Parksville, Vancouver Island, BC

Wednesday, September 4, today was move day again, we pulled out of camp around 9:20 am and headed west for a short time to a bison farm. All 20 units had stopped for a guided tour, the owners are a young couple with four children ages 16 - 6 and they all help feed and tend the bison and water buffalo. They have one bison which they call Bob the babysitter, he stays with the young bison after they are weaned off their mothers for about two years. He also told us of a fight between three bison, one was killed and she was pregnant, but they took the calf and hand fed it. Another bison was stabbed, it lived until it delivered the calf and then they had to destroy it before it got infection, they also hand fed that calf. They told and showed us how they pen and put tags into their ears with the squeeze machine which calms them down. This was really a learning experience for us all on how they raise bison and water buffalo. After the tour, we all went into the shop and bought some meat, Mennonite loaf, kielbasa, sticks, sausage, and bison burgers.


Bison store with Airstreams parked in front


Bob the Babysitter and calves


Owner and water buffalo


Bison calf, one of the ones they hand fed


Owners wife with 2 water buffalo and 2 bison calves and potbelly pig


The squeeze machine

After leaving the bison farm, we headed south for about 1 hour and arrived at our next campground. We didn't have much time to setup and we were off again on another tour, Rainforest Woodies. This is a place where a guy takes the chassis of old cars and redoes the wood on the inside and out. It was interesting to see some of the restoration, but this was a guy thing.


Woodie car


Backend of the woodie


Inside header of a new woodie that he's working on

After the tour, we walked across the road to a coffee shop, where they had large coffee grinders, and a sitting area.


Coffee shop


Large coffee grinders


Sitting area

We then went to a Wildlife Recovery Center, which was started in 1984, when a great horned owl entangled in a neighbors fence, it's wing mangled and in need of emergency care. In 1986, the newly formed association moved to an eight acre parcel of land, hoping to serve the north end of the island, not knowing at the time they would be receiving animals from as far away as Saskatchewan. They house and try to release the wild animals back to their habitat after their injuries are taken care of, if they can't be released they live out their life here.


Display of different animals


Owls


Bald eagl

Afterwards, we went to dinner at the White Spot, a restaurant that is seen in British Columbia and few here on the island. They serve burgers, spaghetti, and breakfast until 4 pm. Good food. After returning to camp, Ken and I walked out to the boardwalk, just on the other side of the campground. Sat and watched the water, saw a cruise ship headed north from Vancouver, probably going to Alaska. An older woman stopped by and talked to us, she just moved here from Port Alberni, west of here, her husband died a few years ago and she seemed lonely, so we just left her talk, very friendly. Saw another rainbow, must of been raining in the distance and looked like it could rain here also.


Rainbow and cruise ship far in the background

Thursday, September 5, we had a bun-on-a-run breakfast, like an egg sandwich, with fruit and yogurt. We then were on our own until 4 pm, we went with another couple to Goats on the Roof Country Market. The market had different kind of canned foods, out of the ordinary items, like rugs, candles, glass items,wind chimes, and other stuff. We then walked around the other shops that were there, clothes, tourist stuff, large wooden items, large stone ornaments.


Goats on the Roof Country Market


Large stone ornaments

We had visited Tim Horton's for lunch, went to grocery store and the back to camp. Today is Mardi Gras day, at social hour and drivers meeting, everyone dressed for Mardi Gras, and skits were played out.


Dressed for Mardi Gras


One of the skits being played out

We later had a Mardi Gras dinner with jambalaya, salads, desserts, it was pot luck, all very good. After dinner, Ken went to play pickle ball with two other guys, I finished the dishes and then walked on the boardwalk to the court where they were playing.


Ken and the other guys playing pickle ball

While walking on the boardwalk, there was two windsurfers in the water and the sun was setting, which made the sky and water look red, just beautiful.


Beautiful sky and water color when sun was setting


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