Week ending Jan. 5, 2002
Wow, another new year. I have no trouble changing the date from "1" to "2". I just have trouble adjusting to the century. I'm still a 1900's guy.
We've had a couple of decent days here, but now the weather has reverted to more rain and strong wind. And rain! I walked out during a brief dry spell this morning and took this picture across the water. Compare that with any of the previous views I've shown and you get a feel for the winters here.
The temperatures are remarkably warm for this vicinity. Vancouver has been setting some records for the daily highs recently. In fact, at nights it's too warm for my feather-stuffed quilt on the bed.
And the tides are so high that there is no beach for much of the day. The water is lapping on the first step of my stairway.
When the water does recede a few feet, I try to go down and bring up a couple buckets of seaweed that has been left by the tide. (I hate to pass up this great gift for the garden). The pile in the front is starting to grow, bucket by bucket.
The wind has had some help keeping these musical. The birds keep trying to perch on it, or somehow fly into it.
Thanks Sara and Erik.
All the Christmas ornamentation has been put away now. The tree has been removed and the trunk is now leaning on the wood pile. And another set of Christmas memories has created for future recollection.
This afternoon I have to leave for Vancouver again. I have a meeting with mom and the Normanna Rest Home to review how things have been going and request any alterations in her care. I hope to be back Tuesday night.
Week ending Jan. 13, 2002
Weather is a "W" word. And so is Warm, Wet, and Windy. That pretty much describes our week. We've been deluged with leftover weather coming straight up from south of Hawaii.
When I came home from Vancouver Tuesday evening, this was the state of my front gate. Strong winds the night before had ripped off boards on which the locks were fastened to keep it shut. I've repaired it using #8 screws, not nails.
The gate, and the "livestock" fence that surrounds the property is necessary to keep out the deer. Any gardening is impossible otherwise. The deer have even been known to walk up on people's porches and eat their potted geraniums.
Marit reported that while I was away, one deer came right behind the house and stood staring at the fence and the yard beyond, before finally wandering away. The deer on the island are not big. (We could never win a Texas bragging contest with our coastal island deer). But their appetites seem greater than their size.
While I was up fixing the gate, I glanced back at the house and saw that deer walking up towards the lawn. Somehow it had come through the fence. After chasing it out I went back to investigate how it had gained entry.
It was almost unbelievable, but the tracks were unmistakable. The deer had somehow pushed its head through two fence wires that were spaced 3 inches apart (7.5 cm.) and then pushed open a bulge 7 inches high (17 cm.) and squeezed through! (You can see the measurements on the expanded picture. Just click to expand.)
I knew these animals preferred to crawl under instead of jumping over. But I didn't know they had studied from Houdini. So, my repair work was extended with more wire lacing in susceptible fence areas.
It was good getting back home from the city. Especially when Marit had been cooking and baking some delicious treats in my absence.
And the current project in the house is tiling. I'm putting tile on the "roof" of the cupboard that extends into the front room, behind the wood stove. It's visible from the stairway and the second floor. We'll be putting plants and knick-knacks up there. I'll be finished early next week; it just needs trim around the edges now.
Incidentally, Marit and I took a short hike on the island today to Graham Lake. After twenty years, it's the first time we've been there. At the far end of the lake there was a small flock of wild swans; probably Trumpeter Swans but we were to far away to confirm it.
Week ending Jan. 20, 2002
Well, this is how things looked in this part of the world this morning. We've had frost a few mornings this week, but it still feels more like early spring than mid January.
We're able to let the fire go out for 3-4 hours during middle of the day but definitely need it in the evening and early morning. Last Tuesday I finally finished burning the scraps of lumber left over from the house construction. Yes, up to now we've been heating with 2x4's and other board ends.
Now we're finally starting on two year old tree logs.
A new bird showed up in the trees out back; a Red-Breasted Sapsucker. And it was followed later by a Northern Flicker (Red-Shafted variety). No, neither of them came to the bird feeders.
And amongst my regulars at the feeders I've noticed one rather sick little Pine Siskin. It regularly fluffs up its feathers to try and stay warm. It's so lethargic that it doesn't fly away unless I'm extremely near. Yesterday it hopped around my feet as I filled a feeder and spilled sunflower seeds.
I suspect it may have salmonella, a disease that is fairly common amongst this species at feeders. I can't help but notice and feel sorry for this individual.
The last project I completed in the house has been the top of the cupboard that intrudes behind the stove. It's been tiled and grouted, and trim has been installed around the edges.
The detail is best shown in the left picture; the right one was included to give a more complete perspective of what this actually consisted.
The current project is much less grandiose. I'm trying to build some condominiums for my mason bees. There were problems with the cardboard tubes used last year; they were too susceptible to wasp predators penetrating through the cardboard.
So now I'm trying to build some better units out of solid wood. I know it's a bit early, but mid March is not that far away.
In other activities, Marit and I have joined some of the activities offered in the community. I'm now taking Taoist Tai Chi. Marit has started taking beginners Yoga, and has joined a low impact aerobics class. Week ending Jan. 27, 2002
Okay! Okay! Winter finally paid us a visit last night. This is the scene that greeted us at daybreak. The snow is only 20 cm. deep (8 inches) but it comes at rather a bad time.
Marit was going to travel to Vancouver today and begin to clean out the condominium. We plan to put it up for sale in February.
As you can see from the second picture, driving is a bit of a challenge today. I have subsequently cleaned off the car, and shoveled the driveway out to the road. However the road has not been plowed; In the 20 cm. of snow, there's only a few tracks made a neighbour's 4x4.
We heard on the radio that the weather is even worse in Vancouver. So, Marit is staying home at least one more day. Darn, I thought I was going to have control of the television tonight.
Speaking of television, that was the first problem caused by the snowfall. The snow piled up and froze on our satellite antenna, completely blocking the reception. So, up with the ladder to clear the snow and ice off the satellite dish. Right after my second cup of coffee, of course.
Incidentally, I know the pictures are dark, but that's the way is as this morning.
The birds are more frantic today, scrambling for their turns at the feeder stations. They are not being as careful as usual either; regularly hitting the window so often that it's becoming annoying. Fortunately they seem to just glance off without any apparent injury.
That ailing Pine Siskin is still around looking pathetic. But it's still surviving. I found one dead bird near the feeders last Wednesday, but it may have been due to the neighbour's cat that often slinks down here in the early morning.
In other developments, I'm almost finished with my mason bee condominiums. I'll mount them outside when the snow finally clears and the weather warms a bit. It's still early, but that's better than not being ready when it's time.
In general, it's rather pretty outside with the snow hiding all the mess. Even the large pile of seaweed that I've been gathering every day is peacefully covered. I guess scrounging on the beach with my buckets for seaweed is one activity that will have to wait for a while now.
Week ending Feb. 3, 2002
Marit wanted me to take these shots at the beginning of the week to capture the beauty of the winter. These were taken in the early morning light. (They look better when expanded, just click on them.)
Today it is quite different. The snow is gone from our area (although it's still up there in the mountains). It was 10 degrees C. at 1:00 PM. And there's whitecaps in the water from a strong west wind. But the sunshine is still here.
Marit left last Monday and has spent the week in cleaning, painting, and fixing up the condominium preparing for its sale. It seems there was more cleaning required than she had expected. And painting is only possible during the daylight hours. So she will be at least another week in her preparations.
I believe she will stay until Lise's birthday on the 8th.
In her absence I've been playing with my pet projects. The picture on the left shows the basic bee nest unit I've built. It's a series of boards with 5/16 inch slots; each board stacked on top of each other to provide a solid tunnel. They're wired together for firmness.
(I used left over "tongue-and-groove pine boards from our ceiling. The wire was left over from the cement rebar work).
And shown in the picture on the right is the enclosure I built to house a series of these boxes and shelter them from the weather. I mounted it on the side of the only other structure left standing in the yard. Can you guess what it is?
I'll see in a couple of months if the bees find this acceptable. If they don't, I'll have to make some hasty changes, or make a lot of temporary tubes. Hey... No...Really.. there is reason and rationale behind the design. It's practical. Honest.
In the house development, I've put drywall on all the remaining area in the garage that had exposed studs. (The lower 8 feet anyway). Unfortunately it was necessary to mess up the entire garage to clear the areas where I was working. So now that leaves me with another big project ...
And in other activities, there's a varied series of gardening courses being offered at the community school here on the island. And I've signed up for every one. I've committed my Thursday evenings every week now until planting time next spring. I figure I'll get at least one new insight, technique, or great idea each time. And the first session last week was great.
It's a busy life.
Week ending Feb. 10, 2002
Back to reality. No beautiful picture of scenery this week. This is what faces me this year. I have gardens to prepare, and landscapes to create.
I've gathered piles of seaweed, manure, and compost. This week I added a pile of old hay for mulch. Now I need the opportunity to dig!
Spring is so close. We haven't had frost for some time. The lawn needs cutting. With a few days of dryness I could be out working in the yard. Even the birds recognize that spring is imminent. They haven't been flocking to my feeders. They seem to have dispersed to their own territories. (Or else someone else nearby is offering a better quality food the I am.)
The sea lions are back. I saw some swim by, and can hear their constant barking. This can only mean that the herring spawn is soon to begin.
Denman Island is a unique spawning area. Schools of herring from widely dispersed areas gather off these shores to spawn in the beds of eel grass. And hundreds of fishing boats converge on the herring to scoop up the fish just before they spawn, so the roe is ripe.
Most rational people recognize that it's foolish to gamble with the low end of the food chain. Too many other stocks of herring on the coast have been devastated in the past. But there's too much money involved. The demand from Asia for the roe has created large profits.
So we'll just hope that the fishery regulators guess right and avoid any permanent damage.
Oops, pardon me for starting to preach. Is my bias obvious?
Here's the current state of my garage; more storage closets. They're about 16 inches deep (40 cm.), so there's lots of room still for the car.
Almost all the plywood that was left over from the house construction is now used up. Just scraps are left. If we need more storage bins, it'll be cheaper to buy pre-built modular units from a hardware store.
Right now they are a little "grubby" looking. But with a coat of paint, maybe bright reds, blues, and yellows, it might look quite sharp
Here's another view with some doors open. I still need a few more shelves inside.
Marit should be coming back either Tuesday or Wednesday. She's had a very busy time cleaning and painting the condominium in preparation for sale.
And she must have done a good job; she was successful. It sold the first day, for her asking price. Congratulations Marit.
I guess I'd better clean up the house tomorrow before she gets back.
Week ending Feb. 17, 2002
After a week of beautiful spring sunshine (yes, with morning frost) we're back to cloud and drizzle. There's been a lot of seaweed wash up on the shore down by the light tower. And I've been gathering some using a wheelbarrow.
Unfortunately I can't wheelbarrow it up the stairs, so it's been lugged in buckets. I realize that right now I smell like low tide. A good shower is in order. Marit hasn't complained. Yet!
Marit came back on Wednesday. It's been great getting her good cooking again; delicious pot roast yesterday. And the cat is a lot happier too.
Cornell University is having its 5th annual "Great Backyard Bird Count" this weekend, and I'm participating; identifying and counting all the birds I can find in the neighbourhood. It's a four day event for participants throughout North America.
A lot of time has been spent on the beach, trying to identify all the waterfowl swimming offshore. Some stayed too far away to be able to distinguish the exact identity. But so far, I've logged 37 different species. They are reported via the internet.
And now, my garage! As you can see (if you enlarge the picture, by clicking) it's almost empty. There's some garden furniture that will be moved outside when the season improves. And a 1950's kitchen table that will go, as soon as the person who wanted it will take it away.
The yard machinery (lawn mower and shredder) will move to the garden shed, as soon as it gets built. And the lumber scraps will be used either in building the garden shed, making bird houses, or used for fire wood.
Why I could even get my car in there; if I only had a driveway. That comes later this spring.
Week ending Feb. 24, 2002
Whoa; deep breath; Olympics are over. I'm okay now.
I thought we were completely up to date on the Olympic activities. We have satellite television receivers, and live coverage. But Marit frequently found information in the Norwegian newspapers on the internet, before they were revealed on our TV.
Back to the mundane. This has been one of my projects this week. A planter to contain the clematis that used to climb over the porch on our old cabin.
I will put a lattice on the two sides of the planter, between the poles, for the vine to climb. The theory is that the added soil in the planter will keep the original roots cool, and the buried portion of the stalk will sprout additional new roots.
It should work fine, unless of course I chopped off the roots during my digging the holes.
I have a potted rose that I will plant in front of the lattice; I think it's a climber. Check back in August to see how this works out.
This charming image to the right represents my current exercise program. The large mound of seaweed has been laboriously carried in plastic buckets up my staircase from the beach. Must be hundreds of bucketfulls there. It's pretty compressed at the bottom.
The time spent on the beach gathering seaweed has been especially interesting. I've taken the opportunity to become more familiar with the waterfowl and the shore birds. A flock of Harlequin ducks was particularly striking.
And today I came upon a pair of "Black Oystercatchers". Strange name but a striking bird with its large orange bill. They are uncommon here now; since the aquaculture lease holders have spread nets over their clam beds, and eliminated most of the feeding zones for the birds.
Gardening season is close. Here are my garlics getting an early start. I've actually been weeding. The green growth in the front part of the bed is winter rye, a cover crop I planted last fall. I'll dig it under in mid-march.
Well, I'll take the truck into town and pick up the lattice work for the planter as soon as my pension cheque arrives next week. Maybe the government will celebrate the hockey victory and send a bonus in the cheque this month.
And maybe pigs will fly.
Week ending Mar. 3, 2002
It's been a great week; shirt sleeve weather every afternoon. But it gets cool very quickly when the sun goes down, and the frost has been quite thick every morning.
Unfortunately spring is scheduled to take a brief "time out" next week with some arctic air pushing south. There's even threats, using that "snow" word for the middle of the week.
Here's how the flower box for my clematis has developed after I installed the lattice. I've prepared planting holes on the outside for some roses, but decided not to plant them until this next cold snap is over.
Earlier today I moved one tree that had originally been planted in an inappropriate location. It was a Shore Pine. Let's hope it's hardy tree, because I caused some barbarous damage to its roots. I'm not optimistic about its survival.
I am more optimistic about a new shrub we bought at "Seedy Saturday" yesterday in Comox; a Hydrangea macrofylla "Nicci Blue". It was planted at the top of out front patio stairs.
My latest construction project is this retaining wall made from landscape timbers. It's on the slope below the house. (The path from the beach curves up to the right at that point).
I'm filling soil behind the wall, creating a sloping terrace. Then I'll build a couple more retaining walls with terraces above it. Unfortunately it's not feasible to use a wheelbarrow to transport the soil to fill these terraces.
The only alternative is to carry the soil in buckets. I consider this my new exercise program. A long term body builder. (By the end of summer, my knuckles may drag along the ground).
Eventually I envision these areas filled with appropriate woodland shade plants.
None of the bulbs I planted near the house have bloomed yet. There's too much shade this time of year for the area to warm up enough. But back where the cabin used to be, five brave crocuses have burst through the weeds to welcome spring. Alone, uncultivated, uncared for. They are thriving.
I'll have to rescue these before the rototiller tames the rest of the yard.
In other developments; Marit has been scheduled for orthoscopic knee surgery on the 12th; a week away. We're really hoping they can improve the painful condition she has been experiencing. But we don't fully know what to expect; it's partially exploratory, with corrective measures depending on what is found.
The only thing we know for sure is that the recovery period will be very painful.
This week, while Marit is still mobile and capable, we're going in to Coquitlam to finish emptying the condominium. And Marit will do a final cleaning, including a carpet shampoo before the new owners take possession.
Not everything coming up is fun and rosy.
Week ending Mar. 10, 2002
Winter took another kick at us this week. Cold arctic air. Snow. And a LOT of very disgusted robins. Suddenly my bird feeders were extremely popular again. (That flock of about 60 red-winged and brewer blackbirds sings beautifully. But surrounded, at close hand it's extremely loud and piercing.)
But spring has officially arrived on Denman. The herring spawn has begun. On friday the seiner fleet was allowed to gather its quota on the north end of Denman Island, at Henry Bay. I don't know if the gill net fishery has been completed or not. But this event is our traditional introduction to spring.
The picture today shows two of the seiner boats traveling north to the fishing ground. (You may need to click on the picture for a larger image to see the detail).
Dozens of boats traveled back very low in the water.
Earlier in the week, I traveled to Coquitlam with a rental van to take all the rest of our belongings from the condominium. Marit followed a day later to finish the cleanup after the apartment was emptied. The new owners should be pleased with its condition. Coming back to the island, I unloaded in the worst of the snow; 13 cms.
It was reminiscent of the earlier move when Erik and I had to wade though snow pulling boxes and furniture on a homemade sled.
Marit felt I should have taken pictures of the snow covered landscape for a feature picture. But to be honest, I'm tired of snow. And winter. I'd rather show the landscape preparing for spring. This is the front of the house just above the front terrace. I'm not sure what I originally planted so it should be interesting.
On Tuesday, Marit is scheduled for knee surgery. We're concerned about a cold that she has just come down with, and worried that it may cause deferral of the operation. We'll see.
Week ending Mar. 17, 2002
Such a week. It seems winter is reluctant to leave. That early spring that appeared imminent keeps stalling. Well, maybe that's not such a bad thing since we haven't been ready this week to start our outdoor chores.
Marit had her arthroscopic knee operation on Tuesday, despite the cold she developed last weekend. The anesthetist decided her chest was clear, even though she obviously had a head cold.
She was pleasantly surprised after the operation. She didn't experience the nausea and the intense pain that that accompanied her previous operation. The long drive back from Ladysmith was tolerable. And at home she could even walk with her weight on the leg. Then during the night, the freezing wore off, and the intense pain became reality.
Wednesday was NOT a good day for her; she had to resort to Tylenol 3. However each day has brought a slight improvement and she can now walk without the use of crutches (but with a significant limp).
Neighbours have been great, bringing over soup, stew, and homemade pizza. I've only had to cook a few meals.
Friday morning, after the promising sunset the night before (above), this is what greeted me outside the front door. A north wind brought the arctic air back, and a sheet of snow hit. The snowflakes are more obvious on the enlarged picture,
The sea lions have been swimming north in small groups this week. I've watched them in front of the house. They sound like they have a bad cold, a bronchial condition when they wheeze and snort as they travel. But I guess that's just their normal sound; not a result of the cold weather.
Earlier we watched them thrashing amongst large schools of herring in the middle of the sound. They, and the flocks of sea gulls were enjoying the smorgasbord.
A steady stream of gillnet boats have been sailing south today. I don't know if they are leaving or heading for a fishing area. I suspect the season is over. I took this picture from the beach this morning.
Unfortunately, even if you click on the picture to enlarge it, the boat is very small in the background.
It's been a nice day after it warmed up. The song sparrow is singing his mating season song. Spring is almost here.
The forecast is for minus 5. and a snow warning has been issued.
Week ending Mar. 24, 2002
Winter continued to hang on during the first part of the week. This was our roof on Tuesday morning. Marit was wondering why the eaves were dripping. From this viewpoint in front of the kitchen window, the answer is obvious.
But I think we've seen the last of the snow. Yesterday in the warm sunshine, a few of us neighbours went for a 10K hike on the island. A great route, through the woods, along the cliffs on the coast, past a small waterfall, and among some striking mossy glens. The trail began through a large property recently acquired by Gillian Anderson of X-Files. (Did I spell her name right?)
There are some nice trail systems on the island that are not shown in the tourist brochures. And we're not telling where they are.
Marit wasn't on the hike. It will be some time yet before she's able to walk the distance or negotiate the rugged terrain. The knee still can't be flexed without pain and doesn't tolerate rough usage. We met with her doctor on Friday. There was frayed cartilage that he had removed. But her primary problem is an area of approximately 1 centimeter where all padding has been worn away and bone-on-bone contact is
resulting in osteoarthritis. Not the most optimistic long term outlook. But short term she can expect relief when this operation heals.
Today and yesterday afternoon have been devoted to garden preparation. Here's one of two raised beds I built for rhubarb plants. It's 4' x 4'. The sides are 12" high (2 2x6's) and it's cultivated a foot below ground level. The soil is conditioned with peat moss, amended with manure, and covered with a pile of seaweed. Do you think it'll work? There's a small root planted in the centre.
I've got a third one underway, but I'm considering planting a Jerusalem Artichoke in it.
These are one of the early indications that spring has really arrived. The daffodils are true miniatures, about six inches high. I know; Vancouver and Victoria have had these blooming for weeks. But things move slower on this little island.
Week ending Mar. 31, 2002
Spring is settling in. The wild current bushes are beginning to bloom, signalling the imminent arrival of the hummingbirds. Marit saw the first one today. Most of the sea lions have left, and their night time barking has been replaced by the frog chorus.
The noisy birds have been waking us in the morning. And Marit has taken a real dislike to the pheasant who has been screaming and drumming just outside our window at dawn.
My memory of the week is rather hazy. I remember spending a lot of time with a shovel in my hands, and a lot of time in the dirt. But there doesn't seem to be much solid accomplishment, other than another 4' x 8' raised garden bed.
On Thursday I had a tractor with a tiller attachment come and dig up the rest of the yard that had not been previously cultivated. I had to move all the manure and compost piles before he came. Incidentally, after the tractor had left and I viewed the photos I had taken, I found the lens was dirty; the picture is not clear.
Some good fortune. A neighbour gave me a rhubarb plant that they wished to replace with a flower bed. The plant was so big it had to be cut in half to remove it. Fortunately I had just made two raised beds for this purpose, but I'm now wondering if 4 feet by 4 feet was big enough.
Look at the size of the roots. That's a heavy duty 6 cubic foot wheelbarrow.
This picture was taken from our front gate at 5:30 this evening. I'll be planting potatoes in some of the area on the left, closer to the garden beds. I hope to have a fairly large patch this year. I've been grubbing rocks all afternoon out of the area where I intend to plant my first early patch. If the rest is just as rocky, my final patch may be a lot smaller than intended.
The worst area for rocks can't be seen on the picture; just to the right, the northeast corner of the property. Right where my well is drilled. I'm considering mining it for use as the base of my driveway. It certainly is not possible to cultivate the area.
Surprisingly, the best area of the property is right where the old cabin used to stand. I had never cleared the area, but under the cabin is now like fine potting soil. I think this is further proof of my theory that rocks move, breed, and grow here. They obviously multiply here. They had moved out from under my cabin into the sunlight to grow.
And those nearest the well had a more stable source of water and were able to thrive, multiply and grow the best. My property is not only the rock's spawning bed, it's their major nursery too.
For the diary of previous months, select the month below.
But last Wednesday I broke a winning streak of several months; I failed to win a door prize at the Garden Club's monthly meeting. I'm blaming my bad luck on Marit; she came along for the first time.
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