camping

A Picturesque Camping Trip

/ Quilly / 36 Comments

Once again we tripped off to Vancouver, B.C. with a group of students from UW’s Friday Harbor Labs.  This time it was the ZooBot class (a Zoological and Botanical survey of coastal sea life).

This is Megan.
Megan
Megan teaches the Zoo part of ZooBots.  I took this shot right after the class returned from the beach and caught Megan in the act of exchanging boots for shoes. Megan is just as fun and energetic as this photo implies.

This is the classroom.
Waves

This is the class.
class

Somethings to study.
sealife 2

Some more things to study.
sea life

Of course it wasn’t all work.
Kamp Kool Kids

When in camp we roasted hats.
roasted hats

Roasted socks.
roasted socks
Played games.
cards

Celebrated a birthday …
party
… with cake …
cupcakes

… and music …
music

… and dancing.
dancing

We also ate.
ate
Megan’s friend brought us a bucket full of fresh crab.  I am sure that somewhere in all the crunching and slurping we remembered to say thank you.

And of course I found time to take a few pics:

wildflower

Wildflower

dancing grass

Dancing Grass (growing from a rock)

more scenery

River Tree

seedy

Seed Head

fiddle fern

Fiddlehead Ferns

crab

crab

anemone

Sea Anemone

gull

Gull

berry soon

Berry Soon

grass

Grass

Botany Bay path

Botany Bay Path

Botany Bay steps

Botany Bay Steps

Botany Bay lower trail

Botany Bay Boardwalk

furry trees

Furry Trees

greens

New Growth

stellar jay

Stellar Jay

Hot & Cold Running … Air?

/ Quilly / 9 Comments

We’re safe from the rain. Our tent here has a gas stove. It is keeping us nice and warm and toasty (yes, it is well ventilated). In fact, earlier it was keeping us too nice and warm and toasty. My attempts to turn it down only turned the thermostat up. The thermostat is in the electronic remote control and I have no clue how to use it.

That’s when I decided it was time to turn on the air conditioner. That works the same here as our air conditioning for home — it’s called open the windows! So, we are literally heating the great outdoors.

I noticed that the lodge itself has Carrier air conditioners. I bet it has regular heat controls, too — you know, like a thermostat on the wall. Does anybody out there know how to work this crazy fireplace?

Oh.

I just found the off button. hehe Pft.

Camping in Canada

/ Quilly / 57 Comments

Once again we are camping in Canada.

the view

Amoeba is a guest speaker at a science convention and tomorrow he will be speeching about amoebas.  We spent the day traveling across B.C.  in our car, a tour bus and a ferry.  Finally, twelve hours after I crawled out of bed this morning we are here at Secret Cove in Halfmoon Bay, B.C.

our tent

It is a bit larger than our little Eddie Bauer two man canvas tent. I’m sure glad I didn’t have to set it up!

the porch

Here’s a quick glimpse inside. Ella went straight for the pillows. She said as far as tents go, she guesses this one isn’t too bad. Amoeba went straight for the internet. I went straight for my camera. We all have our priorities!

the inside

Right now my priority is dinner. I’ll be back later to share a few more highlights.

Electrified Camping Rhetoric

/ Quilly / 18 Comments

She said, “My right boot weighs five pounds more than my left boot.”

He said, “That’s a swell boot.”

She gave him “that” look.

He said, “Well, that’s what happens when you soak them in water.”

She sighed heavily and said, “I didn’t bring a change of shoes.”

He said, “Well, when we get back to camp you can just take your boot off and dry it out.”

She gave him “that” look again. “Right. I’ll just plug the hair drier into the nearest current bush and dry my boot with it.”

He said, “This conversation is so going in the blog.”

She said, “I don’t know honey, it’s a pretty old joke.”

He said, “Yeah, but your readers still might get a charge out of it.”

I ♥ ShopWiki

/ Quilly / 2 Comments

♥ By now you all know I am an online shopper.  I have quite happily bought any number of things on the web.  I have never had a legitimate business let me down with anything I ordered.  However — There’s always a however isn’t there? —  I have purchased something from online store A only to discover later that I could have purchased it at online store B for less, but Shopwiki has put an end to that! All I have to do is tell Shopwiki what I want, and it aggregates all  the info it can find on the product from across the web.

Amoeba is co-teaching a class that is about to take a 3 day field trip to Botany Beach in Vancouver, BC. Some of you will recognize the name because we’ve been there a couple times in the past. In fact, the last time we went it rained on us for three full days. For that reason, I am looking to be better prepared this time around, and with that in mind, I am been spending some time on Shopwiki.

Amoeba’s backpack is pretty well shot and he’s going to be needing another. Then there’s the matter of a tent. Right now we are using my niece’s tent, but sooner or later she is going to want it back.  I’ve been looking at the binoculars, too. The Botanical beach area is the home territory for both eagle and osprey. If had had some really nice binoculars I could watch the nests.

A couple of flannel-lined rectangular sleeping bags would be good, too. Right now I just take sheets and blankets, but one of us doesn’t like to cover up and the other one of us is quite content to pull the covers right up to her nose and she doesn’t want any cold drafts coming in, either! As you can see, sharing a blanket is a bit controversial.

I just love looking for outdoor camping, hunting and fishing supplies. Now that we’re back in the Pacific Northwest I just might take up fishing again. Nothing tastes as good as fresh caught trout fried crisp over the campfire.  Whoa!  That reminds me, I need to check out the cast iron skillets …