December 30th and Jan 3rd, 2019

December 30th, 2018. The sun is shining. There is NO snow. There is a brisk wind by the ocean. We must be on Vancouver Island! Let’s go explore the trails beside our glorious ocean! We drove to one of our favorite spots in Nanaimo–Piper’s lagoon!

Apparently, quite a few people had the same idea. There were even 2 guys in wetsuits who were kite-boarding in the brisk wind. I vicariously felt chilled each time they dipped into the chilly waters! Brrr! But it was certainly entertaining. I must admit, the snow piles of Burns Lake were melting away in my mind as I explored the rocks with my husband on Dec. 30th in Nanaimo.

On January 3rd we set out to visit friends in Lake Cowichan, normally about 50 minutes south of Nanaimo. However, due to high winds and torrential rains, the detour and reduced speeds, resulted in a slow trip and memories of Vancouver Island winter weather came “flooding” back!

However, when we eventually arrived we had a lovely visit. Their property is on a riparian zone and is about double the size when the waters subside. It is a fascinating river area supporting much plant and bird habitat.

On the return trip we stopped in to explore Ladysmith park by the water.

It’s lovely! As we approached Nanaimo the sun returned and we were blessed with some brilliant rainbows!