I know this blog is supposed to be about narrowboating, and that’s why many people have subscribed. However, due to, well you know…I can’t get over to my boat in England just now. Or for the foreseeable future. I’ve become pretty convinced that there will be some sort of “Vaccine Passport” pretty soon. As British Columbia, and Canada in general, is lagging far behind on vaccinations, it’s not likely I’ll get a shot (or a jab!) until at least June, more likely July or August.
As I am each winter, I’m presently up on Mt. Washington here on Vancouver Island. I’ve been so fortunate that I have such an amazing winter pastime, since (as I’ve talked about in previous blog posts) I can only spend six months in the UK at a time. So, I thought I’d keep up the posts, as much for my own amusement as anything. It acts as a diary of sorts, and hopefully a few will enjoy me sharing some thoughts with them.
ever seen in the Outback!
In addition to the blogging, I’ve made a couple of short videos lately (‘vlogs’ I suppose) and uploaded them to YouTube. I’ve had a YouTube channel for a while and have posted a few videos, just for fun. And guess what? It’s called Canuck on the Cut. You can either search that on YouTube or go directly to it by clicking on the link.
And to that point, the reason for this post is to tell you about the latest video… Bear Lodge Deck Yak. It’s nothing serious, just some blathering and saying hello to everyone. Oh, and after I did it, the rest of Vancouver Island got hit with a pretty major snowstorm, so I take some of it back…you’ll understand if you watch it.
I hope everyone is keeping a positive outlook and maintaining their good cheer. Please take good care, feel free to contact me any time if you just want to talk or unload or bitch about the state of the world! I have the time to listen…
So you are to blame for the snowfall in Victoria today are you?!!! Looks nice on the mountain, not so nice other road!!! Sounds like skiing is great!!!
I’ll take that blame (doesn’t really matter to me, I seldom leave the mountain! lol). I hope you’re coping well, looks like quite a bit down there. It’s been a great season, except that most of the Island come up on a sunny (or snowy) day! But that’s okay…better than not being open.
Doug
Keep enjoying the mountain,especially nice during COVID eh😍we only got about 10 cm snow last night— enough to keep us home—at the request of our family. Cliff and I Took our time clearing our driveway and our young neighbour helped for the last half👌She moved out here from Manitoba so is used to this white stuff.
Take good care 💕💕
HI! It’s fantastic to have the mountain and skiing during this time, almost like nothing was going on out in the real world. So glad to hear you guys are doing well (and have a good neighbour). I’m planning on a visit when all this silliness is done, miss you tons. Love to the girls too! xo
Hi mate, that just looks way too much like winter for my poor joints LOL
The UK is taking an absolute pounding from this latest surge and the narrowboat community is being caught up in it. Some were lucky enough to be in a Tier 2 or 3 region so are still able to travel some. Others, such as the lovely ladies of the NarrowboatExperience, are in a Tier 4 zone so are allowed to travel for water and other essentials but they must return to the place where they were moored.
Vaccinations, sigh, Australia was ‘promised’ by the PM to be ahead of the line for them. Seems it could be about 3 weeks or so before we even get the first of them and the way our incompetent/corrupt Federal Government is I can just imagine the ‘privileged’ people who will be lining up for one before those that really need it get a jab. Sorry but the Feds are so hopeless at things like this.
That’s why we keep getting sudden Lockdowns when the virus ‘escapes’ the Quarantine Hotels. Just about every State has had to implement a sudden Lockdown thanks to laxity at one of these Quarantine Hotels.
Quarantine is Federal Govt responsibility but they have shoved it onto the States. Yet more incompetence. Sigh.
Loved your chat. I have 3 channels running on YouTube but generating content is difficult as my PC is old and thus just not capable of doing the number-crunching needed for the better video production programs out there. I am trying to make Shotcut work for me. The first video came out with good sound but the video scenes froze after about a minute in and never changed so obviously it ran out of room to process. Sigh.
Back to the drawing board now trying to find a happy medium between a video successfully completing and a failed video.
All the best my friend, stay Safe and well and keep away from that Yellow Snow 😉
Thanks for the comment, I’m hopeful we’re on the way it of this mess. We’ll soon see… My limited video skills won’t be helped by better software or a better computer! Lol. The best to you too, we’ll all get through this and be back on board soon.
I have yet to meet a happy medium. Have met some rather unhappy ones as of late. As for the lands down under, i heard that NZ is seeing another surge after being C19 free for so long.
Apparently not a surge like we would recognize, a few cases (47 in total, 3 new). But they take every case seriously.
Good to hear from you. We’ve had a cold snap here in WL that we haven’t had in Feb. for decades. We have a little snow, but not the usual amount by any means & none at all for the longest time. Your mountain looks gorgeous & you’re making the most of it.
Seems unusual weather is the norm now! Lol… Hope you’re well and having as good a winter as I am. Tale care…
I am here on the east coast myself and have had a fairly mild winter up until a week or two ago. We are now at alert level 5 again in NF, as of last weekend down to essential services only. All thanks to b117 aka the uk variant. If its not a storm of the white kind, its of the unseen kind.
Keep up the good fight, we’ll get through it together
Hi Doug,
Well, we’re in the same boat (haha) aren’t we? However, Sandy and I, being your seniors by a decade, will presumably get the jab before you. We would consider ourselves lucky to be able to return to England by September, and stay a couple of months. If we can go earlier, lucky us! At least in the marina (Stenson) where we keep our boat we don’t have to licence the boat with Canal and River Trust until it leaves there. At the moment, it’s being painted and has a new pram cover. She’ll look beautiful when we next see her!
The Inner Harbour, where we keep our boat here, will probably let us stay again this summer with a slight increase in fees. The tenants living in our house seem happy to stay on the next while, probably until next year, so it is a financial bonus living aboard.
As for when we get permission to leave Canada, and permission to get into England – I guess we’ll find out as things unfold. Time will tell!
Meanwhile, enjoy the skiing! Looks like it is a bumper year for it!
Cheers,
Hilary
Hi Hilary (and Sandy)… hoping it’s before the middle of August, I have tickets to the Edinburgh Military Tattoo…if they don’t cancel it again. I don’t pay the CRT licensing either, the boat’s on the hard for the winter. If and when I do get over there I’ll likely stay until December, get a taste of winter cruising. But it’s all so up in the air, who knows what the year will be. I’ve given up making any kind of firm plans.
I’ll be happy to go anytime, just
Take care!
Doug.