Splendid Journey

Oh Happy Day!

2012-02-07T17:14:00.000-08:00

Monday August 29, 2011
Leave Miles Inlet
Arrive Port McNeill 50 35.99N, 127 05.27W

MY FIRST SALMON!! SWEET!!

You really have no idea how happy I was in this picture. Un-believeable! And not only one, but here is .......

FISH NUMBER TWO!!

Yes, now I know how to catch a salmon. My ego has gone up numerous notches. Fresh caught salmon on the BBQ for dinner, yumm.

Looking west in Johnstone Strait, heading into Port McNeill, at the setting sun.

Taking pictures of whales.

2012-02-07T17:02:00.000-08:00

This is what my "whale" pictures usually look like, or like......

this (at least there is some action!). But on this particular day......

I managed to get this! And.......

this and.......

this one and ......

this one!

Mind you, I took close to 100 pictures over about 30 minutes and most of them were of just plain water. It was the most amazing whale encounter we have had. We sat quietly and this whale was up and down feeding on herring all around us. Most of the time we could predict where he would come up because we could see his "bubble net". In one picture, you can see him with his mouth open, catching the herring as he broke the surface.

This is one of the reasons I love getting out on the boat.... these types of experiences you cannot get anywhere else.

Miles Inlet

2012-02-07T16:35:00.000-08:00

Sunday August 28, 2011
leave Millbrook Cove
arrive Miles Inlet 50 04.04N 127 47.44W

The rocks here are exposed to the waves in Queen Charlotte Sound.

This is at the entrance to Miles Inlet, a place we have always passed by. But this time we were a little ahead of schedule and we thought it looked like an interesting place to explore. Miles Inlet is almost shaped like a capital letter I, with a few extra nooks and crannies added for good measure. There is three reversing waterfalls inside the inlet and not a lot of places to anchor. But, with only one other sailboat in the inlet, we had lots of room.
We got settled in and then put the crab trap down to see what was available on the bottom. Thirty minutes later, we hauled in 2 very nice rock crab. All in all, we caught three keepers, and let the other 20 or so go.
After dinner, we kayaked over to the reversing falls for a closer look. On the way, we stopped to chat with the other boat, a couple from Seattle. They shared their method of catching salmon off a sailboat, said they pretty much have been living off the sea all summer long. Sounded promising, but anything does since I have not managed to catch even a single salmon, although I am not too bad catching rock cod. We will give it a try tomorrow.

Reversing waterfalls, always worth checking out.

2012-02-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Saturday August 27, 2011
leave Joe's Bay
arrive Millbrook Cove, Smith Inlet 51 19.67N, 127 44.16W

Jerry winding up his anchor trip line in a sea of foam in Joe's Bay.

Yesterday, in Joe's Bay, we went back to the reversing falls after dinner in the kayaks. It wasn't that big of a tidal change, but it was cool to see. Then early this morning, we could hear the roar of the falls picking up and by the time we were pulling the anchor, the little bay was full of foam from the action of the waterfalls.

The bay was super calm and you can see in the picture above our trail through the water as we left.
Onward!

I love this picture........

2012-01-08T13:34:00.000-08:00

Lion's mane jelly fish in Pruth Bay.

Joe's Bay

2012-01-08T13:16:00.000-08:00

Friday August 26, 2011
leave Illahie Inlet
arrive Joe's Bay, Fish Egg Inlet 51 38.94N 127 45.58W

Splendid Mane tucked up against the shore in Joe's Bay.

We don't know who Joe is, but his little bay sure was nice. After we got anchored and stern tied, we got in the dingy to explore. In our guide book, it says there is a reversing falls behind the islet we can see in front of us. So we motor over to have a look, and it just so happens that tides levels are about even, so we continue on for some more exploring. After about 10 minutes of slowly putting along, the inlet began to narrow and lots of little islands dotted the landscape. We stopped on one, and built a small Inukshuk.... should be fun to see if it is still there when we go back, maybe this summer.

One of the small islets in Fish Egg Inlet.

Back on Splendid Mane, we enjoyed our afternoon happy hour. As we were quietly sitting in the cockpit, we began to hear some noises coming from the shore..... grunting and snorting and huffing. We never saw it, but it definitely sounded like a bear, upset that someone else was in his bay.

What is this?

Illahie Inlet off Fish Egg Inlet

2012-01-08T12:54:00.000-08:00

Thursday August 25, 2011
leave Pruth Bay
arrive Illahie Inlet off Fish Egg Inlet 51 39.92N 128 49.08W

This is another stop that very few boats make. It is a series of little dead end inlets virtually untouched by anyone. We explored around a few before we settled on a nice location for the night. The weather has been co-operating lately, and we enjoy a beautiful sunset with our dinner.

Back to Pruth Bay

2011-12-27T14:11:00.000-08:00

Tuesday August 23 and 24, 2011
leave Bremner Bay
arrive Pruth Bay 51 39.24N 128 07.44W

This cheeky raven was looking for a handout.

So here we are back in Pruth Bay. If truth be told, we came back looking to catch s**t load of dungeness. We put the anchor down on the opposite side of the bay this time, then put out the crab trap (with a salmon head) and waited an hour or so. Pulled up the trap, nothing. So put it back and waited again.... trap up, nothing. Maybe all the crabs really are on the other side. The next morning, we pulled up the anchor and went to the other side, exactly where all the crabs were last time. Put the trap down and got in the dingy to head over to the beach.

West Beach, Calvert Island

This is our third time on this beach, and this time we turned left instead of right and walked a couple miles all the way to second beach. It is a beautiful coast line, with unbelievable beaches, definitely worth the walk.

This was either third or forth beach.

These were on the side of the trail, but not sure what type they are. I can't help it, I love taking pictures of mushrooms too!

Now, back at the boat, we pulled up the crab trap again, and yes, you guess it, nothing!! Oh well, we still love coming to this spot and will come here again, crab or no crab!

Kildidt Narrows and Inlet

2011-12-27T13:33:00.000-08:00

Monday August 22, 2011
leave Spitfire
arrive Kildidt Lagoon, Gnat Group then move to Bremner Bay 51 50.80N 128 06.78W

Looking glass water just at the eastern end of Spitfire Channel, going into Kildidt Sound.

Halfway inside Kildidt Inlet.

After pulling up anchor in Spitfire Cove, we carefully navigated our way through Spitfire Channel, the beginning of which is only 20 feet wide and a least depth of 6 feet at a zero tide. To add to the difficulties, there is a tree overhanging the entry by about 10 feet. So, we chose high tide to go through, but even with the extra room, it was probably the tightest narrows we have been through. Coming out the other side into Kildidt Sound, the water was so smooth, we felt like intruders into another world.

Without hesitation, we decided to carry on through Kildidt Narrows and explore Kildidt Inlet. We did not see any other boats nor any evidence of people, as in logging, float homes, roads or garbage. If you want a feeling of isolation, this is the place to be. It was just us and the seals.

Brown water from the cedar trees.

We anchored near the Gnat group of islands, got in the dingy and headed back to the narrows for a look at low tide. The water in the inlet is stained brown from all the run off from the cedar trees, but as we got closer to the narrows, it cleared up and we could see the bottom.....

If we wanted sea cucumber for dinner, we would have had no problem getting enough to feed a crowd.

As you have read before, I love taking pictures of the underwater life, and here it was beautiful of course. We also spotted a colony of sea pens growing on a sandy spot in about 15 feet of water, but I had trouble getting a good picture because the current was pushing us around too much.

Back at the boat, we decided to pull anchor and head back out through the narrows and find a more sheltered spot for the night which is why we ended up in Bremner Bay. The boat we were anchored with in Spitfire was already there, so I guess we both had the same idea. We slept nicely.

Spitfire Anchorage... some history from WWII

2011-12-26T16:51:00.000-08:00

Sunday August 21, 2011
leave Superstition Cove
arrive Spitfire West Cove, Hurricane Island 51 51.51N, 128 12.27 W

After the rocking and rolling from the previous night, we decided to snuggle into a nice calm cove. We picked Spitfire Cove on Hurricane Island because it said it was snug in the guide book (Cruising the Secret Coast). Another boat had the same idea, but we managed to fit in okay. True to it's word, the book was right and we enjoyed a very calm night.
The islands in this area are named after air force planes from WWII. There is a ruin of a radar station from the 1940's on Spider Island. We didn't stop since we were not having the best of weather, but it definitely deserves a look on another trip, maybe we will be back there this coming up summer.

Back at it after the Christmas break....

2011-12-26T16:14:00.000-08:00

Saturday August 20, 2011
exit Kinsman Cove
arrive Superstition Cove, Hunter Island 51 53.52N, 128 14.46W

This area is starfish heaven, in every colour you can imagine.

I know it has been awhile since my last post, but seriously, I have been busy doing the Christmas thang. But now that we are more or less back to normal around here, I feel like I really should finish off our trip this summer, at least before we take off again on another journey!
Nice thing about blogging about our trip now, is that I get to almost relive all the fun times we had.... such good memories.
So, our next stop was Superstition Cove as we made our way south along Hunter Island. The cove is somewhat exposed to the west but we thought we would give it a try. We had it to ourselves and it seemed to be a nice enough anchorage, but as luck would have it, the wind picked up a bit and we ended up having a rocky night. A little bit of rocking is okay, but this was too much and neither of us got a good nights sleep. We didn't do any exploring here as the weather was not that great. In nicer weather, this would be a place to stay a couple nights.

Reversing Waterfalls on Hunter Island

2011-11-20T17:19:00.000-08:00

Friday August 19, 2011
exit Lane Rock Cove
arrive Kinsman Cove, Hunter Island 51 55.68N, 128 09.50W

One of the reversing waterfalls at low tide.

If you are out boating by yourself, your time is your time and you can do whatever you want. Sometimes we loose track of time and sometimes we pay no attention to time. Today is one of those days. We enjoyed a beautiful morning, sipping coffee and reading, waiting for the tide to change so we could see the reversing waterfalls. Just before lunch, it looked like they might be maxed out for the morning, so we got in the dingy to get a closer look. In areas like this, where there is lots of water flowing back and forth, the sea life is incredible. Everything is competing for space on the rocks or seafloor. It is really beautiful.
Our next anchorage, Kinsman Cove, is a cozy two boat cove, but promises some interesting adventures for tomorrow.

Leaving our new favorite place.

2011-11-20T16:32:00.000-08:00

Thursday August 18, 2011
exit Goose Island
arrive Lane Rock Cove, Hunter Island 51 54.73N, 128 11.46W

Sunset in Lane Rock Cove.

I am back to posting after taking time off to visit the grand children in Alberta and other assorted duties. But I need to get our summer trip finished on this blog before we start a new trip! Besides, thinking about all the fun we had this past summer makes me feel warmer as I sit at my computer and look across the harbour at the snow covered mountains.

Two days in the Goose Islands and now we are heading back over to the mainland. The wind picked up as we pulled up the anchor and we were able to get a nice motor sail in. Just as we were approaching the mainland, we could see a storm coming in from the west and hoped the other sailboat we were anchored with got away too. It would not be a comfortable place to spend the night during a blow.
We anchored in a little nook called Lane Rock Cove, just in front of an islet that blocks the entrance to a lagoon, creating twin waterfalls that reverse with the tide. It is a magical place.

Goose Island

2011-10-12T16:41:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 16 & Wednesday August 17, 2011
exit Louise Channel anchorage
arrive Goose Island 52 55.84N, 128 26.00W our farthest point north and west.

The low profile of the Goose Group of islands at low tide.

Last night we talked, planned, schemed and talked more about whether or not we should head out to Goose Island. In the end, as you can see, we decided to go. The reason we were hesitant was because it is a small group of very low (therefore no protection) islands about 6 miles from the mainland coast. Not really a great distance, but far enough that you don't want to get caught out there in the weather turns nasty which it easily can without much warning. But the forecast look favorable and we were in the mood!

Goose Island at sunset. The other boat arrived on our second night there.

Our rational was that we could always bail if the nasties came up. But we had a beautiful crossing and got anchored snuggly and right away decided that we would be staying two nights because is was sooo beautiful, not to mention isolated, what more could you ask for? Even after spending two days here, we did not get to all the little nooks and crannies we had hoped.

Just after we got anchored, we got the dingy in the water and motored around Gull Island, a small island about half a mile in length. The the next morning, we dingyed over to Gosling Island, beached it and hiked over the island to a bay on the south side to explore. A very nice hike though the woods, like walking though an old growth rain forest. The beaches here have sand that is just like silk, so soft and deep! Later in the day, after lunch we motored in Tail over to Goose Island to explore the beach for treasures.... and yes, I did find a treasure or two. In the end, I managed to find two glass fishing floats! Just what I was looking for. Jerry ask me if could find him a 100 oz gold bar, but so far I have not been able to. I will keep looking though.

Louise Channel Anchorage and kayaking.

2011-10-12T13:55:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 15 & Monday August 16, 2011
exit Lockhart Bay
arrive Louise Channel Anchorage 52 07.23N, 128 20.92 W

Our kayaks parked on a small islet at the south end of Louise Channel at low tide.

This well protected anchorage, between Potts Island and Stryker Island, is pretty much as far as you can safely go through Louise Channel in a sailboat, but with a power boat you could continue on another half a mile or so to another snug anchorage. Again, we have picked a beautiful, quiet place to spend some time. In this case, we decided to spend two nights here. The area is prime for kayaking, and we were chomping at the bit to get back into the kayaks. This is one the things I just love doing... heading out in the kayaks to explore little islands and shorelines, especially now that I have my waterproof camera and I can get under water pictures. With the kayaks, we can get into all the little nooks and crannies that you can't get to in a boat and sometimes even the dingy doesn't work. The other thing about using the kayaks instead of the dingy, is that they are so quiet and we can sneak up on creatures great and small.

One of these weird and wonderful trees that grow on rocks all along the coast.

We headed out in the kayaks just before low tide so we get the advantage of the current going with us, then landed on a small islet, stretched our legs and had a snack, and then headed back up the channel with the tide rushing in...... sweeeet! It is just like having a little engine on the back of the kayak.

Saying Goodbye!

2011-10-11T15:16:00.000-07:00

Friday August 12, 2011
exit Shearwater
arrive Lockhart Bay Horsfall Island 52 12.19N, 128 15.47W
This is where we are parting ways with Invictus. It has been so much fun boating along side with them and I am sure we will do it again next summer. But they have to start their journey towards home, and we still have lots of time to play!

I love the colours in this picture... looking towards the mainland coast mountains, just outside Bella Bella.

Our day was pretty uneventful, mostly grey and no wind. Our first stop was at Bella Bella to fill up with fuel and water since they don't have potable water in Shearwater (not sure why not, but that is what they told us).
Our first pick for anchorage, just west of Mallory Islands, was too crowded with fishing charter boats, so we turned around (very tight anchorage) and went a little further on, anchoring in very quiet Lockhart Bay.
Saturday August 13, 2011
Decided to stay another day in this beautiful bay, something we call a home day, where you just stay put. We waited for the rain to stop, and then used the dingy to explore the shore. Not much to report except a very large mass of fishing net and floats caught up on the rocks close to shore. It looked awful, but lots of creatures were making in into a home so we left it alone. Spent most of the day reading and just hanging.

And now for something completely different: tying up to a dock!

2011-10-11T15:07:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 11, 2011

exit McNaughton anchorage
arrive Shearwater 52 08.87N 128 05.27W
Jerry and I got up a little earlier than usual which would be about 7. We had our breakfast, then jumped in the kayaks for a look around at low tide. The area where P & R had toured the day before was not accessible because of the low tide, so we decided to head the other direction. We were just going to go through 'that channel', then oh, well, lets just head around the island. All in all, it took us about two hours to paddle around the island we were anchored next to. Saw some dolphins, a couple whales and lots of interesting life along the shores at low tide. Yes, we did end up at the awesome tree, just made it through the drying area on a rising tide.

Where's mommy?

I spent a couple hours on Invictus trying my hand at fishing again with no luck. Back on Splendid Mane for a late lunch and we are giving P & R a little break from Pahokee (their little white dog), and then he gets to ride on the smooth sailing boat! Did you ever notice how power boaters most likely have a little white dog?

Next stop, Shearwater. We arrive ahead of Invictus (they were still trying to catch a fish) and secure a place at the dock for both boats. We got some fuel, but then decided not to completely fill the tank because they didn't have potable water at the dock and we would have to stop at Bella Bella to get it anyway. Mom treats us all to dinner at the Shearwater Cafe, a nice change from boat food. Thanks Mom!

Serpent Group, then on to McNaughton Island

2011-10-03T15:36:00.000-07:00

Invictus and Splendid Mane anchored for lunch in the Serpent Group.

Wednesday August 10, 2011
exit Underhill Island anchorage
arrive McNaughton Island NW Anchorage, 51 56.30N 128 13.81 W

"Tropical" beach in Serpent Group, just SW of Hunter Island.

We stopped for lunch in a beautiful spot, seems like out in the middle of nowhere, with a white sand beach but cold water. We took the dingy's to shore to do some exploring and also harvested a feast of mussels for dinner.

Jerry, relaxing in the sun.

A nice little cove with good wind protection, so it was very quite overnight. Jerry and I relaxed on board while Peter and Roma went out in Tuglet for a tour around the area. They came back all excited that they had seen the most coolest tree ever. We decided to wait for morning and head out in the kayaks for a tour.

Underhill Island

2011-10-03T11:46:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 9, 2011
exit Pruth Bay
anchor East Cove, Underhill Island 51 45.97N, 128 04.05 W

Tuglet getting a tow from Tail because the crew was too lazy to put the motor on.

This area, all around Hakai, is known for it's fabulous fishing. After leaving our anchorage, we stopped in Hakai Passage near an underwater pinacle to fish for ling cod. After a couple tries, I got a nice on on the hook, maybe about 3 feet in length. Jerry is in charge of the net, and just as he was getting Mr Ling in the net, he (she) jumped and got away! Oh well, we know where he lives and we will be back.

We then headed across the passage and stopped again, this time caught two black rock cod easily and filleted them for dinner. Meanwhile, Roma was catching her share of salmon using their fancy down riggers and all the gear.

Our first pick for an anchorage was too closed in, with now view, so we motored another 30 minutes and snuggled into a small cove that overlooked Hakai Passage and the little islands dotted everywhere.

Back to West Beach on Calvert Island.

2011-09-26T20:56:00.000-07:00

Monday August 8, 2011
exit Fury Cove
anchor Pruth Bay, Calvert Island 51 39.24N, 128 07.46W
Lazy morning, such a beautiful day, what is the hurry? After breakfast, Invictus breaks loose and goes to haul their prawn and crab traps. We head out of Fury Cove, our destination today is Calvert Island and one of the most beautiful beaches on the coast, at least in my humble opinion. Peter radios over to find out if I would like to try my hand at fishing for a salmon. Of course! So I get transferred and Jerry motors on alone, heading towards our anchorage.
To this point in my life, I have never caught a salmon. Other fish, yes, but never a salmon. Peter has all the gear and I feel confident I will turn a corner in my life. Ha! Not today, you silly! No, no, no. Peter hauls in a couple, but my rod does not! Oh well, ever the optimist, I am not worried. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....

All of us on West Beach, Calvert Island.

After we get anchored, we head over to shore for the 15 minute walk to the west side of the island. We have been so lucky with the weather, it is so nice and warm, even though it is a little cloudy.

The only wildlife we have seen so far today.

Back on the boats, we try our luck with the crab traps. Of course, Peter and Roma haul up a whole bucket full of Dungeness within about an hour. How many did Kathy and Jerry catch? One. The Invictus crew were very nice to invite us over for a crab dinner.

Invictus and Splendid Mane at anchor in Pruth Bay, Calvert Island.

On to Fury Cove, Rivers Inlet

2011-09-26T20:34:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 7, 2011
exit Beaver Cove
anchor Fury Cove 51 29.29N, 127 45.62W

It was easier taking pictures of the loons than trying to get a good on of the humpbacks.

Our crab trap was totally empty, not even a starfish! Oh well, I am an optimist, and I know we will catch one sooner or later. Beautiful day for cruising and as we rounded the corner to head into Rivers Inlet, we spotted a humpback whale, then another one and then noticed they were everywhere. And because there were so many, we could actually smell them... they smell awful! Of course, we had to stop and watch for awhile. I got out my camera and as usual, the only pictures I got were of water.... you know, after the whale disappeared!
We got anchored in popular Fury Cove and shortly after Peter and Roma arrived as planned in Invictus. Now we are two!

Beaver Cove

2011-09-26T15:55:00.000-07:00

Saturday August 6, 2011
exit Boswell Cove
anchor Beaver Cove 51 33.06N 127 35.99W

Leaving Boswell Cove just as the sun was coming up.

Smith Inlet was home to 16 salmon canneries during the early to middle 1900's... this is all that remains of one.

Another pier from a different cannery site, nature is reclaiming her territory.

Did a bit of sailing today. The wind seems to come up around noon and then blow pretty good up Smith Inlet.
Mom went down for an afternoon snooze and we almost rolled her out of bed when we went to tack... oops! That woke her up pretty quick. Tried a bit of fishing, but nothing of any size was biting. We put the crab traps down in our little anchorage and then another boat came into Beaver cove and put one down too. This made us a bit hopeful that our trap would have something in it in the morning. Sure would be nice to have a Dungeness crab dinner tomorrow!

Boswell Cove, Smith Inlet

2011-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Friday August 5, 2011
exit Ahclakerho Islet anchorage
arrive Boswell Cove 51 22.50N, 127 26.51W

Leaving Ahclakerho Islet.

We had put the prawn trap trap down in the entrance to Ahclakerho Channel in about 250 feet, marked the spot on our GPS but when we got there this morning, it was gone. When a trap disappears, there are only three things that could happen: it was stolen, the rope came undone or it drifted away. We didn't think it could have been stolen because no one else is around. So we assumed the rope came undone and that maybe we would see the float somewhere. I got out the binoculars and started scanning and there off in the distance, about a mile away, I could see what I thought might be a float. Getting closer we could see, that yes, it was our float. So thinking that it would have 350 feet of yellow line floating near it, Jerry got in Tail and motored over while I stayed away with the boat, not wanting to get any line tangled in the prop (has happened too many times already). When he got there, he was surprised to see that the trap was still attached! So, for the first time, we have had a prawn trap just drift away and now we know we will have to pick our sites more carefully in the future. Unfortunately, there was not a single thing in the trap.

A visitor on our way to Boswell Cove, stopped for a rest.

After leaving Ahclakerho Channel, we stopped for lunch in a little nook aptly named Finis Nook. There is really only room for one or two boats and it is almost completely surrounded by land except, of course, for a very narrow entry. Jerry and I got in the dingy, Tail, and left mom to relax and read, while we explored. Around the corner we found exactly what we have been looking for! A fixer upper!

Fixer upper in Finis Nook.

Off again, we ventured further into Smith Inlet and end up in Boswell Cove. So peaceful and the water was so nice a warm, we went for a swim. Quiet, peaceful and warm.

The beautiful Ahclakerho Islets

2011-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 4, 2011
exit Anchor Bight, Indian Island
anchor: Ahclakerho Islet 51 16.45N, 127 27.80W
Pulled up the prawn trap and as usual it was totally empty. I am thinking we are either getting too deep or not deep enough. Who knows?

Pictograph in Ahclackerho Channel, looks something like a bug. Cool, eh?

Off to Ah-clack-er-ho Islands, Prideaux Haven without the crowds. We motored-sailed most of the day, still in Smith Inlet, then down through Ahclackerho Channel where we passed a humpback whale on his way out and the pictograph pictured above.

Seagulls line up to roost for the night.

We didn't see another boat the whole day. Our companions were the whales, birds and seals.

Exploring Smith Inlet

2011-09-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Wednesday August 3, 2011
Exit Walker Group
Arrive Anchor Bight, Indian Island 51 17.14N, 127 38.38W

A starfish and limpets.

Our fist venture into Smith Inlet. It is beautiful and quiet. This is the traditional territory of the Gwasilla tribe and we have anchored in a small cove off Indian Island. Upon closer inspection, we realized that it is an old site of an Indian village. We waited for low tide, then took the dingy over and had a look around. The site was only abandoned back in the early 1960's, but nature is reclaiming her territory. Trees have grown up so thick it would be next to impossible to go ashore and explore. The middens we saw were over 6 feet thick on some edges that are being washed away by the sea.
We dingyed over to the center of the bay and plunked the prawn trap down in about 250 feet of water (we think).

The continuation of our trip.

2011-09-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

On a shore in Johnstone Strait, example of what boats plying these waters have to watch out for.

Tuesday August 2, 2011
exit Port McNeill
anchor Walker Group 50 53.91N, 127 05.73W
Engine hrs: 1864 Fuel consumption: 94 lt / 47 hrs.
Sometimes I take a picture and then later look at what I have on my camera and ask myself "wt*?" Not sure what the picture is of or why I took it and on this trip there are a lot of pictures like that. But I know that sometimes I was trying to get the picture of a whale or dolphin and all you see in the photo is blurry water. But I will be posting at least one awesome picture of a whale's tail I was finally able to get.
Anyway, we left PM with full tanks of fuel (136 lt) and water (130 gal). We are going to be ultra conservative with the water because there are three of us on board and we are not quite sure when we will be filling again. Mom is still getting used to how things work on the boat after accidentally leaving the bathroom tap in the on position and draining one water tank while we were motoring under way.
The Walker Group is an almost bomb proof anchorage. Once you get inside you are totally protected from the winds and swells or chop in Queen Charlotte Strait. We usually have the snug little cove to ourselves, but on this night we shared with two commercial fishing boats that tied up to the mooring buoy.

Catch up time.

2011-09-05T21:06:00.000-07:00

Our internet availability was so sketchy on this trip we decided to not even try to make regular posts. So, just so we can keep track of our trip and for anyone else interested, over the next month I will be posting (from home) all about our latest journey.
So check back in with us, you'll see some pretty cool stuff!

Port McNeill

2011-08-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

It's been a few days since I posted, but with three of us on board all wanting computer time, it is hard to fit it in. Grandma is having a great time so far, she has blown through two and a half books so far, been playing lots of cards and taking lots of pictures.
Right now we are sitting in Port McNeill, but we will be leaving soon. We had quite a time going through Green Point Rapids, we had it almost WOT and were not going anywhere. Finally we got through the worst of it, decided to anchor in a quiet bay and have lunch. While we waiting for the current to change I did a little fishing and managed to catch a beautiful ling cod, which we ate for dinner!I did it all by myself too! That is rally rally amazing.

The next few days or so, we will be out of internet service and really I am not sure when we will find it again. We are planning to meet up with P & R on Sunday August 7th and then puddle jump around Calvert Island and the mainland coast, hopefully catching a halibut and maybe some prawns and crabs.
We've got the kayaks on board so we will be doing lots of that, and of course I will take many pictures.
Until next internet stop, Ciao!
K

On the road (water) again! ~~/)

2011-07-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

It is important to stay within radio contact range.

We are currently on our way out of Nanaimo Harbour. Had a great 24 hours with the two 5 year olds and now have great grandma on board. The weather is perfect for sailing, we are heading across to Lasqueti Island for the night. We will be in and out of internet range, but will respond to all emails when we get them.
Cheerio!

Gettin' ready to go, finally!

2011-07-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

After all the work we have had done on Splendid Mane, we are just itching to get going on our trip. Earlier in our blog, I had mentioned we would be sailing north to spend some time around Rivers Inlet and Calvert Island. We are leaving on Tuesday July 26th, yeah!! Splendid Mane is just about ready to go. We started provisioning today and will finish up on Monday night. We will have enough on board to last us for the next 5 or 6 weeks.
Today Jerry changed the oil (1816 hrs) and yesterday Stephen put new zincs on for us. We are fueled up and full of water.
I hope to be posting as often as possible, but once we get past Port McNeil, the internet is pretty sketchy.
Go'in Boating!

Back at home dock.

2011-06-26T19:25:00.000-07:00

Finally we are back at home with Splendid Mane. After a quick trip out to Alberta, we came back to the Island on Friday via Tsawassen/ Swartz Bay Ferry, drove over to Canoe Cove Marina, Jerry got on the boat and I battled rush hour traffic out of Victoria and only got home about 90 minutes ahead of him!
We are planning an outing for this coming up weekend to test all the "improvements" made on our boat, just making sure everything is working before we head out later this summer.
The mast is good as new we are told and the engine is working smoothly. Gotta start making my lists for this weekend!

2011-06-08T08:25:00.000-07:00

When I last posted, we were waiting for the mechanic to come by the boat the next day and give us a run down as to what needed to be done to the engine to keep up with regular maintenance. After he left, we jumped on our bikes and biked all the way home (via Saltspring Island) which took us about 3.5 hours of biking and about 54 kms. That was our longest bike trip to date I think (although when we biked to the Mendenhall Glacier in Juneau from the marina, that was pretty close to that far), but it was just the exercise we needed!

Sea Pen under the dock in Cove Marina. I love the colors.

Now we are back home of course, just waiting to hear back from the mechanic that Splendid Mane is ready to go. The mast is back on, better than ever, the sails got a good cleaning and inspection and we have some new things to play with on the boat now.

I participated in a 'poker dive' last weekend at Neck Point Marine Park and no, I didn't win anything. My dh took the picture and I am not sure which one is me, but I think it would be the one looking back towards shore.... I was waiting for my dive buddy, Martina, to get in the water. We had a great time though. Ready for my next dive!

Mastless.... is that a real word?

2011-05-29T12:20:00.000-07:00

Well, there she sits, sans mast. Pretty funny looking, but we feel right at home here in this marina as there are quite a few other sailboats in the same sad condition.

In the picture below, you can see the footing that holds the mast to the deck of the boat. Inside, you can see some gunk that has built up over the years and is the cause of the cracking in the mast. What happened was the gunk plugged the drain holes just enough to prevent water from seeping out quickly enough and it froze when we had a cold snap this past winter. The weather gods aligned to have the perfect conditions for this to happen. Apparently the mast repairer, Brent, has never seen this happen here, but it is quite common on the east coast.

You would not believe how many times we have heard that same story..... seems we lack a certain type of force field that other people have for protection against the "I have never seen that happen before" syndrome. Oh, and by the way, Brent said the amount of gunk we had built up was very little, he has seen so much inside the footing it is completely filled.

Prepping the mast for removal.

2011-05-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

This is Paul, who works for Blackline Marine, taking the boom off the mast. In the foreground you can see he has already taken the main sail down and lying just beyond it is the head sail. We folded the sails up nicely and shipped them off for cleaning.

Below the crane is being attached to the boom, you can see a small portion of the crane at the top left.

Mast repair part II

2011-05-25T08:49:00.000-07:00

We've had a visit from the repairman at Blackline Marine. The verdict is they are going to take the mast down because there is some question as to whether or not any damage from the freezing has been done to the inside of the mast. Their plan is to make a sleeve, insert it inside the mast and then weld the crack. This process will most likely take two weeks. So, for the next four or five days, we will explore around Sidney and maybe some of the southern Gulf Islands by bike.
No pictures today, but I will be taking lots during this whole process.

We're off to Sidney.

2011-05-24T12:44:00.000-07:00

Just getting ready to pull away from the dock to head to Sidney for the night. Tomorrow we should have some news on the mast.

Mast repair update.

2011-05-22T19:37:00.000-07:00

Finally we have a date set to get our mast fixed! We will be heading to Sidney BC on Tuesday (day after tomorrow) to visit the mast doctor. They will be taking a look at it on Wednesday, decide the best course of action, and then get started on Thursday. At this point we really don't know how long it will take, could be a couple days if they don't take the mast down or a couple weeks if it does have to come down.

This eagle sat on our ramp railing for quite a long time, all the while keeping an eye on me while I took his picture. At this time of year, we have quite a few eagles in the harbour. They are fishing but as far as I know they don't nest around here.

In the meantime, we will be staying on our boat and during the day we plan to do a lot of bike riding around Sidney peninsula. We are also thinking if it is going to take the longer period of time, we will catch the ferry across to Salt Spring Island and find a B & B there to stay at and then catch the ferry again over to Chemainus and bike home.

This is not really how we envisioned our first spring boat trip, but as they say, when given lemons, make lemonade! And I love lemonade! :-)

Spring cleaning finds bad news.

2011-05-09T08:44:00.000-07:00

Every spring we spend a day washing winter's grime off the decks and hull. It is really a very pleasant job to do on a warm sunny day. It also gives us a chance to really check things over carefully. We like to get into all the little nooks and crannies, sometimes using a toothbrush to get the green algae off. Up until this year we have been fairly lucky to only find minor problems, but last week during our spring clean we found a major problem. And we are not going anywhere until it gets fixed.

That picture of course is the bottom of the mast where you can see a crack. We think possibly it happened from water getting in and then freezing but we are still in the investigative stage. If it is from water then the lesson learned is make sure water can drain away from your mast! Some lessons are expensive. But it is not the end of the world and we will still have lots of fun out on the water this summer. :-) Stayed tuned for the saga of the mast! It has only just begun.

Silence... the good kind and the other kind

2011-04-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Wednesday April 27, 2011
I have really not been ignoring our blog, just didn't have any blog worthy posts, hence the silence. It has been a long winter. We would have gone to Mexico but the violence there kept us home in Ladysmith. To break it up, we did take a trip to the Caribbean, charter a cat and sailed in the clear blue warm waters for 10 days in March. Now that spring is finally on the horizon (can you believe how cold it has been so far?), we are getting anxious to get out on Splendid Mane. First thing we have to do is give her a good wash and that will happen either today or tomorrow.
We did spend the long weekend on Footloose, Al and Margie's home on the water. And what fun we had! We met up with Peter (picture below) and Roma on Invictus on their homeward bound maiden voyage to Bella Colla. We had two beautiful days of sun and warm weather, awesome prawning and even some fishing, in Desolation Sound. Yee haw!!

Splendid Mane will be out on the water soon for a short spring fling, sails set and hull whispering through the water. We have plans to head up to Rivers Inlet and Calvert Island this summer (late July and August) and spend 4 or 5 weeks there. In between, we will be heading out to Alberta to see the newest addition to our family due in early June.

I promise to be posting more often now that boating weather is here!

A visitor at our dock.

2010-10-19T16:14:00.000-07:00

This is a Lion's Mane Jellyfish we spotted next to our dock this morning. We normally see them a dark reddish brown colour, so this was an unusual sight for us. The bell on this jelly is about 18" across and the tentacles were probably about 10-12 feet long. I would have liked to get a picture of this one from in the water, that would have been very cool. This jellyfish can give a nasty sting, but not life threatening.

Oh the joy$ of owing a boat!

2010-10-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

$ince we got home from our last journey, we have (well, mostly Jerry) been busy fixing broken things on the boat. As you know, if you have been following our blog, we ended up without our windlass as the motor was burned out. $o that is all installed now and working nicely.
The front head's macerator pump has not been working for quite awhile, Jerry just finished that $melly job yesterday. He also made a plywood floor for our inflatable $ince the original inflatable floor was no longer holding air for more than 10 minutes (we always took the foot pump with us when we went out). The tubes are still holding air and a new floor is a ridiculous price, so this will get us another few years before we have to buy a new dingy.
The next thing is getting new foam for our mattress $ince it feels like the Rift Valley right down the middle where the two pieces come together. Apparently, foam only lasts about 6-8 years and this mattress is over 8 years now. Time for a new one!
Ever since we had the salt water intake pump for the engine replaced earlier this year, we have had this really irritating very slow leak. I say irritating because so far we have not been able to locate exactly where it is coming from, so that is another job on the list. And another minor leak in the engine coolant lines we have to figure out.
The last thing that needs our attention is the auto pilot. When we very unfortunately backed up into a rock last summer and made the chain slip on the steering column because the rudder was pushed against the rock, our auto pilot has not been working properly. But I think it really is just a matter of fine tuning the settings, which we really don't know a heck of a lot about. This particular job will need to be done one day when we are out on the water and it is very calm.
Well, at least this gives Jerry something to work on since we have finished renovating the house! We will have Splendid Mane in ship shape for her next journey coming up this fall.

All good things.... come to an end.

2010-09-09T17:46:00.000-07:00

Motoring home past Nanaimo on a beautiful day.

Thursday September 9, 2010
Leave Pirates Cove 0900
Arrive Ladysmith 1215
Trip log 726.9
Well once again, we have completed another journey. We are home again, unpacking the boat, washing laundry, and catching up on one months worth of mail and phone calls! We are ready to stay put for awhile now, have been traveling all summer... since the beginning of June we have been on the go.
But we have already started talking about our next boating trip...... maybe to the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound. Most likely this will happen in late October or early November. First we have to get the windlass fixed and a few other items for the boat.... it is always something. It really is true what they say ..... "a boat is a hole in the water where you pour your money"!

Colours of fall reflected on the water as the sun sets in Pirates Cove, De Courcy Island

Oil change: 1785

Ayy Matey! On to Pirates Cove

2010-09-08T13:44:00.000-07:00

Leaving Hardy Island anchorage, fog still laying low, heading out into Georgia Strait.

Wednesday September 8, 2010
Leave Hardy Island 0920
Arrive Pirates Cove 1900
Trip log 713.3
Fuel $60.59 Nanaimo Engine Hrs 1779.7
Water tanks full
What an absolutely beautiful day! It started out with some very thick fog between Texada Island and the mainland, but by 9:00 we could see that it was starting to lift. So we hauled the anchor (no trouble today!) and headed out. The wind did pick up enough to get the head sail up for about 5 minutes, but then nothing. But the sun is out with big white puffy clouds here and there, and a very light breeze, you can't really ask for anything more. We are hoping to pick up our grandson at the Nanaimo fuel dock later today and take him to Pirates Cove, his favorite anchorage.

The damn painter is always getting tangled up! At the dingy dock in Pirates Cove

Pirates Cove is really a great place to take kids! Aiden loves coming on Nana and Papa's boat if "we can go to the treasure box"! At Pirates Cove, they have a real treasure box (someone stole it a few years ago, but the local boaters made a new one to replace it.... can you believe the nerve of someone to steal it?) in which the policy is "take something, leave something". It works great, and Aiden and Papa love combing through the treasure to find something of interest. You never know, sometimes there are even useful items in there!

You can just feel his excitement as he runs to the treasure box, toy in hand to leave behind for another lucky kid.

Catch up time........

2010-09-07T13:16:00.000-07:00

The rain forest on Cortes Island.

Tuesday September 7, 2010
Leave Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island 0800
Arrive Hardy Island 1500
Trip Log 665.5
We had a little panic attack this morning when we went to pull the anchor. We thought it was stuck on something (yesterday we saw a powerboat pull up a large log with his anchor) because we couldn't budge it. We moved the boat forward to try to dislodge whatever it was, no luck.So we pulled up our trip line(the second time we have had to use it), and found that the problem was simply that it was WELL dug into the mud! Uggh, our backs are not used to this!
We are heading towards Hardy Island and the weather is nice enough for a swim!

Monday September 6, 2010
A day of R&R, we are sitting tight in Squirrel Cove because the forecast is for wind from the SE which would be right on our nose and we would be fighting it all the way. It is raining or misting. Took the kayaks out when the weather cleared a bit and went for a walk on Boulder Point then over to Squirrel Cove Marina to see the ``town``.

Salamander we found while hiking in Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island

Sunday September 5, 2010
Leave Billygoat Bay, Helmken Island 1000
Arrive Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island 1900
Trip log 624.7
Uneventful day today compared to yesterday. We took advantage of the currents and wind and had an easy morning running with the head sail up. The wind finally died down after lunch but we still had a nice 3-4 knot current carrying us through Dent, Gillard and Yucalta Rapids. Squirrel Cove is crowded, but still lots of room. TONS of moon jellies in this bay, guess we won`t be going swimming.

Another sailboat, about a 50 footer, heeled almost to his toe rails in Johnstone Strait. This is 25 knots of wind.

Saturday September 4, 2010
Leave Pearse Islands 0800
Arrive Billygoat Bay, Helmken Island 1800
Trip log 573.3
Wind and current are in our favour today so we decide to make a nice run down Johnstone Strait. We hoped our day would go well, but it was not to be. Only about an hour out, with the wind blowing 10-15 knots, motor on but head sail up, the water choppy and the sun shinning right in our eyes, we ran into a gill netter. All panic broke out, threw her into neutral and pulled in the head sail. The fisher boat zoomed over to us and threw a line, but his mistake was trying to pull us over the net, unfortunately it only made matters worse. Then he tried to pull us back, but with the wind, and weight of our boat plus the net, he was not successful. Finally, he decided his only option was to drum his net and by doing this he was able to free us, but not without some damage to his net. It was an unfortunate mistake, and we have learned a lesson the hard way.
We kept a keen watch the rest of the day, and if we had not been really (and I mean REALLY) watching, it would have happened again. Another gill netter had his net out and he had drifted away from it about 500 meters or so, and we could not see the other bouy marking the far end of his net because of the chop. If we had chosen to take that route around him, we would have run into another net.
We arrived at Billygoat Bay, but the wind was still blowing 15-20, even in the anchorage. Without a winlass, anchoring makes the job a little bit of a challenge. Through it all, we ended up loosing our snubber. But I guess since we know exactly where it went down, maybe someday we can dive there and get it back! HA HA
So now we don`t have a snubber to help us with anchoring,.... we`ll see how that goes.
We were very glad once we had gotten our worn out bodies tucked into bed!

Things don't always go as planned.

2010-09-03T09:13:00.000-07:00

Friday September 3, 2010
Leave Port Mcneill 1430
Arrive Pearse Islands Marine Park 1630
Trip log 530.2

We left the dock yesterday late afternoon and started to put the anchor down using the "fixed" windlass, but it was not to be. We got about 40 feet out and it quit. Jerry fiddled with it for almost two hours and was not able to get it going again, so we pulled the anchor back up by hand and headed back to the dock which is where we are now. We have someone coming at anytime to give us a hand to fix it and then we are hoping to get back on the road (water!).
The mechanic took a look at the windlass motor and said we need a new one but the closest one is in Florida. So, we are heading out of PM now to the Pearse Islands and we will just have to do it the old fashioned way.... by hand! Depending on how it goes tonight and then with retrieving the anchor, that will determine how fast we get home. I already told Jerry a few weeks ago that I wanted to start weight lifting, but I wasn't think of the anchor!

We are back from the nether lands!

2010-09-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Thursday September 2, 2010
Leave Waddington Bay 0940
Arrive Port Mcneill
Trip log but
We are only a few miles from Port Mcneill. Our original plan for today was to anchor in the Pearse Islands Marine Park, about 11 miles southeast from PM, but things don`t always go as planned. We went to put the anchor down and it would not go down. Jerry determined, after a little inspection, that one wire on the solenoid was corroded and had come off. So, we will fix it in Port Mcneill and get fuel and a few other errands then go to Pearse Islands tomorrow.
Below is my log from the last two weeks, we had a great trip into the Seymour Inlet area! I will post a few more pictures as I get the time I have kept most of them small, but click on any picture and it will be full size.

Wednesday September 1, 2010
Leave Rusty Cove Simoom Sound 1245
Arrive Waddington Bay 50 43.80, 126 36.93, 1545
Trip log 491.8
An easy motor day today, it was very calm and mostly sunny. We passed a school of dolphins near Cramer Passage (same place as the last time we were here), but they were too busy to play with us today. It was easy to see they were feeding by their behavior. There must be lots of fish around because there are lots of sea birds feeding as well. We are anchored in Waddington Bay with only one other boat, a cat from the US. This is prime kayaking territory, lots of little islets and inlets to explore around.

Tuesday August 31, 2010
The rain has not really let up today, and it is a bit foggy.... a good day to just relax, read, snooze and eat popcorn. We will head out tomorrow whatever the weather as the batteries will need a good recharging.

Monday August 30,2010
Leave Laura cove 0945
Arrive Rusty Cove, Simoom Sound 50 51.36, 126 32.85, 1140
Trip log 477.9
Fog this morning but hopefully it will life early this afternoon. Went out in the kayaks again looking for a trail to Sullivan Bay Marina. The guide book says that there is a trail to the west, but in all four little nooks we looked in, none had anything that looked remotely like a trail. But the book was written over 10 years ago and another boater said her book, which is a bit newer said the trail was overgrown. So we headed back to the boat, then it started to rain as forecast and didn't quit. We hunkered down to a nice salmon dinner and lively conversation about stereotyping and cultures!

Sunday August 29, 2010
Leave Berry Cove 1100
Arrive Laura Cove 50 49.47, 126 34.11, 1245
Trip log 469.6
We are getting a little better at stern tying and even managed to get the job done with two other boats already in the anchorage and without yelling at each other! Laura Cove is a little on the tight side, but has great opportunities for stern tying.
Took a pre-bath dip in the 13 degree water! I would recommend trying this.... it really makes your skin feel alive!
After dinner we toured around the end of Laura Bay (low tide) and saw lots of salmon (coho?) jumping in the shallows. As we quietly drifted across where they were jumping we could see huge schools of the fish swimming under our kayaks. Very cool!!

Saturday August 28, 2010
Leave Steamboat Bay 1445
Arrive Berry Cove in Cypress Harbour 50 50.13, 126 40.32, 1800
Trip log 462.9
This morning we went out at low tide to tour around Mckenzie Sound in out kayaks. We spent three hours, mostly slowly meandering along the shoreline. The intertidal life in this area is incredible. We saw some more species of starfish (including my first Slime Star) and lots of sea cucumbers and sea pens. In Steamboat Bay, yesterday in the late afternoon, we watched swimming Giant Nudibranchs float by our boat, and on the kelp, there were lots of Hooded Nudibranchs, looking like something from another world as they moved about on the kelp.
Back at the boat for lunch, then relaxing (and reading), to wait for the tide to change at Jessie Point.
In Cypress Harbour we took another kayak tour and found a Forest Service Recreational Site in past Burnt Point in the shallow part of the harbour. In our guide book, they say it is not advisable to anchor in this part of the bay, but we talked to some fishermen on a 40 foot power boat and they said they were anchored in 30 feet and there is room for 4 or 5 boats, you just have to know where the channel is for getting in and out. We beached the kayaks and walked about 25 minutes along an old forestry road, saw some bear skat, and as it was starting to get dark, we decided to turn around. But it was a nice hike and good to get some leg exercise. Altogether today, we kayaked for 5 hours, a record for us.

Friday August 27, 2010
Leave Claydon Bay 1000
Arrive Steamboat Bay,Watson Island 50 56.18, 126 48.25, 1150
Trip log 448.4

Thursday August 26, 2010
Leave Napier Bay, 1015
Arrive Claydon Bay 50 56.28, 126 53.44, 1215
Trip log 440.5
This is an area of the Broughtons that we have not been to before. Only a short distance from our anchorage last night, Claydon Bay is a popular anchorage especially with sport fishermen (there are 5 boats here now) because it is very protected and easy to get in to. There is also a small group of float homes in the southern corner of the bay. We didn't do much today except read as it rained most of the day.

Wednesday August 25, 2010
Leave Knight Island anchorage 1045
Arrive Napier Bay, Tracy Harbour, North Broughton Island 5050.98, 126 51.12, 1715
Trip log 433.2
We took the kayaks out early this morning while the tide was out. The area where we anchored last night is a group of islets with lots of little channels to explore. Got back to the boat just as it started to rain.
Foggy most of the morning and into the afternoon, but it finally lifted around 1:00 and we sailed down wind for the rest of the day almost right into the harbour where we are anchored. Saw another bear working his way along the shoreline this evening as we were eating dinner.

Tuesday August 24, 2010
Leave Charlotte Bay 1030
Arrive close to Nenahlmai Rapids 1215
Trip log 398.8

We are taking a tour of Nenahlmai Lagoon by dingy because the entrance to the lagoon is guarded by a shallow narrows with up to a 5 knot current. When we arrived at the rapids, Tail didn't quite have the power (6hp) to get us through so we waited almost 30 minutes, exploring around the shoreline close to the rapids. I have never seen such a high concentration of starfish in my life!! Truly, they were thick, covering every nook and rock, turning the bottom and sides of the narrows beautiful shades of orange and pink. We saw leather stars, mottled stars, sand stars, sunflower stars, giant sea cucumbers, red sea cucumbers and green sea urchins as we slowly paddled around. It was well worth the effort to make this side trip.
Had lunch and then pulled anchor to head to Nakwakto Rapids for slack at 1645.
Arrive Knight Island 51 00.06, 127 31.17, 1815
Perfect timing for slack at Nakwakto and then through Schooner Channel on the flood. We are anchored close to the mainland with a nice view through the islets to Vancouver Island.

Monday August 23, 2010
Leave Head of Nugent Sound 1030
Arrive Charlotte Bay 1345
Trip log 375.5
Picked up the crab trap on our way out of Nugent Sound and as usual, it was empty except for a little kelp crab. I let him go. Jerry`s sharp eye spied another bear, this one much bigger and probably a male, feeding along the shore at low tide.
So, now we have the trap down again in Charlotte Bay, a place known for good crabbing. We will see! We got the kayaks out again to check out Ellis Bay, about a 4 mile round trip from our anchorage. A fun trip and we got back just as the rain started pelting down. This trip we have seen very few other boats in this area and all our anchorages up until tonight have been by ourselves. Tonight we are sharing with a small charter fishing boat and they put their crab traps out too, so that is a good omen!

Sunday August 22, 2010
Leave Nugent Sound Cove 0930
Arrive Head of Nugent Sound 1050
Trip log 357.7

At the head of Nugent Sound is a very small opening into Schwartzenberg Lagoon that is too narrow and shallow to get a boat through. The current can run at over 5 knots so even with a dingy, we had to wait for close to slack water. While we waited we had a swim (the water temp is a refreshing 18 degrees) and Jerry surprised me by being the first one in again! After touring Schwartzenberg Lagoon, we had dinner then took the kayaks out to explore the bay we were in. The thing about using our kayaks instead of Tail, is that we can be very quiet and hopefully sneak up on a bear. It was our lucky night, Jerry spotted a mother black bear with her cub feeding along the rocky shore. He got to within about 20 feet before she realized something was not quite right, then high tailed it with her little one into the trees, then proceeded to humpff humpff us for a few minutes until we were around the corner.

Saw lots of moon jellys, green sea urchins, about 6 different species of star fish, and a few small crabs.

Saturday August 21, 2010

Leave Peet Cove 1015

Arrive Nugent Sound Cove 1540

Trip log 352.0

On our way through the entrance to Nugent Sound, we put the crab trap down in about 38 feet, keeping our fingers crossed that maybe we will catch something. Nugent Sound Cove is a snug little anchorage, about big enough for three boats. But we are the only ones here, except for a pair of Harbour Seals, who are a little perturb we have invaded their home. Just after we got the anchor set up, it started to rain. And I mean RAIN!! For a good 10 minutes it just pelted down, then all of a sudden it stopped and the sun came out. We climbed outside the boat and stood listening to the forest... it still sounded like it was raining for another 30 minutes or so from all the water dripping off the trees. Really amazing! We get Tail out for a look around and the pair of seals followed us from a safe distance everywhere we went. At one point, we shut off the engine and sat very quietly to see what they would do. After about 5 minutes, they both popped up almost simultaneously about 15 feet from the dingy, scarred themselves silly and disappeared again. We had a good laugh!

Friday August 20, 2010

Leave unnamed bay 1015

Arrive Head of Alison Sound, Belize Inlet 1300

Trip Log 315.6

It took us over 30 minutes to decide where to put the anchor down, and even then we decided we would put out a stern anchor. There are two creeks that empty into this bay making it shallow out quickly. So the depths go from 90+ feet to 10 feet fast, with not much swing room and no place to stern tie. After getting set up, Jerry took Tail out for a look around the creeks and checking depths. Then we both headed out in the kayaks for a very enjoyable tour up the creeks until we got to the rapids. We were hoping to see a bear or something, but it seems we are here at just the wrong time. There were not really even many birds to see.

Back at the boat, the wind started to pick up after dinner and push our boat towards shore, so we decided to pull anchor and find a more secure spot.

Arrive Peet Cove, Alison Sound 2015

This is a small cove we checked out on our way by earlier this morning. We wanted an option in case the head of the inlet proved not that great. We are having ``fun`` practicing our stern tying, good thing there is no one else around to hear us practicing!

Thursday August 19, 2010

Leave Strachan Bay 0800

Arrive unnamed bay, Alison Sound, Belize Inlet 51 09.17, 127 06.19, 1430

Trip Log 304.0

No crabs, not a single one, in the trap from the day before. Humff! Oh well, we can try again.

This area is really beautiful, reminds me somewhat of our trip to Alaska with the steep sided mountains with waterfalls and thick with giant cedars and firs. We got pictures of the pictographs along the way, these are over 150 years old and still look good. Rained a bit after we got anchored, but then cleared off so we went on a short tour with Tail.

This photo was taken at the bow (which you can just see in the bottom left corner), me hanging over the lifelines and the dolphin turning to have a look!

Wednesday August 18, 2010

Leave Walker Group Cove 0800

Arrive Strachan Bay, inner basin, Belize Inlet 1400

Trip log 284.3

We had internet right across the sound from Port McNeill until we reached the mainland side and then it faded out. It is not far to go through Queen Charlotte Sound to reach the mainland side and the wind was fairly calm so we didn't get the sails up. But there is no getting away from the swells once you enter the sound. Our challenge today was to get through Nakwakto Rapids, the only entry into Seymour and Belize Inlets, on or near the high water slack. We arrived about an hour early, and watched the rapids for 30 minutes then decided it wasn`t anything worse than we had already been through. Nakwakto Rapids can reach over 14 knots and slack lasts somewhere between 6 and 10 minutes. With careful planning, any boat can navigate through these narrows. We made it through easily with about a two knot current with us.

Turrett Rock, in the middle of Nakwakto rapids, at slack high tide. The water looks almost like glass, but that is very deceiving.

I can never get over the excitement and amazement of having a group of dolphins swim along side our boat. Just after going through Nakwakto, we were greeted by a group of Pacific White Sided Dolphins. They are very curious and ofter will "bow ride" for 10 or 15 minutes. I like standing at the bow, leaning out and watching them watching me! They will turn on their sides to get a better look and actually make eye contact. I watched as they scooted ahead of the boat about 50 feet or so and then slowed down to let us catch up to them. This went on for over 20 minutes, until they either lost interest or decided they were getting out of their territory. What fun it is!!

We found a nice anchorage in Strachan Bay, put the crab trap down with high hopes and then jumped in Tail to do some exploring. We met Buck and his friend Bob, full time residents (log salvagers) of Belize Inlet. Coho were jumping but we couldn't catch one!

Tuesday August 17, 2010

Leave Port McNeill 0800

Arrive Walker Group Cove 1645 50 53.93 127 31.91

Trip Log 256.8

This is an anchorage we haven`t tried yet, so we were cautious entering the "landlocked" cove through a shallow narrow opening. But once inside, it proved to be quite secure and relatively quiet. We toured around the Walker Group of islands in Tail (the name we have given our dingy), enjoying the ride on the swells on the outside of the islands.

Port McNeil to Allison Harbour

2010-08-17T11:14:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 17,2010
Leave Port McNeil 1100
Arrive Allison Harbour
We are heading back across Queen Charlotte Strait from Vancouver Island to the mainland side to anchor in or around Allison Harbour. We will most likely not have Internet access for the next two weeks as we explore around Seymour and Belize Inlets. I am going to keep a record of our journeys and post when we get back into Internet range... so check back with us in two weeks.
Ciao for now!

Dent Island to Port McNeil

2010-08-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Monday August 16, 2010
Leave Dent Island 0800
Arrive Port McNeil 1500
Trip Log 224.2
Fuel: 92 lt Engine hours: 1682 Water tanks full. Propane full.
This is somewhat of an abbreviated post, we are sitting in a laundry mat in Port McNeil and I am hot and getting hungry and so I will continue this a little later....

A smokey haze covers the mountains on Vancouver Island... smoke coming from forest fires in the interior of BC.

After we got settled in at our anchorage near Bent Island, we saw something neither of had seen before, although I am sure it is quite common. A big black bear swam across from one island to the other not far from our boat, a distance of about 100 feet or so. We were so excited, I didn't have time to get my camera out for the picture. We thought it was going to have some trouble getting out of the water since the bank it was aiming for was a sheer rock wall, but it had no trouble at all climbing out. I guess it's long claws can grab a hold of the tiniest cracks in the rocks. So, our first bear of the trip.... we are hoping to see many more. And lots of other wildlife as well.

2010-08-16T16:53:00.000-07:00

Sunday August 15, 2010
Leave Billygoat Bay 1200
Arrive Bent Island 1715
Trip Log 164.2

Pushing through Johnstone Strait

2010-08-14T16:07:00.000-07:00

Saturday August 14, 2010
Leave Octopus Islands 1200
Arrive Helmken Island, Johnstone Strait
Last night we decided to try kayaking in the dark, so at about 10 pm, we headed out for a paddle around the bay. It was soooo cool! With the bio-luminescence in the water, each stroke on the paddle unleashed a flash of light through the water. AND... we could watch fish darting about around our kayaks! They were like comets in the sky with long tails behind them! Definitely something we will do again on this trip. We also enjoyed watching the end of the latest meteor shower and the beautiful milky way.

We delayed leaving our anchorage this morning as the currents in the area are very strong and we had to wait until close to slack. Our original plan was to head through Hole In The Wall, but with Johnstone Strait calm as can be, we decided to go through Okisollo Channel instead. We had a very relaxing kayak tour around the Octopus Islands with Walter and Mavis after breakfast of cinnamon buns, scrambled eggs and fresh fruit salad and coffee.
So right now we are heading to Helmken Island, one of our favorite anchorages. It is right smack dab in the middle of Johnstone Strait, but very protected and not too many other boaters stop there. Last time we were there, we found an eagles nest, so we are going to check it out again today. Tomorrow we should be in Port McNeill to fill up with diesel and top off our water tanks. Then it is on to Nakwakto Rapids.

Octopus Islands

2010-08-13T09:54:00.001-07:00

Friday August 13, 2010
Leave Copeland Islands Marine Park 0720
Arrive Octopus Islands Marine Park
Trip Log
It is very calm today, virtually no wind, but the sky is hazy, and I think it is from the forest fires in the interior of BC. It will probably remain like this for the next 4-5 days as we have a high moving in over us.
I have a feeling we won't have internet at our anchorage tonight, so this might be the last you hear from us until tomorrow or the next day.

Sunrise in Octopus Islands Marine Park

Copeland Islands

2010-08-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 12, 2010
Leave Hardy Island 0650
Arrive Copeland Islands 1330
Trip Log 100.7 nm
Heading north to Copeland Islands 29 miles away. I will continue this post later today, assuming we will still have an internet connection.

Beautiful day today, we motor sailed most of the way. Mavis and Walter were already tucked into a spot by the time we got here even though we left about 1 and a half hours before them! Been in twice for a swim, the water is a cool 18 degrees, but very refreshing!! Tonight we are going to stay up for the metor shower. I will post some pictures soon!

Next stop.... Hardy Island

2010-08-11T08:38:00.000-07:00

Wednesday August 11, 2010
Leave Boho Bay 0800
Arrive Hardy Island 1200
Trip Log 69nm
Our original plan for today was to head to Copeland Islands (about 40 miles) but the weather forecast is calling for 20+ knots of wind from the NW which would be right on our nose. So, because we are flexible and it doesn't really matter one way or the other, we are heading to Hardy Island (only about 20 miles). We will do some kayaking later this afternoon. We have our eyes keenly peeled (whatever that means!) for the Transient Pod of Orcas sighted yesterday.
Not much sailing because the wind was straight on our bow again today. It will probably be like this for most of the trip up the coast.

On the way to Jedediah Island

2010-08-10T10:44:00.000-07:00

Tuesday August 10, 2010
Leave Nanaimo 0750
Arrive Boho Bay, Lasqueti Island 1410
Trip Log 48.1 nm
It looked like the weather was going to be calm today, but as we left Nanaimo Harbour, the wind picked up to 15 - 20 knots. We motored sailed for an hour with just the main up, but once we got out in the middle of Georgia Strait, we decided the winds were not gusting anymore and pretty steady at 16 knots, both sails went up and we are cruising along at about 5 knots. The sun is out and it is a beautiful day!

An old apple tree at the old homestead on Jedediah Island.

Just after we got anchored and had our lunch, our friends Walter and Mavis showed up. They said they had just spend some time right outside the bay enjoying a pod of 5 or 6 orcas playing, at one point very close to their boat! So, after they got anchored, they came over in their tender to pick us up to head out and see if they were still there. They were gone by this time ( you don't really know how disappointed I was!!), but now that we know they are in the area we will be keeping a keen watch for them again!

And they're at the post....... they're off!!

2010-08-09T14:35:00.000-07:00

Monday August 9, 2009
Leave our dock, Ladysmith 1330
Trip log: 0nm
Arrive Nanaimo Harbour 1745
Ultimate destination: Seymour Inlet 51 04.98N 127 39.40W

Lots of reading material for our trip.

We are off, FINALLY!! It took us two full days to pack the boat with enough supplies to last us one month. That is a lot of trips down and up the stairs. But, we are one hour into our trip and so far neither Jerry or myself can think of anything we have forgotten.
We will get through Dodd Narrows just before slack so we get a little push with the current. Next stop will be to fill up on diesel and water in Nanaimo, then we can put the anchor down in the harbour and enjoy our reward..... a nice dinner with a glass of wine. Then Splendid Mane will gently rock us to sleep. Saaa-weeet!!!
Welcome to all our followers, we hope you enjoy the trip!
Fuel: 114 lt (with extra gas can) $125.29
Water tanks full.

We survived Ireland's roads.

2010-08-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

My little friend at our bed and breakfast in Ireland, he loves carrots.

Thursday August 5, 2010
I didn't post anything on my blog for the past week++ for two reasons...... an internet connection was not handy and we were having way too much fun to even stop to look for one. We are back home now after spending the last week in Ireland for Steve and Martina's wedding. This was my second trip to Ireland, so there were no surprises for me. But Irish roads are still unbelievable!! We rented a car in Dublin and drove almost 2000 kms, mostly on the old country roads. If you ever want an exciting experience, you just have to do this!! The speed limit is 100 km/hr and in reality if you are doing 50 km/hr you might be endangering your lives!
All in all, we had a great trip but of course we are glad to be home too. We are still adjusting to the time change (-8 hours), but hopefully we will be back to normal in another day or so.
Next on the agenda...... sailing to Seymour Inlet, just past the northern tip of Vancouver Island but on the mainland side of British Columbia. We are planning to leave about August 9th for about a month. I will be busy the next few days planning our meals and provisioning the boat. Jerry's job is everything else! And I think he has the easy job.

Last day in Tallinn

2010-07-26T08:51:00.000-07:00

Part of the wall that surrounds the upper village.

Sunday, July 25th was our last day in Tallinn. Before we checked out of our hotel, we decided to do a little more sight seeing. It has been really fun doing all these tourist things, I never really pictured myself as one of "those" tourists! Anyway, the only part of the old town we didn't see was up about 200 stairs, so before it got too hot, up we went! Most Embassies are in this part of town, including the Canadian one.

Jerry took this picture of course, but it does show that I was there too! Up at the top of the old town, you can see the Gulf of Finland in the background.

A peacock butterfly, there were loads of them on these flowers.

We got on the ferry heading back to Helsinki, a two hour ride over 80 kilometers, and then caught the commuter train to Hanna and Tommi's house, back in time for a really wonderful dinner and then bed!

Tallinn

2010-07-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

July 26, 2010

Today is our last full day in Finland. We will be jumping on a flight tomorrow and heading to Dublin for one week. We got back late yesterday afternoon from a three night trip to Tallinn, Estonia by ferry from Helsinki. We stayed all three nights in the old town of Tallinn at a very nice hotel called the Baltic Imperial. It was nice to stay right in the old town to see the sights and not have to go to far to get back to our room each night. The first day, we went on a 3.5 hour bike tour to some of the sights outside the old town. Our tour guide was a very colorful young man who described himself as definitely not patriotic! It was quite interesting listening to him tell about Estonia`s history.

The next day we took it easy, explored around the old town, ate at an outdoor cafe, and snooped around in the shops. Saturday the weather looked like it would rain but we decided to take our chances anyway and head out of town again to see the open air museum, an 80 hectare piece of land with original buildings reconstructed and showing the way life was in Estonia in the 18th century. And yes we got rained on, but it was so warm and a welcome relief from the heat we have had. We didn't mind at all. Below is a new thatched in progress...

and a stone building used as the blacksmith's shop.

Viking Center and Bengtskar Lighthouse

2010-07-21T08:35:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we drove about 2.5 hours southeast from Helsinki to go to the Bengtskar Lighthouse, on a very small island in the Gulf of Finland. We had to get on a boat that first took us to see the Viking Center on the island of Rosala. Below is the sign showing the road ends ahead.

We toured the centre, had a traditional Viking lunch (fish soup and dark Rosala bread) and then got back in the boat for another 45 minutes to see the light house. It is steeped in history and has a very colourful story. Today it is no longer a manned lighthouse but still is in operation with an automatic light.

After getting back from our boat ride, we got back in the car and drove to the small town of Fiskars for dinner, and I am sure you can figure out what they are famous for. The town has done a fantastic job of keeping the old buildings in good repair and it is now a worthwhile tourist stop. Unfortunately for me, the store that sells the scissors was closed by the time we got there.

So, tomorrow, Thursday, we will be off to Estonia. I am looking forward to a ride on the Tallinn Ferry, we will let you know how it goes.

Touring around Helsinki

2010-07-21T02:47:00.000-07:00

Wednesday July 21, 2010

We spent Monday in Helsinki. First we got on the train from Hanna and Tommi's house and took about 25 minutes to get into downtown. Our first stop was at a travel agent to purchase tickets on the fast ferry for our trip to Estonia. We are heading there tomorrow and will stay three nights in Tallinn, one day renting a car to travel the countryside, and the other two days to explore around Tallinn.

After that we jumped on a tram and got off at the farmers market which is close to the ocean. We wanted to catch a boat to the small, historic island of Suomenlinna (a UNESCO site). This little island was used by the Finnish military as a maritime fortress. Lots of history here and very much worth the trip.

When we got back to Helsinki, we got on a tram again and took a trip right around the city, ending up in a waterfront park, and then to the shipping docks for a nice cold beer. Helsinki is much more lively than we thought it would be, lots of people having fun and moving about in the downtown area. There was an outdoor concert with a heavy metal band and a ton of young people sitting around listening, eating and drinking. We explored a few shops, had some dinner and headed back to Rekola on the train to Hanna and Tommi's. Just like worried parents, they were waiting up for us as we arrived about 11 pm.
Yesterday's activities will be on a new post.

Enjoying Finnish hospitality!

2010-07-19T00:21:00.000-07:00

Monday July 19, 2010
Well, we have been gone from home a full week now and so much has happened it is hard to know where to start. Of course, our flight over to Helsinki went very well and our baggage arrived at the same time we did, but we never expect this miracle to happen. Hanna and Tommi were waiting for us at the airport, and we were happy to get to their house to relax after traveling for about 20 hours (although the flight was only 14 hours). Jet lag was a problem, but a bigger problem was the length of daylight, so it did take us a good 5 days to get around to Helsinki time. Below Jerry, Tommi and Hanna wave from the top of a lookout tower in the town of Kotka, close to Helsinki.

On Wednesday we drove east to Kotka to stay at Hanna's parent's summer cottage on the Gulf of Finland. It is a really wonderful, rustic (electricity but no running water) cottage right on the water where we enjoyed late nights, good food, saunas and swimming in the warm 28 degree Celsius water. Hanna and Tommi have three very nice children. Below their eldest, Effie, is picking wild blueberries to make a tart which we enjoyed later with vanilla cream...... yum!

We are off to tour around Helsinki now, so I will continue this post later.

Off to Finland... but Splendid Mane has to stay home this time.

2010-07-12T08:49:00.000-07:00

Monday July 12, 2010
We leave this afternoon on our three week journey to Finland, Estonia, and then Ireland. We will be back on August 4th, when we will be quickly packing up Splendid Mane to go for our much anticipated one month journey to Seymour and Belize Inlets, just off of Queen Charlotte Sound.
But in the meantime, on our Europe trip, I'll get the occasional post in here and there, so check back every so often.

A few of my favorite pictures.

2010-06-30T09:54:00.000-07:00

Dunes, not where you would expect them. This is a picture of a sand dune near Carcross in the Yukon. It was formed about 10,000 years ago when an ice dam created a glacial lake. The sand and silt that had been trapped in the glacier, settled to the bottom of the lake leaving behind these huge dunes after the ice melted.

This is taken at our campsite on the Top of the World Highway, we watched rain storms come and go, and then this rainbow showed up when the sun finally got below the layer of clouds.

Also taken on the Top of the World, this is the Canadian border crossing. This road is closed from beginning of October until the beginning of May, but is was a really nice gravel road to travel on at this time of year.

Downtown Dawson City.... most buildings are original and all the roads (except the main road that is the highway) are dirt and the sidewalks are wooden. Very interesting history here, an amazing amount of gold was found in the creeks but the people who got rich were the ones that "mined the miners".

Dawson City buildings again.

2010-06-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Monday June 28, 2010
We are home again, unpacked and getting caught up on stuff from the last 3 weeks.... the phone calls, the mail, etc. Over the next couple days, I will post some of my better photos from our trip. It was truly a memorable excursion, one that we are not likely to take again, at least not for a long time. Although I still think it would be fun to go that far north for the winter solstice! Maybe someday.

Almost home

2010-06-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 26, 2010

Downtown Anchorage tourist information center...... a sod-roofed log cabin in the middle of town.

We are on our last leg home, just leaving Burns Lake right now, and we should be home tomorrow afternoon. If we have a good internet connection later today, I will post some about what we have been up to the last 5 days, we have seen some fantastic scenery.

Can't remember the name of this glacier, having a senior moment. It was on the highway between Anchorage and Tok Alaska.

Tuesday June 22 Anchorage to Top of the World camp, our best camp so far. The border crossing closes at 9:00 pm Yukon time, so after clearing customs we drove another couple clicks and then stopped for dinner and decided we couldn't do better for a camping spot. It really was beautiful, we could see forever in every direction and watched as rain came towards us, then over us and then moved on. Best of all, it was soooo quite, we really were the only ones around.

Red Fox looking for some handouts.... check out the beautiful tail.

Wednesday June 23 Top of the World camp to Dawson City then Skagway. Driving from the Top of the World to Dawson City was great! We were concerned the road might not be so good, but it was actually better than the highway from Whitehorse to the US border. In Dawson City we went on a guided historic tour of the town and learned lots about the gold rush in 1896.... all I can say is I am glad we live now and not 100 years ago! On to Skagway. We were going to stop in Whitehorse but then decided to check out Skagway instead. The drive from Whitehorse to Skagway was stunning! I would recommend it to everyone who makes this trip.

The effects of a glacier... this landscape is over 10,000 years old. Located on the highway into Skagway.

Thursday June 24 Skagway to mosquito camp (just north of Dease Lake BC). Yikkes!!! The mosquitoes were really truly huge! And they were very hungry. Jerry sprayed all over the outside of the car with DEET 40% while I tried to set up our mattress and organize the car. That stuff really works, but I would never spray it on my skin. Jerry was worried it might take the paint off the car! We won't make that mistake again... first check the mosquito meter before deciding on camp location!
Friday June 25 We left mosquito camp (before the little buggers got up) and drove about 8 hours to Smithers to stay with our friends Mary and Rob Boyce. Caught up on about 7 or 8 years worth of happenings between our families, polished off two bottles of wine and lots of good food!
And today will be the last night on the road, we will probably end up somewhere on the Pemberton Highway tonight.

Some of what we have seen everyday....

2010-06-21T19:04:00.000-07:00

Turnagain Arm, just outside Anchorage, on the way to Seward.

On the highway a few minutes north of Seward.

On the beach in Seward... how would you like to live here?

Anchorage to Seward and back to Anchorage

2010-06-21T18:39:00.000-07:00

Monday June 21, 2010
We left Faribanks early Sundy in the rain. The closer we got to Seward, the nicer the weather became. By the time we stopped for the night, it was pretty much a cloudless sky. Below is the picture I took from our "campsite" along a beautiful glacial river. This photo was taken just before midnight. The sun still had almost another two hours to go before setting. We usually go to bed at about 10 pm, but with these longer days, we are still not tired at midnight and are having to force ourselves to go to sleep. !!??!!

The town of Seward Alaska off in the distance.

We got a great nights sleep and then headed off to Seward, only a few kilometers away. A very beautiful setting but very touristy of course. It is amazing what happened to this town during the earthquake in 1964, it was almost completely destroyed. You would never know anything happened today.

Headed back to Anchorage after lunch and now we are just takn' it easy, enjoying a little r & r.

Fairbanks AK

2010-06-20T01:24:00.000-07:00

Saturday June 19, 2009
Friday night we slept in the car, sounds not that nice, but it was actually pretty comfortable. We found a side road off the main highway, very private and quiet. The only problem was we had to try to block out the light with towels and jackets because we couldn't get to sleep. Oh yes, and did I mention the mosquitoes? It never really got dark, even after the sun set it was still light enough that you could see everything without turning on a light.
We arrived in Fairbanks about noon, checked into a hotel, took a short nap and then headed up to the Univeristy of Alaska to their museum. Here we are sitting on a 4500 pound nugget of copper.

We spent nearly 3 hours at the museum, it was really well done. After dinner we went to the Aleyska Oil Pipeline viewing area just outside Fairbanks. Incredibly, there is about $1million worth of oil that goes through this pipeline each hour....

This picture was taken at almost 11:00 pm on June 19th
Tomorrow we are on the road again, off to Anchorage and we will spend a couple days there.

Whitehorse.... land of the mid-night sun

2010-06-18T09:17:00.000-07:00

Friday June 18, 2009
Whitehorse, Yukon
I can't believe it! We are really in the Yukon! We drove almost 1000 kms yesterday, leaving Fort Nelson a little after 8:00 am, stopping at the Laird River Hot Springs for a relaxing dip with Amy, Dave, Ella and Sophia. It was one of the nicest hot springs I have ever visited, well worth the trip.

Our original plan was to stay overnight in Watson Lake, but then since it was still light out (surprise, surprise), we decided just to continue on to Whitehorse, got here at almost midnight. Now when I say midnight, you will probably imagine complete darkness, but the sun was just disappearing behind some mountains, there was quite a bit of traffic around, and I saw a couple walking their dog along the river. It was more like 7:00 pm in Ladysmith.
I am going to put some pictures up on the site, but don't have them off my camera yet, check back later today or tonight.

Goin' to Fort Nelson!

2010-06-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

Day 6 Monday June 14, 2010
We left Edson this morning about 8:15 and are on our way to Fort Nelson, should be about a 12 hour drive. It is a really beautiful day for traveling, sunny and 14 degrees.

Wedding Day

2010-06-14T09:34:00.000-07:00

Proud dad with his beautiful daughter.

Road trip to Alaska with stops along the way.

2010-06-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

Day 3 Friday June 11, 2010
Coaldale Alberta
(Day 1 was Ladysmith to Kelowna, Day 2 Kelowna to Coaldale)
We arrived in Coaldale yesterday evening after leaving Kelowna about 8:00 am. Lots of construction is going on on the trans-Canada highway so it took us about an extra hour to get here. Today we are mostly just hanging out at Becky and Lance's house, this evening is the rehearsal for Abby's wedding tomorrow and tonight is dinner at Erik's parent's house. No pictures today, but I will have lots to post after the wedding.

Haul home.... or maybe not!

2010-05-28T21:18:00.000-07:00

Friday May 28,2009

Splendid Mane still in the sling, with bottom paint all done.

Still in the sling, being lowered into the water, only a few inches to go.

Shortly after this picture was taken, Jerry motored away from the dock and I got in the car to head home, hoping to meet him at our dock in a little more than 3 hours. After I got home, I checked messages on the phone (we are one of those few people that do not have a cell phone) and there was one from Jerry. He was back at Cove Yachts, there was a problem with the impeller (or that is what he and Phil thought), so could I come and pick him up? Good grief! Jump back in the car, drive 45 minutes again, and there he was, waiting for me. I think he was quite worried I wouldn't check messages on the phone right away.

Monday a mechanic will have a look at the engine and hopefully we will get it fixed quickly. But on the way home in the car, we talked about what good luck we had in that we were so close to help when we had the problem! There is always a happy side to every problem!
Update: as suspected, it was the impeller that broke. Splendid Mane is back in her berth now all ready to head out for a sail. Our next trip on the water will not be until the first week of August when we will head up to Seymour Inlet for 3 - 4 weeks. But we head out on June 9th by car and will end up in Alaska somewhere around June 21 for summer solstice. We will be blogging our road trip, so stay tuned!

Haul Out Day

2010-05-27T20:38:00.000-07:00

Thursday May 27, 2009
Leave: our dock 1140
Arrive: Maple Bay Marina, Cove Yachts 1500
new zincs and bottom paint

Stephen doin' his part gettin' Splendid Mane in the sling.

We motored all the way to Maple Bay to Cove Yachts for our bi-annual haul out. Once they got the boat in the sling, we were glad to see it didn't have as much growth as we had thought. The donut zinc on the shaft was gone but the autostream zinc was still in pretty good shape, but still we will replace it. The bottom of the keel had a good growth of mussels and anemone and around the shaft was quite a few mussels. Other than that, she looked pretty good. More pics tomorrow when we go back to pick her up.

North Cove to home....

2010-05-25T16:26:00.000-07:00

Tuesday May 25, 2009
Leave: North Cove, Thetis Island, 1130
Arrive: our dock, Ladysmith Harbour, 1415

We lazed around all morning, me reading a book (Napoleon's Buttons), and Jerry on the computer watching the stock market go down then back up. The sun finally warmed up our cockpit and then we had visitors looking for handouts for breakfast. This pair of geese only has 4 goslings, but maybe that is all that has survived to this point. We also had several harbour seals hanging around our boat, checking us out and a couple loons.
Back home again now, but we will be heading out again in a few days to get the boat hauled in Maple Bay.

Montague Harbour to North Cove

2010-05-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Monday May 24, 2009
Leave: Montague Harbour, Galiano Island, 1050
Arrive: North Cove, Thetis Island, 1420
Lat: 49 00.96 Lon: 123 41.50

Splendid Mane (left) at anchor in Montague Harbour

It is an absolutely beautiful, picture perfect boating day today. Although the forecast is for winds between 15 and 20 knots this morning, we are only seeing light winds, nothing to get excited about. Our destination for tonight is North Cove on Thetis Island, one of our favorite anchorages.
It's been a beautiful day, we got some sailing in down Tricomali Channel with winds up to about 18 knots. Saa-weet!

Another sailboat getting some wind.

First cruise of the season! yeah!

2010-05-23T14:14:00.000-07:00

Sunday May 23, 2010

Leave: Ladysmith Harbour, our dock, 1100

Arrive: 1615 Montague Harbour, northwest of Gray Peninsula

Lon: 123 24.61 Lat: 48 54.07

Canadian Coast Guard Hovercraft checking out a submerged sailboat in Ladysmith Harbour.

Our first stop was in Princess Cove on Wallace Island, but with the wind blowing at about 9 knots and already 10 other boats there, we decided a better option was to head to Montague Harbour on Galiano Island. We are heading south in Trincomali Channel, the water is very choppy and the wind is blowing at about 15 knots right on our nose, but the sun is shinning. It is a beautiful day after all!
*oil change 1600 hrs

We headed over to the beach before dinner and had a walk around Montague Harbour Marine Park. There were over 80 boats at anchor or tied up on moorings in the main part of the harbour, very busy start to the boating season!

Big Changes on the Horizon

2010-04-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Wednesday April 14, 2010

Ladysmith Harbour at sunrise.

It has been two months since my last post, but we have been super busy since we got back from Mexico finishing up some little jobs we had around the house. Some of our family members think we have really lost our senses. We may be embarking on a truly life changing experience! Our house is up for sale now and if or when it sells, we have nowhere to go but onto Splendid Mane! Well not really but this is our Plan A.... sell the house and live on Splendid Mane for the summer and fall months, then head back to Mexico for the winter and spring. Sounds simple enough, but we are talking moving from 3400 square feet to 400 square feet on the generous side, from a house that is always in the same place to one that moves constantly, and from the convenience of stepping out the door into the car for groceries, to having to get into the dingy and then walk to the closest grocery store. The differences are many, but what is exciting for us is the change in our lives. I have always been fascinated by how a couple (or a family) can co-exist in such a small space for any length of time, how the day to day jobs of just living are achieved, keeping a bit of privacy for each, and still enjoy each and every moment of it. Blogging about living on a sailboat is nothing new, but every blog has a little different spin on things.
We also have a Plan B..... get a truck and camper and take off. Travelling for a couple years through North and South America would be an adventure. Plan C.... buy a small property (5 acres +/-) and build our own house, making it as green as possible. We have so many ideas about how we would build, it is almost overwhelming! And Plan D... well that is the most domestic choice.... rent a house on Vancouver Island somewhere, probably Nanaimo to be close to our grandson, and go to Mexico for the winter.
We will see what the future brings, anything could happen! We are ready for a new adventure in our lives. We have taken the first step, now we just have to wait and see. There is also the possibility that our house won't sell and we will stay here..... but in that case we have plans for that too!

We're home for now....

2010-02-14T11:38:00.000-08:00

Sunday February 14, 2009
HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!

We arrived home Friday evening, catching the 5:45 Duke Point Ferry from Tsawwassen. What really worked out great is that we were able to watch most of the opening ceremonies for the 2010 Winter Olympics on the ferry with all the other passengers. I think it was much more fun watching it that way than at home.

We stayed at the Belmar in Mazatlan in Old Town... the no hassle zone.

After leaving Ajijic on February 6th, we drove to Mazatlan, arriving in lots of time to go for a swim (very nice!), then on to Guaymas (back to the same hotel) and the third and forth nights on the road we spent with

Ken and Verna in their 5th wheel at Lost Dutchman State Park in Apache Junction AZ. Tuesday we took a drive through Tonto National Park, beautiful scenery on a twisty dirt road, ending up at Tonto National Monument, home to the Salado People from over 700 years ago. A trip well worth the effort! Wednesday night, Bakersfield CA, Thursday night, Roseburg OR and then Friday night our own bed! Fast traveling, but we just decided we wanted to get home. The trip home from Ajijic took us 6 days, almost 5000 km and about $162 US for gas.

Superstition Mountain in Lost Dutchman State Park

You can't help but smile when you see her.

2010-02-05T13:14:00.000-08:00

Friday February 5, 2009

This lady's job is to sit in front of the grocery store and look like she needs money, one of only a very few people around Ajijic that panhandle. She is usually in this spot everyday along with her two "sisters" and I think from the look of things they make a pretty good wage (one day we saw her in the store buying a Milky Way Chocolate bar). I just couldn't help myself, because she has the most beautiful smile in all of Ajijic, I would give her a few pesos every time we saw her. When I asked if I could take her picture, she said yes but wouldn't put on her beautiful smile!

The Lake Chapala area normally receives about 20 mm of rain from January 1 thru May 31 each year. The rainfall that Ajijic has received so far from January 1 to today is 165.6 mm. When we were here two winters ago, we could have measured the rain drops we had on two hands! So is this climate change? Or will the weather be back to normal next year? Just some food for thought.
We are doing some last minute running around this afternoon and then getting the car packed up for our exit tomorrow morning... off to the beach!!

Return of the SUN!

2010-02-04T10:46:00.000-08:00

Thursday February 4, 2009
Yeah! The sun has finally come back! There is an over abundance of singing birds in our yard right now, it is as if they have been waiting since Sunday to sing their songs and they are so happy they are trying to out do each other. It is so beautiful outside right now, everything has been washed clean and the hills above Ajijic look like they want to burst into green. Speaking of green, here is a picture of my guacamole I made last night for dinner. It is a nice bright green because of the cilantro I used. It turned out very yummy.

Kathy's Molcajete Guacamole
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp rock salt
1/2 coriander seeds
fresh cilantro to taste
juice of 1 small lime
one avocado
Crush garlic, cumin, salt and coriander to a paste. Add cilantro and lime juice, continue crushing until a uniform paste is achieved. Add avocado, crush and mix well. Voila!

We have been watching on the weather news the very large band of moisture moving across Mexico and into Texas. Someone told us this morning that the eastern US is gearing up for a whopper of a snow storm resulting from that moisture. Funny thing is, the US usually gets their weather from Canada, but this time around they can only blame Mexico! Go figure.
Tomorrow, being our last day here, we will be finishing up errands and getting organized to leave Saturday morning. I have a dentist appointment to get my night guard fitted and then we have some grocery shopping to do.

Arrgghhh! I just saw orange kitty sneaking around in our yard! He ran under the coffee bush by the avocado tree. Hopefully all the birds saw him. The yellow bird is a Western Tananger and the other is a Bullock's Oriole, at least that is my deduction from pictures on the net. The birds really love the avocado, they are putting on weight for their trip north in the spring.

Rain Rain Go AWAY!!!

2010-02-03T16:02:00.000-08:00

Wednesday February 3, 2009
I am really having a hard time believing we are in Ajijic and not Vancouver, except for the fact that we have an avocado tree, two papaya trees, and three orange trees growing in our yard. It has pretty much been raining steadily since Sunday afternoon. The ground is grass is squishy, the roads have little rivers running down them, we have a pan on the stove to catch the drip coming from the stove vent, and I am wishing I had a hot tub to sit in right now as I drink my cerveza! All right, I know... I should be complaining! I feel really sorry for all those folks who are having their winter vacation in Puerto Vallarta and Mazatlan right now because it is the same weather, just a little warmer!

The birds are very quiet today, but I have managed to get a picture of a Black-vented Oriole, above, eating an avocado. Notice how wet he looks! I have seen this type of bird around before but this is the first picture I have managed to get. Below, I am not sure of this bird, but he was waiting until the Oriole finished so he could have some avocado too.

Hello February!

2010-02-01T14:33:00.000-08:00

Sunday February 1, 2009
We have so much planned for this month, it just blows my mind away. First thing we have to do is get our butts home from Mexico, darn! Then there are birthdays galore this month, one whose day we don't even know yet! Once we get home, we have a list of projects we have to tackle and then we are off again at the end of the month to go skiing and visiting! Those are just the things I know, as DR would say.... those are known knowns, what we don't know are the unknowns, and there are always unknowns. :-)
Phil left today, heading home to Edson. He said he enjoyed his holiday here, but hanging out with a couple old fogies for a week may not have been the perfect holiday for a 24 year old. But one thing for sure, I taught him a few new tricks in the kitchen, and maybe some of it will rub off. Below is a picture of his lunch yesterday while we were shopping in Tonala.

Last night we had the most fantastic thunder/lightening storm I think I have ever experienced. It sounded like we had lightening striking very close by, and the rain was coming down in buckets, BIG buckets! It looks as if our last week here may be a rainy one. But it is still a pleasant temperature of about 15. We will be tying up loose ends the next few days, making sure we have paid all our bills and signed off as tenants at this house. Our date of departure looks like it will be Saturday morning, first stop Mazatlan, then Guaymas and next across the border to Phoenix to meet up with Ken and Verna.

Mexican Shake Down!

2010-01-30T16:24:00.000-08:00

Saturday January 30, 2009
Okay, so when you break the law, as in a small traffic violation, you should pay the price, right? This morning, we were leaving Ajijic, heading for Tonala (to pick up that something special I mentioned in a previous post), and we were at an traffic light (green) waiting to turn left, and then just as we turned (Jerry is driving but Phil and I encouraged him to "just go!") we saw ahead a cop motioning for us to pull over. At this particular light, we were not sure you could turn left without a green arrow, as as it turns out we can't! The cop said there was a sign (we will have to go back and make sure we can see it). Anyway, he proceeds to ask for driver's license and registration, tells us he is going to write a ticket for 550 pesos. Fine. He heads over to his truck, pulls out a clip board and ticket book, comes back to the car and asks us if we want him to write a ticket now which we will have to pay in Chapala (a nearby town). Some back and forth in Spanglish about what is the best way to write the ticket, and whether we want him to WRITE the ticket. By this point we are starting to catch on that there may be another option! It was an aha! moment. So after a little more back and forth, we came to the conclusion that if we paid now it would only cost us... "how much do you want to pay?" Jerry "is 200 okay?" Cop "Si!" The 200 quickly disappeared and we were on our way! Lesson learned.... first, don't mess up with traffic signs when cops are watching, second, especially if you are a gringo, third, if situation arises again offer smaller amount first! :-D LOL

This is a very organized power pole situation. Up coming, I will show you some not so organized situations!

A trip to Tequila

2010-01-29T15:59:00.000-08:00

Friday January 29, 2009

The beautiful blue agave plants line the hillsides.

Less than a two hour drive from Ajijic, through Guadalajara, is the town of Tequila, where Tequila (the drink) was originally made. Although it is not the only town in this area that has Tequila distilleries, it is the biggest. We parked our car close to the plaza down town and went in to the first Tequila distillery we came to, Jose Cuervo, to go on a tour. The whole process is very interesting, and we were allowed to sample raw agave, pictured above, roasted agave and of course, Tequila in different stages of production. These "pina's" typically weigh 60-80 pounds, below they are carrying them into the roasting oven.

In some parts of the tour, we were not allowed to take photos because it might be too dangerous.... with the amount of alcohol in the air, they didn't want anything that might spark to be used. Most (75%) of the tequila produced in Mexico is exported. Their biggest customer is the US but surprisingly the second biggest is Greece (because of tourism).
At the end of the tour, we were served a yummy margarita on a nice out door patio. We got a picture of Phil out in the field, cutting agave.... working hard after a few shots of tequila!

Molcajete Fun

2010-01-28T18:05:00.000-08:00

Thursday January 28, 2009
I have been having way too much fun cooking with my new molcajete! (Thank you Mary Beth!) I went through all the steps to get it ready, which took me several days. First step is to grind a small amount of rice to a fine powder, until the rice was no longer turns grey from the rock. After that, I seasoned it using garlic, fresh cilantro, cumin seed, and rock salt. I left this ground up mixture in the molcajete over night and then just rinsed with water the next morning. First thing we made was a nice fresh salsa, pictured below. Then Phil got in on the act and made a very delicious guacamole! The more we use the molcajete, the better things made in it will taste.

Kathy's Molcajete Salsa
1 or 2 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon cumin seed
Juice of one small lime
1 teaspoon rock salt
1 serrano or jalapeño chilie
1 small white onion
2 roma tomatoes
cilantro, chopped
Crush garlic in molcajete or mortar with pestal. Add cumin seed, crush. Add lime juice and rock salt, crush again. Add whole chilie (including seeds), crush well. You should now have a nice uniform liquid. Add chopped onion and tomatoes. Gently crush, not much. Add chopped cilantro and ENJOY!

What will we do today?

2010-01-25T13:25:00.000-08:00

Monday January 25, 2009
Well, we were up early again this morning, before the sun! We don't have any clocks in the house, but we do check Jerry's wrist watch from time to time. We can almost tell exactly what time it is by the different noises we hear outside. Right around 6:45 am the din of traffic starts to pick up and goes until about 7:15. The birds start making noise about 7:15 and then at 7:30 or so, just before the sun comes up, we hear the little morning doves start to coo. Traffic picks up again just before 8, but by that time we are on our second cup of coffee, the sun is shinning brightly in our breakfast room, and we are starting to plan our day.

Yesterday we drove to Jocotepec, a town 20 minutes west of Ajijic, and walked along their new walkway by the lake shore. I took this picture of the white cranes having a little tiff over a fish. Below is a little water park, but there weren't any kids playing in the water that day.

We are heading off to the airport in Guadalajara this evening to pick up Phil. It looks like the weather is going to be absolutely fantastic for his whole week here. But first stop will be a store to get him a pair of shorts, apparently he doesn't own one!
We are starting our countdown until we have to leave Ajijic! Only another two weeks in paradise, damn!

Lettuce go crazy!

2010-01-21T19:26:00.000-08:00

Thursday January 21, 2009
I think the weather has finally settled into the warm zone. The newspapers have stopped talking about where you can go to see some snow, and the local Mexican people are not wearing toques, gloves, scarves and down jackets! I am not complaining, but we did feel a little ripped when we had all the cold weather. Now on to better things.

A few days ago we bought a head of lettuce at the local supermarket. Now this is no ordinary head of lettuce...... I just had to put a picture on the blog!

I didn't weigh it, but I think it probably weighed about 5 pounds easily. We have enjoyed many lunches and dinners of green salad, and still have more than half left. And how about this single rosemary plant we spotted!

Mom left us yesterday morning, so we are all alone again until Monday when Phil arrives. I wish the weather had been a bit nicer while she was here, but at least it was warmer than Kelowna and sunnier too. We are planning two day trips for when Phil gets here.... off to Tequila! and then back to Tonala to the market again. We have to pick up something special we are having made. And no, Roma it is not for you!
I finished reading Godforsaken Sea and have started on The Sparrow's Fall by Fred Bodsworth, Jerry is reading How to Overthrow The Government by Arianna Huffington, both really good books. We are getting lots of reading in, mostly books we find at the local thrift shop. It is nice to have time just to read, and not have to worry about having to do something else. Am I starting to sound retired? Yikks!!

2010-01-17T19:13:00.001-08:00

Lazy Sunday!

2010-01-17T18:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday January 17, 2009

We went to the plaza in Ajijic this morning to see their second annual Art Show and Sale and first annual flea market. It has a long way to go before it matches any of the big markets I have been to, but it was fun to see the art and junk people are selling. After lunch, we left mom at home to study her Spanish, and Jerry and I went out to see some open houses. I just love the gardens people have here, they have the most beautiful unusual plants such as the Green Stripe Bamboo below. This plant was about 15 feet high and so beautiful! It would be so fun to be able to grow this at home!

We went to four open houses and then drove around a little west of Ajijic, up on the hillside overlooking the lake. I took another panoramic picture, just couldn't resist the view! This is the view of an extinct volcano across the lake from a lot we stopped to walk around on.

Tonala Market (but not on market day!)

2010-01-16T16:17:00.000-08:00

Saturday January 16, 2009
Tonala is a city just on the outskirts of Guadalajara, population about 500,000. It has a wonderful market on Thursday and Sunday. The other days of the week is a scaled back version of the frenzy that happens on Thursday and Sunday. So we decided to go on an "off-market" day, and it was much better than the last time we went which was on a market day. People come from all over Mexico to buy things for their houses.... from art and crafts to zebra paintings and everything in between. Furniture, blown glass, pottery, dried flowers, doodads, nicknacks, widgets, doohickeys, thingamabobs, and whatchamacallits.... you get the general idea!

We enjoyed strolling around the market without too many other people to bump into. And on top of that, the weather was great! For the past couple days, we have had wind and colder temperatures, very little sun. But today it warmed up to 22 Celsius without a cloud in the sky.

Our lunch at a little restaurant in Tonala Market was an avocado torta (sandwich) each for Jerry and I and for Mom, Huevos Rancheros, fresh squeezed orange juice and fresh limeade... totlal 118 pesos ($9.56 cdn).

Mom only has three more full days here, we will be taking her to the airport early Wednesday morning. Hopefully the remainder of her holiday will be warm and sunny!

Hummer puzzle.

2010-01-14T08:28:00.000-08:00

Wednesday January 14, 2009

* * * *

I have looked high and low, but have not had any luck identifying this hummer. It is quite large, the beak is red with a black tip, it has a white underside and not much colour on the back and head, almost a dark grey. I have tossed around the idea that it might be the mate to the previous pictured hummer, but am not convinced because the tail is different.

We are off to go to the dentist. All three of us have appointments for a cleaning. The sun is shinning today, only a few puffy white clouds around. We are REALLY enjoying the sunshine, it is suppose to get up to about 20 today. Just perfect!

We need help with bird identification.

2010-01-13T11:44:00.000-08:00

Wednesday January 13, 2009

We have several types of humming birds around our yard and it has been very difficult to identify them because I don't have a bird book with me. The one pictured below I think is called the Broad-billed hummingbird. And then the next picture I am not sure, but it is some type of warbler. If anyone has a bird book they can look these two up for me, that would be great! Too bad I forgot to bring my book. These two birds are very amusing to watch as they fight for control of the feeder. The little hummer will also stand up to bigger birds, many the size of a robin.

2010-01-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

I love these decorations.... they look so beautiful strung across the streets, orderly yet chaotic! And then mix in a bunch of power lines and you have a typical Mexican street at festival time!

Day trip to Mazamitla

2010-01-10T15:46:00.000-08:00

Sunday January 10, 2009
We left early this morning (about 9:30) for our day trip to Mazamitla. It was cool this morning but promised to be a beautiful day to take a trip into the mountains (elevation about 7500 feet). But by the time we arrived in Mazamitla (about a two hour drive), the temperature had cooled to a nippy 13 degrees! It was a busy day, most roads were jammed with visitors and parking was at a premium. We noticed they were having a quad competition which no doubt had attracted many young men with their fathers. We saw lots of motorcycles around town as well, but mostly it was just people wanting to get a breath of beautiful mountain air! Most people (not us!) were dressed for the weather with down jackets, warm shoes or boots, gloves, toques, scarves or ear-muffs.

We had our lunch at a nice restaurant in the centre of town.... quesadillas, above, with hot vegetable soup and coffee, very yummy and just what we needed to warm up.

Mazamitla is famous for their cheese and canned fruit and juices. We bought a kilo of cheese from a street vendor, tomorrows dinner. On the way back to Ajijic, we stopped to take a few photos of the vista....

Just out of the centre of town, this is a picture of the valley below.

Half way down the mountain, another view, Lake Chapala on the right.

Ajijic Village again, visiting galleries.

2010-01-08T14:31:00.000-08:00

Friday January 8, 2009
Oh, man, I can't believe the weather here! And nobody else can either! It has been cloudy for two days now and the temperature only gets up to about 18 or 19! This really sucks big time. Hopefully we get some nice weather soon, or I am going to have to start taking my vitamin D again!
Alright, enough complaining (typical Canadian), at least it is not -10 and possible snow like my aunt is getting in Florida. Mom and I went back to the village again today for another look around. We went to some shops and galleries we had not been to yesterday. We found a small shop that sells Alebrijes (al e bri heys), which are beautifully painted carved (from copal wood) fanciful animals from small towns in the state of Oaxaca. It is hard to appreciate the work that goes into these animals, but to give you an idea, the larger pieces can take up to a month to carve. Below is a lion and then close up detail on another sculpture.

Neighborhood walks and village visits.

2010-01-07T19:43:00.001-08:00

Thursday January 7, 2009
Yesterday afternoon, mom and I walked around our neighborhood and had a look at all the beautiful gardens. I took some pictures of the more unusual plants, many plants growing in the yards here are our "house plants", but they grow to be huge!

Shrimp plant.

Hens and chicks.

Mother of thousands.

Red sedum

I took Mom to the village center this morning, but by the time we got back home we had a flat tire! After taking the tire off, Jerry saw the problem. We had picked a nail at some point. So we got the spare put on and headed up to the tire shop where they actually found two nails! Got that fixed and then decided we might as well change the oil too.
Two patches for flat tire, tire rotation, oil change: at 98,500 km 390 pesos ($31.64 cdn)
So we are all set to go again! Back to the village tomorrow... we will get some pictures.

Dinner plans for Saturday

2010-01-05T16:08:00.000-08:00

The Vermilion Flycatcher male, very hard to get a picture of, they are so timid!

Tuesday January 5, 2009
Tomorrow GG arrives (before the break of dawn at 5:00 am!!) and we are already filling up our calendar with activities and dinner dates, at home and away. Today, we had Rachel here to do some cleaning for us and she will be coming back on Saturday to cook a Mexican dinner for us! Then Tuesday we have been invited for dinner at Jane and Paul's house, a couple we met while staying at the bed and breakfast before we rented this house. They are from DC but have also spent some time in Japan, which I think will be very interesting for GG to talk to them about.
In addition to eating here and there, we will be exploring the town of Ajijic, going in little shops and galleries. We are also going to be taking a day trip to Matzamitla, about a two hour drive from here on the other side of the lake and up in the mountains. It has a bit of a Swiss feel to it, a very pretty picturesque town. We will probably do a round the lake tour on the same day, which would make it an all day trip.
We will probably go on an open house tour as well, it is always fun to have a look at different Mexican style houses, some old and some new.
We will be taking lots of pictures, and of course you will be able to see them right here! Below is what I am going to make for dessert for our Saturday Night Mexican Dinner.

Chocolate Avocado Pie
2 large soft avocados
2 cups dark chocolate or carob chips
1/8 cup skim milk, possibly more needed
1 T vanilla extract
liquid sweetener, add as much as you want depending on taste
pre-made reduced fat pie crust
raspberries
1 T orange juice
Take a pre made crust and lay washed and dried raspberries along bottom of crust.

In a double broiler melt chocolate chips with milk and vanilla. Add sweetener to taste. Mix well, and take off from heat after fully melted so that it does not burn.

In a separate bowl mash up the avocado, or pulse in a food processor. Add in orange juice, Get all lumps out.

After chocolate cools a bit mix it in with mashed avocado. This mixture should be thick and creamy. Test the sweetness level.

Pour over raspberries and place in fridge to set.

We're having a splendid time reading books.

2010-01-04T18:10:00.000-08:00

Monday January 4, 2009
This is a story with a bit of a twist....
A few days ago, I decided to go for a walk and found a little thrift shop (they are supporting children with disabilities). If you know me, you also know that I would have had to go in and would have found something to buy. And yes, I did buy... a pair of corduroy pants and a linen skirt. But, then as I was getting ready to pay, a book on the shelf caught my eye.... A World of My Own by Robin Knox-Johnston. It has a picture of a sailboat on the cover. I bought it, not bothering to read what it was about, and thinking that Jerry would probably like to read it when he finished the book he had just started.

When I got back home I showed the book to Jerry. Now there is something else you should know at this point, and that is that Jerry is reading a book that he picked up in Portland at the used book store. It is called Godforsaken Sea by Derek Lundy. It is also a sailboat book. So it turns out, that the two books are really about the same thing, just 40 years apart! Robin Knox-Johnston successfully sailed his little 32 foot wooden boat single-handed around the world in 1967-68, being the first to do it solo. A World of My Own is his account of his trip taking him almost a year to complete. Godforsaken Sea is about the Vendee Globe race of 1996 disaster, also a round the world race, but taking only about 100 days or so.

So, since Jerry was reading Godforsaken Sea, I decided I would start on A World of My Own. Now this is where the really interesting part comes in..... as we are both reading through our books, the boats are passing through the same parts of the ocean, and it is really quite neat to compare the race 40 years apart! So, we have just about spent the whole day today reading, and comparing notes. We are convinced we do not want to do this! Good books though.

Okay, check this out. What do you think this is? Hint: I found them in our yard.

It rains here from time to time.

2010-01-03T15:53:00.001-08:00

Sunday January 3, 2010
It is hard to believe we have made it to 2010! In BC and Vancouver in particular, we have been talking about 2010 for about 6 years now. So it seems strange that it has finally arrived. I am rambling I know, but I just realized that after I wrote it out... 2 0 1 0 !!

Okay, now so what I was going to write about today was the rain we had yesterday. It practically rained ALL day long, reminded me so much of Vancouver! And everyone around here was complaining about the cold and rain yesterday! Even the birds were particularly quiet, I could just imagine them, huddled together deep inside a bougainvillea plant, hoping the rain would stop. Sounds so familiar, seems like I am right at home. But I don't mind the rain, and the cold (18 degrees celsius) won't bother me either. I took the opportunity to go out for a walk around our little neighborhood and take some pictures in the rain.