Author: arcturus

Oceanbeach Esplanade – July 22, 2009

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Another absolutely beautiful day on BC’s Sunshine Coast. I took time today to head out to the beach for the first time in weeks. Oceanbeach Esplanade aka Bonniebrook Beach is on the southern tip of the Sunshine Coast just outside of Gibsons. This protected beach stretches on for about 5km. It is mostly rocky, but there are a few stretches of sand depending on the tide levels.

People walk and bike this stretch of beach 365 days a year. Today, on a somewhat hot day, (25C) it was warm enough to swim, stroll, or just about anything. There are multiple park benches along the route that I found perfect for relaxing in the shade and feeling the refreshing ocean breeze. A very pleasant place to meditate and enjoy the rhythmic pounding of the waves along with any number of birds.


In the background of the first photo, you can see Vancouver Island and, if you look really close, the ferry that travels from Horseshoe Bay to Nanaimo.

In the second photo you can see Canada geese swimming along the shore.

Music in the Landing – July 11, 2009

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One of my favourite summer activities is Music in the Landing. Gibsons Landing puts on free concerts in various parks every weekend all summer long. Kick off the weekend on Friday nights at the Gazebo, Saturday afternoon by the Visitor’s Centre, Saturday night by the marina, and Sunday afternoon at the artisan’s market. Every concert features fabulous local talent and the series covers a wide range of musical genres.

Saturday nights are my favourite, as they are a great way to wrap up a long day following the Fiddlehead Farmers’ Market. Tonight’s show (sorry, forgot the camera) featured Chelsea Crawford and Verna Chan each playing 1 hour sets. Winegarden park is next to the marina. You’ll have to imagine sitting by the ocean, watching the boats come in for the evening, with picturesque mountains in the background listening to light jazz. Some people spread out the blanket and have a picnic. Others stroll by with gelato from down the street. Everyone greets their friends and neighbours who have come out for the evening. Kids run freely in the back with plenty of space for tag and other games. By evening, temperatures slip into the 60’s and with a light ocean breeze a jacket or a blanket is required.

What a fabulous way to spend a Saturday night! I can’t wait for next week.

Strawberry Season – June 22, 2009

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I love strawberries and local strawberries are now in season!

Monday, I travelled to Aldergrove which is in the Fraser Valley just east of metro Vancouver. Travelling by ferry means that this is a once a season adventure, so you have to make the trip count. My partner and I managed to pick 38 lbs of berries which will be come pie, shortcake, stawberry-banana bread, smoothies, and my favourite…fresh berries in a bowl. I’ll freeze enough to last all winter for breakfast smoothies and french toast and/or crepes topping.

It was a perfect day for picking with clouds and cool temps in the morning. Krause Berry Farms is my favourite farm to visit. It is just off highway 1 and has built facilities to make for a pleasant tourist experience as well. You can buy pre-picked flats or you can get out in the fields like I did and pick your own berries.

There is a market for fresh veggies as well as delicious looking strawberry pies. There is a concession stand where I treated myself to a fresh strawberry milkshake for lunch.

It is fun to see the 3-5 year olds being so excited to see fresh berries and learn how food grows. They chatter endlessly showing each other the delicious bright red berries they’ve found.

This farm will have raspberries available by mid-July and blueberries at the end of the July. For more u-pick farms in the Vancouver area, visit the BC Strawberry Grower’s Association.

By afternoon, the sun was out and it was a beautiful day to sail home to the Sunshine Coast.
This picture is taken near the end of the trip looking back over Bowen Island and the Coast Mountains. We spent the entire trip outside on the very top deck enjoying the sunshine and the amazing views. The photo just doesn’t do the scenery justice. Every shade of blue and green surround you with forested islands on all sides and mountains stretching off to the north. A sight to behold….

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Gibsons Landing Jazz Fest – June 13-14, 2009

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Gibsons Landing Jazz Fest is my favourite festival of the year, and there are a lot of community festivals to choose from. Every genre of jazz is covered and there is a mix of great local talent and big names. Jazz week is 7 nights of live jazz in most of Gibsons’s restaurants. Excellent entertainment for the price of a meal.

The official 14th annual Jazz Fest kicked off Friday with Sibel Thrasher backed up by 4 excellent local musicians. Sibel really knows how to entertain and leaves the audience wanting more. A true professional and an inspiring spirit.


Saturday we were blessed with sunshine and 25C for our main event in the park…5 groups and 5 hours of music. Easily the most entertaining of the day was East Vancouver’s Carnival Band.

Endless energy fills this group playing Dixieland Jazz. Not to be limited to the stage, they marched through the park around the audience getting everyone out of there chairs and dancing. In true carnival style, clowns and ringmasters filled their ranks.


Sunday afternoon features free jazz in Winegarden Park for everyone to enjoy. Three hours of jazz from very talented local performers.
Definitely Divas always puts on a great show. Great harmony and energy help them cover a wide variety of tunes, from Bugle Boy of Company B to Sweet Dreams by the Eurythmics.

The final act of the festival was the Elphinstone Jazz Band, from our local high school. This is a very talented group of kids, many of whom have a future in music if they choose.


Winegarden Park is the perfect setting for an outdoor concert. The hill makes for a natural amphitheatre to sit an enjoy the sunshine. And then there is the view….great music with a picture perfect backdrop as we watch boats come and go in the marina.


I can’t wait until next year!

 

Fiddlehead Farmers’ Market – June 13, 2009

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My favourite Saturday summer activity….the Fiddlehead Farmers’ Market in Gibsons.

Today was the first market of the season and there was a record turnout of produce vendors. This is the Fiddlehead’s 3rd season and it has grown and improved so much since the first market. There is a core of faithful farmers and vendors who attend every week with tasty salad greens, herbs, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers and fresh berries.

This week there were also turnips, fresh flowers, potatos and rhubarb. A few new members were welcomed this week and the consignment table was huge.

The consignment table is where backyard gardeners are encouraged to bring in some of their garden extras, even if they don’t have enough for a whole stand. Market volunteers take care of the selling and you get paid for your extra produce. Everyone wins and it is always a surprise as to what will be available each week.
Live music is also a part of the market featuring local talents. Our park setting mixed with music creates a fabulous atmosphere. Children run about with plenty of room, music fills the air, and customers visit with vendors over how the food is grown and other community topics.
I have a baking stand at the market most weeks. Rhubarb from my garden was the feature this week: rhubarb pie, rhubarb bread, rhubarb cakes and pineapple-rhubarb muffins. A successful day with only 2 items brought home…one of which was perfect for a Sunday picnic.
The Fiddlehead Farmers’ Market continues every Saturday until Thanksgiving from 9-1 behind the curling club in Gibsons BC. Come check it out!

Gibsons Marina – June 3, 2009

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Today was clean air day. To celebrate, we rode free transit into Gibsons after dinner for a leisurly stroll around the marina. A marina full of boats is a sure sign summer has arrived. It is always an interesting stroll to see all the new boats that have arrived and all the different styles. The fishing and prawn boats are always around, but the pleasure craft just get bigger and more numerous.

Note the houseboat in the front of this picture. Yes, the entire house floats year-round and is a regular residence for some lucky person.

Gibsons Marina is a center of activity. Outdoor dining is available at Smitty’s Oyster House, Molly’s Reach and Sita’s Italian. Gramma’s Pub and the Waterfront Restaurant overlook the area as well. Music in the Landing begins in July and offers free concerts in the park on Friday and Saturday nights all summer long.

Arcturus Retreat Garden – April 25, 2009

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Spring has fully arrived and the gardens are full of colour. This is our yellow plum tree that last year produced over 1,000 plums. Just a few bags left in the freezer to use between now and August when we’ll have fresh plums again. Excellent for breakfast smoothies!

It is hard to seet he mountains in the background. The clouds are hovering to hide the peaks. Snow is melting, but there is still a lot at the top and on the north faces. My friend who owns Natural Trekking has still been taking clients out on snowshoe treks.


The maple tree is full of new red leaves. I with I could identify the tree next to it. It has beautiful pink blossoms and will soon be full of green leaves. In front of the maple tree is a red currant bush. It has tiny little blossoms that will hopefully be many delicious red currants come July.

In the foreground, you can see we got the hummingbird feeder out last weekend. They are back and we’ve seen a number hovering around it and visiting all the blooming flowers. Hummingbirds are so interesting to watch for this kid raised on the prairies.

 

 

Earls Cove – April 15, 2009

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Much too long since my last post. Today I took the opportunity to join the Sunshine Coast Bed & Breakfast, Cottage Owners Association on their annual Spring Tours. We visited 9 B&Bs and cottages in the Egmont and Pender Harbour area.

This is a beautiful view from Earl’s Cove over the Agamemnon channel. In the distance is Nelson Island which lies between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful! This is as far as a person can travel from Arcturus Retreat B&B without getting on a boat or ferry. 1km from here is the Earls Cove BC Ferry terminal where you can sail to Saltery Bay and the Powell River/Lund area.

This is Ravenscove Cottage which is a classic waterfront cottage. I am out on their private dock looking back to the shore. Talk about getting away from it all….. No one else in site.

Earls Cove – April 15, 2009

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Much too long since my last post.

Much too long since my last post. Today I took the opportunity to join the Sunshine Coast Bed & Breakfast, Cottage Owners Association on their annual Spring Tours. We visited 9 B&Bs and cottages in the Egmont and Pender Harbour area.

This is a beautiful view from Earl’s Cove and the Agamemnon channel. In the distance is Nelson Island which lies between the Upper and Lower Sunshine Coast. Absolutely beautiful and peaceful!

Hopkins Landing – Feb 19, 2009

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After a string of beautiful sunny days, I finally made it out with the camera. Hopkins Landing is a short walk from my house and a lovely place to spend a sunny afternoon.

There is a bench out on the dock which stretches far enough out into Howe Sound, that you get the feeling you are actually out on the water. You can gaze back at the public beach that stretches 5km all the way into Gibsons. You can sit, relax, listen to the birds and the constant ebb and flow of the tide.

In the summer, this is a popular swimming spot and dock for both recreational purposes and for those who live on the nearby islands. It is a very walkable stretch of beach with lots of driftwood for a campfire.

Then of course, you can look the other direction and simply enjoy the North Shore Mountains. Grace Island is the very small island in the front of the picture. Gambier Island is just behind that, and then the mountains.

Snow levels are fairly low for February, a sign of the warm weather we have had of late. It is interesting to watch the white make its way lower down the mountain after a storm system, only to recede to higher elevations after a few sunny days.