Us Islanders all admit that we have had a rainy and grey winter, and so far, spring as well.  (Except February which was quite dry and we had some great blue bird days). Of course we really have nothing to complain about, but we still do!  We have seen, however, some encouraging signs of spring in the past week.  Cherry and plum trees are starting to fill in with their pink and white blossoms, and daffodils and all sorts of spring flowers are blooming.  And for a couple days, we have escaped rain, so we have had some fun outdoors again.

We did a lovely hike along the Englishman River the other day.  We met some friends of John & Heather’s, from Langley, who are vacationing on the Island.  The day promised no rain, which was about as we get these days.  In fact, we did have a bit of rain and wind over the lunch hour. But the sun shone in the afternoon, and made us smile and add a bounce to our step.  The 10 km walk was lovely along the river, and though the forest, with huge moss-covered tress.   The river is not deep; in fact it’s quite shallow.  But the babbling sounds it made as it flowed over the large gravel banks, around logs and fallen trees, was very soothing.  A lovely walk with new friends made for a great day.

Yesterday we did one of my favourite paddles around DeCourcy Island.  We were a large group of 10 paddlers, all anxious to get on the water!  It was a bit cloudy in the morning, but there was no wind so the paddling was quiet and peaceful as we did the short crossing from the ‘mainland’ to Link Island. 

This island has wonderful eroded cliffs that we are so lucky to have here in the Gulf Islands, with sorts of interesting shapes. 

Tide was high enough to allow us to get through “Hole in the Wall” between Link and DeCourcy.  This was a gravel beach when we returned later in the afternoon.   

We made our way around the east side of DeCourcy and stopped for lunch in Pirate’s Cove.  Always a colourful collection on the beach with a big group of paddlers!

The return trip along the western side of DeCourcy and Link was spectacular.  The sun came out between the clouds and since it was behind us, the shapes of the cliffs were easier to photograph.  With the low tide, and the crystal clear water, we could easily appreciate the abundant marine life on the cliffs.  So may sea stars, anemones and plants.  It was a spectacular show. 

The paddle back on glass smooth water, under the watchful eye of some seals and a couple sea lions was relaxing and peaceful.  It truly was a very special day on the water, made more special by being able to share it with friends, old and new, and family.