossoms?


Let me just share a few of the happenings of the month...
and a lot of beautiful spring scenes from my neighbourhood.


Cheam Wetlands...
a lovely spot to walk in any season.


Maggie's magnolia in full bloom.
We planted a tree for each of our grands after they were born.


What is it about the colour yellow in spring?
Sunshine and happiness!
I've had daffodils on the table for the past six weeks...
and am enjoying the yellow rhodo as it opens.
Even the dandelions are a thing of beauty...
if only they would stay in the field!


Earlier this month we had the privilege of attending the Honours Music Festival at the Cultural Centre. It featured winners of all the different categories of music in the valley...
choirs, strings and piano. 
Ranen played beautifully and received several trophies and bursaries. 


It was so nice to spend some time with extended family earlier this month...
including two of my mother's younger siblings. 

Aunt Marguerite is 93 years old...and doing great. 
Uncle Jake is my mom's youngest brother...and gives the best hugs!
It's hard to believe that my mom has been gone for 23 years already.
  

Easter 2023. 
We were missing Emme...
who is in Berlin until fall.
Easter Sunday was a bit of a washout this year...
so the Easter egg hunt was in the dark basement this year.
With flashlights. 

I have been out on my bike a number of times...
gone for a hike or two...


...with friends or on my own.
It's so nice to be outdoors again.


And so ends April...
when the earth laughs in flowers.

Until next month...