Pat’s Bay Wildlife Slideshow

Parental Eagle is not so much angry as disappointed in you

Parental Eagle is not so much angry as disappointed in you

Time to take a trip in the wayback machine, as well as the puddle jumper! These are some shots I took in June at Pat’s Bay on Vancouver Island, more formally known as Patricia Bay, which is doubtless how it was introduced to the Royals. It is, by the way, a $40 cab ride from downtown Victoria, although thanks to faithful charioteer WestcoastDave on Twitter, I didn’t have to pay.

Ah, social media, you spoil me.

I didn’t even have to pay for the plane ride home on Saltspring Air, thanks to the organizers of Social Media Camp! Since I grew up in planes, I was looking forward to this flight: a true puddle-jump from Pat Bay to one of the Gulf Islands, and then to Coal Harbour in Vancouver, from which I could and did walk home. Nothing like living right downtown! Not only that, but they promised me the handsome ex-Olympian who was also the most polite pilot in Canada. Our pilot was indeed handsome and polite, but as to Olympian histories, well, I thought it was too personal a question to ask. And possibly painful. I mean, what if the answer was, “No, actually my bobsled team was knocked out in the semi-finals and my whole life since then has been a slow, downward spiral, like some tragicomic Bruce Springsteen song.”

Incidentally, the plane we flew in was a 1956 DeHavilland Beaver, a plane of which Canuckistan can be justly proud. I’m thinking Hummingbird604‘s flight home must be the first and only time he spent that long in a beaver.

But there are some good reasons to get out of The Big Smoke occasionally. I think I caught most of them in these pictures.

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GPOY 2.0

Hipster Cleavage

Hipster Cleavage

Well, it’s not like us around the ol’ raincoaster blog to do things the usual way. The usual way to take a GPOY or Gratuitous Photo Of Yourself, is, if you are female, to get some authentic-looking fake tats and a retro bra and too much eyeliner and pose in front of a rather dirty mirror before your mom gets home from work, but that’s just not the way we do things around these parts.

We don’t even own black eyeliner!

So the first time we posted a GPOY, we posted pictures of our spirit animals, along with a poll: the Oxford Comma is now officially my Spirit Animal, having trounced Steampunk Cthulhu, Greek Riot Dog, Sexually Oblivious Rhino, Courage Wolf, and the Raven quite thoroughly. I mean, look at that:<—— Oxford Comma, right there.

And now, we’re posting these photos which, if you know how to read them, will tell you things a-plenty about us (all of our personalities, right from raincoaster to icecoaster). So, enjoy?

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Escape from Vancouver Unicorn Chaser links

Vancouver Riots in Lego by Kimli

Vancouver Riots in Lego by Kimli

I guess you could say that’s looking on the bright side. Turning riots into art is a very 21st Century response.

Speaking of art, here is Lani Russworm’s amazing shot of the smoke rising from Downtown. It gives you some perspective on what this riot is doing to our city, and what kind of  city it is.

Vancouver tonight. And how was YOUR evening?

Vancouver tonight. And how was YOUR evening?

I dunno if you’ve been following sports tonight, but I can’t say as it brings me much joy to be in Vangroover tonight: neither because of the loss nor because of the dumbass riots. Yes, we have Ed Hardy-wearing douchebags here, too.

Vancouver Fuck Calm

Vancouver Fuck Calm

So, if you could use a Unicorn Chaser too, here are a lovely roundup of brain-soothing landscapes. Let your imagination pick one and drift away, possibly with the aid of a stiff cocktail or eight.

Manége de l'Hotel de Ville, Paris 1er, France

Manége de l'Hotel de Ville, Paris 1er, France by Gaston Bastini

Sure, t could be considered childish, and you’re just going round in circles, but the view is fabulous and the company charming and decorative.

Or if you’d like to opt out of adulthood altogether, there’s always this perennial favorite:

I only want a one way ticket

I only want a one way ticket

A one-way ticket will be just fine, thank you.

Treehouse of the Elder Gods

Treehouse of the Elder Gods

I think this is where Julian Assange and I will live once he’s paroled. If these cedars are rockin’, don’t come knockin’.

And finally, I’ll let you in on my retirement plans. Screw Florida!

Goodbye, Cruel World! Hello New, Improved World!

Goodbye, Cruel World! Hello New, Improved World!

It’s true: I’d dump Assange in a Cair Paravel minute if Caspian would give me the time of day.

Sigh. There, feel better? Good. Now let’s read some trivia celebrity gossip links and forget all about those nasty, nasty uni-ball-having, hockey-not-playing rioting protoplasms.

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Dandruff of Destiny!

Birds are pretty. Even bird dandruff is pretty.

Birds are pretty. Even bird dandruff is pretty.

Let this be a lesson to you, the next time you think your footprint in time is banal and squalid. This is the print made by a bird who flew into a window; he left behind his image in dandruff. So the next time you’re feeling like your life is dull and meaningless, remember this dandruff print and let fly, Andrew WK style!

Andrew WK gets his freak on with Conan

Andrew WK gets his freak on with Conan

There, don’t you feel all One With The Cosmos again? If that doesn’t do it, skip over to our old blog buddy LettersHomeToYou and read the Desiderata for Bloggers.

Stumble aimlessly amid the trolls and waste, but remember what peace there be in staring at your toes for a couple of weeks. As far as possible without surrender, be on good terms with all readers. Publish your posts quietly and clearly, and listen to podcasts, even the dull and garbled, for they too have a right to hog bandwidth. Avoid loud and aggressive bloggers. They are pains in the ass.

Vox, dude!

Except for the part about the podcasters. I’m not so sure about those guys; after all, when regular radio is as bad as it is right at this moment, who needs to listen to a bunch of amateurs for poorly-formed opinions, delivered in garbled and techo-tarded fashion? Also: bandwidth is cheap now!

Ah, sic transit gloria monday. I always wondered what happened to gloria tuesday. Guess she drove instead of taking the bus. And how were they both related to TGI Friday?

Where was I? Oh yes, posterity. Click over the jump to see what the rich and famous did today that’s going down in history. Or, in the case of political mistresses, going down on history. And I totally stole that joke from a 30-year-old Vanity Fair magazine.

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Van Gogh Unicorn Chaser

It’s hump day again. And you know what THAT means: unicorn chaser time! Today we have a roundup of happy swirling stars and happy swimming orcas.

Your swirling, starry night Van Gogh unicorn chaser:

Starry, starry, queaze-inducing night

Starry, starry, queaze-inducing night

and if that doesn’t make you feel all numinous and tingly, here are some shots of some killer whales (if the name isn’t cosy enough, try “orcas”) visiting Vancouver like a pod of bosses. Congrats to Dave Price, who got these shots which were featured in the Province newspaper. Burrard Inlet is generally too noisy and sometimes too polluted to attract whales, and no pods make it part of their regular territories. That seawall, by the way, is my regular rollerblading route. There are compensations for the rain, it must be admitted.

Orca under Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park Seawall and Siwash Rock in the background

Orca under Lions Gate Bridge, Stanley Park Seawall and Siwash Rock in the background

Orcas in the West Endq

Orcas in the West End

Orcas with North Van in background

Orcas with North Van in background

Orca whale tail flip in English Bay

Orca whale tail flip in English Bay