Road Trip - Cowichan Bay - Part 2

Part 1 of this series introduced you to our relaxing stay at the Cowibbean Cottage in Cowichan Bay on the east coast of Vancouver Island. It was a day to rest and recharge with nothing to do but watch the tide go out, the ocean bottom come alive as the water lowered, and get a sense of harbour life on a summer day. In order to give you the full sense of what and when things happened, I'm presenting this post with the actual timings, just like I did in Part 1.

Cowibbean Cottage, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:30 am - With our dock close to resting on the ocean floor, Nelson used an available net to carefully scoop up something and then hurried up the ramp with his dripping net to where I was waiting. We weren't sure why there was a small net available for our use, or if someone had left it behind, but we were thankful for the experience of getting a close view of what we saw below the water on the ocean floor.

Hairy Shore Crab, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:30 am - Nelson's net held a tiny Hairy Shore crab. I snatched a few photos before he quickly returned it to where he'd found it.

Hairy Shore Crab, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:30 Our Hairy Shore crab was green and I worried that it was a European green crab, a species that is invading the waters along our Pacific coast. However after researching it, Crystal confirmed we had found a native hairy shore crab that can be found in several colours and that just because it was green didn't mean it was one of the invasive crabs.

Graceful Crab, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:40 am - The second crab Nelson presented for identification and photographing turned out to be a Graceful crab. This is the crab that was walking upright in the screenshot mentioned in Part 1. The four legs on either side are the walking legs. There are two claws that control the food intake, with the right claw being bigger and blunt for crashing shells etc, while the left claw is smaller and sharper for cutting. 

Cowibbean Cottage, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:42 am - Nelson slipped the eager Graceful crab back into the water where he'd found it. The tide was still going out and the dock seemed to be sitting on the bottom. This last foot or so of water was the murkiest as if the bottom was stirred by all the creatures clamouring to keep up with the tide.

Bald Eagle, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

11:00 - A Bald Eagle flew overhead, searching across the bay for a chance to dive down and snatch a living fish right out of the water. I would have loved to photograph that event, but the eagle just flew on by.

Cowibbean Cottage, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

12:10 pm - At the end of our dock, Nelson took a break from looking down in the water and relaxed in the 22 degree celcius weather with a soft breeze cooling his skin. 

2025 Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

12:13 pm - Above is a photo similar to one in Part 1, however, we now see the water level lower than the base of the post and the tide is still going out. Barnacles covered almost every surface of wood and metal making it hard to distinguish their identity.

2025 Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

This photo shows a close-up of the barnacle-encrusted piece of metal beneath the deck in the photo above it. I suppose it's some type of marine equipment, but it's unrecognizable in this state. Barnacles live on the hulls of boats and ships that stay in the water. The barnacles start small but stubbornly attach themselves to the hull as they grow, much like to the metal in this photo. Ships need to be cleaned periodically to keep the integrity of the hull from corrosion. Barnacles will slow down the vessel, add weight, and reduce fuel efficiency. 

2025 Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

12:15 pm - In the above photo, I had leaned over the deck railing to take photos of the ocean floor close to our cottage. The blue circle in the top left corner shows what appears to be a rock covered with acorn barnacles. To its right is a blue circle showing a Pacific Littleneck clam. And the blue circle on the bottom middle shows the distinctive waves of an oyster shell. 

2025 Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

12:19 pm -  A bit farther out I aimed my camera at some oyster shells disguised as pineapple tops that caught my eye among the mucky, littered ocean floor in the above image. The litter is caused by birds, mainly gulls, dropping the shells onto rocks so that they break apart exposing the inner meat. As well, I see four complete oyster shells in the top centre with varying stages from almost-closed to open enough to show the inside lustre.  

Part 3 of the Cowichan Bay series will feature the tide at its lowest water level at Cowibbean Cottage. As the day wanes we will see several of the birds and animals that inhabit the area that have come out to search for their evening meal. Part 3 will be posted June 20th.

Our stay at the Cowibbean Cottage in Cowichan Bay relates to the June calendar page.

Road Trip 2025 - Cowichan Bay - Part 1

Last year when I started planning for our 2025 summer vacation to Vancouver Island, I took on the task of finding accommodation for the six of us. It was the first time we'd all shared a family vacation since the kids had become adults. I wanted somewhere unique, breathtaking, and altogether memorable. A place along the coast where we could fully immerse ourself in views that would stay with us for decades.

As mentioned in our recent Victoria post, I found a delightful Airbnb in Cowichan Bay on the eastern side of Vancouver Island that didn't just have a view of the ocean...it was on the ocean!

Cowibbean Cottage, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

We arrived at our Cowibbean Cottage around supper time and couldn't wait to get out onto the large deck and absorb the beautiful tranquility of this oceanfront property. Nelson took the photo while standing on the end of the long dock which was at our disposal for the duration of our visit.

For this post, we're taking you through one memorable day at Cowibbean Cottage, allowing you to not only see and hear what we saw and heard throughout the day, but to know what time it was as the tide went out and rolled back in.   

Sunrise, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

6:25 am - The morning after our arrival, I was out on the deck at sunrise while the dew was still on the chairs and railings. Nothing much was moving except for the sun. It truly was breathtaking. Every so often a small boat would skim along, slow and smooth with a quiet hum. A guy on a paddle board left a wake as he dipped his paddle into the quiet water and moved forward, unrushed.

2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

7:00 am - It was high tide and I took a photo of our neighbour's deck posts to confirm the water level. The tide was about to go out and I was excited to see the ocean floor with all its flora and fauna as the water receded.

2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

7:50 am - A lone canoeist made his way across the water, now shimmering in the morning breeze.

Barn Swallows, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

8:03 am - A pair of Barn Swallows landed on a nearby boat railing. They looked eastward, hoping to see yummy insects flying low across the water like dust motes dancing in a ray of sunshine in a dark building. 

Cowibbean Cottage, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

8:45 am - Jessie, Nick, and JJ headed off for their adventurous day in Victoria, leaving Nelson, Crystal, and I to lounge around the cottage and deck. It was lovely. No demands...no stress...no need to rush out and look for anything more exciting than watching the tide go out. 

2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

9 am - The murky green water was low enough to show a littered bottom unlike the clear water and beautiful tidal pools at the Botanical Beach on the western side of Vancouver Island that we'd explored only days before. 

Crabs, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

9:15 am - Watching the ocean floor come alive was like watching a movie for the first time. From my deck railing standpoint, I never knew what I was looking at until it moved. Seeing crabs moving upright on their walking legs was an eye-opener to me. The above screenshot is from a video I took as I followed the crab on the right walk around the ocean floor while smaller creatures got out of the way. A smaller crab is camouflaged on the barnacle-covered rock at the top centre of the image, while the medium-sized crab on the left hastily scuttled on its walking legs around the open oyster shell, pausing when the larger crab stopped. Unwilling to play Ring Around The Rosie, the large crab ignored the smaller ones and changed direction across the floor.

Sculpin, 2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

9:20 am - I spied something moving slowly between a camouflage of crushed shells and acorn barnacles. I didn't know what it was until I zoomed in later and did some research. It is a sculpin, generally scaleless with a size range of 5-20 centimetres.

2025, Cowichan Bay, Vancouver Island, Canada

10:17 am - Colourful movement caught my eye and a partially filled dragon boat slid into view, the paddlers pausing as their steerer guided them through a bevy of moorings.

If you are interested in closeup images of crabs and other things as the day progresses, join us for Part 2 on June 10th. 

Our stay at the Cowibbean Cottage in Cowichan Bay relates to the June calendar page.

Road Trip 2025 - Goats on the Roof

 

While in the Nanaimo area of Vancouver Island's east coast, we had a chance to revisit a favourite stop from our previous 1981 trip.. We couldn't remember the name or place, but I had 2 photos of goats grazing on a green sod-covered roof. The building was a country market and I remember wide open doors and lots of fresh produce, jams, etc. Woven baskets hung from the rafters and sat on shelves. A particular basket caught my eye...a doubled handled oblong one woven with thin, dark twigs. It was about 14 x 10 inches and 8 inches deep with tapered sides. That basket held my knitting for over forty years before the first sign of breakage. 

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Although Crystal was only 3 during our 1981 visit, as a 2025 resident of BC, she knew exactly where Goats on the Roof was located and directed us to The Old Country Market in Coombs near Qualicum Beach and Parksville. 

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

And there it was. I spotted the sod roof and smiled. Yet, it was different. Back in 1981, we drove up to the market, parked in front of the wide-open doors, and walked right in like the photo below.

The Old Country Market, 1981, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

But where were the wide open doors to the market in our current photo of 2025 below? Times change. Now, there is long wooden bench in front of a lattice-like wooden fence, with an outdoor restaurant filling the space to the market doors. It's a great place to relax and eat, but tough if you're trying to get decent photos of the goats on the roof without the shade umbrellas hiding your view.  As it was a hot day, we took the best photos we could and then chose to eat inside...in the indoor market cafe which was very relaxing, cool, and quieter. Great food, too!

The Old Country Market, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Established in 1973 as The Old Country Market, it is now a famous tourist attraction alternately known as Goats on the Roof. Information on the history of the market and the goats can be found on their website. And when we visited in 2025, the place was busy, inside the market as well as outside where people stood waiting to get in while being entertained by the grazing goats. 

Goats on the Roof, 1981, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

But what of the shelter on the roof? Was it the same one I'd photographed in 1981? I zoomed into my photos and checked the details of the small log shelter in both the 1981 photo above and the 2025 photo below...the shape of the log ends...imperfections in the wood...and am satisfied that it is indeed the same log structure. Weathering aside, not everything has changed.

Goats on the Roof, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

The country market still showcases local produce and goods, but it also sells a delectable selection of imported food, giftware, and apparel from around the world. It took us 2 hours to walk through the crowded market, collecting wonderful items along the way from all sections of the old building.  Of course, we could have gotten through faster even with the crowds, but we wanted to experience the sounds and aromas of the market, and to see everything. 

The Old Country Market, Goats on Roof Mustard, 2025, Coombs, Vancouver Island, BC

Yes, we bought the Goats on Roof Sweet Mustard among other delectable items. It is delicious. The Old Country Market has been a local favourite as well as a famous tourist attraction for over 50 yrs now, and it is heart-warming to know it still carries on the quaint and unique tradition of having goats graze on the sod roof.

Perhaps it's because we were goat farmers for many years? Or maybe it's because we like quirky roadside attractions...like when we were driving on Hwy 7 east of Peterborough, Ontario one summer and our eyes were drawn to the huge Dinosaur Drive Thru sign. Called Canada's Dinosaur Park, it features over 100 vehicle-size stationary and animatronic dinosaurs hidden in a forested area that really was a treat for our eyes and ears. 

Dinosaur Drive Thru, Canada's Dinosaur Park, 2024, Indian River, Ontario

Whatever the reason, Goats on the Roof was a family favourite in 1981 and our recent visit with the kids that weren't around for the first visit confirms it's their favourite as well. Hopefully we'll return some day once more. 

This post corresponds to our 2025 BC Vacation, but not any particular calendar page. 

The next post in this series is our previously mentioned incredible visit to Cowichan Bay, which is pictured on the June calendar page. We hope you'll join us at that time for another adventure.

Road Trip 2025 - Victoria

Our visit to Vancouver Island was laid out in such a way that we would stay a couple nights in one place and be able to reach areas of interest before moving on. One of those times was when we reached Cowichan Bay which will be featured in a future post. Once we settled in for the night, we went over the plan for the next day which was to visit Victoria. Nelson, Crystal, and I, wanted to just sit back and relax in our unique Airbnb with a dockside view. The younger ones wanted to visit Victoria about an hour south of us. We stayed. They went. 

JJ, Nick, Jessie, Legislature Building, 2025, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia and the kids made sure they stopped at the historic Legislature Building. I am so glad they took a selfie with the flag flying and the totem pole on the side. 

Legislature Building, 2025, Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC

Nelson, Crystal and I had visited Victoria back on our 1981 trip when our destination that day was the Fable Cottage Estate. 

Fable Cottage Estate, 1981, Victoria, BC

The Fable Cottage was a delightful, magical estate and although it's gone now, even Crystal remembers it. While preparing for our 2025 trip, I searched for info on the Fable Cottage and couldn't find anything that marks its historic presence. From what I remember, a father built the estate for his children. Stone walls and hand-hewed woodwork for the doors and frames right down to the carved built-in seats for his children to sit in. It was truly remarkable workmanship.

Fable Cottage Estate, 1981, Victoria, BC

The Fable Cottage grounds were manicured in a park-like setting. One building was a smaller version of the cottage itself and had a flurry of dwarfs working on it, such as fixing the roof, replacing a window, carrying a ladder, etc. They were the same height as Crystal and she was in awe of them. 

Surfacing, Seasonal Garden Display, 2025, Victoria, BC

Back to 2025, apparently the kids were in the neighbourhood of the Fairmont Empress Hotel, which is on my bucket list, because Jessie took the above photo of Surfacing. Unlike topiary which is just the clipping of trees and shrubs into shapes, this seasonal garden display of a 6 meter/20 foot mother and calf orca is made up of 10,000 living plants on a frame which is replanted each year at the Beacon Hill Park Nursery.

Wild Peacock, 2025, Victoria, BC

While the youngsters were in Victoria, Jessie took a photo of this peacock crossing the street. What was a peacock doing in the city? Had it escaped a zoo or aviary? A bit of research showed that yes, it did seem to be an escapee from Beacon Hill Park. In fact, there are about 40 members of the peacock family residing in the park and they regularly roam the city, especially in the spring during mating season. They stay around the south side of Victoria and seem to like the Hatley Castle area.

 

Wild Peacock, 2025, Victoria, BC

Apparently, peacock vocalizing was a problem during the filming of the X-Men franchise as well as the Deadpool movies, and probably the dozen or so other films and shows that have been filmed in the area. Peacocks are beautiful, but their voices don't sing nicely by any stretch of the imagination. Peacock cries would probably fit right in for a horror movie though.  

Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Nick took the above photo when they explored Victoria's Chinatown. There are hundreds of Chinese communities across our country, and Victoria's Chinatown is the oldest in Canada, thus the distinction of being a National Historic Site of Canada.

Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Victoria's Chinatown also holds the record for the narrowest street in Canada. Fan Tan Alley, as pictured above, was notorious for gambling which was illegal, and opium which was legal until 1908. In my years of research, I was confounded to find how different "vices" become legal/illegal depending on the culture and government of the day. No wonder time travelers get confused. 

Bubble Tea, Victoria's Chinatown National Historic Site, 2025, Victoria, BC

Bubble Tea anyone? Although we can get Bubble Tea at home in Regina, there's nothing better to quench your thirst on a hot day when you're playing tourist, than Bubble Tea. And the cup is a nice souvenir of Victoria's Chinatown as  well. 

Midafternoon found the kids at Fisherman's Wharf near Victoria's Inner Harbour. It looks like a wonderful place to visit. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority's website says, "This unique marine destination offers food kiosks, unique shops and eco-tour adventures amongst fishing vessels, pleasure boats with live-aboard residents, float homes and commercial businesses."

Jessie's photo above shows float homes, businesses, and tourists. My eye was particularly drawn to the small group of youngsters under the neon green sign. They're all engrossed in something in the water and I'd like to know what caught their attention. 

 Fisherman's Wharf Houseboats, 2025, Victoria, BC

Jessie also took this photo of float homes while at Fisherman's Wharf. I remember calling them houseboats back in the day. Definitely a different kind of living.

Actually, our Cowichan Bay Airbnb was over the water and while the kids were in Victoria, Nelson, Crystal and I spent hours looking over the deck railing at crabs and things and seeing how they handled the incoming and outgoing tide. We loved it! 

Our Cowichan Bay visit will be posted here on June 1st.

This post on Victoria corresponds to the May calendar page. We thought it would be a fitting tribute to Victoria Day when it rolls around on May 18th this year. 

Road Trip 2025 - Horne Lake Caves

 

At the end of our last post on the Forests of Vancouver Island, I gave a hint that Nick and JJ took a quick photo of Cathedral Grove and then drove off to visit Horne Lake Caves. JJ had taken a tour back in 2024 and Nick was eager to see what the caves had to offer. 

Since I wasn't there, Nick and JJ went through the photos with me describing what was going on. Although they wore similar clothing, JJ took all the photos unless noted here.

JJ and Nick, Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Horne Lake Caves has 3 cave exploration packages and the guys picked the Multi-Cave Experience which encompasses both the Riverbend and Main Caves. It took about 2.5 hours with 8 cavers maximum to complete it which begins with an uphill climb inside the cave.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Calcite formations were everywhere and gave the caves an other-worldly shine when reflected off the cavers' headlamps.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

JJ climbed up to get a look at a pool with a rock in the middle that's known as The Cave Buddha. 

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Nick was first to ride the cave slide, a narrow metal slide with a left curve part way down.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

For the cave slide, you need to lie on your back, feet first, as you would a tube in some water parks. This fun slide is not the time to find out you're claustrophobic.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

JJ said that the overhanging rock above Nick's head where the slide curves to the left is called the Face Plant Rock. Nick ducked his head before he got to it, but it looks like he's going to smack into it. They give you a warning not to lift your head while you're on the slide. 

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

So then JJ gave the cave slide another whirl. I'm thankful both boys still have their cute faces, and that the Face Plant Rock didn't shave their beards for them.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

This calcite formation looks like a waterfall, which leads into our next photo. 

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Nick used his rock climbing skills to climb up and into a waterfall area. Although we can't see the water from this angle, he said there was lots of it. 

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Remember me saying the tour started with an uphill climb? Well, JJ took this photo of cavers climbing back down to where the tour started.

Horne Lake Caves, 2025, Vancouver Island, BC

Nick took this photo of JJ in the Cheese Grater, which is only 30 cm/1 ft wide.  Apparently, JJ got stuck in it when he tried it for the first time back in 2024, so he wanted a second shot at it. He said he sank down and crab-walked through and didn't have a problem this time around. So Nick tried it. He said a few minutes in, other cavers heard a humongous r-i-p. Nick decided not to progress further and then came back out saying it was just his sweater.

So, if you ever wondered about caving, just ask Nick or JJ because they seemed to enjoy the experience at Horne Lake Caves. 

This post on Horne Lake Caves is the second post that corresponds to the April calendar page.