Can you tell a book by its cover?

The cover of a book is very important. When I go book shopping, the first thing I see is the spine. I prefer books that have a prominent title. The next thing I do is look at the picture. Does it portray the contents of the book? Lastly, I read the synopsis on the back. If a book's cover makes it through my scrutiny, then, and only then, will I open it to explore the inside.

Recently, I went to Cozy Corner Books and Coffee in Bellingham and a book caught my eye. It was The North Runner by R.D. Lawrence. First, the word "north" sparked my interest. I'm always looking for books about Canadian adventures. The cover pictured a man and his dog hiking through the snow covered forest and with a description that said "set in the majestic wilderness of British Columbia." I was hooked even before I made it to the back cover.

RD (Ronald Douglas) Lawrence lived The North Runner in the late 1950's and put it into print in 1979 (reprinted in 2004). RD immigrated to Canada to experience a more natural lifestyle. I can relate to that! He purchased a homestead in Ontario and that is where the story begins. He purchases an abused half dog, half wolf from an Indian to become the lead for his sled team. He names him Yukon after the wild, rugged, exciting northland of the Yukon Territory. The story follows man and dog as they build trust in each other, become partners in life, and have adventures in the Ontario woods and the British Columbia wilderness. It's one of the best books I've read in a long time.

RD Lawrence was a renowned naturalist. He learned by observing plants and animals in their natural habitat. His extensive knowledge and research are woven throughout his books and stories in such a way that you feel you are following in his footsteps. RD passed away in 2003, but his writing focusing on Canadian natural history will live on forever. You can read more about RD at the website Cry Wild. His wife, Sharon, has a guest book there and will answer any questions you may have. I hope you enjoy his books as much as I do. -- Margy

CCGC Cape Caution

On Saturday, Wayne and I came to town. That afternoon, a storm front passed through with lots of strong wind. From our condo we watched the building swells and white caps and heard the loud clanging of sailboat tackle from the marina. I looked up just in time to see the Canadian Coast Guard heading back to port in Powell River's north harbour. I grabbed my camera and got some video of the men and women on the CCGC Cape Caution having a rough (but probably fun for them) day on the chuck.

The Cape Caution is a 15 metre self-righting lifeboat used for search and rescue operations along the Strait of Georgia. She went through a commissioning ceremony when it arrived on Powell River on September 15, 2005, and is a regular fixture in our coastal waters. She can travel up to 100 nautical miles with a top speed of about 25 knots when needed. The men and women of the crew stay in one of the condos in our building and have their headquarters out front. It's good to know we have such wonderful neighbours.-- Margy

Big Yellow Banana

Wayne and I tend to name things that are important to us. There's Mr. Boat, our Campion that takes us to and from our cabin, Mr. Seagull, the rubber toy that keeps our Bayliner safe on the seas, and Mr. Pee Bucket, who help us out so we don't have to climb the hill to the outhouse every time.

On our first visit to Powell River, we decided to try kayaking. We drove up to Okeover Inlet and rented two single kayaks from Y-Knot. We had a great time, so we returned and rented a double from Powell River Sea Kayak. When we purchased a kayak, we went back to Powell River Sea Kayak and got a used one for a really good price. That's how Mr. Kayak, our Current Designs Libra XT sea kayak, came into our lives. Mr. Kayak also has a nickname, the Big Yellow Banana. When he is on top of our little Ford Tempo, he looks just like one.

The Big Yellow Banana takes us on many great adventures. We've been out in the Strait of Georgia to Harwood Island, south to the Gulf Islands and Sechelt Inlet, and north to sandy Savary and the rocky Copeland Islands. Our Big Yellow Banana has also taken us on several lake camping trips including Lois, Khartoum and Haslam. In addition, he enjoys hanging out at the cabin for fishing and exploratory trips on Powell Lake. There's nothing like a Big Yellow Banana to get you there.

Don't have a Big Yellow Banana of your own? There are lots of places to rent kayaks in Powell River including Y-Knot, Powell River Sea Kayak, Skeeter Jacks Outback Shack (only sport kayaks, but they also have a great restaurant), and Alpha Adventures. Most locations will transport your kayak to the departure point of your choice. -- Margy

Top 10 Reasons to Visit Powell River this Spring

Today is the first day of Spring and I'm headed for my favourite place on earth, Powell River, BC. Spring break is coming and people are heading for vacation spots. Here are 10 reasons you should make Powell River your spring travel destination.

10. An exciting ferry ride to get here. BC Ferries serves Powell River. You can easily turn your visit to Powell River into a Circle Route vacation. Check out the Experience Card for extra savings. On the Vancouver to Powell River route you will travel through majestic fjords and pass towering snow-capped peaks. It's an E-ticket ride for sure.

9. Friendly people. One of the first things we noticed about Powell River was that everyone was friendly and welcoming. Stop at the Tourism Powell River Visitor Centre in the Crossroads Village Shopping Centre next to Quality Foods on Mondays through Fridays 9:00-5:00. Pick up a free Powell River Living magazine or Powell River PEAK to see what's happening around town.

8. Great places to stay. In the middle of town is the Town Centre Hotel, check into the Harbour Guesthouse hostel, lounge on the beach at the Oceanside Resort and Cabins, or immerse yourself in history at the Townsite's Old Courthouse Inn. There's a place for everyone. We have a special place in our hearts for the Willingdon Beach Campsite. That's where we stayed when we first discovered Powell River.

7. Tasty restaurants. From everyday to fancy, we have it all. The Vancouver Island University and Brooks Culinary Arts Program restaurant is open for lunch. Start the day with coffee and a cinnamon bun at Rocky Mountain Pizza, get a fantastic omelet at Starvin' Marvins, or grab lunch in the mall at Moose n' Eddies. Don't leave town without a brew and steak at the Shinglemill Pub on Powell Lake. Sit and watch boats coming and going from logging sites and float cabins up the lake.

6. Quaint shops on Marine Avenue. Marine Avenue in the Westview section of Powell River is a mix of new and historic buildings. You'll find business as usual (banks, lawyers, hairdressers, restaurants) and specialty shops. Get a tattoo at Ink Fected, a souvenir at the Paperworks Gallery or a book to read at the Hidden Treasures Bookstore. In August, the whole street closes for the annual Blackberry Festival.

5. The Mill and Historic Townsite. Powell River was founded as a mill town for the Powell River Paper Company. The paper mill is now owned by Catalyst, but Powell River is no longer a company town. Homes are now privately owned and the Townsite was designated a National Historic District by Parks and Monuments Canada in 1995. Discover Powell River's history at the Museum.

4. The Open-Air Market. Powell River's farmers market is open April to September. Watch Around Town in the PEAK for opening and special event dates. Come for fresh produce, flowers, home baking, hand crafts and local entertainers on the Open Mic Stage on Saturdays 10:30-12:30 and Sundays 12:30-2:30.

3. Lots of outdoor activities. Whether you favourite activity is boating, hiking, ATVing, winter sports, kayaking or just relaxing, Powell River has it all. We are famous for our scuba diving, Sunshine Coast Trail, Powell River Canoe Route and rock climbing. Forest campgrounds and easy access to the back country make it paradise for outdoor enthusiasts.

2. Fabulous sunsets. Powell River is located on the mainland of Coastal BC. The town is built on along the waterfront with sweeping views of the Strait of Georgia and Vancouver Island. The Seawalk Viewpoint is a great place to take in the view, or add some fantastic food and see it from the Savoury Bight restaurant at the Beach Gardens Resort.

1. Heading up the lake. Powell Lake is a land-locked glacial carved fresh water fjord. I love living in a float cabin up the lake in Hole in the Wall. You can rent a float cabin or houseboat to experience life on the lake for yourself. You can also read about off the grid living on Powell Lake in Up the Lake and Farther Up the Lake by Wayne J. Lutz at www.PowellRiverBooks.com.

Need more reasons to come? Visit Tourism Powell River. I'll see you here! -- Margy

Woodstove Sock Puppet

They say, "Necessity is the mother of invention." I've written frequently about the wood stove that is the heart of our cabin, especially in winter. Over the years, we've learned a lot about living with a woodstove. Not all of those lessons have been easy. One of the most difficult was smoke blowing back into the cabin, especially during windy storms. One solution was the installation of a revolving weather chimney cap.

The cap works well, but only if creosote is cleaned from it's underside and the chimney pipe. Because we use our stove almost 24/7 during the winter, we find that we need to do that cleaning once a month. We pick a fairly warm day and let the fire die. First we disconnect the interior pipe and manually clean it's interior, paying special attention to the 90 degree turn through the cabin's wall.

Next, Wayne goes up on the roof to clean the chimney cap and exterior pipe. When our good friend John installed our new cap, he also installed a new section of outdoor pipe with a T-joint and a built in clean-out hatch. This really works well for cleaning the vertical pipe, but it actually makes it harder to clean out the exterior portion of the 90 degree turn as the pipe goes through the cabin wall.

Here's where my invention comes in. I call it my wood stove sock puppet. We needed a device that was flexible enough to feed through the bottom of the pipe and up into the 90 degree bend to scoop out the creosote. A bent wire coat hanger, an old sock and some twisties from bulk food bags were recycled into the perfect tool. Now our chimney pipe can be clean from top to bottom.

If you need to more information about troubleshooting wood stove issues and problems, try some of these websites. -- Margy

• www. Chimneys.com -- Woodstoves and Woodstove Problems
• BC Ministry of Environment -- Reducing Woodstove Smoke
• The Wood Heat Organization -- especially All About Chimneys
• Famco -- not our new cap, but similar
• Volko Supply Online -- describes downdrafts and wind loading

The Good, The Bad and The Powerful

Earlier this week I wrote about capturing the power of wind with our AirX wind generator. It's good to be able to use wind create extra electrical power at our float cabin. But the wind doesn't always bring good. Sometimes it's bad.

We get gale force (and a few times hurricane force) winds as storms move in and out. We've learned the hard way to keep our deck clear to prevent precious items from diving overboard to a watery grave. Even so, we lost an empty propane tank (fortunately our friend John found it floating in the Hole), a large heavy sawhorse, numerous plastic barrels and buckets, and the top to our BBQ.

Recently, I woke to the sound of wind roaring in like a train from the north. When it hit, a picnic tabletop Wayne salvaged tore loose and became a giant Frisbee. The loss would have been bad enough, but during it's brief flight it took out both antenna on our boat moored nearby. Not a good thing for sure. Whether good or bad, the wind sure is powerful. - Margy

AirX Wind Generator

Our float cabin in Hole in the Wall is off the grid. We use solar, but from October through March the amount of sunlight available for power generation is limited because our cabin is in a water filled valley. On the shortest day, "sunrise" over Goat Island is at 10:00 and "sunset" behind the trees on the other side of Hole is at 1:00. So, as you can see, even on a sunny day we can't store up much electricity in our batteries.

One day while walking through Canadian Tire we spotted an AirX wind generator. We thought it was worth a try. The AirX is a 400 watt wind generator manufactured by Southwest Windpower. The blades start turning at 8 mph, but power generation doesn't start until about 10 mph. To reach the 400 watt capacity, there needs to be a steady breeze of 28 mph. Two special features include a charge controller that stops power generation when the batteries reach full charge, and overspeed protection to prevent damage during high wind conditions.

We only get winds in the Hole during storms, but now that we use the wind for power generation you won't hear us complain too much. Now you'll hear us chant, "We're making power, we're making power!" We'll, at least until something is swept off the deck. Here's our AirX in action during a recent storm.



Do you generate your own power? I would be interested to hear about your experiences. - Margy