Week ending Apr. 7, 2002
Those viscous creatures are definitely back. And they're all around the house. The hummingbirds! They are very possessive of the feeders I put out for them. And one hummingbird will dart "out of nowhere" to attack any other who tries to feed there. Little terrorists.
Unfortunately we don't have too many opportunities to watch them. The weather has been so great all week we've been full time on garden activities. Marit has been spending a lot of time in the last few days positioning and planting perennial shrubs and dwarf conifers in front of the house. Unfortunately they are rather lost amongst the spring bulbs that are beginning to bloom.
Marit has been too active, walking, lifting and carrying; especially today. And her knee, which had been slowly healing, is again very sore. I hope it will mend quickly if she stays more off her feet.
Last week the tractor operator left me with a lot of bare ground to cultivate. My original intentions were to instantly transform it into a splendid garden, with outstanding floral displays among a background of shrubs and trees. Somehow it hasn't worked out exactly that way yet.
"Cultivating the soil" here means digging and loosening the heavily compacted dirt and removing the millions of rocks down to a depth of almost 2 feet (45 - 60 cm.) And then amending the top 8 inches (20 cm.) of soil with peat moss and manure. Excessive care? No, absolutely essential. But it's painfully slow (and slowly painful).
As a result, a lot of the yard is being diverted into vegetable and fruit gardens. (In theory I can slowly prepare the ground while cultivating potatoes throughout it. And letting squash and pumpkin ramble over the unused portions for a season.)
On Thursday (after visiting my chiropractor) I came home with the car completely packed, with peat moss, seed potatoes, raspberry and blueberry plants, as well as a selection of bedding plants. And the challenge felt overwhelming.
Then my neighbour came over and gave me a wheelbarrow full of strawberry plants and a bag of onion sets. In a moment of insanity I accepted them. So as the week comes to a close, I have a strawberry bed, several blueberry bushes, a long row of raspberries, and 25 pounds of seed potatoes all planted in properly amended soil. The onion sets got planted too. I even managed a diversion by Marit; preparing a bed for her sweet peas.
Marit also decided she wanted a crop of sugar peas, but I wasn't able to finish that today.
It's still to early for most of the garden to be planted; there was frost again this morning. But my main beds (shown on the left) are ready with a thick layer of composted manure on top. All set for the main event; next month, in the middle of May.
Until then, I'm hoping to get started on the BIG project; construction of the driveway, and the mining of the rocks on the property. The backhoe should be here next week.
Let the fun begin.
Week ending Apr. 14, 2002
After our long spell of great weather we're back on the storm track with storm after storm rolling in. Some are very windy. These aren't the greatest days for cultivating the ground, but the grass certainly loves it.
Today's picture was taken an hour ago in a lull between showers. Our large maple tree is showing the progress of spring. The greens are not the beginning of leaves; they are pollen bracts scattering a yellow pollen dust. This is not the greatest season for anyone with allergies.
(The thumbnail picture is not too clear. To enlarge it, click on it).
The driveway did not get excavated this week, and it may not be done next week either. The operator is doing work over on Hornby Island and will not bring his backhoe here until the job is finished. Well, I've waited a couple years to get this far. A couple more weeks won't matter. I'm really getting into this island philosophy.
There was more done in the garden, but I won't give the boring details.
Here's my attempt at raising some plants in preparation for transplanting later next month. I'm finding this crude attempt under glass to be a really interesting experiment. It should work, if it isn't ruined by the mice, or snails, or fungus, or cold,...
Some seed will be directly sown in the garden too. I'm just trying to get a head start.
This time of year, the nicest gardens are provided by mother nature. There are beautiful displays of these lilies along the slope by the water. They are Erythronium oregonum; commonly called Fawn Lilies.
Last April I showed a beautiful large area in magnificent bloom, just north of my property. It was not there this year. The new owners had meticulously cleared the messy brush at their waters edge last fall.
Marit still isn't too mobile. She describes her progress as two steps forward and one step back. It has been too easy to over-exert herself whenever it feels a bit better. So she's forcing herself to be careful.
Week ending Apr. 21, 2002
A trophy rock! They're growing bigger now as the weather warms. This one was hiding about a foot deep in an area in which I wanted to plant potatoes. I'm not sure if it was stubbornness or insanity that drove me to pry it out of the hole and move it by hand. I should have waited until the tractor arrived.
The series of rain storms ended mid week, and the last few days have been great. I just wish I had remembered to start using the sun block lotion.
Some of the seeds are just starting to poke out of the ground now; the sweet pea flowers are just sprouting below their net, and the edible snap peas are doing the same.
The excavator came on Friday afternoon and scooped a layer of soil off the future driveway. When he finished, he commented "You know, a truck load of that sells for $400 here on the island." And I have about a load and a half. I did some rapid thinking for a moment, but decided to keep it. Moving 15 cubic meters of dirt, by wheelbarrow, should be good exercise and give me something to do in my spare time.
The big challenge now will be filling the excavated area with stones. Even with all the rocks I'm digging from the property I don't expect to have enough. I'll probably need to buy another truckload.
Yesterday, the Denman Island Garden Club had its annual plant sale. Members had donated the surplus plants from their gardens. I bought quite a lot, and also took home some of the few stragglers that weren't claimed in the sale. We've filled the border I had prepared last fall, between the lawn and the driveway.
Marit did a lot of the planting. She also moved some plants to her new herb garden that I just prepared. Her leg has improved enough for her to participate in garden preparation. (Unfortunately it wasn't quite well enough for her to rake the lawn after I mowed it.)
Take note of this photo, because I'll show it again later this summer when the tiny bedding plants have grown, and the dirt pile is moved, and the driveway has been filled with stones, and surfaced with crushed rock, ... and maybe I can straighten my back again.
Week ending Apr. 28, 2002
A lot of wasted time this week; shopping, visits to the cat doctor, and worst of all...visits to the garden nurseries! Insanity grasped us; we bought plants, not knowing where we could put them or how we could support them.
Here's Marit a few hours ago. In desperation she dug a new shade garden bed to house her treasures. Look at that knee bending. And she shoveled that entire bed. And she said she was "being careful". I expect there will be a lot of ice packs being used soon.
Just as she finished, we realized that her bed was on the "outside" edge of the deer fence. And she had planted a smorgasbord for the critters. So I've hastily put up a barrier of chicken wire around it tonight, and hope the deer aren't too hungry or curious.
I had forgotten how much a nuisance the lawn can be at this time of year. Marit offered to rake this time, but I preferred having my supper made.
The circular towers in the background (which can probably only be seen if the picture is enlarged) are built of chunks of sod that were dug out when the driveway was excavated. I've built four of these towers, hoping the grass sods will decompose into piles of fertile soil. I'll have to plant something on top of them to add interest this summer.
Here's my latest project that should keep me busy for at least all of next week. Hard rock mining! This north east corner of the property appears to be a pocket of large gravel; just packed with small rocks. I'll have to screen out the dirt between the stones and use them as a base for the driveway.
According to geologists on the island, these patterns of stone deposits are a result of the last ice age. Denman Island was deeply covered with ice. As the glaciers melted and receded, the the masses of debris that had been ploughed and carried along fell in random patterns on the exposed ground. The Comox Glacier sure left me a varied mixture on the property.
And where's the glacier now? I understand it has gone back for more rocks.
Week ending May. 5, 2002
This is May? New snow is very low on the mountains across the water. And there was frost on Friday morning. It's been cold.
The blossoms in front of the house; both the daffodils and the tulips, are fading. But this patch of flowers has been a great site for watching the birds. Two pairs of song sparrows seem to claim this area as their own territory, and I've witnessed some serious battles as they fight for supremacy. They resemble two small roosters as they attack each other with feet and bill. But they're relatively tame when I'm in the vicinity.
In the same garden I saw my first ever Chipping Sparrow. Not rare here, just the first I've seen. Quite striking with it's rufous red cap.
Marit has been very active gardening in various areas. She's been developing a rockery beside the stairs down to the beach. And she's been transplanting a lot of our temporary plantings to more appropriate sites.
Marit has the fun stuff; I've been slaving in my "Hard Rock Mine". I can't even pretend this is gardening.
Every inch of soil for about one foot down is being put through a 1 inch screen. I'm gathering those rocks with the same enthusiasm I had harvesting potatoes last year.
Each wheelbarrow full of rocks, my "ore", is being laid in the driveway bed for a solid base. The picture below shows the status yesterday. It's progressed even more today (between showers of rain and hail).
I want to advise everyone of the major event scheduled for next month. The internationally renowned Denman Island Home and Garden Tour is scheduled for June 22nd-23rd. Another fantastic collection of gardens and architecture open for viewing on the island. Plan early to attend.
No, we are not included this year on the official tour. But one of these years I'm sure we'll be a feature attraction.
If you're interested in the tour, contact me for details and ticket information. It's an interesting weekend, and lots of fun.
Week ending May. 12, 2002
Another strange week. On Monday morning, this was the sight across the water. The snow was so low it as almost on the highway. Even last Friday, there was frost in the morning. There has never, ever, been frost so late here.
Even the farmer down the road, (who has lived here all his life, and who's ancestors settled here in 1876) lost an entire planting of tomatoes. He planted too early; they froze.
But this has to be the end of winter. It was 21 degrees in the sunshine today. And we celebrated Mothers Day with the first barbecue of the season.
Despite the strange swings of the climate, spring continues on. Here is a rhododendron that was given to us last year. It was outside the fence all winter and the deer didn't nibble it. It's now behind a string of chicken wire, in Marit's shade garden.
In other developments, I finished my "mining" activities in the "rock quarry". I estimate that 8 cubic yards of rock has been moved by wheelbarrow to the driveway. The soil that's left after being sifted through a screen looks quite fine.
Unfortunately I still need more rock to finish the driveway, so I'll phone tomorrow for another 5 cubic yards to be delivered.
And after the last frost, I took time for some gardening; planted carrots and turnips; and the dahlias. Fortunately, Marit has spent a lot of time weeding, trimming, and keeping the surrounding as neat as she can. Without her efforts, the place would have quickly reverted to jungle again.
And I finished the trellis in the back. At the moment, I think this fiberglass lattice looks a little garish. But it should disappear from view after the clematis "armandi" (a vigorous evergreen vine) completely covers it. That's the theory anyway. Check back in a year. Maybe two.
Incidentally, I've been hit with eleven separate attacks of the "Klem" virus in the past two weeks. My McAfee virus protection has been effective every time nd I've suffered no damage. But whoever is targeting me, stop it! I'm getting paranoid of my e-mail.
Week ending May. 19, 2002
Still the occasional report of frost on the island this week. I'm really not sure about this global warming theory anymore. At least the days have been nice after the sun rises.
On Friday, May 17th, Marit put this Norwegian flag out front at the top of the stairs. We had our own celebration of Norway's national day.
This weekend was the annual Denman Island pottery tour. Ten of the prominent potters on the island opened their studios to the public. Maps were provided, and everyone was welcome to tour their facilities, inspect their work, and purchase their wares. We took the tour early on Saturday. Once again we were very impressed with the quality and diversity of techniques and products. And again I came back with a lighter wallet.
Earlier this week BC Hydro came and replaced the power pole in front of our house. It wasn't that old; installed in 1986. But apparently it was a lodgepole pine log that had been infested with pine beetles. The preservatives which had been applied to the pole had not destroyed all the larvae, and the pole was internally weakened. In total, 120 similar poles also had to be replaced on the island.
In the garden, I've been experimenting with plastic "hoop houses". I've used 10 foot lengths (about 3 meters) of plastic pipe bent into a arc, and anchored each end 4 feet apart with rebar. Then I stretched a sheet of plastic over a row of these hoops and made an 8 foot "greenhouse". In fact, I made two. Five tomatoes are planted in each. The purpose is to give them extra heat to grow better, and protection from the late summer rains to avoid the late blight. I hope!
Two more of these hoop houses were made with remay cloth; not a plastic sheet. One was to protect my cabbage, cauliflowers and broccoli from the cabbage moth. The other to protect my carrots and summer turnips from the carrot fly.
Marit's opinion of this architecture is not very complimentary. She thinks they're an ugly eyesore. But that's not why I haven't provided a picture. My batteries in the camera just died this afternoon and need recharging.
To finish of the week, we had some neighbours over for dinner; Rudy and Anne from across the street, and Laurie from next door.
Week ending May. 26, 2002
Finally a bit of rain. Not much, maybe 6 mm, but the plants appear to be happier. It has actually been so dry that I can now see the pattern of our septic piping in the green area of the lawn.
Here on the left is where Marit has been spending much of her time. She's done a lot of hard work with a shovel, pick, and trowel to change a weed filled slope into this rockery garden. The area is beside the back steps leading down the path to the ocean.
Since this is outside our deer fence, I'm nervously waiting for the first screams of anguish after she first finds that the deer appreciate her smorgasbord.
These next two pictures are not exactly of exhibition quality, but they show the status of the front area (toward the toad, and inside the deer fence). I've almost scrounged up enough rock to complete the bed for the driveway.
The two plastics hoop houses are for my tomato plants. The potato's have been hilled up once last week, and already need hilling again.
And the dogwood tree, the future feature of our front yard, is just ending it's first season of blooming. It'll be interesting to see how it handles it's first summer of direct sunlight.
And this image is probably the least picturesque photo I have ever displayed in the two years this site has been operational. Piles of compost and manure and tarps. Tents of "remay" covering carrots and cauliflowers. (The net is in the neighbour's yard; for pole vaulting practice.)
But I had to show where I've been spending the last few days. I'm planting a bed of shrubs on the far side of the lawn; a 35 foot bed. A nursery owner/operator convinced me to widen the bed by two feet (from 4 feet to 6 feet). That's not a trivial task since the earth is a compacted mass of poor soil. So I've had to loosen the sub-soil by double digging. Then it was necessary to amend the top soil with peat moss and partially finished compost. In fact, I hand mixed it all; breaking the clumps of adobe clay into fine granules, and picking out all the stones. All 35 feet of it passed under my finger nails.
Now we're trying to appropriately position the plants, and decide which additional ones need to complete the bed.
The nursery loves to see us coming. They bring out their high powered calculator with a paper tape to tabulate and document our purchases.
Week ending June 2, 2002
These pictures were just snapped minutes ago at 8:00 PM in the fading daylight. They are some "before" pictures of areas that are about to change.
Tomorrow we are having a large truckload of chipped rock delivered. It'll be spread over the base of rocks to form a solid stable driveway. I hope! Hopefully I can get the truck driver to partially spread the load by driving ahead while he dumps. But I know there will be a lot of shoveling, wheelbarrowing, and raking. I don't dare guess how many days will be involved to completion.
It had better not take too many days to complete the driveway because a truckload of lumber and deck boards will be arriving sometime mid-week.
I promised Marit that I would transform this area back of the house into a splendid patio deck. And I'm already late since the promise mentioned starting on the first of June. We've chosen a synthetic material, "Long Life Decking", since rot seems to be a common problem on exposed decks in this area. The closest source for this material was Home Depot in Nanaimo.
This project I know will be slow. I've already encountered problems finding a stable base for the concrete block support structure. I've been pounding layers of sand into an excavation in the soil, and still haven't positioned the first block in the correct stable location. At this rate I'll still be positioning cement blocks next Sunday evening.
In the garden, there some success and some setbacks. The potatoes are growing wildly; I just hope there are spuds in the ground under all that lush foliage. I can't keep hilling them up fast enough. And the peas are already knee high.
But the brassicas; the cabbage, cauliflower, and broccoli have all been destroyed. There roots have been eaten by some vile insect. I thought it was the pill bugs that are rampant in the soil. But another very knowledgable gardener on the island said its the larva of some fly (I forget which one) that is a problem in the early season. I just have to re-seed and get a later start. I did today. We'll see.
Marit's gardens in the back are looking good. The deer walked through them this week leaving deep hoof prints all over. But they didn't eat anything. Marit has been super busy this week, taming the landscape as well as is possible in our current state of development. And there's a lot of spring cleaning and sprucing up that she wants completed. The poor woman has given up on my participation; she's taken the brush herself and just painted the washroom's cement floor today. And that's not easy with a damaged knee.
She's a trooper.
Week ending June 9, 2002
Just a short entry tonight. I've just come back after three days in Vancouver; visiting my mother and attending the Van Deusen Garden Show. Once again, these pictures were just snapped minutes ago at 8:00 PM.
The driveway is an "after" picture. The gravel came as scheduled last monday and it's been spread out on the driveway. It's quite a fine mix and I expect it will settle a lot between the larger rocks below it. After a few good rains I suspect I will need another load to re-surface the road. So it's not a finished project, but I'll wait a while for it to "weather" before continuing with it.
The deck material also arrived on schedule. But progress is much slower.
Our cat, Ozzy, is almost as impatient as Marit.
Properly positioning the foundation blocks is a painstakingly slow operation. For me anyway! When the blocks are in place, the job is at least half done. Obviously I'm not too far advanced here. But then again, it was only a four day week!
Out in the garden, Marit's strawberry patch has had some mysterious disappearances. Strawberries that were close to ripening have been gone the next morning. I suspect crows that patrol the area at dawn. My bird scaring device, consisting of fluttering CD's hanging on fishline, isn't effective for them. Crows are too intelligent. So I'll have to build a wire cage for the strawberry beds this week.
Lise, and Gary, thanks for putting me up at your house this weekend. Thanks for the good food and great company, and thanks for the early Father's Day gift.
And to the ladies from Marit's "sewing club" that came up for the weekend, I hope you had an enjoyable visit. (That's why Marit kicked me out of the house.)
Week ending June 16, 2002
Summer arrived this week. Its been sunny and hot with record temperatures being set in many areas of the province . It was 28 degrees centigrade here when this picture was taken, and it went at least a degree higher.
I don't wish to complain, but what we rally need is rain. We've had very little this year; it passes to the south of us. So I hope the forecast for the next two days actually actually does happen on this island.
My entire week has been dedicated to deck building. And it's been very hot and uncomfortable on this southwest exposure. Whine! Whine!
The project has been more complicated than I expected. The rough plans generated by the Home Depot computer were unusable; they had joist lengths far exceeding the capacity of the 2x6 lumber being used. And the program wasn't capable of handling the necessary angles. So I've had to improvise. And I had thought that the deck material, being a synthetic wood fiber - plastic compound, would be of consistent width, without bends or curves, and no colour variations. Silly me. Home Depot also sent joist hangers for 10 inch joists; completely unusable on the 6 inch joists they supplied. And I hadn't anticipated the need to excavate about 20 cm of soil to achieve the proper level. There! I finished all my whining.
So at 4:00 PM today after a full week of effort, this was the result. It's a section about 3 meters by 7 meters outside the dining area. It's so neat we have to take our shoes off to walk on it. A great place for Marit to sit and have her coffee (I prefer the shady side).
Unfortunately it's only a start, not a finish. The deck has to continue back, behind the living room and the guest room. The project is only about 1/4 completed. I have lots of whining yet to do.
Ozzy is not particularly happy with the deck. There are no railings at the edge and that is a problem for a blind confused cat.
Marit has been extremely busy this past week keeping the place running. She does the extensive watering of our garden areas, and battles the onslaught of weeds in all the other areas.
Next weekend is the world renowned annual "Denman Island Home and Garden Tour". Everyone is encouraged to visit the island and participate in the event. We aren't part of the tour, but drop by and say hello.
And to all you dads, "Happy Fathers Day".
Week ending June 23, 2002
This was the weekend of the annual Denman Island Home and Garden Tour. Marit and I purchased our tickets and made the rounds; admiring the places we saw for the first time, and marvelling over the changes made at sites we have visited before. These first two pictures were taken at Des Kennedy's garden. You may be familiar with Des, he's an author, lecturer, and broadcaster. And his home and garden has been featured in quite a few magazines.
All the other spots on the tour were worthy of display too, but you'll have to come over here next year to see them.
The rain finally came last Monday. For ten hours it rained steadily, with varying intensity. It wasn't enough to penetrate very deeply into the ground, but everything got a fairly good soaking. It felt strange to stay inside; not digging or hammering. I was almost lost. But the rest of the week has been T-shirt weather.
In the garden, we noticed that the crows seem to be finding the ripe strawberries just before we do. They patrol at the break of dawn. So Marit asked me to build a cage around her favorite bed of everbearing strawberries. It's now enclosed it in a frame of 1x2's and 2x2's covered with a mesh of fine chicken wire. Even a genius crow will have a problem penetrating that splendid enclosure. The peas are just beginning too.
Progress on the deck has been slow. As usual. This is as far as stage 2 has progressed. I hope to have that phase completed in two days. Then next, on to stage 3; extending the deck behind the guest room.
When that's finally completed, maybe I can relieve Marit of some of her maintenance chores. I feel quite sorry for her, as I watch her outside late into the evening watering the plants. The compost pile is growing marvelously with her daily addition of weeds by the bucketfull.
Oops, I just identified the patch of weeds which I had asked her to eradicate, as "lambs-quarters"; a very edible wild plant. Too late.
Week ending June 30, 2002
Happy Canada Day everyone! The weekend started perfect, for me. A heavy rainfall all day Friday; at least 25 cm. here. The plants loved it. And I got a break from the hammer and saw activity.
The mixed sun and cloud for the past two days has been just great too. Today Marit and I attended the 25th annual Denman Island Fireman's Pancake Breakfast. Delicious pancakes and bacon, smothered in strawberries and whipping cream. There were raffles and contests, all to raise money for new equipment for the department.
After the breakfast, Marit headed in to the Canada Day sales in Nanaimo, leaving me to continue working on the deck. Yes, I'm still building that deck. But I'm down to the last section now; in front of the guest room. I'm hoping to have it all surfaced in the next two days.
One thing I haven't done yet this year is get firewood. So I took the easy way; I bought some good fir from a friend in Fanny Bay. Two trips with his pickup truck and I had this cord of wood sitting here beside my driveway.
Now I just have to find time to pile it away. Neatly.
Tomorrow, on July 1st, we will be attending a neighbourhood Canada Day party. A potluck gathering in a neighbour's yard.
And on July 3rd I'll be taking a day trip into Vancouver to visit mom on her 88th birthday. Any excuse for a piece of cake.
Week ending July 7, 2002
July 3 was mom's 88th birthday. On Wednesday I took the first ferry off the island (6:40 A.M.) and drove to Normanna Rest Home in Burnaby to be with her. Sonja, Lise and Gary joined us. Mom enjoyed the restaurant lunch, (ate it all). Then back at her room she ate a piece of lemon pie that Lise had baked, a big piece of birthday cake that Sonja brought, and then downed part of a birthday cheesecake that the restaurant had given her. Her constitution is much better than I had thought.
I got back on the last ferry sailing at 11:00 P.M. It had been a long day.
Week ending July 14, 2002
Now that the deck is finished, this week I've been able to tend to the important functions of retired island life; gardening and yard work, readying the winter firewood, and shopping for patio furniture.
There's now over three cords of firewood neatly stacked on the north side of the property. It should be plenty to see me through the winter. Since I don't have a woodshed yet this year I'll have to cover it with tarps before the rainy season starts again late in August.
And yard work! I lost track of how many times I had to refill the gas tank on my new "weed-whacker". But finally after several long sessions, the jungle that had developed in the untended areas was finally tamed. Sort of!
The first picture may have looked quite cultured. But around the edges there's still an element of wildness. A few sunflowers have randomly appeared; the results of some rodents stashing away the fallen bird seed from last winters feeders. We enjoy their whimsical placement and have let them remain.
And I don't recall planting these hollyhocks in the southeast corner. They must have been a gift last year, or an impulsive purchase at the local spring plant sale.
For you fellows back at the office, the day lilies in front of the hollyhocks were given to me from Rolf many years ago. Obviously they're now a bit special.
Yesterday, we finally got the additional kitchen cupboards; the repainted, resized, and restyled version. Installing it was again a minor adventure; no project I undertake goes simply and smoothly. But it's now installed and makes the most important room in the house even more functional.
Tomorrow we make the trip to Vancouver again to meet our visitors at the airport. Marit has been super busy preparing for the arrival of her sister and brother-in-law. They will be here for three weeks.
One final note; last night we had to endure the loud music of a very noisy party. Strangely, it wasn't from any of the neighbours. It was from across the water at Buckley Bay; over a mile away. Either it was EXTREMELY loud, or conditions were just right for sound to carry. (Maybe that's why that body of water is called a "sound"?; Baynes Sound?)
And of course, the deck! Are you getting as tired of this deck as I am? Well it's pretty well finished; just a small privacy screen yet to be installed, and some facia boards along the front (water side) which I have to buy yet.
Since this is the last episode I intend to write on this magnificent structure, I've included two views of it; one from either end.
However I may show it one more time when we get the cedar table and chairs that Marit ordered on Saturday. And later this fall when we get some planters and benches along the edge.
Too much partying this week. In addition to mom's birthday Wednesday, we attended a neighbourhood Canada Day party on Monday, a 60th birthday party on Thursday, and a small coffee party this afternoon. Enough already!
The harvest continues in the garden. We needed potatoes, so for the first time I fumbled around under the hay covering my early crop and found 6 nice new red ones. It's a real treat.
And Lise, how do you like Toronto? Lise flew out to visit Erik and Sara on Thursday. It was 35 degrees, humid, (is the smog as bad as the TV is reporting?), and there is a garbage strike. Sounds delightful.
Oh, please, please you Torontonians; don't flame me. It's all in good fun.
Week ending July 21, 2002
They're here! Marit's sister and her husband, Randi and Odd. We met them at the Vancouver Airport on Monday and brought them to the island on Tuesday. (The cat was very upset about being left home alone for that duration, and let us know it all the next night).
This is a holiday time for me too. No slaving on building and landscaping. Just the enjoyment of touring and entertaining. In fact, Odd is doing some of the tasks I would have to do. He coated the new cedar table and chairs for the patio with an oil based stain. It took hours. And he did a great job.
On Wednesday we did the mandatory shopping trip in Courtenay, including Walmart. Thursday we toured Hornby Island, including a walk in Helliwell Park. This first picture is in the park along the ocean bluffs. Its a truly beautiful hike through a unique area.
On Saturday they rebelled; they wanted to relax at home without being whisked off on another tour. (Relaxing included a swim in the ocean off our "beach", and a couple of 12 mile runs for Odd.) So this weekend we just toured the beach area, and had some neighbours over for a barbecue.
This is sneaky way of showing my great deck again, with the new table and chairs.
The event included a spirited Boccii competition. In the final championship match between the guys and the gals, the men won. (Of course.)
The weather is great, warm and sunny. Tomorrow we plan on going to the Mount Washington ski area, and hiking some of the trails in the Paradise Meadow area of Strathcona Park. Then there's Long Beach on the west coast, and...
Vacations are really enjoyable.
Week ending July 28, 2002
All outdoor burning has been banned. The danger of fire is now too high due to the extended hot sunny weather we've been experiencing. I'm very aware of this danger since 19 years ago I was the cause of a grass fire here that accidentally "cleared" about one acre around my property. (I sure got to know all my neighbours quickly that day).
We've been getting a lot of use out of that deck. It's obviously worth the cost and the effort it took. Most of our meals have been eaten out there.
Saturday we had a leisurely dinner on the lawn; at the neighbours across the street. We were treated to a scrumptious barbecue; and for those who wished, a fantastic selection of homemade wines.
On the hottest day this week, we were up on Mount Washington. We actually found a small snow field close to the summit. Making a snowball on a 32C degree day was rather unique. Two friends from Norway that flew over on the same flight with Randi and Odd joined us that day. Here's the four vikings on a five hour hike we took in the Forbidden Plateau area of Strathcona Park. It's adjacent to the Mount Washington ski area. This is a beautiful area that impresses us more every time we go there.
Marit was able to complete the entire hike (although she was slower, and limping a little more, at the end). It's amazing how she's able to use her damaged knee after the surgery. I'm sure she's had some painful moments and throbbing nights from it all.
We've been to Chemainus. And Sunday we drove over to the west coast of Vancouver Island; toured through the huge trees of Cathedral Grove, the Wikininish Information Centre, Long Beach and the Pacific Rim Park, and finally Tofino.
Here's Randi and Marit on the beach. This must be about as far west as we can get in Canada. Japan is straight out there next.
We had another sunny day once the morning sea-fog burned off. But strangely back home it had been cloudy all day, and we were greeted by a light rainfall on our return. Not enough to help the garden, but enough to officially break the drought.
Incidentally, in the garden the peas are almost finished. But the zucchini has burst into production. Arm loads of zucchini every morning. And they're getting bigger. Help! Suggestions or recipes? How can I dry them for cord wood this winter?
Our guests will be leaving on Wednesday. Marit will drive Randi and Odd into Vancouver for a few days there. I'll be joining them Saturday for a farewell party, and seeing them off at the airport on Sunday afternoon.
I hope they will have enjoyed their vacation. I know we certainly are.
PS. I may be a day late again with the next update.
Week ending August 3, 2002
It rained all day Sunday on Denman Island; thunder and Lightning too. So they tell me. I wasn't here. By the time Marit and I got back at 10:30 PM Sunday night it was drying up.
Wednesday morning Marit drove Randi and Odd to Vancouver for a few days. I followed by bus on Saturday to join in a farewell party. It's always interesting (and loud) when all the family members can get together for an occasion. Even mom managed to join us for the afternoon.
On Sunday we took them to the airport and turned them over to the care of KLM. We haven't heard anything yet but we hope their return trip went well and without problems.
The picture above was taken earlier in the week when Marit and Randi foolishly challenged Odd and me to a game of bocci. It was terribly embarrassing. The ladies beat us four games to none before it got too dark to play. (We had our revenge after I cut the lawn early the next day though).
Here's our last lunch on the patio. It was a great visit that Marit and I appreciated very much. (I put on about 5 pounds during their stay).
Thanks for the visit,Randi and Odd.
Now we're back to "normal", whatever normal is.Who is next to use the guest room. Reservations are open.
And on the domestic scene, Marit wins the race for the first ripe tomato. Although I still say that cherry tomatoes don't count. And the bean crop is starting in earnest.
Week ending August 11, 2002
Great weather again, but there's been some very cool mornings that have had the impending feel of autumn arriving. The hot days of summer are having one more fling here; temperatures are forecast up to 30 C on Monday and 32 C on Tuesday.
Here's the view from our deck on Sunday afternoon. The tide is rapidly coming in, and a lone clam digger, barely visible in the centre, is preparing to finish up his work. (This is also the first time my camera has acted up and generated some static in the lower part of the image).
Our landscape is changing as the garden harvest proceeds. The last of the peas were picked and the vine was removed. Most of the potatoes have been dug, only one row of late a season variety is still in the ground. The wheelbarrow full in the picture is from the third row, just harvested. Somehow the potatoes have changed colour. Their all red! I'm positive I planted some white varieties too, not just Norlands.
For anyone interested, the crop was smaller from those planted under hay. Other factors may have contributed, but the crop mounded with soil was definitely larger. Not all were a total success however. Some of the potatoes mounded in soil had been attacked by small white worms; the larvae of a black "click" beetle, according to a neighbour. Apparently the previous grass cover of the area, even the wild grasses, had been a host to these insects. Oh well, we'll just cut out the damaged areas when we prepare those spuds.
And for those who laughed when I planted seeds in the piles of grass sods, this is how they are progressing. This mound is being rings by spaghetti squash; two are almost ripe. (Even if none of them ripened, the squash vines still give the look of lush green vegetation and make the area appear to be masterful).
So ends another quiet week. Three concerts in the community hall (two classical, one Hawaiian/Celtic. One trip to Nanaimo for more house paint (Marit is painting the exterior). And a stop in Coombs during their annual Coombs Days Country Fair. No house guests, but we just had Kris and Hanna Christensen (from the far side of the island) over for dinner on the deck, finishing off the week.
Week ending August 18, 2002
A quiet week. Sunny and hot. And nothing notable accomplished.
Here's a view of some of my tomato plants. There's a great crop; big, lush, but GREEN! Marit has some tomato plants along the side of the house; torturing them in small pots. They need daily watering to survive. But she's been bringing in ripe tomatoes for over a week now. What am I doing wrong?
Beans are being harvested daily now. (So are the zucchini). And there's lots of other vegetables for daily eating. The major activity of the week has been the regular watering of the various garden beds and potted flowers.
Today I chipped up a large pile of branches that have been accumulated, and used the chips for weed suppression on some garden paths. However, before I could finish, Marit came out and told me I was making a terrible noise, probably annoying the neighbours, and was downright thoughtless and inconsiderate to continue. Just in case there was any truth in that, I quit 10 minutes later when the pine branches were finished. Maybe next month she'll let me chip the rest.
More of the yard has been dug this week. Next week I'll buy a large quantity of fall rye seed and sow it in preparation for the autumn rains.
But in the back, beside the deck, tragedy has struck! Several times during the past week, the deer have visited at night and sampled Marit's handiwork. This sad specimen with the cropped stems and the few red petals used to be a marvelous thriving double begonia. One of Marit's spectacular displays that she has nursed through over 20 winter dormancies and summer bloomings. Those vermin also fed on her heucheras, pinks, blackeyed susans, and a row succulents along the steps. By next season I'll have to extend the deer fence to include the back slope.
We're looking forward to our next guests tomorrow; two of Marit's old running friends from Coquitlam. Oops, did I say "old"? Sorry, didn't mean it that way.
For anyone who hasn't yet contacted us, please be aware that our guest room is now booked for the duration of the month. Next vacancy is September.
Week ending August 25, 2002
A great visit this week with Heather and Marie Anne. Marit took them around the islands; hiking, touring, and shopping. The economic infusion was especially appreciated by the potters in the island.
They enjoyed feasting on our bountiful organic harvest which Marit used to create the delicious meals. The tomatoes are now starting to come on strongly, matching the beans and the zucchini. And wild blackberries surround the neighbourhood.
And as is shown in the left picture, some of our protein was just as easily gathered. Oysters and clams straight off the beach.
Low tide is always an interesting time to explore along the seashore. The different shells, the starfish and the sea cucumbers, the various rock formations, and the odd remnants washed up and exposed. I usually forget to take such excursions regularly until some visitors bring me back to these adventurous zones.
I think they enjoyed their stay here. And their enthusiasm certainly reminded me of all the things we have here to be grateful for.
This weekend I had the opportunity to scavenge some wood. A friend is milling some logs on a portable sawmill, and I was allowed to take the "slabs", leftover portions of the log that didn't make suitable lumber.
Some of these slabs are almost usable. I could probably make the funkiest chicken coop on Denman Island from them. But most of them, I'll just cut into firewood lengths and stack them for drying. They're too green to use this year, but it sure gets a head start on next year's gathering.
Tomorrow Lise and Gary are arriving for a week's say. These visitations are great; they prevent me from slaving too hard in this heat with a shovel and wheelbarrow.
Speaking of slaving in the heat; Marit has been preserving and canning, pickling, making relish and salsa, and generally suffering in the kitchen during these summer harvest days. But she doesn't complain,,,too much.
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