Summer 2023 Update

It's amazing how fast Summer 2023 is flying by. We're back to our regular summer schedule here at our float cabin on Powell Lake. We arrived mid-May and plan to depart in mid-October. That gives us enough time to prepare for our winter Snowbird trip to Tucson, Arizona.

I've been remiss in writing blog posts regularly, so here is a recap of summer highlights to bring you up to date.

May

Getting home is always exciting. The days were sunny but cool and mornings called for a fire in the woodstove to take the chill off.

Spring flowers that reseeded themselves including Poppies and Penstemons gave us a riot of colour to enjoy.

June

By June we settled into a routine. Each morning we had coffee on the porch to watch the sun rise over Goat Island backlighting tall trees.

Weekly town trips included stops at the condo to check mail, shopping for groceries and a few special events like the "Paint and Sip" party led by local artist Ursala Medley at the historic Old Courthouse Inn.

July 

July brought warm weather to enjoy outdoors. Summer concerts at Willingdon Beach included the PRISMA music academy and a fund raiser for River City Kids.

Our Xplore satellite internet went out in May. It took until July to get a repairman up the lake. We are happy Lee is now available locally for future needs.

I harvested my red currants to make a small batch of jelly.

 Up the Lake by Wayne Lutz

 If you are interested in learning more about float cabin living, use the category list on the right to select topics of interest. Wayne's first book in the Coastal BC Stories series titled Up the Lake tells about how we discovered our float cabin home and introduces you to the region where we live. It's a great destination in all seasons.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment below. -- Margy

Float Cabin Living: Getting Started

Arrow 997 over Powell River Airport.

If you've been following my blog, you know that our home is a float cabin on Powell Lake in Coastal British Columbia.

We discovered Powell Lake and float cabins during our 2001 summer flying and camping vacation in our Piper Arrow 997.

First night at the float cabin.

Powell River had an immediate attraction for us including the opportunity for a wide variety of outdoor adventures, beautiful forest and seaside locales, a small town atmosphere, and expansive Powell Lake with its unique float cabins.

The tin boat.

We rented a 14' aluminum boat (a tin boat to us) and explored Powell Lake. After discovering float cabins, we contacted a local realtor, Harry Zroback. A long time cabin owner himself, he gave us directions to two cabins currently available.

First day inside the cabin's great room.

The first was old and cluttered. Float cabins traditionally come with everything included. The second was newer, built in 1998. It came with just the basics. That was perfect for us because the cabin would be a vacation home until we could retire from our jobs in Los Angeles.

In the summer of 2005 (we were both educators), the float cabin became our primary residence. A small condo in town provides a place for mail, washing clothes, an occasional shower and a place to stay overnight when we have late evening activities in town. 

Our float cabin home in 2022.

Since 2001 we've upgraded our float cabin to better match our lifestyle. Some of the major changes include (follow the links for more information):

• Solar power and battery banks.
• Wind power.
• Anchor cable repairs and shock absorbers.
• Chimney cap to prevent smoke blowback.
• Additional docks for boats and outdoor living.
• A floating garden with raised beds.
• A floating woodshed.
• A repurposed boat to become a writer's retreat.
• A bathroom addition with a compost toilet.
• Updated kitchen appliances.
• Enhanced insulation and pine paneling.
• Plastic barrels for extra flotation.
• Extra anchors and logs for our protective booms.

You can read more about float cabin living by selecting Float Cabin Living and Float Cabin Construction in the topic list on the right side of this page.

You can also read about our off-the-grid lifestyle in Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series books including Up the Lake, Farther Up the Lake, Off the Grid and Off the Grid: Getting Started. All books are available in print and e-book formats from most online book sellers. -- Margy

Hop on over to the Simple Life Mom and see some great ideas for homesteading and simple living.

And Sunday Sunshine Blog Hop at Ridge Haven Homestead.

Also shared with Tuesdays with a Twist at Stone Cottage Adventures.

Returning to a New Normal

First time heading up Powell Lake in July.

Like for many of you, the last year and a half has not been normal. In the beginning, I tried to blog about throwback topics. But without the ability to get home to our float cabin on Powell Lake, the joy of blogging was lost. 

I even lost interest in reading blogs and making comments. You would think with time on my hands, blogging would be a welcome diversion, but that didn't turn out to be the case.

Our float cabin finally comes into view, homecoming is sweet.

I hope this interim period of a new normal finds you with good health and more joy in life. For Wayne and I, we are settling into a safe, vaccinated, masked and distanced existence.

On July 5, Canada lifted its mandatory 14-day quarantine for returning fully vaccinated citizens using land borders. We waited until July 12 to let agents get used to the new procedures. On September 7 restrictions were relaxed for fully vaccinated foreign nationals as well. These are huge steps towards a new normal for individuals and businesses.

A new coat of yellow paint and green trim makes a our home look new.

After an absence of eight months, getting back up the lake was a relief. We worried about what might have happened in our absence, but our good friend John kept an eye on things. By and large, everything was just as we had left it, except for a beautiful new exterior paint job. John and his brother Rick made our 23 year old cabin look brand new. 

Uh, oh. My float garden went wild with weeds.

Jeff from Valley Marine launches our boat.

Over that last month and a half Wayne and I have focused on cabin chores, boating and relaxing. There's no safer place than home, but at this home we can get outdoors whenever we want. I think that's what I missed the most, the ability to get outdoors and enjoy nature.

How about you? How are you adjusting to a new normal? -- Margy

Come to Powell Lake for Fall Foliage

Leaves turning on Goat Island.

People go east on expensive fall foliage trips. It's a region well known for trees in spectacular hues of yellow, orange, red, purple and brown. Like the Atlantic Provinces, broadleaf trees around Powell Lake change colour.

In front of our cabin, Goat Island has a glorious display of maples, dogwoods and alders. The swaths of colour paint the hillsides along stream carved gullies and slopes.



Have you wondered how this colourful display occurs? Chlorophyll, the pigment that gives leaves their green colour, gets energy from sunlight to transform carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates (sugars and starch). Leaves also have yellow to orange pigments called carotene and xanthophyll, but they are overpowered by chlorophyll most of the year. When fall arrives, things change.

Days are shorter and deciduous trees, ones that lose their leaves, get ready for winter. Chlorophyll, and its green colour, begins to diminish. This allows the yellow and orange colours to become more dominant.

Reds and purples are created when glucose (sugars) are trapped in leaves after photosynthesis stops. Bright sunny days and cool nights in autumn cause leaves to turn the glucose into red to purple colours. A brown colour is from wastes left behind in the leaves.



As winter approaches, leaves begin to fall. Where the stem of a leaf is attached to the tree there is a special layer of cells. This layer gradually breaks down until it can no longer support the weight of the leaf. When storm winds blow, leaves drop. Trees become dormant and live off the food they have stored over the summer. Their stems, twigs and buds are equipped to survive extreme cold until the following spring.

Fallen leaves are not wasted. They become part of the thick humus layer of the forest floor and decay to replenish the soil with nutrients. There also absorb rainfall, hold moisture and become food for organisms that are important to the forest ecosystem.

Here are some resources if you would like more details:

• SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
• Science Made Simple
• U.S. Department of Agriculture (pdf)

Next year when travel is safer, come to Powell River in Coastal BC to experience fall foliage. People here are friendly, the resorts are uncrowded and the restaurants are great. The opportunities are limitless. You won’t be sorry you chose to head north rather than east. -- Margy

Update: Float Cabins for Sale on Powell Lake BC

Our float cabin on Powell Lake.

Wayne and I love living in our float cabin home on Powell Lake in all seasons. Summer is back and we are really enjoying cabin life. We returned to Canada and completed our mandatory 14-day quarantine up the lake. I couldn't think of a better place to self isolate.

Right now there are still a few float cabins on the market, but don't wait too long. They could be gone in a flash. Purchasing our float cabin home was the best thing we ever did. Come up and see what Powell Lake has to offer.


Powell Lake Cabins and Properties

Are you interested in getting a cabin of your own? Here's an updated list of cabins and properties up the lake that are for sale. Some are through real estate agents, so you can get more information via their websites. Other cabins are for sale by the owners with information on Craigslist or Facebook pages.


Powell Lake Cabins and Properties For Sale

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LISTING: Twelve year old float cabin on Powell Lake. It has 3 bedrooms, a bathroom and a kitchen. These are the only details included in the posting, but the picture shows there's much more included. The asking price is $160,000.  Contact the seller on Facebook for more details.

FACEBOOK MARKETPLACE LISTING: Powell Lake lease for sale in Rainbow area. Beautiful deep spot with great views and sun exposure with the best place to swim. Decent breakwater and all onshore remediation taken care of. There is a cabin, but it’s in poor shape. A tear down in my opinion. Please message me for questions. The asking price is $60,000.  Contact the seller on Facebook for more details.

MLS LISTING: 9742 Powell Lake is a newly built float cabin on the first point past Henderson Bay that just needs a bit of finishing. Large covered walk around deck, great access to shore and bluffs. Two level with 1 bedroom on main and 2 bedrooms up plus a large loft. Wood stove, metal roof and loads of skylights. New "eco john" sewage waste combustion system plus an extra float to build a small shed. Reduced to $159,000. Click here for more information, or contact Dan Marusin of EstateBlock Realty at 250-984-8355.

MLS LISTING: 9428 Powell Lake is a two year old float cabin only 15 minutes by boat up the lake in popular Henderson Bay. All new from the cedar log float upwards: new cedar decking, anchors and ropes, 2 x 6 construction, insulation, wiring with full solar power, on demand hot water heater, tub with shower, composting toilet, wood stove for heat and a kitchen with a solar powered fridge and gas range. Cedar and metal siding, metal roof and thermal windows. The asking price is $164,000. Click here for more information.

MLS LISTING: 9242 Powell Lake is a land cabin on a half acre waterfront lot with a beautiful sandy beach. It has two bedrooms, a bath with a shower, a large living room with a cozy woodstove. The little kitchen is a perfect .place to prepare meals to enjoy in the glassed-in breakfast room.  A covered front deck is the perfect place to relax on a warm summer evening. There's a lovely garden, a waterside deck and fire pit on the beach, plus a handy sheds for storage and firewood. It’s all ready and waiting for you to enjoy for $235,000. For more information contact Warren Behan of Royal LePage at 604-483-8173 or click here.

MLS LISTING: BC Land Professionals is offering a lakefront lodge. The property is 8.35 acres of Crown lease land (renewal due in 2021) with 1300 feet of lake frontage. There are 5 self contained cedar cottages: 3 two-bedroom and 2 one-bedroom. Each has a full bathroom with showers, sinks, toilets, and full kitchens with brand new appliances. Living and eating areas are fully furnished with wood stoves for heat. The fridge, stove, hot water and lighting are propane. Other buildings includes a wood fired Sauna and tool shed. The foreshore and docks are protected by log breakwater. The complete package is at a reduced price of $299,000. Click here for more information and pictures. For more information call toll free at 1-866-558-5263, the office at 604-694-7626 or mobile at 604-483-1605.

MLS LISTING: BC Land Professionals is offering a stunning 1.7 acre island with two cabins that's only a 20-30 minute boat ride from the Shingle Mill Marina. It includes a main cabin, guest cabin, outbuildings, foreshore license and dock. The asking price is $275,000. Click here for more information and pictures. For more information Jamie Zroback at (604) 483-1605 or Jason Zroback at (604) 414-5577.


Powell Lake Cabin Services

Powell Lake Cabin Services: Already have a cabin up the lake? We are always looking for help with projects around ours. Our good friend (and float cabin neighbour) Justin Behan offers services such as cargo delivery, lumber packages, cubes, propane tanks, wood stoves, and anchor and rope supply. In addition, Justin is now a distributor for Sun-Mar composting toilets just like the one we installed in our new bathroom addition. For more information, call Justin at (604) 483-6527.

Powell Lake Real Estate: Want a real estate agent that really knows float cabins? That's Harry Zroback (our man Harry who helped us get our cabin) from RE/MAX. Harry owns a cabin himself, so he's an excellent person to contact for all your "up the lake" real estate needs at 604-483-8333 or harry@powellriverrealestate.com.


Powell Lake Stories

Want to know more about life up the lake. Check out these books from Wayne's Coastal BC Stories series:

Up the Lake (Free for Kindle and e-books)
Farther Up the Lake
Cabin Number 5
Off the Grid
Off the Grid: Getting Started
Powell Lake by Barge and Quad

If you have any questions about Powell River, Powell Lake or cabin living, I'd be glad to help out. Just leave a comment or use the e-mail link in my profile to send me a message. -- Margy

Goin' home, I'm goin' home

Our Powell Lake float cabin home.

As the Mick Jagger and Rolling Stones lyrics go:

I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, I'm goin' home
I'm goin' home, bome, bome ...
Home, bome, bome ...
Back home,
Yes, I am.
Alright!

Wednesday Wayne and I drove to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Blaine. Because we became Canadian citizens in 2018 and Powell River, BC, is our home, we were allowed to cross the closed US/Canada border. It's closed to all non-essential travel for citizens from the US and other countries until July 31 and a Canadian quarantine requirement is extended until August 31.

BC Ferries recommended that everyone remain in their vehicles.

Rules are in flux right now because of the COVID-19 pandemic, so check before you go with the Canadian Border Service Agency and US Customs and Border Protection.

Back in our Hewscraft finally heading up the lake.

We'd hoped to wait until the quarantine requirement was lifted, but decided it was best to go now while there was still some summer left to enjoy our float cabin home up the lake. And there couldn't be a better place to isolate ourselves for the required 14-day period and beyond.

First Narrows on Powell Lake means we are almost home.

The border crossing was smooth and our BC Ferries connections worked perfectly even without reservations. We left the Bellingham condo at 8:12 am after loading the last of the groceries and arrived at our cabin deck at 6:15 pm. That's a little longer than normal to make the 260 kilometre (162 mile) trip because we built in extra time for border paperwork and early ferry terminal arrivals.

There's no place like home!

Living through the COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on everyone worldwide. Wayne and I hope you and your family are doing as well as possible during these difficult times. -- Margy

Coastal BC Birds: Great Blue Heron

We have a seasonal visitor to our float cabin home on Powell Lake, a Great Blue Heron. Each fall he (or she maybe) returns to our protective log booms to fish. He stands motionless for a long time before leaping into action to catch a meal.

One morning I went out front and saw the Heron standing on the boom.

Look to the left of my floating garden for the Heron.

I watched for a long time and even walked out to the corner of the float to take pictures without disturbing him.

Changing position.

Great Blue Herons are a common sight at the marina in town and nest in nearby trees. The subspecies in our area is the Pacific Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias fannini).

Flexing his wings.

The Pacific Great Blue Heron has Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) and Canadian Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC) special concern status. They are protected under the British Columbia Wildlife Act and the Canadian Migratory Birds Convention. When the City of Powell River was building a new community track, construction stopped due to the discovery of nests. We now have a lovely track away from the nesting site.

Framed by my floating garden.

Pacific Great Blue Herons are found from Alaska to Washington State in coastal areas. They are a large bird standing over a metre in height. There are 4,000-5,000 adults in Canada.

Alert!

Herons are identified by their blue and grey feathers and black stripe from the eyes backward. In flight, Herons look prehistoric, matched by its piercing squawk.

Do you have Herons where you live? Are you as infatuated with them as I am? -- Margy

References: Nature Canada, Pacific Great Blue Heron (online), The Cornell Lab of Ornithology All About Birds, Great Blue Heron (online), and Bird Watcher's Digest, Great Blue Heron (online).