Paradise Acres Ranch

It is not often that we get to horseback ride. When we do Geordie is very sporting and game, doing longer rides that he would likely normally like. Here we are at Paradise Acres Ranch on Vancouver Island near Parksville. It is a lovely property with a variety of trails: road, forest, cut block etc....  It is hard to take pictures on horseback.  Geordie rode an arabian/ quarter horse cross that was supposed to be a smaller horse but turned out quite freakishly large and pretty.

The views were stunning that day. Clear and crisp mountains from the island interior.  This is the view from the ranch itself looking East.

I like to thank my ride by giving them a brush down after. It is a nice bonding experience and I think they appreciate it.  This was really fun as we got the hose out for a bath.  The horses were sweaty as it was a warm day so it was bath time for ponies.  Horses sweat like humans do. 

Sun Running

Before May is too far gone here is some photos of the annual Vancouver Sun Run.  The route goes right by our apartment. We set up a timelapse camera which unfortunately crapped out just as the main body was coming through.  We were biking that day and had to do a kind of convuluted route so as not to cross the race route.

This was taken on a pedestrian bridge somewhere in the Fairview Area. People also were dressed up in various costumes.  We saw a cookie man and superman.  Many kudos to those who ran or walked. I haven't done serious running in a while and admire the people who do so.  Geordie and I also saw the front runners. We don't have a picture but they were made out of tendon and sinew and little else.

Outside the Horne Lake Caves

I already did a post about the inside of Horne like Cave. Here is the outside.  For all the forest you would not expect there to be limestone, karst formations below.  Well maybe if you were a geologist you would. The area looks like unassuming hilly Vancouver Island forest.

 

Every once in a while you get these formations. This is a cave entrance with a small opening than a shaft that is vertical but climbable. It lead into a small chamber than through a narrow low overhang to another vertical drop and to a 2nd chamber.  There is another exit but I was too short to reach it.

More rock formations with Geordie for scale.  The whole hiking route without doing the caves takes maybe 45 minutes and there is some information about the area posted.  Better for those who are interested but aren't into caving or spelunking.

Horne Lake Caves

Geordie and I finally made it to the Horne Lake Caves.  Preserving any cave formations has kind of gone by the way side here.  Wearing grubby clothing and helmets with lights Geordie went into the pitch black caves.  In one cave, the spring run off was flowing fast so we had to wade throw the water coming out of the cave in a fairly fast flow.

With some mild spelunking and squishy bits we get further in to the passage where water is flowing out.  You can see the pearly mineral deposits.  The passage narrows to nothing that a human could pass throw.  The water takes some weeks to perculate throw the limestone.

I got squicked out by the huge daddy long leg cave spiders that appear not only singly but in clumps.  That is what those things are.  And they moooooove when light is shined on them. 

Aquarium Macro and Mobile Octopus

Geordie got his macro lens and has been taking pictures of all things small and wee.  Like the below Grunt Sculpin which is one of his favorites at the aquarium.  They aren't much bigger than a postage note but with the right camera you can get right in and get detail that you may have missed.

The below being from another world is a Hooded Nudibranch. Steven, Geordie and I had to look this one in our big marine life book as we had no idea what it could be.  It looks like a huge mouthed horror but actually the biggest ones are as half as long as your hand.  Nudibranchs come in so much variety they are one of my favorite squishy things in the ocean.

Speaking of squishy things the Giant Pacific Octopus at the Vancouver Aquarium has grown so large that he can no longer fit in his various hidey holes.  While we used to play 'spot the octopus' its now splashed all over his tank.  They can grow to 9 metres across.  I have unofficially named this one one Splortch. 

Shameless Kodiak Fan Service

I almost wrote this post in that internet catspeak. You know LOLZ and hazing Cheezeburgerz.  But than I decided not too to preserve my sanity.  Also Kodiak told me in no uncertain terms that he has not LOLed in his life and would never do so.  He does browl.  No go look at my kitty and his lovely eyes and soft furrrrrrrr. 

So black accept for when he is in the sun.  Than it is revealed he is the colour of root beer.  That was his name when we got him but he is so much of a bear that we renamed him Kodiak.  Apparently he was Darwin before he was Rootbeer but the in-laws have a cat named Darwin so he couldn't be Darwin either.

He likes looking at his photos too.  I think I was dangling something for him to play with to get that cute photo.  His eyes are so big!  He likes having his head bashed about and his cheecks wuddled.  Touching his paws his a declaration of war though and he will cut you.

arp arp ARP arp ARP ARP arp arp ARP ARP

Over the Easter long weekend Geordie and I went to Vancouver Island. Without a large amount of time we could not go to our usual haunt of Telegraph Cove. Instead we stayed at a lovely place in Qualicum Bay off the beaten path.  Just a short ways North close to Bowser is Fanny Bay. Where these guys that we heard ALL NIGHT LONG.  They are of course, California Sea Lions.  The sound kind of like this.  Arp Arp arp ARP ARP arp AAARRRRP! .....ARP.  arp arp arp Arp.

There were many many dozens hauled out at Fanny Bay.  Some Stellers in there too! All males (originally typoed that as all balls which is equally correct).  The ladies are further south having babies so this is the boys club.  There are yearlings and old mature senior males that don't take no crap from anyone.

 

The fellow on the left is younger maybe 2 years. The follow on the right is quite a bit older as his mane and well developed sagital crest attest too.  They look like different species but no.  Just different ages.  They tusselled a bit, but not seriously.  The guy on the right certainly made his space though in contrast to the cuddled heaps above.   HEAPS!  and ARP!!!!