Blue Above, Misty Below

After over a month of continuous sunny, warm weather, Coastal BC has started receiving the showers that are more common in our area.

First Narrows on Powell Lake tends to create weather of its own. Here a cloud is sandwiched between the top of Goat Island and the blue sky above.

At the base of the cloud, it was misty and moist. Giving the trees some much needed moisture.

Today is Sky Watch Friday. Go to the Sky Watch Friday website and you'll see sky photos from all over the world! -- Margy

Just Released Online: Farther Up the Main

Hot off the Press

Farther Up the Main

Coastal BC Stories

Stories of ATV exploration, hiking, and survival for the stout of heart and those who crave wilderness adventure. Set in remote Canada where people are isolated from the bustle of the surrounding world. Read Farther Up the Main by Wayne J. Lutz and experience it for yourself.

Go to www.PowellRiverBooks.com for ordering information.

Print for $16.95

Kindle for $3.99
Ebook $3.99

Saved in the Nick of Time

My good friend John is always finding treasures for me. He knows the Powell River back country better than anyone. I never know what it will be, but here are some of the most memorable treasures he's brought home:

• An old manual typewriter
  
• An old logging two-man crosscut saw
• An oil can and tea kettle
  
• An old-time fire extinguisher
• Lots of pretty rocks
• Lots of interesting driftwood
• Rusted chains and tools

One treasure came from a "dump" along the shore. The contents probably came from old homesteads. Amid the trash he found a cast iron goose. It had one leg and was rusted, but John knew it was a perfect treasure to bring home for me. Besides, it didn't take much space on his quad.

My goose has a prominent perch in the kitchen, but has continued to deteriorate. I decided it was time to do something about it.

And it was a good thing I did. When I moved him, half of the head fell off and by the time I got it to the picnic table, the other half went too. I whittled a stick to fit into the neck and glued the head back together with some Amazing Goop. I also used the Goop to seal the edges of the cast iron halves and sealed the surface with several coats of polyurethane. While I was at it, I made a bark brace for his missing leg. Now Mr. Goose should last for years to come.

Thanks John for all the treasures. You're a great friend. -- Margy

Sweet Hands Book Signing This Thursday!

Author Ramin Ganeshram will be signing copies of Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad & Tobago this Thursday, September 2nd! If you are in the New York City area come to Hue-Man Bookstore and Cafe at 2319 Frederick Douglass Boulevard (between 124th and125th Streets). Ramin will be signing from 6 to 8 PM.

You can get to Hue-Man Bookstore by taking the A-C or B-D to the 125th Street stop on St Nicholas Avenue, or the 2-3 to the 125th Street stop on Malcolm X Boulevard/Lenox Avenue. We hope to see you there!

Bush Beans in a Pot

My gardening this year has been filled with lots of highs and lows. My containers have been the most successful, but even with those I've had some problems. When my eggplant died in June, I decided to try some Bush Beans in the now empty pot.

I soaked the seeds and then put them in peat pellets for sprouting. This works successfully for me as long as I transplanted them before the roots became too established.

I planted the sprouts in the empty pot. Of the twelve seeds, one was raided by a deck critter. I planted the remaining eleven. Probably too many, but I hated to waste Any. As you can see, five were fast starters. Of the remaining six, three more developed into productive plants.

The plants started producing about two weeks ago. On Sunday, I got my largest picking, enough for a nice dinner side dish. And there are lots more still to come. I count my Bush Beans in a pot a gardening success, at least for this year.

Do you do container gardening? What are some of your success stories? - Margy

Dried Swiss Chard Mother Nature Style

In June, I pulled the end of my Swiss Chard from last season and dried it in the oven. My new crop planted in April is just now starting to mature. I picked a few leaves for an experiment. Our cabin is getting about eight hours of direct warm sunlight, so I thought I would try some sun dried chard using Mother Nature's energy.

I consulted one of my preserving resource books Stocking Up: How to Preserve the Foods You Grow, Naturally by the Editors of Organic Gardening and Farming. I find it's a great reference for harvesting, storing, drying, freezing and canning fruits, vegetables, meats, dairy products, and nuts, seeds and grains. But I did modify their directions a bit.

I pinched leaves off the plants with some stem still attached. Rather than use drying racks, I thought stringing the leaves up like herbs would speed the drying process. I used a needle and thread to separate and tie the chard leaves for hanging. The next time I don't need to leave so much space in between.

Stocking Up recommended blanching vegetables before drying. It preserves colour, nutrients and prepares the plant cells for the drying process. I gently lowered each string into a pan of boiling water for 30 seconds. They lifted out without tangling and were ready to hang.

I took the strings of Swiss Chard outdoors to dry in the warm sunshine. It was a bit breezy as well, so I think that helped things get started. Several times I flattened out the leaves because they tended to fold over and stick together. By the end of the day, they were leathery but not dry. I took them indoors after the sun went down. That prevented dew from altering the hard work of the sun and to keep them away from hungry critters.

I hung the strings of Swiss Chard in the downstairs bedroom out of the way. Since I have to leave for a few days, that's where they will stay to complete the drying process. But I'm happy to report that they are already getting crispy around the edges.

I know it isn't a lot, but I think it was a successful experiment. As long as Mother Nature continues to supply some warm sunshine and a crop of chard, I can keep adding to my supply for winter use.

Do you do any drying of fruits or vegetables? I'd love to hear about your experiences. -- Margy

Update: Float Cabins for Sale on Powell Lake BC

The Labour Day long weekend is coming soon! Powell Lake is very busy now and there's a cabin here just waiting for you. The water is warm, the sun is shining, and the BBQ in going. Don't miss out on what's left of the summer of a lifetime! There are still a few great properties available. If you have any questions or need us, you know where we'll be. Up the lake of course.

Are you interested in getting a cabin of your own? Here's an updated list of cabins and properties up the lake that are for sale. Some are through real estate agents, so you can get more information via their websites.

From the Powell River PEAK on September 1, 2010: Registered water lease ready for you to add the float cabin of your dreams. Prime location at the mouth of popular Henderson Bay with dramatic views of the Bunster range to the west and snow capped peaks to the north. Just 17 minutes from the Shinglemill Marina with a new breakwater and wind/solar power generation system on shore. Asking $45,000. For more information call 760-218-8938.

Harry Zroback from RE/Max offers a float cabin on the south side of Goat Island just past Dego Point. It is a well appointed 3 bedroom, 2 bath float cabin. You have to take a look at the photos on Harry's website. It has lots of room for family and friends, or plenty of space for just the two of you. It comes with fridge, stove, woodstove, even satellite TV. The 60X60 cedar log float gives you lots of room to enjoy the outdoors and dynamite lake views. The asking price is $169,000. You can reach Harry at 604-483-8333 or harry@powellriverrealestate.com.

From the Powell River PEAK on August 27, 2010: Fully equipped float cabin for year round use. New fridge, stove, generator, composting toilet. Asking $115,000. For more information call 604-483-4293.

From the Powell River PEAK on August 27, 2010: Float Cabin, 2-bedroom plus loft (I love sleeping in our loft!). Propane refrigerator and stove (they work really well for us). Rainbow area. $100,000. 604-485-9374

From the Powell River PEAK on July 23, 2010 and online at ConsignAll.ca: Powell Lake float cabin 5 minutes past Hole-in-the-Wall, mainland side, 1-bedroom downstairs plus loft for additional beds, fully furnished including new propane fridge and stove, large float with lots of deck space and tie-up room, good breakwater and year-round stream, $120,000 firm. Contact Julie at 604-483-4293 or check online at ConsignAll.ca.

Harry Zroback and Mandy Brown from RE/Max have a cute freehold cabin on Powell Lake. It comes with about half an acre of treed property about 15 minutes from the Shinglemill Marina. The 900 sq ft cabin has two bedrooms and one bath, and a cozy woodstove. It comes with canoe, linens, kitchen utensils, everything to get you started on the best summer you've ever had. All this for only $259,000. For more information, click here. You can reach Mandy at 604-485-2741 or mandybrown@remax.net. You can reach Harry at 604-483-8333 or harry@powellriverrealestate.com.

From the Powell River PEAK on September 1, 2010: Warren Behan from Coast Realty lists a large float cabin on a large float now further reduced from $149,900 to $129,000. It is located in a scenic spot near the inlet of the Goat River. It comes with all furnishings. It's has a cozy wood stove, kitchen appliances including stove, oven, fridge and freezer, and bathroom with toilet and shower. Click here for more information, click here for a multimedia tour, or contact Warren at 604-483-8173 or warrenbehan@shaw.ca.

Don Mcleod from RE/Max list a spacious boat access only float home in a beautiful and peaceful setting on Powell Lake's east side past the log dump and Dego Point now reduced from $84,000 to $79,000. It has a large deck, 3 bedrooms, wood stove in a spacious kitchen/living area plus a large loft. The listing says it has loads of room but needs finishing. Click here for more information or contact Don at 604-485-2741, by e-mail at don@mycoast.ca or his website www.mycoast.ca.

Don Mcleod from RE/Max also has a land cabin on Powell Lake was listed for $140,000 but now it has been drastically reduced to only $79,900. The cabin is on it's own island (currently leased from the Crown/BC government) in picturesque Three Mile Bay, just three miles up the lake from the Shinglemill Marina by boat. It's an older cabin with a large kitchen and living room area. The floats do need work. What a perfect summer (or year-round) retreat great for swimming, fishing and just getting away. Large kitchen and living room area. Click here for more information about this great recreational property or contact Don at 604-485-2741, by e-mail at don@mycoast.ca or his website www.mycoast.ca.

Interested in an 8.35 acre land holding for a remote retreat or ecotourism resort? The Powell Lake Lodge is for sale and Jason Zroback of LandQuest can help you out. The land has ten years left on a thirty-year Crown (government) lease. The improvements include five cabins, several outbuildings, water, septic and dock. It's been vacant for a while and would need some work, but the price is right at $299,000 for everything. It's water access from Powell River but there's road access to the ocean at Theodosia Inlet. Give Jason a call at 604-414-5577 or jason@landquest.com.

Want a real estate agent that really knows float cabins? That's Harry Zroback (our man Harry who helped us get our cabin) from RE/MAX. Harry owns a cabin himself, so he's an excellent person to contact for all your "up the lake" real estate needs at 604-483-8333 or harry@powellriverrealestate.com.

If you have any questions about Powell River, Powell Lake or cabin living, I'd be glad to help out. Just leave a comment or use the e-mail link in my profile to send me a message. -- Margy

Palm Tree Point

We travel up and down Powell Lake to our cabin in all kinds of weather, except the extremely windy kind. There are names for places along the way such as The Washout (an earthen dam on nearby Inland Lake burst, washing out a patch to the shore of Powell Lake, Sandy Beach (an easy one to guess), Elvis Point (a life-size statue of the King used to stand here), and the North Sea (John's name for the large, often choppy section below First Narrows). We've also named a few places of our own.

Here is Palm Tree Point just south of The Washout. A large fir tree sticks out on an angle with its top branches somewhat lopped off. From a distance, it looks a lot like a palm tree jutting out for more sunlight.

On a foggy day, when our "palm tree" looms out of the mist, we know exactly where we are. But on calm summer days, it is just another beautiful tree among the many along the shore. -- Margy

Canning Blueberries

It's been a good season for blueberries, so I bought some to can for later use. My two containers had just enough berries for five half pints. Here's how I did it.

First, I washed and organized all of my canning equipment. Then I started boiling the water in my canning pot. I use that to sterilize my jars, rings and rims.

Then I made a medium syrup using 3 cups of water and a cup and a half of sugar. The syrup will help increase the flavour, colour and shape of the fruit over time. I cooked it slowly, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolved and it almost came to a boil. After removing the syrup from the heat, I added the strained juice of one lemon to help increase the acidity.

My recipe called for blanching the berries. I did that by placing a cup of berries in a cheese cloth, immersing them in boiling water for 10 seconds, then plunging them into ice water to stop the cooking process.

After a quick drain, I funneled the berries into sterilized jars, making sure to leave enough space at the top for them to be covered by the syrup. The berries will reduce in size during processing, but the juice that extracts makes a wonderful addition to lemonade.

I reheated the syrup before ladling it over the blueberries. The recipe called for 1/4" headspace between the top of the berries and syrup, and the rim of the jar. In a few cases, I needed remove a few berries. I left them in a dish to eat later. They were yummy with their lightly sweet coating.

I used a stainless steel knife to remove any trapped air bubbles. There were quite a few, so I had to add a bit more syrup to to get the correct headspace back. I wiped the rims to make sure they were clean enough to get a good seal.

Once all of the jars were sealed with self-sealing lids and rings, they went into my water bath canner with the lid on to be processed for 15 minutes. Make sure the jars are covered with at least one inch of water. And timing doesn't begin until the water returns and stays at a full, rolling boil. After cooling, test the seals to make sure they are secure.

Each jar will be just the right size for a batch of pancakes. I just love blueberries in my pancakes!

Right about now, the wild blueberries in the high country should be getting ripe. If I can convince Wayne to head on up to the Elephant Lakes on our quads, maybe I'll pick some more for canning. -- Margy

Good Friends in Powell River

One of the things that attracted us to Powell River was its friendly people. When we were tourists, everyone we met went out of their way to make us feel welcome. After we purchased our cabin, we wanted to become more involved in our new community. We did that by joining groups with similar interests. One of those is the Powell River ATV Club.

The first time I remember meeting Dave was at a presentation he organized about the Roosevelt Elk relocation program. After another club meeting, Dave and his wife Marg invited us over for a Christmas party. Since then, we've become really good friends. We try to get together when we're both in town for chats, dinners and the occasional Powell River Kings hockey game.

Dave has a background in forestry and working at the mill. He was born in Powell River, moved away, and then back. Marg is a nurse and still does a bit of casual work. They are really family oriented, doing lots of things with their grown kids and especially their grand-kids. Dave has been president of the ATV Club for several years now, and with Marg's help, has organized lots of fun rides, events and trail building activities. You can read more about the Club here:

ATV/BC "Powell River ATV Club"
Powell River ATV Club Website
Powell River ATV Club on Facebook
Powell River Peak "ATV Riders on Track for Access"

Dave and Marg are always having us over to their house, even for Christmas dinner. When we have them over, it's at the cabin. We are usually part of their summer boat shakedown cruise on Powell Lake. Look at the wonderful welcome Wayne gave them this year! And there they were, bearing lots of gifts, including dinner all ready to prepare.

They also brought a bird feeder and a squirrel feeder that Dave had made but they no longer needed. He is very talented, especially at wood carving. Dave is one of those "jacks of all trades" that are so prevalent in northern communities. And Marg is right there beside him. They are my idols in many respects.

So, this Wednesday Friends Day I would like to introduce you to Dave and Marg, our good Powell River friends. Thanks for all your help, advice, stories, and of course, friendship. -- Margy

Up the Lake on Wheels

Impossible, you say? Well, not really. But this is one adventure I didn't get to participate in except for launch and recovery. Wayne and John used our cedar log raft to tow their quads up to the head of Powell Lake for three nights of camping and two days of riding. But first, the raft needed a bit of modification to make it go faster.

The weather needed to be timed for no rain (makes tent camping easier) and calm water (makes towing easier). To be ready for such a window, Wayne and John decided to tow the quads up and preposition them at our cabin. For the next few days, looky-loos in Hole in the Wall had something new to catch their attention.

On Sunday morning, John arrived with his dog Bro ready to go. They weren't sure how long it would take, but estimated five hours. But first, John set up our Campion to push the raft. He thought it would be easier to handle and faster that way. So with lots of extra gas (for the quads and boat), tents, sleeping bags, tons of food, our trusty BBQ, and our tin boat, off they went.

At the head, they were able to tie up to the old logging dock and offload the bikes right there. Pretty slick. Just tie up once and you're done. Otherwise, they could have used the barge ramp. They set up camp right there since they wouldn't be in anyone's way. All logging has shut down for now and Plutonic Power has completed their transmission line installation.










There are extensive logging roads that start at the head of Powell Lake, but they can't be reached from anywhere else. John and Wayne rode for hours each day to dynamic viewpoints, the mill's old snow survey cabin, and cool mountain streams perfect for a cooling swim.

Wednesday was return trip time. This would be a longer trip, all the way back to the Shinglemill Marina in one day. The first leg down to our cabin took about five and a half hours. From the cabin, John, Mom and I went down the lake in his boat while Wayne slowly plugged along.

John and I hurried down so we could serve as Wayne's landing crew. We met up at Kinsman Beach (right where the adventure began) and John used his ramps to offload the bikes from the raft to the shore. Pretty slick! Swimmers out on a warm summer day thought so too.

In addition to John and I, Helen and Ed came down to serve as a welcoming committee and quad shuttle crew. Then off Wayne went, to take the raft up to John's cabin, another hour away. It was quite an adventure, the coming, the going and the riding. Maybe next time I'll be able to tag along. -- Margy