Comox Harbour

This is a view of the Comox Harbour taken from the Black Fin Pub

(which clearly has the best location in town!)

The boats in this shot are predominantly fishing vessels rather than leisure craft.

. . . and view to the right shows more leisure yachts

what have we here?

A seal

looking very focused!

. . . aaah - that explains it - waiting for treats !

Joining in the fun at James'  

Weekend Reflection

Fire and Water

I spent 3 weeks cat-sitting in New Westminster, some 40 minutes

(on Skytrain) south of Vancouver, BC a few months back.

This was the scene from the rear balcony of the apartment on a day when smoke from the 500+ wildfires burning throughout British Columbia blanketed the mainland (and also drifted across to Vancouver Island).

Another day I had just begun a walk to a nearby park when I spotted smoke in the skies.  Following its source a short distance away, the cause was revealed -

a barge (on the Fraser River) containing (I was told) car bodies had caught fire.

 

Linking up with Skywatch Friday

Herring Run

I'm told that, once a year Herring come into the shores of Vancouver Island's east coast to spawn, resulting in this amazing transformation of the sea colour to emerald green.

(Sadly, strong winds and no tripod resulted in this far from good shot, but at least you can get an idea of the colour! - and yes, I will get rid of that date imprint!)

 

Of course the seagulls arrived in their multitudes too, to capitalise on the opportunity

of food (the fishing boats provide a feast at this time!)

 

 2 days later with calmer conditions

Below you can see the sea lions waving flippers above the water's surface:  I am informed that, in doing so, their flippers absorb warmth from the sun and so regulate their body temperature - amazing!

and here are scores more sea lions doing just that

A keen photographer!

Joining up with Our World Tuesday,

thanking the team for hosting

and also praying for those around the world impacted by terrorist activities.



Comox Marina

 

Arrived back in Australia 2 days ago after wrenching myself away from spectacular Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada where I've spent the past two months.

 

Above is a shot taken at the Comox Harbour Marina a couple of weeks ago.

The island has apparently just experienced its coldest winter in 40 years, and the wettest March in 10 years.  During my stay it snowed for about 9 days - I was in my element; even shovelling snow from the driveway didn't dampen my enthusiasm!  (Usually living in what has been described as "the driest State on the driest Continent", snow is a novelty!!)

 

 

The colourful access to Comox Fisherman's Wharf

 

Here you can see the water is still frozen

 

This walkway skirts the marina and is a great place to take in the beauty of the Beaufort Ranges (which on this day were not visible due to cloud cover).

 

I look forward to playing "catch-up" by visiting a number of fellow bloggers' pages in the coming weeks, as well as sharing more images from my recent travels.

 

Joining in the fun at Skywatch Friday with thanks to Yogi for hosting.

 

Fabulous Fleurieu

Recently I visited a cousin who lives at Encounter Bay, near Victor Harbour on the fabulous Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.

We drove to Petrel Cove and this was the scene from the carpark....

 

 

On the Victor Harbour side of the Bluff, I aimed my camera at this boat and its passengers - imagine my surprise, after uploading the image and zooming in, to notice the passengers had been deeply engrossed checking out their smartphones!!

 

. . . and this Magpie dropped by as we stood in the carpark

 

A lovely day's outing in good company in my very favourite part of our State.

 

Sharing the views with Skywatch Friday

Daily view

 

Aaah .... wonderful memories of an amazing house exchange holiday on Vancouver Island, BC - what a fabulous part of the world to visit (and, dare I say, live?)

 



 

Linking up with James' Weekend Reflection

Wishful thinking

 

This pretty rowboat on the lake seemed to be inviting me to hop aboard and row out to the middle for a different perspective - but as I was a guest on the property of new friends for just a few hours it didn't seem appropriate to ask!

 

As can be seen from the glaring sunlight on the boat's interior, my visit coincided with "high noon" - not the best time of day for photographic purposes, but I did like the reflected hull in the water, so am posting the shot anyway!

 

Joining in the fun with James and others from around the world at

Weekend Reflection

(Since I acknowledge the true significance of Easter, I am also engaged in reflection of a different variety this weekend. If you do too, may it be a greatly blessed time for you and yours)

This is Cornwall

Last April, during my visit to the UK, I spent a few days staying with friends in Truro, Cornwall & built on relationships formed over 40 years ago.  They were happy to show me the Cornwall they've come to know and love . . .

 

Here a fishing fleet around Cadgwick Cove

 

. . . and houses on the hillside

 

A mother and daughter enjoying nature's performance

 

and a "highly decorated" fishing boat ! 

 

A local chapel 

 

glorious panoramic coastal views 

 

Having "a thing" about contrasts, I just couldn't help but take this shot!

 

A rapeseed (or canola as we call it in Australia) crop adds a splash of colour to the landscape

 

Inside the pub where we enjoyed lunch and a wine

 

and here's the St Mawes' ferry coming in.

 

This is only a snippet of the beauty to be found in this gorgeous part of the UK.

 

Linking up with Our World Tuesday

Canal travel

During my stay in Cheshire earlier this year, I came across this group of narrow-boat travellers negotiating the lock gates.  

the boat looked very elegant

... and here the different water levels can clearly be seen

Surprisingly, this particular gate was only constructed in 1994

Safely through that lock, the youngsters in the group had raced ahead ready to operate the next one!

It does appear to be a lovely way to see the countryside, but am told you need to be fit to operate the gates (perhaps why this chap chose to bring the youngsters along?!)

(With much sadness I dedicate this post to Lady Fi's beautiful dog Oscar and trust that she may be comforted in the knowledge that her many posts which included his delightful face and activities, brought great joy to the family of photo bloggers and he will not be forgotten)

Linking up with Our World Tuesday