A NEW CANOE!

Well, I am 'boat-bound' with a horrid allergic reaction to something that's made my skin burn, so I look like a lobster and I'm stupid from the double dose of antihistamines and lack of sleep from the last few days. I lost day before yesterday completely, which is a drag because the first cruise ship of the season arrived and we intended to go in the inflatable to welcome it properly -- instead, I completely forgot about it.

Anyway, this afternoon, stupid or not, we are driving out to Sooke to get the canoe we just acquired, and I'm SO excited! We had one when we lived in Maple Bay, and we've missed it lots, so it'll be fun to have one again. I'll post pictures of it when we get it home...

Meanwhile, being home sick has meant I've had lots of knitting time ... WIPs include a gorgeous gray cotton/linen blend wrap I'm making for myself in a 12-row repeat lace pattern that I'm really enjoying:



And, in the mindless knitting category, an afghan for my niece (hope she doesn't read my blog!) in two strands of acryllic blends that are both in blues and teals, and it'll be lovely when it's done ....



Off to get a canoe now!

RIVTOW'S CAPT. BOB

This boat , called the RivTow Capt. Bob, is over at Point Hope Shipyard getting repaired at the moment. At 120+ feet, she's the biggest working tug boat on this coast, supposedly. I'll try to get a pic of her when she comes down off the ways....

ON THE NEEDLES
I forgot to post when I finished Gibson's hoodie, so now both of my youngest grandsons have a hoodie I've made them.Gibson's is made from a double strand of 'Sugar'n'Cream' dark brown cotton, and I designed it.

WHIFFENSPIT

Today we drove out to Sooke to pick up some room dividers we need for our common room here at the marina. I made a picnic salad before we left, and we took it down to the Sooke Spit -- "Whiffenspit," to locals. From the parking lot, to the left is the entrance to the Sooke Harbour (and the famous Sooke Harbour House is on the right) and to the right is wide open Juan de Fuca Strait -- all the way to Japan, prety much! It was flat calm, very rare for that area, so it was lovely to hang out there for awile ... saw a couple of little boats coming in to the harbour, but not much else going on. So, for today, here is your Water Shot: Sooke Spit beach.

IT'S AN HONOR

Several years ago, when we were chartering, a couple from Alberta spent an anniversary weekend with us in Silva Bay on Gabriola Island. Ed and Jennifer had never seen ocean before, and they had a great time.

Last week we got an email from them, asking if they could come on the boat again, and this time, bring their 3 little girls. We're not chartering anymore, of course, so we asked them to just help pay for the fuel, and we've put together an itinerary (for the August long weekend) that will take us through Enterprise Channel (and back again) so they'll get to see Trial Island, and then out past the Fisgard Light to Albert Head. We'll have time at Witty's Lagoon, as well, but the big highlight is that we'll come back into the harbour in time for the Victoria Symphony Orchestra's Symphony Splash concert! This is the highlight of the year for US, and it'll be such an honor to share it with these folks from Alberta who are so excited to be on the Wind Walker again!

Water shot of the day ... our favorite beach at Albert Head....

KEEPING UP

How hard can it possibly be to keep up this blog?? It's so gorgeous in Victoria this time of year, and we've already been out on the water several times.... I'm going to attempt to give you a 'Water Shot of the Day' from now on. Here's today's .... it's a view of Trial Island, just off Oak Bay, from 'Trafalgar Square'. It's a 'de-manned' lighthouse station that apparently has several unique native species of plants, and one has to get special permission to go ashore here.

The passage that can be seen to the left is Enterprise Channel, a tricky piece of navigation even on a good day ... but I'll save the story telling about it for another day!

On the needles: Finished grandson Gibson's hoodie and daughter Hailey's ribbon-yarn sash (pictures one of these days....) and now I'm working on a shawl for myself. More about that tomorrow....