False Bay

OK, so we go to this place called False Bay on Lasqueti Island. Nary, a boat is anchored in the bay. But we can see in the distance the village that held visions of fresh vegetables, fresh baked bread ... and a pub! The cruising guides that I had on board described this small village as having a mellow charm all of its own. Well, as soon as we entered the pub, we smelled that charm ... a familiar fragrance from the 60's & 70's. The public wharf was busy with the locals and visitors that traveled the passenger ferry service from Vancouver Island to Lasqueti Island. We loved the island! It certainly had it's own appeal. Above pics ... looking out over False Bay, reading the notices at the the local Post Office, selecting veggies from the roadside stand (honor system for paying), a working vessel at the public wharf, colorful artwork, and a view through the trees.

My prized Eagle shot

This shot amazed me when I viewed it. Not only is it pretty sharp, I even got a sailboat in the background of this one. I was so focused on the eagle that I had no idea that there was a sailboat in the horizon. One could think that this is a Photshop pic but I am proud to say it is not!

The Eagle shots

So here are few of my eagle shots. I shot so many but was only able to grab a couple of pics in focus. Most of these have camera shake. I didn't have my tripod so holding the lens steady was impossible with the zoom that I was working with. Tasha got away from us and chased the eagle to the tree he landed in. Fortunately the eagle was more interested in getting fish instead of dogs. She is such the ratter, always looking for something to go after! You can click on a photo for easier viewing!

One of our favorite places, Musket Island

We spent some time on Musket Island Marine Park at Hardy Island. This is where we wiled the afternoon away watching an eagle fishing. Is was beautiful here! FYI, you can click on photo to enlarge it for a easier viewing.

More Princess Louisa Views

A view of Chatterbox Falls from our boat. Looking back towards Malibu Rapids, Mt. Alfred is in the background.

The Legend of Princess Louisa Inlet

Without the passion and determination of James F. "Mac" Macdonald, who took possession of the 292 acre property at the head of Princess Louisa Inlet from the BC government in 1927, a very different sight might be seen today. "Mac" turned down generous re-sale opportunities and offers from hotel chains to purchase "The Princess." His only dream was to preserve the natural beauty for himself and future generations. He believed that "this beautiful peaceful haven should never belong to one individual." In 1964, his dream came true when his treasured home was deemed a Class A marine park. The non-profit Princess Louisa International Society passed the administration of the property to the government of British Columbia and renamed the area Princess Louisa Provincial Marine Park.

The Crown Jewel of the BC Parks ...Chatterbox Falls

There is nothing like this anywhere on the Canadian coast. It tumbles and roars 1,600 feet down over granite boulders. It then bounces and rushes through a rock-jammed ledge before emptying into Princess Louisa Inlet ... a sandy beach has built up over the centuries. The only way to get here is by boat or float plane.

Anchorage at Princess Louisa

We anchored about 1 mile from the Chatterbox Falls. Here we have found our own private waterfalls with a small beach. Because the water is so deep, we had to anchor very close to shore and then stern tie to a tree on land. The heat of the day and the sounds of the waterfalls rang true to all the stories that we had heard. This place is it's own micro-climate. Very tropical feeling.

Princess Louisa

Majestic Princess Louisa Inlet was dug out by gigantic glaciers and is guarded by mountains 6,500 feet high. The waters are very deep and beautifully calm and serene. It was named last century after Queen Victoria's mother, Victoria Maria Louisa, though the First Nations people called it Suivoolot, Chinook for "sunny & warm." Lined with trees and slender waterfalls sprouting from its sheer granite walls, the inlet is an idyllic and well-concealed stretch of water that seems to weave its own special magic on all who enter here.

Malibu Rapids, Thursday, July 5

We have arrived at Malibu Rapids. We are excited as we have heard so many stories of how beautiful this place is! This is the entrance into Princess Louisa. The rapids are to be respected. It is narrow and not traveled (at least by sailboats) when the current is running 9 knots. We transit the rapids about 1 hour before slack tide. No problem! But it is a one boat at a time wide. I took off in the dinghy to get a picture of Stargazer coming into Princess Louisa.

Jervis Inlet

We had a great time sailing the 30 miles of Jervis Inlet that leads to Princess Louisa. Here is a photo taken by David Letson, a boater passing by. That's our friends on Imagine in front of us. David radioed us to meet him at the dock in Princess Louisa to give him our email address. Thanks, David!

Tugboat

We continued to travel north towards Princess Louisa. The snowcapped mountains were beautiful. Here we passed by a working log camp.

More of Gabriola Island

The sandstone that forms the underpinnings of the Gabriola island are tinted in fascinating hues with the stains of leached minerals. Tides and waves have sculpted them in intriguing pockets and caves. Here Paula and Lily are seen walking during the low tide in Pilot Bay. Tasha & Lily take a photo moment for me on the same beach. An example of the many cliffs that abound in the Gulf Islands.

Gabriola Island, Northern Gulf Islands

We anchored in Pilot Bay on Gabriola Island. From there we biked and hiked the area. We could see a working lighthouse on Entrance Island off the Orlebar Point. There are many sandstone carvings along the shoreline.

Tasha & Lily

Much of our entertainment on board was watching Tasha and Lily interact with each other. This was Tasha's boat and she quickly explained to Lily who was first mate. Lily's first boat vacation was quite the adventure for her. It took her a few days to develop her sea legs and then Tasha had nothing on her. As little as she was ... she even learned to climb in and out of the main cabin (much to my disapproval ... even though it WAS cute!) Tasha was NEVER allow to even think she could climb out of the cabin. I was not interested in Tasha learning this feat now. So Lily and I had a talk, but she still insisted in climbing out. Fortunately Tasha never attempted to climb out. They became quite the hiking buddies, exploring every rock and tree they found.

Vacation, Day 1 ... Friday, June 28

We left Semiahmoo Marina with the destination goal of visiting the Princess Louisa Inlet in the Sunshine Coast area. 15 days of fun with our friends from Carlsbad, CA ... Jim, Paula & Lily, a Maltese and our friends, Tina, Tad & Lindsay, who buddy boated with us on their vessel, Imagine.

Killdeer

We have lots of baby Killdeer all around now. I never saw them last spring/summer. I tried to get picture of one but they run fast. They are not able to fly just yet. I love to watch the adult Killdeer really get into their broken wing act. Yesterday, one even ran very close to me and Tasha because we were not following it ... instead we were following the baby Killdeer. It was so funny. Yesterday I saw 2, today I saw a total of 8 ... 4 with one set of parents and 4 with another set of parents. Copy & paste the link to see what the babies look like if the link doesn't take you to the website.

http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/killdeer.html

And then along came May ...

So now that I have April updated ... I will share some of my May pictures that I have been taking. May was a very nice month, definitely showing us what spring is all about.

Sunset in Blaine. One evening found me in the heart of Blaine. This photo is overlooking the Blaine Marina toward Canada.

So, what do we have here? Upon returning from Sucia Island after the Memorial weekend, we saw that we had a visitor. A California sea lion. He/She is BIG compared to the harbor seals that we have. This sea lion (the only one here) apparently has moved on to wherever as we have not seen him/her for a week now. Another clue ... all the harbor seals have some back to the area. Sea lions eat harbor seals.

One morning I happened to capture this American Goldfinch while walking Tasha.

Click on Tad & Tina link for a few pics of the seal pup that arrived this past week. Tina did a great job getting the pictures!

What happened ... to the time? April Update in June

Wow, I can't believe it's been since March that I visited my site to update. It's been a busy 2 months. April had me traveling to Phoenix for a CLSA (contact lens conference) and yes, I did take a side excursion on a Jeep tour to the Senora desert. But I also managed to get in 13 educational hours! Whew! I had hoped for warm weather but no-o-o it chose to be cool. I still had a good time and learned a great deal!

I also flew (in April) to Greensboro, GA for 10 days to give my father in-law, Austin, respite from caretaking for Barla. Most of you know that she has Alzheimers and she is still living at home with the love of her life, Austin. What a blessing to witness such love and devotion that Austin gives to Barla. And the love she shows him ... she loves her hugs and kisses from him! They recently celebrated 53 years of marriage!

While back in GA, I took a day to drive to Columbia and surprise my sister, Miriam, for her 50th BD. She was surprised! I wished I had thought of taking a picture of her answering the door. It is a sight I will never forget! I am so glad to have celebrated this milestone with her.