Our Adventure Continues

Hola amigos!  It's been a while since I talked with you. We have been very busy of late. What with the big cleanup at the condo, and spending our time at "the beach house", I finally got a few minutes to catch you up.

I pushed myself back from the table after one of ScooterChick's tremendous dinners and decided to stretch my legs for a couple minutes. I present a picture of the log booms on the channel, with Mount Garibaldi in the background.

Looking eastward from our spot, we get a clear view of the  Stawamus Chief. This  massif rises almost vertically from sea level 2,297 feet. The link has more information than you'd care to know.

Here is a view southward, down the channel and out int Howe Sound. The upper reaches of the Sound are world famous for Windsurf and Kitesurfers. If you want to know more, YouTube Squamish Kiteboarding for a better look at these lunatics in action. They are "All the way off the chain.."

There is still some decent sized timber coming off the hill. It seems almost hard to believe now but when  I first moved to this area it was not uncommon to see something like this:

One log was the whole truckload, and he was probably running it in after 4:30 when any inspectors had knocked off for the day, since he was probably seriously overweight. Road legal GVW in those days was 88,000 pounds.

These logs are probably a little better than a load, lets say about 100-125,000 pounds. They will probably go as peelers for plywood since they are so clean.

As I walked out of the Dump (dry-land sort), I found the remaining roadbed of the Merrill and Ring railroad. This road was built to haul logs to the mill, and lumber to the ships carrying it out of Howe Sound.

The Merrill and Ring Families had been lumbering in Minnesota before coming north. Turned out to be profitable for them. Turns out they still own and manage a little better than 75,000 acres or a little better than 117 square miles of timber in BC, WA, OR and NZ.

Here is a load of Cedar, heading to a mill about 8 miles up the road. There is a strong market for Cedar for fencing, decking and siding. This is due in large part to it's properties. It is strongly resistant to pests, rot and cracking. It has a high oil content and is very aromatic.

After my little "walkabout" I returned to Grace, having had an opportunity to stretch my legs and get some air. The walk did me good.

This morning we made a trip to the city, and while there stopped at Earl's for a bite. This is our first time here, and we only came in because we had a gift card we needed to use.

The plantings are lovely this time of year. The bloom has arrived and things will be blooming in sequence from now until late June.

They have done a good job with the landscaping here, striking the right balance between variety, specie and color.

With the temperature hovering around 70, we chose to eat on the patio. This is the first stretch of really decent weather we have had this year, and temps will be in the 70's for the next several days. YA-HOO!!!

Earl's was the first company I know of to plant Fan Palms. This was around 1978. For the first couple of years they wrapped the trunks in burlap over the winter for protection while they established. I thought it a risky venture, but they seem to have survived, and in fact thrived. They are now about 20-25 feet tall!

The patio was filling up with diners, but we got a good spot. I sat in the shade, and the Trippn ' Sista soaked up the rays.

I went with the Tuna Tostadas. These were comprised of  a Tortilla Chip, a slice of Avocado, Pepper Crusted Ahi Tuna slice, Shaved Jicama, a slice of Radish and a garnish of Fresno Pepper. They were based with a Garlic Aioli and were very tasty. A delicate but scintillating combination of flavors and textures. Fun Food!

I also went for the Yam Fries, well done of course served with Garlic Aioli and Truffle Oil. These were crispy and well presented. I had no trouble finishing them.

Trippin' Sista decided on the Chicken and Mushroom Fettucine. It was creamy and served with a slice of Garlic Focaccia. She was unable to finish. I helped.

For additional credit follow this link to the Trippin Sista's YouTube channel. There are a number of videos there. Take my word for it, you'll enjoy them.

I'll look forward to chatting with you later. Ciao.