Pacific Dogwood, Cornus nuttallii

The Pacific dogwood, Cornus nuttallii, was adopted as BC’s floral emblem in 1956, and with good reason. In bloom, the tree cannot help but catch the eye, its luminous blossoms seeming to pop out from the surrounding forest. But its beauty is short-lasting; the blossoms begin to deteriorate almost soon after they appear, and a few weeks later, they’re gone. The dogwood tree once again fades back into the green, unassuming and unremarkable.

Dogwood blossom

The blossoms usually grow on the tree’s higher branches, so we were fortunate to get this close. This one, although fresh, is already beginning to fade away. In a few weeks, nothing will remain but the memory of a glorious spring.

Junjun at Bluff Hollow

Of course we welcome all dogs to Bluff Hollow, even (especially!) those whose owners keep them immaculately groomed. And here’s what happens when a guest dog is allowed run free on our forest trails. Who says dogs don’t smile?

Orlando, water connoisseur

Orlando, a recent guest dog, is very choosy about water. He knows what he likes and definitely knows what he doesn’t like. (Dare we call him a water snob?) So his owners were very surprised when he had no hesitation about drinking our Bluff Hollow water (straight from a 500-ft well—cold, pure, and unchlorinated.

All we can say is: Orlando, you have good taste!

Secluded, private cottage

It’s difficult to get a good image of Sarah’s cottage because it’s tucked back in the forest. This is the view of the cottage from our house—it’s behind the trees, where the driveway curves around. Guests are guaranteed seclusion and privacy when they stay at Bluff Hollow. And as you can see, Mother Nature does a good job of landscaping our property, so our furry guests needn’t feel constrained when they feel like doing the “crazy dog.”

Smuggler Cove, Sunshine Coast

A most pleasant hike today—despite the grey sky, the air was absolutely still, with just a few fine sprinkles of rain. Smuggler Cove came about its name honestly: During the US Prohibition days, rum-runners from Canada often delivered their wares by boat. This cove, with its narrow entrance, would have been the ideal place for the “exporters” to hide from the law or to take shelter from storms. Now it’s a park, with a good trail to the water and plenty of vantage points for watching ocean life. Today we saw a loon in breeding plumage, two cormorants, a huge flock of goldeneye ducks, and two seals (none of which photographed well).

Swamp, Smuggler Cove

The trail took us through a couple of swampy bits (we were grateful for the boardwalks), which provided any number of lovely vignettes.

Pender Hill

Today was perfect for a little hike, so what better place to go to than Pender Hill? It’s a ten-minute drive from Bluff Hollow, and we made it to the top in an easy thirty minutes. (Just when you think you’ve had enough climbing, you realize you’re at the top!)

Silas had a great time checking out all the springtime smells (wouldn’t it be fascinating to experience a dog’s sense of smell?); he must have done the equivalent of two or three times the distance we humans covered.

And oh, what a view!

Skunk cabbage

The forest smelled alive this afternoon, alive with new growth, warming soil, and the tang of evergreens soaking up the sun. Then, as we approached the first muddy bit along the trail, we caught another scent, an unmistakable sign that spring is truly here: the odour of skunk cabbage. These luminous flowers really do surround themselves with the aura of skunk, but it’s not strong enough to keep us away. We’ve learned to welcome these denizens of the swamp, a ray of welcome light amidst the dark ferns and grasses.

Forest therapy

We needed a break this afternoon—Silas hadn’t had a walk since morning, and I’d been on the computer since breakfast. So we grabbed walking stick and camera and headed out into our “backyard,” Bear Bay Forest, which starts at the back steps of Sarah’s Cottage. A few minutes into the lush green and intense quiet of this special place, and we had no doubts: this is where we belong. In some parts of the world, people must make an effort to experience forest therapy; here it’s part of our daily lives!

March crocus

With the longer days come the first spring flowers, always a welcome sight. These cheerful little beauties make us smile—soon the frogs will begin their nightly chorus, and the ducks will return to our pond.

This image may not be the clearest, but it’s the best view we’ve had in the years we’ve lived here of Mr Red-Winged Hawk, who likes to visit around this time of year. He was clearly interested in a squirrel, who was making far too much noise for his own good, and thus obliged me by turning around to show off his eponymous tail. Shortly afterward, he swooped down to the edge of the pond—I don’t want to know what became of the squirrel.