Global Cooling

On my trip to Ucluelet last week, I was amazed at the number of oceanfront properties for sale. Al Gore (inventor of the internet) has scared people into selling their properties. Take the time to view this BBC show. After viewing the film, you may want to pick up some waterfront bargains. Tsunami warning systems are quite advanced and the evacuation routes are well planned. Is there such a thing as Tsunami insurance?

Island Life

I just got back from a trip to the Comox Valley. It's a good life on Vancouver Island. The cost of living is very high though. If you're planning on retiring to the island, you'll need a lot of money. Consider buying some property and sitting on it.

Wind

Today we had wind gusts of up to 100 kilometres per hour. Want to know if you're in a windy part of the Pass? Look for the ancient, leaning Douglas Firs.

The old timers have an knack for weather forecasting. Simply look at the current conditions in Spokane, Washington. Tomorrow, it'll arrive here. This winter, we've been able to predict storms by monitoring the wind and rain on Vancouver Island.

Elk and Oysters

One hundred elk live just north of Highway 3. When we have a deep snow pack, the herd migrates east to the prairies. With our warmer winters of late, they have stayed here year round. These elk are grazing on property owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Vancouver Island is home to the Roosevelt elk. Watch for these elk just off the Inland Highway, south of Exit 101. Afer you've finished taking pictures, visit Fanny Bay Oysters. The canned oysters are quite good, although a tad salty. They'll "cold pack" fresh oysters for your ferry or plane trip home. From there, it's just a short ferry trip to Max's house.