Kidding Around Vancouver Island

Our kids have always loved going to farmer’s markets, but now they love them even more after trying a market play date.  We met up with our friend Kate, her litle boy David and new-born Emilee at the Errington Farmers Market which we hadn’t been to in quite while. After the girls went gah-gah over [...]

That beautiful May long weekend we just had got us out for a picnic up in Qualicum Beach, which then got us thinking about some of our favourite picnic spots in Oceanside. Of course we have to start with the beaches.  At Qualicum Beach our picnic place of choice is the grassy area next to [...]

About fifteen years ago we joined the ranks of dog owners and were instantly ushered into a kind of parallel universe governed by its own social rules, most of which we weren’t even aware of until the passing of our beloved Martin blasted us back into the non-dog universe.  There’s a scene in the movie [...]

The Easter long weekend is upon us and that means two things for our kids:  turkey and chocolate.  If someone could come up with a chocolate turkey… but enough of my dreams.  Cooking turkey is my excuse for teaching the girls math, which does not bode well for their future as we often have to [...]

One of our favourite children’s musical groups – Bobs and Lolo – is back on the Island Sunday April 5th to help put the fun in fundraising for the Errington Co-operative Preschool. I say “back on the Island” because Bobs (Robyn Hardy) and Lolo (Lorraine Pond) grew up right here in the Central Island area [...]

When I was little we had a canary that loved to escape and fly around the house.  I couldn’t imagine over 700 birds having the run of the place, but that’s what you’ll find at the World Parrot Refuge in Coombs.  Two giant wings of the building – if you’ll pardon the expression – allow [...]

We gave Grace and Ella a choice this past weekend – watch paint dry or watch cheese being made. They opted for the cheese, but, as the folks at Little Qualicum Cheeseworks are fonding of joking, there’s not a lot of difference. However, seeing all the animals at the cheeseworks and hearing about how the [...]

Panto time is here! For those who’ve never been to a traditional Christmas pantomime, it’s a bit difficult to explain in words. Imagine being in a movie theatre and wanting to jump up and boo at Darth Vader or cheer wildly for Hans Solo – well at a pantomime you get to do just that. [...]

The Regional District of Nanaimo is in the middle of its second annual Golden Shoe Hunt at parks in the Parksville area. On until May 23, all you have to do is check for a new location and clue each Friday online at http://www.rdn.bc.ca. If you’re one of the first 5 people to return with [...]

If you’re looking for an all-day outing for the family, our favourite is still the community beach at Parksville. The huge playground and small water park, combined with a concession stand and the spectacular long shallow beach mean hours and hours of fun. If you can, plan your day around the tide tables – arrive [...]