Lasqueti island A pretty chilly ride in the back of Wes’s pickup for the day. Parked at French Creek, watched the sea lions play in the harbour, took the 50 minute ride to Lasqueti, got the tour from Wes, then back to French Creek and down to Ladysmith for a roast chicken dinner, before our return to Vesuvius. Phew! Download ...

Quadra island tour Early morning wake up call in Port Hardy, back down the coast to Campbell River to catch the 10:30AM ferry to Quadra. Lots of nice places on this island, and it’s only a 10 minute ferry ride to town. Download ...

Strawberry Rhubarb Galette Credit Globe and Mail article This elegant dinner menu shows off the best of the season’s local delicacies - it’s perfect for entertaining. (See below for the full menu.) The dessert can be made a ahead of time, leaving lots of time with your friends. When I was in Naramata in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley recently these little galettes were sold at a farmers’ market - the bakers told me they sell more than 300 a day. My take on a sweet rhubarb filling provides a delightful end to a luxurious meal. ...

Gabriola island visit On the mainland sort of looking around North Nanaimo and Nanoose Bay, and then we thought “Why not visit Gabriola”. Download ...

Mount Maxwell climb, 26th February 2021 We picked Sjaan up on Thursday evening at 10PM and had a few drinks while we discussed which hikes to do. Narrowed it down to: Mount Maxwell Mount Erskine Channel ridge Dark horse was Musgrave landing Download ...

Pender island The first of our “local island” trips was a big surprise. Not as much noisy traffic as Salt Spring (traffic you say?) and a very cool system of trails and parks. Download ...

Spaghetti alla carbonara alla primavera Needed to add another recipe to my list. Veggies and bacon in the fridge, this one is a cross over creation inspired by you know who! Serve with some caesar salad on the side and you can’t go wrong. Ingredients 500g (1 lb.) spaghetti 2 leeks, could use onions as a substitute 1/2 head of brocolli 225 grams (1/2 lb.) of bacon (we bought butchered bacon ends) 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 eggs (6 might be better) chili flakes Instructions If it doesn’t look like this, go back and start over ...

Kevin’s turn to cook again, so a bit of research turned up this recipe from tasteofhome. I used half measures for the two of us, and there are lots of leftovers. Didn’t have the condensed mushroom soup, so Alma “made a roux” with flour, water, lightly sauteed onions, then we added the sour cream etc. Also used cheddar instead of parmesan cheese. Ingredients 5 cups uncooked egg noodles 1 cup frozen peas (optional) 1 can (10-3/4 ounces) reduced-fat reduced-sodium condensed cream of mushroom soup, undiluted 1 cup fat-free sour cream (or refill the soup can with 2% milk) 2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese 1/3 cup 2% milk 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cans (5 ounces each) light tuna in water, not drained and flaked 1/4 cup finely chopped onion 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (optional) several large mushrooms, sliced. Topping (optional) 1/2 cup soft bread crumbs 1 tablespoon butter, melted Instructions Preheat oven to 350°. Cook noodles according to package directions for al dente, adding peas during the last minute of cooking; drain. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine soup, sour cream, cheese, milk and salt; stir in tuna, onion, mushrooms and pepper. Add noodles and peas; toss to combine. Transfer to an 11x7-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, toss bread crumbs with melted butter; sprinkle over top. Bake, uncovered, 25-30 minutes or until bubbly.

Mount Erskine climb, 5th February 2021 We had a driving day on Wednesday - took the ferry to Crofton and then drove up to Qualicum beach and back via French creek, Parksville and Nanoose Bay. Some house hunting, some sea lion watching, some squinting at Lasqueti island and back on the 4:50 ferry. We then had a quiet day yesterday, so we were ready for a good hike today. 10 minute drive to the access point at Trustees trail, and away we went. Beauty day and we met several other hikers on the trail. ...

Various Channel Ridge Hikes