Off to a Hockey Game

Oof!!! Hang on a mo... just a sec...

Almost there!

Ta-dah!! Here we go! I actually have a use for my hockey jersey!

We are going to a local hockey game! One from the BC Hockey League.

The Nanaimo Clippers are playing the Prince George Spruce Kings!

I have never been to a local hockey game and Mama says she only ever saw the Canucks play eons ago... so this will be new!

We got there early and the zamboni was fixing the ice...

It's a pretty big arena and can hold 2500 fans (and a few stuffies)...

There is something beary mesmerizing about watching the zamboni do its work...

Alright, let's find our seats!

We got seats behind the penalty box, near centre-ice, with a good view of both ends.

"Play ball!!"... oh wait... wrong sport...

After the zamboni, the teams came out on the ice to warm-up...

The Clippers are on the left... orange is their colour!

And they're off!! I have to say... you could hear every puck hitting their sticks... and they were so... close!

There was a lot of skating around and firing shots at their own goalie... Those two guys in front of me... had a cow bell which they shook with enthusiasm (next time, bring ear plugs!).

Then there was more zamboni-ing...

And the Clippers mascot came out... C-Dog... he's a huge stuffie!

Speaking of stuffies... two seats down, there was another bear!! But he was beary intent on the game, so we never chit-chatted...

Alright... we are getting started!!!

Here they come!!

We all sang the national anthem...

And... puck drop!!! 

It was beary good hockey...

And the Clippers scored!! A few times!!! It was already 2-1 by the end of the first period... See... there's the guy with his cow bell!!!

It actually went beary quickly... the big thing was... there is no replay!! So you have to pay attention, cause if you miss something... you don't get a second chance to rewatch it! The refs kept calling penalties on the Clippers.. and never on the Spruce Kings... which generated a lot of booing but... the Clippers killed off all the penalties! And then...

They won!! 6 to 2!! There's the cow bell again... sigh...

Beary sportsmanlike... The Clippers wiped the Spruce Kings away in 4 straight games...

Hooray!!! They are the Conference Champions... now they just have to play the Brooks Bandits for the League Championship (the Rogers Cup)... fingers crossed... 

It was great fun!

An Overnight Adventure

 Hullo! We are going on an adventure and it's a surprise!!! But not for me!

Can you tell who this might be? I like the t-shirt... it fits my vibe!

Yes!! It's Rose!!

We drove south for a ways and crossed the 49th Parallel. Which... for a LOT of Canada means you are crossing into the USA but... on Vancouver Island, it just means you are now in Ladysmith!

Rose didn't know anything about the 49th Parallel...

But then she's not really into geography!

The cherry trees were all shedding their blossoms... and Rose thought this would look cute on me!

We went into a thrift store and found this picture which reminded me of my pal, Little Fox!

Righto... we drove further south and came to...

Duncan! They have some nice city gardens...

And a bug hotel...

I think they could invest in a stuffie hotel...

We checked out the farmer's market.

This bag is kind of nice.

Oooh... pain-au-chocolat!

We bought one but... it wasn't as good as the ones at our local farmer's market.

Oh... and I got a new pin!!! We were leading Rose on a clue/treasure hunt to her surprise and one activity was to find something I would like in a thrift store... she picked out this pin!

It has a bear on it! Mama had a look at who "Deloitte" was to see if it fit with my vibe...

They are a Professional Services company that offers consulting and other services... OK... well... that's what I do!! I provide consulting services to my humans... So we accepted the pin... I kind of like that it's a beaver supporting the bear (guess who's the beaver... looking at you sekrebeary!).

And Rose got a blueberry cinnamon bun...

We then went for a hike...

We came here a year or two ago... it's a marsh boardwalk. Here they are protected some native camas flowers.

We have those at home too!

Right, let's see what's here!

I have to say, it's much nicer when the leaves are out!

It's beary lush and we heard tonnes of birds...

Wait! What's that!

Oooh, it's a swallow... with a blue head! Beary pretty.

The hawthorn were in bloom too (another invasive English species... hmph)...

Pretty, eh?

Then we backtracked to Chemainus! Rose was getting beary confused at this point and we found this store!! 

Eeek! An English bobby!!

And a whole swack of British treats...

Like Jaffa Cakes!!! Beanie Mouse LOVES Jaffa Cakes!

And they had chips... er... crisps... in weird flavours... like Roast Chicken. It was actually rather yummy.

And then we arrived at our Airbnb and got ourselves checked in by this bear!

It's quite a nice little attic/dormer room... with a view of the ocean.

And two beds... one for Rose, and one for my humans... Although....

I think they could sleep on the floor too!

I was chilling and then Mama said I needed to clear the bathroom of undesirables...

I don't see any undesirables in here?

In the corner??

What's in the corn... uh-oh....

... o...m...g...

eeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!

Run!!!!!

Seriously... this is kind of freaky, no?

And I do NOT get paid enough to clear out undesirables like that! Humans will just have to make do...

I got to hang out with Guac and Salsa and Pidge, Rose's travelling menagerie of stuffies...

Rose is all ready to go on our next adventure...

Let me check my fur and stuff....

And... here we are!!!

We are going to the Chemainus Theatre!

But first... we are going to their Playbill dinner!

It's a beary fancy dining room... hence my spiffy outfit!

There's a buffet with appies...

We tried the sirloin slider... yum!

And then a main course buffet...

We had the lamb!

There was also a tonne of dessert options... like pecan pie...

Various delectables...

And... Warm Guinness Chocolate Cake...

Which was beary delicious!!

Then a Barry Callebaut Belgian Chocolate Fountain...

Where we could dip strawberries and pineapples...

Beary yummy!

Then we saw the show which was "Ladies Foursome". It was beary good...

And then we toddled back to our Airbnb and had a beary good sleep! Not bad for a surprise adventure day!