I can see clearly now ...

Do you use double-paned windows in your home? They're great for adding insulation, but when they fail, condensation gets inside to clouds the glass, limiting your view.

Double-sided adhesive tape in frame.

When John built our cabin, he found used double-paned windows. That saved him (and us) a lot of money. But over time, one of the panes in the front window leaked. On the best of days, it was cloudy. Other times, you could see moisture dripping down inside.

In with the new pane from Modern Windows.

John came out to help us remove the glass. That took a little bit of chiseling and we ended up cracking the pane. But it held together enough to make it to Modern Windows to be measured for replacement.

What a difference!

In the meantime, we taped up some plastic to keep the birds (nesting Barn Swallows), wasps (they're starting to hang around), and critters (mice especially) out. In two days, John returned with our replacement glass. The measurements were perfect in both size and pane width.

Replacing the outside moulding.

Modern Windows gave John some double-sided tape to use to adhere the window pane to the frame. That was much easier than using a caulking gun. Once the pane was in, John put the outside moulding back on to hold the glass securely in place, and to give it that finished look.

It's amazing how clear our view is now. We can definitely see more clearly now. Thanks John and Modern Windows, Powell River's hometown manufacturer of windows, doors, and a whole lot more. -- Margy

Return to Goat Island

Mowat Bay launch ramp.

Wayne and I've gone on lots of quad trips using our barge, but until recently haven't taken any friends along. To accommodate a third (a large Yamaha Grizzly), we turned our two smaller Kodiaks sideways and headed south to Mowat Bay to pick up our friends Dave and Marg.

Goat Island's Dunn Dock and barge ramp.

Dave grew up in Powell River and is a past president of the Powell River ATV Club. He and his wife Marg ride frequently, but going to Goat Island in the middle of Powell Lake is a rarity. Wayne and I were glad we could share it them.

Forest harvester.

The last time Wayne and I went to Goat Island, there was active logging just inland from the dock. Large equipment was parked on the road, taking the weekend off. The large forest harvester was the same model Western Forest Products demonstrated last year on the Forestry Tour.

Logs blocked our way on old logging roads.

It's been a while since Dave was on Goat, but he knew his way around.  We headed up Spire Main, and Dave got us to the right logging road to overlook Spire Lake. It was a lot larger than I expected, and a great picnic spot with view.

Spire Lake on Goat Island.

Wayne pinpointed the two trees we can see from our cabin on his GPS. We got close, but couldn't see through the trees to the ridge overlooking Powell Lake and Hole in the Wall. Maybe future logging will lead us closer, but for now we'll have to be content with our view from below.

We all headed for the main Clover Dock to check things out before returning to the barge and heading home. It was a fun day of riding, picnicking, exploring, and being with good friends. Thanks for sharing it with us Dave and Marg. -- Margy

From Compost to Garden

Since the summer of 2002, I've been composting my way to a cliff-side plot of soil using garden waste and kitchen scraps.

In 2002, there was no soil in this location, only rocks and a steep slope.

I made a simple wire basket that holds our organic waste from spring through fall. My floating garden and deck pots are easy to manage, so I cut everything into small chunks before carrying it up the hill.

When fall arrives I dig a pit, dump the freshest trimmings on the bottom, the barrel contents on top, and cover it with soil. In between layers I give it a good watering and use a compost accelerator.

The compost pit ready to uncover after "cooking" all winter long.

I leave the top exposed through several rains to make sure it's moist. Then it's covered with trash bags and weighted down with boards.

The result is more soil for my garden without having to buy it, and without having to carry it up four flights of stairs from the cabin below.

Sowing my quinoa seeds after digging my completed compost into the soil.

Last year I grew quinoa for the first time. It was a partial success because the critters got to enjoy it more than I did. But I'm giving it another try. This year I sowed lots of seeds in hopes there'll be more for both of us to share.

For now, there's plenty of water in the rain barrels. You can bet when it gets hot this summer I'll be praying for rain. Otherwise I'll have to carry buckets up those same four flights of stairs. Now that's not a pleasant thought.

Do you grow quinoa? What has your experience been?

UPDATE: The  critters and drought this year have literally killed my quinoa growing for this season. Maybe I need to find something even hardier and more drought resistant for my upper garden. Any suggestions? -- Margy

Making a New Anchor

Living in a float cabin requires some special attention. Our cabin is surrounded by a floating log boom. It designates our water lease from the BC government, protects us from wind waves and boat wakes, and holds my garden in place.

John's dog Bro supervises as usual.

The southeast corner of the boom is held in place by a heavy anchor connected to the end of the main log by a very long steel cable.

The anchor has been in place for fifteen years. It may last another fifteen, but you never know. One thing I do know, if it gives, it will be in the dead of winter during a massive wind storm. Not good, definitely not good!

This week John helped us make a new anchor. It started with a 55-gallon plastic barrel, a bag of cement, and a heavy boom chain.

We used the tin boat to take our raft to Sandy Beach to get sand (check out the previous post to come along on the ride.) And of course, Powell Lake provided the water to mix the cement.

It was a slow process. Wayne dug a bucket of sand. Sandy Beach is a rare spot on Powell Lake that isn't solid rock. Good thing it's nearby.

A smaller bucket of cement, a few scoops of water, and John did the mixing. Dump the mix into the barrel and start all over again.

In between the cement mix we added medium sized rocks. That was my job, to collect the rocks from along the shore and stack them near the gangplank.

The large boom chain was suspended in the middle of the barrel so it would be held firmly in place once the cement set. It'll be the connection point for the new anchor connection.

The barrel is positioned on the edge of the raft. When the time comes to drop it near the log boom, it will only take a strong shove to get it going. Stay tuned to see that next step in the process. -- Margy

Going on a Raft Trip

This week we used our tin boat to take our cedar log work raft out on a project. Click on the video below to come along for the ride.

The raft was still loaded with driftwood from last season's gathering, but it didn't get in our way. Come back on Tuesday to see the reason for your voyage. -- Margy

Cruise to Heriot Bay, BC

The 2452 on the Strait of Georgia on a calm day.

This weekend was our first cruise in the Bayliner. She spent the winter in the Powell River Airport hangar and was glad to return to her moorage in the Westview Marina. While she was in storage, we got lots of winter maintenance completed. A fresh coat of bottom paint to keep those sea critters at bay, a cleaned and repainted leg on her engine, new zincs to forestall metal corrosion, and a good cleaning to remove some unexpected rust stains from a steel roof beam in the hangar.

Heriot Bay Inn and Marina

We like going to Heriot Bay as a shakedown destination. For that matter, we love going there several times during the cruising season.

We stopped at the Heriot Bay Inn for an early dinner on the outside deck.  Because it's the shoulder season, we got there too late for fuel. No worries, the anchorage at Rebecca Spit Marine Park in Drew Harbour is right next door.

Blue skies and warm weather in Drew Harbour

On the last weekend of May, we only had to share the anchorage with four other boats. In summer, this popular spot can draw twenty, thirty, or more cruisers.

Moonrise over the anchorage

It may still be spring, but the weather felt like summer. All we did was relax, read, and watch the ducks and gulls swim by.

Sunset at 9:00 pm

I didn't want to leave, but rain is on the way. We'll head home for the cabin where we can listen to the drops on the metal roof and build a fire one more time after our long warm spell. -- Margy

Logging on Goat Island

Tower yarder parked on logging road.

The economy of Powell River and the surrounding region is primarily based on a resources. Logs are extracted for sale to mills down the coast. Pulp is then returned to the Catalyst paper mill, our largest industry. Even though the city of Powell River was founded because of its natural resources, controversy over logging persists, especially when it is in town or other visible areas.

Cables from the yarder run down to a tall tree in the slash.

But when it's far from town, and hidden in the bush, logging goes on day in and day out. In the Powell Lake area, we have Western Forest Products. They are a responsible logging company and work hard to keep the community informed. Every year they take bus loads of town folk out to their logging area to demonstrate their logging and reforestation practices.

On a recent weekend trip to Goat Island with our barge and quads, Wayne and I came upon a fresh cut block with all the equipment parked in place, ready to resume work on Monday. It was really interesting to see everything up close. I'm not an expert at names, but here is what I think we found.

Yarder grapple hanging from the cables.

The first thing we saw was a tower yarder hooked up for cable logging.  Down in the middle of the slash a large spar tree was left in place and supported with guy wires. A cable from the tree ran up to the yarder, allowing it to haul cut logs up to the road for removal. On the ground we found the grapple.  Click here for a good description of the process.

Tigercat Harvester

Next, we came up to a CAT Harvester. This all-in-one piece of heavy equipment can grab a trunk, cut the tree, turn it sideways to strip the limbs, and continue to cut the log into precise lengths. Here's a video I took on the Western Forest Products tour last year.

Looking inside the head of the Harvester

Looking inside the head you could see where the chainsaw was tucked up inside, ready to drop down and cut the tree. Nearby, grinders are placed to take care of stripping off the branches.

Loader poised to load logs onto logging trucks.

The third piece of equipment we came upon was a loader. After the yarder brought the logs up to the landing next to the logging road, the loader got it stacked and ready for the logging truck to take it down to the log dump at Clover Dock.

It would have been interesting to see it all in action, but we would have been in the way I'm sure. -- Margy