Poking Around in my Head

 After many years of working short contracts with no coverage, I've actually been with a company long enough to get on the health plan, so as soon as my dental coverage was in place I booked a long overdue dentist visit. Modern dentists can take x-rays and then have them available on a computer almost immediately and, in a neat twist, can then email those x-rays to you the same day. Below are some teeth, and no cavities at all :)

Small clusters of teeth are all well and good, but it gets truly weird seeing a panoramic photograph of the inside of your own head. There's some obvious distortion in the corners as my jaw is not remotely that square, but its a pretty neat image all the same.

 Stranger still is poking around that image adn finding the back of your own eyesockets in the picture which I have enlarged below. It is a strange thing indeed to see your own eyes through your own eyes.

Christmas 2012

 I can't believe how spoiled Geordie, Kodiak and I are.  Every year we try to cut back and every year I feel more doted upon. I hate to use the word swag in anything else but piratey jargon. But seriously, look at that swag!

Geordie is opening his stocking!  Kodiak is helping and looking jolly in his christmas collar.  The eyes are evil giving lie to the fact that he thinks that he his a good cat.  Every year I get Geordie ginger beer. (And every year it is very much appreciated -G)

Every year we go on a Christmas walk armed with treats for the animals. We go in search of whatever woodland creatures want a snack and even squirrels get a bit of corn (but we don't usually feed them as they can be aggressive and run up Geordie's pant leg or perch on my leg).  Chickadees are always a favorite for hand-feeding.  Happy Xmas!

Alert Bay

I have always wanted to visit Alert Bay (Kwak'wala: 'ya̱lis) on Cormorant Island.  Over-rated Emily Carr paintings that don't do it justice aside, it is a lovely ocean-side community.  We did not dock but were able to view it from a boat after our dive.  Looks like a fantastic place to go ashore to stay or camp. 

It is located in traditionally Kwakwaka'wakw territory and post of the inhabitants are of this First Nation. The influence is reflected in the lovely ceder canoes that occasionally dotted the docks that ran the long towns length. 

The old residential school is in the back ground of the below photo. I don't believe it is being currently used for anything but I am not sure.  Alert Bay is home to the world's largest totem pole and also sports an inspiring collection. The totem poles are mostly in one area of the town but every once in a while there is another. My favorite thing about traditionally situated totem poles as that just as the trees they came from and the people who created them they eventually decay, fall over and go back to the land and are reabsorbed in the soils so you would never know they were there.

Scuba at Warbonnet

One day during the August long weekend Geordie and I did our first Vancouver Island Scuba Trip.  To be specific, a fairly North Vancouver Island trip.  We got up early in the chilly and foggy August morning to drive to Port McNeill.  We joined 2 snorkelers and our 2 dive buddies at Fun Sun Divers. The skies cleared half way through our 2nd dive.
I'm still a nervous diver but I think that is partly due to so many layers that I get constricted and lose mobility so I end up fighting myself.  Also with all the layers I need more weights than I can comfortably carry to begin with.  Layers are necessary as I get cold easily. The 2nd dive I got rid of some layers keeping just regular clothes and my 200g weight mountain gear and had a much better, more relaxed and longer dive despite the same amount of weight.  I need more dive experience to get the balance right as well as more comfortable being so far down (only 47 feet max depth but still....)

The picture below is at Warbonnet which was a great spot full of basket sea stars, fish and chitons that look like oily rainbows. 

Camping the Cove

For the first time, we camped in Telegraph Cove.  Rubes that we are, instead of using the tent camp ground that was about 1 kilometre or so in the interior (ie: in the mud), I was able to get us a spot in the RV camp.  We promptly lowered the property values as we were the only tiny tent in a lot full of swish RVs that belonged to either early retirees or rich familes.  A fact that was not lost on the gently mocking inhabitants who were in fact quite nice and gave some huge fillets of Pinks salmon!  And the cutest little boy/girl was having a blast blowing bubbles.

The below vessel is the Gikumi, named for a Native Chief.  It is an oft photographed boat and is featured in many a photo book of the West Coast and/or Vancouver Island.  Really. Pick up the nearest one and check. The building in the back is Stubb's Island Whale Watching (recommended) and the Whale Interpretive Centre (also recommended).

The building mentioned above, the WIC, is the one on the right side of the photo just where the big bunch of trees end.  This is a spherical plan taken from a dock that is almost in the middle of the cove.  Historical Telegraph Cove is at the top Modern Telegraph Cove is at the bottom.  Very differently styled sections. The result of two different developers.

The Strangest Tourist Trap in Coombs

The Old Country Market is a tourist trap in Coombs. It has all the proper things that you expect. Cotton candy, ice cream, hot dogs, dash and diner, market with over priced stuff, hippies telling tarot cards, and clothes.  The huge draw is the 'Goats on the Roof'.  I really like goats.

On top of the main buildings of the tomfoolery is a green roof. The grass and plants are naturally mowed down by a small group of goats.  Even their little goat house which I am informed is called a 'shed'. They are clearly lords of all they survey.  Did I mention  I like goats.?

Hopefully the roof has some kind of system to deal with goat....leavings so it does not drip down onto your cans of Spaghetti Sauce and tacky lanterns.  We spent about 10 minutes there and most of that was trying to find parking.  Took some goat pictures and a shot of the inside and bailed.  Worth it to see goats on a roof. Not worth it for over priced basic groceries, ice cream and stuff.  Goats in any way are highly enjoyable.