Jos Pal’s photos

Logs on the Fraser River

Last Tuesday (March 5) I drove home and noticed lots of cars parked on shoulder of the road. Then I noticed the huge barge on the Fraser River, loaded with logs.
I drove home, parked the car, ran inside to get my camera and ran to the wharf in the hope to catch whatever was about to happen there. In all the years (almost 10) we have lived right at the Fraser, I had never seen this before.
From the wharf I had a good view of the barge. Small boats, tug boats and others, moved around like ants on an anthill. After about 30 minutes wait, in a split second, the load of logs was dropped into the water. It went amazingly fast!
The barge straightened itself out, unburden at last, the busy little boats around it did their thing and peace was more or less restored on the river.
As I learned later, about 10,000 to 12,000 cubic meters of logs were unloaded at Northview Enterprises, located at the south end of 225th Street in Port Haney (located just beyond the wharf where I was standing). Those logs were purchased by Northview Enterprises and shipped here from northern Vancouver Island.

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Poole Creek, January 2013

We spent 10 days in Poole Creek this month.
Poole Creek is situated between Mount Currie and Birken.
2 Days before our arrival at our daughter and son-in-law’s house it had been snowing heavily and there was a 4 ft accumulation of the white stuff.
Thank goodness they had dug a path from the driveway to the front door so we didn’t have to dig our way through the massive amount of snow, like a couple of snow hares. We were there to look after their dogs while they had gone in search of sun and warmth for a couple of weeks!
We enjoyed the peace and quiet, the daily visits of the eagles, the ever-changing look of the mountains around us.

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Cowichan Bay and Victoria BC, December 2012

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On December 14 our dear friend Joanne drove us from Nanaimo to Cowichan Bay. It was a gorgeous, sunny day, nestled between 2 very rainy ones, as it turned out. The water was mirror smooth.

We had a wonderful fish and chips lunch at the Rock Cod Café

After lunch we wondered around the Maritime Centre and the inviting little shops in town before heading back to Nanaimo.

The next day we drove to Victoria to celebrate ( a belated) Dutch St. Nicholas with our children, but before that we visited the Empress Hotel with its impressive Christmas tree display. Outside we feasted our eyes on the Legislative Buildings in all their festive glory.

Wandering around Vancouver, trying to get into the Christmas mood

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Cranberry harvest in Pitt Meadows, BC, Canada

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Cranberry harvest in Pitt Meadows, British Columbia.

Years ago I visited Blue Heron Fruit Winery with a friend. We were hoping to see the cranberry harvest but missed it by a day or so. Traditionally they harvest Thanksgiving weekend. I checked the place out a couple of days ago to see if anything was happening. Nothing. This morning, Saturday morning of the Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, I went back. It was a gorgeous, sunny day. And harvest was in full swing.

About cranberries
About harvesting cranberries

From Whistler to D’Arcy

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We spent a week in what the residents in that area call Poole Creek, but it falls officially under Mount Currie. The whole area between Mount Currie and D’Arcy is basically a wilderness with here and there a few houses. If you want peace and quiet, this is the place to be. On our way we stopped at Alta Lake in Whistler, a place we have visited many times before, when  “Hostelling International” was still located there. It is now an artist-run centre, called “The Point“. The property contains some cabins, and used to house hostel staff and a few permanent families. At least one of them is permanently closed now.
At Poole Creek we lazed around, enjoyed the hot sun and the cool shadow near the creek.
Hummingbirds entertained us every evening.
One day we drove to D’Arcy, the end of the paved road. We sat on a bench, our feet dangling in the cool water of Anderson Lake, watching people load up their boats for trips to cottages, only accessible by boat or very challenging trail.
In the tiny village of D’Arcy we checked out the little church and talking to people at the one and only gas station, we learned about a small but good café on the nearby Red Barn campground. We decided to check it out and indeed: simple but very good!
Driving back we went on to a fruit farm just past Mount Currie and while returning to Poole Creek we noticed something moving in the brush on the side of the road. To be on the safe side I stopped the car. Just in time, as a bear moved onto the road, looked at us, looked behind her and moved on…followed by a young bear. What a sight! Thank goodness there was no other traffic as bears do get killed on that road. We let them pass, snapped a couple of pictures from the safety of our car, and drove on when they had reached the other side.

Too bad that too many people drive way too fast there!

Vancouver, Maple Ridge and Squamish

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Vancouver is such an appealing city. It didn’t take us long to decide to spend another day there. And it is easy to get there, taking the West Coast Express commuter train from Maple Ridge. Arriving at Waterfront Station, we first went by sea bus to Lonsdale Quay, North Vancouver, from where you have a beautiful view of Vancouver’s skyline. The rest of the day we meandered through the streets of Vancouver, took the sky train to the Science Centre, and from there back to Waterfront for the train back to Maple Ridge.

The next day we checked out Kanaka Creek Regional Park. Just the section next to the Fraser River, to see how high the water had risen. Quite high as it turned out, as the park was closed due to flooding.

On Saturday we drove to Squamish with its eye-catching granite monolith “Stawamus Chief” and its “witch”. We had a wonderful lunch and the guys had one eye on their plate and one on the screen for the Eurocup game. On the way back we stopped at the Shannon Falls and a bit further down the Sea to Sky highway we enjoyed the view from the pier at Porteau Cove.

On Sunday, the last day for our visitors, we walked downtown Maple Ridge where we stumbled upon the shooting of a movie. Literally shooting: FBI guys, lots of guns and screeching of car tires. A perfect ending of a perfect holiday.
Before loading the suitcases in the car we had a last look at the swollen Fraser River.

And this is the end of the June 2012 holidays with all its joyful journeys.
Next I will be digging in my archives to see what else I can find to share with you all.
Until then!