Mountain pine beetle left its mark on this tree in B.C.'s Cariboo region

Watch Lake at dusk

Thanks to 100 Mile NetShop, I’m set up for access from my campsite for $5 a day. It was my son who first turned on the computer and found the wireless network, but alas I did not have a user name and password to login to the BC Wireless Hotspot Service.

So I drove into 100 Mile House, called 100 Mile NetShop, set everything up, and am looking forward to connecting from my campsite. I love going online from inside my tent!

At this moment, I’m writing from The Chartreuse Moose Cappucino Bar & Bistro in 100 Mile House, drinking a huge fish bowl of delicious coffee while using their wireless network. It’s my third day in a row here, and it’s been a pleasure.

This quick brown fox jumped up on our picnic table and later stole my flip-flop sandal from outside my tent.

I’m also trying to line up a local safety-related story for my other blog Speaking of Safety – and it looks like I’m meeting with success. It’s a great opportunity to get a local story while I’m outside of the Lower Mainland.

A funny thing happened the night before last: a fox ran off with my flip-flop sandal, chewed it up, and left it about 100 metres from my tent. I had been trying, with little success, to get a good photo of the gorgeous little thing, but I gave up and went to my tent. As always, I took off my shoes and left them outside – but when I got up in the morning, there was only one!

I wasn’t mad about the flip-flop; instead, I was a bit worried that the fox might have gotten sick from eating it. So it was a relief to find the shoe nearby later in the day.

What a sly fox!

Alex Usow aka Rhek holds up the shirt he designed based on a t-shirt meme that started with the names of the Beatles

Alex told me the design was based on a series of t-shirts that started with an original “John & Paul & Ringo & George” and had a long history. This made me very curious – so I went home and googled “Beatles names t-shirt” and found a 2005 article T-Shirt-ism by Experimental Jetset, an Amsterdam design company.

The company produced a “John & Paul & Ringo & George” in 2001. Two years later, Experimental Jetset was receiving people’s own versions of the shirt (which you can see via the link above).

Other versions include: “Paul & Ace & Peter & Gene” and “Brocoli & Potatoes & Beef & Gravy” – with dozens, maybe even hundreds of variations.

This t-shirt is Alex’s East Van pride version and it’s available at his shop Sharks & Hammers at 56 Powell St. and at Boulevard Skate at 1340 Commercial Drive.

Today we saw a guy wearing one in the line-up of Continental Coffee on Commercial Drive – looking very stylish.

Bikes are parked on the road to ease sidewalk congestion in this pilot project on Commercial Drive in Vancouver.

I noticed the corral being installed last week on the South-East corner of Commercial Drive and East 6th Avenue, outside JJ Bean and Dollar Grocer – two businesses with lots of customers who lock bikes on the street.

One parking spot can house 18 bikes. So far, the bike racks appear well-used and are nearly full of bikes every time I walk by. Today I asked a Dollar Grocer employee if things seemed any different with the new corral and he said it was much less crowded when he is stocking and arranging produce on the stands outside the store. He laughed and gave credit to our city’s “hippie mayor” and his bike-friendly initiatives.

A corner street in front of a business with lots of cycling customers is the best location for on-street bike parking, says the City of Vancouver website

What's up with that?

“The corner works the best as it creates a corner bulge,” reads the City website. “The bicycle parking area can be made bigger as it can extend into the corner clearance. This can also help with pedestrian and vehicle visibility at busy intersections.”

The City of Vancouver would like to know what you think about this trial for on-street bike parking or general bike parking initiatives. They invite you to contact them at: bikeparking@vancouver.ca

My son, at right, and his pal sporting suave 'staches at It's All Fun & Fames on Commercial Drive

I hear this a lot but am not allowed to use it because cool expressions don’t work if a mom says them. It’s clear I don’t have the context right.

For much of this hot summer, I’ve been hanging out with my son and his pre-teen crew – when I’m not working on my new blog: SpeakingOfSafety.

Otherwise, I’ve been enjoying summer with friends and family – camping as much as possible and eating local in-season foods together outside. Haven’t been doing much yoga or any other exercise (and that has to change soon!) aside from chasing around with my son and his pals, which takes a fair bit of energy.

Embracing the pre-teen boy experience can be pretty hilarious, if you look at them the right way. Don’t see the “obnoxious” aspect. Try “mischievious” and “playful” and “full of energy.” Think of wild kingdom and picture the younger, smaller, way more hyper version of the larger animal. Pre-teen chimpanzees or tigers.

I find myself unbelievably irritated by their behaviour sometimes – like yesterday in Tim Hortons when my son and his friend kept changing their order at the till as we stood facing a confused new cashier in her 60s with a line-up of other customers behind us. Once I paid and we got to the table, the boys scuffled, grabbing for each other’s drinks, and spilled that iced de-caf mocha with extra vanilla and whipped cream.

A part of me will not outgrow their crude, immature sense of humour. Often I’m the “straight man” for their jokes, as I drive them to the swimming pool, and try to come up with my best “parental guidance” comment.

Much of the time, I try not to laugh aloud, but it often seems like such a lie to stifle it. They can be horrible and hilarious at the same time – depending on your sense of humour.

A tow truck like this picked up my car yesterday. This one is leaving the impound lot to bring back more.

Yesterday our car was towed from an alley behind Commercial Drive. I had parked there at least 50 times in the past 15 years when a free street spot wasn’t available.

When we found the empty parking spot and confirmed the car was taken by Busters Towing, my 10-year-old son was furious. He said it wasn’t fair because there aren’t any “No Parking” signs in the alley.

He yelled rude things about the government, while I stayed calm and sat at a table at Waves (drinking a coffee from Continental). I looked on my iPhone for info on the exact law I’d broken.

“In Vancouver all lanes (except in the area bounded by Burrard Street, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park and English Bay) that abut commercial property (e.g. stores, hotels, restaurants, parking lots) are classified as commercial. The only vehicles allowed to stop in these laneways are properly licensed commercial vehicles,” reads the City of Vancouver article Top 10 Ways to Avoid Getting a Parking Ticket.

Okay. Fair enough. It would be bad theoretically if two delivery vehicles were trying to pass and were blocked by people’s cars. But no explanation was good enough for Toby, who was still furious.

“I could have bought a new skateboard with that money!” he said.

Indeed the amount would cover the Hydro bill or buy a lot of good groceries. It was $94 to get the car out of the impound lot and I still have to pay another $50 for the parking violation fine.

Ouch.

We followed a long green hallway to this window. I gave them my Visa card and they gave me receipt and a parking ticket for another $50.

This token gets you and your car out of the impound lot. A sign on the wall says you have to pay another $94 if you lose the token.

We walk through the lot to Spot 94, where our car waits. We feel like it was kidnapped and feel quite sorry for it.

Toby puts in the token and releases us from car prison.

"Customer Exit" reads the writing on the door that you have to drive really, really close to before it opens and lets you out. I don't feel like "customer" is quite the right word.

Qualicum Beach, Vancouver Island at low tide on a sunny morning

Tiny crabs camoflage themselves around the sand and smooth rocks

Looking north on Qualicum Beach

An important message for skimboarders at Qualicum Beach, artist unknown

A gateway to Vancouver Island: Departure Bay, Nanaimo, B.C.

I put this question out on Twitter yesterday and was grateful for the suggestions I received.

Following a tip from @boutiquemac and @HiredGuns – we visited Mon Petit Choux Bakery & Cafe at 120 Commercial Street (at Wharf) in Nanaimo.

And it was great.

Tasty drinks, good food, Bob Marley playing on the stereo, and a comfortable, open space with big windows and a nice view.

For some reason, on a whim, I decided to try a London Fog for the first time.

The cafe we visited in Nanaimo today after consulting with the Twitterverse

I ordered a hot London Fog for myself and an iced one for my son.

We also split an order of French toast and it was a nice touch that the waitress asked the kitchen staff to put it on two plates for us. It was, as the waitress described it, like a bread pudding style, rich and tasty.

We have one more day, and plan to check out Bocca on Fitzwilliam or Serious Coffee on Commerical, suggested by @rcthink – and @amandabrittain has me curious about Modern Cafe near the convention centre. “Best mac and cheese ever!”

We saw this boutiquemac sign right beside Mon Petit Choux, so I stopped in to say thanks to whomever tweeted the suggestion. Turns out it was Jason, who came out from the back to say hi.

It’s always interesting to see the face behind the tweet – and so cool to be able to get advice on good cafes when you’re in another town. The Twitter community comes through again FTW!