Normality

Three days left of fun and freedom. And, then it is off to the airport for the long journey home and back to normality - whatever that is.

'Normality' - I have decided is very subjective. What you might consider 'normal' I might consider abnormal, even unhealthy and undesirable. Or maybe, your normality is normal and healthy for you, but not for me. Who, really, can be the judge of someone else's normality? We are all different.

However, I believe it is very important for your own sanity and peace to become aware of what really is essential and important and fulfilling in your own life. Too many of us lack this self awareness and are too easily blown this way and that way by society's 'normality', by media advertising and consumerism, by the idea that bigger is better, and when we have more we will be happier.

I have decided to redefine my 'normality' so that I can live more simply and live more. The journey never ends!

Poutine?

A Canadian favourite - basically it is chips and gravy with lumps of white cheese curd that does not have much flavour. Sometimes they use mozzarella instead of curd which I think tastes better. I have never really been a fan of chips and gravy, but if the gravy is good it's not bad.

Dinner with a view

What a difference 6 weeks makes! Last night Joel and I took the Village Gondola ride up Whistler Mountain to have dinner at the Roundhouse BBQ. When we first came here at the end of May, it looked like this:

 Now - it looks like this:

And our dinner view:
All you can eat roast hog (pig) and ribs, veges, salads and deserts - YUM

 Whistler and Green Lake in the valley below:

Dinner guest:

Good little Chipmunk - ate his dandelion greens first, and then helped himself to a chip under a table.

Whistler!!!

Today, Saturday, Gloria is basking in the sunshine, leaning up against the picnic table, having a well earned rest day after 3 days of full on riding. Here are a few shots of her exploring Whistler Bike Park.

The cool thing, well - one of the many cool things - about Whistler, is that your lift ticket gives you access to not one, but three lifts! The Fitzsimmons lift takes you to the top of the main bike park. The second lift then takes you to a higher section - Garbonzo -which has heaps of trails that link back up to the lower part of the park. And then you can also take the Village Gondola from the very bottom up past the Garbonzo zone and there is another trail that takes you back down to Grabonzo and Fitzsimmons and all the way down. And all for the one price.

But wait! There's more! For a small extra cost, from the top of the Village Gondola, you access a fourth lift and go up even higher, to where there is still quite a lot of snow and there is quite a long trail called Top of the World, which takes you back down to the other bike park trails. We will be doing that one before we leave.

Sea to Sky

After our four days on Vancouver Island, we returned to the mainland. Vancouver from the ferry - looking more than a bit smoggy.

 

We have now come full circle back to where we began. On the first day in Canada, when I collected the motorhome, the first thing we did was drive via the Sea to Sky Highway from Vancouver to Whistler. It poured the whole way. I was jet lagged. It required all my powers of concentration to drive on the right side of the road. I knew there must have been some good views along the way but I saw nothing! This time it was very very different!

Shannon Falls

 Kite boarders at The Spit at Squamish with Shannon Falls in the background.

Brandywine Falls

Whistler!!! Mostly riding for the last week of freedom and summer!!

Whale watching

My first whale watching tour turned in to an epic 9 hour day. It was supposed to be a 6 hour tour but our captain was determined to find us some whales. Ten hopeful tourists piled into an open zodiac boat for the day.

The latest fashion in whale watching attire! Very elegant!  We all had to wear a survival suit - kind of like an all body life jacket. In the end I was glad to be wearing it as not only did we get sprayed with sea water numerous times, but it was very cold!!

Our route took us via the famous Inside Passage where all the cruise ships take their passengers up to Alaska. We saw lots of rugged heavily forested mountains and rocky shorelines.



 

It was hard to keep the camera level as the water was very choppy at times and the front of the zodiac was bouncing up over the waves and slamming down back in to the water. Joel and I sat in the front row. "Try and sit in the front row to get the best views," advised Leigh. The front row also gets the wettest and roughest ride. Thankfully, the ginger tablets Jay gave me worked and I did not get sea sick and actually enjoyed the rough ride!



Shortly after WWII the numbers of salmon began to rapidly decline. The suspected cause was large numbers of orcas (killer whales). It was thought that there were thousands of them migrating annually through this narrow channel. A group of local men got a WWII machine gun set up on this headland, aiming to reduce the orca numbers. They practiced shooting it, aiming at birds. Finally, they were ready - and that year the orcas never came!  (Somehow they knew not to come that year!?)

Then more scientific research was done and it was discovered that there were only several hundred orcas, not thousands, so obviously there was another cause for the salmon decline. And, thankfully, the gun was removed.

 

 

Transporting logs, It takes quite a lot of skill for a tug boat to tow a raft of pine logs, all tied together, about one third above water and two thirds below.

 

They also use tug boats to tow large barges all the way to Alaska, loaded with freight and supplies.

 

 

Lunch time - at Port Neville, on a remote part of the mainland, only accessible by boat. This used to be the post office and store.

 



 Our orange zodiac boat tied up to the wharf for lunch.

Before lunch we did spot some bald eagles, seals, and a bear on the shoreline.
After lunch we finally started seeing whales and porpoises. (Sorry - not very good photos)

A pod of Dall's porpoise feeding and diving under and around our boat. They are sometimes confused with baby orcas due to their black and white colouring.

 

One humpback whale feeding probably on small herring.

 Down he goes for a deep dive of 6 to 8 minutes.

 

 

Finally - orcas!! I have seen humpbacks before as they migrate past Devonport every year, but never orcas, so I really wanted to see them.

 

 At first, just a solitary male feeding. Then a group of about 6 swimming along in perfect unison. Then the male again. Our tour leader was constantly communicating with whale researchers in the area, and knew which orcas we were seeing. We were not allowed to get closer than 100 metres. The orca has quite a different dorsal fin to the hump back. It is long and upright. And when it goes down for a deep dive it does not put its tail up high in the air like the humpback does.

 

Nine hours and 208 nautical miles - epic!!! Exhausting but worth every mile and wave!

The White House burns

Did you know that Canada is the only country to ever invade the US? And they burnt down the White House and numerous other public buildings! It happened in 1812 as a result of the US attempting to take over Canada. True!