Quote of the Day

"So, Gordon (Pinocchio) Campbell is at 12 per cent "popularity." I'd like to know who the hell the 12 per cent are! They must have just been aroused after a lengthy coma". Rafe Mair

Lindero CR

No time to blog in the last week as most of my spare time has been spent shoveling horse shit. Last weekend, Lindero CR arrived at his new home on Denman Island. From the moment he stepped off the trailer, he began stealing hearts. Once you get past his good looks, (a difficult task), his people friendly personality wins you over. I can tell he's going to be an amazing companion.
After a three day rest, it was time for a short ride and an introduction to some of the other island residents. He's met other horses, cows, dogs and horse eating pigs. His initial caution soon falters and curiosity gets the best of him and he just has to investigate.

Today, we went on our first trail ride with Kari and Mikolas. With (his older step-brother) Mikolas taking the lead, Lindero did very well on the narrow forest trail, (a very scary place for a young horse). Once out on the dirt road, it's gait,gait gait... he has an amazing amount of energy and never breaks gait.

The end of Summer nears

Ah, Labour Day weekend... after which, things can return to normal on a gulf island. On Hornby Island, there is an annual event called the "wave-off" in which the residents say goodbye to the last of the beloved tourists, who then can drive like mad across Denman Island (known as the "Hornby 500") only to line up yet again, for the Denman West Ferry. As the summer sun has inadvertently fried all brain activity, the tourist parade then lines up for the ferry in the middle of the road, effectively blocking anyone else that may endeavour to travel to or from the village. Apparently tourists have some natural aversion to pulling over to the shoulder of the road.

Labour day is also the traditional day for the Denman Island Blackberry Faire. The weather Gods were with us this year, sunny and in the high teens. My role was unofficial Parade Photographer and Burger flipper at the Fire fighters burger booth. More parade shots can be seen on the Island Equine site, or my Denman Island Picasa-web photo album. (Yes, that's Kari and Mikki in their first parade)

The Firefighters held their own during the annual slow-pitch game... squeaking out a narrow victory.

Blitzed down to Victoria to see #2 son perform during the Victoria Theatre Fringe Festival. The show was a Canadiana piece called "Thank you my Love, Goodbye". The cast was great! Some highlights from the Times Colonists 4-1/2 star review.... "If Thank-you were a Hollywood drama, it would be Academy Award-worthy.... the cast's acting abilities are brilliant. The chemistry between Robbie (Curt) and Mary is perfectly captured, their dialogue sharp and delivered with sentiment."

I Have to see a man about a horse!

A Lot can happen in a couple of weeks. The highlight was a short trip to Bonanza, Oregon to see a man about a horse. Some old frequent flier points came in handy earlier this month.... as I made my way to Curry Ranch. I was the guest of the most gracious host, Dr. Henry Curry and was able to spend some time (although not nearly enough) talking Peruvian Paso Horse with Henry and his trainer, Jaimie. Best of all I was introduced to Lindero, a very handsome gelding with pleasant ground manners and a smooth, ground covering gait. In a couple of weeks Lindero will become a Canadian citizen and a resident of Denman Island. This means that Mikki will have a trail partner that can keep up with him.

This weekend, there was a horse camp-out, trail ride, and soccer game on Denman Island. Mikki, (with Kari) and several other horses and riders took part in a trail ride on Saturday, which was followed by "happy hour", a pot luck dinner and impromptu line dancing. The next day we introduced the horses to soccer balls. Most of the horses had never experienced the game, but soon got the hang of it. Mikki was a natural and within minutes could "dribble" the ball the entire length of the field. His high leg motion is a definate advantage. He's now ready for some serious competition. Pictures of the weekend can be seen on the Island Equine site.

Strawbale Houe Update: Continuing on with the fir flooring upstairs. The gutters went on last week. (only pictures of horses this week)

Poking the bear

Smok'n hot, quite literally sums up our weather for the last two weeks. Forest fires in the interior have made for some interesting sunsets and very smoky air quality. In one of the pictures below (looking out the living room window) you can see that the mountains are no longer visible though the smoke.

I spent five days at The Haven for their "Come Alive" program. I'd have to say it made a notable impact on my life, (to say the least). I highly recommend it for those that wish to get to know themselves a little better. Thanks to the inspiring people I met there.

Straw Bale house update: The fir floor is nailed down in the upstairs "bonus room" (I still have the upper bedroom to do). It now needs to be sanded, stained, and finished, (a project for a rainy day) This entire room is backed up by generator power. It will contain TV and wireless router coverage for the multiple laptops in the house. Door painting and prepping for kitchen cabinets is on the agenda for the coming week.

Pictures this post are: (1) fir floor in the bonus room, (2+3) living room window detail from two directions, showing bales "hung" above the windows on the gable end.

It was a sad day for direct democracy last week when the HST petition was set aside pending court actions. I'm all for a VAT tax of sorts, (although not this one) but I think the latest blunder is a case of "poking the bear". People are pissed.

Hot on the trail

Earlier in the month, Kari and Mikki went camping on a back-country horseman trail-ride. It's not so much camping, as it is a good excuse to eat and drink well, have some fun and music and, oh ya, do some trail riding. Pictures of the outing can be seen on the Denman Horse Club's website by clicking HERE. (and then view slide-show.) There could be a second pony in our future, as this looks like way too much fun to miss out on. Mikki has never had to cross any water and since this was a minor issue on the trail ride, Kari thought it prudent to acclimate him to water via the ocean. This is one of those times that she offers to let me ride... (whenever there is potential for loss of life or debilitating injury). After much fuss (and some exciting rodeo action) He decided that the ocean was rather interesting and potentially tasty. Next time, we'll try to get his toes in.

The kitchen is all ready for cabinets. They are being built on the island and and should be ready to install mid August. Installation of the rustic fir floors (upstairs), is well underway. It has proven to be a challenge as local fir does pretty much what it wants with regard to straightness (or lack thereof). Pictures to follow.

Every other Friday afternoon, the "Mystery Beach Happy Hour" takes place on Denman Island, around four-ish. The beach where "happy hour" takes place is a mystery until just a few days in advance. Each time it is held at a different beach and has grown to about thirty people, all of whom show up with appetizers and beverage of their choice. There are many rules if one wants to participate, such as:

-You should only show up if you want to

-You can leave when you feel like it

-Invite someone along if the mood strikes you

-Swimming is optional

-You don't have to remember the rules.

Heat Wave

We had a bit of a heat wave last week. I took a couple of days off and traveled with kari (business trip) to Port McNeill and Alert Bay. Alert Bay is quite an interesting place with lots of history. It's a very walkable town/island with a beautiful boardwalk that runs the entire length of the village. This picture is of the old "residential school".

What do you do when you're a fat, black cat on a scorching hot day? Boo Radley's solution: Find a nice cool, shady patch of daisies, expose as much surface area as possible, get the white side up and catch a few winks.

It's been a while since I took a picture of the view side of the house. This shot shows the shop on the right and the pumphouse on the left. There's a lot of roof lines on this house, but somehow it all works. Very attractive lines, in my opinion.