Lmst

Market day! You know you're in good with the wild mushroom woman when she throws a couple extra fat chanterelles in your bag. (I 🖤 the mushroom woman. She's French Canadian w/ a mess of grey & purple hair, & looks exactly like you'd expect a woman who lives in the woods gathering mushrooms to look.)

Also shopping for Thanksgiving next weekend, which is why I now have 4 dozen eggs. 1 dozen are for ice cream.

Damn, I love living here.

#VancouverIsland #CowichanValley #EatLocal

Your guide to #LittleFreeLibraries in the #CowichanValley (and how to find them).

From #MillBay to #NorthCowichan, readers have shared the location of little #FreeLibraries to help neighbours discover and #ShareBooks.

https://thediscourse.ca/cowichan-valley/little-free-libraries-cowichan-valley

#SouthCowichan #FreeBooks #ShawniganLake #DuncanBC #VancouverIsland #VanIsle #BooksForEveryone #CommunityLibraries #CommunityBuilding

Another beautiful morning in the #CommunityGarden, including a nice haul for the local food bank. (This is just what I picked; others picked & brought more.)

#CowichanValley #VancouverIsland

A large aluminum colander sitting on green grass. In the colander are quite a lot of cucumbers and red, orange, and yellow cherry tomatoes; green beans; basil; rosemary; and thyme.

'Fears of a massive fish die-off in Cowichan River if conditions don't improve'

'This is what climate change looks like for us'

https://www.timescolonist.com/local-news/fears-of-a-massive-fish-die-off-in-cowichan-river-if-conditions-dont-improve-10941790

#ClimateCrisis #Canada #CDNPoli #BCPoli #CowichanValley #VancouverIsland #NoPipelines

Headline reading "Fears of a massive fish die-off in Cowichan River if conditions don't improve"; below is an image of the Cowichan River

#Cowichan Valley Trail ride today - about 36 km in total. I picked an arbitrary turn-around point to have at least 1.5 hours riding.

It was mostly spent dodging slugs on the trail, accidentally inhaling flying insects, sweating, and enjoying a somewhat quiet ride (nearly constant timber trucks on Hwy 18, which it parallels.

With occasional flares of anger and rants (see alt text for photo of dirtbike trail for more ranting.)

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#BikeTooter #bike #TrailRide #CowichanValley

A bicycle is parked at the side of the Cowichan Trail about 17.5 km from the start of the trail in Duncan, BC. There is a wild Foxglove stalk with the lower flowers just opening and coloured. In the background is the trail, which is mostly smooth with pea gravel and clay over a coarse rock bed of a former rail line, cutting through the formerly forested valley to Cowichan Lake, a former centre for the timber trade.

One of the many varieties of forest slug which live in the temperate rain forests of coastal British Columbia. This individual was one of hundreds seen on the morning ride, trying to cross the gravel- and needle-covered trail, and I have encouraged it to change course 180° to return to the closer side.

There were many of these dark slugs on the trail, and also more than a few road-kills.

A banana slug, who has clearly been sprinting, has slowed to a mere run as it nears the far side of the trail. When running for cover, slugs stretch their bodies into long, thin twig-like shape to get the most speed. As a consequence, the slime they produce to travel on/reduce friction is not as efficient at avoiding picking up detritus. There are many varieties of banana slug, some of which live in forest canopies eschewing ground travel except by accident. Unfortunately, the colouring is nearly camouflage on the trail and they are harder to spot and avoid.

Like everywhere, pedestrian/bicycle trails are subject to dirtbike damage when people who like trails with jumps and bumps choose to destroy trails intended for people who want smoot roads for travel.

I am severely opposed to mountain bikers who engage in this kind vandalism in parks, on private land (not theirs), and so on. There is absolutely no excuse or just ification. And you fucking know that.

But worse, because of the speed and severity of their damage, are clueless unsupervised kids with motorbikes. Most of them will grow up to have regrets. Their parents, imo, should be financially liable. The Lake Cowichan Trail has damage for about 1 km from this entry toward Duncan.

I love capturing wooden bridges where I ride. This one is on Maple Mountain, near Duncan on a trail called Phloem. Lush, shady, and beautiful #naturephotography #trails #maplemountain #cowichanvalley #cowichantrails #CTSS

Mayor calls on province to intervene in nearly 5-month-long Vancouver Island transit strike
Transit operators with Cowichan Valley Transit walked off the job at the beginning of February in a push for higher wages, halting regular bus services and limiting HandyDART rides to people with certain ...
#transit #labordispute #politics #VancouverIsland #CowichanValley #News
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mayor-calls-on-province-to-step-in-and-resolve-transit-strike-1.7545973?cmp=rss

Vancouver Island land returned to Lyackson First Nation and Cowichan Tribes
A stretch of culturally significant land in the Cowichan Valley has been returned to the Lyackson First Nation and the Cowichan Tribes communities.
#land #politics #environment #culture #VancouverIsland #CowichanValley
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-island-land-first-nations-land-transfer-1.7542454?cmp=rss

Friend and #CowichanValley legend Joe Fortin died a couple of weeks ago. He always greeted me with a hug, sometimes a small gift, and an "Ahka tahka tah," his warm, made-up greeting.

He made the most wonderful bird houses, but I never bought one because we don't have a yard. At his celebration of life, I realized that I didn't need a yard: it's okay to have one as a piece of art by a friend.

I miss you, Joey, you glorious, joyful human. Ahka tahka tah.

#art #WoodWorking #VancouverIsland

A wooden bird house/art work showing a stylized human figure bowing before a sun that looks like a sunflower. The background is in undulating shades of green below with a bright blue sky. The bird house has an asymettrical shape and a wooden shake roof. It sits on a wooden shelf suspended by ropes from the foot of a metal frog.

Cowichan Valley transit strike continues into 3rd month
Bus and handyDART workers in Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley say they’re still looking for a better wage and pension offer and washroom breaks. They’ve been on strike since Feb. 8.
#labor #transit #strike #wage #CowichanValley #VancouverIsland
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cowichan-valley-transit-strike-continues-into-third-month-1.7510306?cmp=rss

#silentsunday #Koksilahriver #cowichanValley #VancouverIsland #britishcolumbia #Canada

A rushing wintry#koksilah river framed by moss covered tree trunks and leafless bushes.

Bus operators in B.C.'s Cowichan Valley walk off the job
Bus operators in Vancouver Island's Cowichan Valley walked off the job on Saturday morning as labour talks with their employer broke down.
#labor #transportation #strike #CowichanValley #VancouverIsland #BC
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/cowichan-valley-bus-strike-1.7454499?cmp=rss

Tribute to the #PacificNorthwest.

One of the #woodburned planks on the boardwalk at the #Somenos Marsh Wildlife refuge/estuary. I overlaid one of my foggy Autumn photos of Lake Cowichan over the marked plank photo.
This wetlands estuary is a key part of S’amunu (Somenos) watershed in South #CowichanValley, just outside of downtown #DuncanBC.

Learn more & visit it sometime - birders love these wetlands:

The Somenos Marsh Wildlife Society (SMWS) is a 35-year-old charitable society made up of people who care deeply about the S’amunu (Somenos) Watershed. This biodiversity-rich watershed is the traditional home of the #Quwutsun People, a nursery for salmon, a resting place and winter home for migratory waterfowl, and a sanctuary for many other endangered and common species. The work of the SMWS is both restorative and educational.
https://www.somenosmarsh.com/

#VancouverIsland #VanIsle #PacificNorthwest #Cascadia #PNW #BritishColumbia #Canada #PhotoEdit #photography #CreativeArtist #VisualArt #WorldWhereWeLive

A boardwalk plank features the words "PACIFIC NORTHWEST" etched into the surface, overlaid with faint reflections of trees and water. The background gives a sense of a natural landscape, enhancing the theme of the Pacific Northwest region.

I'll post some belated stuff today; my last full day off before returning to work tomorrow.
One of my search & rescue friends took me away for an off grid day hiking adventure yesterday & we got home last night.

#Carmanah Point #LightStation was established in 1891. The first #lighthouse there was built of wood & attached to the keeper's housing. The present tower was built in 1920 of concrete & remains in operation. The area is said to be named for the upstream #Nitinaht village. It is said the name means "thus far upstream".

In Summer 2024, #Canadian Fisheries & Oceans along with the #CoastGuard announced that the light station was seismically unstable & would be destaffed before the end of the year. On Oct. 25, lightkeepers were removed from the station. The decision to destaff the station has been met with heavy criticism from various local authorities, including local governments, indigenous leadership & industry leaders.

#VancouverIsland #VanIsle #Mariners #Nautical #EmergencyLight #BoatersSafety #MarineSafety #JuanDeFucaTrail #Westcoast #PacificNorthwest #CowichanValley #Cascadia #monochrome #photography #PNW #BChistory #WildernessSafety

A historic lighthouse stands atop a hill, featuring a white building with a conical lantern. A very old & rotting wooden walkway leads to the lighthouse, flanked by a grassy area & trees. Two smaller structures are visible nearby. The sky is overcast. Black and white photo.

A wooden sign with white arrow pointing to the right. It displays the words "Canadian Coast Guard Lightstation Carmanah Point," indicating the location. The sign is set against a backdrop of dense trees & foliage in the forest. Black and white photo.

#Backroads on #DididahtTerritory.
This is part of the #SanJuanRiver & forests in the valley. The #watershed area is under ongoing #ecological threats by industrial #clearcut #logging. This is near #CarmannahWalbran #BritishColumbia provincial park.
The forests here are longtime foraging, mating & birthing grounds for the #CowichanValley Roosevelt elk herd. The San Juan is an important salmon bearing river. The old growth forests here are home to several #SpeciesAtRisk & #EndangeredSpecies.
There is ongoing eco activism work to try & protect more of the forests & #waterways in this #wilderness valley on Southern #VancouverIsland.

#SilentSunday #monochrome #Nature #WildFirst #landscape #photography #WorldInMyEyes #VanIsle #UncededNativeLand #Cascadia #environmental #StopDeforestation #StopEcocide #BCForestryReform #forests #ProtectTheWild #WildFirst #Conservation #PacificNorthwest #PNW #SaveOurForests #TreesOverGreed #BanCorporateLobbyists #WaterIsLife #ProtectWatersheds #NatureFirst #Degrowth #ClimateChange #CarbonSinks

A black and white landscape scene featuring tall mountains in the background, surrounded by dense coniferous forests. A winding river reflects the surroundings in the foreground, with rocky banks and scattered vegetation along the edges.

Met a new raptor on the way back from the community garden yesterday. Merlin Bird ID threw up 3 possible matches, so I'm not sure what it is. Anyone know? (This was in the #CowichanValley on #VancouverIsland.)

With apologies for the kinda crappy photo--it was close to sunset, the bird was way up in a tree, and I just had my phone to take the photo with.

A brown and white bird with a flat head and hooked beak, sitting in a tree.

Spotted on my errand walk today. You tell 'em, sister!

*Walks away humming, "These are the people in my neighbourhood."*

#BCPoli #CowichanValley #VancouverIsland

An election sign in the rain. The sign reads, "Vote Socialist / Eden Haythornthwaite / Cowichan Valley / Make the rich pay!" Beside it is a smaller sign for Debra Toporowski, our local NDP candidate, who I hope will actually get a chance to make the rich pay.

(Side note: If you're in/near the #CowichanValley on #VancouverIsland, Chocolate Pearl makes truly wonderful chocolates, and until Hallowe'en, some of them look like eyeballs.)

2. It takes a lot more work than I expected. (Worth it, but lord, the rinsing.)

3. If you're going to do yarn, choose a light/white undyed yarn--it barely showed up on med. grey. Also really strain your slurry well: I'm going to be picking bits of leaf out of that yarn foreeeeever.

4. Indigo grows really well in the #CowichanValley

5. Those undyed shawl & scarf blanks from Maiwa are a pretty good deal.

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Here's a wonderful & helpful video showing the process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S94siuEEH7s

#CowichanValley

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