Magpie's Diner's Now in Cranberry

I have a friend in Powell River that's also named Margaret. We both have float cabins up the lake, and they were both built by our friend John.  Margaret and her husband Art are the proud owners of a very popular restaurant named Magpie's Diner.


Margaret started Magpie's Diner on Glacier Street. When that location became too small, she moved to the Townsite's historic Rodmay Hotel and reopened it's cafe as Magpie's Diner. This year, Magpie's has moved once again, to an even larger space in the community of Cranberry.

Magpie's Diner serves breakfast and lunch seven days a week from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. We like to stop for breakfast when we are heading into town.

We usually order the same thing, a cheese omelet with a side of spicy chorizo sausage for Wayne, and the Not-So-Big Big Breakfast for me with one egg, breakfast meats, homemade hash browns, and toast. But everything on the menu is great from all day breakfasts, to Bennies, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and homemade desserts. You can even get a bottle of Townsite beer to go with your meal.


I love the new location. The building is an historic structure that housed Wilshire's Store. The old counter and stools are still in use. Margaret invites local artists to display on her walls, and she uses local produce and products whenever possible.

If you live in Powell River, I'm sure you already know about Magpie's Diner. If you are coming for a visit, make sure it's part of your travel plans. -- Margy

Cabin Life March Photo Contest

Voting for the March Cabin Life Magazine March Photo Contest ended Sunday, March 23.  It was an honour to have our float cabin home as a finalist.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote. I appreciate your support. -- Margy

Into the Fog

Spring often brings us foggy days up Powell Lake.


Following a rain or snow, the forecast usually calls for sunny.


We know that usually means foggy.


That can mean a tricky boat ride if we have to head down the lake.


But we always know the sun is up there somewhere, trying to break through. -- Margy

The Junco Wars

We have to careful when we plant our garden. If it's too early in March, it coincides with the arrival of the Oregon Juncos. They're cute little birds, but they have a voracious appetite. And a favourite food is just planted seeds.

I learned the hard way early in my gardening career. It was mid-March. We noticed three Oregon Juncos at our cabin. We didn't think much of it at the time. They only seemed interested in the wild bird seed we had strategically placed by our bird houses.

Three days later, the Juncos multiplied into twenty and attacked our garden with a vengeance. We quickly pulled bird netting across the just planted beds. That didn't stop them one bit. They squeezed through the small holes in our plastic fencing. I got some some plastic lawn borders and closed every gap. The Juncos continued to search for openings, and when that failed, they bounced on the netting like a trampoline. It was quite a sight.

We called that experience "The Junco Wars." Since then we've had Junco's visit our cabin every year. But we've found if we wait to plant later in April they aren't so aggressive. But we keep our bird netting, lawn borders, and clothes pins on hand and ready just in case. -- Margy

Float Cabin Anchor Cable Repair Part I

Following our good friend John, Wayne and I learn lots about float cabin construction. Recently, we went along on an anchor cable repair job.

Float cabins are secured to shore with either heavy ropes or steel cables. John is of the steel cable persuasion. But even hefty cables rust and weaken over time.

Then, if there's a strong wind, they can break. This cable wore thin and broke right in the middle. When it's happened at our cabin, they've broken at shore anchor bolts and cabin connections. No matter where it breaks, an anchor cable must be quickly repaired.

First, John used a long rope as a temporary solution. Then he ordered new cable for a permanent fix.

Wayne and I met up with John at the Shinglemill Marina just as he was loading the heavy spool onto the back of his boat. John is very resourceful, but cable is VERY heavy.


At the cabin, Wayne helped John unroll the cable. Using cable clamps and a socket wrench, John made a loop to attach one end of the cable to a large chain at the corner of the cabin. He recited his saying, "never saddle a dead horse" to remind us of the proper clamp placement.

Once it was "John tight," he was ready for phase two of the installation.

Come back tomorrow to see how the heavy cable was transported across the water to it's cliff-side anchor. -- Margy

Float Cabin Anchor Cable Repair Part 2

The hard part came next. Fortunately, John had already strung a rope across the water to the bolt anchored into the granite wall.

John wound the rest of the cable into a tin boat while Wayne feed it to him, avoiding any twists.



Wayne used the rope to pull the tin boat over to the rock wall while John let out the steel cable. It's important not to let it sink to the bottom. It could snag on sunken logs or rocks. The process was a balance between slowly extending the cable and pulling it across.


John used a stray log as an attachment point for extra buoyancy.  It just happened to be floating next to the cabin. John is such a resourceful guy. He can think things out in his head on the fly. A log, a hammer, a staple, and a piece of rope transformed into a mechanical advantage.

Finally they reached the other side.  Come back tomorrow to see the last step. -- Margy

Float Cabin Anchor Cable Repair Part 3

This was the last step in replacing the float cabin anchor cable. Once Wayne pulled the tin boat all the way across to the cliff, he jumped out to carry the free end up to the anchor bolt that had a welded eye large enough to receive the thick cable.


John joined Wayne and they pulled the cable through the eye until it had the proper amount of slack. You don't want it too tight because it would create excessive tension during wind storms, and there wouldn't be enough slack for changes in the lake's water level. You don't want it too loose or the cabin's position wouldn't be right, and it would swing too much on windy days. John's trained eye can tell just the right amount of swag.


Wayne held the cable in place as John installed two cable clamps. Tightened "John tight" with a socket wrench they won't be slipping or coming off during even the worst storms. The last thing was to remove the cable from the log and let it fall into place. Perfect!

Job well done by two hefty men, and two supervisors from the cabin deck. I was one (behind the camera) ...


and Bro took up his usual pose of authority. Nothing gets past his eagle eye, especially a sardine covered kibble dish. -- Margy