June 12-June 26, 2008

Two weeks have passed and much has happened in the Bay. I had to leave for four days for family business and when I returned WHAT a difference. On June 18, George picked up two young lads, one from Nova Scotia (Alex "Wharf Rat") and one from Manitoba (Kelly "Prawn Bait"). They have been working hard, learning construction and renovation. The barge/store is really coming along now. The windows are in and one of the new doors, as well as the ranch board on the outside on one side. The inside is being cleaned up and George and the boys are busy getting the inside sheeted with OSB. These two boys have been really helpful and are very energetic. They both were involved with Katimavik this past year. This is a group of people who basically volunteer in different communities for 3 months at a time. They are fed and housed and given a token pay (not very much). It is a life experience for them. We met Alex and Kelly through our daughter Christine, who worked with Alex at the daycare in Peace River, when the group was in Peace River.

Many critters have appeared in the yard as of late. We had several black bears at different times. We watch them come across the estuary and basically wait as we know they will come into the yard. They like our grass out back. There was a small one (probably just kicked out of the den by momma), who wondered in from the cistern area out front. He was soo cute! but it was still a bear. We forgot to get a picture of him before we chased it away. We do not believe that he will back for some time. We really scared him as he really jumped!

Yesterday, a bigger blacky (George figures 4 or 5 years) came up from the well area towards the front. We watched him for awhile. We called our dog (Bear) to have her chase it away. She came to the front deck, looked at us and went back under the backdeck. I guess she did not see or smell the bear. Some watch dog!! We scared this one away as well. Our neighbor, Doug (who turned 76 on June 13) tells us that the black bears are easy to train. He says they make good neighbors. The grizzly on the other hand is a different story he says! Doug is a wealth of information about the history of the area and we enjoy his company immensely. We have him over for supper quite often, when he is not busy running errands and getting the mail for everyone.

Last night there was a doe in the yard. I watched her come across the estuary and she was in the back yard. She was sure eyeing up my garden!!. George hurry up and finish that fence already! She saw me and decided not to linger. She went to go down the beach by the estuary, but when she got only a little distance she really jumped and decided to walk in the water to the point. Later in the evening we saw her in the front yard and she was eyeing up my glads. We just talked to her and she decided to leave. She just sauntered away towards the well.

The weather has been so-so. It rained all day yesterday but the next week is supposed to be quite nice and hot. We need the heat for the garden and flowers. Everything is a little stunted right now as the spring has been too cold.

Must go and mow the lawn now. It is a never ending chore but I really enjoy it and find it quite relaxing.

June 06-10, 2008

Not much has happened in the bay this last week. The weather has not been conducive to alot of outside work. Some things were done however, more cement work was done for the new dock and the wood from stripping the inside of the barge was burned. Boats have been anchoring out in the bay and we are anxiously awaiting our piles so our dock is open. The wind has prevented us from doing too much on the barge as with the window openings being cut, it is quite breezy inside.

The other day I was talking to a friend on the phone at about 8:00 in the morning. I had noticed something on the other side of the boathouse/shed. At first I thought it was our dog Bear but in fact it was a real bear. I had to put the phone down and I tried to use the airhorn, but of course it did not work at first. When it did work, the bear was in the rose bushes beside the floathouse at the back. Boy did it jump. The back of the bear came up to the hood of the Mellow Yellow (a very old toyota truck). This big boy is seen quite a bit now on the other side of the estuary grazing in the grass and overturning rocks.

That same night, as we were waiting for supper to finish cooking, I looked out the patio doors and another bear was seen. It was a small two year old. He came out of the bush from the cistern. He looked a little scared as he is trying to find his place in life. He was really cute. George scared it off. Did the little guy ever jump!! I don't think he will be around here much more. Too bad we did not take a picture of him.

It has been really windy as of late with wind warnings for the last two days. It has been one of the coldest springs on the BC coast, so the news mentions.

We were able to finally retrieve the Mellow Yellow and the Shirley Bear (boat) off the beach. They had been sitting on the beach for almost a year. Last summer, the clutch had gone out in the Mellow Yellow as we were bringing the Shirley Bear out of the water for maintenance. At first we tried to pull them with the bobcat. This did not work as the breaks are also stuck on the Mellow Yellow. George, being the ingenious person that he is, decided to use the bucket of the bobcat as a lever and this way the wayward truck and boat were pulled off the beach. They were on quite an incline so George pushed the bucket of the bobcat in the ground for leverage. IT WORKED. Now maintenance can be done on the Shirley Bear.

We have still not been able to move the barge onto its diaper on the flat. The high tides are not high enough now and when they were the wind was too strong. Such is life on the bay!

The garden is growing quite well and so are the flowers. The Lupines are blooming on the edge of the trees and I am anxiously waiting for the foxgloves to bloom. Wild Columbines and Canada Poppies are also blooming under and around the deck.
There are still mystery flowers in the flower beds. The beds were dug up last year after many years of neglect. Weeds and grass were the only things growing then. Last year I tried to plant flowers but of course the neighbor's cows ate them. The cows are no longer a problem, so many different flowers are growing that have been dormant for years. It will be interesting to see what they are. Some of the mystery flowers that had bloomed were: grape hyacinth, mountain bells, lily of the valley. The buttercups are blooming in the trees and all around and the yarrow is starting to bloom as well. The salmon berries are ripening, the black raspberries are blooming, the salal is blooming. It will be nice to make jam again. Wild crabapples are also blooming on the point and the apple tree out front has buds.

The Inlet Navigator II delivered propane and much needed gas and diesel this weekend. Marine Link had delivered lumber two weeks ago. Now with having a bobcat, the piles of lumber can be moved once the fork is found. One of the forks had come off the bobcat when it was stuck on the beach. We have to borrow a metal detector in order to find it. One fork will not do the trick I am afraid!

The Mellow Yellow and the Shirley Bear were named by the former owner of the property. Instead of Cracroft, the island was Bearcroft.

We are patiently awaiting the sun, which is supposed to show up sometime today.

May 31 - June 04, 2008

Quite a bit has been happening on the barge/store this last week. The garbage from tearing down walls, etc has been cleaned up and is in the process of being burnt in the firepit. We tried to burn on the beach at low tide but the tide would come up before it was finished. (Hence the bobcat incident from last week, trying to retrieve wood that was floating.) Window frames have been built on the barge/store and more cement has been pored for the walkway/dock. The diaper (rubber) for the bottom of the barge was laid out on the flat in front and it is a waiting game now for the wind and tide.

We took our nephew Ryan to Comox yesterday as he had a 2:00 pm flight. We are again empty-nesters. Supplies were purchased and we came back across the straight yesterday evening. Not a very pleasant ride to say the least. Gail did not like it one bit.

Today has been a lazy day. I scared a baby mink on the dock today. Bear (our dog) chased it up the dock and I was on the Barge. The mink came inside but did not see me. Did it ever jump when it did.

Gail planted more bedding plants today and at one point made a bee-line for the deck as Bear was barking up a storm. Her namesake was in the bush beside the cistern. She chased it away and Gail saw it about an hour later going across the estuary towards the midden. It is a small bear and very scrawny and probably has been kicked out of the den for the first time and is still trying to find its place. Gail watched it across the estuary until it ran out of beach. It was heading south and not at a slow pace. It's mom is still in that area somewhere and it is not welcome anymore.

It has been overcast today and a little cold at times. We are waiting for the wind to die down as we need to move the barge onto the flat so we can put the diaper (rubber) on the bottom of it. It has to be done at the super high tide which happens twice a month on full moon and new moon. Tonight/early morning is the last of the 16.4 ft tides (until full moon) but the wind is not cooperating. We may have to wait for another day.

New blades have been put on the lawn mower and Gail can continue mowing-this time with a full cut and not 1/3. She broke one of the blades in half about a month ago. The Skeeter Vac has been working wonderfully in capturing the pesky mosquito. There are two Skeeter Vac's now and we hope to purchase another one this month. Mosquitoes are horrendous on this island unless you get control of them. They do not so much bite but are a very huge pest as they swarm all around you. Even had to get repellent for Bear as she was always being bothered by them. Keeping the grass cut helps in controlling them and we will be trying a new product soon. It is garlic oil and mosquitoes and other insects do not like it. It will also keep the geese away as the grass is bitter and they do not like it.

Tomorrow is another day on the bay, hopefully the weather is good.