Saturday, July 13 to Friday, July 26, 2024 (Puntledge RV Park, Courtenay, BC)

We just returned from a fabulous 10 day camping trip (more on that in our next blog) and realized that we should have done an update before we left! Well, here it is...

The weather continues to be quite hot, but thankfully not quite as hot as last week. Saturday (July 13) morning we decided to go to Seal Bay Regional Nature Park where we could hike in the shade of the trees rather than being in the hot sun. We decided on the Melda's Marsh Loop trail...

Bird viewing blind overlooking the marsh...

Not much visible water...

Further along the trail there was more water...

On our way home, we took a drive down to Kye Bay...Steve took this 25 second video...

Sunday (July 14) morning our walk took us to a trail we had never been on at Lewis Park along the Courtenay River. Just around the bend is our home base at the Puntledge RV Campground where the Tsolum and Puntledge Rivers merge becoming the Courtenay River... 

It was not a very long walk, so we continued under the bridge over to Simms Millennium Park. Looking back at Lewis Park as we walk towards/under the bridge...

Viewpoint on the river...

Our Camp-host told us this narrow arm on the river was used for submarines during WWII...

Concerts are held here too...

That walk really hadn't taken us that long, so Steve suggested we drive up to Miracle Beach Provincial Park. After a drive through the campground, we parked in the huge day-use area and headed down to the beach and a hike.

This is a very popular park in the summertime, whether camping or just using the day-use area...

Mountain views of the BC mainland...

Steve took a 29 second video...

We took the trail that goes north to the Black Creek Estuary...

Black Creek was much higher when we visited last fall...

How nice would it be to live on a river/ocean front with such beautiful views of the mountains!

On the way back, we took a trail that is closer to the beach...didn't realize it was there!

A  beautiful walk, on a beautiful day, in a beautiful park!

We were back home for a late lunch, hunkering down inside with the A/C running until 3:30 when we decided to brave the heat and walk up to the Gladstone for a brew...something we enjoy doing on Sunday because they have local musicians playing. Lots of people enjoying the river this afternoon!

Steve took a short 19 second video of the bridge jumpers. The jumpers can't see the tubers coming down river so they spot for each other...

The temperature over the next few days continued to rise. We'd get out for our walks in the morning, trying to walk on trails that were treed for shade. After miscellaneous errands, etc, we basically would hunker down inside with the A/C running...just too hot to do much outside.

Wednesday (July 17) morning we insured the truck and our little trailer...so on Thursday (July 18) we  picked it up from the storage facility. It has become increasingly obvious that if we want to go on our family camping trip, we will need to use Buster as the tow vehicle. So Steve purchased an 8' 7 pin wiring cable and was able to lower the hitch enough to make it work. Here we are...ready to pull the little trailer out of storage. Nothing like a 26' truck pulling a 23' trailer...oh well...tons of storage and it works!

Tim, the manager here at Puntledge was good enough to allow us to use an empty site across from us to de-winterize it then store it on our site for the week so we could clean and stock it up for our trip...

After it was all flushed out, Steve moved it over to our site...it just fits in front on our fifth-wheel. 

Saturday (July 20), we met Earl and Allison for dinner at the Flying Canoe Pub and then they came over for a bunch of Rummikub games. Steve took this picture when they were leaving...not many RV sites are big enough for a fifth-wheel, travel trailer, a gigantic truck, 2 cars, a shed, not to mention the boat and picnic table...

Sunday (July 21) morning I dropped Steve off at Earl and Allison's. He is going quadding with Earl in his side-by-side. That meant a day of shopping all to myself, LOL!

I'll pass this over to Steve now...

While we waited for Earl's friend Lee to arrive we searched for our first geocache across the road called Retired. It took awhile to find because we thought it was in the old truck...but nope...Len found it hidden in a nearby tree branch.

Once we were all together we headed out to find a few more...

Slash piles ready to burn in the fall...

We had a few raindrops and had to put on the raingear at one point but it didn't last long before the sky cleared up...

Lee, Len, and Earl at Lunchtime Lake...

We stopped at a great viewpoint...

Overlooking Tsable Lake...

A closer look of the distant mountains...

Earl and I launched our drones. I merged 2 drone photos which still doesn't show the entire lake...

Drone shot showing where we're headed next which dead ends at the top...

Drone shot showing the road back...

Now up top we've reached the end of the road with more great views...

View of the Alberni Valley...

Close up of the Elsie Lake below...

We still have a view of Tsable Lake from here too...

Time to head home...

Denman Island and the BC Mainland in the distance...

What a great day...thanks Earl! It was nice to finally get out on the trails again...especially since we no longer have our quads. Nice meeting you Lee! I already knew Earl's neighbour Len.

It was after 5:00 by the time Steve got home...meanwhile, our new neighbour and her visiting friend from across the street had joined me for happy hour. Sharon (on the right with her dog Tucker) just moved from Alberta. Her friend, Tami, had driven out with her and was giving her a hand moving in to her new digs. Sharon had a transport company tow out her fifth-wheel. She is starting a new life here in Courtenay, working from home...all the best, Sharon! 

The next few days were mainly spent working on the trailer, getting ready to leave on Saturday. Steve washing the outside and me, sorting and packing the inside.

Steve here: Of course after wiping the entire trailer with Black Streak Remover the wax is also gone. I now had to wash the trailer to get rid of the Black Streak Remover. A former employee of Traveland RV told me they use 303 spray to protect the decals so I sprayed the whole trailer with it. Did you know that you're not supposed to wax decals! I didn't have time to wax the unit anyway but that's just crazy! 

Me still: 😁

On Tuesday (July 23) morning, we took time out to meet Gord and Carol for coffee. After I had made a comment on an RCAF Snowbirds Aerobatic Teams Facebook post I was contacted by Gord, wondering if I was ever in 89 Pacific Air Cadet Squadron. Turns out we both were and I recognized his name, but he was a few years younger and hung with my brother Rob who has since passed. We spent about an hour and a half catching up on each others life's. They both had great careers with the Air Force and retired in Comox. I really wish I had made that career choice too, but then Dianne and I would never have met and she wouldn't have lived this wonderful life with me as gypsies! 😂 Knowing that my brother had passed away Gord gave me a couple of photos he had of Rob which I really appreciated. Thanks Gord! What a nice couple. We parted ways promising to get together again...

Steve's sister, Nadine and her husband, Mike are here from Victoria looking after Mike's nephew's house and dogs in Comox while they are away. So on Wednesday (July 24), they invited us over for dinner. One heck of a rain storm came through the valley that afternoon. These are the ugly clouds that included a little thunder Steve saw while still working on the trailer, but we really didn't get any. Somehow it skirted around us and really hit surrounding areas hard. 

Delicious burgers and potato salad for dinner...

We met up one final time on Friday (July 26) for lunch at the Black Fin Pub in Comox...Happy Anniversary Mike and Nadine! Too bad we're leaving and couldn't spend more time together, but it was nice seeing you in our neck of the woods for a change...

With everything packed in the trailer, we just have the final things to put in tomorrow morning and we will be off camping!