More Adventures in Canada

So the spring weather in Canada rolled on to the full heat of a Canadian summer, with my parents joining me in pretty much the nicest week weather-wise of my entire time in Canada. There were plenty of opportunities for exploration and adventures. And it was lovely for them to be able to meet the A Rocha community, join in with a volunteer day, come to our music night and cook pizza for dinner in the cob oven. I'm not going to say a lot, but thought I'd share some of the beautiful pictures from spring and early summer adventures in Canada! Enjoy!

Red elderberry against a very blue sky during survey work.

More blue skies and a willow, taken whilst Salish Sucker trapping.

Salmonberry, probably my favourite flower!

Bleeding Heart, these little plants carpet the forest floor at this time of year.

Trillium, it turns pinky-purple once it has been fertilised!

The magnolia flowers at Brooksdale are wearing little Wizard hats for some reason...

Beautiful fungus, oddly reminiscent of the weathered rock of the Grand Canyon!

Driving down 0 Ave: 'and on our left the USA, on our right Canada!'

A big old rootstock at Lynn Canyon

Don't look down? Lynn Canyon

That's right, just smile at the camera! Lynn Canyon

Roaring blue water, Lynn Canyon

So inviting, and so very icy!

Rickety bridge at Lynn Canyon...

My parents and I explored Stanley Park and walked around the seawall in the baking hot weather:

The Inukshuk in English Bay

Through the Inukshuk

Is it a bird? Is it a rock?

Rock balancing skills

The view from Stanley Park

Stanley Park Totem Poles

Lunch on the beach...

We also ventured further from home, out to the gulf islands:

A much less snowy Saltspring Island!

Dad practising his new found rock balancing talent.

I found a miniature Balrog (or something) living on the seaweed...

A sand dollar! (like a flat sort of sea urchin)

The island way of life...

And we ventured even further afield, up the Sea to Sky highway all the way to Whistler!

Beautiful mountains, but it felt far too hot for there to be any snow left at all!

Confused: last time I was here, I was 15 and there was a lot more snow!

A Steller's Jay on the trails around Lost Lake, Whistler

Dinner in Whistler

The sun was starting to set when we stopped at the stunning Shannon Falls, the third highest falls of BC

My parents' visit was also a good chance to share some of the places local to A Rocha that were close to my heart:

Early evening on the pier at White Rock.

Charming the chickadees in Campbell Valley Regional Park

Mum's favourite: the Douglas Squirrel

At the end of the week, I spent some time saying farewell to A Rocha Brooksdale and the people who live there, and then my parents and I set off to Vancouver Airport, for the flight back to Manchester. It's been a wonderful eight months, and I was sad to be leaving. But even though new adventures beckoned back in the UK, it certainly didn't feel like goodbye for ever...

Until the next time Canada!