Trip to Nova Scotia

In October, Garney and I went to Halifax to visit Marjorie and Don, my sister and brother-in-law, both of whom are writers. They gave us a marvelous tour of Nova Scotia. We saw three Celtic Colours concerts, and went to a kitchen racket with Ashley MacIsacc! Just loved Cape Breton. We went around the Cabot Trail and encountered snow, sleet, fog, driving rain, sunshine, hail and a great windstorm. And a bit more sun! Plus autumn colours, not the best this year, they told us, but hey, we're from BC, we're easily impressed with dreamy yellow, reds, oranges, pinks in our forests.

Autumn 09 photographs of our house on Pender

Our camera died and we had to get a new one. Easy to get behind with posting photos! But the new one is easier to use, so that's nice. We took advantage of a nice day in September to take these photographs.

Garney wanted to get undercoat on vulnerable areas of the trim like rafter tails. He got it done before the rains came. It will be next spring before we can get the whole of the house done. The concrete siding is prepainted. It's not the actual final colour, but pretty close to. With getting it prepainted and then putting on a coat of paint after that, the finish is supposed to last for twenty-five years. I'm okay with that.

Moved in

We moved in a week ago today! Very very happy. Exhausted, mind you, but this has been a journey well worth venturing on.

I've been teaching a full load this winter and Garney has been working often seven days a week building. Locals tell us he's completed the house in remarkably good time. The usual, we're told, is eleven years to completion.

You'll see boxes all over in these photos and the bedroom and bathroom photos are missing because I couldn't figure out how to rotate them and get them on the blog. Leaving first thing tomorrow morning for kayaking at Nuchatlitz--at least I am, Garney and the animals are staying home very much!

No plant losses over the severe winter. Note flowering dogwoods at the bottom of the picture postings; they are a great joy in their first spring flowering here. Poor things got planted in July which is pretty tough on a plant.

November 15

Geoffrey is here for a quick visit in between research in Vancouver and Victoria. He took some wonderful pictures and even uploaded them to Garney's computer, so now I have no excuse for not uploading some new pics.

Canada Day pics and just prior

This has been a great Canada Day for us. Garney is finally "out of the mud" as he puts it and is actually building the main house. The foundations seemed to take a long time. I had some help with the garden and at long last have most plants in pots actually in the ground. Those which are left don't have a habitat ready.

Jocelyn came up for my birthday. She gave me two solid mornings of planting! This has been unbelievably helpful. In June, I dealt with a most persistent virus and, after a month, am starting to feel like myself again. It has been enormously heartening to get those beautiful plants in the ground. The weather has turned so hot we're out there twice a day with the hose, misting, dampening.

April 19th studio pictures

It occurred to me we had a lot of pictures of people and none of the studio in the last few weeks. That's because the changes have been going on inside: insulation, vapour barrier, gyproc and the ship lap ceiling.

After the fierce snow storm this morning--high winds and blowing snow forced the cancellation of the beach cleanup for Earth Day--this afternoon the sun came out. About time.

Robin's visit

We were excited to have our landscape architect friend, Robin, over to visit. On her first time over on the Island (December?) we got her advice about where to put the driveway, which was going in the next day. This time she got to see the driveway and all the mud where the septic field is and, on the other side of the driveway, where the tank is half buried, waiting for the waterline to the main house to go in.

We talked about where to put a ten by ten shed, since it's apparent we really need storage. Robin and I talked about plants, too; Garney kept wandering off to read the newspaper in the truck and we would drag him back, saying no, you need to be in on this.

Robin came up with some dandy ideas for trees and sketched out about what we can afford to put in right now.

Visit with Peggy and Kim

Garney's sister Peggy and his eldest niece, Kim, came out from Ottawa and Uxbridge for a visit lately. Peggy said she's only come if we promised it wouldn't snow! As I write this, it's snowily soggily out--but she and Kim are on the Rocky Mountaineer to Calgary, so as far as we're concerned, it's snowing off our watch.

Easter visits with family

On Easter weekend, Jocelyn came out from Vancouver with her friend Tom. Then my brother Geoffrey arrived the next day with his two boys, Dave, 15, and Mike, 13. Here are some pics showing what we were up to on the visit.

Missing are pictures of the food. We ate terrific meals. I have vowed not to be so daft about cooking again. We can eat well without me spending all my time in the kitchen!

Visit with Jessica and Fiona

My two younger sisters from Ottawa have moved out to the Coast. Here are a couple of pics from a visit in early March.

What we've been up to on Pender

Here are some photos of what we've been up to at the lot. We, I say, but it's really Garney who's been there every day, working hard. I'm keeping busy with marking and stealing the occasional hour to write a poem.

Our friend Diane Maxted drove down from Comox to visit this last weekend. She was taken with how spring-like it is in comparison to the Comox Valley. On the way back from Gowlland Point she bought me a couple of bunches of daffodils for sale at a roadside stand with an honour box. We do like Pender!

Studio photos

Here are some photos from last weekend to show people what we've been up to here. Garney's been putting in full days and getting lots done. I mark and steal the occasional hour to write a poem and am altogether less visible in my accomplishments.

Our friend Diane Maxted came down from Comox to spend the weekend with us. The weather was less than stellar but we had great fun. Not to mention some great meals, Garney's famous blackberry crepes among them!

Diane bought me several bunches of fresh daffodils on the drive home from Gowlland Point. They were for sale beside the road with a honour box.