Vedder River walk

We went for a walk on the Rotary Trail along the Vedder River Sunday and after a quick little jaunt saw spawning salmon in the Peach Ponds adjacent to the river, people fishing for salmon, a great blue heron taking off, a bald eagle with a chunk of salmon in its claws and more. A good walk to remind ourselves what an amazing place we live in.

Some salmon:



Someone unsuccessfully trying to catch a salmon:



A view:



Joanne hopping over some salmon spawning:



A successful salmon fisher:



And then a sequence of shots of a heron:





















And one last one on his/her new perch:

Newlywed

Haven't posted here in a long while, but I really should. Lots going on in life needless to say, and the wedding went great.

Here's one low-res version of a photo Andy took, but I'll post a whole shwack of them later once I receive them in the mail.

A reluctant model, Joanne's photo appeared on page 3 of Tuesday's paper as we needed a shot to go with a pollution story demonstrating the occasional haze we see in the Fraser Valley. Of course, it's not as bad as the haze that usually appears in Toronto.

So I used the one from the hike up Elk as seen below. And the photo appears on the main page of our home page right now at www.chilliwacktimes.com.

Good thing I always have my camera, or, as I like to tell Ken, the editor, I'm always working.

;^)

Climbing Elk on Canada Day

Jo and I decided on a hike for Canada Day and hit the popular local hike Elk, which we can see from our tiny deck.

Here's Jo cresting the summit with a view of farmer's fields and the majestic Fraser River in the background. Sometimes we fail to appreciate that we may live in Chilliwack, and all that implies for some people, but we live so amazingly close to so much stunning beauty. So to all those in Kitsilano loving their life of $1,000 a month rent for 600 square feet (no one can afford to buy in Kits can they?) and good shopping, good sushi and a good social image, I say, phooey.



Mountain flowers are blooming now, Indian Paintbrushes and others such as this yellow flower, the name of which I'm uncertain:



And of course here's Jo and I with Baker in the background.

South 'Wack

My friend Jenn Compeau who is a graphic designer—a talented one I now know—sent the four of us in the editorial department today her South Park caricature versions of us, and they are hilarious.

For those of my friends and family that don't know my editor Ken and the other two reporters Mike and Darren (who is Jenn's boyfriend) the ones of them won't mean much. But the one of me is pretty funny.

For those who don't know South Park (my parents I assume?) here is a shot of the four main characters on the show:



And here's the four of us, first of all me, note the courier bag (looks like a purse) and cup of coffee, although I haven't received an answer yet why I have tears on my face:



Here's Darren, note the beer in hand, guitar recently taken up, red eyes and, sadly, that's supposed to be vomit on his face and clothing:



Here's Mike, note the headphones (he's a music guy) and subtle reference to South Park with the T-shirt featuring Towelie, the character who occasionally appears to advise the boys about proper towel use and then asks them if they want to get high . . . they always say no:



And here's Ken, the editor, ostensibly my boss. Note the spikey hair, business suit and mug of beer. Of course the cigarettes only make an appearance when too many mugs of beer have been around, but best of all is how much this looks like Ken. But better yet is how he thinks it doesn't. Silly Ken:



Nice work Jenn.

Nothing like a baby

Joanne's friend Leesa from Ontario is visiting right now with her six-month-old baby Colby. What an amazing rejuvenator (a word?) of life is a baby. All he does is eat, poop and flop around on the floor or in your arms, but he is so brimming with life it's infectious.

Here is little Colby and his mom.



Here's to babying it up.

Sun Runnin'

My blogging of late is at least a few weeks behind my life . . . it's kind of like a journal, but after every incident in my life I've been locked in a trunk for a while in the meantime.

So last month we did the Vancouver Sun Run 10K, which was a ball of laughs. Sweet time in Vancouver at the Sutton Place (we even hot-tubbed with Lou Diamond Phillips the night before the big race, but he declined to join us).

Here's a shot of us before the race in the hotel. That's Ann and Ken Goudswaard on the left, Ken is my editor. Me and Joanne in the middle of course, and that's John and Michelle on the right. Michelle is the paper's graphic designer:



Only three of us from the Times came for the race, but there were literally hundreds of others from the CanWest chain, otherwise known as the Mothercorp.

Here we are at the start line, but seeing us might be tough.



Here's me crossing the finish line. Note my arms slightly raised in the air in some sort of pathetic victory signal, but my arms are too weak to lift. Nice. I finished in 58:31 and all I wanted to do was break an hour so I was happy. It felt kind of slow and I finished in 11,524th but that also means I beat 42,793 others. Yeeha.



Much better looking is Joanne crossing the line. Note the smile on her face on these photos, while I look like I'm barely alive. Joanne also kicked my ass with a time of 56:30 finishing in 9,309th place. That means in those short two minutes 2,215 people crossed as well. That includes Ken who came in 57:31.





Here's my column I wrote for the paper after the run.

Simply A Musing

Pain of Sun Run all worth it

By Paul J. Henderson

I hate running. I'm sorry, it's true, but that's my starting point to write about the Vancouver Sun Run last weekend.

In truth, I enjoy running in a way similar to the way I enjoy banging my head against the wall: It feels really good to stop.

But the more I banged my head against that wall training for the Sun Run the more I started to get some of that good feeling during the running. Bizarre. It stopped being painful all the time.

The act of running became something more than an uncomfortable means to an end. That end was this massively popular run, and I can't say enough about the experience. This year three of us here in the Times office and our significant others signed up and while some had done it before, it was new to me.

Over 54,000 people tackled the biggest 10K run in Canada. That's like an entire city running down the streets of Vancouver. I can tell you that some 555 people from Chilliwack took part. Of those who ran there were young and old, healthy and not-so-healthy, and those of all shapes and sizes.

A good chunk of those running were "runners" (or, as one reporter in this office calls us: "joggers") but a good chunk were those trying to do something like this for the first, and maybe last time.

I had a goal of doing the race in under one hour and I'm happy to report I made it. At 58:37, not a particularly fast time, but I was amazed to note that I finished ahead of 42,777 others. While my fiancée Joanne and I had a romantic notion of crossing the line hand in hand, the energy of the event did more for her than me, and she bravely bolted off, finishing in 56:30. Good for her.

Times editor Ken Goudswaard, Joanne and I ran stride for stride for much of the race, but in the end he too left me in the weeds finishing in a time of 57:31. Our graphic designer Michelle was the third from our office and she strode in at a respectable 70:55. While she wasn't ecstatic about her time, she beat more than half the field.

What was amazing to me in terms of the numbers involved was that in the two short minutes between Joanne and I more than 2,000 others crossed the line.

Of those who did this run there was someone with one leg; some pushing others in wheelchairs; some limping with determination; some seemingly too young; and some so old their determination was humbling.

Many couples and families ran together, and among the Chilliwack runners crossing the line together I noted: two young Skittrell girls; two young Fitzsimmons boys; the father and son (I assume) Wixwats; the Snows, the Laws, the Sawatzkys, and so on—illustrating to me the power of such a shared endeavour.

Maybe it sounds corny to those who didn't participate, but there is something inspirational about so many people all running 10 kilometres along the same route, hearing the same bands serenade us, gazing at the lovely views of the coastal mountains, the ocean, English Bay, and the city.

Some strode across the finish line with elegance and grace, with the physical aesthetic singular to the athlete. Some strode across and crumpled in a heap, exhausted in body, exhilarated in mind knowing something never done before was achieved.

It was a challenge, and it was something we did in common, with our partners, our children, our community members and, heck, with people everywhere.

So, OK, maybe running isn't so bad after all.

NIMBYism in Full Force

Here is my column from our April 6 issue regarding a mob of NIMBYs who descended on city hall.

I would advise all suburbanites who hang on to their love of lawns and strip malls to read James Howard Kunstler's The Geography of Nowhere, and visit his website too: www.kunstler.com

Simply A Musing
By Paul J. Henderson
phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com

The NIMBYs descended upon city hall on Monday to protest a development of unspeakable evil.

No, it wasn't a rendering plant or a dog food factory or even a coal-fired electricity generation plant. Not a pulp mill, nor an abattoir, nor a casino.

This, fellow residents of Chilliwack, was much more insidious and it inspired passionate community opposition to make sure Mayor Clint Hames and council were clear that this development should not happen. Well, at least, Not In My Back Yard.
(I should say "not in their back yard," but NIMBY sounds better than NITBY.)

This development was none other than that nasty monster known as—wait for it—townhouses!

Long the bane of civilized peoples everywhere, we all know the horrible consequences of townhouses. For this Sardis community of single family dwelling owners that malignity comes from the whiff of possibility that they may have to live adjacent to renters (ugh!) and the other ne'er-do-wells and detritus that come with those who can't afford their own detached home.

Yes, council had it laid on the line for them, in the words of one resident: "The surrounding residents reject this type of devleopment."

At Monday's meeting, council listened to resident after resident complain about the idea that the property in question would be transformed into five, or possibly eight, townhouses. One resident even literally said that, and I paraphrase, people in this townhouse complex will be able to peer in his back yard. The NIMBY all but said, "not in my back yard!"

But sarcasm aside, something about the anachronistic antagonism of those opposed to the reality of more people living near them made Mayor Clint Hames snap. And he did so in a way that was so refreshing I don't hesitate here to sing his praises.

During the discussion over the proposed eight-plex on this piece of property where there currently is a single family home, one area resident said he and his wife used to live in another area of Chilliwack and suddenly a development "popped up over night," leading to an utterly distasteful "rental population," with the invariable grow-ops that come with renting.

Another woman pointed out that when she purchased the area was single family and she expected it to stay that way.
Hames seemed to get frustrated at this point and he asked the woman, "what’s the bad thing about townhouses?"

The NIMBY replied: "Well when we purchased it was single family."
Hames: "But what makes it worse?"
NIMBY: "It doesn’t make it worse, it makes it different, and we chose to live in a single family development."
Hames: "So what’s wrong with townhouses?"
NIMBY: "There’s nothing wrong with townhouses."
Hames: "Just as long as they’re not near you?"

The exchange was based on the premise that Hames now lives in Garrison Crossing where he lives quite amicably in his neighbourhood with people who live in townhouses, and where there will soon be condominium apartments.

Once all the councillors went through their reasons for rejecting the development, Hames too agreed to reject it, but only because this particular development seemed too much for this particular lot. Parking and a lack of sidewalks were reasons, for example.

But it was the underlying attitude that got under Hames' skin—and for what it's worth, mine too.

The reality is that the Lower Mainland is changing, suburbia does not work for all kinds of reasons not least of which is dwindling world oil resource and environmental degradation. People need to get used to living closer to each other, and not being so quick to judge and abhor those of us who rent or live in apartments or condos or duplexes or townhouses.

As Hames put it to the crowd is his somewhat didactic—and delicious—diatribe, these types of developments are OK with those in this neighbourhood, as long as it's somewhere else.

"I'll tell you what," he said. "Somewhere else is full."

Addicted to sarcasm

Haven't posted in a while, but have been very busy. Mostly because we have just moved into our new condo of which I will post some photos very soon.

Busy with personal life but also here at the paper with writing and photos of course. For now I think I'll post my second latest column I wrote along with a few random photos I've taken lately. (And I'll post some more photos and my latest column tomorrow or so . . . )

Here are a couple of photos from Shelley, Rachael and Sophie's visit in March. These were taken at the Othello Tunnels.





And then here is my column on the federal budget from our March 23 paper. Now the headline about sarcasm will make sense:

Simply A Musing
By Paul J. Henderson
phenderson@chilliwacktimes.com

I listened with interest to Finance Minister Jim Flaherty's budget speech on Monday . . . OK, I didn't actually listen (I mean, who did?) but I read some of the transcripts and news stories after the fact.

I was particularly interested in how he pointed out that Canada is one of the most beautiful places on Earth "from the majestic peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the rugged shores of Newfoundland and Labrador."

Ahhh, yes. How true. From the stark beauty of the high arctic to the flowing golden wheat of the Prairies to the wind-swept crags of the Canadian Shield to the crashing seas of the Atlantic Coast, Canada is one beautiful place.

In fact, I'd say it is so beautiful that we in British Columbia should really be considered a part of this country. Come to think of it, I thought we already were, but surely one of the most important politicians in Ottawa knows more than I do about geography.

Those of us who live between the Rocky Mountains and the west coast of Vancouver Island live in a pretty beautiful place, so I think we should make the move to try to join up with this Canada place. If we were part of Canada maybe Flaherty would have included us a little more in his speech, eh?

(I hear "eh?" is what they say in Canada, roughly translated as "don't ya think?")

Instead of separation from Canada as proposed by certain elements in Quebec—and certain wackier elements in Alberta—we here in British Columbia should stand up and demand that we become a part of this Canada. Let's join, not separate!

From the slopes of the Kootenays to the rain forests of Haida Gwaii to the oil fields of Fort Nelson to the condominiums of Vancouver, we have lots to offer and I really think we should join Canada.

Certainly there is much beauty and value in this part of the world west of the Rocky Mountains even though it isn't a part of Canada, and I'm sure the Canadians would be ecstatic to include British Columbia in their country.

We already offer up the 4th highest GDP in the country, and send billions of dollars in tax revenues to Ottawa. Our more than four million people would push the population of Canada over 30 million, not to mention how much tidier the maps would be in a Canada that included British Columbia. Already photographs of British Columbia are disproportionately represented in calendars of Canada the world over so let's just join up.

Golly, things are so beautiful here west of the Rockies I would suggest we could even create a tourism industry drawing people from all over the world to this region to the west of Canada.

I'll bet if Asian and European tourists who already come to Canada by the droves knew that beautiful British Columbia were part of Canada they might cross the Rockies and come visit. They might like the smoked salmon and stuffed moose available at the Vancouver airport, if only we could be a part of this great country.

In fact, I think that's such a good economic proposal, I'll package it up and send it off to Mr. Flaherty for his consideration right away .

And I think I'll throw in a map too so he knows where we are.

I am so smart . . .

S-M-R-T

But apparently Joanne is smarter than me. We watched the CBC's Test the Nation show whenever it was on and we followed along, writing down our answers as the show continued. In the end I ended up with a score of 50 out of 60, which apparently equates to an IQ of 127.

Compare that with the averages of the various groups in the audience below:

Surgeons 119
Millionaires 118
Fitness Instructors 112
Mayors 110
Radio DJs 108
Tattoo Artists 101
Celebrities 98

So big whoopee, I did better than most of them and I'm well above average, just three points off of 130, which is considered "superior" or something like that.

But I get to marry Ms. Smartypants who scored a 130 herself. She still won't let me live it down.

You can still do the test I think at www.cbc.ca/testthenation

If anyone does so, let me know how you did.

A National Community

Today's leading story on the CBC's National is the perfect example of a news story and how things go in the community newspaper world.

Working in community newspapers in and around a highly populated area can be interesting. Working for the Vancouver Sun or Province they simply look for anything of newsworthiness, cover it, and are done. For us we look for anything newsworthy as long as it has a Chilliwack (or Yarrow or Harrison Hot Springs or Agassiz) angle and if it doesn't, we don't cover it.

I always joke—and it is completely unoriginal, but I can't remember where I got it from—that if the prime minister of the day were assassinated down the road in Abbotsford we wouldn't cover the story. Unless of course, the assassin came from Chilliwack.

But the reality is with a big story that we would search for a local angle of some sort.

This morning I heard on the CBC that Highway 1 was closed both ways at the Sumas exit in Abbotsford because of an accident where three were killed. I thought of cruising over there with my camera, but it is not in the 'Wack, so I figured, "why bother."

Then after various updates I heard the noon CBC news, which said that the van carrying 17 immigrant workers was on its way to Rainbow Greenhouses in Chilliwack. Suddenly, it's a Chilliwack story and we are all over it, likely with a photo from our companion paper in Abby, an interview with the greenhouse owner, and an above the fold page 1 story.

So as a community newspaper reporter I literally went from complete disinterest in a story that made the headlines on the CBC news, and that happened about 20 kilometres from my house, to a major interest because of a thread of connection to our community.

Anecdotally interesting at best to me, but frankly quite sad given the situation of those who died and were seriously injured. Hopefully this brings some attention to those underappreciated and possibly abused workers who pick strawberries and tend to flowers so suburbanites can enjoy cheap products.

Another beautiful view

Never take for granted the beauty of your surroundings.

Those are my words of wisdom for today, and I never forget where we are, particularly when there is cool light at sunset or under moonlight or whatever.

Heres a couple shots of our local Mt. Cheam (pronounced "shem" or "sheeyam" depending on who you talk to). The first one is at sunset a few days ago.



And here's one with Cheam and the moon.

Hunt over, me found hut

Well that was quick.

We have already found a place to live, deal gets finished up this week, sale closes end of March and we move in April 1. It feels almost impulsive to have found a real estate agent on a Monday, gone to see places Thursday and Friday night, then gone to re-see three condos in one building Saturday night and bought one. Just like that. But under the surface of what seems quick is hours and days and weeks of agonizing, not to mention surfing MLS.ca, so we felt like we knew every place possible in Chilliwack.

Finally I'm a homeowner . . .well, an apartment owner. Took me long enough. (By me of course I mean we.) Fourth floor two-bedroom plus den of a four-storey condo with really great high ceilings and pretty darned good views. Not tons of space, but we were living in less than 600 square feet in Toronto and this is over 1,000 square feet so we can't complain. Well, we can and we will probably, but we shouldn't.

Anyway, all very exciting and tumultuous times around here and in our lives. Joanne's practice is really getting busier, my old friend and the person whom I replaced here at the Times has come back so we have a tight and super-solid news team, Joanne has bought a wedding dress, and now we have bought a condo.

On Feb. 18 I said this should be my year since it is the Chinese year of the pig and I'm a pig. (Although so is Stephen Harper so should that make me nervous?)

For now here's a couple of snapshots of the outside of the front of the building and our place. Better ones with views from inside should follow soon.



Note the tall windows, which are only on the fourth floor. Not quite floor to ceiling but really high and that is south-facing too, so really nice and bright. Probably will be real hot in the summer too . . . hmmm . . .



Here, obviously, is the front of the building and Jo.

Hovel huntin'

Joanne and I have officially begun the hunt for a new place to live whereby we can be in debt to a bank for decades to come, but at least stop flushing money down the toilet in the world of rent.

We have a real estate agent, who is doing a great job so far, and we started seeing places two evenings ago, saw some more last evening and we'll see some again tonight.

One townhouse we saw was kind of nicely sided in dark cedar and built in 1977. Then we went inside and realized we were in 1977. Shag carpets, cheap wooden door frames, even photos on the wall of a family that tragically looked stuck in the 70s. In the back yard was a barbecue, swinging patio chair, hot tub and waterfall and pond with goldfish. I wonder if they have key parties with the neighbours.

Things in our budget are looking like this so far:



Not bad. A bit of a fixer-upper, but room for a garden at least.

OK, not a real place we looked at. Basically we are looking at condos or townhouses, but we have quickly realized that in our price range we can get a new or near-new, if smallish, condo, or a large, old, and a bit sketchy townhouse. And once you've seen gleaming barely used appliances and bathroom fixtures, new laminate and tile and carpet, flawless walls and doors and trims, it's hard to get excited about a few extra hundred square feet and a patch of grass in a townhouse from the 1970s. So we are leaning hard toward condo.

Two other observations so far as a first time homebuyer who has never done this before:

1. It's really difficult, at least for me, to separate a place from its decor. To look beyond bilious green and fuschsia walls at what a place could be like in normal colours isn't easy. To ignore hand-stictched Home-Sweet-Home wall-hangings and Archie Bunkeresque sofas and stinky hockey equipment is a challenge. And conversely I find it easy to be sucked in to a stylishly appointed pad with pictures of beautiful people on the wall.

2. We are having a hard time getting over the number of 19- or 21- or 45- or 55-and-over condo and townhouse complexes there are around. We know there are a lot of elderly people in Chilliwack, but why this fear and loathing of children? Is it even legal to discriminate so blatantly because of age like that? I don't know, maybe it is, but there seems to be something wrong with that. And what happens when you live in a 19-plus complex and you get pregnant? Does the strata gestapo come marching down the carpeted halls to remove your satanic procreating ass? I'll bet they would have no legal means to kick you out of a building where you are an owner becuase you have a baby. But then, I guess you wouldn't be the most popular person in the buidling after doing that, and that in itself might be not worth it. I can maybe understand a really elderly-focused place like 55- or even 45-plus, but many are 19-plus. So, two pot-smoking, partying 20-year-olds is A-OK (who we saw in one building below an elderly woman who desperately wanted to sell because of them), but a quiet couple with a new baby is shunned at the outset. I don't get it.

So far of what we've seen we are pretty keen on one building—with no age restrictions, babies may come at some point—that has three units for sale. We saw all three last night, and all were very similar with pros and cons, but we are so interested we want to be reminded and will see them again tonight.

One we like because it is the top floor with great views, high ceilings and really feels stylish. Another we like because it is on the ground floor and has a ridiculously gigantic south-facing patio. Enough room to play badminton (except that it is concrete). You could have a party with 30 people out there and not be crowded, although more realistically for our lifestyle (the party days are over), we could put out planters, as many as we want, and Joanne could grow tomatoes and other great stuff. And the third unit is on the second floor and has really nice unobstructed views to the west, mountains and sunset over an elementary school yard and, oddly, the owner is leaving behind not just furniture, but everything except the art on the wall and his underwear. That includes all dishes, cups, kitchen stuff of every kind, two beds, sofa set, side tables, and more, including a 40 or 50-inch flat screen TV. The only problem is, unsurprisingly, is that his furniture is so hideously tasteless it boggles the imagination. But still, the TV, some furniture and some other odds and ends would be good to have and we could sell the rest and would be worth some money for sure.

So will it be behind door number 1, 2 or 3? High ceilings, killer patio or big screen TV? Hmmmm . . .

A week in photos, and some drama too . . .

Here are a few snapshots from my last week or so working at the paper. Some fun, some interesting, some crappy.

This was the cover photo for our Tuesday paper from the Bridal Show in town on Sunday. Sometimes cute goes a long way.



Another cute one, but we didn't run it.



And here is a crazy German guy who has so far cycled 153,000 kilometres all over the world while suffering from malignant melanoma. He's trying to show people that cancer shouldn't get you down. His huskies help him while going up hills and then they ride in his trailer going down. Pretty interesting guy actually.



This is actually a little older of a shot, but we keep holding on to it for a stand alone filler. Kind of an amusing demonstration of how useless this plastic owl is in keeping roofs in Sardis free of seagull shit.



Here are a couple of shots of the aftermath of a nasty apartment fire that trashed this building sending 100 people looking for somewhere else to stay.





Lot's of fun. I had a great adventure yesterday writing an editorial that the publisher took issue with. We had a little head to head debate about it, but in the end, it was good. The incident was a little scary given that he is an ex-CFL lineman and could snap me in two like a twig. And, of course, he's my boss.

But those who know me well won't be surprised that I have an opinion and have expressed it even in the face of a gigantic, conservative boss.

Here are the 2nd, 3rd and 4th sentences of the original editorial, which the publisher disliked and changed/eliminated.

"Environmentalism was—and really still is—a bit of a bad word to big C and little c conservatives alike, as it butted heads way too much with economic growth.

Eventually we have come to a place where the even the most staunchest deniers of manmade climate change in government are coming around to the reality. The reality not just of the science, but, more importantly for politicians, the reality of public opinion."

Of particular distaste was my deciding what big C or little c conservatives think, but more importantly were the words "deniers" and "reality." He felt the former was a moral statement, and the latter left no room for debate. I disagree and still find it somewhat amusing that conservatives fall all over themselves to look to science to confirm their opinions and theories until that science disagrees with them. But I guess lefties do that a little too.

Here is the sanitized version the publisher OK'd:

There was a time when, to quote Kermit the Frog, it wasn’t easy being green.
Eventually we have come to a place where even the staunchest critics of manmade climate change in government are coming around to the political reality—the reality of public opinion.
Both Stephen Harper and Gordon Campbell have suddenly and somewhat miraculously been hit with a green streak, and those on all sides would be wise to watch with measured caution.
Campbell’s speech from the throne called for some pretty dramatic initiatives to tackle climate change giving hope to those who trust them, skepticism to those who don’t, and a big headache to those who don’t accept there is a problem.
Will the government be able to reduce greenhouse gas emission targets one third below current levels by 2020? Will they be able to require all electricity produced have net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2016?
These are noble if difficult goals, and while we support the effort if it is even attainable, we are concerned at what cost. Will the costs of going this green this fast cripple the economy?
A lot of questions come out of Campbell’s speech from the throne, and time will tell if they can get it right—if the government can maintain and grow the current strong economy while meeting all their green priorities.
We’ll be watching closely to see if they can get the balance right, and a delicate balancing act it is.
But at least the subject is on the table, at least some acceptance of the issues have been given mainstream support, and at least the provincial government claims to be taking a stab at greening the province.
And even Kermit concluded in his melancholic song: “I am green and it’ll do fine, it’s beautiful! And I think it’s what I want to be.”

Notice the difference? Subtle, but powerful.

You and Me in Ukee

Joanne and I spent this past weekend in Ucluelet and it was outstanding. The locals call it Ukee, but I'm not sure why. Maybe because Ucluelet is too hard to pronounce?

Incredible accomodations at the Tauca Lea Resort. Incredible food at said resort and other chowder shacks around town. And views to blow your mind, not to mention some stunning wildlife. This wasn't even whale watching season or the time of year when the salmon are running so eagles and bears weren't plentiful.

Check it out and be jealous.

This first one is a shot from the patio of our room at the resort.



Those (above) are of course not my legs, but here's a shot Joanne took of me enjoying a morning soak.



Here is one of the many vistas along the newly created Wild Pacific Trail, which is basically in town. The trail is beautifully designed accommodating all kinds of views along its meandering route.



Another view:



And one more:



Sunrise in the inlet meant harbour seals would swim by for a morning fishing expedition, seabirds of various types prepare for a day of fishing and scavenging, and the glow of the morning light washed all in an orange hue. Here a cormorant, after spreading his wings to dry them off in the morning sun, takes a step towards flight as I snapped this shot:



And this duck was taking off in the water of the inlet right behind our patio.



On Saturday we went out on a Zodiac with Brian Congdon of Subtidal Adventures (www.subtidaladventures.com) for a truly mind-blowing experience out on the ocean touring around the Broken Islands. These islands are part of Pacific Rim National Park and are rocky crags, jutting out of the ocean floor laden with wind-swept trees and little else. Amazing. Here are a couple shots still in the inlet before we hit the islands. The first is of a California sea lion. Apparently just the males swim up from California to go fishing, leaving the females at home to tend to childrearing. Hmm, sounds like a lot men.



Here is another one. Joanne couldn't get over how similar this guy looked to a dog. We call this guy the Rottweiler of the sea.



Apparently a year ago or so this bald eagle and the one on an adjacent branch lost their nest in a windstorm, but they still come back to this spot to roost. Maybe they'll start rebuilding?



There's a lot of development happening in Ukee so they better start soon or their property, below, might get some condos instead. Note the tiny bald eagle atop the tree at the top of the image.



Once out on the ocean Brian was a wealth of information as he was an incredible navigator. Somehow amid the floating strands of kelp he spotted this sea otter, which, according to him (and he's been doing this since 1978), is quite rare to see.



This guy is actually sleeping, or was sleeping. They grab a strand of kelp, tie it around their bodies so they don't float away, and sleep on their backs. Apparently they spend a third of their time eating, a third of their time sleeping and a third of their time grooming. Once again, I know some people like that.

This shot below is really the best one I took all weekend. Looks better larger, but still pretty cool this size.



Out on the Broken Islands the Steller sea lions gather and soak up the last rays of sun. These guys are bigger than the California sea lions, we were told, and they really sound like a lion when they roar. The Californias do that seal barking thing, but these guys have some serious baritone.



Another shot of the sea lions:



And one more with this guy in full roar. Pretty cool stuff.



All in all a great weekend in a great spot.