#Canucks Unlimited

[barzyhughes]

hes got me blushing, giggling, kicking my feet and twirling my hair

[lukemfhughes]

‘so you are quinns friend?’

Jack Hughes x reader

Words: 1933

Summary: quinn brings his friend to the lake house and jack takes intrest on her.

Note: i hope you enjoy reading this! Send in requests!

You were scared but also excited to go to the hughes lake house. You knew that the guys who were at the lake house were childish. That made you feel better. Now you and quinn were in the car driving to the house. Your leg was bouncing up and down when all the thought ran through your mind. ”Y/n chill out, everything is gonna be fine.” Quinn says when he notices your anxiety. You just nod and start to watch some show.

When your car finally arrives to the house. Quinn and you take your bags and walk towards the front door. When you get inside it’s quiet. ”Everyone is prob on the backyard.” Quinn says and continues to carry his bags upstairs. You two drop your bags and unpack before heading back down. ”Let’s go outside.” Quinn says. ”I’m gonna grab water do you want?” You ask him. He nods and you go grab water from the fridge.

Quinn opens the sliding door for you to walk outside. The first thing you see is group of boys playing soccer on the land. ”Quinn and quinns friend is here!” Someone of the yells. ”Sup guys! This is y/n” Quinn answers. They all say hi to you. ”Y/n this is jack, trevor, cole, alex, matt, luke, josh and moyni.” Quinn says and points at everyone. You nod at him.

Quinn joins the soccer game and you sit down to the outdoor couch and scroll on your phone. ”Hey Quinn, i’m tired so i’m gonna take a quick nap.” You say and get up. You head upstairs and throw yourself to the bed. Sleep takes over you and you drift off in a minute.

”Y/nnn.” You hear quinn whisper. You open your eyes and look at him. ”Yeah?” You ask him and rub your eyes. ”We made food so come to eat.” He says and grabs your arm to pull you with him.

You sit down next to quinn and alex is on the other side of you. ”So y/n what do you do for living?” Cole asks. ”Umm well, i’m working as media worker for the canucks but this was my first season there. I played volleyball in texas for the Athletes Unlimited before going to vancouver.” You answer. ”Why did you move to vancouver and stopped playing?” Trevor asks. ”I tore my acl, and i moved to vancouver cause my ex boyfriend lived there.” They all look at you with sad expression when you mention your injury.

”Where are you from?” Moyni asks. ”Minnesota” you answer. They all nod and then switch the subject. The dinner goes past nicely with small converstation. Everyone was included in the converstation, but jack, he said couple things but he was diffrent than you thought. He was quiet. 

“Lets go outside to start the fire, someone grab drinks.” Trevor says. “I can take the drinks.” you say and head to the kitchen fridge. You count enough cans but realise that you cannot carry them all at once. “I can help.” you hear jacks voice say from the doorway. “Thanks that would be needed.” you say and grab a pile of cans.

You two walk outside and hand out the beers for anyone. There are two chairs left next to each other so you sit down on the other what is next to Quinn. jack sits on the other one. Everyone starts drinking and chatting together. More drinks are being handed. You finally start to feel like you are getting closer to them. The music is playing and your fav song come up. You start singing it quietly but hear someone else also sing it. You look next to you and see jack singing it. He smiles at you and sends wink to you. This causes your cheeks to flush. You quickly hide your face to the can and take a sip. When you take a look back at jack you can see him smirking.

“I’m gonna head to bed, are you coming?” Quinn says and looks at you. “In a bit” You answer him. He nods and goes inside. Some of the other boys follow him. Now there is only Jack, alex and trevor besides of you outside. “I’m gonna sit on the dock for a moment and watch the sky so goodnight if you guys go to bed.” you say and get up. “Goodnight.” They all say together. 

You sit down to the dock and watch out to the lake. It looks so peaceful, even your tipsy mind understand it. ”You should go inside so you wont come cold.” You hear jacks voice from further away. You turn around to look at him. ”I’m fine, don’t worry.” You say and turn back to the lake. He stays quiet. You look back and see that he is gone. Suddenly a warm blanket is thrown over your shoulders. It was jack again. He sits down next to you. ”Thanks.” You mumble. ”So you are quinns friend? Only a friend?” He asks. You nod at him. ”He is a really close friend of mine. And it’s a good thing ofc.” You say. He nods.

”So you told us about your ex, what happend?” He asks. ”when i moved to vancouver with him, we lived together for a month until i caught him cheating.” You say. ”Oh i’m sorry for you. You didn’t deserve it.” He says and looks at you softly. You just nod at him. He notices how sleepy your eyes look like. ”You should go to bed.” He says. ”I can sleep here im too lazy to walk up there.” You mumble. He chuckles before scooping up to his arms. ”What are you doing?” You ask him. ”I’m carrying you to sleep cause you are too lazy.” He says and continues his way to your bedroom.

He sets you to the bed next to quinn. ”Goodnight to you y/n.” He says and brushes some hair out of you face. ”Goodnight jacky.” You mumble and cuddle your cover.

When jack leaves the room he has a weird feeling in his chest. He decides to ingore it and get to sleep.

Next morning you wake up next to quinn. You remember things from last night, but some parts were empty. You get up and walk to the kitchen to grab water. You sit down to the counter chair and start to scroll on tik tok. ”Boo!” Is yelled into your ear as someone grabs your shoulders. ”Holy fucking shit you scared me.” You say and look at trevor who is laughing his ass of. Also alex and cole entered the kitchen. ”Well good morning to you too zegras. This feels like you didn’t meet me the first time yesterday.” You say. He just laughs. Everyone else also enters the kitchen, they prob woke up to trevor yelling.

”So what is todays plan?!” Jack shouts. ”The plan is you to not to speak so loud.” Quinn says at him. Jack just sends him a look. ”Beach volley?” Cole suggests. Everyone agrees with it. Soon you all are walking oit of the front door. You guys drive to the beach and set your bags to the sand. ”So what are the teams?” Alex asks. ”I take y/n!” Jack yells. Everyone looks at him confused. ”She used to play volleyball that’s why.” Jack says. The other make two people team and you and jack start against quinn and luke. On the other net there is cole and alex against trevor and moyni. Josh and matt are waiting for their turn.

The day goes on. You and jack win all of your games. ”We are the champions!” Jack yells and brings you for a hug. ”Hahaa you guys are losers.” You say and show L to everyone else. ”Y/n that’s rudee.” Trevor groans. ”Sorry not sorry.” You say and high five jack. Everyone sets their towels to the sand and the boys run to the water. ”So you and jack seem to get well along?” Quinn asks as he sits down next to you. ”What to you mean?” You ask. ”Well the beach vball games and then the fact that he carried you to bed last night.” Quinn says and gives you a look. “Oh i forgot about last night.” You say and rub your face. “Mhm, i’m fine with it as long as he doesn’t hurt you.” Quinn says and throws his arm over your shoulders. “Dude i met him yesterday.” You point out. He just shurgs his shoulders. 

“I’m hungry.” Moyni says when he comes from the water. “Me too.” Alex groans. “Lets go eat then.” You say and start packing your stuff. “Can we eat McDonalds?” Jack pleads. Everyone agrees so we drive there and order. “I’m gonna find us a table.” You say and walk away from the line. You find enough long table were everyone can fit.

 You sit down and some random guy sits next to you. “The full table is taken.” You say. “I can sit here for a moment” The creepy guy says. “Nah no need to.” You say and pull your chair further away. “Oh why don’t you pretty girl wanna talk with me.” He says and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear. You slap his hand away and her grabs your wrist. “Let the fuck go off her!” You hear jack yell and run towards you. He pushes the guy of the chair and sends him the death stare. “Leave, now!” Jack demainds. The creep runs of and jack turns to look at you. “Are you okay?” He asks and sits down  to the chair. You look down to your wrist. He gently grabs it and you see fire forming into his eyes. “There is gonna be a bruise on it.” He says. You nod. “I’m gonna ask for ice.” He says and leaves the table. You look around and see that all the other boys have came to the table, they look at you with soft expression.

“Here i got the ice.” Jack says and holds it to your wrist carefully. The food come and you all start eating, jack still basicly holding your hand. “So good.” You groan. Everyone laughs at you. “I’m ready to go home and sleep for 12 hours.” you say and get up from the table. You take out the ice from jacks hand and throw the melted ice bag to trash. 

Once you arrive the lake house everyone trails their way to their rooms. You instead head to the kitchen to grab water. Jack also stays at downstairs and follows you to kitchen. “Does it hurt anymore, your wrist i mean.” he asks softly. “Not so much.” you answer and sit down to the counter chair. “He should have not touched you liked that.” He murmurs. “Jack, everything is okay now, you saved me, thank you.” You say and open your arms to offer him a hug. He immediately comes to hug you. He tucks your head under his chin. ‘Did he just smell my hair, shit it must smell so sweaty’ you thought. “You smell good.” He mumbles. This causes you to blush. You pull away and look at him. He looks at your eyes then his eyes trail down to your lips. “Can i kiss you?” He asks. You nod and he immediately presses his lips to yours. 

“wow” You breath out once you pull away. “Yeah right, i could get used to that.” He smiles, ‘oh his smile’ you think and it causes you to smile back. “me too.” You whisper.

[joanpuckinsucks]

RANKING NHL GOAL SONGS !

30. San Jose Sharks - Get Ready For This by 2 Unlimited

this is so incredibly boring. when i went to leafs v. sharks earlier this year it was a great experience, but the goal song just didnt stick out. the sharks fans didnt even do shit when they scored goal until they scored during overtime. its not a good song im sorry it just isnt. p.s fuck the sharks

29. Florida Panthers - Sweetness by Jimmy Eat World

obviously Panthers fans seem to like this but its kinda boring. its not what id like to hear when my team scores. its not something id be screaming to. its kinda sad if im being honest. i will put it above the Sharks out of spite tho. sorry Panthers fans

28. Montreal Canadiens - stupid hey hey song

boooo tomato tomato tomato . HABS YOU SUCK !

27. Washington Capitals - random song accompanied by ambulance noises

makes my head hurt

26. Edmonton Oilers - Hell Yeah by Rev Theory

overwhelming

25. St Louis Blues - song i dont know the name of

take me out to the ball game, take me out to the crowdddd

24. Carolina Hurricanes - Raise Up by Petey Pablo

no. it sounds like that song that goes like "welcome to the reddddddd kingdom"

23. Vegas Golden Knights - Vegas Lights by Panic! at the Disco

i dont like Panic! i dont like the song. i dont like the team. and the goal song is drowned out by the crowd chant ("Go Knights Go!")

22. Columbus Blue Jackets - For Those About to Rock by AC/DC / The Whip by Locksley

this one is so strange to me. if youre gonna start with a bangin song like for those about to rock, why change halfway through and mash it up with a song with such a large contrast? its such a big switch up like what??????? i think that the audience participation on this one is nice ("Woah oh oh, oh oh, oh oh ohohoh"). kinda lame ngl

21. Detroit Red Wings - no clue what this is called

eh good enough

20. Phildadephia Flyers - Feel the Shake by Jetboy

its an ehhhh song, but its higher than some of the others one because the Flyers make up with their mid ass goal song with Gritty

19. Winnipeg Jets - Gonna Celebrate by The Phantoms

one mid ass goal song, brought to you by your Winnipeg Jets! i wonder what Jesse from BarDown thinks about this. the title of the song reminds me of the video where its that like nursery rhyme that goes like "weve got to celebrate our differences!"

18. Anaheim Ducks - Bro Hymn by Pennywise

ehhhhh its fine.

17. Colorado Avalanche - Chase the Sun by Planet Fun

its fine. not much to say about it. audience participation is mediocre but its there ("Hey! Hey! Hey!").

16. Dallas Stars - Puck Off by Pantera

wowww so edgy and metal! i guess its fine. the chanting of "Dallas...Stars!" kind of makes it a bit better, but i just cant get behind it. crowd seems happy tho, so i guess thats good.

15. LA Kings - song that supposably has no name

its not bad, its just kinda forgettable... it has nice audience participation ("Hey! Hey! HeyHeyHey!"). songs i think wouldve been better/more memorable: Party in the U.S.A by Miley Cyrus, Valley Girl by Frank Zappa, California Girls by Katy Perry

14. New Jersey Devils - Howl by The Gaslight Anthem

i have a strong dislike for the devils and new jersey but this is an ok song. i cant tell if the crowd is shouting "Here we go!" or "YOU SUCK!"

13, Vancouver Canucks - Aint Talkin Bout Love by Van Halen

i like Van Halen, but do ya know what i like more? Greenday. do you know why Quinn Hughes looks so sad all the time? its because he remembered the Canucks goal song isnt Holiday anymore! bring back Holiday!

12. Tampa Bay Lightning - Goons by Mona

catchy, good crowd chant.

11. Nashville Preadtors - I Like It, I Love It by Tim McGraw / Gold on The Ceiling by The Black Keys

nashville is music city, so i expected something better, but the crowd chant ("YOU SUCK!") is good. i love me a good "YOU SUCK!"

10. Calgary Flames - TNT by AC/DC

its a good song. would make for good crowd chants ("TNT! Hey! Hey! TNT!").

9. New York Islanders AND Minnesota Wild - Crowd Chant by Joe Satriani

come on guys! could you be any more unoriginal? shameful. still a good song.

7. Arizona Coyotes - Howlin For You by The Black Keys

i like it. coyote themed. good audience participation ("da da dada da, da da dada da")

7. New York Rangers - Slaphot by Ray Castoldi

i dont have much to say about it, but its good!

6. Boston Bruins - Kernkraft 400

i actually quite like this one. its not bad at all. its easy for fans to chant the melody, its fun to listen to (haha funny beep boop music), and its a Bruins tradition! as a leafs fan, i am absolutely shaking in my boots, im terrified, i really am. great song.

5. Buffalo Sabres - Let Me Clear My Throat by DJ Kool

i know i was talkin some serious shit about the Sabres earlier tonight but their goal song is great ! it makes for good crowd chants ("here we go now! here we go now!")

4. Ottawa Senators - Song 2 by Blur

i love Song 2, i love Blur, and this is a great goal song. its great to pump the crowd up when a goal is scored and would make for some great crowd chants. ("woo hoo!")

3. Toronto Maple Leafs - You Make My Dreams by Hall + Oates

i may be a bit biased as a leafs fan, but i love this song and its just so great. hearing it is always so nice and makes me feel so good and its just an all around catchy song. its the best sound in the world for a Leafs fan.

2. Pittsburgh Penguins - Jump Around by House of Pain

i love this one !! its just so perfect and its sure to pump up pens fans and non pens fans alike.

Chicago Blackhawks - Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis.

now, do i absolutely hate the Blackhawks? yes. i hope that the Blackhawks association cant sleep at night, i hope everytime they look in the mirror it says "WHORE" in big red lipstick letters because they deserve it. what were they thinking having such an offensive logo and letting dylan strome play for them. i hate dylan strome. their only redeeming quality is their goal song. i LOVE Chelsea Dagger. its so catchy i just have to sing along. its great, it makes for great audience participation and its just a great goal song to pump up the fans!

[novumtimes]

Driver arrested after ramming police vehicle in Surrey: RCMP

Article content A man was chased on foot and Tasered before being arrested after ramming a police car and driving dangerously into traffic in Surrey. Surrey RCMP got a call about a suspicious vehicle in the area of 146th Street and 108th Avenue shortly before 2 p.m. on Wednesday. Officers spotted the vehicle, a blue Ford Explorer SUV, and tried to make contact with the driver. The SUV allegedly rammed the police car and, while trying to take off, caused a collision with another civilian vehicle that was stopped in traffic. Article content The SUV was quickly located a few blocks away where the SUV was dangerously being driven into oncoming traffic. “Based on this extreme escalation of risk that the driver of the SUV posed to the public and police, police engaged in a pursuit to stop the SUV and restore public safety,” said RCMP Sgt. Tammy Lobb in a statement. Police managed to stop the SUV near King George Boulevard and 108th Avenue but the driver took off on foot. Chasing officers used a conductive energy weapon on the suspect before taking him into custody. The man is being held until a bail hearing and charges of flight from police, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and assaulting police officers will be recommended. “No police officers or members of the public were injured during this incident and the male in custody received only minor injuries,” said Lobb. “This individual demonstrated a wanton disregard for the safety and well-being of the public and police officers who put themselves at risk to bring this dangerous situation to a safe conclusion.” jruttle@postmedia.com Recommended from Editorial Canucks’ Thatcher Demko may not be ready for 2024 training camp: report ‘Pressing need:’ Delta pushes for funding for special port police to tackle drug smuggling Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don’t miss the news you need to know — add VancouverSun.com and TheProvince.com to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber: For just $14 a month, you can get unlimited access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The Province. Share this article in your social network Source link via The Novum Times

[laresearchette]

Tuesday, December 05, 2023 Canadian TV Listings (Times Eastern)

WHERE CAN I FIND THOSE PREMIERES? GEDDY LEE ASKS: ARE BASS PLAYERS HUMAN TOO? (Paramount +) GREAT PHOTO, LOVELY LIFE (HBO Canada) 10:00pm

WHAT IS NOT PREMIERING IN CANADA TONIGHT TMZ'S MERRY ELFIN' CHRISTMAS (Fox Feed) LIFE BELOW ZERO: FIRST ALASKANS (TBD - Nat Geo Canada) REAL TIME CRIME (TBD - Investigation Discovery)

NEW TO AMAZON PRIME CANADA/CBC GEM/CRAVE TV/DISNEY + STAR/NETFLIX CANADA:

AMAZON PRIME CANADA AFTER AFTER EVER HAPPY

DISNEY + STAR ISABEL PREYSLER: MY CHRISTMAS (Season 1)

NETFLIX CANADA THE F WORD JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE STAVROS HALKIAS: FAT RASCAL TOP CHEF (Seasons 6 & 12)

NHL HOCKEY (SN1/SNPacific) 7:00pm: Kings vs. Blue Jackets (TSN5) 7:00pm: Rangers vs. Sens (SNEast/SNOntario) 7:30pm: Red Wings vs. Sabres (SNWest) 9:00pm: Wild vs. Flames (SNPacific) 10:00pm: Devils vs. Canucks

NBA BASKETBALL (TSN4/TSN5) 7:30pm: Knicks vs. Bucks (SN1) 10:00pm: Suns vs. Lakers

THIS HOUR HAS 22 MINUTES (CBC) 8:00pm

MARY MAKES IT EASY (CTV Life) 8:00pm: Life is a Fryway

EVIDENCE OF THE UNEXPLAINED (T&E) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): The UFO story continues worldwide, as evidenced by an object emerging from the sea at Miami; a witness in Australia suffering mysterious injuries; and 60 schoolchildren in Zimbabwe describing an encounter with an object and its occupants.

DERELICT RESCUE (Cottage Life) 8:00pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Isadora and Ben undertake the restoration of a 500-year-old farmhouse; they battle decades of decay, missed deadlines and vanishing funds to transform the estate into a grand manor with bonus rental spaces.

COMFORT FOOD WITH SPENCER WATTS (CTV Life) 8:30pm: Spencer provides some twists on a few originals including his version of meat tourtiere pies, a Newfoundland-inspired bundt pan figgy duff with maple syrup liqueur, and west coast salmon rolls.

THE LAZARUS PROJECT (Showcase) 9:00pm: The team gets closer to cracking the science behind time travel, but the mission is not as straightforward as it appears, while George witnesses the repercussions of unlimited time travel.

911 CRISIS CENTER (Lifetime Canada) 9:00pm/9:30pm (SERIES PREMIERE): Dispatcher Essence Sullins and the night shift team take non-stop emergency calls from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., including one that connects to someone in Essence's family. In Episode Two, on her last shift at CVD, veteran 911 dispatcher Christine Mazzeo must navigate the chaos of St. Patrick's Day and say goodbye to the work family she has been with through thick and thin for over 12 years.

CHRISTINE SINCLAIR'S FINAL MATCH: CANADA VS. AUSTRALIA (TSN/TSN3/TSN4/TSN5) 10:00pm

[oconnrs]

1 & 24!

one. who was the first team you ever became a fan of?

i think it's a tossup between the canucks and flyers? when I got into hockey during playoffs last yr i was a huge fan of both (the canucks bc i knew who quinn hughes was and the flyers bc i liked their dynamic)

twenty four. if you had unlimited tickets to see one of your favorite teams play for the rest of your life who would you pick?

im thinking either the habs or avs only because i love the isles but absolutely hate going to long island

send me an ask from the hockey asks list!

[barklyvanish]

Canadian Superhero,Captain Canuck.... #Captain Canuck #wolverine #fantastic four #the wonder twins #alpha flight #justice league #justice league unlimited

[jakeguentzels]

Nashville, Kings, CBJ, VGK, & Ottawa?

first of all let me just say your hockey team ask game is 10x better than mine and your questions are better than mine (i am also obsessed with yours)

Columbus Blue Jackets: Who has the worst jersey in the league?

the retro ducks jerseys are kinda ugly to me (sorry ducks fans it’s nothing personal)

Los Angeles Kings: What team did you really like in the past but lost interest in?

the red wings i still follow them here and there but not as much as i used to

Nashville Predators: If you had unlimited money, what jerseys would you buy?

the retro penguins jerseys, literally any leafs jersey, a canucks jersey, stars jersey and probably a kraken jersey

Ottawa Senators: Make some too early trophy predictions for the 2021 season.

honestly this is so hard because the standings are so tight (ask me in a few weeks)

Vegas Golden Knights: What locations would you like to see get expansion drafts?

if you mean what places i would like to see expansion teams 100% houston i will forever say houston

[scarletproducts]

Warum trinkt deutsche Sackmilch?

Oh Germany! As proud Canucks, we certainly have our quirky traits and tastes, from apologizing with “Soar-Ee” to our love for ketchup chips, butter tarts and poutine. But did you know that bagged milk is also a unique German invention?

Each pack contains three non-resealable plastic bags that are filled with milk and correspond to a total of 4 liters. Put a single bag in a jug, cut off the corner and start pouring. Then put the pitcher back in the refrigerator until you need it next.

 It wasn't always that simple; until the late 1960s, milk was packaged in heavy, breakable glass bottles, which resulted in huge transportation costs for the dairy industry. Alternatives soon appeared, such as cardboard boxes, plastic jugs, and finally plastic bags.

As the story goes, DuPont, a German food and packaging company, unveiled thin plastic bags in 1967 that milk could be stored and sold in. Gradually the dairy industry began to throw away glass bottles and adopted this new plastic bag, which was far more practical and inexpensive. The German switch to the metric system in the 1970s made the switch a breeze: while plastic jugs and cardboard boxes had to be redesigned and manufactured to be sold in metric units, plastic bags could easily be resized.

Today, an estimated 75 to 80 percent of the milk sold in Frankfurt is packaged, and around 50 percent of milk drinkers buy the packaged variety in German. Even so, our American neighbors find this practice a bit strange, and south of the border most milk is bought in jugs and cartons.

But we're not the only ones in the world who rock the plastic udder. Milk sacks are available in many other countries such as South Africa, Argentina, Uruguay, Hungary and China. In Israel there is a kankomat: soft plastic milk bags with a knife in a plastic container. When it comes to milk, the Germans might march to the beat of their own drums, but there are many other nations that play in the band.

Bagged Milk? With last summer's cast ft. KJ Apa & Maia Mitchell | Netflix

   These days, Germans are doing some cool things with discarded "milk bubbles". Milkbags Unlimited, a voluntary network in the greater Frankfurt area, recycles milk bags into sleeping mats. Each adult size mat consists of approximately 400 milk sacks that are cleaned and cut into strips. Volunteers put each bag on a frame and weave it into the mattress with a lifespan of around 25 years. In addition to mats, milk sacks are also used to fill pillows and weave handbags. The milk bag mats offer a durable and washable alternative to sleeping on cold, damp and dusty floors and have helped people in particular in disaster areas. When resources are scarce, health professionals have even used these mattresses as replacements for operating tables.

The next time you cut out the corner of a milk sachet, you should feel a hint of German pride. This may be one of our weird and wonderful national customs, but no one can say that Canucks are not resourceful!

 Source:

 If you are looking for or are interested in " Scarlet Espresso products such as - knock-off containers, distributors, fine wooden handles, coffee containers, milk jugs, milk thermometers, precision filters, cleaning brushes, key rings, other items, manipulation, manipulation bowl, manipulation station, cup heightener in Germany" please have a look now a great discount for B2C and B2B! https://www.scarletproducts.de/

Abut Authr -Hans Becker

[kasprowy-blog]

Stupidity unlimited

The royal couple spending some time in Canada.  Nice choice. They found the only stupid gov in the world to pay for their security. Millions.  Canucks! expect the next tax grab!

[alert5]

It’s just after lunch on a cold, dreary Wednesday in Eastern Ontario, Canada. A pristine lake with mist settled above the waters sits quietly, surrounded by densely-forested hills, cabins and cottages scattered around the shores. A dull noise in the distance approaches, turning quickly into a roar as two grey C-130J Super Hercules tactical airlift transports race over a hill at altitudes so low, you could probably touch their bellies if you raised your hands above your head.

In the cockpit of Burma 2-1, the lead Herc in this two-ship formation, we’re dodging missiles fired off by unseen enemy combatants on the ground. Captain Jeff Moorhouse calmly calls out missile launches as the two aircraft in Burma Flight maneuver in response. You can feel the G forces coming on as the Herc suddenly banks, its left wing aimed at the ground and the horizon turning into a rapidly decreasing obtuse angle. My 2 lb Canon camera somehow feels like it’s now 30 lbs, and I’m hefting it to my face, trying to grab a shot of the spectacular scene unfolding right in front of me as I sit in the jump seat behind the two pilots of Burma 2-1.

Of course, we’re not trying to outfox real missiles – this is just a drill, but a highly realistic mission nonetheless. Today, I get to fly with the best of Canada’s best on a training run in a C-130J (known as the CC-130J in Canadian military parlance) at altitudes that would make most ordinary pilots feel thoroughly uncomfortable, especially in an aircraft of this size. It’ll be a two-ship flight, meaning that two Super Hercs will fly this mission, always in close formation throughout the entire flight… even during takeoff. These two aircraft belong to one of the most storied Canadian transportation units in existence – 436 Transport Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 8 Wing, based out of Canadian Forces Base Trenton.

436 Squadron traces its lineage back to the Second World War, where it was officially stood up in 1944 in India to serve as a forward-deployed logistics support element for Allied forces fighting the Imperial Japanese military in neighboring countries. 436 soon became known as “Canucks Unlimited”, and its pilots and crew earned a reputation for themselves thanks to their adoption of a spartan lifestyle and highly rigorous training methods. In order to save time between sorties, crew opted to eat dry meals instead of hot cooked meals, spurning a luxury widely available to aircrew at Allied bases. Maintenance methods were revamped by the squadron’s innovative engineering officer, who devised a way for crews to swap out their aircraft’s engines in two days instead of the usual three, returning grounded aircraft back to flight status quickly. Back then, Douglas C-47s, known as Dakotas in Canada, were 436’s workhorse of choice. In the years since, the highly-dependable C-130 filled that role. Today, we’re flying in the most advanced C-130s in the world, the Super Hercules.

Escorting me on-base today is Lieutenant Karyn Mazurek, a career military officer who formerly served on Canadian naval warships before her current job in public affairs. Lt. Mazurek and I are ushered into a briefing room upon reaching 436’s hangars. This room lined with computers hooked up to databases networks full of information which aircrew study intensely prior to a flight. We’re told to turn off our phones as we enter, and we quietly stand at a table. Everything is timed perfectly, and to that end, the officer leading the briefing calls out warnings prior to the start of the information session. Data sheets relevant to the training mission are handed out and everybody gets a copy. What we’re witnessing is actually called a “concept”, where everything the pilots and aircrew need to know about the mission they’ll soon fly is disseminated via ranking officers and critical personnel, like air traffic controllers and weather monitors. Today’s flight is a training exercise – two new pilots will be getting more hands-on time with the C-130J under the watchful eyes of experienced tactically-qualified pilots, while a pair of loadmasters will also be training, one as a new instructor, also observed by another experienced trainer.

Fin 601, aka “Senior”. Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

Every flight is assigned a callsign, and the two aircraft flying today are labeled “Burma Flight”, a pointed reminder of the squadron’s history in the Asian theater of the Second World War. The lead aircraft will be dropping a pair of pallets, one on the ground in a COFF (Combat OFFload), and the other while in the air in a traditional airdrop. In combat situations, Hercules aircrew are expected to be fully proficient on these methods of battlefield supply delivery. The pallets we’ll be flying with are loaded down with weights to simulate an actual load; in battle, they’ll be chock full of ammunition, rations, gear, and other vital necessities for soldiers on the ground. Though C-130s are designed to land virtually anywhere, there are situations which require airdrops – cargo offloaded while in-flight through the rear main door of the aircraft – because landing the aircraft is simply out of the question for safety purposes. The RCAF has been doing this for years, ever since they bought their first C-130 legacy Hercs. Today, I’ll get to see them doing it with the newest technology available to them.

We’re bussed out the flight line, a neat row of dark gray C-130Js sitting quietly before us. I’m going to go up with Burma 2-1, the lead aircraft in the flight. For this run, 2-1 is assigned Fin 601, the very first C-130J delivered to the RCAF… so technically, I’m sitting on a piece of history. But before Fin 601 can be loaded up, it needs to be pre-flighted. As we’re technically flying with three loadmasters today, the three of them go about the preflight together with one observing and the other two executing. It’s rigorous and every minute detail is checked and rechecked. Nothing can be left to chance. It’s not just for the sake of those flying in the Herc, but it’s also for the sake of everyone they support on the ground. If an aircraft is disabled or incapacitated in any way, that puts the soldiers these aircraft are designed to support at a distinct disadvantage, and for the airmen of 436 Squadron, many of whom have and maintain ties to the Canadian Army’s infantry community, failure simply won’t do.

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After the loadmasters strap the cargo in using a forklift to help with the lift, a quick lunch and another pre-flight brief later, we’re now in the final prep stages for mission launch. Captains Joe Tufenkdjian and Jeff Moorhouse are Burma 2-1’s aircraft commander (left seat) and first officer (right seat) respectively. Now fully strapped into the jumpseat, it doesn’t take very long for a loud whine to fill the cockpit. We’ve switched to the aircraft’s auxiliary power unit and the ground power unit has been disconnected. A few short minutes later, the aircraft rumbles and vibrates noticeably – the first engine has been fired up and brought to idle. The pilots do the same for each engine in the startup sequence while communicating with air traffic control to get the necessary clearances and

“Burma 2-1, you’re cleared to Runway 06, hold till Burma 2-2 converges.”

Through the right-side windshield, we see Burma 2-2 holding short on a taxiway, ready for the formation takeoff. 2-2 will close in behind us on the runway, entering its takeoff roll when we’re all the way through ours. After lifting off, 2-1 and 2-2 will meet up and maintain that formation all the way through the flight. We begin banking away from Trenton on our climb, farmland falling away below us. But we don’t climb very high as today’s mission is meant to be flown at a low level. Most aircraft as big as the C-130 aren’t built to do this, but the Hercules excels at it. We’ll be flying through valleys, skirting hills and ridges, and we’re doing it through “bad guy country”. That means that everybody on the ground is hostile unless we’re informed otherwise, and they’re trying to kill us.

Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

For any farmers and spring vacationers out there who might’ve heard or seen Burma Flight fly over, don’t worry, you’re not actually hostile combatants. 2-1 and 2-2’s pilots need practice avoiding the most common threat they’d face overseas in a country like Afghanistan – man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS for short. And in no time, we’re under attack. And like the professionals they are, 2-1 and 2-2’s pilots quickly and efficiently respond to these attacks with a variety of tricks up their sleeves, keeping their aircraft and the important cargo in their holds safe and sound, still on track for the drop. Even FedEx couldn’t get delivery done as well as Burma Flight’s about to do it. We fly on through Eastern Ontario, banking sharply low over lakes and rivers, rising over hills when the terrain avoidance system voices its concern with repeated “Terrain, terrain, pull up!” warnings. It’s thoroughly shocking and yet highly comforting at the same time that Capts. Tufenkdjian and Moorhouse are idly chatting about the weather, sports, snowmobiles and vacation home property values while we’re roaring low over Ontario, passing small towns and logging camps in the blink of an eye. Somewhere behind us, at our 5 or 6 o’clock position, is Burma 2-2 doing the same thing. These two pilots are so damned good at their jobs that they make today seem like just another walk in the park for them.

Capt. Joe Tufenkdjian at the helm of Burma 2-1 while en route to the training area for today’s flight. Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

Over the ICS, I hear Capt. Moorhouse talk with one of the loadmasters on the flight. “Reporter wants to get some time on the ramp with his camera, let’s do it. Someone come get him.” He turns around and asks me if I’m okay with the change in plan – originally, we were considering me going out on the ramp after concluding the airdrop, but this plan works better. I flash him a thumbs up and respond affirmatively via the ICS. Hell yes, I’m ready! Having never done this before, I grab the helmet and make for the ladder before anybody changes their mind, not that they will. Master Corporal Jared “Jay” Conroy is there to greet me and get me harnessed-up.

I’m still getting my bearings, stumbling through the hold while we’re hitting turbulence every so often. One of the loadmasters helps me into a harness and I put a borrowed flight helmet on, replete with a tinted visor and microphone. Jay and I move to the back of the aircraft and we hook into the floor. Jay disappears from my line of sight to manipulate a set of controls. The ramp soon drops and I start to stumble towards the gaping maw in front of me, forests, rivers and lakes falling behind us quickly. But I don’t have time to be uneasy because I get to feast my eyes on an incredible sight… out of nowhere, Burma 2-2, the second C-130J in the flight swoops into sight, parrying with the winds assaulting it. I’ve never seen or experienced anything like this in my life and my first instinct is to grab my camera. Buffeting winds make taking pictures of the trailing aircraft nearly impossible but I grab a few shots. Jay motions to me to sit down, and I do. At times, we bank so steeply that I need to hold onto the rollers on the floor of the ramp to keep me from shifting down.

It’s awesome.

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We’re zipping along merrily, the second C-130 flying less than 1000 feet behind. The brilliance of the situation I’m in gets to me and I start laughing as though I’ve completely lost my sanity. There I am, sitting on an open-air ramp at the back of an aircraft traveling hundreds of miles an hour in turbulent skies, hooked up to a solitary nylon strap behind me… and I’m having the time of my life! Jay has served in the Canadian Forces for over sixteen years, having begun his career in the military as an enlisted armored infantry soldier in the Canadian Army Reserve; an open ramp of a C-130 is the last place you’d expect to find an armored crewman. However, I look over and I see him casually enjoying the view, a grin stretching from ear to ear. This is just another day at work for him, but the experience never gets old.

MCpl Jared “Jay” Conroy stands in front of Fin 601, one of two CC-130J-30 Super Hercules transporters on today’s mission. Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

The job of a Hercules loadmaster is very involved and challenging. The aircraft essentially becomes the loadmaster’s baby for the duration of the mission. His or her responsibility ranges from helping power the aircraft up from its dormant stage by plugging it into a GPU (a ground power unit), checking the hydraulically-actuated cargo ramp, to calculating weight and balance and appropriately distributing the cargo load to help keep the aircraft at a stable attitude while in-flight. Conroy is known as a combat-qualified loadmaster, meaning that he’s capable of doing his job under the stresses of battle. In fact, he’s already deployed with the C-130J to Afghanistan, having flown strategic airlift missions out there in support of coalition forces on the ground. For him and other airmen, one of the biggest perks of the job isn’t just getting to see the world – which they do a lot of – but it’s getting to fly in ways no ordinary person could ever fathom. “We were over Portugal once, and we dropped the ramp… I was just sitting there admiring the view below me, it was incredible! You don’t see that on a civilian jet … just amazing!” recalls Jay of an RCAF mission that took him to Western Europe and beyond.

We eventually make it back into the hold of the aircraft and Jay closes up the ramp. The C-130J is very similar to every other Herc I’ve ever been in, yet incredibly different. The one I’m on today was one of 17 C-130J-30s purchased by the Canadian Forces in 2008 with deliveries beginning a few years later. The -30 is the longest iteration of the C-130 line, which got its start in the mid-1950s. It possesses a glass cockpit with an array of multifunction displays, two heads up displays (HUDs) which projects important data on a see-through screen in front of the pilots faces, allowing them to keep their eyes outside their aircraft instead of constantly pointed at the cockpit’s instruments, and it only needs a crew of three to function – two pilots and a loadmaster, instead of the older Hercules’s crew of five (a flight engineer and navigator were the other two roles required). It can essentially do everything its predecessors, known as “legacy” Hercs, can do, and more.

Loadmaster Jay Conroy preps a pallet for the CDS drop. Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

I’m back in the cockpit and Capt. Moorhouse chimes in over the comms again: “How was it?” I yell back “Awesome! Can’t wait to do it again!” before I realize I didn’t key my microphone. Moorhouse laughs and resumes paying attention to flying. The C-130J is his first fleet flying assignment in the RCAF, and he’s been at it ever since the Super Hercules entered Canadian service. “It’s a great plane, love it, nothing like it and it’s perfect for the job” says Moorhouse when we land. Having served with the Canadian Forces since 2006, he encourages prospective pilots to consider flying with the RCAF and notes that flight experience has never really been a prerequisite, having never flown an aircraft himself before he joined up. “You get to see and do incredible things … things you would never get to do in a civilian airliner, we get to do in military aircraft. The experience is well worth it.” he says.

We’re still very low over the countryside, but it’s almost time for the highlight of today’s mission – the airdrop, also known as a Cargo Delivery System (CDS) drop. Behind us, in the hold, the loadmasters have rigged up the cargo and they’re ready to do the drop. I clamber back down and am seated towards the front of the hold while Jay and another loadmaster move to the back of the aircraft. The ramp opens and the outside world comes back into focus. We don’t have to wait long, the aircraft’s attitude changes and its nose lifts, angling the hold slightly. Once again, timing is everything and the aircraft commander coordinates with the loadmasters to ensure the drop occurs within seconds of reaching the drop zone, or DZ for short. A load snapping noise briefly permeates my helmet and the pallet rolls towards the mouth of the ramp. A line connecting a parachute rigged to its top surface and a “static line” hooked up inside the Herc plays out and then goes taut. The parachute billows out, arresting the descent of the heavy pallet full of supplies and who-knows-what destined for the DZ we’re now climbing away from. Burma 2-2 does the same and re-enters formation.

Soon after dropping the first pallet, as we bank away from the drop zone. Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

It’s almost time for the second feature of today’s show, the COFF. A combat offload is basically what Herc crews do when there’s no forklift around to help unload the aircraft. Similar to the widebody civilian airliners I’ve worked on in the past, the C-130’s cargo hold has rollers on its floor to facilitate the movement of large pallets bearing all sorts of cargo. Crew push the pallets into place, then lock them down using sturdy chains and straps to keep them from shifting; load-shift while in-flight can bring down an aircraft, and that’s the last thing anybody wants. During a COFF, a crew will use Newton’s first law of motion: “An object at rest stays at rest and an object in motion stays in motion with the same speed and in the same direction unless acted upon by an unbalanced force.” This basically means that any object sitting at rest will tend to stay that way unless a force is inflicted upon it. In the same way, a COFF involves using the inertia of the heavy pallet in the hold, a rapid forward movement and a sudden brake in order to drop the pallet out the rear, using the rollers to smoothen out the motion. This is exactly what we do upon landing and moving out to a taxiway. The pallet falls away from the C-130, and the ramp closes. In minutes, we’re back up in the air.

The remainder of the flight involves touch-and-go landing practice, which Burma 2-1 executes with ease and precision. We’ll later find out on the bus ride out of the flight line that 2-1 hit their DZ during the airborne drop with absolutely perfect aim – full points. Today, the crews of Burma 2-1 and 2-2 have flown at altitudes so low you can see your shadow chase after you on the ground, clear as day. They’ve outmaneuvered and warded off attacks by ghost teams of enemy combatants, dropped thousands of pounds out the back of the aircraft onto a drop zone with pinpoint accuracy, many feet below us, and hurled another thousand pounds out the back of the Hercules upon landing as though that’s a totally normal thing for any aircraft to be able to do. Today, Burma Flight has done things no ordinary aircraft or aircrew is capable of without even breaking a sweat. This is all in a day’s work for the highly professional aviators of Canada’s only Super Hercules tactical airlift squadron.

Copyright: Ian D’Costa, 2017

A huge thanks to Lt. Karyn Mazurek of 8 Wing, the members of 436 Squadron, and the crews of Burma 2-1 and 2-2 for their graciousness in hosting me, entertaining my incessant questions with patience, and tolerating my constant photography! Allowing me to observe what you do in serve of your country was both an honor and a privilege!

Editor-in-Chief Ian D'Costa gets to go behind the scenes with the RCAF's 436 Squadron in a C-130J Super Hercules! Check out the full experience in the link. It's just after lunch on a cold, dreary Wednesday in Eastern Ontario, Canada. A pristine lake with mist settled above the waters sits quietly, surrounded by densely-forested hills, cabins and cottages scattered around the shores.

[raframsgate]

Canucks Unlimited, Oshkosh 2018

[shuckerpaddy]

3,2,1,SHUCK! Let’s Get Shuckin’ @docksoysterbar This is a quick start here at the CDN Champs this past summer! Swing past DocksNYC and cheer on NewYork’s finest Shuckers! Want to Compete? $1000 DM and LinkInBio #CallingAllShuckers #NYC #TheBigOyster Posted @withregram • @docksoysterbar TWO WEEKS AWAY. The Oyster Festival you don't want to miss 🦪 Come taste coastal Canada. Saturday, November 20th at Docks Oyster Bar. Purchase Tickets through the link in our Bio Unlimited Beer, Wine & Vodka, Raw Canadian oysters and assorted cooked Oysters. Live MUSIC A Fun Photo Booth & more! "SHUCK LIKE YOU GIVE A CANUCK" SHUCKING COMPETITION! with $$$$ Prizes Sponsored by Raspberry Point Oyster Co. . . . . . . . #docksoysterbar #oysters #🦪 #oyster #oysterfest #canadianoysters (at Docks Oyster Bar) https://www.instagram.com/p/CV_aO6yrUX8/?utm_medium=tumblr

[brockboesr]

“when he was little, like three years and on, he’d put his skates on with those big, wide plastic wheels. He’d go out on the driveway, and I’m not kidding, he’d be there for hours. His two favorite corners – upper left and upper right. He wouldn’t come in for supper unless he hit 10 or 15 in a row in each corner. “Maybe that’s why Canucks captain Henrik Sedin has already called Brock “the most natural goal scorer” he’s ever played with. Not one of. The!”

“ We’re a middle-income family, and he did it himself with his gift he’s been blessed with and working hard. He never complained. Maybe teammates had $800 skates and he had the $400 skates. But he never, ever, ever … ever complained. If he’d break a stick in high school, you know how that goes — and one week he broke three — he’d be so apologetic, and he knew that was meaning an extra shift at Outback.”

“We were always there to support him, but it wasn’t like there was unlimited means financially to support him. And that’s what makes us really proud. If you use hard work ethic and the talent you’re given, look where you can go.”

 x ‘Canucks rookie Brock Boeser faced excruciating hardship on road to 'perfect spot' in the NHL’ by Michael Russo 

[tulakhord]

panthers, kings and preds for the ask

panthers: what fanbase are you not apart of but you think they're really cool and enjoy the content, even if you don't understand it? hmm i think the canes and the avs top the list for me, but i get curious about the ducks and the sharks sometimes too. i do derive joy from the fleeting and inconsistent joy of long-suffering leafs fans though. 😂 sorry leafies.

kings: what team did you really like in the past but lost interest in? already answered :)

preds: if you had unlimited money, what jerseys would you buy? i would love to track down an authentic oilers gear jersey (the todd mcfarlane one), a 90s isles fisherman on the blue ground, and a flyers 2019 stadium series jersey. a canucks 50th anniversary flying skate is actually on my irl to-buy list and a little more affordable, but i’d really love one of the 1996 ones with the fade... maybe also a red & blue gradient one to match this year’s reverse retro. 🤔

i guess with unlimited money i would also pick up the 2021 devils and panthers reverse retros, a flames 2011 heritage classic, a sens 2014 heritage classic, and an avs 2020 stadium series. but those are second priority.

[sjworldtour]

21/01/20 Visitors in Vancouver

On 16th Jan we had a super early start, Sam driving 2h30 over the saddle road back to Kona. It all took longer than we'd hoped, so were rushing manically to fill up with fuel and wash all the ash of the white white car. Luckily the hire car company was efficient and everything went smoothly so we had plenty of time in the airport to eat breakfast and chill out before our flight. Another silly short flight back across to Honolulu, then several hours hanging out in the airport there, eating apple pie and watching our flight out get later and later. Around 4:30pm we finally took off, had a fairly unpleasant flight for no particular reason. Sam bought a meal deal but Joey woke up 2 minutes too late to ask for anything and was sad about it. We sat next to a friendly Canadian woman who talked a lot about Harry and Meghan. Finally landed in Vancouver, got our bags and ran to the skytrain platform, arriving 2 minutes after the last train of the night had left for the city. Went back to the terminal and got a taxi up to North Vancouver, and around 1:30am were welcomed in to a gorgeous house by lovely Jane and her lovely Labrador Maverick. 

Jane, Iain, Hannah and Lucas live in a lovely house in the super smart Edgemont village area. They've spent the last 2 years renovating and the house looks unrecognisable from the "before” photos. They're planning to put it on the market in a few months time, and we learned a lot about the scary house prices and even scarier realtor fees in the area. When we arrived there was snow on the ground, which is surprisingly unusual for Vancouver, and the rest of Canada seems to find this hilarious. The snow had however given way to rain, so much of our stay involved finding indoorsy things to do to hide from the weather. 

On Friday (17th) we had a super lazy morning, massively relishing in all the things a lovely family home has to offer, like a bed and a shower and stocked cupboards. We were completely spoiled with food and taxi services and laundry services and dog cuddles and budgie watching, which made it quite tricky to ever want to go out and do anything else. Around lunchtime Iain drove us to the Pemberton neighbourhood to check out a few ski shops - we have worked out the ski rental costs for the Canada leg of our trip will definitely be more than just buying some - but unfortunately at this point in the season there aren't a whole bunch of second hand skis around in the shops. We checked out a variety of last season's skis on offer, and had some useful chats with shop staff to narrow down what we're looking for. Empty handed, we went home for lunch and then in the afternoon Helen and her lovely Boxer came over for a natter. Later in the evening Jane, Hannah, Lucas, Sam and Joey went to the Red Lion pub for dinner and live jazz, all very delightful. Hannah and Lucas are going to Japan in a few months so we showered them with recommendations. 

The next morning Jane drove us down to another ski shop and Joey very excitedly bought a pair of Salomon QSD Lumen skis. They'll fit the bindings and boots to them in the store so can't take them home yet, but was very exciting! Also we suspect we may have got a fairly fat discount because the guy in the shop told us one price but when he rang them up it was $100 higher, he just looked a bit awkward and overtyped the price. Win. With a bit of time to kill, the three of us wandered round Lonsdale Quay Market, and bought and ate a divine loaf of hot apricot bread which had been pulled out of the oven moments before. We went to Helen's apartment to play with the dog and chat to the humans, and Helen very kindly gave us free tickets to the Vancouver Lookout and the Aquarium, and put us on the guest list for Capilano Bridge. What a hero. After a good catch up and lots of ski and travel chat, we wandered back to Lonsdale Quay, hoping to go ice skating but the rink was closed. We had pints of locally brewed beer at the Tap and Barrel, and then back to the covered market for lunch. Caught a bus home, then fairly quickly headed out again to Vancouver Downtown (crossing the Iron Gate bridge on our bus). We visited a few more ski shops, one of which had a promising array of used skis but on closer inspection were pretty battered. Struggling a little bit as there are loads of skis that are not what Sam wants, and ones the right size and shape are all super pricey. No time to feel disheartened, we made our way to Rogers Arena for a Vancouver Canucks ice hockey game. They were celebrating Chinese New Year, and we were given free wontons and pork buns which Sam ate, also accidentally eating the paper the pork bun was wrapped in. We got red lucky envelopes with Canucks badges in, and bought a bucket of endless popcorn. This needed filling after the first 20 minutes, then we slowed down significantly as unlimited popcorn needs to be balanced with unlimited drinks which we did not have. The game itself was exciting, Canucks won conclusively 4:1, and we were entertained by the difference in reaction between Canucks scoring and San Jose Sharks scoring. There were a couple of fights and a huge number of snapped hockey sticks, which players left on the ice when they subbed out. The atmosphere was great, and in contrast to watching sport in the UK there was not a single moment where there wasn't something to watch. Every small pause in the game was filled with music, entertainers, kiss-cam, dance-cam, singalongs or chanting, and a few times it was hard to even notice that the game had restarted. In one of the breaks they threw/cannoned t-shirts out to the crowd and Sam caught one! v exciting. Buzzing, we caught the bus home. We're starting to get used to the persistent herbal smell downtown - weed is legal here and it's clearly popular. 

On Sunday we had another luxurious lie-in, then caught the bus to downtown and went up the Lookout tower. Great views (and good timing, because for much of our stay the tower has been in the cloud). From this point in the city centre you can see the three local ski mountains - Seymour, Grouse, and Cypress. Lucky locals. We caught the bus down to Granville Island area, popping to a few more ski shops (with no luck) before browsing the shops and galleries on the artsy island. We went in a photography gallery with a small simple cartoon V sketch of a bird, selling for several hundred dollars. Had lunch in the indoor food market, chatting to a friendly Australian couple sharing our table. Headed home, then out to Park Royal area in West Van for happy hour and dinner with Jane's friend who is super lovely. It stopped raining briefly so we went for a walk along the seafront, great views over to the lights of the city, but no otters or sealions sadly. 

Monday was a busy day, Jane drove us down to Lonsdale Quay via the ski shop to drop off one of Joey's boots. We caught the sea bus across the Burrard Inlet to Waterside, then went for a rainy wander through Gastown, the trendy downtown area packed with old buildings, brewery pubs, and a steam driven clock. We hid from the rain in a souvenir store, contemplating buying more clothes as we've heard they've had temperatures down to -30deg up in Whistler in the last week or so. Didn't though, hopefully it'll be warmer when we're there. Bus to Stanley park, a huge and wonderfully wild park with impressive colourful wood carved totem poles and fluffy black squirrels. Visited the aquarium, where everything seemed to be supersized - giant Steller's sealions, playful sea otters, and plenty of other wriggly things. Inevitably time made fools of us, but we managed to cram in a Flyover Canada experience - a simulator which takes you through a 3d movie of Canada's landscapes, complete with smells and mist. Joey thought it was weird that they made it smell like whiskey at the beginning, but then realised that might have been the couple sitting next to her. We caught the bus back to Edgemont and bought some food as we'd offered to cook for everyone as it's our last night. Dropped food off at home and power walked up to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. Helen had put us on the guest list but we hadn't really got an appreciation of the scale of it and we definitely had not left enough time. The park is in a beautiful fir forest dissected by the huge rocky canyon with the Capilano river at the bottom. The suspension bridge over the river has long been a tourist attraction, and the surrounding park has wooden walkways including a network of bridges up in the forest canopy, and a dramatic cliffside walk. Every inch of it has been covered in fairy lights and gorgeous illuminations, which is why we came after dark, and the whole effect is awesome. Sam remembered coming here before, but in the daytime in summer it all looked fairly different. We rushed round soaking it all in, then headed home to cook. Dinner went down well, and Jane had made a delish strawberry cheesecake to polish it off. 

Tuesday the 21st we caught the sea bus and sky train to the airport then had a medium sized faff with getting a car with winter tyres, despite that being what we booked months ago. Sorted it in the end, paying a bit extra (but not as much as it should have been) to upgrade to a 4x4 which will help us on the mountain roads and also to fit skis in the back. Then we drove out to East Vancouver to meet a guy selling some Sam-appropriate skis on Craigslist. This went exceptionally well, not only did he take an offer on the skis but he also had a giant (Sam head size) helmet and two pairs of poles, so in one swoop we went from having a hefty shopping list to being ready to hit the slopes in the morning. Iain no longer skis so has kindly bequeathed his helmet to Joey. We drove back to the house and loaded up the car (Jane had collected Joey's skis from the shop). Had to google how to open the car boot as it has a secret button hidden in the rear light. Said our thankyous and goodbyes then drove up to Whistler, stopping at Squamish on the way to stock up on food. Arrived at the Whistler Lodge Hostel before it got particularly dark, and immediately settled in playing pool and chatting to skiers from all over.