Spring at the lake - babies everywhere!

It's been awhile since we posted.  I (Ann) had a hip replacement in mid April, so things have slowed down a bit.  However, healing is going well and we're back in action again!

Springtime at the lake is always a treat.  The garden is flourishing, with the rhododendrums putting on a particularly beautiful show this year.  This week we managed to cut the last few blooms of peonies for the dining room table arrangement, and the snapdragons are a riot of colour along the lakeside rock retaining wall.  It's all good.  :-)

The most fun at this time of the year are the baby ducks.  We have several families of mallards, and after all our years here we still get a chuckle as the babies scoot along the top of the water to catch up with mom as she paddles serenely ahead of them. 

One particularly amusing family are the pied billed grebes who hang out in the reeds on our lakeshore.  They have 6 babies, who 'peep, peep, peep' constantly for mom to bring them snacks.  She's busy diving and feeding, diving and feeding all day long.  The poor thing must be greatly relieved when darkness falls and she can get some rest.  The grebes have a remarkable call, and we found a recording  plus some photos on this link, so check it out.  http://identify.whatbird.com/obj/64/_/target.aspx.

Last weekend was the official summer opening of Mt. Washington, and for the first time in their operation they had skiing and snowboarding to start off their summer season.  So in addition to the hikers, about 1,700 skiiers hit the slopes for the weekend.   Skiing has now closed for the season, and it was a good one.

Discovery Marine Safaris are once again offering excellent whale watching and wildlife viewing from their comfortable boats based out of Campbell River.  This is a 'must do' when visiting Vancouver Island.   Orcas (also known as killer whales) are the main interest, but minke whales, dolphins, seals, otters, eagles and all kinds of water birds are also seen.  Remember to ask us to make a booking for you when making your reservation to stay at Lake House.  Here's information on the boats and the tours being offered this year  http://www.adventurewhalewatching.com/.

That's all for now, and we'll check back again soon with more news.  Mark your calendars for July 7 - 11, the weekend for Courtenay's fabulous Music Fest celebration http://www.islandmusicfest.com/.

Mt. Washington remains open until April 24th

Great news!  Mount Washington Alpine Resort is extending its season until April 24 - two weeks later than normal.  This is because the resort's accumulated snowfall has passed 13 metres for only the second time in its history.

Currently the mid-mountain snowbase is just shy of 600 centimetres.

The popular night skiing program has also been extended for April 1 - 3 and April 8 - 10.  Sounds like fun, so let's get out there!

How green are we?

How green are we? Like most people, we make an effort to reduce our footprint on this earth of ours, but it wasn’t until the other day that we actually sat down and listed what we do. And we’re kind of happy with the results!


We recycle wherever possible to reduce solid waste disposal; newspapers, cardboard, glass, cans and plastic. Our guests in the Lake House suite have their own bins for recycling – and we’re delighted to see they use them on a regular basis.

Our cleaning materials are biodegradable, and laundry is done with a high efficiency washer and dryer . Faucet restrictors have been fitted in all bathrooms and both kitchens, so we’re working to reduce water consumption. One of the three toilets is low flush, with plans to replace the others soon. And we use 100% recycled toilet tissue throughout.

Our extensive gardens and lawns are fertilized organically – very important when living on waterfront.

While we haven’t yet got to the point of owning a hybrid car, we drive a 4 cylinder Honda CRV that is economical on fuel, and we make an effort to reduce our 15-mile trips to town to once a week. In good weather, the bikes come out; good for the environment and our health!

So while we can probably make some improvements, we’re definitely heading in the right direction. And it’s fun figuring out new ways to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Happy New Year! And is spring here already ....???

Here it is midway through January, with our quiet New Years celebration two weeks behind us.  It seems more people than usual chose to celebrate at home or with friends.  We were tucked in by 11:15.  Just couldn't quite make it to midnight!

I probably shouldn't even whisper this, but is it possible winter has passed us by?  The Comox Valley has had unseasonably warm temperatures for the past month, without any signs of frost at all.  That's the plus side.

On the down side, that's been accompanied by deluges of rain, causing flooding of rivers in some areas.  Fortunately, our little lake has an overflow that keeps us all safe and sound from rising waters. 

Last night when I went out for my hot tub, I heard the first frog of "spring".  He was perched way up on one of the verandah beams, and I tried to quietly sneak a peak.  He was alert to my trickery, and uttered nary a ribbbetttt for the remaining half hour I was in the tub.  But he's an indicator of spring, so it can't be far off.

Having said all that, there's still lots of skiing, snowboarding and tubing at nearby Mt. Washington.  And before long we'll have members from 33 of the 2010 Winter Olympics teams practicing on the mountain.  The womens' hockey team from Sweden has already provided the locals with a demonstration of their expertise, an event for which the tickets sold out in record time.

So there's lots of activity in the Courtenay and Comox areas, and we have some very good specials for our guests, so be sure to check that out at http://www.lakehousebc.com/.