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revidIt's nice to be home. I just got up a little while ago after a wonderful 12 hour crash. Vacations are fun, but so is being home too.
I had a great time up diving in Quadra Island, British Columbia. (We were at Quathiaski Cove --- I just like to say it. :-)) Water temps were between 45º - 49º F, air temps were about the same with overcast and drizzle. We had a small group this year, only six of us. There should have been 7, but my good friend and long time dive buddy Wendy got stuck in Denver for two days -- there was fog and 1/8 mile viz, and since she was on FF miles, any time a flight did get out, she got bumped to the bottom of the list. Then her luggage got lost and she realized that if she did get on a flight out of the US that her luggage could also end up anywhere out of the US as well. So at that point she was able to catch a flight back home to Grand Junction, Colorado. A huge bummer.
I took a bunch of underwater pics, the vast majority of which are crap, but I got a few that I'll make prints of. People always ask why in the world I would want to work so hard to dive in a place like BC in the winter (or California, for that matter) when it's cold, and the gear is heavy and it's hard hauling it around in cold and wet conditions, but as pretty as tropical fish and reefs are, there is a beauty in cold water diving that is unsurpassed by anything else.
The other bonus of the trip was that I got to meet the fantabulous, amazingful![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
and_ed!! She graciously made the drive to where I was, and we had dinner (and I had margaritas :-) ) at a pub in Campbell River. We sat there and gabbed and gossiped for four hours about all kinds of fun and exciting topics. I got to see her wonderfully creative scrapbook that she put together documenting her trip to California and Nevada with thelackey to see Green Day and The Network in October 2005, which looked like way more fun than anyone should be allowed to have, and made me oh-so-sad (not for the first time, of course) that we all didn't know each other back in fall of 2005. The missed opportunities make me want to weep.
It will come as no surprise to anyone on the flist that she was also thoughtful enough to bring me a present of a gift bag of genuine British Columbian goodies! Yum, let's see : A box of Raincoast Crisps, a delicious rosemary, raisin, pecan cracker from Vancouver which tastes even better than it sounds, especially with Aunt Penny's Antipasto, a yummy tomato/vegatable mix from Nanaimo. There was a also a bottle of pale ale, peach cider, and maple ale, all from the province. In the airport, I was forced to eat the scrumptious maple fudge bar for sustenance. The most decadent treat was this amazing concoction called a Traditional Nanaimo Bar, which is good enough to be illegal. It consists of a chocolate/coconut base, with a creamy pudding layer, covered by a chocolate fudge layer. OMG. (And I did manage to transport it home BTW!) And last but not least, I have my very own box of Longview Beef Jerky! Score!
And if that weren't enough, she brought me one of the precious Green Day postcards she recently aquired.
So for those of you that missed the memo: Barb rocks! Hard! Thanks Darling! I'm so glad I got to meet you!
I apologize for being so behind on everyone's LJ. I'll do my best to catch up ASAP, at least with reading, if not commenting.
I had a great time up diving in Quadra Island, British Columbia. (We were at Quathiaski Cove --- I just like to say it. :-)) Water temps were between 45º - 49º F, air temps were about the same with overcast and drizzle. We had a small group this year, only six of us. There should have been 7, but my good friend and long time dive buddy Wendy got stuck in Denver for two days -- there was fog and 1/8 mile viz, and since she was on FF miles, any time a flight did get out, she got bumped to the bottom of the list. Then her luggage got lost and she realized that if she did get on a flight out of the US that her luggage could also end up anywhere out of the US as well. So at that point she was able to catch a flight back home to Grand Junction, Colorado. A huge bummer.
I took a bunch of underwater pics, the vast majority of which are crap, but I got a few that I'll make prints of. People always ask why in the world I would want to work so hard to dive in a place like BC in the winter (or California, for that matter) when it's cold, and the gear is heavy and it's hard hauling it around in cold and wet conditions, but as pretty as tropical fish and reefs are, there is a beauty in cold water diving that is unsurpassed by anything else.
The other bonus of the trip was that I got to meet the fantabulous, amazingful
and_ed!! She graciously made the drive to where I was, and we had dinner (and I had margaritas :-) ) at a pub in Campbell River. We sat there and gabbed and gossiped for four hours about all kinds of fun and exciting topics. I got to see her wonderfully creative scrapbook that she put together documenting her trip to California and Nevada with thelackey to see Green Day and The Network in October 2005, which looked like way more fun than anyone should be allowed to have, and made me oh-so-sad (not for the first time, of course) that we all didn't know each other back in fall of 2005. The missed opportunities make me want to weep.It will come as no surprise to anyone on the flist that she was also thoughtful enough to bring me a present of a gift bag of genuine British Columbian goodies! Yum, let's see : A box of Raincoast Crisps, a delicious rosemary, raisin, pecan cracker from Vancouver which tastes even better than it sounds, especially with Aunt Penny's Antipasto, a yummy tomato/vegatable mix from Nanaimo. There was a also a bottle of pale ale, peach cider, and maple ale, all from the province. In the airport, I was forced to eat the scrumptious maple fudge bar for sustenance. The most decadent treat was this amazing concoction called a Traditional Nanaimo Bar, which is good enough to be illegal. It consists of a chocolate/coconut base, with a creamy pudding layer, covered by a chocolate fudge layer. OMG. (And I did manage to transport it home BTW!) And last but not least, I have my very own box of Longview Beef Jerky! Score!
And if that weren't enough, she brought me one of the precious Green Day postcards she recently aquired.
So for those of you that missed the memo: Barb rocks! Hard! Thanks Darling! I'm so glad I got to meet you!
I apologize for being so behind on everyone's LJ. I'll do my best to catch up ASAP, at least with reading, if not commenting.
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no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 01:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 01:27 am (UTC)Friends meeting friends always makes me so happy. And it makes me long for a time when I am rich and can fly all over to see the people I love.
And also. *drops voice and makes shifty eyes to make sure no one is watching* Those things I maybe possibly linked you to? Did you read any? *grins and flees*
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 02:15 am (UTC)Also, that is pretty much the coolest starfish I have ever seen. My family and I used to catch starfish on a jetty at this one beach we frequented on Cape Cod. I can tell you right now, none of them were purple. I know as a little girl I would have loved a purple starfish of my very own!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 02:41 am (UTC)I always forget that Americans need to be introduced to Nanaimo bars - it boggles my mind that there are people for whom they aren't just part of the scenery.
And that's a very pretty starfish. I had no idea they came in purple.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 03:35 am (UTC)Nanaimo bars are one of my favorite treats, I'm glad you've discovered them ;)
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Date: 2007-02-15 04:35 am (UTC)Oh, I believe it! I admit to not having looked under the water much, but I vacationed in BC one summer, and it's just GORGEOUS there. More people should journey to the far north for summer vacation... (though actually they shouldn't, because I want it all for myself!)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 04:44 am (UTC)Welcome back! If any of the pics are like the one you posted, WOW! No wonder you do it. That's beautiful!
Glad you had such a loverly time and of course, the icing on the cake, meeting Barb! Awesome!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 06:20 am (UTC)The diving was really wonderful. I always wonder why i do it as I'm lugging 70 lbs. of gear, but as soon as I'm under water, I remember.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 06:35 am (UTC)I love meeting my flist! What a joy.
And um, yeah, I did some reading. ;-)
Your mission, should you decide to accept it, is to introduce and convert
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 06:38 am (UTC)*HUGS*
Oh, it sounds like you had a great time!! ♥
*SMOOCHES*
I hope there are more pics?? :)
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 06:43 am (UTC)Wendy likes it in GJ. I'd be itching to get out ASAP. :-)
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Date: 2007-02-15 06:47 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 06:54 am (UTC)The colors in cold water can be truly amazing. That's why I go through all the hassle to do it. They have these amazing blue and orange sea stars that I got a few pics of too.
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Date: 2007-02-15 07:01 am (UTC)Those Nanaimo bars are crack! Another great Canadian secret.
Love your icon, BTW!
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 07:13 am (UTC)And Nanaimo bars...yummmmmmmm.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 07:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-02-15 07:24 am (UTC)I'll do a picture post when I figure out which ones are the keepers!
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Date: 2007-02-15 07:29 am (UTC)I took about 400 pics, but about 30 good ones. I'll try to get a few up soon!
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Date: 2007-02-16 12:22 am (UTC)I always give my American friends Nanaimo bars and drag them to Timmy's when they come visit me. :D When Mel came up last March, I took her to a maple syrup farm, too. lol
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Date: 2007-02-16 06:46 am (UTC)So glad you enjoyed all the goodies. And wow, the Nanaimo Bar made it safely home, huh? Awesome.
no subject
Date: 2007-02-16 09:56 am (UTC)Nanaimo bars are crack man, absolute crack. Thank you again. For everything.