Author Archives: Jan Smith

Where We Live

Have you ever been a tourist in your own town?  Whether you live in the Comox Valley or not, you will be intrigued to explore our home after reading Ivo’s post:


So we meet again, earthlings! 

I wouldn’t close this tab if I were you because the Comox Valley is truly beautiful.  Today I am going to be writing about the best destinations of the Comox Valley.  Some of them are spontaneous, and some are just very calm and peaceful.  I hope that this post inspires some international visitors.  If you have any feedback, be sure to leave a comment. 

Now, as we all know, nearly every town has a very nice café or restaurant, and the Comox Valley has quite a few.  Whether there is chocolate, ice cream, or tasty dishes, standing beside them will have you drooling like my Labrador Retriever.  Here are a few examples:

  • Locals – This restaurant is quite pricey but is a perfect place to enjoy yourself.  If you are a seafood lover, try the West Coast seafood trio, which will fill up your tummy at the price of thirty-two or thirty-five dollars.  Vegetarian?  No problem, if you like baked portabella mushrooms.  This restaurant offers very perfected dishes. 
  • Benino Gelato – This café, located near the Comox town park, offers delicious ice cream, yummy paninis, and coffee.  They have a huge variety of ice cream flavours, including pear, apple pie, and tiramisu.  If you are looking for an Italian dinner…
  • Martine’s Bistro – …Italian food lovers, step right up!  You will love your meal, whatever you order.  The seafood linguine is extraordinary, with prawns, clams, smoked salmon, and more.  The pan-seared red snapper is also great, offering a side of creamy risotto. 

Well, you won’t be staying in Comox just to eat (hopefully), so look around, enjoy the scenery, and pick up a map!  Here are some beautiful destinations in the Comox Valley: 

  • Goose Spit Park – Here’s a chance to use your track pants, and get a workout!  This brilliant beach is accompanied by 168 stairs, which are known by locals as the “Comox Grind”, after Grouse Grind in Vancouver.  At the very top of these stairs, cameras will definitely be snapping beside you.  The view is even nicer on clear days, when the sunlight bounces off of the waves.  If you want a more quiet scenario… there is a beach beside Goose Spit, with an apple tree and an interesting bench.  If you bring a book and a coat, you can stay there all day.  It may be the most peaceful spot in the Comox Valley. 
  • Nymph Falls – There is a short walk to the waterfalls, and if you stay in the summer, you can cool down in the tiny pools surrounded by rock.  Nature must know humans’ interests very well because there is a natural waterslide, probably created over many years of erosion.  Staying at Nymph Falls is a lovely way to spend the entire day! 
  • Paradise MeadowsThis trail in Strathcona Provincial Park is remarkable, and you will feel that you could wander forever.  Paradise Meadows does live up to its name, summer and winter.  A combination of boardwalk and forest trail, it’s very relaxing and peaceful. 

There are also two other rather obvious things in the Valley; you’ll see them as soon as you get here.  They are the Comox Glacier, and… deer.  Yes, our town is filled with hundreds of deer.  Slow down, and don’t let them get caught in the headlights (ha ha!).  Though they can be a bit slow at times, their adorableness will pardon them, and… it will be a nice test of your patience. 

Unfortunately, some days in Comox will be rainy and gloomy, but there are always ways to entertain yourself and others indoors.  Don’t just stay in and watch television.  Come on in to… 

  • Comox Recreational Centre – Do you like sports?  When the weather does not look too good, stop by the rec centre to play sports in a gym, whack some table tennis (for free!), or to spend some time in the fitness gym.   
  • Courtenay Museum – Interested in history and paleontology?  If you are, come to this museum, where actual dinosaur bones are on display.  Also, if you would like to know more about the city of Courtenay, that is mainly what the museum offers.  Lastly, for some reason, I liked looking at the old packages of food, from the early twentieth century. 
  • Comox Valley Aquatic Centre – Our pool has a wave pool, lanes, a steam room, hot tub, and more!  Personally, my favourite things to do are ride the waterslides, play catch in the wave pool, and relax in the steam room.  Even though my fingers will get very shrivelled, I could stay all day. 

Well, that is the Comox Valley, a wonderful place to live.  If you have any questions or feedback, please leave a comment, and I will be sure to answer it as soon as possible. 

Thanks, and have a math-crammed day. 

Sincerely,
Ivo N. 

(Photo Credit for Peninsula: Guinness323, Wikipedia)
(Photo Credit for Local’s: Local’s)
(Photo Credit for Goose Spit: Comox Valley Regional District)
(Photo Credit for Rec Centre: Town of Comox)

What is special, unique, or outstanding about where you live? Let us know in a comment. Leave your url and we will visit you.

Hello, it’s Us!

Hello, bloggers we haven’t met yet!

We are a friendly, curious, and crazy group of grade 6 & 7 students in a classroom in a school in a small town on the left coast of Canada. We invite you to read our About Me and Where I Live pages on our student blogs, listed in the sidebar.

Find out who is into kickboxing, skiing, VR, reading, hammer throw, basketball, tennis, YouTube, scootering, gymnastics, writing, hockey, gaming, soccer, cooking, robotics, unicorns, snowboarding, dance, geography, horseback riding… I think you’ll agree that we are a very interesting crew.

We look forward to meeting you on your blog, so please leave your url with your friendly comment.

A Poem of Remembrance

Lest We Forget

Today, November 11th, Canada recognizes the courage of men and women who have served our country in the Air Force, Army, and Navy of the past, and those who serve today.  Abbey shared this beautiful poem on her blog. I have included the questions that she added following her post because I know they’ll get you thinking.

We Will Always Remember Them

For those who fought,
for those who died,
for those who lived,
for those who tried,
and for those who saved our Canadian lives,
we will always remember them.  

For those who risked their courageous lives,
who left their daughters and their wives,
who fought at war and gave us peace,
we will always remember them.

I hoped you liked my poem as much as I liked writing it!  Please tell me in the comments if you have any favorite poems about Remembrance Day, if you made up any poems, or comment on what Remembrance Day means to you! (Just some suggestions on what to comment )   ; )

Goodbye and have a nice day!

Sincerely, Abbey

You can comment directly on Abbey’s blog post here

Grant is a Grant via Compfight

 

Posts are Popping Up!

The students of Smartlandia (long story, that) are new bloggers here at Huzzah! Well, except for four of them who are veterans. To get a taste of their writing, click on the Flipboard below, scroll down, and click again to read some fresh writing that includes poetry, narrative, and humour. Please leave a comment to encourage these young writers.

View my Flipboard Magazine.

Meet the Class of 2017-2018!

We have been living and learning together for over a month, but this is our first blog post on our class blog.  Here we are!

Sunglasses on or off–what do you seen in your future?

You might look years ahead to a career you’re thinking of, to travelling you wish to do, or the place you hope to live. Perhaps you have plans for future learning–what do you want to explore? Or maybe you are think of your near future: is something coming up in the next few months that has you curious or excited? Are you in the process of creating something you hope to complete?

Please leave a comment and tell us about your future, and if you are from beyond our class, leave your blog url and we will visit you.

 

A Little Alphabet Soup

Welcome, new visitors from this year’s Student Blogging Challenge!  To help you learn more about us, Huzzahnians are starting to publish their ABC of Me posts on their blogs.

[Missing links are from unpublished posts.]

Follow the links to find out who…

  • thinks artichokes look and smell weird;
  • is a fan of Messi from Argentina;
  • has driven in a Mustang convertible;
  • absolutely loves playing the guitar;
  • is a master of DIY;
  • knows what a katana is;
  • likes the colour of eggplants but not their taste;
  • is a Ravenclaw;
  • thinks Umbridge and Voldemort are jerks;
  • knows something about the octopus that I didn’t know;
  • hates zombies;
  • traps her brother at the top of the teeter-totter;
  • loves hashbrowns;
  • doesn’t like vanilla ice cream;
  • hopes to visit Italy one day;
  • thinks that the Xenomorph looks both creepy and cool;
  • knows that quail eggs are quite small;
  • has a unique collection of a certain reptile;
  • is a fan of bacon;
  • hates how onions make it look like you are crying when you chop them;
  • has held a baby kangaroo;
  • would love to meet a quokka;  
  • likes the quality of Rawlings baseball gloves;
  • knows sign language;
  • has seen elephants in Florida;
  • likes opening presents at Christmas;
  • thinks the Hubble telescope is mind-blowing;
  • is interested in a new gadget called Popsockets;
  • is curious about zebras: are they black with white stripes or white with black stripes?

Aren’t we an interesting bunch? Please follow the links, read the posts, and comment with a few ABCs of your own.

Happy blogging!

Photo Credit: Leo Reynolds Flickr via Compfight cc

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The ABC of Me

As a new school year begins in the southern hemisphere, we north-of-the-equator types are heading into spring. Time for a shiny new Student Blogging Challenge! In the first week, Miss Wyatt is suggesting we reintroduce ourselves. We are drawing inspiration from Brianna’s Alphabet Post and writing our own.

Me first!

This lovely Mason Bee hatched in my backyard and enjoyed my rosemary.

I love watching people in the airport arrivals lounge. The anticipation and then the hugs when family and friends reconnect–that makes me happy. I am fascinated by bees and take pictures of them whenever I can. Mason bees in particular fascinate me. Chocolate is my favourite treat. Dark, of course.  I admire Queen Elizabeth II for her lifetime of service. I find felines far too finicky. Spring, summer and fall…you’ll find me in the garden. I have a bad habit of losing my keys. Not infrequently, either. My real first name is Janet. I come from a long line of knitters and people who laugh a lot. My mediocre superpower is that I can tell you when milk is about to go bad. I have never bungee jumped, and don’t regret it one bit. I like old things, so I collect vintage Pyrex, quilts, and rare Christmas ornaments. I would like to travel to Scotland and take part in an archaeological dig at Hadrian’s Wall.

Isn’t this a beautiful bowl? We have popcorn in a bowl like this.

In 2004-05 I sailed around the globe on a tall ship with my husband, our two kids, and  65 students and adult crew. It was a unique experience, very challenging and immensely rewarding. I learned the world is a beautiful place, and that I live x-actly where I want be. To remain young at heart, I will stay curious about people, places, and new experiences. Perhaps I will even revisit Zanzibar again after I retire!

 

And there you have it, all about me, A to Z. If you’d like to comment, why not leave a letter or three about you.

Soon, Huzzahnians’ alphabet posts will be popping up on their blogs. I hope you’ll take time to learn their ABC’s!

Photo Credit: KitchenCulinaria Flickr via Compfight cc