Clearing Skies

Early in the morning, the coast and nearby valleys often fill with low lying clouds. After sunrise, the warming air helps them dissipate, sometimes in a blink of the eye.


Flying from Chehalis to Bellingham, Washington, we crossed the line between cloudy and clear just as we passed the Olympic range.


By the time we reached Bellingham, only a light haze remained over the Canadian border, the start to a wonderful, summer day. -- Margy

Airplane Camping at Chehalis Airport

Wayne and I love airplane camping. One of our favourite spots is the Chehalis/Centralia Airport (KCLS).

During the disastrous storm of December 2007, the Chehalis River flooded the airport and nearby I-5. Today, there's little evidence of the devastation except for a new administrative building on pilings to weather any future storms.

Chehalis is a friendly airport. Every time we camp, people stop to say hello, or to offer us rides to the nearby shopping center and restaurants. There is even a courtesy car just for the asking. But we like to walk for fun and exercise.

The campground is unique at an airport of this size. You can park your plane at the edge of the grass and put up your tent next to the wing. There are covered picnic tables and spotless restrooms.


If you don't want to cook, there are several options within walking distance. Take the bridge over the canal and across the street to the Riverside Golf Club for lunch or dinner. It's fun to sit on the deck and watch the golfers finish the last hole. You can also walk to the other side of the airport to the adjacent shopping center. There's a gate at the approach end of Runway 34. but the safest way is to walk around the perimeter on the gravel path. There are several fast food restaurants and an Applebees across from Walmart.

If you are looking for a quick gas stop (the cheapest around), a place to camp, a round of golf, or a quick bite, give Chehalis/Centralia Airport a try. For more information, go to FlyCLS.com.

Do you like to read about flying adventures? Take a look at Up the Airway. It includes stories about flying in Canada, Coastal BC, and the Pacific Northwest. - Margy

Coastal BC Plants: Moss and LIchen

Moss and Lichen

The moss covering the granite cliff next to our cabin changes with the seasons, sort of like a botanic chameleon. This time of year it has a pretty yellow glow.

Not much else can grow on the rocky surface, but with all this colour who needs lots of grass and flowers.


 I love the way the lighter moss seems to cascade over the edge, making it look like a living waterfall. -- Margy

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Let summer come one of these days!


The summer pool (lake) toys are out, waiting for the showers to change to warm sun.

I'm ready too, how about you? -- Margy

Stirring Up a Hornet's Nest

Literally! When we were troubleshooting a failed bilge pump in Wayne's Writer's Retreat boat called Gemini, we opened a box on the cabin deck housing a storage battery. Wayne reached inside only to discover a vary active hornet's nest.


Almost every year, hornets take up residence near our cabin. We just never expected one hidden away like that.


We both ran around to the front of the cabin before they swarmed to protect their nest.

That night after dark and the temperatures dropped, Wayne went back with wasp spray to dispatch the nest and its inhabitants. With most things we believe in live and let live, but in this case it wasn't an option. We would be in fear of getting stung every time we passed by. -- Margy

Solar Powered Xmas Lights

Wayne and I purchased NOMA solar powered outdoor Christmas lights at Canadian Tire. They seemed perfect for our off the grid float cabin. We love colourful lights at night, especially at Xmas, but our supply of solar and wind generated electricity is limited, especially during the winter with low sun angles and short (often cloudy) days. So, solar powered Xmas lights seemed just the ticket for us.

I purchased a string of 50 lights (32 feet long) for $24.99 CAD. The white ones were $29.99, but I wanted the multi-coloured ones anyway. The small solar panel can be mounted on a ground spike or attached to a wall. The lights use LED technology, so the amount of power needed is much less than traditional incandescent bulbs. The box said one day of solar charging would produce three nights of lights. That sounded too good to be true, but we thought it was worth a try.

Because we don't get a full day of direct sun in the winter, the Xmas lights last about an hour or so each evening. But in the summer there's plenty of colourful lights if we can stay up late enough to enjoy them. The system has an auto start and shut off feature. There's also a manual switch on the back of the solar panel. This is important if you want to conserve energy.

We love our Xmas lights so much that we have a strand outdoors on the porch and another indoors. Wayne purchased a simple switch and wired it between the solar panel and the lights. Now we can turn them on and off from inside the house. Thanks Wayne, to reach the switch outdoors was quite a stretch up for me. -- Margy

Bilge Pump Troubleshooting

I have a terrible knack for finding things that need fixing around the dabin. Well, it's not so terrible, but it always makes more work for Wayne.  This trip I noticed that Wayne's Writer's Retreat boat called Gemini was riding low in the water. I stepped aboard and saw that the bilge was full from recent rains. Not a good for a boat!

Wayne determined that the automatic bilge pump wasn't working.  It runs off the solar powered battery bank stored in the rear of the boat.  It's primary function is to supply our cabin with electricity. The little pump is never a drain, even on dark winter days.

Troubleshooting led Wayne to a blown fuse in the wiring between the pump and the battery posts. We fumbled a bit finding out whether it was the float switch or the pump causing the problem, but in just a little time Wayne had water flowing and Gemini popped back up where she belonged.  I bet she felt a whole lot better after taking a long deserved leak. -- Margy