Sunday, December 11, 2011

Covert

One of my favourite neighbourhood jaunts when visiting home is to walk down to Deep Cove, which takes me about 25 minutes, going at a good clip.



It's pretty much required that you stop at the bottom of the street once you arrive to take a picture of the Deep Cove marina.



I was quite touched that they'd hung out a "Welcome Home" flag for me.





In spite of the sunshine, it was a frosty day, as evidenced by the hoary dock.

See what I mean?



The chill air and frosty ground didn't seem to bother these fellows, though.



But then, they were wearing their fur coats.


Whereas, this couple was not



and consequently appeared frozen as solid as stone.

Oh yes, that damn damp cold is nothing to sneeze at!

40 comments:

  1. What a scenic spot -can understand the obligatory photo...

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  2. Gorgeous. I can really *feel* the Northwest Pacific via your wonderful posts.

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  3. How I love the stoic presence of these furry friends! If I left Roxy tied to a tree, which I'd never do, but hypothetically speaking, I'd find her literally wrapped around it! :) Lovely captures as always!

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  4. So nice indeed of them to hang up the welcome mat, errr flag, or whatever they're called...

    And with all those sailors about, old sea dogs and all, no wonder the dock was hoary, enough to make one break out an old sea shanty or two...

    My goodness, for someone who is supposedly on vacation, you sure are blogging up a storm ! (even if the sky didn't look too red that morning)

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  5. Wonderful photos! Deep Cove is one of my favorite spots. My friend Karen has a house there, and when I visited, we often went kayaking or for coffee and a cinnamon bun at Honey Donuts and Coffee. SO good! Also a great place to hike the Cabot trail! I envy you. Enjoy.

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  6. Pretty awesome payoff for the 25 minutes of walking! What gorgeous scenery. Love how you got the Deep Cove flag in the foreground of that first image. Those 2 cute and furry patient dogs make me want to run out and get one of my own. I've been thinking about it...

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  7. Always a treat to visit your blog and see where you've been.. and what you have to say about it.

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  8. Catherine,
    Every time I go there, I feel the urge to reach for my camera, even when I don't have it with me (sometimes I deliberately leave it at home).

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  9. jann,
    Better put on an extra thick, woolly sweater!

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  10. Bella,
    I'm always amazed at how "civilized" city dogs are, waiting patiently, though perhaps a little worriedly, outside of shops and cafes for the their people. We had a country dog and her manners, though enthusiastic, were appalling.

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  11. Owen,
    Ahoy me hearty! What's the point of holidaying if one can't blog about it?
    Grey sky at dawn, blogging is on!

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  12. Audrey,
    Ooooh, donuts at Honey's...chocolate is my favourite. I haven't indulged in any this trip, as yet. Lucky friend you have, with a house in the Cove. When my family moved here in the mid-60s, Dollarton/Deep Cove was really considered the boonies. My how times have changed!

    Audrey, if you intend to hike the Cabot Trail from here, that's going to be one monumental undertaking! I doubt Honey's would have enough donuts to keep you going. I think you must mean the Dobson Trail? It would seem you're as bicoastal as I in your points of reference.

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  13. Stickup,
    A furry friend for Christmas? A puppy is forever (or about 15 years) don't forget! Seems like s/he would be a great companion for those wonderful hikes you show on your blog. Big decision.

    Lots of good walks in the neighbourhood here, though Extreme Bourgeoisie is the dominant theme. Nevertheless, the mountains, towering cedars, and the inlet cannot lose their charm.

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  14. Hilary,
    Out and about and not afraid to shout about it,that's me. Always a treat to hear your answering echo.

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  15. Whoops - I read that as a 'hoary dick' that got me wondering what you've been up to.

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  16. Lulu LabBone oops, I mean LaBonne,
    That's one lulu of a comment you've slipped in here! Nope, the hoary dock in question was slippery but that's as risky (not to be confused with risqué) as it gets around here. Working on keeping my PG rating on the old blog (and that is "blog," not "log").

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  17. Oh my stars! You are right! I was visualizing the correct trail, and naming it after another. Muddled thoughts!!!

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  18. You make the Pacific Northwest look very appealing.
    The furry friends look splendid.

    Season's Greetings!

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  19. Just the spot to hitch up our boots and have a swig of something cidery and warming! Those dogs can keep a look out for anyone about to tell us off....

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  20. It looks beautiful and peaceful......and no snow in sight!

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  21. Audrey,
    Definitely bicoastal.

    elizabeth,
    I guess my love of the place is showing. I think Buster would enjoy it here.

    Saj,
    Oddly and perhaps shockingly, there is no pub in the Cove! A few eateries where you could get a libation with your grub, but no real drinking establishment. However, there is a place you can get donuts to die for! Will that do?

    Forest Dream,
    You have identified perhaps the very best thing about the place!

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  22. I can see why you return .. the question is how do you stay away??
    So much to see...

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  23. Gwen,
    $$$$$$$$$$$$$! Lack thereof.

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  24. Is is really costly to live there?

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  25. Although it looks a bit chilly, the air in your first photo looks electrified... What a gorgeous setting, perfectly named.

    Bises,
    Genie

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  26. Gwen,
    It's not so much the cost of living as the cost of real estate. You have to be entering the market here with big bucks. You're lucky to find a 2 bdrm condo in the $350,000 range; a "starter" home is around $650,000; I'm seeing more and more list prices at $1 million. Renting a 2 bedroom or 1 bdrm + den is at least $1500/mo. Of course, neighbourhoods have a lot to do with it, so you can find better prices in rougher areas or out in the (highly developed/densely populated) boonies. Prices are a little lower on Vancouver Island, which is a beautiful place to live...if you're not bothered by the threat of a tsunami. I remember a few years ago I used to be amazed/horrified that a little dump of a house cost $350,000 but now it would seem an absolute bargain.

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  27. Genie,
    In fact, I always do feel a little "electrified" myself when I arrive at the Cove.

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  28. ahh... a professor and his columnist wife moved to the village a few years ago from Vancouver.. they said the house they had been renting there was put on the market for $950,000... it drove them out of the area... so this is the general way of the real estate market then.. Geez, we couldn't even afford a 1 bedroom...

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  29. Saw where you were looking for some quackers, errr, crackers to nibble on over in France... my goodness, aren't they giving you enough to eat out there ???

    After the last debacle with Customs, don't worry, I'm not sending any food this year...

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  30. Gwen,
    Can you imagine the price your art castle would fetch if it was on the other coast??!!!

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  31. Owen,
    Quoi? Quoic! Quaack! No food this year? Not even hugs and quiches? Maybe you also noted somewhere else that a certain artiste is not mailing out handmade Xmas cards this year?

    Jingle bells, Santa smells, blogging all the way, hey!

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  32. beautiful colours in that first photo, wow!

    the two melancholics set in stone gave off the same vibe for me as some of your art.

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  33. Ah, but of course, whole cartons full of hugs and quiches !!! Bon appetit ! And if you are going to be out west for quite a while longer yet, can you send me an e-mail with your snail mail address out there ??? Who knows, maybe a quiche will come your way... :-)

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  34. Hm not really a donut fan...altho' I am told that Nova Scotian fishermen sew the left over donut holes together to make fishing nets and catch salmon with them...THAT I can eat!! And wash down with a chilled Sauvignon Blanc from our Marlborough region. Just so you know. xx

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  35. Manuela,
    What an astute observation! I can see what you mean about the sculpted heads resembling some of the faces in my artwork. Perhaps that's why I'm always drawn to photograph that statue when I visit the cove. I find they have such a mysterious presence.

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  36. Gwen,
    Where's there's a will, there's a way. Or so I've been told.

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  37. Owen,
    You must remember this, a quiche is just a quiche.

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  38. Saj,
    Tales of Nova Scotia fishermen sewing donut holes? Haha, never heard that one. But there is a donut franchise called Tim Horton's that sells donut holes.
    I do believe we'll be having salmon for supper sometime this week. Why don't you pop on up with some of that Marlborough Sauvignon blanc I've heard so much about? xoxo

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