Beach Day!

It was a fantastic, sunny day on Friday and we decided to hit one of the great Gabriola beaches. The girls and I quickly packed ourselves up and went Pilot Bay to meet up with some friends, both the girls and mine. After a fun play in the sand finding shells, skipping rocks, and playing tag we headed up the road to the Twin Beaches Bakery for lunch. The girls gobbled down a yummy lunch followed by a gooey treat consisting of a "Twin Bit" doughnut and a Copenhagen pastry. After lunch we came home, grabbed the bikes and spent the afternoon playing hide and seek and riding up and down the hills in our backyard. It was such a wonderful day, a treat that the weather was so beautiful, spring is definitely in the air!

Gabriola Bottle Drive Fundraiser

This Saturday February 27th on Gabriola there will be a bottle drive fundraiser to help raise money for the Higgins family while John Higgins is in treatment for cancer. This fundraiser is being put on by the Gabriola 4-H Club and will take place at The Gabriola Commons on North Road across from the Elementary School. Please bring down all your bottles on Saturday starting at 10 am or call Cheryl at 250-247-8517 for pick-up of large amounts. Thanks to all who organized this, it is great to see how this community bands together when needed!

Gingerbread Cottage

Last year we picked up a gingerbread house kit from Costco with everything you need to make a house. The problem was the ingredients were so awful the girls were not allowed to eat it. This year we decided to do one from scratch and it was much easier than I had anticipated. I used the gingerbread recipe from Martha Stewart, recipe here, and then cut out the shapes needed to build it. Once it cooled I made Royal Icing, recipe here, and then we got to building. We cut chocolate layer mints in half for roof shingle and then I let the girls get right into it. Of course every piece of candy we had purchased was used and I am amazed that it has stood up under the weight. The girls are very excited as they have been told they can start eating some on Christmas Day. It was a really fun activity to do on a rainy afternoon.

We Did It!!

Congratulations Gabriola, we did it. After making it to the semi-finals for the Aviva Community Fund we have moved on to the finals for Gabriola's Emergency Care Facility. The 25 favourite ideas are currently being reviewed by the competition judges. The competition winners will be announced January 25th, 2010. So with our fingers crossed and thinking good thoughts we enter into the holiday season with our hopes set on the biggest gift of all come the end of January. What a fantastic group of people to set this motion and thanks to everybody who reminded and reminded and reminded us to vote everyday, you are very dedicated. Everybody deserves this toast, "Here's to a fabulous community that extends far beyond our backyard, Thank-you"!

First Gabriola Snow!

"The first fall of snow is not only an event, it is a magical event"
It is the first Gabriola snowfall of the season and as always it is beautiful. The kids were so excited when I got home from work. We quickly got dinner started, got dressed and headed outside. Snowballs and snowmen and snow angels were made by all. Snowflakes were caught on tongues and much laughter and giggling came from all. Once we were ready to come in the girls enjoyed dinner and hot chocolate and my oldest gushed about all that she would be doing tomorrow in the snow, especially sledding. Here's hoping that the snow sticks around long enough for that to happen. What a wonderful evening we had marked by the first snowfall of the season.

Dance Recitals

Miss Mara's dancers will be performing for free this week at their dance recitals. The kids love to have a big crowd to cheer them on and as an added bonus they are free. The Kinderdance recital is Wednesday December 9, 2009 at 11:30 pm at the Gabriola Commons, the Grade 1-2 class is Tuesday December 8, 2009 at 3:00 pm in the Gabriola Elementary School gym and the Grade 3-4 class is Wednesday December 9, 2009 at 3:00 pm and is also at the school gym. All recitals will last about an hour. If your child is interested in starting to dance or just wants to watch this is a great way to introduce them to the world of dance that is on their front door step! For more information about Miss Mara and her classes offered visit her website.

Gabriola Street View

This past year you may have seen the Google Street View vehicle making its rounds around Gabriola. Well it is now official, visit Google maps and you can take a lovely tour of Gabriola on what looks to be a warm spring day. It covers every road on the island and does a 360 degree view from the road. See the ferry in dock, people on the streets, gas at $1.06/L, and many other things. A very interesting idea, now people who have never been here can get a good feeling for the island.

Gabriola gets her vote on!!

Congratulations to all Gabriolan's and beyond who voted daily to ensure our place in the semi-finals for the Aviva Community Fund. We are in need of a permanent emergency health care facility and we are now one step closer to realizing that need. Daily we voted, reminding each other at the end of the day to vote became an evening ritual. This evening my husband asked if I had voted yet today because we only had 14 minutes left, I had. So wonderful to see what can happen when something so valuable is needed by all. But remember we are not done yet, voting resumes on December 2 so please vote! What a great challenge and community building activity this is, keep up the good work everyone.

Sunny Sunday

After what seems like weeks of rain it was a treat to enjoy a beautiful and sunny Sunday. It is amazing how a little bit of sun lifts your spirits and encourages outdoor activity. I was able to finish my fall garden chores and then I was off to the park for a good long walk. There are lots of puddles on the trails, each with a little trail around it!

Dolphin Sighting

Dolphin sightings have been increasingly common in the Strait of Georgia, particularly at this time of year and a group of around 200 Pacific white sided Dolphins have been spotted frolicking near Entrance Island off the shores of Gabriola. Photo credit "NOAA".

Kissinger Lake

A great little destination lake is Kissinger, within 2 hours drive from the Gabriola Island ferry on Vancouver Island this is a great spot to camp for a few days. This small lake is located just past Cowichan Lake on the way to the Carmanah Valley. It is run by Timber West and will be open until the Thanksgiving weekend. The water is clear and a comfortable temperature for swimming, the lake is stocked with trout, there are no gas powered craft allowed, and mid week you almost have the place to yourself. There is a bit of history here to stumble upon, as it was a thriving logging camp in the mid 1900s. This is one of our favorite fall destinations.

A Princess

This Princess Cruise ship is anchored just outside the Nanaimo Harbour off of Protection Island in sight of Gabriola. The passengers are shuttled by boat into Nanaimo to enjoy the downtown sights, shops and restaurants. A new $22 million cruise ship terminal is in the works which will allow the vessels to berth directly in the Nanaimo Assembly Wharf area next to the Gabriola Ferry dock.

The end of an era

The Entrance Island Lighthouse located off the tip of Gabriola Island, may lose its keeper for the first time since 1876. The fully automated lighthouse is one of four along B.C.'s coast that the federal government is looking to destaff in the near future, with more expected in a second phase. The others are on Trial Island near Victoria, Dryad Point near Bella Bella and Cape Mudge on Quadra Island.

Shed Chic

A couple of days ago I was visiting with a friend who turned their 8 x 10 electical shed into an animation studio. It is a fantastic little space with insulation and drywall and even a cute little window. There is a fair amount of room and it functions as a great space for him to escape and get work done. On an island such as this where so many people work from home it is a cost effective way to turn a small outbuilding into a usable space. Outbuildings under 107 square feet can be built without obtaining a permit. If you decide to turn them into work spaces with electricity or a sink you will need the appropriate permit for either plumbing or electrical. Recently we have been looking into the idea of a workshop space outside for me and are having a great time looking at all the ideas for very nice "sheds". Books such as Shed Chic give great design ideas for outbuildings such a gypsy caravan or barn style while keeping it small. Take a look at some of the pictures and form your own ideas but be warned that it will be hard to decide what to build!
ps There are also pre-fab versions, check out Modern Shed for some ideas

A Ferry Ride Away

Just 20 minutes by ferry and we are in Nanaimo, a cute downtown area is just a short walk away with lots of nice little shops, cafes and an attractive town square. A visit to this harbour city is a nice change of pace.

Silva Bay

On a stormy Sunday afternoon boats huddle in the protected waters of Silva Bay. Boaters can come ashore and find a shipyard, seaplane terminal, coffee shack, restaurant, laundromat, showers, fresh water, liquor store, groceries, bookstore, dive center and a rustic log church. There are several docks to chose from at Silva Bay Marina, Pages Resort and Marina, and the Silva Bay Inn.

Salt Marsh

We swam in the mid afternoon at the far end of Lock Bay and walked back to the road on the high path. We passed the salt marsh edged with the beach logs that wash in with some of the high tides that bring salt to the marsh.

Relaxing on Hornby Island

We had the luxury of getting a week off this summer and we went to Hornby Island. Many people looked at us rather oddly when we said we were going to another Gulf Island for a holiday but we so wanted to spend some time in a quiet place where we were totally anonymous. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and headed to the lovely cottage we had arranged to rent for a week. The property was beautiful and equipped with a zipline in the backyard much to our 4 year old daughter's delight. Hornby is a beautiful island which you can reach by taking a ferry from Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island to Denman Island and then driving across Denman to the Hornby Island ferry. The ferry ride to both islands are a short ten minute jump and the connections are quite good.

Hornby has a wonderful shopping area called the Ringside Market where there are 2 clothing stores, a coffee/ice cream stand with the best americanos, cafe, restaurant, book store, pottery store and of course the Hornby Co-op Grocery/Everything you need Store. While there we made trips to many of the local artist studios, beautiful beaches, farms, and of course the Cardboard House Bakery which has the best almond buns and cream puffs. It is also the home of Pizza Galore which beats any pizza place I have ever been to, fantastic!!!

Hornby is also home to two wineries and a meadery which we managed to visit without our kids thanks to our wonderful friends/travel companions. Middle Mountain Mead is an artisan honey winery combining the best of ancient and modern techniques to create small lots of premium handcrafted mead. We left with 3 bottles of Mead which we are eagerly awaiting to try. Visit their website at middlemountainmead.com.

We had such a fantastic and relaxing vacation that we will definitely be back next year anxiously awaiting anonymity and almond buns:)

Musicfest 2009

We took the weekend and drove up to Courtenay (just over an hour from the Gabriola Ferry) for the Vancouver Island Musicfest. 3 days, 55 performers, 6 stages, 27 craft booths, 21 food booths - all spread out over the Comox Valley fairgrounds alongside the Tsolum River, so well organized, such beautiful weather - it was a fantastic event! The performers included Los Lobos, Arlo Guthrie, Steven Page of The Barenaked Ladies, Leon and Eric Bibb, Jim Byrnes and so many others that we were unfamiliar with, but really enjoyed. This event is considered "the largest destination music event on Vancouver Island and one of the Top 25 outdoor festivals in North America".

A Day Away

A nice little day trip destination on Vancouver Island is Sidney by the sea, just outside of Victoria and about an hour and a half drive from the Gabriola Ferry. This is where the ferries from Vancouver to Victoria dock and it is a very cute little town with a main street that runs right down to the harbour. We walked around enjoying the shops and had a great lunch at the 3rd Street Cafe.

On the Strait Of Georgia

The past week has been a hot one on Gabriola, absolutely fabulous weather! And the best place to enjoy it is at the sea. This sandstone beach is along Berry Point Road.

The Inner Harbour

When we say we are going to 'town' we mean we are heading to Nanaimo (as opposed to 'The Village' which would be Gabriola). On foot, as you leave the ferry terminal in Nanaimo you find yourself passing the Cameron Island wharf and the Port Place shopping center and quite quickly you will be on the walkway in the Nanaimo inner harbour. So many destinations are right there or close by, the Protection Island foot ferry, Penny's Palapa (a great floating Mexican restaurant), Java Wocky Coffee, boutique shops, Fisherman's Wharf, the Bastion Fort historical site and downtown historical walk, a weekend craft fair, the Convention Center, Port Theatre, Nanaimo Art Gallery, Library, Nanaimo Museum and more.

Home and Away

It was the end of a sunny week when the idea of a camp-out struck me. Along with my husband, our kids and many friends both grown and growing we packed all our earthly belongings for one exciting night. We got in the car and drove...5 minutes to the local campground here on Gabriola! What a treat, the campground at Descanso Bay Regional Park is a beautiful and family friendly location. After hours of fun we strolled the short distance to the beach and sat to watch the sun as it set. A fantastic event to cap off a fantastic day!

Dogwood

The Pacific Dogwood is in bloom all over Gabriola right now, but the best show is at the south end. On our way to the Community Hall to vote we passed an area dense with Dogwood and one tree stood out to me, the flowers were luminous!

and then came the Orcas

Not uncommon but always exciting, Orca Whales swimming through Dodds Narrows, viewed from Mudge Island.

Dodds Narrows

Mudge Island is a stone's throw across False Narrows from Gabriola and Dodds Narrows separates Mudge from Vancouver Island. Dodds Narrows is very narrow as the name suggests and 90 feet deep. It offers safe passage for almost any pleasure boat and a swift tide. We have watched long lines of boats pop through this marine pass when the tide is right. On the day we visited the water was very clear, with sea weeds, little white jelly fish, star fish, sea anenomes and sea mushrooms (or maybe they were cauliflowers) all quite visible. Along the water's edge are fantastic sandstone shapes and arbutus, stonecrop and indian paint brush hug the rocks.

Been and Gone...

With a great sigh of relief and satisfaction we leave with a smile on our faces after another wonderfully successful Coast Realty Easter Egg Hunt. It began at 9:30 this morning with all the Realtors converging on the Coast Realty Office in Folklife Village to begin set-up for the big event. We had to transport signage, surveyors tape, tents, BBQs, food and drink, and of course the candy and bunny costume. We surveyed the areas, set-up the signs, and hid the candy. At 11:30 am The Kerplunks showed up bright eyed and bushy tailed and began to prepare for the show. The 4-H crew got the BBQs going and the hotdogs on. People began to arrive and we were ready to begin. The Kerplunks were fabulous as always and kids and adults alike sang, danced and clapped along with our homegrown heros. At one o'clock the hunt began and the kids were off like a shot combing the area clean just like a horde of army ants! Thanks for everybody's help and involvement, especially to Village Foods, Mid-Island Co-op, Shasta Signs, the 4-H kids and leaders, The Kerplunks, The Commons and to the Easter Bunny herself for making this a sensational event. See you next year!

Eagles in the Morn

What a treat we had this morning while clearing the breakfast dishes! We looked up just in time to see a pair of bald eagles land at the top of a douglas fir tree for a brief break in the morning sun. This tree seems to attract the birds as it is the same tree that I caught a picture of an owl and a pair of ravens over the past year. The ravens are often perched in the top branches of this tree but the eagles are definitely a first. As quickly as I could I grabbed my camera, my gumboots and my vest and was quietly slipping out the back door. I crept down to the garden in hopes to not startle them before I got some pictures. The pair noticed me quite quickly and watched me much of the time before they flew off into the blue sky and morning sun. Definitely a special moment on a cold and clear February day on Gabriola.

Cooking for Fun

Cooking is one of my passions, it is my stress release. It helps that I love food, the tastes, textures, colors and the company with whom I consume it. Whether it is my immediate family, Sunday dinner or the beloved dinner party I love watching peoples reactions to the food I make. My long time favorite is the Mushroom Pecan Burger which makes even my mushroom hating husband swoon at the mention of it. This veggie burger is chock full of protein due to the pecans and the finely diced mushrooms give it a smooth yet meaty texture. Serve this burger with horseradish mayo and grilled sweet onions (especially tasty if from Gabriola's Good Earth Farm) on a homemade bun and you will have a fantastic meal that will cater to the vegetarian and carnivore alike. These freeze beautifully, just cook them lightly and then package to freeze. If you are interested in this recipe it can be found on page 114 of the sensational Re-bar Modern Food Cookbook, one of my favorites. If you get the chance the restaurant is located at 50 Bastion Square in Downtown Victoria and is well worth the visit for a snack or full meal. As an added note I am on page 92 enjoying a cup of the fabulous coffee that they make, one of the many perks of working there!
"After a good dinner one can forgive anybody, even one's own relatives" Oscar Wilde