Salt Spring Island – by bicycle, ferry and bus
Salt Spring Island is the largest and most populated of the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea not far from the coast of Vancouver Island. Three ferries service Salt Spring, with direct access from Vancouver, Swartz Bay (Victoria) and Croften. The island has a colourful population of artists, farmers and other weirdly wonderful personalities. The […]
Still Standing
Did you know? The CBC show Still Standing is coming to Pinawa! Johnny Harris (and his team) travel across Canada, finding the funny in the struggles of small towns to survive and thrive, and it’s Pinawa’s turn. The shows researchers are already busy, conducting video interviews with many of our residents (me included). They will […]
Exploring Mount Washington
We’ve driven into another world, like nowhere I’ve ever been. The snowbanks lining the road are so high it’s like driving through a tunnel. Only the rooftops of the many ski chalets are visible. The mountains that surround us are stunningly beautiful. Within a 20 minute drive from the highway 19 turn-off the temperature dropped […]
Winter in Victoria
Imagine, Manitoba if winter lasted a week (or two, we aren’t done yet), gave you plenty of beautiful fluffy white snow to play in and never dipped below zero degrees celsius during the day. Imagine, Manitoba if they canceled all work, school and shhh… don’t tell anyone but even military protection so everyone could just […]
Victoria Blizzard – Day 3
Day 2 of the Victoria Blizzard of 2019 was all about the wind. I woke up to a giant dancing tree outside my window, wind howling. Temperatures plummeted to -3 C. The news reported widespread power outages on the island, but none here. A friend from Nanaimo told me 70,000 people were without power Saturday […]
The Great Victoria Blizzard of 2019, Day 1
I was unprepared for the great blizzard of 2019, I blame the weather forecasters. There have been weather warnings and emergency planning for days now, turning the storm that never was into little more than a joke. But when I stepped out this morning for our dog walk, there were some sort of icy pellets […]
Jocelyn Hill – Gowlland Todd Provincial Park
We are hiking in Gowlland Tod Provincial Park again, this time to Jocelyn Peak via Caleb Pike. There are several ways to reach Jocelyn Peak. We are hiking the Ridge Trail. Total hiking distance is 4.4 k one way with a very partial loop. My Fitbit registers 9.4 k round trip. Getting There On a […]
Ski Banff
Crisp mountain air, stunning mountain scenery and uncomfortable boots; I am standing on top of the world, about to point my skies straight down and send my 59-year-old bones hurtling down a mountain. “Welcome back, Donna”, I heard Lake Louise say, somewhat sarcastically. It’s been eight years since I’ve last been down hill skiing, and […]
Sulphur Mountain Trail – Banff Alberta
“We can handle a little elevation,” I told the fit, young park interpreter at the Banff Tourist office, even though I really can’t. He had just looked us up and down and suggested we hike the Johnson Canyon. “It’s only 2 k round trip and quite flat,” he said to sell it. I was mildly […]
Botanical Beach
We spent yesterday on Botanical Beach, exploring tidal pools teeming with marine life, and hiking through the rain forest in Botanical Beach Provincial Park. We picnicked on the beach, staying late enough to catch the start of the sunset. Getting There “It can’t be a two-hour drive, it’s only a hundred kilometres,” I argued. “It’s […]
Salt Spring Island – by bicycle, ferry and bus
Salt Spring Island is the largest and most populated of the Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea not far from the coast of Vancouver Island. Three ferries service Salt Spring, with direct access from Vancouver, Swartz Bay (Victoria) and Croften. The island has a colourful population of artists, farmers and other weirdly wonderful personalities. The […]