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

Canning: Meatless Spaghetti Sauce

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

A Wimpy Ride

Last week, Wayne and I wanted to take a “wimpy” quad ride all on our own. We call a short (time and distance) ride a wimpy ride. Even though we’ve had our quads for several years, we aren’t that familiar with the trails around Powell River. We’ve been cautious about heading out on our own, but now we have two tools that give us more confidence. One is a great map book written by Dave, the president of the Powell River ATV Club. It’s called the ATV Trail Guide and costs $25. If want a copy, you can contact Dave through the ATV/BC website. All profits support trail maintenance and building activities.

The other item is a Garmin Oregon 300 GPS. We went to visit George (Mr. GPS) at Marine Traders. He’s a Garmin expert and can help you find the right model for your needs. We purchased the topographical maps on a card and the City Navigator North America road maps on a CD. That way we got the software to save and manage routes and waypoints. The Oregon 300 works with both Mac and PCs. Since we use Macs that was very important for us.

We parked our truck in town near Edgehill School at the top of Abbotsford Street. This is where the Wednesday trail group often starts their rides. We never guessed how beautiful the trail through the forest from this non-descript parking spot would be. Tall evergreen trees provided lots of shade for the lush fern and salal ground cover. There are many interconnecting trails in the area, so we used both map and GPS to stay on course. Along the way there was active logging, so we were watchful for trucks and other big equipment once we got to the logging road section.

Where the Edgehill Trail System meets Duck Lake Forest Service Road (FSR), we entered the Washout Trail. It’s well marked with a cement sign. This trail follows an old railroad grade used by trains hauling timber for the Hasting Timber Company in the early 1900’s. High winds and forest fires in the 1920’s caused damage that can still be seen in the understory today. The trail is easy to moderate, with a few protruding roots to negotiate.

From the Washout Trail we took Fred’s Trail down to Hammil Lake. Again, it is well marked with a wooden sign attached to a tree, but you have to watch for it. Fred’s Trail is narrow in places with larger roots to negotiate, but it is still in the easy to moderate category. Just after we entered the trail, we came to a bridge constructed by ATV riders over a fish-bearing stream. This is an example of how riders in the area respect and help preserve the environment. After our long, hot summer, there was no water left in the stream. We continued on Fred’s Trail to the Hammil Lake trail and followed it a short ways down to the lakeshore. Today the weather was cool and breezy, se we skipped a swim. Wayne tried a few casts while I had a pop and cookie break.

We decided to retrace our steps back to the Washout Trail. We turned right and followed the rest of the trail to its junction with Duck Lake FSR. A left turn took us to the Duck Lake Bridge. We stopped along the popular little lake for Wayne to try a few more casts. I guess today just wasn’t our day to catch any fish. Just a few klicks down Duck Lake FSR took us back to the Edgehill Tail System and our route back to the truck. Except for the short stretch on Duck Lake Road, the trails were all remote and beautiful. We are so lucky here in Powell River to have all of this literally right at our doorstep. -- Margy

Girls Day Out

My mom is visiting me in Powell River this month. When the weather is nice, she comes up to the cabin, along with her (our) cat Stick Tail. They both enjoy getting out in the fresh air and sunshine. But when the weather is a bit cool or rainy, she and the cat enjoy the pleasures of our condo in town. I come down the lake every few days to check on how things are going and to have a girls day out.

We usually go shopping for groceries or just browse through the Economy Shop thrift store. Mom loves a bargain as much as I do. After we've "saved" lots of money by making our purchases there, we splurge on going out to lunch. Last week we went to the Savoury Bight Seaside Restaurant at the Beach Gardens Hotel just south of town.

Mom isn't a big eater, so we usually share a sandwich. They were very gracious about it, and even served our meal on separate plates (at no extra charge). The Savoury Bight is on the ocean side of the hotel with a view of the marina and the Malaspina Strait beyond. It's a great place to come on a sunny day so you can sit outdoors on their patio. If you come at sunset, you get a wonderful view with Texada and Harwood Islands in the foreground and the colourful sky reflected in the sea. The pub side also serves meals and drinks in an informal atmosphere.

It never ceases to amaze me how many great restaurants there are in Powell River. Maybe having a joint high school/college culinary arts program in town helps. Whatever the case, come have a taste of Powell River. It's a savoury place to live. -- Margy

Sunset at the Head

I shared about our boat trip to the head of Powell Lake last weekend. We anchored on the east shore so that we could get the last of the sun's rays.

We also got some colourful skies and reflections.

When you live in a place like this, who needs a vacation. -- Margy

Snakes, Frogs and Polliwogs

This summer we've seen lots of polliwogs, big polliwogs, in the water around our cabin. These are not your normal, run of the mill polliwogs. These are mega-polliwogs that will grow up to be bullfrogs. Bullfrogs are not native in Powell Lake. They were imported to BC years ago by someone who thought it would be a good idea to "farm" them for their tasty legs. The farms didn't thrive, but the frogs did. Now they've spread across the Lower Mainland and the southeastern portion of Vancouver Island.

Bullfrogs may stay in the polliwog stage up to two years, feeding on algae and detritus in ponds and lakes. They can be seen swimming just under the surface, ruffling the surface much like a trout rising for it's evening meal. Right now there's an explosion of young frogs sitting on logs, rocks and our cabin floats. I know they are harmful to native frog species, but they are fun to watch. They seem to have no fear, staying put even when I walk nearby. But they better look out.

Right now we have lots of Common Garter Snakes hanging around. One of the top items on their menu is frogs. I wonder if there's a relationship here? Garter Snakes are excellent swimmers. They can negotiate a long stretch of water with just a few whips of their tails. And quick enough to overtake an unsuspecting frog, at least a young one. The BC Ministry of Environment website notes that the tables can be turned when it comes to larger bullfrogs. Garter Snakes have been found in their stomach contents. I guess turnabout is fair play as they say. -- Margy

Stuffing the Woodshed

Winter on Powell Lake can be cold, especially when a storm blows in on a strong southeaster. Because our cabin floats on the water, it also gets damp. Starting in early fall, our Kozi woodstove becomes the heart of our little cabin. Consequently, a large supply of firewood is needed for winter heating.

Powell Lake provides for our energy needs. Chunks of firewood are carried right to our doorstep. A morning chore in summer is to walk around the deck and retrieve floating wood. It comes in all sizes from kindling up. We collect the kindling in large plastic tubs with holes drilled in the bottoms to allow water to drain. Friends on the lake also donate wood from deck and cabin construction projects. For example, thanks to Peter's old fir decking we had lots of hot fires last winter.

A few tubs of kindling are stored in the cabin for easy use. A few more are under the front porch and the remaining ones are stored in our tool shed on shore. Extra firewood is placed in a recycled dinghy. As one tub is emptied, it is refilled with the waiting wood. We've learned to be careful with tubs from the shed. Occasionally, a mouse has taken up residence. Transferring the wood to an empty tub before bringing it into the cabin has solved this "little" problem.

We are selective when it comes to the larger chunks of wood. First, they must be lifted out of the water for cutting. This limits the size to ones Wayne and I can haul aboard. We like skinny chunks that do not need splitting, but do get fatter ones if there are only a few knots. I hate holding the axe while Wayne wields the sledge hammer and it resounds off a knot.

We store wood on a separate wood storage float. This keeps weight off the cabin deck which would cause the float structure to sink lower into the lake. The float has a roof that keeps our wood dry. The open sides let in the sunshine and fresh air, which also helps to keep the wood dry in our moist climate. By cutting and loading the wood before the end of summer, it's dry, ready to burn and stays that way.

We use a shelf I constructed for wood storage inside the cabin. It handily holds about five days worth of wood near the fire. If you want more information about how to make the shelf click here.

Thanks to our end-of-summer wood work, we'll stay warm this winter. -- Margy