Well, here we are again...another few weeks have flown by! The weather has warmed up with more fairly sunny days and less rain signalling that it is time to pull out the outdoor mat and chairs for sitting outside.
On Saturday (April 4) we met Earl and Allison for breakfast and also had them over for turkey dinner...it was the Easter long weekend, after all. Of course we played marbles (aka aggravation) with Earl winning 2 games and Allison one...nada for Steve and I. No pictures taken tonight.
Sunday (April 5) was another gorgeous warm day. We went out to check on our little trailer and re-connect the lithium batteries. We went back out to check on them a couple of times over the next few days and they were charging properly so Steve was happy that the solar was working and all was good. We'll take the trailer back to the campground in a few weeks to de-winterize it and get it ready for camping this spring and summer.
Our boat motor needs to be serviced and one day as Steve was out washing it, Craig, a neighbour from down the road stopped by and said that he services motors and would be happy to do it. So Thursday (April 9) Steve dropped it off at his site. It hasn't been run since we were evacuated from Tunkwa Lake due to wildfires in 2021.
Steve here: Craig had me pickup new spark plugs and a fuel line primer bulb. He stripped down the carb and cleaned it but when he got it all back together and ran the motor it wasn't pumping water. I gave him a hand disassembling the leg to check out the impeller and shaft. Everything looked fine so after reassembling the leg he removed a bolt from a side port on the engine and primed it with water.
That seemed to do the trick and all was good after that.
Friday morning (April 10) Steve went to work on making a set-up for the back of the truck to transport the boat loader. He had purchased a couple of 2X4's and borrowed Earl's skill saw to make his masterpiece. We will be taking it over to the mainland to have Glen from Load-it Industries, who made it for our previous truck Buster install it on our new pickup truck.
After lunch we made a run out to drop off some old marine gas at the Cumberland dump...and since we were in the area (and it was Friday) stopped at the Cumberland Brewery for a brew...
Saturday morning (April 11) we decided to check out the trails at Brooklyn Creek Park in Comox. We have driven by it many times, each time saying we must check them out...so today was the day!
Accessible from Comox Avenue, this park features a salmon-spawning creek and trails through a mature forest. Brooklyn Creek Park is considered a community gem, well-known for its watershed and the protection of sensitive habitat. Visitors will enjoy birdwatching, an abundance of native plants, and other small animals that may include otters and beavers.
There is no parking lot, just street parking with trails on either side of the road...today we checked out the southside that goes towards the ocean inlet.
The fish ladder leads to a culvert under the road and continues on next to the trail...
Sunday morning (April 12) we walked the Brooklyn Creek Park trail on the other side of Comox Avenue...
After our walk, we continued onto Goose Spit...
There was a dead California Sea Lion there...ugh...
The next few days were back to routine stuff...morning walks, chores, etc. We also had some rain...not downpours but a couple of days filled with on and off drizzle. The overnight temps had also gone down to near freezing but at least it warmed up quickly with the earlier daylight.
Tucked into the forest near Cumberland, the Potholes are a dramatic stretch of Perseverance Creek where rushing water has carved smooth, swirling rock formations. Best admired in the rainy season, these natural sculptures come alive when the creek is full and flowing.
The path is on the right...
Access to the potholes is rather challenging with steep drops offs down to the creek...
Cumberland is an old coal mining town with lots of history. Was the miner and labour activist Ginger Goodwin shot in self defense or murdered in 1918?
All strapped in with our ATV tiedown straps. Steve added some pink ribbons to the side rail ends after this photo was taken so that nobody would walked into them...we are ready.
We're off to catch the ferry over to the mainland tomorrow morning and staying with Chris, Angela and Isaac...looking forward to spending time with them!
Friday morning (April 17) we headed out on another new adventure. Steve had heard about the Cumberland Potholes, also know as China Bowls, and was waiting for the weather to improve. It ended up not being as sunny as originally forecast but at least we didn't have any rain on our hike.
The trailhead is on the other side of Cumberland on the road to Comox Lake. We parked the car, along with plenty of others, on the side of the road and headed off. The "trail" up to the potholes is actually a gravel logging road that is a continual climb up in elevation for 2 kms/1.25 miles. 😫😫
We crossed this bridge over Perseverance Creek not realizing that there was a trail on the right that goes down to the potholes. We continued for a short distance before realizing we had missed the turnoff...and then confirmed their location from a couple of mountain bike riders.
The area is full of mountain bike trails and is a real mecca for riders!
A 1:00 video Steve took with his phone...
He also brought his drone and really wanted to take it out to get a video. Not many good spots to launch it but he decided on a small clearing. Over to Steve...
I had not flown my drone for months so was rather apprehensive about attempting it in such a narrow overgrown area where you can clearly see that I almost collided with a few branches on the video. I wanted to get as far as the lower pool but chickened out and turned around. My only view is on my phone and all of a sudden on my tiny screen I see a dog jump down off the trail to the creek followed by a young lady. I quickly stopped the drone into a hover and looked up through some branches towards the invaders and see that my drone was right behind her head. We started yelling DRONE to get her attention. With the sound of the rushing water neither her or her dog heard my drone so when she finally turned around she jumped back and screamed. That was close...I almost gave her a haircut!!!!
5:12 video from drone...
With the video taken and the drone back safely, it was time to head back to the car...2 kms downhill this time. Downhill sounds great but as many of you know, often downhill is harder than uphill LOL!
By the time we got back to the car, it was actually quite cool with dark clouds closing in. We drove to Comox Lake for a picnic lunch at the shelter...thank goodness as it provided some protection from the breeze and the drizzle that had started.
Oh gee, we're in Cumberland...and it's Friday! So we had to stop at the Brewery again. We sat inside this time! Steve had their English Bitters...Light refreshing English Ale. Evenly hopped, easy drinking. Straw in colour with notes of caramel and just a hint of hops in the finish. Available with Nitro!
And I had their Black and Tan, 50/50 Oatmeal Stout and English Bitter...What more needs be said? Ok, it has a beautiful dark head of caramel color, with an aroma of roasted malt. Lighter in body than one might think. (A big fella, but he is light on his feet.) Malt forward with notes of coffee and chocolate. And don’t forget the Black and Tan, a 50/50 of Stout and Bitter. Try it, you will like it…. Also available with Nitro! We both had it Nitro...yum!
We were back to sunshine Saturday (April 18) and Sunday (April 19) was really warm getting up into the 20'sC/70'sF. Steve washed the truck in preparation for our trip and loading the boat loader onto it tomorrow.
Monday morning (April 20) we removed the tonneau cover then placed the 2X4's. I didn't have the upper body strength to lift the boat loader on top of the 2X4's so Steve walked down the road and got Craig's assistance.
