The tale of the little rock squirrel.

Thursday December 17, 2009
This is Mr Rocky the rock squirrel, he lives in our yard, and this is the story of how he lost his mate.

One day a few days ago, Mr and Mrs Rock decided to move their three children from their house #1 to their house #2 (they have three houses that we know of). The kids are pretty big already, but they managed to get a hold of them one at a time in their mouths and carry them about 50 meters to the new location. After they were all safely tucked into the new house, Mrs Rock headed out to get something to eat. Unbeknown to Mrs Rock, Orange Cat was watching the house moving with much interest. As she was crossing the big open expanse of the driveway, Orange Cat saw his chance and pounced. I would have tried to save Mrs Rock, but it was too late. Orange Cat was very fast, and jumped over the gate and was gone, Mrs Rock squeaking the whole way. Mr Rock heard the commotion and poked his head out of the house and called to Mrs Rock. He called again several times later that day and then again the next morning. By the afternoon, he knew his true love was not coming back and he decided to move the kids again. One by one, he moved them back to the old house, safely away from Orange Cat, he thought. Then this morning, we saw Mr Rock moving the kids again! And unfortunately, Orange Cat was watching again! We are doing everything we can to discourage Orange Cat from coming in our yard (throwing rotten oranges at him) but things are not looking too good for the Rock family. Hopefully, the kids move out soon and Mr Rock can put his feet up and relax for awhile, at least until he finds a new honey!

Market Day in Ajijic

Wednesday December 16, 2009

It is market day in Ajijic, the once a week market with a loads of vendors. You can pretty much buy anything you need here, right down to the undies! Below, this couple are making chicken tacos to sell, they smelled really yummy!

We stopped at this "shop" (the back of a cube van) to buy some fresh roasted coffee beans... 50 pesos for half a kilogram. That is about $4.20. We also picked up a half kilogram of strawberries (10 pesos) and half kilogram of raspberries (15 pesos).

The glassware vendor, very beautiful glasses and dishes. Check out the glass  red and green peppers!

Last night it rained hard for the first time since we have been here. It was just like home, listening to the rain on the roof, falling on the leaves of the trees and hitting the sidewalk. This morning, everything was fresh and clean, and although it was overcast all morning, the sun did come out in the early afternoon and dried everything up. This evening we had another rain shower. I picked a big bag of the tangerine oranges for our maid to give to the kids at school. She asked for about 30 oranges off our tree, and since we don't have a ladder, we stacked a little table on a chair and I climbed on that to get them down. Jerry was holding the chair and catching oranges as I picked them. Jerry said it would have been easier to just go and buy them at the store!
We are planning our trip to Mexico City on Friday.
Adios!

Spanish 101

Monday December 14, 2009
Temperature: 24 celius

I have been practicing my Spanish  all morning, working on lesson 9. With my library card (any library in BC), I can log into a web site called Mango for Libraries that has language lessons in Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Italian and Spanish (Latin American). I can either take the basic course or get more involved with a complete course. I wanted to get the basics this trip. Jerry already knows quite a bit of Spanish, so with both of us knowing some, then we can still practice on each other even after we get back home, and hopefully not forget what I have learned.

I noticed this morning that my Bird of Paradise has a bloom on it. I'll be watching so I can cut it when it opens. They are the neatest looking flowers. Too bad I don't have a nice vase to put it in. I will post a picture as soon as it opens up, right now it doesn't look like much. Above is our papaya tree which I think will have one ready in another week or so. We have a little hummingbird who visits us regularly, making the rounds in our yard. I am not sure of the species, but it is bigger than the Rufous we have at home.
Adios! Que tenga un buen dia!

We survived the weekend in Ajijic.

Sunday December 13, 2009
Our plans to maybe go away this weekend did not materialize and after reading the local paper we were very glad that we did not go to Mexico City. Since this was the weekend to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico City was expecting an extra 7 million people in the city. Not a good time to visit a city of 14 million (that is the city only, not including the surrounding area). I think there is over 25 million all together.
Friday night in Ajijic was the noisy night, with lots of explosions and loud music and parties at 4 o'clock in the morning. We decided we would head into town on Saturday night to see if anything was happening, but it was pretty much deadsville. Oh well, I guess we missed all the action on Friday night, but I am sure we won't have long to wait until the next party happens!
I can't believe how beautiful the weather has been here. It is absolutely perfect, nice and warm (but not hot) during the day and then cooling off at night to where we need a duvet on. I hope it stays like this for the whole time we are here, you just can't ask for any more.
We will probably go away on Friday this week, first to Mexico City for a couple days, then make our way back towards Ajijic, stopping to see the monarchs. The road trip should take us 5 or 6 days.
Comment answers:
Mexico City would be about an 8 hour drive from here. I will definitely be taking lots of pics. And yes, the hibiscus is in our garden, in the background you can see the poinsettia. We also have a really pretty pink one. Our meals are vegetarian, mostly beans fixed many different ways. We have fresh fruit and yogurt for breakfast, left overs or salad for lunch, and Mexican dishes for dinner. Yesterday I made a pot of chili in the slow cooker and served it with polenta. We have enough left over for several more meals. We also have had enchiladas and tostadoes. We try to stay away from imported foods because they are mucho $$. We have a weekly farmers market in Ajijic on Thursdays, it is less than a 5 minute drive, probably better to walk if it is not too hot outside. It has been so nice having the orange trees in our yard. Every morning we squeeze 4 oranges for juice... ymmmmm... the best way to start the day, even better than that first cup of coffee. So far, the two avocados that have fallen off the tree are not ripe enough to eat, but I will let you know how good they are soon!

Holy Moly, Guacamole!

Friday December 11, 2009
Weather: low this morning was 9, high was 25. If you see anything different on any weather forecast, don't believe it! Although it might cool off tonight to maybe 6 or 7.
Our guacamole tree dropped it's second avocado this morning. The first one was gone when I went outside to pick it up. I really don't know what happened to it, but Jerry said it was either the squirrel who keeps running through our yard (although I think it was too big for the squirrel to carry) or the next door neighbor jumped the fence and got it. Either way, I knew it was just a matter of time before another one landed, and this time I got to it first. Ha!
I took a day off painting today. Although is mostly done, I still have about half a can of the blue/gray and 3/4 of a can of the buttermilk colour. So, I might as well keep going. I was just trying to decide which colour I would paint the hallway going into the bedroom. As promised, I have included in this post some pictures.....

This is the before picture, taken on the day we moved in and ~~

this is the after picture, taken today.

You can still see a bit of the yellow in the hallway behind where Jerry is sitting, so that is my next job. You can weigh in with an opinion if you want.... blue/gray or buttermilk like the fireplace?

This is our side yard and patio, kitchen to the right and living room to the left.

This is the sunroom at the back of the house.

Tomorrow we are going to go downtown to see what is going on in the plaza. Right now there are a LOT of explosions going on, and I expect they will be booming all night tonight and tomorrow night. Probably won't get much sleep this weekend.

Adios!

Living in Mexico, we are having fun!

Thursday December 10, 2009
I finished painting the living room today. It is soooo much nicer now that the limegreenyellowpuke is gone. We feel much more relaxed and at home. I will finish decorating and putting things back to where they should be and then take a picture and you can see it for yourselves. We had the electrician come by today too to fix a live wire that was sticking out of the wall with a pink plastic bag on it for protection. Hmmmm. Now we have two more lights that work. It was a simple thing, and you gotta wonder why wasn't it done by the owner?

This is the view from the rooftop of the casita. Pretty much all Mexican houses have access to the roof. It is extra living space otherwise gone to waste. Usually they have what is called a mirador on the roof which is really just some sort of roof for protection from the sun and maybe a side or two or three for some privacy. Our casita doesn't really have a mirador, but we can take a couple chairs and table up on to the roof and enjoy the sunrise or sunset. The mountains in the background are starting to turn brown for the winter. During the summer rainy season, this hillside is like a jungle.
Our location is much quieter that when we were here two years ago. There are no roosters or roof dogs. And the propane truck does not come by blasting his loud speaker everyday. We have lots of mature trees around which attract many birds. The rumble of the traffic is off in the distance and we don't really notice. So far we have very little to complain about and a lot to be thankful for.
I promise tomorrow I will post some pictures of the inside of our house.

Settling in to a routine in Ajijic

Coffee tree (bush) in our yard.

Wednesday December 9, 2009

Today was very relaxing. The weather was beautiful, very warm (25) and sunny, Jerry was working on the computer and I was painting our living room. It is starting to feel like home! All the furniture is moved in to the middle of the room, cans of paint are here and there, paint brushes are soaking in the bathroom sink.... feels great!

We started off the day with a Mexican Christmas Party! We were invited out for breakfast and a party by the owner of the real estate company that we found our rental through, same company that we rented from two years ago. It was great to be able to join the staff party, have breakfast and we even each got a token gift! Jerry got a multi-purpose tool and I got a fleece top with a Coca Cola logo on it. I can always wear it on the boat~~!! It is the thought that counts though. Bev Hunt is quite the character, it is hard to know just what is on her mind. She told us when she invited us to the party that we wouldn't be getting a gift since gifts were for staff only. hmmmm

For lunch today, I fixed a big fresh fruit salad with water mellon (we bought a whole one at Wal-Mart for 7 pesos, which is about 55 cents), pineapple ($1.20 at the grocery) tangerines we picked from our yard, bananas and strawberries bought a the local market. Can't get better than that!

Our patio, guacamole tree on the top right.

Okay, so what do you think of this idea? ... I am going to pick the coffee berries off our coffee tree (bush), peel them, roast them, grind them, and then make a cup of coffee.

Next, we have to plan a trip to see the monarch butterflies in Morelia. Apparently the best time to see them is in December, so we will be going soon, maybe as early as this weekend since Ajijic is going to go festival crazy (there will be lots of noise) this weekend because it is the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. We'll let you know what we get planned... but of course I should finish my painting first.

Our first day in our new temporary home.

Tuesday December 8, 2009
I hear it is -38 in Lethbridge this morning.

San Carlos to Ajijic

Monday December 7, 2009
Trip mileage: 5700 km
Total gas for trip: $235 US
Tolls on Mexican highways: $100 US
Our trip from San Carlos took us through Mazatlan arriving in Ajijic on Friday night. It was two long days of driving on the Cuota (Mexican toll highway), almost a $100 for the tolls, but we arrived safely, tired but glad to be finished driving for now. We spent one night in Mazatlan (all we could take because of the noise and hustlers). Lots of Canadians there with their RV's or staying in the beach hotels. We didn't even get over to the beach, but I don't think we missed anything.
From Mazatlan we drove about 8 hours to Ajijic, most of the area was agricultural, but then just outside of Tepic we started heading up into the mountains to end up at 5000 feet in Ajijic. We tried avoiding traffic in Guadalajara by taking an outside route, but ended up snarled in a traffic jam for over an hour from a bad accident (which doesn't surprise me by the way they were driving!). I was driving, can you believe it? Pretty scary, both for me and Jerry.

Lake Chapala just before an afternoon rain.

Yesterday we toured a few houses that were for rent and then settled on one this morning. Right now we are unpacking and I have a maid cleaning the kitchen and floors for me. I might be crazy, but I am going to be painting the living room! Right now it is a really "Mexican" yellow and I am thinking I will paint it a soft grey to match the marble tile on the floor. That will keep me busy for a couple days.
We have a beautiful garden with three different types of orange trees, two papaya tree and an avocado tree! I'll post some pictures tomorrow.

Tuscon to San Carlos Mexico!

Sunset on the beach at San Carlos, just a few minutes north of Guaymas.
Thursday December 3, 2009
We made it! Thanks to Jerry's awesome driving, he drove the whole day (I think he just didn't trust me to drive on the Mexican roads), we arrived in San Carlos on the west coast at about 4:30. The weather is perfect here, but I think the Mexicans think it is a little on the cold side. When we stopped to get our tourist permit, the clerk behind the desk had one of those radiant heat turbo heaters going right on his legs!
Crossing the border was a non event, they just waved us through, no questions, no stopping (except for going over the topees otherwise know as very big speed bumps). Then about 20 km down the highway we had to stop to get our tourist card and car permit. We knew we were suppose to get them but there was no mention of anything at the border and as luck would have it we did everything right.
We are still thinking of what we will be doing tomorrow, but probably stop somewhere between here and Mazatlan. Which would put us in Ajijic on Sunday.
Adios!

La Quinta CA to Tuscon AZ

Wednesday December 2, 2009
Trip Log: 3725 km

We left La Quinta this morning about 9:00, nice weather again, for the trip to Tuscon. We passed the Salton Sea first thing, a lake made famous by the fact that it is 235 feet below sea level. After leaving the Salton Sea behind, there is not too much exciting on this stretch of road. We decided to take a little longer and swing down towards the US/Mexican border so we could see the new fence/wall that the American government has built. In this area, it is a very tall, probably about 12 to 14 feet, steel post fence, no way to climb over it without a ladder. We saw lots of border patrol vehicles as well. The black line is the metal fence going along the border over the sand dunes.

Closer to Phoenix, we came across lots of these saguaro cactus, they look so stately standing in the desert. Little birds like making their nests inside the saguaro. The colours in the desert are very subdued at this time of year, lots of greys, browns and pale greens.  Every so often, we would come across a different colour of rock, red like the hillside below or black.

Tomorrow, we are off to Mexico, finally! Seems like it has taken us a long time to get this far, but we still have a long way to go to get to Ajijic and Lake Chapala. We may or may not have internet on the way down, so if you don't see any posts, don't worry about us, we'll just have to play catch up when we get to Ajijic.
Adios!

Joshua Tree National Park

Tuesday December 1, 2009
Wow, we are already in December. Seems the time is going by too fast, we want it to slow down. But I guess we will have to wait until we get to Ajijic for that to happen, it really does seem like life is slower there.
We are getting ready to go on a little day trip to Joshua Tree National Park. I will post some pictures later today when we get back home.

Back home now... we had a great day, put over 300 km on the car. Joshua Tree was beautiful. We started at the south end of the park, stopping all along the way at each "Exhibit", or explanation of one thing or another. Above is a picture of Joshua trees and the fascinating rock formations common in the park. The rocks look like someone has just piled them there, but they are actually formed by a molten form of rock called monzogranite. As it cools it cracks, then it works it's way to the surface and groundwater widens the cracks and rounds the edges. Eventually soil is eroded away, exposing these beautiful formations. Really, unbelievable. I thought the Joshua trees were pretty neat, but the rocks were very cool!
On our way home, we drove through Desert Hot Springs and saw another unbelievable sight..... windmills as far as the eye could see! We stopped to get some pictures and got blown back inside the car. We can understand why they have so many, but this is definitely a place that would be hazardous to birds. It was really hard to get a picture to show the scope of this, but if you can just imagine that we are in the middle of them and each direction you look are more windmills, that is all you can see, they just keep going and going and going.
























Tomorrow we leave La Quinta and head towards Tucson. We will spend the night there and then drive across the Mexican border on Thursday morning.
Adios!

Hanging in La Quinta

The lights of La Quinta just after the sun set.


Monday November 30, 2009
We spent the morning taking it easy and fixing up a few things for Mark in his house, then headed out to see what's to see in La Quinta. It was a perfect 25 degrees, with clear blue skies. We walked around "Old Town" La Quinta then drove down the main highway connecting the Palms.
After getting back home, we headed out again, this time on foot, to hike up on the trails above La Quinta Cove for an evening walk. The full moon was just starting to come up over the mountains and the air was still a very comfortable temperature. We hiked for about an hour and then headed back to the house for dinner.
Tomorrow we are going to Joshua Tree National Park.

La Quinta... Casa Santa Rosa

Sunday November 29, 2009
Trip mileage: 2775 km
We continued our trip south from Santa Maria, through Hemet and then on to La Quinta. The drive out of Hemet, along the Pine to Palm highway was beautiful. We passed quite a few cars coming down the mountain with 2+ inches of snow on their roofs. Although we did not run into any snow on the road, there was a bit on the sides between 4000 and 5000 feet high. Heading down the other side of the mountains, we stopped at a roadside vista and took the picture above. It reminded us of the Mazda "zoom zoom" ad on tv. The mountains were covered with very beautiful cacti and drought loving native plants such as the juniper pictured below.

Monterey Bay Aquarium

Saturday November 28, 2009
We got an early start so that we would have lots of time to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and it was well worth the trip. We spent almost three hours looking at all their exhibits, and the special exhibit on right now is The Secret Lives of Seahorses, sooo cool!
After leaving the aquarium, we headed south again along the coast road and ended up spending the night in Santa Maria. Got some great pictures of the California coast along the way. So far, the car ride has been fun. We are stopping often to stretch, go for a walk or take pictures. And the traffic is not as bad as I imagined.
Tomorrow... La Quinta, Mark and Judy's new house.

Another day in Davis

The arboretum at the University of Davis California... the yellow is a Ginkgo tree.


Friday November 27, 2009
Today is Jerry's birthday and we are just going to take it easy, and explore around Davis and Sacramento. First we head over to the university to see where Mickey works and goes to school. He took us for a tour through the arboretum as well, really beautiful! Afterwards we stopped at a roadside fruit and vegetable market and bought a couple big bags of fresh walnuts and almonds. mmmmmm, they are so yummmy!
Then we stopped at a little local winery for a taste, and then on to Sacramento where we toured around Old Sacramento by foot. It is the original part of town, with cobble stone streets, etc, but too touristy for our tastes! Back to Davis, we stopped at Target and as you can see from the above picture, got special treatment in the parking lot because of our hybrid Prius!
We went out for dinner with Mickey and Michelle at a Thai restaurant, very nice!
Tomorrow we head to Monterey Bay Aquarium and then south.

Visiting Mickey and Michelle in Davis

Michelle, Mickey and Liam (one week old).
Thursday Nov 26, 2009
We hit the road this morning a little after 8 on a beautiful sunny day, although it was cold and a little frosty. Mount Shasta looked enchanting covered with snow. Once we had descended into the Sacramento Valley, the temperature started to warm up all the way to 13 degrees. Mickey and Michelle were waiting for us as we arrived about noon, had a cuppa tea and then on the road again to go to Napa for Thanksgiving dinner with Michelle's aunt Jeanette and uncle Dan and family. We had the pleasure of meeting her mom Linda as well.
Thanksgiving was wonderful, of course lots of food and fun and family.
We are now enjoying another cuppa tea with Michelle and Mickey back at their home.
Tomorrow we are planning to visit the university in Davis and then in the afternoon maybe go on a wine tasting (that would be a first for me!).

Goin to weed.... Weed California

Wednesday Nov 25, 2009
Trip: 1241 km
We enjoyed having breakfast this morning with Gabe at Slappy Jacks, a new restaurant that Gabe did some painting for (seen in background on wall). They have a very interesting way of serving pancakes.... you cook them yourself right at your table! The griddle is level with the table top and gets quite hot, they were really yummy!
After breakfast we got a chance to see Gabe's new studio, but it is not quite finished yet. He is hoping to be in soon. Another BEAUTIFUL day for traveling, the sun shone down on us all day, got to a high of 17 degrees! We arrived in Weed California at about 7:00. This town did not get it's name from marijuana as you might suspect, but from a fellow by the name of Abner Weed, who started a sawmill here in 1897. I am sure he would have appreciated the fact that there are a lot of people in northern California who now grow weed for a living!
Tomorrow... off to Davis and then Napa for Thanksgiving with Mickey and Michelle!

Ladysmith BC to Portland OR.... Mexico here we come! Good bye rain!

Tuesday November 24, 2009
It has been a long day! We caught the 6:30 am ferry from Departure Bay, stopped to see Mary Beth and family in North Vancouver (she gave us some really yummy pumpkin bread and little mini oranges) and then on to see Mark to get our welcome package for his house in La Quinta (we managed to wrangle a cuppa coffee to go with our pumpkin bread!). Crossing the border was no hassle (except the confiscated our organic home grown apples!) and from Seattle on the weather was beautiful... sunny and 14 degrees! What a nice treat after all the rain we have had. Arrived in Portland about 4:30, checked into a motel then headed out to find Gabe. Unfortunately I had written down the wrong address and after knocking on a few doors, we decided it might be the best idea to go back to the hotel and see if we could get in touch with him on phone or email. We were only off by a few houses, I guess we would have found him if we had kept knocking! Ha ha! We had a great dinner out with Gabe at The Screen Door (Southern US cuisine).
At one point today, we both realized we have just undertaken to drive a very long distance (about 4800 km one way), and wondered if we are crazy!?? What were we thinking??!! But, the warm sun is beckoning, and the thought didn't stay around more than a few seconds.
Tomorrow morning we get to see some of Gabe's art and a local restaurant while we enjoy breakfast. Then on to California!

We're leaving...... on a jet plane..... well, not really!

Monday November 23, 2009
Tomorrow we start our next journey..... by car {Prius} to Ajijic, Mexico. We will be traveling through Portland, San Francisco, La Quinta, and then crossing the border at Nagoles. We expect to arrive in Ajijic (just south of Guadalajara) on December 7 or 8th. We'll be sure to keep our followers well informed about our trip with commentary and lots of pictures. Above is a parting shot of the marina close to our house at sunrise, this particular picture taken two weeks ago just before our weather turned rainy. But I am never one to complain about the rain! It is beautiful too.

Splendid Mane has been put to bed for the winter. We took the canvas off yesterday and put up a tarp over the boom to cover the dodger just in case it snows. All through hulls are closed up, and we have a little heater to keep temperature just above freezing.
Check back with us often to follow on our adventure south!

Wednesday November 11, 2009
Oil Change
Hrs: 1606

Happy Birthday to my oldest bro!

I know he won't see this today because he is busy leaving to go to California! But I want to wish him a good day anyway! Love you Mark!

Newcastle Island, Nanaimo to Ladysmith

Sandstone rocks on Newcastle Island.

Wednesday Sept 23, 2009

Leave: Nanaimo Harbour 0715

Nanaimo skyline on Tuesday night.

We are catching the slack tide at Dodds Narrows, but decided to take a turn and explore something new by going through False Narrows instead. The tide is high, so it was a piece of cake! Apparently, according to the guide book, it is only for intrepid sailors! Ha!

Arrive: Ladysmith at our dock 1230

Home again! We just have to finish a few projects we started on the house and then we will be off again, but not on the boat just yet. Our next trip will be by car to Lethbridge. Adios for now!

Jedediah Island to Nanaimo Harbour

GG takes control, and does a very good job. Who ever said seniors are not useful? He he.

Tuesday Sept 22, 2009

Leave: Paul Island anchorage 0830

Clear and sunnnnyyyy again! Perfect weather for being out on the water, but no wind.

Our anchor was caught under another boat's chain, so fortunately, because we have a trip line on our anchor, we were able to untangle his chain from our anchor.

Arrive: Nanaimo Harbour fuel dock 1310

Fill up: engine hours 1598 92 L, $96.55

GG is departing Splendid Mane, heading back to the mainland via BC Ferries, and then on to Barcelona! Happy sailing GG!! Have fun.

We are anchored close by Newcastle Island for the night, probably be at our home dock tomorrow afternoon.

Pender Harbour to Jedediah Island

Stern tied on Jedediah Island.

Monday Sept 21, 2009

Leave: Pender Harbour 0900

Beautiful day! Sun is out and the sky is clear. We had a nice night in Pender Harbour, listening to the jazz music coming from a nearby pub (last night of the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival). The harbour was crowded, lots of American boats too.

We motored over to Jedediah, anchoring in a small cove between Jedediah and Paul Island.

Arrive: Jedediah 1420 stern tie ancohorage

We thought it was pretty tight anchorage with two other boats already settled in, but by dinner time, there was a total of eight boats, all stern tied.

Jerry and I went for a walk on Jedediah Island (all park land), and left GG to relax, watch the activity and read. Jedediah is a beautiful marine park, used to be privately owned, but was bought by the BC government in 1994.

One of the "wild" sheep that still live on Jedediah, remnants of the heard that was brought there by the owners of the island.

Kathy, self portrait, using my new underwater camera.

Storm Bay, Sechelt Inlet to Pender Harbour

The waterfall near Harmony Islands.

Sunday Sept 20, 2009

Leave: Storm Bay 0825

Heading north to go through Sechelt Rapids at 0944 slack, no problems, we actually hit it just perfectly and could see the tide change.

We took a side trip up Hotham Sound and around Harmony Islands (water temperature was 18 degrees, not too bad!) and then back towards Sechelt Inlet, and through Agamemnon Channel to Pender Harbour. GG wanted to be in an anchorage where there was lots going on and lots of boats. She got her wish! This is the last day of the Pender Harbour Jazz Festival.

Arrive: Pender Harbour 1700

Lots of time to read while boating!

Porpoise Bay, Sechelt

Kunechin Islets, close by where the Chaudiere was sunk in 1992 as an artificial reef. Another dive site is very close to the Sechelt Rapids (aka Skookumchuk).

Saturday Sept 19, 2009 Porpoise Bay, Sechelt

This is not exactly the most peaceful anchorage we have encountered, but not the noisiest either. Float planes are landing and taking off about every 30 minutes here.... where is everyone going? The sun is out with a few clouds floating by, all in all it looks like it will be a nice day. We are waiting until afternoon to bring a guest passenger on board, as most of you will know GG will be joining us for three days of sailing. Then we will be off to spend the night in Storm Bay, about an hour south of the rapids, a popular anchorage in Sechelt Inlet.

Leave: Porpoise Bay 1600

Heading north up Sechelt Inlet towards Storm Bay. We will anchor overnight and then leave in the morning to catch the 9:44 am slack tide through Skookumchuk.

There she goes again! Always on the computer!

Nelson Island through Sechelt Rapids!

Lions Mane Jelly Fish, Ballet Bay (a small one)

Friday Sept 18, 2009

Leave: Ballet Bay, Nelson Island 1000

We are meandering up Jervis Inlet to meet up with slack tide in Skookumchuk at 1415. The weather is overcast today, but a very pleasant 18 degrees.

We will update later this afternoon, apres' Skookumchuk!

Cloud "waterfall" in Hotham Sound. Harmony Islands are in the foreground.

Arrive: Porpoise Bay, near Sechelt 1700

Excellent passage through Skookumchuk! We went through just before slack without any problem at all. Tonight we will anchor just off the beach in Sechelt. The weather looks like it will be improving for tomorrow.

Lasqueti to Nelson Island

Thursday Sept 17, 2009

Leave: Lasqueti Island 0800

The sky is looking a bit brighter than yesterday, but not that great for sailing, looks like it will be a motoring day. We passed a tug pulling a VERY big barge, loaded with containers and heading for Alaska. On our travels in this area we have seen quite a few of these barges heading north. This picture is just the back of the barge, and when we saw that truck, we both said "I wouldn't want my truck to be up there!" Ha ha!

Arrive: Ballet Bay, Nelson Island 1445

Fresh bread cooking in the oven! Mmmm, smells great!

On the water again!

Wednesday Sept 16, 2009

Lv: Ladysmith 0800

Engine hours: 1562

We got away on time and are heading through Gabriola Passage to Lasqueti Island. Our weather forecast is for a chance of showers this afternoon and about 20 degrees, winds 10 to 15 knots in the straight this morning but then decreasing later this afternoon. Not exactly what we were hoping for, but we'll wait to see when we get there.

Arrive: Rous Bay, Lasqueti Island 1640

Beautiful day for sailing, even with all the rain, we had 10-15 knots of wind at our backs. Took the sails down just before Lasqueti. This is a one boat anchorage! Quiet and very tight.