Kilby Historic Site & Mont Woodridge Jumpers

So, the lower mainland. IS BIG. Bigger than I thought. I need a GPS I think. What was going to be a short two hour 'jaunt' max, turned into a seven hour trek. But worth every minute. Even if my trip buddy was NOT happy about roaming around an historic site. He -and rightly so- can gloat about the second place we visited. Mont Woodridge. It was amazing!
It's going to take something even more amazing-er to top that! Srsly!

Anyway, Kilby is a "1920's Historic Site". With cool 1920's farm buildings and a couple of goats and bunnies, pigs and ducks. It's one of BC Heritage's recognized sites (which there are over 200 of them). It is a nicely maintained 'living museum' and recommended to all interested in taking a look back at a little corner of BC.

A little past the farm, we found a forest service road that went, well, straight up! Where we found a handful of some crazy fools who enjoy running off the tops of mountains and soar over the valley and river(s) below. The drive up there was bone jarring but the view was spectacular!!! And of course, what kind of trip would it be if I didn't meet a four footed friend.

Here's some of the stuff I saw.

It seems like ages since I've been by

The last time I posted any pictures was a sunny day in February and that seems ages ago. I've been through a bunch of not so great stuff but I've been able to escape the crap by reaching for my camera. So, to get things posted, I'm going to toss an assortment of images I've taken over the last month or so.

I've taken pictures of abandoned swings and the fattest stray cats I've ever seen.
Birthday treats and ballet slippers.

A neighbour's upright piano that, I confess, covet

 

  and funky old banjo.

I received flowers from some tenants in the building when they found out I had been home for my mother's passing and funeral. Kindness comes from unexpected places at times.

How about a couple of shots of the stink sisters?

and the last thing I shot just this weekend was a cool DC-3 at the Langley Airport (unfortunately it was penned up behind a frost fence).

It was so neat to see it in person

It was a clear, crisp cold, COLD Saturday morning. We left early to get to the Horseshoe Bay ferry terminal to head up the Sunshine Coast to Gibson's to visit what some (older Canadians) might call a National Shrine. At least any Canadian raised on CBC's "The Beach Combers".


We stepped out on the deck of 'The Queen of Surrey' as she pulled out of Horseshoe Bay to take in the view but the strong, biting cold wind quickly drove us back inside. It was amazing to watch the cold blow across the eerie dark water as we headed around Bowen Island over to Langdale.

The Beach Combers' "Molly's Reach" is still standing and still has the giant "Welcome Back" in green across the front of its yellow facade. I didn't think I'd be as thrilled about walking up to AND into Molly's as I was. I think I was getting second looks from the 'locals' because of the stupid grin on my face. The town is picturesquely quaint, if that's possible and I imagined myself retiring there and living in a funky houseboat to write all the unwritten novels I have banging around in my noggin.

It had warmed up by the time we off-loaded at Langdale. We drove to Gibson's, walked around for a while at the marina, ate our scrumptious "Veggie Hash" breakfasts in Molly's Reach before heading further along the winding bending coast, passing communities with wonderful names like Smuggler's Cove and Half Moon Bay going as far up as Madeira Park.

Of course true to form, I met a four-footed friend happy to pose for a quick snapshot. 

Heading back to Langdale, we pulled in along a beautiful stretch of 'seawall' and I just lost myself watching the wind push wave after wave toward the shore while gulls hovered in the air currents overhead. This display of water and wind has strengthened my desire to get over to Tofino to "Storm Watch". I'll be beside myself when I see that. But that's for another blog post isn't it......

It was just a 'day trip' but it was a great day, one I won't soon forget.