Has it really been more than a month...

since I posted here??? Wow, time sure does fly! Over the last few weeks I finished off my summer course, hosted my sister and her children here for a fantastic week of family fun, went back to work, got trained on the new software at work and enjoyed a visit with my friend Claire and her gorgeous dog, Wally.

Phew! No wonder I haven't had time for blogging! The summer has gone so quickly - it's hard to believe it's almost over. We've loved our hot, sunny weather, though hope for some more rain so we can have at least a couple of campfires before the days just get too short.

As for the campaign to Stop BC Library Cuts, well, it met with some success, but alas, funding was still cut by 22%. Yep, at a time when more and more people need the varied services offered by their local public library, the libraries themselves will receive less money from the provincial government, forcing cuts in key areas. However, times have been tough before, so we have to hope that as the economy improves, the situation will change by the time next year rolls around.

In just over a week I go back to school for another two courses - Cataloguing and Information Retrieval Tools & Techniques. Should be interesting :) I do have some hours at the library in September, but they're mostly Saturday ones. Though I don't welcome this reduction in work hours, it will ensure I have plenty of time to concentrate on my studies, so that is a definite silver lining.

Wildlife sightings this summer include deer, ducks, a blue heron, a large lone bear and a mama bear with two cubs.

So, how has your summer been? Been anywhere? Done anything?

Teresa

Currently Reading: A Secret Alchemy by Emma Darwin
Link of the Day: Letter reveals another explorer destined for Newfoundland in 1499

Blogging apathy...

As you might have noticed, I don't feel much like blogging these days. Lots going on here.

Here's a pic of a recent wild visitor to our garden:



I'll be back when I feel more like sharing my thoughts.

Teresa

Cute cat pic...

Here's how I found Chloe and Cleo sleeping this afternoon - they just LOVE the sun on our bed at that time of day:

I guess it's cute cat pic week here in blogland :)

Latest pics o' the house.

Teresa

Sunday walk...

Sunday was a beautiful day, so we headed off on the motorcycle to a local park for a walk. Chapman Creek is a popular spot, so we were surprised to find the parking lot mostly empty. We set out and I discovered I had to stop fairly frequently to snap photos. Here are a few of them:

Sean

b/w photo of the rapids:

carved face:

Me:

On our return journey, we encountered evidence of a bear:

I also saw bear poop, but figured no-one needs to see a pic of that *g*.

Further along the trail we found the bear itself! It was across a small field, so it was quite safe to capture it digitally (click on the photo to enlarge it - you can see the bear's snout quite clearly):

After that excitement, we returned to the parking lot where Sean suggested we walk into Davis Bay for gelato (made here on the Coast). Never one to turn the opportunity to eat gelato on a warm, summery day, I agreed and we trotted off to share a medium cup of Wild & Reckless (vanilla with raspberry and ripples of chocolate). From there we walked back to the bike along the beach and rode home, with a quick detour down to the beach at Roberts Creek.

All in all, a successful outing. If you'd like to see more of my photos from the walk (and aren't on Facebook, where I've posted an album), email me privately and I'll send you a link :)

Teresa

Currently Reading: The Wheel of Fortune by Susan Howatch
Link of the Day: Davis Bay

Teresa sees a bear...

very close!!! We were walking back from the property, through the woods when Sean suddenly stopped and said "Whoa!" then "Quick, give me your camera." I rounded the same corner and saw what he did - a black bear. After ensuring there were no cubs, Sean snapped a quick pic before our furry friend lumbered on ahead of us:

It didn't work out quite as well as we'd hoped - I've used the soft focus feature to highlight where the bear is in the photo. Can you see him?

Teresa