More Visitors

We have been really busy of late so I am way behind on my blogging. We have lots of catching up to do so here goes...

The day after Dana flew home to Ontario we had more visitors. Darlene and Ian, very dear friends added a visit to Qualicum Beach to the end of their Alaska cruise. Disembarking from the cruise in Vancouver, they caught a ferry over to Victoria, rented a car and drove north for a three day stay. It's absolutely wonderful to catch up with old friends, but lots to say in only 3 days!


We combed the beach at low tide, picking up some treasures, (among them a flower stone) and walked the forest trails. All "shopped and toured" out from their cruise Darlene and I an were content to take in some of the more natural sights and sounds, a walk around the Air Park in Courtenay, the Comox Harbor and the Goose Spit. Yeah, not too exciting, but scenic at least.


Above: Comox Harbor. Below: views across the water at the (still) snow covered mountains and the Comox glacier. Sadly, my pictures don't do these vistas justice. Maybe you just have to smell the sea and feel the icy breeze off the mountains at the same time as the sun warms your skin.




3 days passed in a flash and it was time to go. Hey guys, it was a great visit. Come back soon!

A Visitor

Our daughter Dana recently came for a visit, the first of our kids to come and see our new home. We haven't seen Dana since her wedding last June and she is expecting her first child, (our second grand child) so the visit was great, we had a bit of catching up to do. We took in some of the local sights, the beach and the forest trails, a visit to Spider Lake and a drop-in at the Bow Horn Bay Volunteer Fire Dept to sit in the big red truck. We also visited Coombs, home of the "Goats on the Roof" market. Lots of shopping for souvenirs, fresh produce, baked goods and...ice cream cones!


We hiked up to the hatchery and impressed Dana with the size of our tress..... and slugs .


Our one big excursion was a drive over to the Pacific Rim with stops in Tofino and Long Beach.
It's a 2 hr drive over the mountains and along crazy winding and twisting roads..yes this is a main road and the only route to Tofino so hang on tight!


We stopped to view the Mars-Martin Water Bombers and saw a black bear along the way.


Arriving at the beach made the trip worthwhile, the surf was high and roared in pounding on the miles of sand. The surfers were out in spite of warnings about Rip Tides - crazy people!




Tofino is a quaint little west coast town with the obligatory government fishing docks, an old cannery converted to a restaurant, art galleries, cafes, souvenir shops and lots of outdoor recreation: visit the hot springs, go kayaking or whale watching, take a float plane trip, hike through old growth forests or try surfing lessons and on and on. Plenty of resorts and spas now, it's become a tourist destination. Tofino is also the terminus of the Trans Canada Highway.



We spent the day touring the town and wandering the beach then headed for home. Dana stayed for a week and we had a wonderful visit and we're so glad for the time we had. Love you Sweetie!

Broom in Bloom

At first glance, a scene of natural beauty; water, a beach and a drift of bright yellow flowers.
A closer look and the flowers are revealed to be Scotch Broom a highly invasive noxious weed.


In bloom at this time of year it is apparent how wide-spread the plant is. Fields, roadsides and vacant lots are awash in yellow. I have taken to carrying pruners in my pocket when I walk down to get the mail and cut the plants as I see them. At least we can keep our street free of broom. One plant produces hundreds of seeds and the seeds can lay dormant in the soil for 30 years. Yikes! Below: a brief history of the plants spread on Vancouver Island from Wikipedia.

Scotch broom is native to the Mediterranean areas of Europe. It was intentionally introduced to B.C. in 1850 by Captain Walter Grant who planted broom at his farm on Vancouver Island. Regrettably, few realized the invasiveness of this perennial as it quickly spread up the east coast of Vancouver Island before invading the Gulf Islands and mainland. Humans encouraged its continued spread as highway departments planted Scotch broom as a bank stabilizer because of its deep root structure and rapid growth. It competes with native species for available light, moisture and nutrients, especially on disturbed sites. So far there are no known natural predators for this weed, therefore allowing it to spread throughout southern B.C. and other parts of North America.

All Play, No Work.

Remember the cedar that we milled on site? That was a year ago now. We stickered and stacked it to dry and finally used it to side the house through December and January. It was very wet when it went up but over the last six months it has dried and lightened to a "tan" colour. Left untreated the wood will fade and silver over time, light in exposed areas and darker under the eaves.






The siding being applied back in January of this year.

Our aim is to have low to no maintenance, so we're not painting, staining or varnishing. We found a water based product called "Lifetime" which when applied preserves the cedar and speeds up the aging and silvering of the wood making it look like the house has been here forever.


"Lifetime" is a little packet of powder that mixes with 5 gallons of water. Over two days I sprayed the whole house and the difference is immediate and quite noticeable.
Water and sun will complete the process of fading the cedar, and we're done with maintenance. How great is that? Now, on to the workshop and carport. Whew!