Early Spring snowfall in Tahsis

Jim stopped on one of the bridges on the way home and took this picture at twilight

Jim and I were driving home from Gold River on Sunday night, in a snowfall that had started that afternoon when I was teaching a Digital Editing class for North Island College in Gold River. Driving conditions were still very good as twilight approached, and the forest along the Tree to Sea Drive between Gold River and Tahsis was utterly beautiful in the snowfall.. it was one of those snowfalls with big slowly drifting snowflakes. We stopped on one of the bridges and took this picture down the creek.


The next morning in Tahsis, my view from my office window at our house.

After the beautiful springlike weather Tahsis experienced last week, it is nice to see one more snowfall in town and on the mountains.

Emergency Preparedness Seminar in Tahsis

Tahsis volunteers attend a morning seminar on Emergency Preparedness

Local Emergency Preparedness volunteers attended a seminar and workshop on March 5th 2005 as part of MEP (Municipal Emergency Preparedness) planning for the Village.


The Emergency Preparedness Instructor covers basics in the morning class

Instructor Russel Roy of Earthquake Search and Rescue instructs Tahsis Emergency Workers in the morning, followed by a practical workshop in the afternoon. The workshop involves simulating a serious earthquake along the West Coast of BC, with speakers roaring out the sounds of an actual earthquake and volunteers playing the role of injured civilians.


Emergency workers search the Tahsis Recreation Centre for injured people after a simulated earthquake


Duck and Cover-- while emergency workers search the building, a recording of an earthquake signals a simulated aftershock, and the emergency workers crouch and cover the backs of their necks

The workshop simulated real emergency scenarios such as fires, injured residents, gas leaks, and frequent aftershocks.


Volunteer Russ Nickerson finds an injured teen in the Tahsis Recreation Centre lobby (volunteer Sean Arsenault)


Volunteer Batista Bertoia and assistant aids injured volunteers in the First Aid Station set up in the Recreation Centre Gym


Group leaders report to the Instant Commander Keith Moeskau. Keith is one of three volunteer Emergency Coordinators for Tahsis


An injured volunteer waits in the kitchen for assistance.. the kitchen is a hazardous place during an earthquake.


Emergency workers carefully transfer a badly wounded volunteer onto a stretcher

Currently, Telly Weisman of Emergex (a company offering emergency preparedness seminars /www.emergexplanning.com ) is in town Easter week giving EOC (Emergence Operations Center) training and ICS (Instant Command Systems) training over the week to the Tahsis Emergency Prepardness.

Leiner River Estuary Trail already a popular spot with locals and visitors

Locals D.E. Conibear and Ray Robbins walk along the Leiner River Estuary Trail in early February with dogs Paige and Molly

I took these photos in early February, and when our spring greenery comes out more I will take more.. this is truly a spectacular spot to view the Estuary and our local forest. This trail is close to Tahsis and is already a popular spot for visitors and locals to walk... the Village of Tahsis has already had to expand the parking lot


Paige--a black lab-- takes a little too long on a side excursion into the forest, and Ray goes and retrieves her


One of the View Platforms along the Leiner Estuary for birdlife and wildlife viewing


What a spectacular view from the platform! 3 platforms from the first phase will be ready for this summer.

The Leiner River Estuary Trail is a project of the Tahsis Economic Development Society, working in conjunction with the Village of Tahsis, and has been 3 years in development. Construction started in the fall of 2004. The project hires local workers, and is being constructed in accordance with environmental guidelines for protection of the Estuary, fish habitat and wildlife habitat.


Ferns, moss and forest surround the Estuary.. a very peaceful and beautiful place


Martin Davis hurries to finish a line of concrete pillars.

Project Manager Martin Davis hurries to finish a line of concrete pillars before the tide comes in. On February 9th Martin and another trail worker were building the support for another viewing platform , one day before the highest tides of the year. It was around noon, and already water was starting to flow into the work area.


The work on the pillars is finished for the day, and Martin takes a breather and poses for a picture.

Martin is a local cave and bat expert-- find out more about our local bats at his website: pacificcoast.net/~iskar/

First hummingbirds of the year spotted in Tahsis

Chris Fincati is the first person to spot a hummingbird this spring. On Friday afternoon March 11th Chris Fincati (local scroll work artist and president of the Tahsis Hummingbird Society) put out a new hummingbird feeder. On the 12th at 4:45 PM a hummingbird came to the feeder, and returned 3 times that day. It was a male Roufus hummingbird.

For more information about hummingbirds in Tahsis see the website for the Tahsis Hummingbird Society at www.hummingbirdnorth.com

Sharon Armella of Nootka Mist Guest House spotted a hummingbird at her hummingbird feeder on Sunday march 13th in the afternoon. Sharon had put her feeder out on Saturday -- Sharon used the glass tube feeder with red flowers and little perches for the birds so they can feed while perched. Sharon put them out because her spouse noticed some migrating geese, and Sharon finds that hummingbirds tend to show up shortly after the geese. She also has noticed that the hummingbirds show up shortly after the little flower buds appear on the salmonberry bushes.