We’ve had an awful lot of rain lately. It’s almost as bad as last year at this time. I went back to the news report from Dec. 9, 2014 when the city of Courtenay had unusually high flooding in the city park next to the river. Usually it’s just flooding over the baseball diamonds and some of the kids’ play areas, but last year was bad, as you can see from this photo by Julie Nichol, with widespread flooding over the fields and roads nearby. That’s the Courtenay River on the left and Lewis Park on the right.
This year in December, it has rained a lot again, and almost to the day there was flooding in the low areas of Courtenay.
BUT! At higher elevations, all that rain came down as snow. The owners of the local ski hill on Mt. Washington must be ecstatic to have this dump of snow just in time for their official opening today.
Those of us who did not get up to the ski hill could still enjoy the results of all this higher elevation “rain turned to snow” just by looking up at the Comox Glacier. It has been losing mass year by year, but today, even though it received only a superficial coating of snow, it looks the way it did many years ago when it was still a substantial glacier.
Several legends are told about the glacier, and one that seemed plausible today says that this mountain is a “Sleeping Princess.” I can see her lying there with her head on the right side of the glacier, chin in the air. But then I took another photo and discovered that the prince may also be lying there to the right. Do you see him there? He has a fat belly.
It makes me happy to see the rain turned into snow in such a beautiful way, fit for royalty.
Is that mountain ever gorgeous!
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I wish the underneath ice (the actual glacier part) were more substantial. It has been shrinking every year, but this last snowfall (which stayed up in the hills where it belongs) makes it look the way it did many years ago.
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I am happy that rain can still bring you blessings, Anneli. I am thankful for your sharing this lovely Comox glacier.
I happen to like seeing imaginary royalty in forms of nature. I see both the prince and his sleeping princess! 🙂
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Good! I’m glad you see the prince too. It sure looks pretty with the sun shining. I took that photo today during the five minutes when the sun came out between storms.
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You were watching for your window of opportunity, Anneli. I am so glad you captured the golden glow on the brilliant snow covered mountains! “Good looking out” and sharing, too.
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That’a about it in a nutshell, Robin. Window of opportunity is right these days when it’s mostly storms.
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“Your” glacier is a beauty. I can see the princess and the prince too (he is rather ugly).
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I agree, the prince doesn’t have a very good figure. I’m not sure he’s supposed to be there. I only noticed him now after this big snowfall. It’s the princess that gets all the attention.
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The glacier really does look beautiful now. Thanks for sharing the photo, Anneli!
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Hi Gina! So nice to hear from you. Yes, the glacier got a nice dump of snow just in time to look beautiful for Christmas. With all the storms we haven’t been able to see it because of the clouds, but the sun came out for a few minutes yesterday.
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Is that the view from your home? Breathtaking.
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Not quite. We have to drive for five minutes to get to a place where we can get a good picture.
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Still, such beautiful scenery around you.
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We like it here. Have lived on the island since 1963 and can’t imagine moving.
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I’ve never lived around such beautiful nature scenery. Florida was flatter than a wood floor, and we lived 50 miles from the gulf. I can’t imagine you could ever take for granted that beautiful landscape.
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You’re making me appreciate even more. I’ve lived here so long that maybe I have been getting spoiled. But I do love living here.
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That mountain really looks gorgeous. But I wish with you that this snow would turn into ice and replenish the glacier.
Have a great advent time,
Pit
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Yes, that would be perfect. Thanks, Pit, and all the best over Christmas for you too.
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Beautiful. Btw, Courtenay is home to another Kanigan (middle Bro Rich)
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He lives about four houses down from longtime friends of ours. What a coincidence! (Google)
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Amazing.
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What a cheerful life you have there: at first a flood, then a snowfall.
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Oh yes, It’s never boring. But the good thing is that the snow has stayed up in the hills so far. But this week, it’s cold enough to snow everywhere if a cloud appears.
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I will take your word for it, Anneli!! It does look beautiful though a little, um, cold!
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I don’t like to be cold at all. But as you say, it’s nice to look at the snow at a distance.
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Right! Haha, and now it’s warming up here and I am seeing fun and flowers, so not very Christmasy.
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Sun, not fun.
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Same thing, isn’t it? sun – fun?
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Hah, well the sun does make work more fun.
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Here’s to your anthropomorphic glaciers.
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There’s also a legend about it being a breeching white whale, but that’s not a flattering comparison to the prince and princess.;-)
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