Time Out!

Taking a break, not because I want to, but I'm waiting for surgery and just can't keep a normal
 lifestyle till things get back on track. I'll be back, but it will be quite some time.

Buoys Will Be Buoys

These prawn trap markers were an eye-catching touch of vivid colour at

the South Harbour yesterday.

A Perfect Day

Yesterday couldn't have been better. A cloudless blue sky, 21°C, no breeze and a great view

of the mountains on Vancouver Island. Toss in a ferry. Perfect.

Rhododendron

The first Rhodo photos of the spring, but with warmer weather coming there will soon be a profusion.

Still my favourite bloom.

Saturday Sailing

The local yacht club kicked off their spring racing season yesterday, with a keelboat

race happening most Saturdays into June. They had a nice breeze for sailing, but

it was still none to warm out on the water.

CAT

The operator of this CAT left his machine at the beach when he finished his shift.

(I certainly don't remember these types of toys when I was young, though it is some time ago

since I was young.) 

More Spring Floral

Crocuses. They've been out here for weeks, but I finally found a clump that was photogenic.

Spring Is Springing

Finally! It's been a long winter.

A New Addition ...

... to our waterfront. This was done by Nanaimo carver Dan Richie for the 2016

Logger Sports, so the city's had our Blackbeard tucked away somewhere

for some time.

Baldie

Always nice to run into one of the locals when you're out and about.

Goldeneyes

A pair of male Barrow's Goldeneye ducks on the local waterfront. With not getting out much recently I haven't

taken my usual many winter duck photos, and these are the first of the year.

Winter Sport

Yesterday morning, while cool, was still a very nice day for some fly fishing on Cranberry Lake.

Though unfortunately it didn't appear that the trout were rising to the fly.

Proudly Made In Canada

A de Havilland Twin Otter, the 400 Series built by Viking Air at their facility near the Victoria Airport.

This is #100, built in 2016 - they have long passed that with around 125 of these planes now built.

They flew into the local airport yesterday, did 4 "touch and go" loops, landing for a brief 15 minutes before

taking a very scenic indirect route to Campbell River.

(A note: this is my first post in quite some time, as I've been dealing with some health issues, tendonitis

in the thumb being one, which means very, very little computer time. Unfortunately not done yet, so don't

expect a continuation in the short term. Apologies to those who have tried to contact me, with no reply.)

That Great Smell Again

The smell of gingerbread is wafting through the lobby of the Town Center Hotel as they once again host the

Gingerbread Village. Drop in to the hotel, make a donation and vote for the best creation. All proceeds go to

the local Fire Fighter's Burn Fund. And enjoy that great smell while you're there!

Everyone Loves A Parade

Sunday afternoon saw the annual Santa Claus Parade on Marine Ave. From choristers ...

... to the Assumption School float.

From the young ones on the Evangel Kids float ...

... to the perpetual kid, Nicholas Simons, our local MLA, on his bike.

We saw the lads representing Minor Hockey ...

... right down to I-don't-what-but-it's-Christmasy.

And of course, The Man himself, in the back of the firetruck.

The West Rascal

Flipping through my many tugboat photos for a project I'm considering I came across this shot of the West Rascal,

dating back to late 2011. For any Powell Riverite who watches the water she will be a familiar sight, as for a

good number of years she was a fixture on our waterfront, one of the 2 tugs run by Westview Navigation. As

tugs go, she's small, and with no winch it's a bollard pull only. She was already 30 years old when she arrived in

Powell River, and today she's pushing 50. She was sold to the Ledcor company in the spring of 2012; they moved

her to Victoria, with a new name, Storm Rider, and for those who like to keep track, re-named her again last

year as the Lionel D Ledcor. I watched her many times to-ing and fro-ing in front of Powell River,

she was a pretty sight on our waters.

Ever Green

The trestle at Inland Lake, 2 weeks ago, part of the 13k trail around the lake.

Heigh Ho! Heigh Ho!

I don't want to sound overly excited, but when THE mall in our little town puts up new

Christmas displays - rather than the ones they've used for eons of years - it's NEWS!

Those Dark December Days

Those dark days when even the view at the Viewpoint is moody and missing something. You can make your mood

even darker by checking all the names you know on the Memorial Wall.

Life On The Edge

The edge of a Seaspan chip barge that is. Harbours provide a safe haven for more than just boats, and Sea Lions have been

making the Catalyst mill harbour a haven for many years. The mill crews have never been impressed - these beasts

are loud, smelly and very dirty.