This was not really a very exciting week...well, not for me at least, but a good one for Steve (at least four days of it)! We didn't do much Wednesday and Thursday...out for walks, basically the usual.
Rob and Steve have been watching the weather for the coming few days and have decided the planned hunting trip is a go. Rob is taking Conner and Bryce out for 4 days/3 nights to the same area where they hunted last month. They will leave early Saturday morning and meet up with Steve's buddy Jim in Lake Cowichan.
So Friday morning I went into Sidney to pick up some groceries Steve needed for the few days. Steve basically packed and got his stuff ready to take over to Rob's house later on this afternoon.
We arrived at the house just before 5:00 and transferred all of Steve's gear into the cargo trailer. Steve helped Rob hitch up the trailer and do some odds and ends and then we all enjoyed pizza I had ordered for dinner. I was getting a little concerned when it was a half hour late being delivered...but it finally arrived.
We basically "ate and ran" so that Rob could finish getting all his gear and food needed for the next 4 days packed.
Saturday (Nov. 7) morning we were up at 5:30. After a quick cup of coffee, Steve showered and then finished his packing. He was ready when Rob and the boys pulled up at 7:45. There were a couple of excited little boys ready and rarin' to go! The forecast for today and tomorrow is pretty nice but cold. The forecast of possibly snow Monday has me a little worried...hopefully they won't get too much!
I was looking forward to some "me" time so basically spent the next 4 days shopping (got a good start on my Christmas shopping done!), cleaning, doing laundry...and of course, getting out for my walks.
There was even a beautiful sunrise one morning....
I'll now pass this over to Steve to tell you about his hunting trip....no deer were harvested. ):
Well lets just say taking a 5 and an almost 8 year old on a hunting trip is more of a camping trip. Conner had been before but this was Bryce's first time. Due to the short attention span of an adolescent our morning hunts were shorter than normal, and I volunteered to stay behind during the evening hunts to be entertained by the boys and let their dad have some alone time. We had slingshot and bb gun shooting competitions, and a game of eye spy.
Dad giving shooting lessons. Conner aiming for the beer cans in the bush...Then it was Bryce's turn. The gun was a little too heavy and the stock a little long but with dads help he eventually caught on...Normally the weather here would be lots of rain but we lucked into cold and clear...down to -4C/25F!The boys really enjoyed chopping kindling...Jim, Rob and the boys...Me and my boys...Bryce trying to hit the beer can with his slingshot...Bryce getting a ride with Jim...Then Conner...There better not be a rock in that slingshot Bryce!Out on our final morning hunt. Conner was always with me. This stump is much larger than it appears...No deer over here Grampa...Bryce found some ice...Okay the hunts over...It's time to slide on the ice...We then drove up the mountain across the valley from our camp which can be seen in the distance...Our old site was occupied as were the sites at McClure Lake. We've seen little to no sign of deer tracks or droppings anywhere. Last month we had 14 deer sightings! There is lots of logging activity, wood cutters and hunters...just too busy around here. It's also getting late in the hunting season so the deer are probably a little smarter and the ones that weren't during the rut have probably already been harvested:)The lake is just out of view to the right of our camp...McClure Lake...View to the left of our camp...On the final evening hunt Rob got a great surprise. This 6 point, in Canadian, (12 point US :) bull elk was feeding below him about 20 yards away and had no idea Rob was there. This is the same area I saw elk sign on our hunt last month. With it being the rutting season we found it strange that this bull wasn't with any cows...unless he just needed some alone time:) After hunting this area for some 30 plus years this is our first elk sighting which is a great sign. Unfortunately there has been a lot of poaching of these magnificent beasts...We had some rain and sleet last night and awoke to snow just above us...With the cloud cover it had warmed up to -2C/28FAfter some breakfast snacking, the boys kept themselves busy colouring while the rest of us started packing up...On our way out we ran into some snow but the roads were mostly just muddy...Which was a good thing as this is a very long steep hill...
This was the only deer seen on our trip. It was either a doe or small spike that didn't know which way to go...
We had lots of unloaded logging trucks heading in from where we came, and just one loaded one that we allowed to pass...
Another great trip even though we got skunked. The boys had a blast and we really lucked out with the weather. This was our last trip for this season and are thinking about trying a different area next year.
Back to Dianne...
I was waiting for them when they pulled in about 12:30 Tuesday (Nov. 10). I got a quick "low-down" from the boys...wow, sounds like they had a good time! After gathering all of Steve's stuff out of the trailer, we said goodbye...I think the boys were looking forward to seeing their mom!
Wednesday (Nov. 11)...Remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice. Hard to believe it has been 4 years since we toured all the landing beaches in Normandy and attended the Remembrance Day ceremonies at Juno Beach.
From the Legislative grounds in Victoria, BC...a pre COVID-19 Remembrance Day ceremony.
Saturday (Oct. 24) was a cold, blustery day...as a matter of fact, the wind woke us both up numerous times throughout the night. As predicted, the cold front from the north is here! At least the sky is clear and the sun is shining!
Rob picked Steve up shortly after 9:00 and they were off to the butcher in Honeymoon Bay, Lake Cowichan to pick up the venison. I did the dishes, showered and then headed off to do some shopping.
I was home just after 1:00 and about an hour later Rob and Steve arrived. They had divided the deer meat between the three hunters...Rob, Steve and Jim. Luckily it wasn't an awful lot, however more than we expected, but I was able to get our portion into the freezer....a nice variety of pepperoni, breakfast sausage, chops and steaks. We tried the pepperoni at happy hour...very tasty!
We suffered through another very windy night and were up early Sunday (Oct. 25) morning. It was another cold start to the day...2C/36F. However the sky was clear and the sun was shining!
We basically had an inside day, staying warm. It has been four years since our trip to Africa, Amsterdam and France, so we both reminisced by re-reading our blog posts (if you'd like to reminisce with us, here is the link to the first blog, 'Travel to Arusha, Tanzania'). Boy, what a fabulous time we had! We'd go again in a heartbeat....gotta win the lottery first, though, LOL!
We managed to get out for a quick walk around the campground later in the afternoon. The wind had finally calmed down somewhat but it was cold out...7C/45F and there was still a bit of a breeze, making it extra cold when we walked against it.
Monday (Oct. 26) was still pretty chilly but at least the wind had died down...we even had a little rain through the night. We had a very lazy start to the day...waiting for it warm up a bit.
By late morning we were headed into Sidney for a walk along the waterfront. The area was nicely decorated for Halloween with pumpkins...
Steve's family have a memorial brick here for his younger brother that drowned in a scuba diving accident in 1982...
Bales of hay and pumpkins...
This was cool!
Arrrh Matey...
After lunch, we basically hunkered down inside where it was warm. Steve had a telephone appointment with his Gastroenterologist. Thankfully his biopsy didn't show anything but he was stumped by Steve's blacking out issue and wants to do another gastroscopy sometime in the next couple of months. Since the esophagus dilation Steve has been much better.
Tuesday (Oct. 27) morning Steve was awake super early, deciding to get up at 5:10! So, of course, I was up too since I couldn't get back to sleep.
Steve decided to start a winter project....a recap of our last 10 years on the road since we retired. That's a big job and will be awhile.
I had a dental appointment for a small filling (didn't even need freezing) and then went for a walk along the Sidney waterfront. The wind had come up again and it was quite blustery.
Wednesday (Oct. 28) and another early morning...up at 5:30. This is really going to suck when we turn our clocks back an hour Sunday, with the end of daylight savings time.
Nothing too terribly exciting today...I did laundry and Steve continued work on his project. But we had a pretty sunset tonight...
Thursday (Oct. 29) and Friday (Oct. 30) were also quite cool and blustery. But both days we got out for walks along the Sidney waterfront. Other than that, Steve worked on his project and I did some knitting. We also enjoyed some documentaries on YouTube and a movie on Netflix.
Saturday (Oct. 31) was an absolutely beautiful day...perfect for Halloween! We decided to walk the beach trail down to Island View Beach...
Just before 3:00, we headed off to Rob and Angie's...instead of going out 'trick or treating', they are hiding candy around the yard for the boys to find and also having a campfire.
Rob has set up quite the "jungle-gym" in the yard for the kids. Conner climbing the rope swing to capture some candy hidden up there, while Bryce hunts for candy around the other areas...
Conner showing off his hanging from the line capabilities...
They even have a fort in another area of the property...yes, more candy was found!
More candy!
The boys decided not to put their Halloween costumes on...I guess wearing them to school yesterday was enough. But Angie dressed up...Bat Woman!
A selfie with my boys...Conner, Bryce and Steve...
Sitting around the campfire...Angie, Bryce, me, Conner and Rob...
Then it was time to roast hot dogs!
Bryce's jack-o-lantern on the left and Conner's on the right...
We headed home just after 8:00...such a great afternoon and evening! Thanks for inviting us!
Sunday (Nov. 1) was another absolutely stunning day! Better enjoy it while we can because rain is in the forecast starting Tuesday.
We went into Sidney...you got it...for another walk along the waterfront! The sailboats were out today...
They must be having a regatta...
They all turned at the end of the pier...
Mount Baker in Washington State visible in the distance on the right...
When we got home, we noticed a lot of movement going on in the RV resort. I guess with it being November 1, it was the day for people to leave, people to move sites and for new arrivals.
Steve was going to take Buster out for a run, so asked if I wanted to come along. Sure, it's a novelty to ride in the truck now, LOL!
After that, we decided to fix a problem we've had since we arrived September 20. We had leveled off using blocks on one side of the trailer, but when we had unhitched, it twisted a bit making us slightly off level. It was more of a nuisance than anything, having both the bathroom and bedroom doors swinging and banging. So we hitched up, moved down the blocks ever so slightly...and secured it all. Voila! perfectly level...and so nice to have it fixed!
Monday (Nov. 2) morning we were up and out before 9:00...on our way to Goldstream Provincial Park to see the Salmon Run...
Goldstream has a world-class salmon spawning stream with thousands of Chum Salmon returning each year. Bright colours and hooked jaws develop on male Chum salmon after they enter breeding streams. This accounts for the very different appearance these fish have from when they are caught in the ocean.
Every autumn, millions of Pacific salmon forge their way up the myriad streams of the Pacific northwest to spawn and die. Pacific salmon have always been fishes of mystery. We know them well as fine food, and as superb sport fish, but the details of how they spend their time in the ocean and of how they find their way back to their home pools in their parent streams are even today not fully understood.
In Goldstream, salmon appear about mid-October, and may be seen for about nine weeks, the dates varying from year to year. Of the five kinds of North American Pacific salmon it is the Chum salmon that is most abundant in this river, though you may also see some Coho and Chinook salmon, as well as the Steelhead and the Cutthroat trout.
We thought if we got there before 9:30 on a Monday morning, it wouldn't be very busy...ah...wrong! The parking lot was full but we managed to get one of the few remaining spots at the very end of the lot. Surprisingly though for the amount of cars the trails weren't packed with people so we only had to wear our masks a few times.
Our first view of Goldstream with Mount Finlayson in the background...
The Visitor Centre wasn't opened yet so we continued on to the viewpoint at the estuary...
Beautiful!
Zoomed in on Goldstream Boathouse Marina in Finlayson Arm...
We put on our masks and checked out the Goldstream Nature House Visitor Centre...
We took the tunnel under the highway to Niagara Falls. Apparently water was running thru here last week...
It's spooky in here!
There is water further up...
Niagara Falls...47.5 metres/156 feet almost as high as it's famous namesake...
People coming...time to head back...
Tunnel in the distance...
Back on the main trail...
Some of the trees are 600 plus years old...
Shallow side tributaries with no fish in sight yet...
Finally we spot some fish...one dead and another still alive...
We backtracked towards the bridge where we could get closer to the water and more fish...
The river is low with far fewer fish than we've seen here before on past visits even though they said they counted 6000 fish last Saturday. Normally there would be dead fish everywhere with lots of seagulls and eagles feasting away...
We should get a better view from the bridge...
Hard to see with the surface reflection but there are quite a few salmon down there...
Not only am I surprised this tree is still alive being split and hollow with daylight showing thru it, but I'm surprised they don't cut it down as a hazard...
A couple of hours later, we were finished at Goldstream and on our way over to Steve's sisters place for coffee. Nadine and Mike live out that way so invited us to stop by when we were done. Due to a car accident in the area earlier in the morning they were without power so heated up water for coffee on their BBQ. Another great visit with them.
As predicted, it started raining during the night and was still pouring when we got up Tuesday(Nov. 3) morning. It ended up being a very socked-in, rainy day...such a contrast to what we had been experiencing!
I braved the pouring rain and went into Sidney to pick up a few groceries...while Steve edited pictures so that I could get started on this blog update.
He was done by the time I got home, so after lunch I spent a good part of the afternoon working on this update. Steve relaxed watching TV...definitely an inside day!
Then it was Bryce's turn. The gun was a little too heavy and the stock a little long but with dads help he eventually caught on...
Normally the weather here would be lots of rain but we lucked into cold and clear...down to -4C/25F!
The boys really enjoyed chopping kindling...
Jim, Rob and the boys...
Me and my boys...
Bryce trying to hit the beer can with his slingshot...
Bryce getting a ride with Jim...
Then Conner...
There better not be a rock in that slingshot Bryce!
Out on our final morning hunt. Conner was always with me. This stump is much larger than it appears...
No deer over here Grampa...
Bryce found some ice...
Okay the hunts over...
It's time to slide on the ice...
We then drove up the mountain across the valley from our camp which can be seen in the distance...
Our old site was occupied as were the sites at McClure Lake. We've seen little to no sign of deer tracks or droppings anywhere. Last month we had 14 deer sightings! There is lots of logging activity, wood cutters and hunters...just too busy around here. It's also getting late in the hunting season so the deer are probably a little smarter and the ones that weren't during the rut have probably already been harvested:)
The lake is just out of view to the right of our camp...
McClure Lake...
View to the left of our camp...
On the final evening hunt Rob got a great surprise. This 6 point, in Canadian, (12 point US :) bull elk was feeding below him about 20 yards away and had no idea Rob was there. This is the same area I saw elk sign on our hunt last month. With it being the rutting season we found it strange that this bull wasn't with any cows...unless he just needed some alone time:) After hunting this area for some 30 plus years this is our first elk sighting which is a great sign. Unfortunately there has been a lot of poaching of these magnificent beasts...
We had some rain and sleet last night and awoke to snow just above us...
With the cloud cover it had warmed up to -2C/28F
After some breakfast snacking, the boys kept themselves busy colouring while the rest of us started packing up...
On our way out we ran into some snow but the roads were mostly just muddy...
Which was a good thing as this is a very long steep hill...
