Low Tide, Clouds and Sun on Bellingham Bay

This week low tide, low clouds and sunset have been coming all together. Last weekend I hurried down to the small park on Marine Drive to get some "rare" sunset shots.

This park near the intersection of Marine Drive and Alderwood Avenue. It 's a popular spot to read, relax, catch the nearby trail for shoreline walks ...

... and of course, watch sunsets. -- Margy

Stovepipe Before and After

Wayne's been busy. One of his recent projects was to finish wood stove refinishing. In October, he did the surface with Tremclad High Heat Enamel that resists heat up to 650°C (1200°F). It's thick and covers well. Brush strokes smooth out during the drying process for a smooth finish. There was plenty of paint left to do the the stove chimney pipe all the way to its exit on the cabin wall.









As you can see, the stovepipe was in need of some major TLC. After Wayne finished painting it, he still had enough left in the can to give the stove surface a second coat. Even with daily fires since October (almost 24/7), there have been no cracks or peeling. Tremclad seems to be the perfect product for the job.

Now it almost looks like we have a brand new stove for an investment of about $10.00. Well, that and a little work on Wayne's part. - Margy

A Slice of Life

Through the trees up on the hill, you get a slice of Hole in the Wall and our log boom with its floating stump collection.

The boom protects our float cabin from storm driven wind waves, and floating wood debris. You can read more about our life in a floating cabin by clicking here. -- Margy

Seaside City

The Powell River region was first inhabited by members of the Sliammon First Nation. It had everything they needed for a good life: a freshwater lake and river, surrounding forest for food and building materials, the ocean for food and transportation, and warm summers and mild winters.

By the 1880's, loggers were drawn to the pristine forests to harvest the massive old growth trees. Word got out about the wonderful natural resources. In the early 1900's, the remote site was transformed almost overnight into a pulp mill with its own company town. In 1912, the first roll of paper came off the machines and mill workers were living in brand new homes in what is now called the Historic Townsite.

By the 1930's, it was the largest paper mill in the world. Homes for the large workforce and supporting businesses spread to the communities of Wildwood, Cranberry, and Westview.

Today, seen from Malaspina Strait, Powell River rises from the sea, surrounded by mountains and forests just begging to be explored. -- Margy

Get Coastal BC Stories for Kindle or E-book Reader

Do you have a Kindle
or E-reader?

PowellRiverBooks has just what you need and want at a price you can't beat. Take a look inside these exciting books in Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series. Each book focuses on a special aspect of life where mountains drop into the sea and people have a different sense of purpose.

Up the Lake with stories about hiking, boating, flying and survival off the grid in a floating cabin on Powell Lake. This was the first book in the series and has a variety of stories about the Powell River region. Kindle Introductory Offer for $.99 or E-book for $1.99

Up the Main focuses on getting into the backcountry by bike, quad and hiking. Come ride along with on a quad to places like Theodosia Inlet, the head of Powell Lake and on logging roads near and far. Kindle for $5.99 or E-book for $1.99

Up the Winter Trail takes the reader snowshoeing, hiking and biking during the winter months. This would be a good book if you are planning on coming to Vancouver or Coastal BC for winter sports. Kindle for $5.99.

Up the Strait cruises the Strait of Georgia to uncrowded and pristine anchorages. Follow our 24' Bayliner Halcyon Days into Desolation Sound, to unique Mittlenatch Island and the Gulf Islands. Kindle for $5.99 or E-book for $3.99

Up the Airway wings you across Canada to show off our beautiful country from up above. Fly along with us in our Piper Arrow, land to camp at remote strips with gorgeous scenery, and meet unique animals like the muskox. Kindle for $3.99 or E-book for $3.99

Farther Up the Lake follows in the footsteps of Wayne's most popular book, Up the Lake. Read about living off the grid in a float cabin, the beauties of Powell Lake and the many different ways you can enjoy the backcountry. Kindle for $3.99 or E-book for $1.99

Farther Up the Main takes you beyond the original Up the Main to explore the glaciers of Mt. Alfred, the remote Theodosia wilderness, a logging road ride to our cabin, and on an impromptu overnight stay waiting for a summer swollen stream to subside. Kindle for $3.99 or E-book for $1.99

Farther Up the Strait is the newest book in the series. Visit more remote inlets and anchorages in Desolation Sound and beyond. Did you ever want to put a new engine in your boat? Follow along as our Halcyon Days gets a new lease on life and energy boost. Kindle for $3.99 or E-book for $1.99

All books are available in Kindle and print formats through Amazon. Other e-book readers can find the books available online through Smashwords. Or, you can check online at Kobo, Sony, Apple, and Barnes & Noble.

For more information, go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com. Happy e-reading! -- Margy

Sunrise, Sunset

On the shortest day of the year, the sun cooperated and we were able to get an accurate measure of sunrise and sunset at the cabin.

Standing on our porch looking due south, this is what we saw. The sun rose above the ridge and treetops at 9:45 a.m, and it promptly set behind the trees surrounding our neighbour John's bay at 11:43 a.m.

That's a little less than two hours of direct sunlight, if it's not a cloudy or stormy day.

That doesn't make our solar system work very well. No wonder our poor batteries are struggling. When we first got our cabin, we had four hours of sunlight in winter. But the trees have grown taller in the last ten years. Good thing we have a little wind and thermoelectric power. Even so, our backup generator has to help us out. -- Margy

Rebecca Rock

Living in Powell River we have both fresh water (Powell Lake) and salt water (Strait of Georgia) at our doorstep. That makes it a perfect place for boating, kayaking, fishing, scuba diving, skiing, and all kinds of water sports.

When I stay at the condo in town, I look straight across the strait to Vancouver Island. I can see the beacon on Rebecca Rock blinking to warn mariners of the extensive underwater (and above) dangers.

Even BC Ferries give these rocks a wide berth. -- Margy

Freezing Nights

Official winter is almost here, but freezing nights can't seen to wait. Most of my garden plants are annuals, so I don't worry about saving them. But there were two that I felt needed a try this year.

First was my rhubarb root. It's in a medium sized pot on the transition float and I worry about it not having enough soil for protection. The other was my beautiful geraniums in the repurposed BBQ planter. I enjoyed them so much this year I thought maybe they could survive with a little help.

I used the same method for both. First, I hired the local wood rat to trim everything back (just kidding, she did it on her own.) I didn't have any mulch handy, so I used crumpled newspaper to give the surface of the soil an uneven cover, hopefully creating air pockets to keep the surface, roots, and stems from freezing.

I then covered the paper with soil to keep it in place. We get some pretty strong winds this time of year. If it works, great. I will have a head start on flowers next spring. If not, I can start all over again. The nursery always has lots of geraniums even in early spring. -- Margy

Inexpensive Bathroom Shelf

When John was remodeling for us, he moved our bathtub from the storage room to the new bathroom. One challenge he encountered was the tub's direction. In the storage room, it was a left hand installation. Now it needed to go right, leaving the tub's end open and quite ugly.

Rather than adding a panel to close the hole, he built a simple storage shelf. John had a leftover 1 by 12 of finished pine. A few cuts, screws, and the tub now has an attractive, and functional closure. The natural wood matched the window frames, but I wanted a bit more colour in the room.









After a coat of wood primer, I used Krylon Indoor/Outdoor Gloss spray paint. Our transition float was a safe place for spraying. Now my inexpensive bathroom shelf is the spot of colour I was looking for, and a match for my redone Economy Shop bargain end table. For about $10 for primer and paint for the shelf, I have some really colourful and inexpensive bathroom storage. -- Margy

The Ugly Duckling

On a recent trip to Steveston, BC, I strolled along the docks to look at the fishing boats. Nearby there was a raucous group of birds begging for food. Among the many seagulls there was one large bird.

I didn't know what kind of bird it was, so I did some research online. I now believe it is a juvenile Mute Swan.

His colouring helps him blend in with the neighbourhood gulls, but his size, shape and aggressive nature gives him away. Can you help with my identification?

Thanks for visiting my Camera Critters post this week. For more great animal pictures click here. -- Margy

Red Sky in the Morning

You've hear the old mariner's saying:

Red sky in the morning, sailor's warning.
Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

It may be a sign that a storm is on the way, but the sight is still a delight. I woke up at dawn and watched this gorgeous display right out my bedroom window last Monday.

Looks like the mariners in the harbour below have a little time to go out to Harwood Island for a bit of salmon fishing before the storm. It doesn't get much better than this. -- Margy

Kitchen Magician

John is like a magician at everything he does. I let him know what I need and he makes it happen like magic. Our kitchen storage counter and shelf are two examples. As a part of our kitchen remodel we decided to get rid of our dining table (which we never used for eating) and replace it with a storage unit (which is what we really needed).

I drew a design with the dimensions and gave it to John. A week later, Wayne and I picked it up at John's house. Under our new outdoor porch out of the rain, we got it painted with two coats of semi-gloss white to protect the surface and to blend into our existing kitchen colour scheme. The wide open area on the side was designed to stack cases of pop and other large items.

The long floating shelf under the window holds our electronic devices including cell phones and satellite radio. The tall, deep shelves hold my large canning and water heating pots. I calculated the distance between the counter top and floating shelf to hold my cookbooks. And of course, it wouldn't be our kitchen without a telescope would it? Thanks John. You've worked your magic again! -- Margy

Magpie's Diner Open for Dinner

I've written before about my friend Margaret's diner in Powell River. Two years ago, she and her husband Art opened Magpie's as a small cafe in Westview serving breakfast and lunch. Last summer, they had the opportunity to move to the historic Rodmay Hotel in Townsite. It was a great opportunity for Magpie's and its customers.

With a larger location, it was possible to expand in lots of ways. First, there's more space including an original counter and wooden stools from the turn of the century, several booths, and a cozy dining room. Second, Margaret and Art have help both in the kitchen and serving. Even so, most times of the day, and now night, you'll find one of them hard at work out front or in the kitchen.

With extra space, help, and a larger kitchen, Margaret and Art are now open every day of the week for breakfast, lunch, and now dinner. There's also a new menu that still includes all day breakfast (with incredible Bennies - try the crab cake version), sandwiches, salads, appies, and dinner items. Follow the link above to check it out.

I had the lasagne that is made from scratch, including the noodles. I understand it is such a hit that it sells out quickly. I can understand why. Can't you just taste it? They are now licensed for beer and wine to accompany your dinner selection. Double yum!

You can find my friend Margaret in the following ways:

Blog: Tales from the Rodmay Hotel
Website: Magpie's Diner
Linkin: Margaret Thistle
Facebook: Magpie's Diner Group

And of course, down at Magpie's. Stop by for a great meal and tell her a friend sent you. -- Margy

The Hulks at Work

Sunday was sunny, and the winds were gentle out of the northwest, a perfect day to take our new boat out for a spin on the Strait of Georgia. Living just above the harbour makes it easy. We walked down to the dock and off we went. We first headed out to Rebecca Rocks, but outside of the protection of Harwood Island, the swells got larger, so we decided to head over to the Hulks to see if there were any Steller sea lions at the breakwater.

You can read more about the Hulks that make up the Catalyst paper mill's breakwater here. Inside their protective circle, the mill can dock their incoming barges of pulp and outgoing loads of paper.


Today there were no sea lions. Maybe they were out foraging for food in the rich waters surrounding the Hulks. It's a known salmon fishing spot. We headed back to the North Harbour and the gentle northwest wind helped push us right into the dock. From our dock finger we can look up and see our condo on shore. What a wonderful town. Why don't you come visit Powell River? You may never want to leave. -- Margy