After a nice relaxing winter at home, with many renovations, were were ready for a change. This is taken on the 10th of April 2008, 5 days before we leave for Bateau du Vent. The snow is kind of pretty but you can bet why we wanted to get back to the coast.
	This is one of our traditional "leaving for the coast in the spring" pictures. Even though the snow is gone, everything is dead and brown. Everything will be green and budding or blooming on the island.
	Next morning, the 16th, we are eagerly awaiting the ferry to Nanaimo at Horseshoe Bay North of Vancouver. We caught the 10:30 sailing which will put us in Nanaimo at Noon.
	We were hoping and were lucky: We boarded on of the new "Coastal" series of ferries. This one had been in service only several weeks. They are the largest "double enders" in the world and although they are not as big as the Spirit class ferries, they are still quire impressive. More on the BC Ferries fleet here.
	This ferry, not yet in service, was docked at Nanaimo as we pulled in. Quite the boat eh? They have been decked out in Olympic garb for the 2010 Olympic Winter Gamed to be (being or which were) held in Vancouver in February 2010.
	By the 31st we were in Conover cove again but this time with nice weather and temperatures we have not experienced on the coast. It was near 20c almost every day and in the sun it seemed much warmer. It seems that Conover Cove always lends itself to very pretty pictures.
	Another boat anchored on Conover Cove.
	Salad on the picnic table on the dock. 7:30 at night and still warm and bright..... What a treat!
	Sunset at the cove. We are used to the sun being far more to the South at sunset. We've always been back in Calgary by this time of year though.
	Sunset at 7:59:27pm
	Next day Pete is playing with the "crack-berry". We're waiting for the tide to go out so we can get clams. YUM!
	The tide is out far enough that we can get clams from the south cove which remains clean through most of the year. Although there are plenty of calms in Conover Cove itself, we would never eat them because of pollution.
	A sail boat in the distance. What a beautiful day.
	Everything's so green! There are no mud puddle either. We are used to wading through mud on the paths here in the winter. but not now.
	This picture is looking North Into Conover Cove from the vantage point of the above picture. Bateau is at the dock with another boat anchored just the other side of the dock.
	A classic shot of Bateau at the dock with the entrance of the cove in front of here and Saltspring Island in the distance.
	A pesky little vermin fishing at low tide. We've seen then pry big crabs out from under rocks and not get pinched. The then eat the poor buggers live... and leave the best parts: the claws.
	Low tide shows us at zero depth, resting on the bottom. Not the first time for us in that cove though. A muddy bottom means no problem.
	Pete reading in the sun. No foul weather gear. Sweet!
	The guy beside us rigs a hammock and enjoys the day.
	29th of May and we're on our way back to Calgary. We did make it to Sidney Marina and visited with our buddies there. We also did the transit trip into Victoria for the day but have no pictures.
	Cool guy driving Eastward.
	We're appalled at the devastation caused by the pine bark beetle. It's not easy to see in these pictures but all the dead looking trees are actually dead. The ones with the red needles are as good as dead.
	Almost all of the old trees are affected. Luckily the new trees seem to be immuned.
	More red, dead trees.
	Acres and acres of affected forest. The whole side of the far off hill is covered in red trees.
	Some of the trees are harvested for pulp. They are no good for lumber any more as the beetles have ruined the wood.
	Devastating! a mountain covered in dead trees.

Well, back to the old grind for the summer. See you in the fall!