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Becoming practically legendary for its various wines and vineyards, so too are Vancouver Island’s wine festivals. There are few things I enjoy as much as making myself present for an evening of sampling, sniffing, sipping and swishing.

The second annual Parksville Uncorked Wine and Food Festival, highlighting the very best of BC’s wines and the Oceanside Region’s cuisine, splashes its way into Parksville on February 25-28, 2010. Kicking off on Thursday evening with a tasting, the weekend-long festival will be held at various venues throughout Parksville and Qualicum Beach, including Tigh-Na-Mara Resort and The Beach Club Resort. Particularly featured you’ll find samplings from Fanny Bay Oysters and Little Qualicum Cheeseworks (their brie is melt-in-your-mouth amazing).

A number of ticket and accommodation packages are available to help you make the most of this memorable event in one of Vancouver Island’s most scenic communities. Please visit Parksville Uncorked online for more information.

I recently put the call out for silent auction items donations to benefit Furever After Small Dog Rescue, the non-profit and volunteer-run dog rescue group from which I adopted Jordy. The numbers from the fundraising dinner are in, and over $11,000 was raised to help pay for veterinary care, dental care and medical equipment to help dogs that have been abused, abandoned or neglected.

I’d like to personally thank Miss 604, Mom 604, Pure Smile Studio Yaletown, Hans Peter Meyer and Alissa Staples for their generous donations. All your effort and support has been greatly appreciated and will bring smiles and wagging tales to many more dogs!

Do you paint? Run an auto shop? Knit? Distribute books? Own a shop of interesting and unique treasures? Provide a service that benefits the community? I’d like you to consider for a moment the fact that whatever you do can be of even further benefit if you wish.

When I first set out to bring a dog into my home, I found a wide range of rescue organizations across BC that were taking care of – literally – thousands of dogs that were neglected or homeless. Through that search, I stumbled upon Jordy’s profile page. At the time he was living in a foster home in Duncan on Vancouver Island, being cared for by a non-profit group known as Furever After Small Dog Rescue.

Monty, pictured above, was one of Jordy’s foster brothers. When first brought into care, Monty was filthy, emaciated, his teeth rotted and his fur was so horribly matted that the weight of the knots caused sores and bruises all over Monty’s tiny body. Both Rebecca and I had the chance to meet Monty and see the progress he’d made in foster care on the day I went to pick up Jordy to bring him home. Today Monty has bounced back triumphantly, only through the care and funds of Furever After.

Most of these dogs require emergency dental care, as well as even basic veterinary care (and most aren’t spayed or neutered), food, shelter and rehabilitation in order to be adopted out. This coming November, Furever After is holding a charity dinner and silent auction to raise these desperately needed funds. The group is entirely run by volunteers, and when the money dries up, the expenses must come out-of-pocket. 100% of money raised goes to helping the dogs!

If you have a service, product, item you’ve made or the like that can be auctioned off at this dinner and silent auction, please contact me as soon as possible. No item is too big or small and the dollar value isn’t important. Tax receipts can be provided for all items with an attached invoice/receipt detailing item value and business information.

For more information or to donate your item or service, please send me an e-mail. Any help is much appreciated! To learn more about the fundraising dinner, please click here or visit the Furever After Small Dog Rescue website.

After months of planning, preparation, anticipation and tireless fundraising efforts, the BC-SPCA’s Paws For A Cause finally arrived. While these walks were simultaneously taking place in communities all across British Columbia, Jordy, Charley, my mom and I found ourselves at Marina Park in Comox.

The sunshine decided to take a day off, but rain clouds didn’t damper the excitement everyone felt. Dozens and dozens of beautiful, amazing, playful dogs turned out to support their fellow animals.

I’m still waiting to hear the final tallies regarding how much money was raised both Province-wide and in the Comox Valley, but I have no doubt that the goals of $950,000 and $20,000 respectively were reached.

My readers have been completely awesome! Many contributed funds and many more offered supportive words of encouragement – both of which kept giving me the drive to keep up with the efforts I had undertaken to make. I’d like to take a minute to offer a huge thank you to my financial sponsors for their generous donations: Katrina Mellis, Danielle Ciavarro, Marda Mischa-Miller, Tyler Ingram, Tania Morrison, Sixty4Media, Madeline Lagden, Lindsay Davis, Phil Ogynist, Buster the Dog, Jennifer Stoddart, Mikis Manolis, Duane Storey, Tanya Martin, Winnie Sung, Nicole George, Colleen Brown, Blain Sepos, Erin McConnell, Dom Richards, “Jenn,” Sarah Dawson, A.M. Chalupa, Marlee McConnell, Craig Jangula, Eileen Henderson, Sea To Sky Network Solutions and Double S Sales (Courtenay Sears).

Between all of you, $1,590 was donated to help many grateful animals!

One of my favourite things about events like this is not only the socialization they provide for dogs – which is crucial to their well-being – but it’s also a lot of fun to watch the animals play and interact together. Anyone who doesn’t believe that dogs are loving, intelligent and communicative creatures is completely nuts.

A last hearty and huge thank you to everyone who participated, donated, encouraged and cheered all of us on around British Columbia. It’s classic cheese to say, but you’re the true heroes for giving of what you have for the betterment of another creature. One friend who donated told me that she did so because “there’s an animal out there that needs food more than I need a new shirt or a couple drinks at a pub!” That’s hitting the nail on the head and then some.

Stay tuned to my Twitter for final totals! (And don’t forget: just because this event is over doesn’t mean the need is gone. If you’d like to support, donate to or volunteer at your local shelter, please visit the BC-SPCA’s website.

With only six more sleeps until this year’s Province-wide BC-SPCA Paws For A Cause, I’m getting excited to participate in such a great event that helps any and all animals. Most people think of cats and dogs when they think of their local shelter, but as I’ve said in previous posts, even farm animals and wild animals need a little help sometimes.

Photo: Wy@rt on Flickr

As of today, I’ve reached 52% 57% of my goal. I’m hoping to reach $1,000 by Sunday’s walk and this is my last beg, plea and petition to all of you.

…Even if all you can spare is your pocket change, that’ll buy some tins of cat food or a few apples for displaced horses.

…Even if you don’t like me, you can donate anonymously if you still want to support the animals!

What you give can and does make a difference!

Photo: studom on Flickr

To those who have already generously given, I offer you a huge heartfelt thanks! There will be many wagging tails, purring kittens and oinking pigs because of what you’ve helped accomplish. Those wishing to donate, please visit my donation page before midnight on September 12, 2009 and check back next week for pictures from the Comox Valley event!

Now that September is closing in on us and my summer holidays are behind me, I’m looking for things to do with the sunny days remaining. Last week, Rebecca posted about the upcoming 2nd Annual West End Dog Show in one of Vancouver’s quaintest neighbourhood (and my old stomping grounds).

Photo: DCMatt on Flickr

Dogs and their owners will be getting together this Saturday, August 22nd between 11:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. at Nelson Park to celebrate the unique bonds we share with our furry friends.

The day will feature a doggy fashion show, a tail-wagging contest, softest dog contest, vendors, animal hospital representatives on hand to answer your questions, treats for the pooches and much, much more. As usual, the off-leash dog park will be open and the adjacent farmers’ market on Comox Street will be buzzing with local produce, baked goods and specialty items. For more information, please visit the 2nd Annual West End Dog Show’s website.

If a dog show isn’t enough, throw a meet-up into the mix. I can’t explain it, but dogs seems to know and be drawn to others of their own breed. Jordy couldn’t care much one way or the other for other dogs, but when a pomeranian catches his eye, mommy no long exists.

Photo madabandon on Flickr

That said, one of me and Jordy’s favourite doggy shops, Bow Wow Haus, is holding their first-ever pomeranian meet-up on Friday, September 4 at 6:30 p.m. at their store (1340 Davie Street [map], between Jervis and Boughton). It’s an opportunity to meet other pomeranians and their owners and allow your dog the socialization they need. Make sure to follow Bow Wow Haus on Twitter to stay in the loop about this and other doggy meet-ups.

After yesterday’s sneak preview, I thought it only fair to end the suspense and tell you all about my adventure at The Big Time Out. You can check out the photos my mom took on her Flickr.

What surprised me most about the festival was the inclusiveness. Not only was it a family-friendly event with artistic and creative outlets for children, but the music was as varied as it was fantastic. While it may be cliché to say that there was something for everyone, that fact couldn’t be more true. And for this someone, there were three performers that were must-sees on the bill.

I arrived just in time to see Vancouver-based Delhi 2 Dublin. Back in March, I caught them during the Juno street parties on Granville Street, but was pretty pumped to watch a full set.

As expected, D2D’s intense energy got the entire crowd jumping, dancing and waving their hands in the air. Fusing together deep Bhangra, Celtic and Dub roots with a taste of hip hop, D2D have an incredibly distinctive sound that’s all theirs.

What makes D2D truly their own is the fact that the group lacks any sort of cookie-cutter sound. Their range of sound is as large and far-reaching as the variety of instruments incorporated to create the music they do. I found it next-to-impossible to take my eyes off the stage because D2D are every bit performers as they are musicians.

With hours to kill until Mihirangi hit the stage, I did a bit of exploring, eating and dancing. The crowd had a great vibe the entire day through.

When I caught a glimpse of this gourmet burger booth at the Filberg Festival earlier in August, I was tempted by it but opted for veggie rice rolls instead. However, after hours of dancing and walking, my stomach was hungry and the only cure was a yamburger.

Made from local ingredients and supporting Comox Valley-based businesses, the yamburger was every bit as delicious as I’d hoped it would be. However, with a 40-minute wait between the time I ordered to the time I actually got my burger, I may opt for something else next time.

Local DJs were dropping the needle between sets, so we were jamming to Snoop Dogg, Bob Marley and Justin Timberlake under the hot sun. I’m quite sure I’ll never again be able to hear “Could You Be Loved?” by Bob without thinking of this day.

No girl in her right mind passes up ice cream, but after these monster cones, Bethany had just about had her fill. “Wouldn’t it be funny if I just tossed it over the fence?” would’ve been funnier had her ice cream glob not actually gone flying. 10-Second Rule, right?

Or is it the Dump-Your-Ice-Cream-On-Your-Husband Rule?

By 8pm I was ready for more moneymaker-shaking, which worked out perfectly because that’s the time Australia’s Mihirangi hit the stage. This mesmerizing one-woman show (with the back-up of DJ Katch) came out in full force, singing in both her native Maori and English.

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What I love – love – so much about her sound is that it’s multi-layered. Much of what you hear is recorded through beatboxing, and each song builds upon itself.

Crowd favourite? Oui.

With a near-perfect blend of tough and tender, humour with all seriousness, Mihirangi is set for world domination in this girl’s opinion. And if any of that won’t hook you, the infectious giggle she seems to end each song with is living proof that she loves what she does and lives what she loves.

I found this video on her YouTube, which shows her entire song-building process. Amazing stuff.

What would a festival be if they didn’t save the best for last? After energetic performances from Mother, Mother and a number of belly dancers and silk aerials, Sam Roberts Band hit the stage around 10:30pm. Needless to say, the crowd went insane.

The Montreal-based band may not have made any promises, but they certainly delivered. Entertaining us all with tunes both old and new, Sam Roberts and his band commandeered the stage with drive and and enthusiasm right to the end.

There’s always something exciting about hearing a song live that you’ve been listening to on your iPod for years. In truth, I may have even listened to his older material on my Sony Discman. And somehow, Sam always seems to ask the right questions in his music:

Memories of the day? Too many to name. Regrets of the day? Not buying more merchandise – and I never buy merchandise at concerts.

I think it goes without saying that I’m already counting down the days to next year’s festival. A tip-to-self for 2010: I’ll leave my blanket and backpack at home. They only serve to inhibit dancing in the mud…

(A huge thank you to Cumberland Village Works for organizing and holding this awesome community event!)

Being that I didn’t get back to Vancouver until after 10pm and because I filled my entire memory card, it’s safe to say that I won’t be wading through all my pictures from this summer’s The Big Time Out until Monday evening. Until then, a teaser.

I arrived just in time to catch Delhi 2 Dublin’s set. Their energy and entirely unique sound got the whole crowd jumping – literally.

Video: tempest_kat on Flickr

The festival’s headliner and cherry on the sundae was none other than Sam Roberts Band. Excuse the poor video quality, but it’s clear to hear that Sam and his band kick some serious ass on stage. The show was unreal.

I can promise you that the photos are of much better quality than the videos. Look for those tomorrow morning!

What girl in her right mind would say “no” to attending an event solely dedicated to wine? Not this one, that is for certain. Oddly enough, neither is my sister-in-law Laura, so the two of us headed out for a ladies’ night with lots of wining and not so much dining.

This past weekend, Mount Washington Alpine Resort hosted its 11th Annual Alpine Wine Festival at the gorgeously inviting Raven Lodge. Nearly two dozen wineries were represented with more bottles of fine wines than I had the time – or capacity – to sample.

The Comox Valley’s own Natural Pastures Cheese Company was on hand, offering tastes of their many varieties of soft and hard cheeses. When I inquired about whether any of the products in their range contained rennet, the head cheese-maker told me that none contain rennet simply because, as he put it, “to do so in cheese-making is a barbaric practice.” One more reason to love them…

I am both a self-professed pinot noir “snob” and nine times out of ten will always buy a BC-produced wine. Not only did the wine festival provide me with the opportunity to try wines from various regions around the globe, it also expanded my palate into a number of varietals. Though that said, the brand new pinot noir from Two Oceans, out of South Africa, gets my vote for best wine at the festival.

I have never, ever found a shiraz that I enjoyed, but did find the 2007 Three Winds Syrah to be incredibly delicious. You may find it interesting to know that shiraz and syrah are essentially the same wine and developed from the same grape but that syrah originated in France, whereas Australians and South Africans prefer to refer to their wines as a shiraz.

After hearing much raving about Vancouver Island’s Sea Cider from both John and Rebecca, I believe the hype! Nothing beats the crisp and refreshing taste of local apples combined with belly-warming sensations.

No wine festival would be complete without a selection of ports and dessert wines. While there were a few offerings vying for our favour, both Laura and I agreed that the 2008 Framboise from Elephant Island Orchard Wines was the hands-down favourite for us. Sweet raspberries dancing with 16% alcohol makes for quite the party in one’s mouth.

While I’d be hard-pressed to choose a wine I didn’t enjoy, some noteworthy highlights for me include:

What may impress you the most about all of the wines featured at the festival is that every bottle sampled is a completely affordable wine. None were over $30 and most were priced well under $20. Whoever said you had to spend a lot to enjoy a fine night in clearly hasn’t tried the right wines.

It goes without saying that I’ll be lining up for next year’s festival. In the meantime, it’s hard to believe that it’s only a matter of a few short months before the snow starts falling once again.

For now, check out Mount Washington online for a full list of summer events still to come – including how you can purchase an early bird winter season pass and win some great prizes. The mountain is also on Twitter, so be sure to follow them.

I adore lazy Sundays, and Jordy was kind enough to let me sleep until 9:30 this morning. Most of today we’ve spent in front of the TV, escaping the heat. The weekend’s highlight was definitely making the trip yesterday to Gastown to visit Rebecca, Duane and others as they blogged for 24 hours straight to raise money for their respective charities. Congratulations to all of you tireless bloggers and a huge thanks to all that donated!

It seems that Jordy became the unofficial mascot – at least for the afternoon – and had his photo snapped a number of times…

Photo: TylerIngram on Flickr

Photo: Miss604 on Flickr

Photo: tris on Flickr

John Biehler and Duane both took some great shots that aren’t yet uploaded, but I’ll definitely post them as soon as I can!

In the meantime, my mom has been babysitting Sienna since last night and enjoying “Oma Time,” so she spent some time in the backyard with the cutest little girl in the world. Charley has taken an undeniable liking to Sienna, and I have no doubt the two will grow up to be peas in a pod.

How did you spend your weekend?