Sunday was a beautiful day for a bird outing...though all the sun reflecting off snow meant photos weren't always all that great. The group of 11 enjoyed their walk along the river/estuary at the Courtenay Airpark, keeping eyes peeled for the sight of overwintering birdlife. Variety in what was seen was somewhat limited for the first section, but once we were walking along the riverside and checking out the lagoon itself, we started seeing more. On our list were: Gull, American Crows, Mallards, Buffleheads, Sparrows, American Wigeons, Red-winged Blackbirds, Trumpeter Swans, Snow Goose (likely), Common Mergansers, Green-winged Teals, European Starlings, Canada Geese, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Common Golden-eye, Bald Eagle, Belted Kingfisher, Spotted Towhee, and what might be a Peregrine Falcon. Our debrief was held at the Whistle Stop.
 Eight dedicated readers met to discuss books, movies and more. Dorothy graciously hosted the meeting and provided nummy coffee and goodies. Then we sat in the sun, enjoyed good conversation, great books, and even got distracted by a pair of eagles flying part of their mating dance. Yes, it is that time of year.
Here is a book review from Kay. The Human Age: The World Shaped by Us Diane Ackerman (2014) With her award winning blend of scientific insight, clarity and curiosity, Diane Ackerman explores our human capacity for both destruction and invention as we shape and are shaped by planet earth. We could not have picked a better day to go to Ramparts Hill for our outing. Under clear blue skies and with all the new snow, we were treated to about a foot of glistening, fresh powder. Our destination was the ridge overlooking the Brown's River, which is a new trip for us. So, off we went, up a couple of hills, down a couple of hills, and after a minor course adjustment (thanks to Bill and his GPS), we encountered a rather steep, but short climb to gain the top of the ridge. Once there, the effort was well worth it as the views were absolutely stunning. After our lunch/snack break, down the steep hill we went. Thankfully, there were trees to 'hug' to help negotiate the trip down to more level terrain. We followed our trail back to the vehicles and decided to go to Rhodos for our debrief, where we enjoyed hot soup and the usual talk of our trip,etc. Thanks to Cheryl and Lindsay for the photos. I think the hikers who appeared at the Costco parking lot last Saturday morning were all rather surprised that they weren't the only hardy hikers in the Group - we had twelve show up despite the bitter wind and just plain cold temperatures. We were grateful whenever trees or buildings sheltered us from the wind, but were happy to be out getting some exercise between the snow events - and in the sunshine. The snow wasn't very deep and icy conditions were relatively rare, so we got back to the Costco trailhead in great form. Our 14-km route took us through Raven Forest and then through a mix of rural subdivisions and woodsy areas, taking just over 3 hours to complete. We were quite ready for our debrief at Quality Foods, enjoying the hot drinks available there. The Helping Hands Benefit Concert was organized to assist those displaced by the flood at the Mariner Apartments in Comox. Organizers initially had a "hopeful" fundraising target of $5500 for the event. The 16 Probus members and guests can be proud of the part they played in raising $16,756.49 that evening! We enjoyed more than 4 hours of great music. For details about how the event came to be and how the funds will be distributed click here. Photos by Vicki & Robin and Craig Carson (via Facebook) Our walk for this week was supposed to be from the Comox Lake dam, but with the recent cold weather, it was decided that a walk nearer sea level would be more sensible, so Seal Bay Park was chosen instead. Gil Moore led the way (he has an internal GPS which never fails), and we walked for a little under one and a half hours at a temperature that was a few degrees below freezing. Coffee was particularly well received at Country Market, where we managed to squeeze 17 of us round the table. As usual please admire the photos from Bill, by clicking on the LINK  On Bill's one night off, a group of us saw The Whiskeydicks perform at the Westerley Flying Canoe Bar with the vigour that generally comes with a group playing Irish folk and rebel songs. They are described as a group of Celtic Gypsy party rockers, and they certainly lived up to that description. Good music, reasonable food, and a good time had by all. Sorry the photos are a bit blurred-the dancers were really fast movers! This was another concert in the Apres Ski Comox Valley series. Nice Horse, a country band played their original music and covers to a very appreciative audience. At least one couple came over from the Mainland especially for this performance. Photo by Bill Jorgensen. To see Bill's gallery from the evening click here.  The Monday Intermediate Walking Group enjoyed crisp footing today and a pretty skiff of snow along the woodland trail from Lazo Road to the shoreline and over to the NE Woods side of Lazo Marsh. We were rewarded with bright sunshine, clear bird calls and, as always, pleasant company. We hope your afternoon was good too!  Twelve of us drove up to the pullout on Mt. Washington known as Ramparts Hill. Our destination was the Old Cabin, and on the way we stopped at a lookout which provided an excellent view of the Valley, the Coast Mountains, and the Islands from Denman to Savary. From there, we made our way over hill and dale, across a creek to the Cabin, where we stopped for a lunch break. Then, back down to our vehicles, and back to the city. We held our debrief at Bayside Coffee, where the pastries and coffee were much appreciated. Thanks to Dawn and Debbie for the photos. Whilst the snowshoeing group enjoyed the sunshine, we were not so lucky, as the fog blocked the sun for the majority of our walk. However there is something special about the effect of fog in the trees and the saturation of the leaves. Spider webs (see Bill's photos) become more visible and extraordinarily numerous. Bob was the intrepid leader on this walk, and ensured that we returned for coffee at Country Market right on time. Use this LINK to view the photos.  On Tuesday, we went up to Raven Lodge to take on the much anticipated Great Big View trail. We were above the fog, and it felt like spring with clear skies and +4 degrees. The trail took us along a ridge that provides an excellent panorama of the Lodge and stunning backdrop of the Beaufort Range. We took a lunch break at the highest point of the Finger Glades loop and toasted the snow gods with “summit juice”. To give you an idea of our elevation, part of the trail runs adjacent to a downhill run. Back at the Lodge, we had our usual debrief, then proceeded down the hill and back into the fog. Meanwhile..... Gary, Tina and Maia went Snowshoeing on Tuesday morning. They travelled out of the FOG and into the Mountain Sunshine. The sparkly, crunchy snow throughout Paradise Meadows made for the most incredibly beautiful day and a most rewarding snowshoe experience. A hot libation at Raven Lodge was a reward for a morning well spent . Then, back down the mountain and into the FOG the three amigos went... Thanks to Katie, Cheryl, Dawn, Lindsay and Bernie for the photos.  n a departure from the Film Series, and because the writer was unable to get tickets, we had a departure and had dinner and then saw either "The Favourite" or "Green Book", both popular movies showing at our comfortable cinema. We first enjoyed dinner at Kinaree Thai and a spirited discussion about everything, followed by the movies. Both movies are up for Oscars, and we enjoyed taking advantage of having some good movies to see.
"Green Book" is the story of an extraordinary American pianist who decides to tour the American South. He, being black, needs someone white to drive and protect him on his journey. The Green Book referred to is a guide that was published in the mid 20th Century in the US to provide black travellers with a list of safe hotels that would accept them. During the trip the fastidious and proper pianist and his rough and tumble Brooklyn Italian driver clash and learn about one another. By the end a firm bond is formed. This movie tells a sensitive story in a direct manner with fine performances by Mahershala Ali and Vigo Mortenson. "The Favourite" is the bawdy story of Queen Ann (Olivia Coleman) and her right hand person, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) who run the country in a kind of careening from crisis to crisis manner. Sarah's relative, Abigail (Emma Stone) who is in diminished circumstances, is brought into the court and finds every opportunity to improve her position with the queen. This is a ribald, sexy movie. It is based on truth but the truth has definitely been tampered with to achieve the author's vision. One could draw certain parallels between this movie and some of the bizarre political events that are currently being seen in the world.
 Hirokazu Kore-eda (Our Little Sister, The Third Murder) continues to tell stories of complicated familial relationships in his latest feature. Winner of the 2018 Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival and Japan’s official submission for Best Foreign Language Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, Shoplifters explores the ways in which the security of a loving family — as well as the need to survive — can sometimes overshadow morally questionable behaviour. The writer was unable to attend this movie but a number of our group did. Libations and dinner were held at Fluid.
2019 is off to a busy start for the Live Music Appreciation Group. Winterfest has been re-branded as Apres Ski Comox Valley. Skiing is not required to enjoy the many concerts on offer. Members of our group are sampling a wide variety of music from classical to rock and a solo artist to a 12 piece band. On this Friday evening Time Well Wasted covered rock classics mostly from the 70's and 80's at The Avalanche Bar and Grill. The dance floor was full all night. Photo by Bill Jorgensen. To see Bill's gallery from the evening click here.   The Lunch Bunch met on Wednesday, January 23 for lunch at the Crown Isle Resort. There were 26 members attending, a record number for this group. Everyone survived Murray’s quiz on North American Cities, and we gave out 4 prizes.  In a departure from the Film Series, and because the writer was unable to get tickets, we had a departure and had dinner and then saw either "The Favourite" or "Green Book", both popular movies showing at our comfortable cinema. We first enjoyed dinner at Kinaree Thai and a spirited discussion about everything, followed by the movies. Both movies are up for Oscars, and we enjoyed taking advantage of having some good movies to see.
"Green Book" is the story of an extraordinary American pianist who decides to tour the American South. He, being black, needs someone white to drive and protect him on his journey. The Green Book referred to is a guide that was published in the mid 20th Century in the US to provide black travellers with a list of safe hotels that would accept them. During the trip the fastidious and proper pianist and his rough and tumble Brooklyn Italian driver clash and learn about one another. By the end a firm bond is formed. This movie tells a sensitive story in a direct manner with fine performances by Mahershala Ali and Vigo Mortenson. "The Favourite" is the bawdy story of Queen Ann (Olivia Coleman) and her right hand person, Sarah Churchill (Rachel Weisz) who run the country in a kind of careening from crisis to crisis manner. Sarah's relative, Abigail (Emma Stone) who is in diminished circumstances, is brought into the court and finds every opportunity to improve her position with the queen. This is a ribald, sexy movie. It is based on truth but the truth has definitely been tampered with to achieve the author's vision. One could draw certain parallels between this movie and some of the bizarre political events that are currently being seen in the world. One day after the Ripple Rock outing, the hiking group hit the trails once more, this time to the Oyster River Mountain Biking Trail system. We felt a bit overwhelmed when gathering for carpooling as ...wait for it...….29 hikers showed up, either at Superstore or at the trailhead. Wow! It was a good thing that we carpooled! It all worked out, though. Once again, the weather was pleasant despite high fog and outerwear started disappearing into backpacks fairly quickly during our brief rests. We took the 'high road' at the start, climbing up to a ridge and following it a fair distance before descending to the river for a lunch break. After that, we loosely followed the river back to the our vehicles. With a sense of humour and patience, the outing went smoothly and lots of chatter and laughter was heard along the long line of hikers as we made our way along the route. A debrief at Salmon Point Pub rounded out the day's outing. Thanks to Steve and Dawn for the day's photos. Saturday being forecast as a sunny day, we thought we would slip in an extra hike this week, to see if the Ripple Rock Viewpoint trail is usable at this time of year. It was a small group that started out later in the morning - there was high fog obscuring the sunshine, but the day was very pleasant for hiking and the four of us were glad to be out and about in the woods. Yes, we did make it to the Viewpoint. There were a number of trees down across the trail but already, the one large one had a simple side-trail skirting it and the rest were small enough to clamber over. Mud and pooled water? Yup, but again, very easily skirted. And the one difficult area for clambering uphill over a root system...has a bypass trail now. We took our time during the hike and thoroughly enjoyed the outing. Our debrief was held back in Courtenay, at the Bayside Café. Thank you, Michele and Dawn for providing photos of the day's outing. Our January Wine and Appies gathering took place on Friday, January 25 at the home of Nancy and Ron Watkins. It was a lovely relaxed evening of delicious food and good company... thanks for hosting, Nancy and Ron! It's a good thing that we have a flexible, keen group. Our early 8:00 AM departure from Courtenay didn't prevent this from being a popular outing. Our plan was to make our way to the log cabin from the Rampart pullout. On arrival we found ourselves in the middle of the clouds. A quick check of the Resort webcams confirmed that the sun was shining at Raven Lodge, so we drove to the lodge with the intention of seeing if we could make it to Battleship Lake. That turned out to be quite possible, and all were keen to carry on. Part way down the lake we discussed the options of breaking trail across the short cut to Helen MacKenzie or returning the way we came. Nobody spoke up in favor of re-tracing our steps back, so we completed a 7.5 kilometer loop (with short cuts) around the lakes. The sunshine didn't last long but it proved to be a beautiful day until after our debrief in the lodge. Good thing we had an early start. Thank you to Dawn, Lindsay, Cheryl and Steve for the photographs. Today's bird outing provided an excellent opportunity for some of the Group to get out and enjoy a sunny day. With no winds stirring things up, the waters were calm and birds easily sighted in the waters surrounding the Little River Ferry terminal. More birds were observed in the Little River Nature Park's pond and in the bushes lining trails connected seashore and ponds. Our bird list for the day?: Crows, Raven, Red-winged Blackbirds, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Spotted Towhee, Finch, Pigeons, Bald Eagle, Mallards, Gulls, Buffleheads, Ring-necked Ducks, Great Blue Herons, Surf Scoters, Common Merganser females, Common Loons, Common Goldeneye, Long-tailed Ducks, Horned Grebes, Harlequins and American Wigeons. A beautifully sunny day on Sunday - just right for a hike through the Eastern Block of the Cumberland Mountain-biking trail system. Bliss. Our route took us through a variety of landscapes, from thick forest to meadow to cliffside to bluff to hills to dales, over a meandering 11+ km. I, for one, lost track of our location right away, but our leader-of-the-day, Bill Boham, unerringly zeroed in on the optimum trail each time we reached one of the numerous junctions. Bless that gps and Trailforks! Thanks Bill, for your skillful navigating. Lunch was enjoyed on a bluff overlooking a valley; we could see Nikkei Mountain's antenna beyond the trees of the hill on the other side. The trail was muddy, though usable, at the lower elevations; up higher, trails were drier. All in all, a lovely day and a good work-out. Twenty of us, including one guest, met at Raven Lodge. Once above the fog that blanketed the Valley, we were in full sun and a pleasant temperature of +2 degrees. We started by taking on Rossiter's Rise, which, by the way, has enough elevation gain to get the heart rate up. At the top, we were rewarded with fantastic views of the Beaufort Range and a light snack of chocolate and Baileys. From there, we followed other trails back to the Lodge, for a total of around 6 Km. As usual, our 'debrief' was full of good conversation and talk of our next outing. All in all, another great day taking in the beauty of where we live. Thanks to Bernie, Dawn, Roger and Cheryl M for the photos. |
