Busy preparing for winter – washing windows, blowing needles out of eaves, cutting firewood to dry for a year, draining the irrigation. Mizuho was busy cleaning up the garden and making sauces from hundreds of tomatoes and tomatillos. She is now in Japan for 3 weeks (and is having a great time visiting with her Mom and sister) and enjoying all things Japanese.

I spent several days dragging down and up the ditch branches and trees cut down in the summer. The thinner branches will eventually be mulched and the thicker pieces were cut up and are drying. Moved several loads of dirt to backfill behind new retaining wall. Power washed to uncover granite near garden. In the spring, I hope to expose the rest of the rock and cover the dirt with fir mulch. Getting quotes to have the driveway paved next year. We shall see. Hope to get more done outside before moving inside to work on painting and installing the door for the storage room, and prepping the posts for the equipment shed.

Started the month with a few golf games, 4 person trombone concert on the lawn of our community center (there are reasons few pieces are written for trombone ensembles) and then left for the coast and 5 days of on-board sailing lessons in Desolation Sound on a 40′ Beneteau with sister and Bro in Law. Beautiful area. We saw whales blowing, orcas breaching and seals frolicking. Slept 3 nights anchored in sheltered coves and 1 night at the Toba Wilderness Marina – very remote, serviced by their own hydro electricity generator with an enormous post and beam gazebo. Great experience overall but one that confirmed our preference for powerboats.

After the sailing, we spent a few nights at a spa on the Island celebrating our 36th anniversary and a few nights in Vancouver at the historic Sylvia Hotel beside Stanley Park. During our absence a young Australian couple took care of the house and Taisho and all thoroughly enjoyed. Taisho had his first teeth cleaning and all 42 were in good shape, thanks to Mizuho’s nightly brushings.

Managed to finish (99%) of the first part of the retaining wall on the driveway. Still need to backfill a bit, top up with dirt and mulch, plant my 3-year old spruce seedlings and cut a few top plates. Shall turn to the second half in the spring. In between with be about 4 meters of natural rock wall.

In October, I will be cutting up some trees that were cut down in the summer, cleaning the eaves and windows, changing the hot tub water and attending to a host of other small projects. Hope also to complete some exterior stairs month and start on the equipment shelter.