Keira-anne.com

For a week that seemingly started out slowly, it’s hard to believe that Friday is already here. And, if you ask me, it couldn’t come a moment sooner. I love my job, but I work to live and not the other way around. Time off to spend with friends and just on my oddy knocky is invaluable. While I make sure to make way for down time, weekends are always the perfect opportunity to do things you can’t seem to find the time for during the week.

This evening I’m kicking things off with a doggy meet-up at one of Jordy’s favourite dog shops, followed by a Stella beer pouring competition at which Rebecca will be judging. Saturdays are always reserved primarily for a greasy diner brunch and I’m hoping to catch a matinee of Easy A in the afternoon. While I’m not normally one for teen comedies, rumour has it that Malcolm McDowell plays the school principal.

Being that it’s the end of the week, my office normally has some Friday traditions. We each take turns bringing treats in for everyone to share, but even better, everyone’s permitted to dress casually. Jeans, boots and sweaters are my life at this time of year, so I welcome Casual Fridays with open arms.

Recently I cashed in some Air Miles in exchange for gift certificates and enjoyed a little bit of retail therapy yesterday after work. Roots will always get my vote when it comes to comfy clothes like organic cotton tees, jogging pants and leg warmers. I grabbed this tunic tee and some studded earrings because you can’t go wrong with basics. Banana Republic recently distributed discount coupons, and when I tried on these denim trousers (beyond perfect for maintaining a bit of sophistication on Casual Fridays), I was sold. I can’t believe I’ve never given their denim a chance before because these jeans are beyond comfortable and with a flattering design. Lastly, the AE Boyfriend blazer. It speaks volumes for itself.

With rain on the way and less than a week until fall, what do you plan on doing with the last weekend of summer 2010?

Sharing our space with any number of wild animals is a part of everyday life on Vancouver Island. Deer roam our streets, elk cross our highways, bunnies hop across our front yards and occasionally black bears will make their presence known around the neighbourhood. With winter around the corner, it’s high season for hungry black bears that are looking to fill their bellies before hibernation begins.

While berries and wild salmon are their preferred diet, brave bears are finding their way into residential areas for food scraps. That said, here are a few tips* to help you to stay safe while sharing our Island with the black bear population:

• Don’t ever feed bears or purposefully leave food for them – doing so will only diminish their fear of humans, making them a larger threat.
• Stick to marked trails when hiking or biking and leave your pets at home. If you must bring them with you, keep your dog leashed at all times!
• Keep your eyes open for signs of bears in the area; this includes scat, claw marks, digging and shredded wood or stumps.
• Bring your garbage cans to the curb the day of pick-up, not the night before. Further, pet food should be stored indoors.
• With summer behind us, it’s likely that your BBQ is smothered with grease and/or food scraps. Make sure your BBQ is thoroughly cleaned – a bear’s sense of smell is its most keen sense!
• Vegetable gardens, berry bushes, fallen fruit from fruit trees and compost bins are prime targets for bears, so keep them tidy.

Photo: sointula on Flickr

Don’t let the name of the black bear fool you. Black bears can range in colour from jet black to cinnamon blonde and can weigh up to 500 pound or more, depending on the sex, age and time of year.

Black bears are typically less dangerous than their grizzly counterparts; however, should you encounter a black bear, it’s recommended that you back away slowly and calmly, never taking your eyes off the bear. Do not yell or wave your arms to provoke the bear. If a physical encounter is unavoidable, assume the fetal position and use your hands to protect the back of your neck with your head tucked under.

* Source

Being that I’m from the Comox Valley, I can’t help but admit a bit of bias when it comes to Vancouver Island’s most picturesque places. There are few communities on the island where you can spend the morning taking in panoramic views from the top of a mountain, sail on the deep blue sea when the sun is high and complete your day with a tranquil massage on the beach.

Comox Valley Tourism is giving five lucky winners the opportunity to explore the area’s premier attractions and resorts with the Comox Valley Escapes contest. The five packages up for grabs include the following:

• Two nights in a Romance Suite at the Kingfisher Resort & Spa, two passes to the Pacific Mist Hydropath and a $100 food credit.
• Two nights in a Jacuzzi Villa at Crown Isle Resort, breakfast for two each morning, dinner for two and two rounds of golf.
• Two nights at the Old House Village Hotel & Spa, a culinary tour, two $50 spa credits and a round-trip flight with Harbour Air for two.
• Two nights at the Best Western – Westerly Hotel with breakfast and dinner plus a guided mountain bike tour at Mt. Washington Alpine Resort.
• Two nights at the Holiday Inn Express (they have a waterslide!), passes for the mile-high Eagle chairlift ride and lunch on the mountain.

With the exception of the third prize package, all packages include round-trip passes on BC Ferries.

To enter to win one of the five fabulous packages, visit Tourism Comox Valley’s website and fill out the online ballot. Comox Valley Tourism can also be found on Twitter.

There are times when managing a blog seems as treacherous as one of Indiana Jones’ expeditions. Pitfalls and traps are ready to ensnare you if you’re not careful, and one wrong move can land you in a slithering snake pit. Or, as it was in my case, a worm pit.

Photo: miss604 on Flickr

Last week my blog fell victim to a pharma hack – essentially a hacker left a worm somewhere in my complicated blog code through my server and let that worm hatch wherever it wanted, slowly infecting my blog post by post. Before I go any further, the worm was never a threat to the computers of those who read my blog during the hack. What the worm did do, however, was change my post titles to pharmaceutical offers in Google or other search engines.

Much to my relief, the pharma hack was stopped dead in its tracks and cleaned up spic and span thanks to the supremely skilled folks at sixty4media. I can’t say I didn’t succumb to a brief meltdown or two, but they took care of everything and made sure my blog was sailing as smoothly as possible. I’m looking forward to leaving Keira-anne.com solely in sixty4media’s capable hands from here out. You can check out their comprehensive services online and follow their updates on Twitter.

A new charity initiative has recently launched in British Columbia and getting involved is as easy as a couple clicks of your mouse. The Credit Unions of BC are paving the way to bring $100,000 to communities across the province that could use some extra dollars for various arts, education and community groups local to each region.

Photo: Len not Lenny on Flickr

How it works:

• Visit the Be Remarkable group on Facebook and click “Like”.
• Find your region – including a large number of communities across Vancouver Island – and tag yourself and your friends in your town’s photo.
• Every time a user is tagged, The Credit Unions of BC will donate $1 to a charity in that community.

There are 32 charities that are eligible to receive funds – two from each region. Users on Vancouver Island that tag themselves in Island communities will be supporting the Victoria READ Society and the Vancouver Island School of Arts Society. You can also find Be Remarkable on Twitter.

Start clicking!

One of my favourite parts of penning my Island Profile posts is combing through Flickr for related photos. Vancouver Island is full of locals and visitors who each capture their experience of Island life in ways that are entirely unique. It’s almost impossible to avoid encompassing a body of water when taking those photos, and snapping shots of Gabriola Island is no exception.

Photo: Gord McKenna on Flickr

A stone’s skip across the water from Nanaimo, Gabriola Island is one of the largest of the southern Gulf Islands with a population that barely exceeds 4,000. The summer months see that number climb to almost 6,000. Its close proximity to Vancouver Island by way of a 21-minute ferry ride make Gabriola Island a favourite escape while maintaining a sense of connection.

Photo: Google Maps

Photo: biffoto on Flickr

Like most of Vancouver Island’s Gulf Islands, Gabriola is steeped in a rich history. Perhaps most famous for its petroglyphs, the ancient rock carvings are a key to the island’s archeological roots. It’s thought that Gabriola Island was inhabited as far back as at least 1500 BCE [source] with the island’s First Nations heritage belonging to the Snuneymuxw First Nation.

Gabriola Island’s name is thought to have been derived following the arrival of José María Narváez on the island in 1791; he christened it as Punta de Gaviola.

Photos: sointula on Flickr

Photo: ActiveSteve on Flickr

The earliest settlers on Gabriola Island can be traced back to the late 1800s, many of which were blended families with Europeans men and First Nations’ wives. The population didn’t start to swell until the 1950s, but “hippie immigration” caused the population to balloon by the mid-1980s with residents numbering approximately 2,000. In 2010, farming maintains the title of Gabriola Island’s chief industry.

Photo: busysignals on Flickr

Photo: HerToesInTheSand on Flickr

Photo: KatysPix on Flickr

What makes Gabriola Island so incredible is the varied topography. Forests, beaches, rock cliffs, arbutus trees and brightly coloured floral splashes everywhere you look only add to the natural charm. Gabriola Island is home to three provincial parks, the most notable being Descanso Bay Regional Park. It’s where you will find the Malaspina Galleries – a display of breathtaking natural sandstone formations that seem more likely to be found on the planet Mars than coastal BC.

Photo: Aphex Twin on Flickr

Photo: YatterMatters on Flickr

Photo: canoe too on Flickr

Summertime on Vancouver Island’s Gulf Islands always holds a little bit of magic. Dozens of resident artisans and craft people sell their wares at the vibrant summer market, while true shopping lovers will want to see Folklife Village. What was once the Folklife Pavilion at Expo 86 – demonstrating Canada’s earliest settlers – is now at the heart of Gabriola Island’s shopping.

A number of festivals and events help to extend the summertime magic year-round, including the Thanksgiving Weekend Studio and Gallery Tour, the Dancing Man Music Festival and the enchanting Home and Garden Tour.

Photo: canoe too on Flickr

Photos: Rachel Fishman and danthon on Flickr

Photo: KatysPix on Flickr

There’s certainly no shortage of outdoor opportunities on Gabriola Island. This community boasts fantastic sailing and recreational boating, sea kayaking, diving, fishing, cycling, hiking, camping and even golfing. A nine-hole golf course with panoramic views over Hoggan Lake is home to the Gabriola Golf & Country Club.

Photo: biffoto on Flickr

Photo: Robert Ciavarro on Flickr

Located just off the shores of central Vancouver Island, Gabriola Island is accessible by ferry from Nanaimo or by float plane for those traveling from Vancouver. For more information on Gabriola Island, please visit the Gabriola Island Chamber of Commerce online.

Less than two weeks after the White Rock area was imposed with a boil water advisory, residents of the Comox Valley are facing the same after the presence of e-coli was detected in a water sample during routine testing on Thursday afternoon. The advisory is effective immediately and affects the following areas: Courtenay, Comox, Comox Valley, Arden, Marsden Campco, Greaves Crescent and England Road.

Photo: paulhami on Flickr

This advisory is extended until at least the end of the weekend. Three samples, each taken 24 hours apart, must come back clean in order for the advisory to be lifted. If you’re unsure if your area is affected, it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Here are some tips to stay safe while the water isn’t:

• Boil water on a rolling boil for a minimum of one minute before using.
• Use only boiled or bottled water for drinking, making ice or fountain drinks, washing dishes, brushing teeth or preparing uncooked foods.
• Bottled water is a safe bet, but purchase water in recycled bottles and return the bottles to one of the Comox Valley’s recycling depots when you’re finished.

The Comox Valley Regional District and the Vancouver Island Health Authority are working together to resolve this situation and will advise the public immediately when the water is safe to drink once again. Updates will be available through the CVRD’s website. You can also follow the CVRD on Twitter for the most current information.

After having written around and about Vancouver Island for several years, and with a design that is as old as my URL, I’m long overdue for a change. I’ve scoped out various design ideas that are appealing and have settled on minimalism with a punch. What I can’t decide, however, is what that punch will look like.

What I’m looking for is a graphic that truly represents all that is Vancouver Island. I’ve considered ocean waves, forest trees, seashells and a few similar symbols, but it’s certainly been hard to pin one down without getting too cliché. To define the Island in an idea or two has proven to be quite the task! That said, I’ve decided to turn to my readers for some assistance.

When you think of Vancouver Island on the whole, what do you visualize? What does the Island symbolize for you?

If you’ve got some ideas, feel free to share them below. And further, if you have experience in slick graphic design, I want to hear from you also!

Fall is undoubtedly my favourite season of the year. What’s not to love about crisp air, turning leaves, hug-able mugs of tea and gorgeous autumn sunsets? That’s not to say that summer isn’t a spectacular time of year on Vancouver Island, and 2010 was certainly no exception. As we look to a new season, I thought it would be appropriate to take a look back at the stunningly sunny months that were.

Photo: Gord McKenna on Flickr

Photo: hradcanska on Flickr

Photo: anitakhart on Flickr

Photo: popejon2 on Flickr

Photo: ai.dan on Flickr

Photos: Garry Zeweniuk on Flickr; Stephen Rees on Flickr

Photo: natalielucier on Flickr

Photo: concrete_jungler101 on Flickr

Photo: Tequila Partners on Flickr

Photo: cmh2315fl on Flickr

Photo: jmj2001 on Flickr

Photo: VIDYO on Flickr

Photo: No More Bike Lanes Please on Flickr

Photo: RyAwesome on Flickr

Photos: vikapproved on Flickr; anitakhart on Flickr

Photo: ingoism on Flickr

Photo: jfew on Flickr

Photo: mariskar on Flickr

Photo: jcolman on Flickr

Photo: Eyestalk on Flickr

Photo: Feet wet on Flickr

Photo: The Dilly Lama on Flickr

Photo: randomidea on Flickr

Photo: Feet wet on Flickr

If there’s a community or Island-based company you’d like to see featured in Island Profile, please feel free to contact me directly with your ideas.

… Jordy has finally learned how to play fetch.