Road Trip 2025 - Ferry to Vancouver Island

After a couple of days in Surrey as Crystal and Jessie finished their work schedules, we drove out to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal to cross the Strait of Georgia to Vancouver Island. We had prepaid for our tickets for a scheduled time and if we didn't make it, the spot would be filled and we would catch the next ferry. That's exactly what happened as we hit the Surrey traffic and then drove through the farmlands of Delta. 

Ferry Route Tsawwassen, mainland BC to Swartz Bay, Vancouver Island, BC

BC Ferries runs an efficient service and as Nelson drove, I kept an eye on the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal webcam. We were about 15 mins out when the webcam showed our ferry leaving on schedule. Many vehicles were already lining up according to size by the time we were directed to our line. We had to wait an hour or so, but we were ready to make the approximately 90 min sailing to Vancouver Island.

Looking out the Spirit of British Columbia as it passes a sister ship, 2025

The Spirit of British Columbia can carry 2100 passengers and crew, and 358 cars. It was huge and comfortable compared to the ferries we crossed over back in 1981. Because we had missed our initial ferry, it was now past noon and we were hungry. The cafeteria was large with good seating and offered a nice choice of menu for a price higher than you would pay on land, as one might expect. It was delicious and just what we needed. 

JJ, Nelson, Nick, Crystal on the Spirit of British Columbia, Strait of Georgia, BC, 2025

After departing the ferry, we headed past the Butchart Gardens sign where we would visit the next day. Bypassing the heavy traffic heading in and out of Victoria, the capital city of British Columbia, we headed toward Sooke. To say the Victoria area is unlike anywhere else in Canada was proven during that first hour on the island as we ogled the waving fronds of palm trees. 

Windmill Palms, Victoria area, BC, 2025

The palm trees are probably a variety of the Windmill Palms, one of the most cold-hardy palms. When mature, they can withstand the occasional frost, temperatures as low as -15C to -20C, and reach several stories high. They weren't crowding the streets, but there were enough grown as ornamental greenery to make us feel like we had entered a secret garden. 

Jessie eyeing the Strait of Juan de Fuca, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC 

Our Airbnb was near Sooke, on a hill overlooking the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We saw many cruise ships, container ships, and barges move through the strait which covered the distance from our Vancouver Island shore across to the coast of Washington state. Sometimes the ships seemed to wait in the strait overnight before heading northwest-ward toward the Pacific Ocean. It is likely they were bound for Alaska.

The Royal Princess, 3600-Passenger Capacity, Strait of Juan de Fuca, 2025

We'd seen blows from passing whales as we'd crossed the Strait of Georgia, but they kept their distance from the ferry and we couldn't identify them. We had hoped we'd seen them at Sooke and we weren't disappointed. Over the two days, we saw a blow here and there, and then on the morning of our departure, we spotted them. We were trying to eat breakfast and pack up, yet someone would yell, "I see one!" and we'd all scramble out onto the high deck to watch, cameras in hand. We were so busy whale spotting that I didn't get a photo of everyone lined up the railing, straining their prairie eyes to catch a rare glimpse of ocean life.

Passing Whales, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Sooke, Vancouver Island, 2025

These images are not very good, but they show what we managed to capture in a split second. We suspect some were orcas, but it's only a guess. Spotting a tail rise out of the water was a definite thrill. 

Black-tailed Deer, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

It wasn't just the ocean view that caught our attention. Our sloping yard offered sights of rabbits, deer, and quail. We were used to White-tailed deer, but west of the Rockies they have Black-tailed deer.

California Quail, male, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

Our second morning in Sooke, we were surprised to find a male California Quail meandering along the hedge, scratching out a seed here and there. He looked so elegant with his curled crest, striking facial markings, and overall plumage. He seemed aware of my presence, high above him, but otherwise ignored me. And then I noticed the female, similar colouring but without the fancy details, watching her chicks closely as they scratched about. I counted three chicks before they disappeared beneath the hedge. 

California Quail, female and chick, 2025, Sooke, Vancouver Island, BC

We enjoyed our short stay in Sooke, wildlife watching in the daylight, family table games in the evenings. The next post in our BC Road Trip series will showcase the famous Butchart Gardens which we visited during our stay in this area. We hope you'll join us for that one. 

Road Trip 2025 - Vancouver Aquarium and area

On the first day of our West Coast adventure, we chose the Vancouver Aquarium as the ideal place to retake some of our iconic photos from our only other BC coast visit back in 1981 when we were a family of three...Nelson, Me, and 2 1/2 year old Crystal. The summer of 2025 would give us a chance to update the photos to include Jessie, Nick, and JJ, who missed it the first time around. 

The Vancouver Aquarium is located in Stanley Park, a 1,000-plus acre public park on the northern part of Vancouver's peninsula between English Bay and Burrard Bay. The Aquarium had changed in the forty-four years since we'd been there, but it seemed more amazing than ever. The 65,000 animals within the walls and waters of Canada's largest aquarium includes species from Canada's Arctic and Pacific coasts, the Tropics, the Amazon rain forest, and more.  A profuse amount of shapes and colours everywhere you look. 

Nelson holding Crystal and watching a Beluga whale, 1981, Vancouver Aquarium

The beluga whale that captivated Crystal and Nelson back in 1981 is long gone. In its place, sea otters are shown in the B.C. Wild Coast Exhibit where they entertain the crowds while swimming on their backs and using their nimble forepaws to eat. All of the sea otters at the aquarium are either rescued orphans or too severely injured to be released back into the wild. They have been deemed non-releasable by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and now form part of the Vancouver Aquarium Marine Rescue Team. They are also available for symbolic adoption. 

Nelson with Crystal in front, and Jessie and JJ behind him, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Our 2025 retake photo shows Crystal standing in front of Nelson, with Jessie and JJ beside and behind him, in the tunnel of the outdoor portion of the B.C. Wild Coast exhibit. As usual, the sea otter is using its forepaws to eat and although in a somewhat sheltered exhibit, must still keep a wary eye out for seagulls who like snatching the food in a swift flyby.

Crystal found JJ, Anita, and Nick watching a Sea Lion, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Along the glass in the lover level of the B.C. Wild Coast gallery, we stopped to watch the antics of rescued California sea lions. The Marine Mammal Rescue Centre at the Vancouver Aquarium is "...the only facility of its kind in Canada and one of the largest rescue facilities in the world..." 

Here are some of the images I found when I went through all of our photographs that show the array of colour and shapes we discovered:

Jessie found a unique Pig-nosed Turtle and some Tropical Fish, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Nick showed the size of Jellyfish, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium 

JJ and Nick were caught watching Linneaus's Two-toed Sloth. 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

JJ found some Golden Poison Frogs, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Jessie and Nelson attended 4-D Theatre, The Great Salmon Run, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

Meanwhile, during a coffee break, I was checking out the vegetation. I was surprised to find holly with blue berries instead of the red ones like the Christmas holly that I've seen growing in Vancouver. On the prairies, you can't find holly growing outside at all so just seeing it in its natural state was special.

Mahonia aquifolium, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

With a bit of searching, I matched my holly image to Mahonia aquifolium, a member of the Barberry Family also called Oregon Grape Holly and Holly-leaved barberry. It appears the main difference in the leaves is that the barberry type leaf is more tapered at the end whereas Christmas holly seems to stay the same width for most of its entire length. 

Fern, 2025, Vancouver Aquarium

A grouping of this fern was growing beside the Holly-leaved barberry. I suspect it's a sword fern, but I know nothing about fern types. What I do know is that each frond contains small capsules called sporangia that are filled with thousands of dust-like spores that will scatter in the wind when ripe. It's the artful display of the sporangia that fascinates me, especially when seen with the sun behind the fronds. 

There is so much beauty connected to the Vancouver Aquarium and too much to see in one afternoon. After several hours of exploration, we headed back to our Sooke Airbnb to do some whale watching and card playing. Join us for the next post as we let you know what we saw. 

Note: For those with a calendar, this post connects with the images shown for January 2026. 

Road Trip 2025 - Regina to Surrey

We haven't blogged much with all the life changes, pandemic turmoil, etc, in our lives, but now that we've sold the farm and are settled in Regina, Saskatchewan, we live a less stressful life with more time to play. So this past summer when we were blessed with a wonderful family vacation in British Columbia we thought you might want to be an armchair traveler and come along as we relive the sights and memories.

We first visited Vancouver Island in 1981 when there was just Nelson, myself, and our 2 1/2 year old daughter Crystal. There are now six of us, and due to school, work, etc, we never had the chance to take an extended vacation together as a family. We wanted to change that while revisiting the places we first discovered with Crystal, before Jessie, Nick, and JJ came along. 

Anita and Crystal, 1981, Hell's Gate Canyon, BC

The itinerary was simple. Nick and JJ, who also live in Regina would take one car, and Nelson and I would take our Flex. We gave ourselves three days and 2 nights to travel across the prairies, through the Rocky Mountains, and down across BC to the Greater Vancouver area where both Crystal and Jessie live. The drive would allow us to make plenty of stops for rest, fresh air, and fabulous scenic photos, and we would arrive ready to explore the BC coastal area and Vancouver Island.

JJ, Nick, and Nelson at the Bow River Lookout on Hwy #1 west of Banff

It sort of worked. It was sunny when we arrived in Calgary for our first night, but cloudy the next morning as we entered the Rockies. We still stopped for photos and breaks while we admired the majestic mountains...a sight we don't see Saskatchewan, but we didn't see many of the mountain tops due to the low cloud cover. The sun came out the next morning after a restful night overlooking Shuswap Lake and we headed over to Kamloops and the daunting Coquihalla Highway. I call it daunting, but Nelson and our sons were excited to try out the four-lane high-speed shortcut part of Hwy 5 that followed the trail of the old Kettle Valley Railroad.

Coquihalla Hwy between Kamloops and Merritt, BC

We'd been on the Coquihalla about 20 minutes when our vehicle's Check Charging System light with a battery icon blinked on. Since everything appeared to be working and we were about halfway to Merritt, Nelson opted to keep going. Now, the highway was not packed with traffic, and it was the middle of summer and not during avalanche season, however, we'd passed numerous 'Runaway Lane' signs for drivers to head for if their brakes failed on portions of the 6% grade highway and I started feeling the stress. Within minutes the air conditioner stopped working. I tried to open a window only to find the windows weren't working either. And away we whizzed down the Coquihalla...a highway so dangerous in winter that it's a star of the TV show, Highway Thru Hell.

Nelson and I were hot and stressed when we drove into Merritt. The boys, on the other hand, were worried, but cool in their air conditioned vehicle. We were all surprised to find Merritt does not have a Ford dealership, so we parked in a nearby Chev dealership's lot and explained our situation. Their shop was fully booked, but offered other suggestions. We proceeded to phone around the city but everyone was booked until the next morning. Our only options were to stay the night...or take a chance and drive to Hope which was another 120 kms down the Coquihalla which included the steepest part, the Coquihalla Summit. By then we'd arrive at the end of the business day while shops were closing, and still have to look for lodging. 

While we were pondering our choices in the hot parking lot of the Murray Chevrolet Buick GMC dealer, someone came out and invited us to sit inside and use their facilities if we needed to. Their mechanic might be able to squeeze us in later. When she went back inside, Nelson, Nick, JJ and I prayed for guidance. We came to a decision that if the Chev mechanic couldn't fit us in today, I would go with JJ in his car to meet Jessie in Surrey, while Nelson and Nick stayed in Merritt with our Ford Flex. We went inside to use the facilities and thank the staff for their hospitality. While inside, we saw a quad pull up beside our Flex and a mechanic start poking around the engine. Minutes later, our Flex was in the shop and we were praying it could be fixed. We waited in the showroom as closing time neared. Finally, two hours after reaching Merritt, our vehicle was fixed, road-tested and ready to go. 

So here's a huge shout-out to Murray Chevrolet Buick GMC in Merritt, BC, and Greg, their mechanic, who took in and fixed a broken Ford Flex for a very grateful family from the prairies. It just goes to show that like the biblical parable, there are Good Samaritans everywhere.

Later that evening we arrived at our Surrey Airbnb. JJ and Nick had made a detour to pick up Jessie and Crystal and now we were blessed to be all together. We'd made it. 

Let the real adventure begin.  

Brown Thrasher

We spotted a strange sight this June when Nelson pointed out what looked like a Brown Thrasher without a tail. I reached for my camera and zoomed in to confirm the yellow eye and slightly curved bill. It even acted like a Brown Thrasher. (Video at bottom of post.)

Brown Thrasher with Missing Tail, June 2020, RM Montmartre, Saskatchewan

For further confirmation on the identity of this bird, I posted an image on the Facebook group, Sask Birders. Soon enough, another member said she had seen a Brown Thrasher in the mouth of a fox going one way, and minutes later, a Brown Thrasher without a tail running the other way. She added that the tail feathers grew back over time. I wonder if this is a defense mechanism.

Brown Thrashers are rusty or reddish-brown on the topside with a beautiful long tail which is sometimes pointed high. It's very noticeable, especially when they fly up and away from you.

Brown Thrasher, June 2019, Regina, Saskatchewan.

However, the wing bars on my image of the Brown Thrasher without a tail seem almost nonexistant, and it's hard to tell if the wings are the correct length for an adult thrasher, such as the one shown in the above photo which I took a year ago, in June 2019.

A check through my photo files brought up two interesting photos of Brown Thrashers. The first is a photo of a juvenile taken in June 2012 where I spotted one camouflaged under the evergreens in our shelterbelt while an adult kept watch nearby.

Brown Thrasher Juvenile, June 2012, RM Montmartre, Saskatchewan

The wing bars on the Brown Thrasher in this next photo made me think of a juvenile, but it has the long tail of an adult. Because this photo was taken in September of last year, I now believe it's a Brown Thrasher in molt. Mid-July to September is prime season for birds to shed their old feathers and grow new strong ones for the long trip to their wintering grounds, so if you see a bird who appears to have lost its dignity along with its beauty, and it's too old to be a juvenile, it's probably molting.

Brown Thrasher in Molt, September 2019, RM Montmartre, Saskatchewan

Here's the video I took of the Brown Thrasher without a tail, which is also available on my YouTube channel. https://youtu.be/YKRICrGNpXo

Our photos can also be found on our Bird and Wildlife Pinterest boards, as well as on Instagram.

Wind and Fire

The prairie wind has been ferocious this year straining power lines to their limit. Tree branches are a particular menace on windy days. Recently, on a harsh, windy, HOT day, a tree branch tangled with a power line in the corner of our farmyard. We saw the fallen line on the ground and tried to contact the power company who had numerous calls already on the go. Not long after, we saw smoke coming from the area and called 911.

The Montmartre Fire Department showed up in record time and got to work putting out the fire. Since the line was still live, the guys stayed on guard for several hours in case the fire flared back up, waiting for the power company to come out and shut the power off.

The Draper family would like to thank the Montmartre Fire Department for their quick response. The damage to our farm and more could have been horrid if the fire had gotten out of hand.