Stuffed Venison

Resting under my kitchen window, knowing that there is no danger of being tossed onto a BBQ or slid onto the middle rack of a nicely pre-heated baking oven, this fellow is flaunting his fat midriff poised to seduce a few passing does.

Crammed with apples from my tree, seasoned with plenty of blossoms (no leafs or unopened buds, please!) from a new 'deer proof' mum plant, and finished off with a few sunflower seeds and crushed nuts which have dropped from the bird feeder, he would probably tempt a number chefs with this delicious stuffing inside his all organic hide!

Well, I guess it's HIS place, and I am just a visitor.

Fall 2011 - Images from Home

Back on land...the deer have grown fatter, bucks sport a clean rack and a black furred face, and lost even more of their shyness. Rabbits freeze into stillness among brown fallen leafs, and noisy chickadees, finches and hummingbirds crowd the newly filled bird feeders.

Deer food on the branch - they are delicious! I baked an apple pie - the first ever in my entire long life. I must confess it was pretty tasty!

The higher branches of the tree still carry a few apples, high enough over the heather covered ground to be out of reach of deer, even if they stand up on their hind legs trying to bite them off.

But storm winds did their thing and the sweet apples litter the ground, with the predictable result that all vegetarian wild life tramples around and enjoys the delicious banquet. I can walk out to the tree, and the deer hardly lift their heads to acknowledge my presence. I am not sure if these sharp horned bucks would take kindly to having their dinner interrupted, so far they limit themselves to eying me with a bored look.

My feelings exactly - sheets of rain, winds whipping around, dampness and chill outside - it's time to think of warmer climes...

Sailing Season 2011 - Over?

Still on Pender Island, savouring the last days of official summer. Millennium Dragon is tied up at Otter Bay Marina, conveniently located for a leisurely walk along deserted quaint country roads - most of them dead ended. Fruit trees, especially apples shed their over ripening loads onto the deteriorating pavement, black berries turn mushy on their thorny bushes, and silky blossoms droop under the influence of cooler nights.

A day of rain gives way to another seductive day of summer sunshine. The marine weather forecast sounds benign, and I make the short hop to Bedwell Harbour at the southern edge of the Canadian Gulf Islands within a short pleasant sail.

I pick up a mooring buoy, install my outboard motor on my little Zodiac (first and last time for this season) just to see it it REALLY works, and buzz across the bay to Poets Cove Marina. Definitely post season atmosphere - the visitors docks are empty, the Canadian Customs dock idle.

I hike up to the one and only road penetrating into South Pender Island towards the 'car stop', one of the official hitch hike pick up points on Pender Island. A brilliant invention, which allows commuting on the island without the need for a rental car (expensive) or a motor scooter (fear inspiring) or a bicycle (too many hills).

An improvement of the car system for this year: each 'car stop' has a glass box filled with sheets of 'transit plans' showing the official stops all over North and South Pender Island.

What it does not say is, that South Pender Island is the remote part of the twin islands - all the traffic inducing facilities are on the North Island: hospital, school, Driftwood Shopping Centre, ferry terminal, public marinas, restaurants etc etc. In order to get a ride one may wait - and wait, and wait....

The 'You are Here' map for the car stops...

Driftwood Shopping Centre art offering

Unusual rock formation at the base of Mount Norman on South Pender Island.

Bull Kelp strands floating over hidden rocks under smooth bay waters

Millennium's rudder and prop lit by afternoon sun

The weather forecast promises gale and storm forced winds, heavy rain predicted....a good time ti scurry home - past a series of BC ferries - before my watery summer living turns unpleasant, cold, stressful.
Back to Maple Bay, and my home dock - and to unloading my floating cottage and getting back to land based life in a REAL house, driving a REAL car.

Pender Island Recycle Depot Gallery

Walking back to Otter Bay Marina from the Farmer's Market one passes the local Island Recycling depot. The entrance gate to the depot greets the drop-off-client with a whimsical store hours sign - old bicycle wheels.

Reuse from re-usable bits and pieces of junk.

Afternoon tea anyone?

All the way from Mexico, a painted pottery fish amongst garden rakes an trinkets

Redneck wind chimes to take away gratis

A decrepit sad looking garden gnome reclines amongst fallen leaves.

Where on earth did you find this? Definitely 'organic'.

Otter Bay Marina - with Millennium Dragon adding a bit of colour to the scene.

16 September 2011 - Pender Island Farmers Market

Saturday on Pender Island: Farmers Market near the Community Hall. Only a few more weeks until Canadian Thanksgiving, then these local attractions will go into hibernation until next spring. Potters, weavers, felters, farmers, jewellery makers, jammers, beekeepers, lotion and cream concocters - all work through the winter months to get ready for next year's organic or non organic offerings.

Here are some samples of this summer's crop:

Gabriela's Pottery

Pender Island musical Gothic

$ 5.00 per box

Felter's face mask with a pale fall maple leaf motif

Whale watching at the felter's stand

Pottery rings for displaying leafs and blossoms

Something for a sore neck

More Gothic....selling little paper strips adorned with artistic graffiti

Saturday's....come on down! I used the Island Hitch Hike service with official stops at designated pull outs on the narrow country road to transport myself from Otter Bay Marina to the Community Centre a couple of kilometers away. A young health care worker, looking after seniors in an island care facility, took me for a pleasant short ride to get from A to B.

Commodore's Cruise of Maple Bay Yacht Club - gone to the dogs...

What a setting for an Evening Happy Hour!


Party Time..

16/17/18 September, the weekend where a whole flotilla of boats makes its way to Otter Bay Marina for the annual Commodore's Cruise, a good excuse for some mingling, socializing, pot-lucking and general partying. Some Golf (for the die hards) as a side bonus.

Not only does everyone bring their vessels, but the sea dogs have to come along as well. And a motley pack they are indeed.

One of the pooches fresh from the hairdresser

This one looks as if he had an appointment with a lawnmower

Pink Kleenex

Yoga for dogs

Oh brother, can you spare me a dime

Ah, the Commodore's Skipper dog

Ready to tack...

Ready to swim....

Ready to kiss

Ready for anything

The official Commodore's Cruise plonk

Porcupine dog

Foot soldier

The humans did not look too bad either...

Indian Summer on the water

Foxsea, a large trawler, provided a pleasant sunset concert in Conover Cove, Wallace Island. Keyboard, drums, banjo, guitar, vocals...and - believe it or not - by a combination of two professional bands from Langford and Sooke.

Dancing on the docks

Whilst the sun sets over Vancouver Island

Pacific Grace, a sailing school schooner anchored outside the entrance to Conover Cove

taking 34 children living in Prince George, Inland British Columbia, via three dories of the tippy kind ashore for a hike.

Dinghy at low tide in Princess Cove on Wallace Island

Very LARGE dinghy crossing my bow and leaving me to negotiate a few giant wake waves. However, their helicopter on the top deck did not move an inch despite wind, waves and wakes.