Now Available Online - Up the Lake

A Great Book
for the Outdoor Enthusiast

Up the Lake

Coastal BC Stories

Head up Powell Lake to experience life in an off the grid float cabin, take a boat to world famous Desolation Sound, ride a quad into the back country and fly overhead for a unique view of this incredible place. Read Up the Lake by Wayne Lutz and see how much fun it can be.

Go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com for ordering information.

Heading Up the Lake

Today we heading up to our float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal BC. And we have two special visitors going with us this time, my 93-year young mother and her (our) cat Stick Tail. They love to visit in the warm summer months. Mom sits on the deck in the warm sun and shade, and Stick gets to safely explore under the float. That's quite an experience for an indoor only cat. But we've learned to barricade the routes to shore. We don't want another experience like the day of the "Mountain Cat."

My veggies are growing like crazy. My lettuce is almost out of control, my potatoes in a barrel should be ready to harvest soon, and my new bareroot strawberry plants are on their second crop already. An then there is the zucchini and Chinese peas that are almost coming out of our ears. It will be good to have another mouth to help us eat all of our "free" produce.

We'll be up the lake for several days. Want to know more about float cabin living? Take a look at Up the Lake or Farther Up the Lake. Got a Kindle? Get Up the Lake for only 99 cents. -- Margy

Blue Skies and White Feathers

When we were at the Discovery Harbour Marina in Campbell River BC this week, the resident seagulls loved to perch on a nearby piling.

Even though the sky was blue out over Discovery Passage, there were a few clouds inland over Vancouver Island. That was OK. It gave us a colourful sunset at the end of a nice day on the salt chuck (ocean).

Today is Sky Watch Friday. Go to the Sky Watch Friday website and you'll see sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park

After leaving our friends in Campbell River, we decided to stay out one more night in Halcyon Days. This time we wanted a place to anchor. We left Campbell River and cruised around the bottom of Quadra Island to the Rebecca Spit Marine Provincial Park. Along the way we did a bit of trolling for salmon, but from the looks of the boats out on the reef, we were in the wrong place.

Rebecca Spit is a very popular park with boaters and non-boaters alike. You can drive into the park for picnics and hiking along the beach. You can kayak across the protected bay (check with the Taku Resort for rentals) or take a dinghy ashore. No matter how you get there, it's a beautiful, restful spot.

The long spit divides protected Drew Harbour from the outer waters of the strait. It provide a protected anchorage with good holding in most weather. Driftwood piles up on the sloping beach and is often relaunched at high-high tides. One night I remember waking to something bumping along the side of the boat. When I went out I saw a parade of driftwood passing by.

Nearby Heriot Bay Inn and Marina offers fuel and moorage. It is also a good place to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner if you don't want to cook aboard. If you need provisions for your cruise, the Island Market is within walking distance from the marina dock. Short term parking is available if needed for meals or shopping. Moorage is also available at the Taku Resort.

Wayne and I spent the day just enjoying the sunshine and reading. Just what the "doctor" ordered. -- drmargy

Cruisin' to Campbell River

Our good friends Ken and Sam have been out on the water for three weeks now. We got in Halcyon Days at the Lund Public Dock and headed over to Campbell River to meet them as they are making their way south to Gibsons. Wayne and I have been to Campbell River before, but only to get fuel and shop at the nearby Real Canadian Superstore (Walmart on steroids).

The cruise across the Strait of Georgia was smooth and the sun was shining. You can't ask for more than that. Along the way we saw lots of boats out fishing for salmon. Campbell River is we got a slip at the Discovery Harbour Marina to visit with them and take in a bit of the town.

For the boater and non-boater alike, the Discovery Harbour Marina has lots to offer. For boaters, it is a full service marina offering moorage for 300 boats from 16 to 150 feet at daily, monthly, 6-months and annual rates. There's electricity (metered), water, washrooms with showers, laundry and trash disposal included. The adjacent Discovery Harbour Centre with lots of stores for provisioning and restaurants is a huge plus. There's even a funky restaurant, Patti Finn's, right on the dock. Other services at the marina include lots of boat adventure and fishing tour operators. After all, Campbell River is the "salmon fishing capitol of the world."

Eagle Eye Adventures
Hurricane Jack Adventures
Mid Island Cruiser Boat Rentals
Way West Coastal Adventures
Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventures
Coastal Island Fishing Adventures

Cruise on over to Campbell River on Vancouver Island in Coastal BC in your boat, car or by airline. Then "discover" a marina with a little something for everyone. -- Margy

Now Available Online - Up the Strait

A Great Book
for the Boating Enthusiast

Up the Strait

Coastal BC Stories

Jump in the boat and head up the Strait of Georgia to magnificent anchorages and exciting adventures. Drop your hook in world famous Desolation Sound, discover hidden coves and meet some of the locals. Read Up the Strait by Wayne Lutz and then join us for the cruise of a lifetime. You may never want to leave.

Go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com for ordering information.

Texada Aerospace Camp a Huge Success

Thanks to the vision and hard work of Doby and Bob of Texada Island, with a host of volunteers, the First Annual Aerospace Camp was a huge success. It was a pleasure for Wayne and I to be involved in a small way. Wayne gave a class on aviation navigation, instruments and careers for the 25 youths aged 10-18.

Other activities included testing model aircraft in a wind tunnel, kite construction, rocketry, planetarium, and a visit to the airport to meet pilots and see their aircraft.










The goal was to inspire the next generation of pilots, aviation technicians and astronauts.










A ceremony in the gymnasium of the Texada Island School included speakers from the military, women in aviation, education and the lead pilot from the Fraser Blues.










Every time we go to Texada, Wayne and I are so impressed with their sense of community and support for island activities. That showed in the number of people who came out for the Star Party we held at the airport on Saturday night. We thank everyone for their patience in waiting for the dark sky. The night's best included the ring nebula, jupiter and the moon. And thanks to a participant, we even got a great view of the Space Station passing overhead.

The weekend culminated with the Annual Airport Fly-in. Lots of locals and Powell Riverites attended the pancake breakfast, BBQ lunch and aircraft displays. The highlight of the day was a flight by the Fraser Blues Demonstration Flight Team. Thanks again Doby and Bob and all the volunteers. It was a great celebration of aviation at its best. See you next year! - Margy

Barn Swallow Update

Wayne and I were so sad to see all five of the Barn Swallow chicks at our float cabin not make it. We thought maybe some of the first chicks to disappear were pushed out of the nest by their siblings (siblicide). But now we aren't so sure about that. The survival rate for barn swallows is quite good. The hatching success rate is 90% and the fledging survival rate is 70–90%.

The parents are very protective of their young. Both the male and female participate in nest building, incubation of the eggs and feeding the chicks. The day we returned to the cabin, I noticed one of the birds cleaning the nest. I hope it was the female getting ready to lay a second batch of eggs. To help any babies that fall might out of the nest, we've put some padding on the roof. It's worth a try.

When our pair of Barn Swallows aren't busy catching insects and raising babies, they like to sit on our swim ladder preening and singing to each other.

Hopefully their second brood of the season will end on a happier note. -- Margy

And Then There Were None

Last year a pair of Barn Swallows built a nest under the peak of our roof. Last year's nest was reoccupied this year. They say nesting pairs often return to the old nest, so maybe these are the same birds. Pairs typically are monogamous and the male is very protective of the female, fighting off any other male interlopers.

I know Barn Swallows build mud nests in some locations, but here it is a mixture of mud and grass. They pick the most precarious spots. The one under our roof has no support other than a 1/2 inch ledge of wood near the eves. Somehow they are able to concoct a substance sticky enough to hold everything up straw by straw. I've been watching our nest with binoculars and recording the developments on film.

On June 30 (the 1st shot), there were five chicks in the nest. Then on July 2 (the 2nd shot), there were only four. On July 4 (the third shot), the number had dropped, this time to three. One of the three was definitely smaller than the other two. Then on July 5 (the 4th shot), we were sitting on the front porch. We heard a loud thud on the tin roof. Wayne went up the ladder and found a chick below the nest. Further inspection led to the discovery of two additional dead chicks in the gutter.

We weren't sure what was happening. Was it sibling rivalry or were the chicks just getting too big and falling off the edge? After all, it's pretty precarious up there. It made us sad and a bit afraid that the mother bird might abandon the last two, but so far so good. Some web research indicates that barn swallows may lay their eggs asynchronously (over time) and start incubating the first eggs before the last are laid. This can result in larger siblings who are more aggressive and kill their "younger" and smaller siblings (siblicide). Not a very pleasant thought.

And that's not the end of the story. We returned to the cabin after a day in town. There were no chicks left in the next. We don't know what could have happened. Maybe the metal roof just was too unforgiving for their first flight.

Have you had any experiences like these? I'm curious what might have happened in the end. -- Margy

Star Gazing at the Texada Island Fly-in

This week there was a full moon gracing the skies over Hole in the Wall here in Coastal BC.

After a full week of sunshine, high wispy clouds moved in, a precursor to an arriving warm front. We love sunny skies here on the Sunshine Coast, but we do need the occasional rain to keep our forests so green. But now it is back to sunny days and starry nights. And that's a good thing.

Powell River Books will be hosting a Star Party at the Texada Island Airport Fly-in on Saturday, July 11, at 10:00 pm. Wayne (with a little help from me) will set up two telescopes in the airplane camping area. The goal is to introduce people to astronomy and the availability of affordable telescopes. The Star Party is part of our contribution for the International Year of Astronomy and to encourage everyone to look to the skies.

Wayne is an enthusiastic amateur astronomer. He has three telescopes, a Meade ETX125 (125 millimeter) Maksutov-Cassegrain, a Meade LX90 8-inch Schmidt-Cassegrain, and a Edmond Astroscan (for fun). For newbie amateurs astronomers, here are a few of his recommendations:

• 7 X 50 mm binoculars with magnification no higher than 7 ($100)
  
• a planisphere chart to identify celestial objects (about $20)
  
• Nightwatch by Dickinson, Schaller, Costanzo and Cooke ($40)
  
• Star Watch by Harrington (about $20)
  
• Sky & Telescope or Astronomy magazine
• FirstScope telescope by Celestron (about $60)
  
• ETX-90PE telescope by Meade (about $600)

Thanks to everyone on Texada Island who came out for the Star Party in the airport camping area. We hope you enjoyed your evening. Look for us again next year at the annual fly-in. -- Wayne and Margy