Time for a Little R&R

We're headed up the lake for some well deserved rest and relaxation after a few days in town. We got to see the Kings win a hockey game and two fights, so it wasn't all bad.

I'm sure there'll be lots of stories when we get back in Internet range.

Our cabin on Powell Lake inspired Wayne to write the Coastal BC Stories series. You too can head Up the Lake and Farther Up the Lake through his books.

Do you have a place that inspires you? Maybe it's where you live, or a vacation home or destination. Maybe it's that special place to sneak away to when you want to be alone. Let us know about it and why you like it so much. -- Margy

Mastercraft Gas-Powered Generator

Yesterday you read about our new Yardworks 4-ton electric log splitter. Wayne and John talked about whether or not our Coleman 1850 watt generator would power the unit. They agreed it would be on the ragged edge.  When we hooked it all up, the Coleman just didn't have enough juice to get the splitter's engine to turn over.

The next day, John came back with a rented Honda 2800. That did the trick and we got our stack of logs split.  That same day, John brought a clipping from the Canadian Tire add for a Mastercraft 3300 watt generator. It was on sale for $297.  Wayne went down the lake to town the next day to get the last one in the stock.

It was heavy, but Wayne got it into the truck, down the dock to the boat, and up to the cabin.  I gave a little assistance, and we put it in the back of the Gemini writer's retreat.  That's a handy location to power the splitter on the wood float and anything extra needed on the cabin's back deck. It also adds some extra ballast for the Gemini that no longer has an engine. 

For about $500, we got a wood splitting system that will pay for itself in one season. Not bad, if you ask me.  I'll take Christmas in October any day. -- Margy

Yardworks 4-Ton Electric Log Splitter

This year Christmas came in October. I knew something was up when John called and was very evasive when I answered.  After we arrived in Powell River, I opened the car trunk, and there was a log splitter. Probably some women would think a log splitter is an unusual present, but for me (us actually) it's perfect.

Logs come in various sizes. We like skinny ones that only need to be cut with the chainsaw, but most are 25 centimetres (10-inches) in diameter, so they need splitting. Before, it was a two-person job. I held the ax and Wayne wielded a sledge hammer. It was hard and noisy (ear plug time) work. Now, with the push of a button and a lever, it's automatic. In one hour our new Yardworks 4-Ton Log Splitter from Canadian Tire did the work easily and quietly. Plus, John got it for us on sale for half price, $199!

Now our first batch of wood is spit and stacked in the floating wood shed, ready for winter.  Of course, there's lots more we need to cut and split.

As you know, we live in an off-the-grid float cabin. We have to run our electric splitter using a generator. Come back tomorrow for the rest of the story. -- Margy

A Lull in the Storm

Last weekend we had our first fall rainstorm.  Basically, we've been pretty dry for about two months.  Sunday evening, just at sunset, there were some breaks in the clouds just at the Island Princess was arriving from Texada Island.


It didn't last long, but the colours were spectacular. Even the sea turned a shade of purple.


For a brief moment, it was like waves of fire licking across the sky. -- Margy

Never Saddle a Dead Horse

Now that winter is near, we want to make sure our float cabin is ready for heavy winds.  During my first solo trip to the cabin in 2001, one of the worst storms hit. The winds were so strong they broke two of our steel anchor cables (Up the Lake, Chapter 4). 

Now we've made some improvements. Of course, our good friend John did the work (with a little help from Wayne). He installed double cables at the critical end points.   Both are attached to the granite wall half way between the high and low water mark.

A year ago, one of the double cables broke.  We've been waiting for low water ever since to reach the attachment point.  After John installed a new (shiny steel) cable, he noticed that the loop of the other cable was frayed at the anchor bolt.  There was enough slack for a repair.

First they tied off the cable so it wouldn't fall in the water. Then John used a grinder to remove the rusted cable clamps.  Using muscle power, they pulled the cable up to a better spot. Then John used new cable clamps to make a loop through the anchor bolt eye.

He was very careful to follow the rule, "never saddle a dead horse."  As Wayne described in his book Cabin Number 5, "It’s a good way to remember how to install the cable clamp on the loop. The tail (dead end) gets the U-shaped bracket of the cable clamp, assuring maximum holding power. Each loop gets two clamps, with the bolts tightened to John’s industrial-strength torque standards." We should be set now! -- Margy

"To bed, to bed" says Sleepy Head ...

"Tarry awhile," says Slow;

"Put on the pot," says Greedy-Gut,
"We'll sup before we go."

I loved it when my dad would tell me this nursery rhyme at bedtime. And that's what came to my mind as it was time for my garden to go to bed for the winter. It hasn't rained for two weeks, so the soil was dry and soft, perfect for what needed to be done.

I have two small asparagus beds (about 1' x 3') at the ends of my float garden. In spring, they produce nice sized spears. In summer, the tall ferns give my other plants some shade.  I cut the fern stalks about 2" above the ground, saving the tops of the fronds.

I put them on top of the cut stems.  We get some freezing temperatures, including light snow. The fern tops insulate the soil to protect the asparagus roots.  I also removed a bed of strawberries. My space is so limited, I can't spare it for something that doesn't produce.

I kept the strawberry leaves and added them on top of the fern fronds.  They will increase the insulation and give added soil protection.  And through the winter they will break down and become a layer of compost to replenish the soil by spring.

Lastly, I covered the strawberry leaves with soil from the garden.  It will help hold everything in place during rains and wind until the organic matter starts to break down.

Now my asparagus is tucked in bed for a long winter's sleep. I can hardly wait until they start to awaken in the spring and give us some more spears to go with one of Wayne's BBQ dinners. -- Margy

Asparagus Berries

It's the end of the season for my asparagus plants.  Last spring, they provided tasty spears. Over the summer, they grew into large ferns.  This replenishes the roots for the following season. If well cared for, an asparagus bed can last twenty years.

Some plants have bright red berries in the fall. That's because some are female and others male. The female plants produce the berries filled with asparagus seeds for another generation.

Because asparagus takes several years to reach maturity, it's not recommended to use seed to start your beds. One or two-year old bare roots can be purchased in the nursery for planting.  Even then, it's recommended not to harvest any of the shoots the first year. I tell you, it's hard to see those yummy spears and not pick them! -- Margy