Architectural Pictures-mainly for David

These little cabins are all different-some with hot tubs on the deck, some inside.
The Sea Star
They are all joined by ramps, stairs and walkways, some with decks in betweeen
The upstairs hot tub is joined to the bedroom by a bridge and open to the living room below.
Our 3 level cabin-we didn't uses the lower bedroom with its own deck.

The main floor also with a deck and BBQ, kitchen, bathroom, living room etc. This is looking down from the hot tub

The Wild Pacific Trail

The trail runs southwest of Ucluelet, and is every bit as beautiful as anything we have seen in Oregon or California. This lighthouse was originally built in 1906 a wooden building on stilts. What a beating it must have taken.

Christmas on the Edge

A view from our deck

Terrace Beach cottages are timberframe design, right on the beach in a sheltered cove, and you feel like you are in a treehouse. We loved it and will definitely go back. Lots of people there and at the other resorts as well so Christmas in Ucluelet is something many people do.
an eagle along the Wild Pacific Trail, sitting near his nest. This was Christmas Day and it was really blowing-I'm glad I wasn't up there.
Lunch at Wickininnish Inn - very posh

(Christmas dinner was $80.00 without wine-that's why we went for lunch)

Chesterman's Beach near Tofino. Lots of surfers.

The coast-what a beautiful day it was on Wednesday. That's Amphritite lighthouse near the end of the peninsula.

Our Christmas letter

(Please click on the letter to make it legible)

Fond memories from 2006

sharing birthdays with Helen & Harley

Bailey in a life jacket

meeting Bensons at Breakwater Bookstore for coffee on rainy days

watching Jamie & Carly sort 350 sand dollars

winning a dragon boat race in Victoria harbour

seeing David hug Kenzie

having salmon burgers on our sailboat

Remembrance Day assemblies with Jamie and Michellie

daily trips to the beach to collect "blue bits"

listening to Devon (age 3) 'read'- "Billy Goats Gruff"

receiving artwork in the mail from Michellie

watching Lesley & Derek run a marathon in Victoria

having the kids suggest charitable donations instead of Christmas gifts this year

watching all the grandchildren become people

reading Michelle's first book

watching Derek & Lesley reason with a 3 year old

seeing both kids struggle with parenting just as we did

seeing how much Ken loves his boat

having roses bloom and bloom and bloom...

seeing a city bus decked out with

Christmas lights

antlers

and the biggest red nose you ever saw.

Carols By Candlelight

The music Academy has over 600 students in music & dance.

This annual concert has been happening for 29 years with 8 choirs. Ranging from the Apprentice Choir of about 5-6 year olds, to the Academy Chamber Choir. Last night they had organist Ellen Wang who also plays with the Vancouver Symphony and a " I Tromoni" a group of 5 trombones also from Vancouver.

Usually sold out about September.

Here we are again at Dwight Hall, with Lena, Cliff, Walter (who carves the trees on Jasper St), Lena's daughter and son-in-law and other friends.We are on the stage-best place.

The people who have been attending for years are easy to spot-they have tables covered with food-Ken's too busy eating to look up.

One of the choirs during the finale-the others are lining the walls, all with candles-

battery-operated, thankfully.

Museum Volunteer's Christmas potluck

In addition to a great variety of food, we all had to bring an item bought for $1.00 or less from the local Hospital Auxiliary Thrift shop.

And it had to be the most "un-Martha Stewart delight " we could find.

The gifts were passed from right to left, left to right, and across the table at a furious pace, based on the instructions in a story which Teedie read to us.

What a hoot!

The spirit of Christmas is alive and well in the museum.

Santa Claus Parade Day

It was kind of chilly this morning-this is how Bailey showed up in the kitchen for breakfast.

It's hard to jump off the bed, stretch, shake and walk to the kitchen without dislodging your blanket......

Santa Claus Parade on Marine Ave.

We spent the morning decorating Santa's float at the fire hall.

Ken collecting "Coins For Kids" to buy coats for kids. The wheelbarrow was used to dump the money.
Santa at the end of the parade where he lights the big Christmas tree. Lots of people.

Dwight Hall Mill Christmas party

Dwight Hall was built about 1924 in the townsite . It's a beautiful old concert hall and every Christmas season,there is a children's party in the afternoon, followed by a very posh dinner & dance for mill workers in the evening.

Imagine the chaos of setting up for 300 kids, with about 10 craft stations + Santa, dismantling and immediately turning the same hall into a thing of beauty for the adults.

Our dragon boat ladies are responsible every year for the setup-which takes several days, and we have a great time even though few of us get to attend the actual event.

a portion of the 1000 helium balloons which cover the ceiling in the lobby.
The tree in the lobby which fell on us several times, before we got it roped in place. The one in the dining all is about 15 feet tall-this one is only about 10 feet. It was taller before the chainsaw came out.....
The dining hall.

Every year, someone produces transparent computer images and 'makes' those stained glass windows.

Hangin' out

Just hangin' out watching TV on a cold, snowy night.

Man, I lucked out when I came to live with these guys......

Nov 26

These pictures, taken 5 minutes ago, should warm the hearts of all you relatives & friends who think we only bask in flowers, sunshine and green grass. Of course we are at

"higher elevations "

and it may be okay by the water. (we just checked-it isn't)

Bailey wasn't impressed. She walked about 3 steps from the house before lifting her leg, turning around and scooting back inside.

Festival of Trees-Cristmas is coming......

Ken and I were involved this week in decorating trees for our various 'causes' as you will see below. We had nothing to do with this tree but I love it anyway-covered with old photos of the Historic Townsite, quilted skirt etc. Lovely.

The trees are sold by silent auction bids and are on display for a week. Money to a local community association which deals with handicapped adults.
Our Paddling For Life Dragon Boat Team tree. The colour theme comes from breast cancer, so hope someone will love it. The theme is "Love, laughter, active life"
Ken's Lion's Club tree. Purple and gold looks very festive actually. Complete with white teddy bears, and boxes of chocolates.
I got inspired to decorate our own tree today. A bit early but I was inspired by last night's festivities.

I found an absolutely perfect sailboat just like ours to put on top, and nothing on the tree except lights, white seashells and starfish.

Phoenix etc

about 100,000 people.
Grampy and little Kenzie.
Ken in the pits.

The guys had a great time at the Nascar races in Phoenix, and David took some good pictures.

I didn't manage to get any of my stay in Cochrane and Calgary, but I had a good time as well.. It looks like Phoenix was warmer than Calgary.

Here on the coast we are in the midst of winter storms-which means high winds, power outages, trees down and cancelled ferries. The majority of the damage is not here but in the Vancouver area.

Michellie

A recent article in a Cochrane newspaper praised 'The Dynamic Duo" volunteers at the local folk music club.
Michellie and Tait unload supplies, put up signage, put out table toppers, light candles, bus tables, sort bottles and are our primo popcorn poppers.
Michellie's passion is art. Her Mom says she is always drawing and creating. On family trips back to their beloved Cape Breton she enjoys playing the tin whistle. She also studies dance and is learning to play the flute. Michellie has fun volunteering and loves the fact that she gets to spend time with her best buddy, Tait.

Haiku

Fall days

Walks in fog and rain

(sigh)vizi-vest
-Bailey

Eat your hearts out, you poets from Puslinch and Dorian

Vancouver trip-in no particular order

We had a 2-day trip to Vancouver for a baseline MRI for the new doctor.

Had a great trip.

We had to go over to Coal Harbour and look at sailboats of course, and Jimmy Pattison's boat was there - for you Easterners, he owns most of BC, including Save-On Foods, Overwaitea, car dealerships, something about part of the Bank of Nova Scotia etc etc. We stayed at the Sylvia Hotel on English Bay-a heritage building-and a great location. Built I think in 1912, it is surrounded by huge high rises, but is a glory to behold.(http://sylviahotel.com/)

I had to show you the size of the vine branches which cover the hotel-amazing.
The wind got up, the sailboats went home and all that was left were the tankers anchored in the inlet. Click on this one to enlarge and see the lights on the ships
A beautiful Sunday, and many people using the walkways. The bay was full of boats including what looked like a Viking ship, high at both ends with a square red & white striped sail.

Go figure.

What a place to live!!!!

Salmon Cycle

Certainly not a very good picture, but these days, every stream running into the ocean is full of heroic salmon making their way upstream to spawn and fertilize. At Lang Bay Hatchery south of town the creek is divided so some of them go into the building so eggs can be collected then they are sent on their way-

Since many of them are near dead, the gulls, eagles and probably bears are hovering around this food source. Most of the fish we saw today were about 10 lb spring or coho, although news in the paper reported that 2000 fish went upstream there on Wednesday and one was a 50 lb Tyee(chinook).

I haven't gotten fish-wise. Harley was with us explaining fish lore.....

a blustery Sunday

and while checking that our boat was secure, we got to see the

HMCS Vancouver, anchored here before heading north to Campbell River.

The Navy site tells us:

HMCS VANCOUVER is the second of twelve HALIFAX Class Frigates built under the Canadian Patrol Frigate Program. One of the most advanced warships in the world, it was designed primarily as a general purpose frigate, carrying extensive anti-submarine, anti-surface and anti-air defenses systems. In peacetime, HMCS VANCOUVER is capable of employing state-of-the-art technology to carry out a variety of important missions, assigned according to its state of readiness, High or Normal, by Commander Canadian Fleet Pacific. Such missions may include lengthy deployments, Task Group Exercises, Search and Rescue, or Fisheries and Sovereignty patrols. Notwithstanding, no matter what the mission, VANCOUVER is always preparing its teams for the simplest to most complex of scenarios.

So there you go.

If you look closely you will see the crew reboarding from a tender alongside the ship.

It's not a very nice day for them to see Powell River......

Thanksgiving weekend-Victoria Marathon

Our weekend started in Qualicum Beach where June & Mike (June from nursing school) were on vacation. Their son and family live in Coquitlam so they are out here often.

Daughter-in-law, Sue was also running in the marathon.

Derek & Lesley at 7:30 AM just heading out to run 42 km!!! In a Victoria drizzle. 9,000 + runners, if you can imagine the chaos.

Our cheering section at the 40 km mark. They both felt they would need encouragement by then. Those kids yelled their hearts out for everyone. We saw them both pass by, then bundled the gang into the van and headed for the finish line-with about 10,000 others
Lesley at the finish line-we missed Derek. His time was 3:42 and hers was 4 hours even.Amazing.
The next day at Beacon Hill park. I love this picture of Carly-totally carefree, happy-go-lucky. Dad is telling her to sit still which is an impossibility for her. Devon is looking like a little angel (not)- and Jamie seems to be nearly a teenager.
Bailey was glad to get home!!