Rocks and Rockhounding on Powell Lake, BC

For as long as I can remember, I've loved rocks. They don't have to be fancy or exotic rocks, just rocks that are pleasing to my eye. When I travel, I like to collect rocks that remind me of where I've been and what's I've seen.

Dike (black) running through granite.

The rocks then become decorative items for my home. But of course, some rocks are too big to collect.

In addition to collecting rocks, I like to take picture of rocks, especially those in streams, at the beach or along the shores of a lake.









Powell Lake and the other deep fjords in British Columbia were carved by ice age glaciers moving over the land's surface. Rocky surfaces still record their passing.

Glacial striations on Powell Lake's shoreline.

If you like rocks, here are a few websites of interest:

• geology.com -- articles, maps and teacher resources
• USGS Geology -- reports and links
• The Rockhound Shop - in Victoria
• The BC Lapidary Society - rockhounding clubs information
• Rock Collection Around the USA - links to rock collecting groups

You might also be interested in an event that occurs on the second Sunday in September.  It's International Rock Flipping Day.  Here's a link with photos from last year on Flickr.  Also, here's a link at Susannah's Wanderin' Weeta (With Waterfowl and Weeds) blog with more information. Check back in late August to get an update.

Are you a rock hound? Let's hear your stories. -- Margy

Heading Home

Wayne, Stick Tail, and I are heading home to the float cabin this week. This will be Stick's first trip since Summer 2010. After that, he's stayed with Mom at the condo in town. As an indoor only condo cat, he should enjoy the outdoor freedom.

This will be a poignant trip, the first in Mom's Buick we lovingly call Big Bertha, but without Mom. However, she'll be going with us in spirit. Mom will always be an important part of our lives. As I looked through some old photos, there are some great ones of Mom and Stick at the cabin.

I'm so glad I was able to share float cabin living with Mom in all seasons. Winter was the hardest. We had to keep the fire going day and night to keep the interior warm enough. But as I've said before, Mom was a trooper. Plus, she was a long-time camper with Daddy and me.









Mom always loved her glass of red wine at happy hour. Chin-chin!

When we get to the cabin, I will be excited to see what has happened in my float garden. On our last trip, I planted new bareroot strawberries, onion sets, carrots, beets, spinach, and lettuce. In barrels on the deck, I planted Yukon Gold potatoes from my own sets, Scarlet Runner Beans and Snow Peas. We've had both rain and warm sunshine, so in the last three weeks lots of growth should have occurred. I'll keep you posted. -- Margy

Quad Riding in Powell River, BC

At the beginning of this round, I posted "A is for ATV Enthusiast." I told how I got started with quadding with a 2-wheel drive Honda 250, then upgraded to my current 4-wheel drive Yamaha 450. When I ordered my quad from Danny at Quality Parts, I had to have the hard to get (at least in Powell River) silver model.

Wayne and I've been riding the trails in our area for several years now. Here are some of our favourite trips.


Giovanno Lake and Marg's Manor
Giavanno Lake and Poki's Place
The Head of Powell Lake
Granite Lake Trail
Misty Beach
The Blue Trail
Tony Lake
Elephant Lakes
Mt. Mahony
Appleton Creek
Lakes Loop
Khartoum Lake
Khartoum Lake (video) 
Blue Ridge Viewpoint
The Washout and Fred's Trail

Want to read more about riding the backroads and trails in Powell River? Here are a few links:

Powell River ATV Club
ATV/BC 
Up the Main
Farther Up the Main
Western Forest Products Logging Roads (PDF map)
Westlake Woodlands Logging Roads (PDF map)
Powell River Community Forest (map)
ATV Trail Guide (available at Powell River ATV stores)

Want to read about more quad rides in the Powell River area? Check out the new Powell River Quad Rides blog. 

Do you ride in the Powell River area? Where are dome of your favourite destinations? -- Margy

Good-bye Mom, I Love You!

You may have noticed for the last two and a half years I've written about Bellingham where Mom lived.

Mom became paralyzed and needed 24-hour care. Thanks to caregivers like Bonita, I could go home to my float cabin once a month. Caring for Mom at home wasn't easy, but the right thing. She stayed in familiar surroundings with the ones she loved.

Last week Mom passed in her own home, in her own bed. While I miss her terribly, I can't think of a better way to leave this stage of life and begin the next.

Mom loved a party (with her pretties), so we've chosen to celebrate her life by remembering the good times. I'd like to share some with you.

Mom was born in 1916 and just celebrated her 97th birthday. She was proud of her natural brown hair (flecked with gray), and her own strong teeth. She said she had strong genes, but getting old wasn't for the weak. She was always a trooper, never gave up, and always had a positive attitude. She worried more about others than herself.

Mom grew up in Compton, California, when it was farm land, not a suburb of Los Angeles. She wished she had a nickel for every ear of corn she packed on her father's truck farm.  She went to Compton High/Community College (when it was one campus), and UCLA to become a teacher. It was at Compton CC that she met my dad, Art Leeming. Mom made him wait for marriage because she wanted to teach. In those days teaching jobs were reserved for family bread winners. They finally married before Dad's military service in WWII.

I came along in 1949, an only child spoiled by both parents. But I learned about caring for families when my grandparents came to live with us. Then it was time to take care of her brother Bill.

Mom and Dad retired from education and enjoyed travel, cooking, gardening, jewelry and furniture making.  They always worked and played together as a team. Daddy passed early with cancer. Mom met and married Jack Agnew later in life. Both had lost their spouses and shared a special kind of love and companionship. And I got two sisters and a brother that I'd never had.

After Jack passed, Mom moved to Bellingham to be near Wayne and me. It was the closest city with good senior services to the Canadian border and our new home in Powell River, BC, where Mom enjoyed vacations with us at our cabin and condo in town. And wherever she went, her beloved Kitty Cat followed behind.

At first Mom lived alone, then I stayed with her. Wayne was a huge help, taking care of things in Powell River and coming to be with me as much as he could.  After a few months of recovery after back surgery in 2010, Mom was back in good health and able to travel, but now in a wheelchair. In Powell River we arranged for caregivers to stay with Mom overnight to let Wayne and me enjoy cabin life. And I know Mom enjoyed the change of scenery even though she could no longer go with us up the lake.

These last six months Mom's health didn't allow us to travel any more, but her spirits were good and she enjoyed dinner visits next door to our good friend Jeanne's. A glass of red wine before dinner was her favorite. Chin-chin, Mom. After a good meal, there was plenty of time for the Wheel of Fortune and Jeopardy.

It was only in the last two weeks that Mom's health really declined. We knew we didn't want any more hospital visits, so were getting ready to start Hospice, but there wasn't time for that. In a way, we created our own hospice-like environment.

Mom was a wonderful woman, a strong woman, even though she didn't see herself that way. She loved us with her big heart and generous ways. Kitty Cat misses her too. He looks for her in all the usual places, her living room recliner and the bed where they slept together each night.

You were the best Mom in the world. I love you and miss you. I'm so glad those were the last words I said and you heard. Mom is on her way to be reunited with Daddy in California for her final rest here on earth. Good-bye for now, Mom.

Louise Leeming Agnew

Beloved Wife and Mother

Lots of Love (she always said that at the end of a phone call),
Margy, Wayne, and Jeanne

Winding Up, Winding Down

In Wayne's book Up the Main from the Coastal BC Stories series he wrote about a mental (and physical) state he called, "winding down, winding up."

When we discovered Powell River and our float cabin, we lived near Los Angeles over 2,000 miles away and were still working at our careers in education. Finding a place where we could "wind down" was very important. 

"When I land at Powell River Airport, via Pacific Coastal or my Piper Arrow, my mental adjustment is major but almost immediate. The change of pace from Los Angeles is extreme, but the adjustment is soothing. As I drive down the hill from the airport, the modification of my attitude is complete the moment I sight the chuck (ocean).

In the other direction, arriving in Los Angeles, the adjustment is completely different. Winding down is quick and simple. Winding up is a major battle. ... The pace is frantic."

Now that we've immigrated to Canada and settled in our float cabin, the feeling hasn't changed. We travel quite a bit. As nice as it is to go someplace different, that same old feeling of winding down comes over us as we drive down Duncan Street from the airport towards the chuck.

Do you have a place you love to wind down? Let's hear about it. -- Margy

"Strong and Independent" by Yarrow Alpine

When I travel, I love to visit used bookstores. You just never know what treasures you will find. Recently when I went Hope, BC, I found Pages Bookstore and Fraser-Cascade Literacy Centre. They have an awesome selection with used books for $2.00 each (except for new and rare editions). I found several books including one that was quite unique.

Strong and Independent: A system of food storage, and homesteading ... with nutritional guidelines was written by Yarrow Alpine. It was published in 1983 before self-publishing was a common practice.

The system presented includes a combination of growing your own food, buying healthy foods in bulk, food storage, and self-sufficiency for individuals, families and communities. The text is typed interspersed with hand written titles and illustrations. The list of chapters for this 110 page book gives you a feel for what is included:

•  The Feel of the System
• The Role of Protein
• The Role of Carbohydrates and Fats
• Stocking Up
• Nutritional Supplements
• Food System with a Heart

Alpine Yarrow is from Salmon Arm in the southern interior of British Columbia. Her bio on the back cover states that she's a nutritional consultant working in the small community's natural food store. The book is based on her training as a nutritionist, personal experience, and childhood memories.

Trying to live a more simple life at the cabin, it will be a good resource for my library.

Do you love visiting used bookstores? What are some of the treasures you've found? -- Margy

Eagles Take Flight

Here's another visit to Hope, BC, to view some of the murals that depict eagles in flight.

The first two are on the side of the Muskwa Gallery and Native Art Store. I like the way the mural combines fainter eagle images in the background and distinct ones soaring in front.

The last is painted on the side of a the Beadifferent store at the corner of 3 Avenue and Commission Street. It also has a First Nations theme with the eagle flying above a village on the side of the mighty Fraser River. After you enjoy the mural, stop in to see their wonderful collection of beads.

Walking around town was fun, discovering beautiful art around every corner. -- Margy