We took a week's holiday to the Sunshine Coast in British Columbia. Balmy temperatures, moist sea air and signs of Spring greeted us at every turn. It was bliss to be home in our native landscape and as a result, this girl is homesick to her very core.
Other than seeing family and friends, one of the major highlights of the trip was a 2 hour hike through the damp, lush, mushroom filled rainforest to reach the rocky shoreline at Smuggler's Cove.
The beavers have been busy damming the creek which has flooded the surrounding forest. This wetland area attracts many diverse species, but this fellow was my favourite.
The lush, verdant green was a welcome change from the white of winter that we've been living in for 6 months.
We finally made it to the shoreline and the view was spectacular in every direction! As the wind was non existent, the sea was calm, reflecting the sun back to our smiling faces. The rocks had warmed up providing a toasty spot to rest and take in the view. Bliss.
We also visited a few other familiar haunts....
Sargeant Bay
Davis Bay
as well as Porpoise Bay and Snickett Park. We were treated to great weather the entire time we were on the coast ~ it certainly made sightseeing that much more enjoyable. Being a rainforest, the West Coast is prone to a lot of rain but we saw none of it!
While we were away, back home in Alberta, 2 more snowstorms barrelled through dumping several MORE feet of snow than you see below. Our son, Mitchell and his wife were house-sitting for us and they had to clear the roof as the trusses were groaning under the weight! I'm grateful to them but am REALLY glad that I was basking in the sun on the beach while it was happening, LOL.
Now... back to reality. The snow is still here, yes, but it's melting fast as our temperatures are rising steadily. The daylight hours are long and the greenhouse is calling my name. Today, I'm seeding! Stay tuned for details...
Good to hear you enjoyed your trip home! I love the shot of the turtle!! Seeing the lack of snow in your photos, makes me wish the snow would hurry up and just disappear!
ReplyDeleteEagerly awaiting for the first buds, and the blades of green to appear,
your neighbour way to the North...
Cheryl
Cheryl, we still have plenty of snow at home, too :) It was tough to come home to it after a week on the coast. Thankfully, it's melting fast...
DeleteSoooo very beautiful! Thank you for sharing the images from your beautiful hike. What a wonderful way to spend the day with your family :)
ReplyDeletethanks, Amy - yes it was the perfect getaway :)
DeleteWow, that coastal countryside is amazing. The water looks very cool and choppy but great fun I should think.
ReplyDeleteYeah - the water is COLD even in summer, but at least it wasn't frozen solid! Such a treat to see the sea after 2 long years.
DeleteI hear yuh, girl! I grew up on Vancouver Island and am now outside of Princeton, where, even though we are 'south' in BC, our elevation at the Shack it mountain high. I've just been back to see my family (3 of my kids still live there) and be there for the birth of grandbaby #2 (a boy!). It was rough coming back home to the Shack that was still in the depths of winter. Happy to report though, the snow here is melting fast and I actually spent the day raking the ground that is bare! We are hoping to move back to the Island in about a year though as my hubby retires and the younger kids really want to be closer to their brother and sisters and the rest of our family (Me too!!) I do enjoy following your blog. We have much in common!
ReplyDeleteSue - I grew up in Victoria, so I'm an island girl, too!
DeleteGreetings from downunder where we are just having our first cool period in Autumn which started (date wise) a month ago. It was 35 last week. Its so nice to sleep in the cool. Your photos look fantastic. I've seen some of this area on our travel shows - imagine, you live there. Great family holiday - and yes, i get homesick after a week also. Happy Easter everyone!
ReplyDeleteLynda ~ glad you have a break from the heat. As you shift to cool weather, we are heating up at LONG last. The west coast of Canada is stunning - it really is as beautiful as the travel shows... we'd love to live there again, but sadly there just isn't enough work for my husband. Happy Easter to you as well!
DeleteYour photos are very beautiful! I am glad you were able to visit... there's nothing like home. Looking forward to seeing your garden through the coming months.
ReplyDeleteThe coast isn't home for me, but every time I'm there I wish it were. I suppose every place has its issues, I look at it like having this awful winter makes me appreciate with renewed enthusiasm the wonderful weather of the rest of the seasons! lol
ReplyDeleteYes, so true! Here, the winters are brutal but they do give us time to pause and work on quieter things. At least it's generally sunny here in winter to boost the spirits a little. Back home on the coast, the winters are bleak, wet and stormy for many months. I distinctly recall one wet November about 15 or 16 years ago where 21 consecutive days of rain fell... that was brutal. On a more positive note, when we lived there, I was planting my garden in February, and I could garden late into the evening without being eaten alive by mosquitos!
DeleteEvery place has positives and negatives but I sure do miss the sea...