The King Comes Up the Lake

Wayne and I were sitting on the deck of the Laughing Oyster Restaurant at Okeover Inlet on a warm summer day in 2001. At the table next to us we overheard people talking about a cabin on the lake. The conversation went something like this:

Guy in biker gear: Just got back from a friend's cabin.
Girl in short shorts and a shorter top: Oh?
Guy: Yea, had a great time.
Girl: Where's the cabin?
Guy: Not far from Elvis Point.

The conversation was intriguing. Maybe we should rent one of the small tin boats at the marina and take a look at this lake for ourselves. Well, if you've been reading my blog, you know that boat ride resulted in us finding the home of our dreams ... but back to the reason for this post, Elvis, better known as THE KING.

Powell Lake has acquired quite a few colourful place names: Hole in the Wall, Three Mile Bay, The Washout, Stump Creek and Elvis Point. The King came to Powell Lake because of local fan. He perched on the cliff behind her cabin to croon her to sleep with strains of Love Me Tender. But in the Winter of 2007, it was more like Heartbreak Hotel. Elvis "left the building" or more specifically the cliff for parts unknown. Even though he didn't grace the rocky wall with his presence any longer, his spirit lived on.

But lo and behold, when Wayne and I took a trip up the the Head in August, there was The King back on his cliff crooning to his beloved fan.

Now all is right with the world again. -- Margy

Shopping in Historic Fairhaven

Today I met my good friend Betty for a day of shopping (mostly window style) and camaraderie. Betty and I met through my blog. In fact, she is my most faithful reader! We discovered we lived in the same town, so decided to get together in real life. It has been great fun. If you want to meet Betty too, she is known as Mud Creek Mama here on Blogger.

One of our favourite places to meet is Historic Fairhaven. In 1889, the railroad was coming, and Fairhaven grew rapidly, hoping to become the west coast terminus. The railroad connection never worked out, so the new town turned to the sea and fishing for its economic base. In its heyday, Fairhaven was a bustling town of hotels, shops, saloons and brothels. Today, the brothels are gone, but the rich heritage of hotels, shops, restaurants and nightlife remains. And Fairhaven has achieved its original goal of becoming a tranportation center with its Alaska Ferry, Amtrak and bus terminal.

One stop in Fairhaven that we love to make is the Eclipse Bookstore at 1104 11th Street. The Eclipse Bookstore is amazing with its vast variety of books covering the two floors of the establishment. Because it's a used book store, the prices are also amazingly low. Today, I got three books by R.D. Lawrence, a renowned Canadian author.

To fortify ourselves before wandering the shelves, we stopped in at Avenue Bread at 1135 11th Street. Avenue Bread is across the street and within easy walking distance. In addition to their wonderful fresh breads (I chose the sourdough with rosemary - YUM), they have a small cafe. We could have chosen soup, salad or sandwiches to go with our coffee, but opted for some of the fresh baked treats. Betty had the ham and cheese croissant and I got the cinnamon twist (double YUM).

A trip to Fairhaven wouldn't be complete without a visit to Village Books at 1200 11th Street. They have mostly new books, but you will also find good used books among the collection. They even handle books on consignment. If you are looking for a place to purchase books from Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series you can find them at Village Books. They currently carry Up the Lake, Up the Strait, Up the Airway and Up the Winter Trail. Stop by and check them out while you are shopping in Historic Fairhaven. -- Margy

Baking Soil

No, not mud pies. I'm trying to use the power of the sun to help me rid the potting soil from my potato barrel of pests, primarily slug eggs and some small wriggling worms which probably were potato tuberworms. I don't remember seeing any slugs on my potato plants, but there are definitely eggs visible in the soil. The worms are no longer visible, but I'm sure there are eggs still waiting to hatch.

Solarization is the process of using the power of the sun to sterilize soil. It's best done during hot summer months, but at least one website stated that it is somewhat effective during cooler months. It's worth a try. In most cases, soil in garden beds is covered with plastic tarps for 4-6 weeks during summer heat, longer in fall and winter.

I removed the potting mix from the potato barrel and divided it into four plastic garbage bags. To speed things up, I picked out as many slug eggs as I could find. First, I left the bags open to partially dry the soil. Then, I sealed them to start the "baking" process. The soil in each bag was about four inches deep. Also, in a closed environment the heating potential is increased. This will be particularly important now that fall has arrived.

Yes, I probably should have discarded the soil to make sure my potatoes next year have the best possible chance, but it seemed so wasteful. Has anyone successfully removed pests from potting soil? I would love to hear your experiences. -- Margy

Fly High and Fast

Well, we weren't as high as airliners (35,000 and 45,000 feet above sea level), but we were up at 8500, high enough to get a good bird's eye view and stay out of the convection bumps. This morning's ATC (air traffic control) assistance came from a new source, the military. Because we were flying under instrument flight rules (IFR), Concord Tower immediately handed us off to Travis Approach.

Each section of airspace has only one controlling agency. In the vicinity of Travis Air Force Base, it's managed by base personnel. Civilian airplanes passing through are given the same service as military aircraft. We chose to fly IFR for practice, and because it's helpful to receive ATC assistance especially in congested airspace such at the Bay Area.

Wayne has an IFR and instructor rating, so I help with the flying. We've become a well tuned machine when it comes to cockpit management. I usually do the takeoffs, while Wayne handles the routes and radios. Once things settle down, our third "pilot" steps in. That's George, the autopilot. He takes over enroute, but we still have to tell him where to go and how high. Once in a while he tries some funny stuff, but we are always watching.

Today's flight took us up Victor 27 along the California and Oregon coast. Victor Airways are low level routes (below 18,000 feet) created by navigation aids such as NDBs (non-directional beacons) and VORs (VHF omnidirectional range). Instruments in the cockpit pick up the radio signals, allowing pilots to follow the airways from point to point. Airways are very important in IFR flight, but any pilot can use them for navigational purposes. Today, satellite technology and GPS are revolutionizing flight navigation.

We started early to get through the overland section of Victor 27 from Concord to Arcata, California. On hot days like today, rising hot air can make for a bumpy ride. But we made it through fine. We stopped after only two hours of flying at Arcata Airport, so we could reward ourselves with some breakfast at the Silver Lining Restaruant and to top off our tanks.

The next leg took us to Tillamook, Oregon, and a "small world" experience. Our good friends Ken and Sam from Gibsons BC were on a driving trip. We arranged a met-up at the Tillamook Airport. Tillamook is well known for their cheese factory and for aviation enthusiasts, the Air Museum with its many warbirds. There's even a camping area on the field if you are so inclined.

We'd planned to spend another night along the Oregon coast, but the possibility of a storm moving in tomorrow pushed us on to our home base in Bellingham, Washington. At Astoria, Oregon, we turn up the mighty Columbia River on the way to Olympia, over Whidbey Island and finally Bellingham International Airport. The total flight time from Los Angeles was 10 hours, but in two-hour legs it wasn't so bad, especially with the overnight break at Concord.

Thanks for the "flight following." I hope you enjoyed the trip. If you've never been up in a small airplane, I highly recommend it. Most airports have flight schools that offer introductory rides. Go take one, even if you aren't interested in learning to fly. It just might be the start of a whole new life. It was for me. I married my flight instructor. -- Margy

SoCal to NorCal in One Fell Swoop

If you've been following my blog, you know that I've been "down south" near Los Angeles working my former school district. I flew down on Alaska Airlines to make sure I got there on time, while Wayne followed a few days later in our Piper Arrow 997. Today, we started back north together.

We departed Cable Airport in Upland at 8:00 am, trying to beat the heat. The CableAir FBO is no longer in operation (a sign of tough times for general aviation), but it's still the "world's largest family-owned public use airport." From our shaded hangar space, our good friend David sent us on our way.

After departure, Wayne contacted SoCal Approach for flight following. If you aren't familiar, air traffic controllers provide pilots with assistance and guidance between airports. In Southern California, they go by the name SoCal. With flight following, the controllers helped us identify other planes in the crowded skies over LA.

We started with partial fuel because our Piper Arrow doesn't perform optimally in the density altitude that comes with hot weather. Gas equals more weight. So, our first destination was San Luis Obispo County Regional Airport (KSBP) to fill our tanks and tummies. After a beautiful flight over the farms of Ventura County, the city of Santa Barbara and the dunes of Pismo Beach, we landed. The new San Luis Jet Center took care of 997 while the Spirit of San Luis restaurant took care of us. It just happened to be Airport Appreciation Day, so we toured the planes and community resources on display.

Our second leg was from SBP to Concord in the Bay Area. Not long after departure, air traffic controllers from Los Angeles Center handed us off to Oakland Center. Often, we fly using instrument flight rules (IFR), but today was so clear we used visual flight rules (VFR). We followed the rugged coast past Hearst Castle, Big Sur and Monterey.

Just before entering airspace around San Francisco, we were handed off to NorCal, SoCal's northern cousin. The controllers made sure we didn't get in the way of the big guys taking off from SFO. The controller's electronic "eyes" (radar) are a big help to pilots. So are electronic gadgets like GPS and auto-pilots. "George" the auto-pilot and our GPS helped us identify Buchanan Field in the distance. Our final destination was the on-field Crown Plaza hotel (just over the wingtip), a very handy overnight stop with Internet access to pick up the USC vs. Washington State football game. Fight on! -- Margy

Free "Up the Airway" Aviation Podcasts

You've read about some of our flying adventures here on the blog. Our Piper Arrow 997 has taken us from Cancun to the Arctic and the Pacific to the Atlantic, but flying in Canada has always been our favourite.

Up the Airway, the fifth book the Coastal BC Stories series, will give the pilot and adventurer at heart a bird's eye view of some of the most beautiful country in the world.

Want a preview? There are free audio chapters available from Powell River Books. Click on the Podcast Index and you can chose from iTunes, podcasts, RSS feeds or direct downloads. Enjoy! It's all free!!

If you fly a small airplane, you know that things don't always go as planned. The chapter "Unexpected Destinations" is about several flights that took us to places like Anglemont with a runway that goes right up the side of a hill or Lutselk'e on the shores of Great Slave Lake.

We flew to "Bella Bella" for an overnight camping adventure including a tour of the village and Campbell Island. If you want to learn about a new place, take a taxi. The drivers have a lot of local knowledge and are happy to share the wealth.

Come fly with us "up the airway" to unique destinations. Come to www.PowellRiverBooks.com for book ordering information. -- Margy

Moonlight Madness

This week, I've been in Los Angeles doing some work for my former school district. Each evening, I look up at the moon and think about its recent passage over my home up the lake.

But I'll be back soon enough, and well before it's gone through a complete cycle. -- Margy

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Powell River this Fall

It's fall and here are 10 reasons you should make Powell River, BC your fall travel destination.

10. An exciting ferry ride to get here. No matter what time of year, the ride on BC Ferries to Powell River in an E-ticket ride. You can easily turn your visit into a Circle Route vacation. Check out the Experience Card for extra savings. The maples are turning and snow is starting to cap the towering peaks. Sit back, relax and take in the view.

9. Locals know. Talk to some locals on your ferry ride. They'll gladly share some of the history and highlights of our unique region. Stop at the Tourism Powell River Visitor Centre in the Crossroads Village Shopping Centre next to Quality Foods on Mondays through Fridays 9:00-5:00. Pick up a free Powell River Living magazine or Powell River PEAK to see what's happening around town.

8. Cozy retreats and homey B&Bs. Up and down the Sunshine Coast you will find signs directing you to great out-of-the-way places to stay. South of Powell River look for Kent's Beach or Garnet Rock if you have an RV. Pull off at the seaside Suncatcher B&B or the Oceanside Resort and Cabins, or immerse yourself in history at the Townsite's Old Courthouse Inn. If you are headed north of town to Okeover Inlet, stay in your own cabin in the woods at the Desolation Sound Resort and grab one of their fall specials.

7. Romantic restaurants. Powell River is well known for its many excellent restaurants. The atmosphere may be casual, but the settings are romantic and food is excellent. The Laughing Oyster on Okeover Inlet is well worth the drive. Make reservations for a sunset dinner at the Eagles Landing Bistro or the Savoury Bight. And there's nothing better than a table at the Shinglemill Pub ovelooking spectacular Powell Lake.

6. Writers and artists abound. You will find lots of talent in Powell River. Read all about us in books like Desolation Sound by Heather Harbord, Hulks: The Breakwater Ships of Powell River by John A. Campbell, or Coastal BC Stories by Wayne J. Lutz. Come join us at the Fall Writer's Conference with guest speaker Sylvia Taylor on October 17.

5. The Historic Townsite. Powell River was founded as a mill town for the Powell River Paper Company. The homes are now privately owned and the Townsite was designated a National Historic District by Parks and Monuments Canada in 1995. Discover Powell River's history at the Museum near Willingdon Beach and stop by the Tourism Powell River Visitor Centre for a walking tour guide of the old homes and other historic buildings.

4. Events and Festivals. There's lots to do around here in the fall. Check out the community calendar at PowelRiverDirect.com. The Fall Fair is September 26-27 at the fairgrounds. Catch wonderful art films at the historic Patricia Theatre in October and the Festival of Trees in December. Watch Around Town in the PEAK for opening and special event dates.

3. Lots of year-round outdoor activities. Whether your favourite activity is boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, ATVing, winter sports, kayaking or just relaxing, Powell River has it all. Popular Desolation Sound anchorages and forest campgrounds are almost empty for the hardy outdoor enthusiast. But be careful, you might come for a weekend, but stay for a lifetime like we have.

2. Golden sunsets and hillsides. The maple trees in are turning and the hillsides have golden mantles. They are only outdone by the magnificent fall sunsets. Powell River is built along the waterfront with sweeping views of the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island. The Seawalk is a great place to take in the view. Maybe you'll run into Wendy taking some of her excellent photographs.

1. Heading up the lake. Powell Lake is my home. Wayne and I live up the lake in all seasons, but fall is one of our favourites. You can rent a float cabin like this one to experience life on the lake for yourself. You can also read about off the grid living on Powell Lake in Up the Lake and Farther Up the Lake available at www.PowellRiverBooks.com.

Need more reasons to come? Visit Tourism Powell River. -- Margy

Where Did Fall Go?

This sign appeared at the Shinglemill gas dock on September 8, the day after Labour Day.

Where did fall go? Actually, Labour Day heralds the "end of summer" for most tourists here in Coastal BC. That also means it's a great time to come and visit. The anchorages and campgrounds are almost empty, the resorts have great deals and the weather is still pleasant. So, put on your "winter" clothes and head on up north for a great fall travel experience in Powell River, BC. -- Margy

Riding the Mains

Logging companies have built roads throughout the Powell River back country. The larger roads are called mains. We drove south of town to take a ride on the Lois Lake Main. This well maintained dirt road is posted for logging activity 24/7, but typically work is limited on weekends. Even though our ride was on a Saturday, we took extra care to keep an eye out for possible traffic.

Not only did we not see a logging truck in four hours, we didn't see another person or vehicle. A beautiful summer day and we had everything all to ourselves. Lois Lake Main Branch 1 is well marked with yellow mileage signs. We parked our truck and quad trailer close to kilometre 1. Heading up the main, we got peak-a-boo views of Lois Lake through the trees. Just like Powell Lake, it's low after a long, hot summer.

Just after we passed the head of Lois Lake, we headed southbound up the river valley. This is the same path that the new Plutonic Power hydro lines are following. At one point, an extremely long uninterrupted span rises to a mountain pass and disappears beyond. Laying that line (most likely by helicopter) must have been an experience. Along the way, we stopped at Scanlon Creek for a rest in the shade by the rushing water. What a refreshing find on a warm day. It starts at Brooks Lake, our destination for today. They are named for Dwight Brooks and Michael J. Scanlon. Their logging company came to Powell River in the early 1900's and was instrumental in the early days of the paper mill.

At the head of the river valley we popped over the ridge and were greeted with a broad view of the chuck (ocean). It always amazes me how close things are in the back country. The normal way to get to this point is by driving to Saltery Bay and taking the ferry to Earl's Cove. And here we are, only about an hour from our ride's starting point. Looking south you can see the opening to Jervis Inlet, one of the massive glacial carved fjords along our coast.

We left the main to go up an old logging road to Brooks Lake. The first part of the road was a rutted two lane trail through second growth forest. After we passed the new hydro lines, it narrowed even more. At a particularly steep hill I stopped and let Wayne go ahead to the lake. He wasn't able to get there either due to a large tree blown across the trail. We decided to retrace our steps to the truck to make it back to town early. You see, there was a USC vs. Ohio State University football game on TV. Goes to show, you can take the city out of the man, but he will still "fight on!"

I leave you with the soothing sounds of Scanlon Creek. Enjoy! -- Margy

Float Cabin Raising

Yesterday, Wayne and I helped our good friend John "raise" his new float cabin. John's been working for over a year in preparation for this day. First he had to find a logging company willing to sell him the large cedar logs he needed to build his floating foundation. That was no easy task. Once he had the logs, they had to be lashed together. That process was almost like sewing the logs together, only using 3/4" steel cables rather than thread.

Next, John had to build a raised deck and floor foundation on top of the float logs. Short walls (pony walls) constructed of 2X4's raised the decking and cabin flooring well above the floating logs. A small space between the floor boards and decking allows for drainage. It also allows for the replacement of deck boards, if needed, in the future without disturbing the cabin's foundation.

Then on the completed deck, John framed the four cabin walls. His dad, Ed, helped with architectural designs for the cabin. Using the printed diagrams, John cut and nailed the 2X4 wall frames to match. Today, it all came together. The following video will take you through the amazing process of cabin raising. For "cityfolk" like Wayne and I, it was amazing to watch and "help."



John, you are amazing. And Ed, your hard work on the design has come into being. What a team! -- Margy

Too Many Tiny Tomatoes

This year I grew tomatoes in pots. I have one Roma and two cherry tomatoes. Early in the season, there were just enough for salads and grilling. When they come in faster, I froze some for winter soups. Then all of a sudden, my cherry tomatoes turned ripe overnight. What was I to do with too many tiny tomatoes?

They aren’t the best variety to can, but I did. I washed, cut and put then into a big pot to cook over low heat. With larger tomatoes, you dip them in boiling water and skin them before stewing. Not so easy with the little guys. I used a wire whisk to mash them and release their skins as they cooked. When they were soft, I poured them into a strainer over large bowl. I used the wire whisk to force the pulp through the fairly large holes. Then I used a spoon my fingers to pick out as many of the small skins as possible. They curl, making them easy to spot and pick out. Yes, it was tedious but worth it.

I returned the juice and pulp to the large cooking and followed the recipe from the Farm Journal’s Freezing and Canning Cookbook for Meatless Spaghetti Sauce (page 244).

Meatless Spaghetti Sauce
(makes 3 pints)

16 pounds ripe tomatoes
1 cup chopped onion
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon canning, pickling salt (don’t used iodized)
¼ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground bay leaves
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon basil leaves
1 teaspoon oregano leaves
½ teaspoon parsley flakes
2 tablespoons brown sugar

I didn’t have enough tomatoes so I cut my recipe in half. I like chunky spaghetti sauce, so I peeled and diced four of my Roma tomatoes to add to the stewed mixture. I cooked the onions in the oil until translucent and added them to the mixture, followed by the remaining ingredients. It was too sweet for my taste. Next time I’ll reduce or eliminate the brown sugar. I also added a small green pepper and extra herbs to taste. Everything simmered with occasional stirring for one and a half hours until thickened.

In the meantime, I boiled the water in my canning pot and immersed the jars and lids to sterilize them. I poured the sauce into hot half pint jars (a better serving size for us) to ¼” of the rim. I wiped the rims clean, placed snap lids on top and screwed the rings on to finger tight. The jars were then processed in a boiling water bath for 20 minutes.

This is the first year I’ve tried canning. Margaret, a fellow blogger in Powell River, has inspired me to try. Take a look at her site Thistle Garden to sample some of the tasty things she has put up from her amazing garden. -- Margy