Building Green

When we set out to build our house, select the type of heating and the building materials, energy efficiency was always a consideration. The choices we made: R20 prefab walls, R40 ceiling, radiant heat and the use of a heat pump, good windows; double glazed with Argon gas and Suncoat Low-e coating were all with that goal in mind. We plan to be here a while and with the costs of energy on the rise we wanted to be proactive. Recently I learned that there were rebates available for new homes through the EnerGuide program. This is a program which encourages the building of homes that are energy efficient, that lower greenhouse gas emissions and save energy. Homes are evaluated against many criteria and given a score on a scale of 1-100. An official label with the score is applied inside the electrical panel and stays with the home. In much the same way that EnergyStar appliances are labeled, so it will be for our homes. Currently voluntary, this EnerGuide program for homes will become mandatory and a factor for consideration when buying a new home. Good builders are now working with Energy Advisors from the planning stage so that their homes are designed and built to qualify from the start. In 2005 the average home in Canada had a rating of 66 on the EnerGuide scale. By comparison a home built to the R-2000 standard has a rating of 80. We decided to apply for the rebate and to get our home tested so we contacted an Advisor and made an appointment for our leakage test.


Above, the blower door test: a frame and fan were set up and air was forced out of our house. Leaks were discovered as cold outside air came in to fill the void. A computer read and recorded the results. Our leakage primarily occurred around pot lights, wall electrical outlets and in some windows. A score of 80 is required to qualify the home as efficient. Our house scored an 84.
We were the first Owner/Builders and the first prefab home to be tested by this consultant and she was impressed with the measures we had taken and pleased with the outcome as 84 is considered a good score. How good will be proved by future heating bills.

Low Tide

Today was sunny - a nice day to walk on the beach at low tide. Roy was called away to fight a structure fire so it was a "solo" walk. I love the beach and at low tide there's so much more to love. The retreating water exposes pockets of rock, expanses of sand and tidal pools full of interesting things...

Since I am a dummy and didn't wear boots - today was all about wet feet, sea stars and sand dollars and panoramic views.


The star fish are left high and dry and cling to rocks waiting for the return of high water, pink ones, purple ones and coral ones, large and small all in a big lump. Difficult to even guess how many are there.


The one above minus a leg got caught out in the open amidst a field of sand dollars. The white one is dead, but each of those black discs is alive - thousands of them. See the stars clinging in a mass to the side of the rock? and off in the distance the snowy peaks of the rocky mountains on the BC main land.


Although the structural part of building our house is over there are still dozens of jobs to do.
Roy and I tackle them one by one. Closets, tiling around the tub, Spackle, sanding and "dapping" all of the trim work. There are still mountains of boxes to unpack...and I can't even think about all the painting that will have to be done...
All the more reason to love a walk on the beach.

A Fish for all Seasons

....and a season for all fish, or so it would seem. As we adjust to rural life we are becoming "tuned" to the changes of the seasons and the changes in nature. Late Summer and Fall are synonymous with the return of the Salmon, first the Coho, then the Springs, the Pinks and the Chum. Spring is the time of the Trumpeter Swans and the run of the Herring. Herring are small fish that come here by the millions to spawn. They are fished for their roe (eggs) which is a delicacy in Japan.
The spectacle is the actual spawning, the release of sperm and eggs in such volume that it literally turns the waters of the strait turquoise, an amazing sight. With the herring come the fishing boats with seine and gill nets and the natural predators (sea lions, seals, ducks, gulls, eagles) gathering in numbers for the feast. The sky is alive with the birds and the air heavy with the smell of fish. The noise, the screeching of the gulls and barking of the sea lions is almost deafening at times. What a calamity!


Sea lions started to gather weeks ago, waiting for the arrival of the herring.


A bald eagle watches and waits, a fishing boat anchored off Qualicum Beach and the fleet appears on the horizon to the south off Parksville.


A small boat almost obliterated by birds and a closer look...yes those dark birds are eagles. At one point we counted 26 of them "duking it out" with the gulls for their share of the herring.


Turquoise waters off the coast of Vancouver Island, a sight usually reserved for the tropics.
Back to the changing of the seasons..next up Halibut season and the Brandt Geese.

A Walk Through Bowser B.C.

Bowser (Population 131), is a community on the eastern coast of Vancouver Island located approximately 66 km north of Nanaimo and is situated in a region which is informally known as Lighthouse Country. Bowser's local hotel was famous in the 1930s for a dog trained by his owners to deliver beer bottles to tables, receive the payment, and deliver change. This was cited in, "Ripley's Believe It Or Not." The community was named after William J. Bowser, Premier of British Columbia from 1915 to 1916.
The town of Bowser is just a 10 minute drive north of us and is the "go-to" spot for spur of the moment needs. It has a Legion Hall, a gas station, a grocery store, a hardware store and a plaza with gift stores, a coffee shop, the library, a clothing store and a gym. Oh, and can't forget the Georgia Park store (which is like a 7-11 with the addition of a post office and a liquor store) and Nicholini's pizza. Who could ask for more?


Welcome to Bowser. This is lighthouse country and the lighthouse theme is repeated everywhere.


We recently joined the Bowser legion and have been known to attend the meat draws and quaff a few brews with friends and neighbors. "Meat Draw" you ask, "what is that?" Well, it's a fund raising thing out here. You buy tickets, the draw is made and you win....meat. Our kids are horrified, but on a Friday night in Bowser it's the only show in town and always fun especially if you take home the bacon...or chicken, or steak....


Magnolia Court which houses many of the local amenities including the Library where I spent so much time using there reference books, magazines and Internet connection.


Tomm's food village (complete with palm trees) and the local garage/gas station.


The Irly Builder Supply where we have an account and are on a first name basis with the owners and staff, and the Georgia Park Store: one stop groceries, post office and liquor store.


If there is a landmark, it is this antique & gift store with this eye-catching and memorable loon.

It takes about 2 minutes to drive through Bowser and you may not even notice it. And so it is with all of the small communities that dot the east coast of Vancouver island. Small close-knit towns have been known to be hard on strangers, slow to accept outsiders. That is so NOT true here. This town and the people here have accepted and embraced us. We feel as if we have always been here when we are out and about and are greeted and called by name, a wave and a smile. We're living in a very small town and loving it.

Gone to the Dogs

Almost everyone out here in the country owns a dog; there are a total of six in the homes most immediately to our right , left and across the road. Many run loose on occasion and have made their way over to visit and introduce themselves. We know them by name and they no longer bark at us or make strange.


Kale (down the street) Brew (across the street)


Tug (next door)

Tug lives next door but has made our property his second home...at least since Roy bought and started feeding him Milk Bones. We're not sure what breed he is but he is a big and solid fellow about 12 years old with thick, black (and very stinky) fur. He hates bears and can be heard barking almost non-stop throughout the late summer when the plenitude of fish brings them in. He loves to play and will chase sticks and run circles growling and snapping like a crazy dog if he has it and thinks you want it. He often accompanies us on walks and is obedient and well behaved on these occasions.
Like most dogs, Tug is a mooch and will eat just about anything. We had to warn the trades not to leave their lunches within his reach and several learned the hard way as he trotted happily down the road with their sandwich. Tug is also a thief and will take anything; gloves, tools, coffee mugs, ABS pipe, an ear of corn.... then turn back to look and gauge your reaction as he trots away. To chase him, shout, plead or try to outsmart him is in vain. He will return and drop the item in exchange for a Milk Bone though...yes, Tug has learned to manipulate us and every day is a new game on.

The End of the Rainbow..

No, I'm not talking about life with Roy here on the Nile Creek.....although it's pretty close :-)
Did you ever wonder where the rainbow actually ended? Well now I have photographic proof that the rainbow ends in Qualicum Bay.



We have had the weirdest weather lately, rain in torrents, sleet, snow and high winds and then the clouds thin, the sun comes out and rainbows appear. Five minutes later it's raining again. And the weather is very local here - snowing in Fanny Bay, but not in Deep Bay a few miles south. I guess it's true what they say "if you don't like the weather just wait for 15 minutes".
The snow we had melted with the rain yesterday, but the high winds knocked out the power for about 4 hours - another regular occurrence here and good reason to have a generator.
We took a break from unpacking to run down to the ocean and check the surf. We can hear it when the winds are high, but the tide was low so it wasn't throwing debris on the highway or slapping at the seaside homes. Ho-hum, a day at the beach.

We're in...at last!

The last week has been a blur of activity. I can't remember what happened on what day.
The granite people came and cut and installed the counter and vanity tops,


the plumbers came and the sinks, faucets, toilets, showers, dishwasher etc all got installed.


Heating guys came and hooked up the heat pump, and the electricians came back to finish up the electrical. Roy cut and installed trim while I climbed the scaffold and painted the fireplace.


It all came together quickly so with everything in place it was time to say goodbye to our little cabin and move into our new house. Here's how it looks now...


Our bedroom with a view of the woods and the sound of the creek, and our new kitchen.
Oh, and that is snow. We've had our share of cold lately. Spring hasn't quite arrived after all.


The sun room (which may end up as the dining room) and the fireplace.

Ahead, unpacking dozens of boxes and trying to figure out what goes where. The acid test of the house design will be whether there is a "place" for everything. There are still lots of finishing touches, painting, decorating and furniture and electronics to purchase before our house becomes a comfortable home, but we are so thankful to be in at last.