Picture from Victor Anthony's Blog

Washing the stop sign at Taylor Bay at Malaspina on a rainy day. For other images on Victor's Gabriola blog click on: http://gabrioladailyphoto.blogspot.com/

Guess what Tessa got for Xmas

Xmas on Gabriola

Claire arrived on this ferry on Xmas day. We passed Taylor at the Alpaca farm wishing all the drivers going by a merry Xmas. What a lovely idea. On boxing day we woke up to fog and the haunting sounds of fog horns. It reminds you that you live on a small island.

The last rose of 2009

This rose just made it, sort of. Sit tight for the first new rose of 2010. It was an interesting year. Started in the emerg. at NYGH; then meeting a whole new part of the family; a very dry summer and how to live when the well goes dry; a trip to Montreal to meet Linda and Uri; the Wizard of Oz and ending getting the clinic into the finals of the Aviva Community Fund. Phew, 2010 looks to be just as busy.

I hope 2010 is a good year for you and we really look forward to seeing all of you on Gabriola.

View from the "Lunch Bunch" webcams on one of the busiest days of the year.

Almost the last shopping day and there are 2 hour waits on the Gabriola ferry. The big trucks are having difficulty getting on because at high tide the ramp on this ferry has a steep bump which can catch low undercarriages. BC Ferries fixed this last time we had a replacement ferry. For some reason they wont do it this year and we are going to have to put up with it till we get our newly refurbished ferry back in April.

En route for Victoria

Nanaimo and Mt Benson from the passenger deck of the Queen of Bowen ferry. The drive to Victoria takes about one and a half hours, about the time it took to drive from home to work in Toronto on a bad day. We shopped till we dropped and then back to Gabriola, eating take out supper while we waited for the ferry. We did have lunch in a really nice Thai restaurant on Fort S., and paid my first visit to Lee Valley - I don't like their system, reminded me of the old LCBO, paper and pencil in hand. On-line works better.

A busy weekend

Lucky was the only one who got to relax in my chair this weekend and next weekend looks the same. Claire will arrive on Friday too. Tomorrow we are going to Victoria for the day!

Gabriola is in the finals - yeah!

Lawrence Spero AVIVA community fund - We ended in 20th position with 19,150 total votes in the semi final. Thanks everyone, for geting Gabriola “the little Island with the big idea” into the judging finals. – January 25th, 2010 – should be exciting!

Day two at Santa's Grotto

More dogs and more kids. But it was a lot of fun. These are the helpers on sunday.

Santa in support of the Gabriola Community Clinic

Spent the day, and will spend tomorrow taking pictures of people and their dogs with Santa. Folklife village are letting us use their empty store and the backdrop is the set from last years pantomime. More dogs than kids!

Lets get Gabriola into the final

Gabriola made it to the semi-final of the Aviva Community Challenge. Please help us get our emergency clinic by voting everyday at http://www.avivacommunityfund.org/ideas/acf3958
this is legitimate and they do remind you to do this daily voting on the site.

Ask your friends, relatives and co-workers to vote. We need the clinic