Islanders were getting very grumpy at the ‘bad weather’ we have had in the first half of the year.  We noticed a marked difference between this year and last year, with a lot more rain, cold weather and grey skies.  Those with many more years of residency confirmed it: it’s been a crappy spring.

But we have been blessed with wonderful summer weather since we have returned from our camping trip in Strathcona.  Once again we can enjoy evenings on the deck, wowed by wonderful sunsets that last until after 10 pm.  Sadly, the days are already getting shorter but they are still pretty damn long, and we love it.

We can go paddling WITHOUT drysuits so we took advantage of that last week as well, with a great paddle from Mill Bay to Spectacle Falls, in Finlayson Arm.  It was perfect weather – warm but not too warm, sunny, almost mirror smooth water.  This type of paddling puts me in a zen-like state; it’s quiet and peaceful.

Yesterday we celebrated Canada Day. We proudly donned red and white and ignored all the ‘negative’ discussions in the press about why Canada is not great.  We live in a great country and we are proud to be Canadian.  We celebrated with a long bike ride to one of our favourite spots – Genoa Bay Cafe.  It’s wonderful to sit on the deck in this quiet bay, with sailboats bobbing in the water, and enjoy a good meal.  It’s a bit hard cycling after lunch, especially up some of the hills coming out of Genoa Bay, but that’s what we have e-bikes for; just turn up the assistance a bit.  We did over 930 m of elevation and 75 km; good training for our 100km ride in Tour de Victoria later in August.  

We are now getting ready for our next adventure in Loytää; stay tuned.