Yes, Winter Drought is a Thing
Water levels are low in the Cowichan River this spring. Snowmelt may help, but will it be enough? This past week, officials notified Cowichan Valley … Read more
Vancouver Island
No Drought in Sight (yet)
It’s amazing how much impact the weather has on your state of mind. It’s June and the land is green, lush and verdant after a … Read more
Listening to winter in a land of extremes
This summer I was worried about drought. About the ability of the greatly diminished Cowichan River to support the fall Chinook salmon run. These worries … Read more
Celebrating the Ordinary
Writers and other artists are often exhorted to cram their lives with a range of experiences to create fertile ground for generating creative ideas. These … Read more
Wishing for Snow
I’ve just returned from another soggy dog walk. My rain pants and jacket are dripping on the floor, and the baseball cap I wear to … Read more
The Cowichan Garry Oak preserve
I’ve been wanting to visit the Nature Conservancy of Canada’s (NCC) Cowichan Garry Oak Preserve since we moved here, but as an endangered ecosystem it’s … Read more
New season, more streamflow?
The first of the West Coast’s seasonal storms has blown in on the first day of fall, and Vancouver Islanders may almost be glad to … Read more
I see spring
Living in a landscape as dynamic as the West Coast, you can’t avoid the heady drama of the region’s seasonal cycles. On this the third … Read more
May the Rivers Never Sleep
I first read a review of this book in early January. Published by Frank Amato Press, the father/son team of Bill & John McMillan have … Read more