Earl's Cove Ferry to Saltery Bay

Between storms, fall brings clear blue skies in Coastal BC. Riding BC Ferries to and from Powell River is a good time to get sky views.


Powell River is on the coast about 100 km north of Vancouver, but it takes two ferry rides to get here. That is one reason we have a town with a strong sense of community and why we are less hectic and crowded than the lower Sunshine Coast.


After you drive the length of the lower Sunshine Coast on Highway 101, you arrive at the Earl's Cove ferry terminal. You pay the fare for the whole trip at Horseshoe Bay, so all you have to do is park in the ferry lineup. Locals and visitors alike enjoy the views of water, sky and nearby mountain peaks.


After a 50 minute ride you arrive at Saltery Bay, south of Powell River. Saltery Bay is a small residential community. It was originally the site of a fish salting company back in the early 20th century, hence the name. From there it is about a about 40 minute drive to town. Along the way are several resorts, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and sporting goods establishments. There's also the ocean, forests and the expansive sky to enjoy along the way. I hope you can come visit my piece of paradise. I know you will enjoy it as much as I do. -- Margy

Margy's Mouse Mechanism

It's fall and the deer mice in Hole in the Wall are all looking for warm winter homes. When night falls, you can find them running outside the cabin walls, climbing on the picnic table and exploring our wood storage barrels. Wayne and I don't like to kill our animal neighbors, even mice. So we've decided on a catch and release program as ridiculous as it may sound.

We've been very lucky that mice haven't gotten into the cabin and we want to keep it that way. Earlier I shared about using a Havahart live trap to capture and relocate mice. It works fine, but at one mouse a night it could take a long time to get rid of the problem.

One night I couldn't sleep and came up with a brainstorm I call Margy's Mousie Mechanism. With this "better" mouse trap we can capture multiple mice in one night. The design is simple. It starts with a large plastic tub. We have lots of these around the cabin for a variety of purposes. Some scrap lumber was used to fashion a ramp and "diving board" into the tub. A few dabs of peanut butter completes the trap and it's ready to set up on the mouse trail along the cabin wall.

On the first night we caught three mice in one fell swoop. In the morning, they all got a quick boat ride to nearby sandy beach with lots of hidey-holes and natural food sources. A perfect place to build a warm winter home. That's much better than poison or a kill trap for sure. -- Margy

Coles The Book People

When I taught first grade, we used the Open Court reading program. The grade one reader started like this: See, See me, See me eat, See me eat meat. Obviously not a literary masterpiece, but beginning readers could easily sound out the words and experience immediate success. Several books later, poetry was introduced. One poem I remember went something like this:

Rainy day, shady and gray.
Time to read and dream
And wait for the clouds
To be blown away.

Today's rainy. As I sit in my Powell River condo, nearby Harwood Island fades in and out of the wet gray sky. The approaching ferry is like a ghost ship breaking through the gloom. It's time to curl up with a book and read away the hours. There's lots of good places in Powell River for books. Today I'd like to highlight Coles The Book People.

Coles Bookstore is located in the Town Centre Mall near Overwaite. Corrine, the manager, and her friendly staff help customers find just the right title. If she doesn't have it, she'll order it for you.

Corrine is a great friend to local authors. All six of Wayne's Coastal BC Stories books are prominently displayed on her "Local Interest" shelves. Corrine has also hosted several book launches and slide show presentations to help promote our books.

So, if you are looking for a good read, head on over to Coles. If you're a local author, see Corrine about including your book on her shelves. -- Margy

Bro the Labrador Retriever

Brody, Bro for short, is our good friend John's Labrador Retriever. He's a black Lab with lots of character. If you've read any of my husband's Coastal BC Stories books, you know who Bro is. He's a central character in many of the stories. That's because John is the other central character, and everywhere (and I mean EVERYWHERE) John goes, Bro goes.

Wayne and I call Bro our rent-a-dog. It's hard to have a pet of our own, but when John comes to visit, we get to enjoy Bro. The first thing he does is his "crazy man dance." His whole body wiggles and he rubs his head against your leg until he gets all the scritches he wants. Then he calms down, but never strays far from the action.

Bro is getting older and his joints aren't what they used to be, but he still loves a good ride on the back of John's quad through the Powell River back country. He still gets off to hike some of the more difficult trails, but it takes him a little longer. When we meet people on the trail they often say, "Is that Bro? If so, you must be John." You can see who the real star is.

Bro was born on Vancouver Island and somehow ended up at the SPCA. John doesn't go to the island very often, but they had a black Lab and Powell River didn't. Labrador Retrievers are loving, affectionate and patient dogs. They are intelligent, loyal, and playful. Labs love to play in water, and Bro is no exception. If he is near a lake, river or puddle, you will find him splashing around and looking for critters like snakes, fish and frogs. He is tireless in his quest for critters. Bro is a gentle giant with a huge heart. He is dearly loved by John, his parents and of course Wayne and me. If you have a home that can accommodate the needs of a big dog, consider a Labrador Retriever. -- Margy

Our Canada Coverage

For the last two months, our Powell Lake float home has been highlighted in an article in Our Canada magazine. Our Canada is a great magazine that is made up of articles by Canadians for Canadians. You can submit an article, and if it is are selected for publication, you receive a year's subscription as a thank you. Wayne submitted the article "Up the Lake" and it became the first article in a new series called "Our Dream Home." What an honour.

Two things really surprised us. First is how many people read the magazine. This was evident because of the increased traffic to our website and blog, and comments from friends and people we've met. The second is how many people took the time to send personal e-mail messages. Many of the messages congratulated us for finding our dream home and living out our dream. Many others had questions about our life and lifestyle. In Wayne's two books Up the Lake and Farther Up the Lake he has included many chapters about life in our float cabin on Powell Lake. I've also shared lots of information and tips here on my blog. But in honour of all those questions I am going to use the next few weeks to answer some of the more frequent ones. I hope you enjoy.

• How did you find your dream home?
  
• How is Bro (the wonder dog) doing?
• How can you be satisfied with you new simplified lifestyle?
  
• Don't you get cabin fever in such a small space?
• Would you ever move permanently to Canada?
  
• And more down to earth, how do you go to the bathroom?

Do you have any questions to add to the list? - Margy

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggety-Jig

Wayne and I have been in the States for three weeks taking care of some business. It is the longest time we have been away from our cabin in the last six months and we are anxious to get home. Today is the long awaited travel day from Bellingham to Powell river via two BC Ferries up the Sunshine Coast.

The easiest route north from Bellingham is the Guide-Meridian to the Lynden/Aldergrove border crossing. The Guide (as it is lovingly called) is a two lane road that is currently under construction, but it is still a good route except during rush hour. Because the border crossing is away from the I-5 corridor, it is usually less crowded and cars move through quickly in both directions. At the border The Guide changes into 264th Street and continues straight north to Canada Highway 1. Highway 1 will take you northwest around downtown Vancouver and directly to the Horseshoe Bay BC Ferry Terminal. As you near the terminal, you will experience more road construction in preparation for the upcoming 2010 Winter Olympics.


View Larger Map

The ferry from Horseshoe Bay takes you to Langdale near Gibsons on the Sunshine Coast. From here it is about a two hour drive north to the Earl's Cove Ferry to Saltery Bay. From there it is about thirty more minutes driving time to Powell River. It is only about 240 kilometres (150 miles) in total, but with all of the ferry connections it takes about seven hours. But don't let that keep you away. The trip and a vacation in Powell River are well worth it. -- Margy

Majestic Views

There are some really great views in and around where I live in Powell River, BC. Some of the most spectacular can be reached by hiking or riding a quad to lofty peaks and bluffs.

Head up to Blue Ridge for a panoramic view of lakes, forests and mountains.

Summer or winter, the bluffs on Mount Mahony provide views of Powell Lake, the Strait of Georgia and across to Vancouver Island. On this November day it looked like you could step off and walk on the tops of the clouds.

A quad ride then a hike to the top of Tin Hat Mountain rewards you with an outstanding view of Powell Lake far below.

I invite you to come to Powell River and enjoy some of our views for yourself. -- Margy