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6th - 30th June 2024

We have had a busy 3 weeks with our new windows arriving on the 6th and the builders starting the installation the next week. We had to get up early and get ready for a 6.45am start. The sunrise was lovely though. We didn't really pick a great time to do it as one morning when they took the big sliding door out it was below -5. Mike set Jane up in a finished room with her IPad and a book. She was the only one who was warm. We noticed that the house got better at heating up and holding the heat with every new window installed. The main hickup was one of the bedroom windows that we knew had some waterdamage to the frame. It was a bit more extensive than we thought and had a big bull ants nest in the wall. The builder were not faized and after a lot of spray and clean up they rebuild the wall and got the window in the same day. Now that all but the bathrooms have been done, we don't have the heater on nearly as much and the house is a constant temperature. We love the look of them, and the photos don't do them justice. The big pitcher windows look fantastic. Michael helped out with some heavy lifting and was on hand when questions arose. We are getting flashing and sills made for the outside so all should be finished in a few weeks.

To get rid of the old windows Michael advertised them for free on Gumtree. You get a few interesting people responding and one guy wanted to put 4 big windows on the roof of his car. Michael reluctantly let him leave with one and he returned the next day with a trailer which is much more sensible. The other windows were taken by a couple of others to use as greenhouses and extra windows in a warehouse (he will take the next lot when we do the garage and back room.

Michael now has a lot of painting to do. He is being very careful not to get paint on the frames. We have also met with the designer for the new kitchen and bathrooms and will meet again in a week to finalise the plans. We will have to work out what to do next.

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24th - 27th May 2024

Today we leave Jasper and head back to Canmore. Next time we will stay here a week as there is so much we didn't get to do. We got up early and went to CoCo's for breakfast and on the way out to the highway there were some Elk just sitting around. We could see the male's starting to grow their horns for the season. We stopped a short distance on the Ice Field Parkway to hike the Valley of the Five Lakes. It was a great hike and we saw lots of Chipmunks. When we came back to the bridge crossing people were just standing on both sides. A bear was just eating grass on our side of the bridge. Michael talked some other people into walking around wide off the path and getting to the bridge that way. Of course he got them to go first. It was all fine and the bear wasn't bothered by us. This was our first encounter without being in the car, so it was special. Bella got some snaps, and we got back to the car to continue our day.

We had a much better day weather wise for the drive and could see the mountains more clearly. We stopped in at Sunwapta Falls, Stutfield Glacier Viewpoint, Panther Falls (this was a climb down a mountain that Bella said would be worth it), Peyto Lake (Bella's favourite as it is shaped like a dog) where we had to walk on a snow-covered trail to the viewpoint and Bow Lake (again because it was so nice the first time. All stops except Bow Lake we couldn't do the first time because of the weather. We even saw a mountain goat on the side of the highway.

We arrived in Canmore in time for dinner at our favourite pizza place. Then checked in to our hotel.

25th May - our last day in the Rockies. We had a sleep in then went to breakfast and walked around the shops. A stroll to the Engine Bridge again before getting organised to drive back to Calgary and catch the plane to Vancouver.

26th May - It was raining today to we spent the day sleeping in, eating and playing basketball at Bella's complex's indoor stadium. We then had our farewell dinner at the Cactus Club which was delicious.

27th May - we spent our last day helping Bella fix some things on her apartment and just hanging out. We have had the best time, and the best bit was getting to spend so much time with Bella and meet Sami. There were some tears at the airport but we are looking forward to seeing Bella back home for a Christmas visit. We are also looking forward to going back in Autumn (our spring) (2026?) and seeing some Moose.

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23rd May 2024

We were up early again and headed into Jasper to find some breakfast. There were large Elk roaming around our carpark. We found a great little cafe called CoCo's in the main street and filled up for our day out, and took some muffins for lunch. We decided we would come back tomorrow as well. We headed out to Maligne Lake as Jane had read that the road was good for wildlife spotting. She kept an eye out for the elusive bear. On the way we saw a little Black Bear on the side of the road leading down to Medicine Lake. Medicine Lake has an underground system so the lake fills and empties at different times. There had been fires in the area and all the trees on the far side were dead. It was quite earie. The bear was very cute and not bothered by the people stopped to see him. There was also an Eagle nest with an Eagle and a Chick. Luckily Bella has a good zoom on her camera.

We then drove on to Maligne Lake. The lake was still frozen so no cruises yet. It was very beautiful, and we spent a lot of time walking around the edges, playing in the snow and taking photos. We also added a Deer to our animal list. There was no sitting on our red chairs today. It was too wet.

After lunch we headed back along the road and stopped to hike up to Beaver Lake. We were going to hike up to Jacks Lake as on the sign it said there were Moose. The forest was very creepy, and we didn't have a good feeling about it, so we turned back. We found some very big bear scatt so thought it was best to go with our instinct.

Now for a rest back at Pyramid Lake. We grabbed some hot chocolate and sat on the dock enjoying the view. Michael had a quick snooze. Next time we are here we decided we will do some canoeing. We also had a quick sit by the fire pit before heading out to dinner.

After dinner we went on a bear hunt. We headed out to Maligne Road again and the first bear Jane saw was just its big bottom disappearing into the forest. We then came around a corner and startled a bear in the middle of the road. It quickly made a dash for cover and the photo Jane got was like a bigfoot one where it is just a blur in the distance. Bella had better luck. Next was our Black bear again from earlier in the day. It was in the same place and looked to be heading home. Cars had just stopped in the middle of the road to look at it. This is what is called a Bear Jam. With no other sightings we decided to head back. It was 9.30pm and we were tired from our busy day. Almost at the end of the road we saw some cars stopped ahead. It was a bear and her cub. Michael stopped about 30 metres away and the mother bear came and stayed just next to Jane's door for a while. The cub stayed up high so Bella could get some good shots. Just as we were about to leave the cub came down to join its mother and they walked off. It was a perfect end to another amazing day.

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22nd May 2024

Today we left for Jasper via the Icefields Parkway. It is claimed as the most scenic drive in the world and was amazing. We did have sun, rain, snow and low cloud, but we still managed to stop at 10 spots. Before we even got to the Parkway, Jane spotted cars stopped on the side and saw a bear. She was so excited for her first bear in the wild. Luckily it was behind the fencing, so it was safe to get out of the car. It was also nice seeing the animal crossing points that have been built over the highway.

We then stopped at Hector Lake, Crowfoot Glacier Viewpoint, Bow Lake (which was frozen and lovely), Waterfowl Lakes Viewpoint, Bridal Veil Falls, Columbia Ice Field (very busy and terrible weather so didn't stay long), Tangle Creek Falls, Goats & Glacier Lookout, A nice stop with no name at the river, and Athabasca Falls which were great, the falls had taken different routes over time and we could walk through the old channels. Michael also found good use of the brush/scraper stick that was in the back of the hire car.

We made it to Jasper and our accommodation at Pyramid Lodge overlooking Pyramid Lake. We purchased bear spray in case we met any bears a few days ago but Michael has just been carrying it around. We hiked to Pyramid Island (not far) and had a look around. Still no bears. The one on the highway didn't really count as it was behind a fence.

We headed into Jasper for dinner and Bella spotted a beautiful Snow Rainbow.

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21st May 2024

Today we headed back to Banff National Park and Johnston Canyon. We started early to beat the crowds and had the walkways nearly to ourselves. The walk up to the lower and upper falls was lovely and the platforms that have been built gave great views of the river and waterfalls. At the lower falls there is a cave to view the waterfall up close. We were lucky with only a couple of other people there at the time. When we came past on our way home in the afternoon the line was so long. It was not worth an hour wait.

We decided to head up to the Ink Pots. Another 3km up the mountain. Jane had read about them and not a lot of people continue the climb. They are different colours as the water filtering into them from the bottom is at different rates. We had the trail to ourselves and although we were a bit slow, as it was mostly up hill, we had fun. Once we reached them it was well worth it. A few people were there, and we managed to get some good photos and a well-deserved rest. With Jane and Bella in their matching tops from Canmore they were toasty warm. We could have done with taking more to eat. We then had a walk into the meadows, unfortunately for Michael there were no Moose, and it was a much quicker trip down. We were starving after our 12km hike and dove into the restaurant at the start for burgers.

We then stopped in at the town of Banff. We were a little disappointed as it was very touristy, we really liked the small town feel of Canmore and as a town has better mountain views. We then headed back to Canmore to our Pizza place as we were too tired to find anywhere else and a good night's sleep. Jane recorded over 27,000 steps.

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20th May 2024

Today we went to Grassi Lakes, it is a hike up a mountain just outside Canmore in the Kananaskis National Park. On the way up there was a waterfall and after a stair climb, we reached the colourful ponds. They were very beautiful. Mike made friends with a chipmunk and we got snowed on. We had purchased a treat called a Bear Claw before we left. and they were very yummy. We are certainly getting some good exercise on this trip. The waterfall was about halfway up and you can see the lake and carpark where we started below.

We got back to Canmore and a hot chocolate (with a little whipped cream), had a walk around the shops and brought some clothes and headed to the Policeman's Boardwalk by the river. We loved all the wondering around we could do.

We found a great restaurant for dinner with a large pizza oven and amazing pizza.

We then went for a drive on the Three Sister Parkway looking for animals. Only really came across more Elk. Hopefully Jane will get to see her bears soon.

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19th May 2024

Rockies here we come!! After a delayed start, the hire car we had booked could not be picked up because the office was closed for the long weekend. We ended up heading back to the airport to pick one up. After that delay we headed to Canmore. It was very exciting driving towards the mountains. They were so beautiful. Arriving in Canmore we had something to eat and a walk around. Everywhere we turned there were glorious mountain views. Bella had stayed there in September last year and loved the snow cover this time. It has been a late winter, so it was a bit cool. Glad we had our jackets. We walked down to the Bow River and the Engine Bridge.

We had some time before check-in, so we decided to head into the Banff National Park to the Lake Minnewanka Loop. This was a loop road that gave us 4 stops. First stop was Cascade Ponds. It was beautiful with clear water the start of our Red Chair photo adventure. As we were leaving, we saw what we thought were Gofers but turned out to be Ground Squirrels. They were very cute, but I don't want them in my garden.

Next up was Johnston Lake, another nice stop.

Next up was Two Jack Lake.

Last stop was Lake Minnewanka. Michael loved the name.

We hadn't booked a boat tour and it was getting late so we then headed back to Canmore to our hotel and a good rest before a busy day tomorrow. Lucky for us the sun doesn't set until about 9.30pm so we can fit a lot in.

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18th May 2024

An early morning to catch our flight to Calgary. We could see all the snow covered mountains between the clouds some of the time. All went well and the three of us (Bella is spending the week in the Rockies with us) made it to the hotel in Downtown. We could walk to the Bow River which runs through everything it seams and walk along to the Peace Bridge and a late lunch at the River Cafe which was lovely. After lunch we came across some Geese with their Goslings. There were so many of them. We had to pull Bella away as she would have spent the rest of the afternoon taking photos of them.

We really liked Calgary but were excited to get to the Rockies tomorrow.

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16th - 17th May 2024

We woke up to rain. Not bad as it is our 14th day and only the second rainy day. We had planned to explore the south/west coast which is known for beautiful scenery and beaches. We headed of to Sooke to start and found a great museum at the information centre. The lady there was very helpful and loaded us up with maps and information.

We then drove to Shirley for morning tea. We had the best muffins of our lives and thought we would stop on the way back for a late lunch. Unfortunately, they closed at 2pm so we wouldn't make it. We had a break in the rain and walked down to the lighthouse.

We had planned to stop at quite a few beaches but found it raining and all the beaches had at least a 2km hike through the forest to get there. We arrived in Port Renfrew at the other end of the road to find it wasn't really a town and didn't have much. Since it wasn't raining much, we hiked to Botanical and China Beach which Jane had seen nice photos on Facebook. It would have been better in nicer weather. The tide was out so we had a look in the rock pools and then moved on to China Beach which is in Botany Bay and hiked back to the car. Still no Bears. The beaches don't compare to ours and are rock instead of sand, so not very inviting. I can't imagine saying let's go to the beach for the day and having to carry everything 2km to get there!!! We then headed home for a hot shower and dinner.

We woke to our last day on the Island to sunshine again. We packed up and headed up to Sidney near where the ferry left to have a look. We really enjoyed this seaside town. They had a lovely boardwalk along the marina and coast and nice shops to have a look in. They also have the biggest seagulls we have ever seen. Michael made the mistake of ordering an iced coffee, he got coffee and ice not a nice milk coffee😩

We then took the hire car back to the airport and caught a cab to the ferry. We got on an earlier one which we were glad to have the extra time to repack for this next stage of our holiday and go out to dinner with Bella and Sami.

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15th May 2024

Today we decided to explore the Island a bit. Jane had read about a place called Cathedral Grove where there were huge Redwood and Douglas Fir trees. On the way there and back were a few little towns to explore as well. First up was Coombs where they have a tourist attraction called Goats on the Roof. Very cute and we were lucky they had just returned after winter.

We arrived at Catherdral Grove to find very limited parking for a well-publicised tourist spot. We were lucky and found someone leaving as we arrived. It was a nice easy walk around the area on both sides of the highway, although crossing was a carefully timed experience. We saw some huge trees, but a storm had been through a few years ago and knocked down a lot of trees.

On the way home we stopped in at Chermainus where they have painted a lot of their building with scenes of their history. It was a nice stop.

Our last stop before home was Duncan which is famous for Totem Poles. We had a nice walk around downtown before heading home.

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13th - 14th May 2024

With Bella having to work this week we went to Vancouver Island. We decided to fly there and take the ferry back. The travel gods were not happy with this, and our plane was delayed with a fault light. After we were all loaded onto the plane it was decided that it wasn't safe, and we were all unloaded and taken to another gate for a replacement plane to be brought out of storage. We managed to arrive only a couple of hours late. Our accommodation was a loft in and old farm building which was spacious and quiet after downtown Vancouver. We had walking trails at our back door and up the street and wildflowers were in bloom.

Tuesday was the reason for coming to the Island. Butchart Gardens. We were staying only a three-minute drive away, so we were the first ones there. We really like getting there before the crowds. The gardens did not disappoint, and we stayed the whole day with a break in the middle when it got busy with bus tours. It was lovely finding a quiet spot to sit and just enjoy the view. There were so many photo opportunities everywhere we looked. Jane was excited to see the Himalayan Blue Poppy n flower as it is quite rare. Michael was sick of being in photos by this time. The tulips throughout the gardens more than made up for missing the festival in Chilliwack. We could imagine how beautiful the rose gardens would be in summer, but the crowds would be huge and not as enjoyable. A perfect day.

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11th - 12 May 2024

Saturday was the day of our trip that Michael was looking forward to the most. Jane had booked in for the Supercars driving experience Scenic Rush for his birthday. He got to drive a Porsche, Lamborghini, Ferrari and a Mercedes AMG for close to an hour each on the Sea to Sky highway. It was so much fun and he got up to speeds of nearly 200kms per hour. We are not sure as when you are going that fast you don’t have time to check the speedometer. The Lamborghini was the favourite by far and the Ferrari the least. The Porsche and AMG were very comfortable and easy to drive. At one stage on accelerating Mike said to Jane “ I think you need to take my hat” as it was about to be blown off!!

Sunday was Mother’s Day. Bella was going to take us up to Chilliwack for the field of Tulips festival but due to the unusually warm weather it had closed a week early. Instead we went out to Port Coquitlam where she lives and had brunch followed by a hike in the Minnekhada Regional Park. Jane was hoping to spot a bear but no such luck as it was very busy.

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8th - 10th May 2024

Wednesday was time to leave Vancouver and head to Whistler. With Bella back at work, we headed up the Sea to Sky Highway in a rental car. The drive was beautiful and we stopped to experience the Sea to sky Gondola and have lunch in Squamish. There were lots of trails at the top so we had a nice time exploring.

We had a nice surprise when we arrived at our hotel with an upgrade to a one bedroom suite with a view of Blackcomb mountain. We checked in and then explored to village.

Thursday, Jane had booked in for zip lining in the forest. It was a lot of fun and in the afternoon we went to the Scandinavian Spa for a massage and dips in the hot and cold pools and steam rooms. It was a technology free facility so no photos.

Friday was our last day in Whistler. After a walk to Lost Lake, we caught the Gondola up to the top of the mountain and watched the skiers while drinking our hot chocolate. The weather has been so warm that we have had to buy more tee shirts. That is our excuse anyway. We have loved spending time here and it is even better that it is the quietest month of the year. We can imagine what it would be like in peak season.

We arrived back in Vancouver and Bella had organised some e-bikes to cycle around Stanley Park. We had some fun and grabbed some burgers to eat in the park for dinner. We also met Sami, Bella’s partner. He is very nice and it was great to get to know him. 4 hours later feeling very tired we handed to bikes back. We certainly slept well.

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5th - 7th May 2024

Sunday was a little cooler and with the threat of rain we looked for some inside things to do. First was the HR MacMillan Space Centre. Everything was a bit tired looking and the film show on Dark Matter put us to sleep. The old projector that looked cool can apparently not be fixed but they were very happy to tell us that they are going to the moon soon 🤨.

We then headed off on a walk to Granville Island for a bite to eat and a look around. It was raining by the time we got there so some treats were in order. We also did a bit of shopping before heading home and finding dinner.

With the rain gone, Monday was spent outdoors again. We drove out to Burnaby where Bella used to live and had a nice walk through Central Park.

Next we were off for our lunch at Seasons in the Park. Set overlooking Queen Victoria Park and Vancouver. It was a beautiful setting and a fabulous lunch. It was for our anniversary so we could get a great table and even a free dessert.

Our next stop later after a rest was Grouse Mountain. We caught a cable car up and saw two rescue grizzlies who are now fully grown, walked the light trail and watched to sunset.

Tuesday was filled up with a trip to Lynn Canyon for more time in the forest followed by walking around the Nth Vancouver Shipyards and dinner at the Top of Vancouver revolving restaurant. Another anniversary dinner with a dessert. We had the best hot chocolate that we can ever remember.

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4th May 2024

We jumped into another EVO and headed off early to the VanDusen Botanical Gardens. We had a lot of fun and being here in spring has been wonderful.

Our next stop was Bloedel Conservatory and Queen Elizabeth Park. The Conservatory was full of rainforest plants and birds. A little boy asked if we were there to see the mouse !! We did find him and called him Frank.

Queen Elizabeth Park looks like it was an old quarry. The top had great views and we found a squirrel

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3rd May 2024

Jane and Michael finally made it to Vancouver. The travel gods were on our side as the person sitting next to us on the plane never showed, giving us a row to ourselves. Bella met us at the airport at 8am and we all caught the train into the city. After getting an early check in we walked by the waterfront to have lunch.

After lunch we walked through Gastown and Chinatown. Bella had heard of some gardens to visit. Our first tourist trap. We paid to get in and then found out the bigger section of the garden was free!!

We then caught a bus back to the hotel and a nap. Next stop was Cypress Mountain lookout. Bella got an EVO (ride share car), on the way to the car we saw a skunk in front of an apartment building, very surprised to see one in the middle of the city. We drove to the lookout and then on to Whytecliff park to watch the sunset. We were in the right place at the right time and saw a couple of Orca’s from the cliff. Unfortunately, we didn’t get great photos, but it was exciting. We then climbed a rock island and saw the seals and sunset. It was a very busy first day.

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10th - 29th April 2024

Only a few days before Jane and Michael head off to Canada for a visit with Bella (Joanna). Jane has been busy getting the last of the produce from the garden and tidying up the end of season crops and plants. She was happy to receive a lot of green tomatoes from Christine and John when they came to visit. With the rest of our tomatoes lots of green relish was made.

Micheal has been busy plastering the ceilings where we have replaced the old pot recess lights with new smaller LED ones that are sealed and don't let draughts in. The house feels warmer already. Michael has also been tidying up in the garden and made a nice bee hotel. Hopefully the bee's want to live in it. When we get back from Canada at the end of May our new windows will arrive and be installed. Nathan and Michael pulled down the kitchen blinds in preparation and it has made a big difference to the view. We are really looking forward to that.