The Meadowood Store Garden Centre: The Meadowood Store's Garden Center is jammed packed with starter plants and veggies, bag soils, manure, and fertilizers. Chris Burger says he won't be under-soiled. The folks at the Meadowood Store Garden Center will match sale prices from just about anywhere. Enjoy the relaxing drive to Meadowood, where the bargains are tariff-free and are big. Bigfoot big. The Meadowood General Store in Dashwood is the home of Bigfoot. It's a convenient spot for groceries, deli, propane, and lotto. Come in and have your picture taken with Bigfoot inside or outside the store at 1221 Meadowood Way in Dashwood.

 Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: In a little town by the sea where the stories never end, lived Captain Dave and his crew, every child's favorite friend. With a smile as wide as the ocean and a heart that's full of dreams, he sails a mellow submarine where magic gleams and beams. Every morning at sunrise, when the world awakes anew, Captain Dave and his crew set sail in waters deep and blue through the ticking clock of time. Where adventures come alive, they laugh and learn and play each day in their underwater dive.

Dave Graham: Captain Dave stood on the deck of his bright yellow submarine, which sat nestled in the gentle tide of Miracle Beach Provincial Park. The sun sparkled on the water like a thousand tiny diamonds as the fresh ocean breeze ruffled his curly beard. "What a beautiful morning for an adventure."

"Larry," Captain Dave called down into the submarine. Larry the lobster poked his head out from the hatch. His big red claws clipped excitedly as he climbed onto the deck. "You said it, Captain! Miracle Beach is my favorite place in the whole wide ocean," Larry replied, his antenna wiggling happily. "I can't wait to show you the sand dollar collection here."

"It's the most amazing one in all the seas." Sand dollars are special flat sea creatures that look like round white coins with beautiful star patterns on them. Larry had promised the beach was home to thousands of them. A truly magical site. The pair climbed down from the submarine, which they had named the Mellow Yellow because of its sunny color and gentle way of exploring the ocean.

Captain Dave wore his favorite blue captain's hat with gold anchor buttons while Larry wore a tiny sailor's hat. "The sand dollar collection is just over this way," Larry said, scuttling sideways across the beach. "There's a special cove where thousands of them live in the shallow water." But when they reached the small cove around the rocky corner of the beach, Larry stopped.

Suddenly his claws dropped to his sides. "That's strange," Larry said, his voice filled with confusion. "They should be right here." Captain Dave looked around. The small cove had clear shallow water with a sandy bottom that should have been perfect for sand dollars, but as he peered into the water, he could see only a handful of the round flat creatures partially buried in the sand.

"I don't understand," Larry said, his voice trembling a little. "Last time I visited there were thousands. Where have they all gone?" Captain Dave knelt down and gently picked up one of the few remaining sand dollars, being very careful with the living creature. He examined it closely before gently placing it back exactly where he'd found it.

"This is indeed a mystery, Larry," Captain Dave said thoughtfully. "Sand dollars don't just get up and walk away. Something must have happened to them. Don't worry, Larry. We'll figure out what happened to the sand dollars. After all, we are explorers. Solving mysteries is what we do best." The pair began to search the cove carefully.

After several minutes, Captain Dave noticed something odd about the sand at the far end of the cove, and he called out, "Larry, come look at this. See these patterns in the sand?" Captain Dave pointed to long curved lines that seemed to swirl toward a gap between two large rocks. "It looks like something has been pulling the sand in this direction."

Larry clicked his claws excitedly. "You're right, and look," he pointed with his claw. "There's a small sand dollar being tugged that way right now." Sure enough, a tiny sand dollar was slowly sliding across the seabed as if being pulled by an invisible hand. "Curiouser and curiouser," Captain Dave muttered. "I think we need a better view."

"Let's go back to the Mellow Yellow and use our underwater gear to investigate further." As they turned to head back to their submarine, a large shadow passed overhead. Looking up, they saw the graceful form of a great blue heron gliding down to land on a nearby rock. The tall bird stood regally on one leg.

Its long neck curved into an S shape as it watched them with bright, intelligent eyes. "Hello there," Captain Dave called to the heron. "I don't suppose you've noticed anything strange happening with the sand dollars in this cove." To his surprise, the heron nodded. Its long beak moved up and down as if it understood the question. "Why, yes," came a voice as smooth as flowing water.

"I've been watching the sand dollars disappear for weeks now." Captain Dave and Larry exchanged amazed glances. It wasn't every day you got to talk to a heron. "My name is Harold," the heron continued. "I've lived at Miracle Beach for many years and I've never seen anything like this before."

"I'm Captain Dave, and this is my first mate Larry, the lobster," Captain Dave replied with a polite bow. "We're trying to solve the mystery of the missing sand dollars. Can you tell us what you've seen?" Harold stretched his long blue-gray wings before settling them against his body again. "It started about a month ago. At first, just a few sand dollars would slide away each day, but lately, dozens disappear every time the tide changes."

"Do they go through that gap in the rocks?" Larry asked, pointing his claw toward where they had seen the sand patterns. Harold nodded. "Yes, exactly. Something changed in the water currents recently. There's a strong pull that's dragging them away."

"Water currents," Captain Dave exclaimed. "Of course! That explains the patterns in the sand."

"Do you know where the sand dollars are being taken?" Larry asked hopefully. Harold shook his head. "I can't fly underwater to follow them, but there's an old sea turtle named Tabitha who might know. She swims these waters regularly and she knows every current and cave along this coastline."

"Where can we find Tabitha?" Captain Dave asked. "She often rests on the sunny rocks just past the point of the bay," Harold explained, using his wing to point toward the far end of the beach. "If you hurry, you might catch her before her afternoon swim." Captain Dave and Larry thanked Harold for his help and quickly made their way back to the Mellow Yellow submarine.

If they were going to speak with Tabitha the turtle and possibly follow an underwater current, they would need their submarine. The Mellow Yellow glided smoothly through the water around the rocky point of Miracle Beach. Inside the submarine, Captain Dave carefully steered while Larry kept watch through the large round windows.

"There!" Larry suddenly exclaimed, his claws tapping excitedly against the glass. "On those flat rocks in the sunshine. That must be Tabitha." Captain Dave saw a large sea turtle sunning herself on a smooth flat rock that rose just above the water surface. Her shell was a beautiful mosaic of browns and greens marked with patterns that told the story of her long life in the ocean.

"Hello there," Captain Dave called, waving his hand. "Are you Tabitha? Harold the heron said you might be able to help us." The turtle slowly lifted her ancient head and regarded them with wise, gentle eyes. After a moment, she slid gracefully from her rock into the water and swam over to the submarine. "Harold sent you, did he?"

Tabitha's voice was slow and deep like the sound of waves rolling onto shore. "That old bird doesn't send visitors my way unless it's important." "It's very important," Larry said earnestly. "The sand dollars at Miracle Beach Cove are disappearing. They're being pulled away by some kind of underwater current."

Tabitha's expression grew concerned. "Ah, so you've noticed too. I've been worried about those poor creatures for weeks now." "Do you know what's happening to them?" Captain Dave asked hopefully. Tabitha nodded her weathered head. "Indeed I do. Follow me and I'll show you." With a powerful flick of her flippers, she began to swim away from the rocks.

Captain Dave and Larry quickly scrambled back into the Mellow Yellow and followed Tabitha as she swam deeper into the ocean. "About a month ago, there was a small underwater earthquake," Tabitha explained. "Nothing dangerous for big creatures like us, but it changed the shape of the sea floor a few miles from shore."

"An earthquake!" Larry exclaimed. "No wonder the currents changed." "Exactly," Tabitha replied. "The earthquake created a new trench in the sea floor, and now there's a strong current that pulls water and small creatures like sand dollars into it." "Are the sand dollars all gone?" Captain Dave asked worriedly. "Not gone,"

Tabitha reassured him, "just relocated. They're collecting in a deep underwater valley about a mile from here. The current carries them there, but then they have no way to return to their shallow home at the cove." Captain Dave's face brightened. "So if we find a way to redirect the current, we might be able to help them get back where they belong."

"Or perhaps," Tabitha said thoughtfully, "we need to make sure their new home is safe for them too. Sometimes in nature, change happens and we must adapt." "Let's see this New Sand Dollar Valley first," Captain Dave decided. "Then we can figure out the best way to help." As the Mellow Yellow followed Tabitha deeper into the ocean, the water around them grew darker.

Captain Dave switched on the submarine's special lights, illuminating their path with a gentle yellow glow. "Look at that current!" Larry exclaimed, pointing to where they could see swirling patterns in the water ahead. "We are approaching the valley now," Tabitha called to them, her voice carrying through the water and into the submarine through its special underwater communication system.

As they rounded a large underwater hill, an amazing site came into view. The Mellow Yellow's lights revealed a vast bowl-shaped depression in the sea floor, and covering nearly every inch of this underwater valley were thousands upon thousands of sand dollars. "Wow!" gasped Larry, his claws clicking in excitement.

"I've never seen so many in one place." "They're alive and well," Tabitha explained, swimming in a slow circle above the valley. "This new home actually has plenty of food for them. The current brings a constant supply of plankton that they filter from the water." Captain Dave studied the scene thoughtfully. "So they're not in danger here,"

he observed. "In fact, they seem to be thriving." "Yes and no," Tabitha replied. "They have food, but this valley is much deeper than their original home. The water pressure and temperature are different here. Some are adapting well, but others are struggling." Captain Dave stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So we need a solution that works for everyone—

the sand dollars already here, the ones still at the cove, and the future generations too." He turned to the submarine's control panel and pressed a button labeled "Current Detector." A screen lit up showing colorful arrows that represented the direction and strength of the water flows around them. "Look here,"

Captain Dave pointed to the display. "The current comes down from the cove, swirls through this valley, and then continues out to sea. Now, if we could create a way for some of the current to circle back to the cove..." Larry clapped his claws together. "Then the sand dollars could travel back and forth, like having two homes!" "Precisely,"

Captain Dave grinned. "And we happen to have just the tool for the job: the Mellow Yellow Special Current Redirector." Captain Dave explained his plan to Tabitha and Larry. The Mellow Yellow submarine had a special device called a Current Redirector. It was designed to create gentle, controlled water movements that could guide sea creatures safely away from dangerous areas.

"If we position it just right," Captain Dave said, "we can create a gentle current loop that connects the valley back to the cove. Then the sand dollars can naturally drift between both locations." Tabitha considered the idea carefully. "It could work," she said finally. "But we'll need to make sure the new current isn't too strong.

Sand dollars are delicate creatures." With their plan decided, they got to work. First, Captain Dave carefully positioned the Mellow Yellow at the edge of the Sand Dollar Valley. He extended the submarine's special mechanical arms and used them to place smooth rocks in a line, creating a protected pathway along the ocean floor.

Once the pathway was complete, Captain Dave activated the Current Redirector. From the back of the submarine, a large flower-shaped device unfolded its petals and began to rotate slowly, creating a gentle spiral of water that flowed exactly along their newly created pathway. "Now we wait and see if it works,"

Captain Dave said, watching the current detector screen closely. They didn't have to wait long. Within minutes, they spotted a few sand dollars being gently lifted by the new current and carried along the protected pathway. "It's working!" Larry cheered, his claws clicking happily. Tabitha nodded approvingly.

"Now let's follow them and make sure they reach the cove safely." The Mellow Yellow followed alongside the traveling sand dollars, moving slowly so as not to disturb the gentle current. Captain Dave, Larry, and Tabitha watched with pride as the first group of sand dollars completed their journey back to the shallow waters of Miracle Beach Cove.

As the days passed, more and more sand dollars began using the special pathway between the deep valley and the shallow cove. Captain Dave and Larry visited regularly to check on their solution and make small adjustments to the Current Redirector. Word of their clever plan spread throughout Miracle Beach Provincial Park.

Soon families visiting the beach began to notice the return of the sand dollars to the cove. Park rangers came to see the site for themselves and were amazed by the natural highway Captain Dave had created. One sunny morning, about two weeks after their adventure began, Captain Dave and Larry were enjoying a picnic on the beach near their Sand Dollar Cove.

They had invited Tabitha and Harold to join them, and the four friends were sharing seaweed sandwiches and stories. "You know," said Harold the heron, stretching his long blue wings, "what you did here is a wonderful example of conservation." "Conservation?" asked Larry, tilting his head curiously. "What's that?"

Tabitha smiled her wise turtle smile. "Conservation is when people help protect nature and find ways for animals and plants to thrive even when things change in their environment." Captain Dave nodded thoughtfully. "Like how we didn't try to stop the new current completely or move all the sand dollars back to their original home."

"Exactly," Harold agreed. "You worked with nature instead of against it. You created balance." A small group of children had gathered nearby listening to their conversation with wide-eyed wonder. One little girl with pigtails and a yellow sunhat stepped forward shyly. "Can you tell us about the sand dollars?"

the little girl asked. "My mom says they disappeared, but now they're coming back." Soon, Captain Dave found himself surrounded by curious children. With help from Larry, Tabitha, and Harold, he explained the mystery of the missing sand dollars and how they had created a special pathway to help them travel safely between their two homes.

"The most important thing we learned," Captain Dave told the children, "is that sometimes change in nature isn't bad. It's just different. The sand dollars now have two wonderful homes instead of one." As the children listened, Captain Dave could see the spark of wonder and care for nature lighting up in their eyes.

He knew that these young explorers would grow up remembering the story of the sand dollars and perhaps become conservationists themselves someday. As the summer continued, Miracle Beach Provincial Park added a new educational sign near the Sand Dollar Cove. Harold the heron became the official Sand Dollar Highway monitor, keeping watch from his favorite rock and reporting any problems to Captain Dave. And Tabitha the turtle trained other sea turtles to help maintain the pathway, clearing away debris and making sure the redirected current was working properly.

One evening as the sun was setting over Miracle Beach, Captain Dave and Larry sat on the deck of the Mellow Yellow watching the golden light dance across the water. "You know, Larry," Captain Dave said, "when we first discovered the missing sand dollars, I thought we had a big problem to solve." Larry nodded, his antenna bobbing. "Me too.

I was so worried about them." "But it turned out that what seemed like a problem was actually an opportunity. An opportunity to create something new and better for the sand dollars and to help people learn about conservation." "And to make new friends like Harold and Tabitha," Larry added. Captain Dave smiled and patted his first mate on his shiny red shell.

"That's the best part of any adventure—the friends you make along the way." And so as the sun sank below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange, the Mellow Yellow submarine set off once more, inside where Captain Dave and Larry the Lobster, along with their new friends, all united in their mission to protect the ocean and all the wonderful creatures that call it home.

Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: When the night falls softly, and stars light up the sky, Captain Dave tucks his crew in with a gentle lullaby. Dreams of whales and mermaids, of treasures lush and green, Await each little sailor aboard the mellow submarine. 

The Meadowood Store Garden Centre: The Meadowood Store's Garden Center is jammed packed with starter plants and veggies, bag soils, manure, and fertilizers. Chris Berger says he won't be under-soiled. The folks at the Meadowood Store Garden Center will match sale prices from just about anywhere. Enjoy the relaxing drive to Meadowood, where the bargains are tariff-free and are big. Bigfoot big. The Meadowood General Store in Dashwood is the home of Bigfoot. It's a convenient spot for groceries, deli, propane, and lotto. Come in and have your picture taken with Bigfoot inside or outside the store at 1221 Meadowood Way in Dashwood.