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.
Atumn colours in Mabou
Nova Scotia trip
Marjorie and Don and McT
Cabot Trail
Marjorie
Standing in front of MacNeil House, Cape Breton
MacNeil House
Nice place to stay on the Cabot Trail
Garney on the Sackville, last remaining corvette
Sunny break on a stormy day in Halifax
Garney in Halifax
Waterfront October 09
Zoe in Lunenberg
In front of the Picton Castle
Jocelyn and Norton
Standing in front of coachhouse in Kits
Woodstove Sept 09
Looking toward the French doors and south-facing deck
Kitchen 3 Sept 09
Orchids on windowsill
Kitchen 2 Sept 09
Stove
Kitchen 1 Sept 09
Lots of counter space
Zoe's office Sept 09
Garney made these fir bookshelves to fit
Dining room Sept 09
Everyone loves these tall windows
Living room Sept 09
It's so bright outside, hard to make photos come out
Seating area in living room
Looking toward kitchen Sept 09
Bedroom Sept 09
Really hard to photograph a high-ceilinged small room!
Bracket details above front door Sept 09
Japanese crossed with arts and crafts
Bracket details on house Sept 09
Painting has begun
Looking from house toward studio Sept 09
Parking area
Tree and ground cover garden Sept 09
Walking from studio toward house
Studio Sept 09
Looking from driveway slightly behind studio
Toolshed Sept 09
Siding is finally on
Woodshed Sept 09
This was going to be our carport. . .
Arts and crafts details Sept 09
Entryway
Coming from driveway Sept 09
Entryway of house
Coming up from the park 2 Sept 09
South-facing side of house
Coming up from the park 1 Sept 09
Looking at front of house
Kitchen May 09
Turn right when you walk in the door
View out dining room window May 09
Note Mother's day orchid
Living room May 09
French doors open
Looking past the hang up cupboard into the kitchen
Nice and bright May 09
Zoe's office May 09
Five boxes of books given away already
View out my office window May 09
A temporary desk--hey, you can se the floor!
Flowering dogwoods May 09
Woodshed behind, house behind that, still no siding
Flowering tree and ground cover garden
Eddie's White Wonder dogwoods behind deer fencing
Cornus 'North Star'
Garden down the east side of house
Closeup of Z & G
Z & G closeup in front of door
About us
- Zoe & Garney
- Zoe is a writer, a teacher of writing, a person juggling multiple responsibilities and trying to remember joy, lightness and a sense of humour at the same time. Garney is a carpenter who is trying, without much success to date, to retire. This blog is to give our far-flung family and friends an idea of how our Great Adventure of moving to Pender Island and building a house is coming along. We are very happy to be more or less out of the city. The "less" part really refers to Zoe, who is still teaching, with a different schedule each term, meaning more or less time on the island.
In front of kitchen door
Z & G posed by Geoffrey
Looking out from French doors in living room
Gazebo on left, door protection on right
Corner of gazebo located on deck
This will be where we'll hang out in summer heat
Detail of gazebo
Looking up at corner of deck
Bracket
One of Garney's Japanese-inspired details
Detail of posts and deck
Closer view of front deck
West side of house
Front deck
Construction detail
Brackets in living room
Bolt on beam
Industrial chic meets Japanese
Ceiling detail
Detail with bracket and ridge beam
Ceiling beams
Different view of the interest up high
Inside house
Insulation in, scaffolding still up
Kitchen door
The door we'll use most of the time
East facing deck
Where you'll come in
Woodshed in front, house behind
House with tarpaper
Cormorants
Coming in to Pender
Close to Pender
Geoffrey roams ferry
Zoe & Garney on ferry
Geoffrey takes romantic photo
Through the ferry window
Looking in
Calm day coming toward Pender
Ferry
Studio, Canada Day
There are less plants in pots, really
Stewartia, underplanted with geraniums
East of house
Crawl space
Looking south toward park
Ferns happy to be in the ground
Deer fencing against trees, framing lumber to right
Inside studio, kitchen corner
Garney prepares dog's dinner
Inside studio, table corner
This doubles as the computer station. Note orchids!
Table and umbrella
This overlooks the pond and wild garden
Birthday feast
Fresh crab, special green salad, baguette
Inside studio, bed corner
Note all the built-in shelves Garney made
Hawthornes not only in, mulched but raked around too!
Looking from the studio up to the road
June 29, Jocelyn transplanting
'Eddie's White Wonder' dogwoods, underplanted with ferns, Corsican mint, geramiums
May, just after move in
Messy, messy. Note bobcat to right.
Water and sewer line
This is what the place looked like when we moved in
April 19th, studio
Scary to think we'll be living here by month's end
View from the studio front door
April 19, looking south toward wood shed
Interior of the studio
April 19, primer on ship lap and gyproc; note moisture
Robin and Zoe
In front of the Hope Bay Cafe
Robin
In front of Corbett House
Garney at Welcome Bay
Looking unusually relaxed in front of arbutus
Welcome Bay
Looking Navy Channel toward Saturna
Kim,Peggy, Garney
Trail to Welcome Bay
Peggy, Garney and Kim
At Hope Bay
Peggy and Kim
In front of Corbett House
Garney and Peggy
In the kitchen at Corbett House
Beach
Gowlland Point
Beach walk
Gowlland Point
Easter walk
Gowlland Point
Geoffrey reading
Living room at Corbett House
Geoffrey, Mike, Dave
Dining room at Corbett House
Garney
In dining room at Corbett House
Zoe and Joss
Living room at Corbett House
Joss and Tom
Thieves Bay Marina
Garney inspects boat for sale at Thieves Marina
It was G's idea to check this one out; he wasn't impressed
Joss' friend Tom
Living room at Corbett House
Joss
Living room at Corbett House
Electrician at work
The electricians worked on the long weekend
Burning up gnarly roots with aid of branches
Now it will be easier to plant
Studio
Note there is now a door which locks!
Jessica and Fiona
at Gowlland Point
Fiona and Jessica
up Mount Mackenzie
Studio
Looking back toward the road
Studio
Looking from the driveway toward pond
Garney visible on porch
Looking east
Hole in the ground
Main house as of March 16, '08
Otter
at Medicine Beach
Diane and Garney
at Gowlland Point
Diane
at Gowlland Point
Gowlland Point
Cold, blowy day
Jocelyn's birthday planting
Working hard, helped by Otter