Two months in one as we were travelling for parts of September and October.

This is part of a neighbor’s new 6,000 sq ft shop.  He uses this custom tractor trailer to take his cars to drag races in Canada and the US.  The tractor has a small suite and the trailer has a repair shop and room for two cars, one above the other, with a 15′ hydraulic tailgate lift.  The neighbors all now have shop envy.  Saw a bear on the switchback in September.  Great visits by Aunt Dorothy and cousin Debbie.

Our friends from Ottawa moved to Kelowna in early September and are staying with us until they can move into the house they purchased.  So while they took care of Taisho, we took a 3 week holiday to England (countryside and London) and Vienna.   This is a country pub next door to my uncle Denton’s house in a town of 200 near Bristol.

We met each other for the first time and stayed with Denton and Allie for two nights.  Absolutely delightful people and while Denton was bedridden during our visit, he was full of good spirit and humor and shared great tales from a very eventful life.  

We drove around the Cotswolds for a week, enjoying narrow roads, beautiful countryside, charming old towns, local country pubs and bitter beer, and churches, cathedrals and castles.

We ended our country rambling in the delightful Stratford upon Avon where we saw a rollicking version of Shakespeare’s King John at the RSC, complete with a food fight, a bloody head, and excellent acting and costumes. 

This amazing eagle-owl was raised as an orphan – this was the first time she had flown in public. 

Spent a few days in London going to an opera (Don Giovani with 2 harpsichords) at the London Royal Opera House (not as nice as Opera Garnier but has a spectacular restaurant and bar), the delightful V&A Museum, the British Museum, a play at the 1898 Wyndom Theatre (The Man in White) and the odd pub.  Food was better in the countryside.

Spent a week in Vienna, the capital of the Hapsburgs, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the throne of the Holy Roman Empire for 300 years.  Heard the Vienna Boy’s Choir at a morning mass in the Palace Chapel, toured Schoenbrunn Palace, enjoyed the raucous Vien Fest (Austria’s Octoberfest), chamber music in St Peter’s church, furniture museum, the Hundert-Wasser museum, a piano/cello concert and a chamber music concert, the excellent Albertina Museum with a special exhibit of 500 year-old etchings and drawings of Durer and some excellent Picasso – early and late.  And of course beer, wurst, coffee and pastries.  A delightful city with an excellent metro.

Then back to London for a few days – Tate Britain and Design Museum.  And where we found out that Denton had just died.

After returning to Canada, I was diagnosed with pneumonia and had to rest a bit.  We cleaned up the gardens and got ready for winter and moved some dirt and crushed rock with the bobcat.  Helped a neighbor transfer about 400 bottles of wine from vat to barrel (he has another 2,000 litres in various types of storage).  I moderated a panel discussion on middle-power diplomacy at SFU in Vancouver, and we enjoyed 4 concerts in Kelowna and Vernon (including a 22 yr old playing a Stradivarius cello very well) and the Cirque de Soleil in Vancouver, and one last golf game for the season.

Cam has been working on the remaining cabinets in the kitchen, and will do doing some work on the front hall closet so there should be an interesting update at the end of November.

We had a two week road trip through Alberta and Saskatchewan with Taisho (a hero and a hit).  Couple of days in Drumheller and the Badlands and Dinosaur museum (highly recommended).  Two nights at the former CN Hotel Bessborough in Saskatoon ( Shakespeare on the River, the Remai Modern Art Gallery, river walks, coffee shops – all great), quick stop at Manitou Salt Water Lake where even the goats can float, 2 nights at Wolseley to see the Queen of the Prairies (photo is from the swinging bridge looking towards the Opera House build in 1906).  Moose Jaw (tunnels and Sukanen historic outdoor museum – again highly recommended.  #2 to Medicine Hat and then on to Fernie and a few nights in Nelson, our favorite.

This is like the combines I remember from my youth, while the next photo is a current combine owned by my cousin.  Farms and equipment have gotten much larger over the years, and there are many fewer people in the countryside.

I built a rock wall and platform for road grit (under the tarp) which we use once or twice a winter if the driveway gets icy.  I use a 5 gallon pail and spread it from the ATV.  The grit pile used to be on the left side of the driveway but I have begun to dig out and level a 12 x 25 foot area for a future shelter so I needed to move the grit.

A friend came over and with the help of some chains, long steel pry bars and the bobcat, we were able to pull down about 12 large rocks from the area behind these rocks, including these rocks.  That area will eventually be leveled and the soil amended so we can plant a tree and some bushes.  The red 2′ level gives an idea of the size of the rocks.  This now completes the two side walls of the ramp leading to the upper area.  Still need to place and level some crushed rock on the ramp itself.

And we bought some end-of-season patio furniture.  Makes the outdoor area much more inviting and comfortable.

Had another road trip at the end of the month.  Coop and Mark took a vehicle to Slocan (West Kootenays) and I went by motorbike on some excellent winding roads.  We camped in a municipal campground and rented kayaks for the day to paddle up / down the river running south from Slocan Lake.  A good time was had by all.  Slocan was a silver mining town and at one point had 12 hotels.  It was also an internment center for Japanese Canadians during the war, including David Suzuki and Joy Kogawa.  It now has a population of about 250.

Have spent a lot of time with Bob (cat) this month after having fixed a intermittent wiring short – runs like a top now.  Our good friends from Ottawa are moving to the Okanagan in September and will be sending out a 20′ sea container with their goods that we will be storing for them.  I had to dig out dirt and rocks and level the area for the sea can which will be positioned between the two stakes in the foreground and will run up against half of the last gabion.  This generated a fair bit of new rock and dirt, and opportunities. 

On the right in this photo was an cut in the embankment that I had dug out to get gravel I needed during the house construction. Have now made a rock wall and backfilled with dirt to make a terrace. Still some final work to do but largely done.

There has been a 2 to 3 meter wide strip of bumpy crushed rock beside the lower part of the driveway for the past five years.  I am now putting dirt on the rock and leveling it.  Looks much better and should become a grassy verge in the years ahead.  Perhaps a few shade trees as well. 

I had a tarped pile of 10 yards of road crush for the past few years at the first curve on the driveway.  I had planned to use it to level the driveway and to provide grip in the winter if the steep part of the driveway got icy.  After two years I had about 9.5 yards left as I have not really needed it and thought it rather unsightly.  So I decided to build a shelter for 1/2 of it.  The 2x4s will be cut down to make supports for a roof that will slope front to back.

Last year, broinlaw Steve and I brought down the loose rock from this rock face at the switchback.  I then power washed it.  Have finally begun to clear away all the loose rock at the base (piled up to the right of the photo) and also made a 20′ long rock wall where the face is dirt and rock (to the far right just barely visible).  When finished, it will look much more finished. 

Had a delightful 2 week visit by Mizuho’s mother from Tokyo – lots of gardening, fruit picking, cooking and talking.  Great fun and a delight to have her visit.  The strawberries had just finished, the blueberries were out as were the cherries.  We picked several pounds to eat, freeze and make pies.

And Coop and I managed to squeeze in an overnight camping trip to Kettle Falls Washington.  Great trip and a successful test of our ability and desire to camp.

All in all, a rather good  month.  Last Thursday, we saw a Shakespeare play outside at the Spierhead Winery – Twelfth Night – excellent.  Next month should see dealing with some rock, dirt, and fallen tree trunks and branches, and a return to inside work.  Also had another 11 yards (tonnes) of mulch delivered that will need to be used.  On va voir. 

Busy month of playing in and with dirt.  Some call it gardening.  Now that we have a deer fence in place, we can plant anything we want rather than just deer food.  So this led to several projects.  Having realized that the irrigation in the front and side was overtaxed, I ran another pvc pipe (so each line had fewer sprinkers) and rerouted the hose.  Works like a charm now.  The manifold which provided outlets for 4 pipes had some threads stripped (plastic) so I wrote to the manufacturer (Melinor) and they sent me a new one.  The internet and social media has certainly heightened the value of customer satisfaction.

As I want to sell the pickup to simplify things, I bought a used trailer.  It tilts and dumps, can carry about a yard of material, 16′ long pieces of wood, and the ATV.  Having used it to get a 1/2 yard of mulch, it was clear I would need something bigger for the mulch.  So I got Les to bring up a truck load (about 11 yards). 

Also had time for three bike rides – to Cherryvale for breakfast, to the 97 Diner near Falkland for lunch, and 350km down a mountain road to Osoyoos and back through wine country, including two stops at boutique wineries.  One of the guys below has been across Canada on his bike, two went to Alaska last summer.  Bikes from 4 countries, 3 continents and with 3 different drive trains – shaft, chain and belt.

Taisho continue to provide lots of fun.  Here he is staring down some deer on a walk, and fighting with some fuki (you can eat the shoots in the spring and then the stalks)

Brother in Law Steve and Susan came up for the May long weekend and we felled 4 trees that had been killed by the Pine Bark Beetle.  Each fell exactly as planned (always a good thing). 

This was the largest of the 4, about 30 meters tall and just over 100 years old (as per the growth rings).  The dark areas are where the beetles sucked the sap out of the tree – they stop when they hit the heartwood.  All four were limbed and two bucked up – just need to buck up the last two and drag it down the slope (easier to say than to do).  Will make some more benches and have lots of firewood.

These are the views before and after.

Started some raised bed planters – 3 in total, each 3′ x 6′ by 2′ high.  Corners are 4×4 cedar posts, sides are old OSB and plywood left over from construction and sided with most of the remaining fir tongue and groove with a cedar stain.  I lined the sides with heavy plastic and put in 8″ of rock.  Then some landscape fabric and 16″ of dirt/mulch mix.  I also pre-plumbed for irrigation which I will need to figure out how to install in June.  Also need to put cedar caps on top of the sides.  Two planters are now finished and planted, one more to go.  In the background of the 3rd photo is a raised rock planter that has lilac, spirea and sunflowers.

Have also been spreading more mulch around and more river rock beside the house.  The front garden is now done and will should grow in through the summer;  the irises will be moved outside the fence later this year as the dear deer won’t eat them.

And because all work and no play makes Dave a dull boy, I had my open reel deck refurbished and am delighting in the rich analogue sound, not to mention my rather eclectic tastes of a few decades ago.

The first part of the month involved cutting lower and dead branches from trees, collecting fallen dead branches from the forest floor, and felling a few small trees that were being crowded out, as well as seeing several concerts and a ballet.  We now have 3 very large piles of branches ready for mulching.  The last part of the month was spent moving rocks and dirt, filling gabions and expanding the irrigation.  Photos next month.  The middle part of the month was spent in Japan!

We spent a delightful two weeks in Japan while Taisho had a very fun time with Debbie, the dog sitter. Saw friends and family, ate great food and enjoyed the magic that is Japan and Tokyo. Took a 3 day trip to Maebashi to enjoy cherry blossoms, ryokans and onsen bathing. These two photos were taken near Mount Akagi at a place that has 1,000 cherry trees at the height of their glory.

March – Made valance above kitchen cabinets, as well as drawer fronts for 4 drawers and 4 doors for corner cabinets.  To be installed in April.  Spent most of the month reconstructing our last 30 years by reviewing old passports, photos and papers.  Made 4 binders of memories and had a gas doing so.  9,000 kms and 200 hours on new vehicle.  Last plow of season on March 12 ( two years earlier we were golfing on March 9).  Taisho met his dog sitter (for April) and had a day at the doggie day care, and got fixed.  Driving range opened March 19 and March 20 saw record high of 16.  Went to Vancouver for weekend and all snow was gone when we returned.  Swapped rims on the 26th.  Spent rest of month cutting and collecting dead branches.  !st BBQ on 29th.  Dinner party on 30th with 2005 Gevrey Chambertin and 2003 Coteaux de Layon Beaulieu (magnifique).  Used Bobcat for 1hr for the first time in 2 months.

Been busy cutting lower and dead branches from the forest this past month. I plan on shredding them this summer and using the mulch around the property

These are the cedar verticals for the planters to be build in April.

After a balmy December and January with little snow, February is on track to be the coldest on record with a fair bit of powder snow.  We have been somewhat less industrious of late.  Amid several concerts, foreign films and dinners, and playing with Taisho, we have been working on the closet doors and the kitchen doors and drawer fronts, as well as the corner pieces for the planters.

Bought these from Eternal Timber (eternaltimber.com), a guy who deals in slabs and makes beautiful tables out of slabs and epoxy resin. He had a moving sale so I got these three cedar slabs and a small walnut piece for less than half the regular price. Not sure yet what I will do with them, likely tables and benches.

A neighbor lent us their dehydrator and we used it for some apples. Really tasty, and healthy.

Going through some boxes I made years ago in Japan I found a box of cigars! Yahoo! Box also contained a dozen old passports that will help us reconstruct what we have done these past 30 years. Shall be going through these in the days ahead.

 After having a very mild winter with very little snow, February reminded us we live in Canada. We had some very cold weather (highs of -12), a fair bit of snow and lots of sunshine.

These are the just-installed closet doors at the front entry.  They are made of fir and painted Baltic birch plywood.  The shoji strips are lapped so each of the verticals and horizontals run the full length with a half-lap joint where they meet.  Still need to make some finger holes for the doors, one upper cabinet and doors, finish the end cabinet and make doors for it, and make a top for the one cabinet and the end cabinet.

These are the kitchen door and drawer fronts.  They have had one sanding but need another but I am waiting for some warmer weather as I like to sand outside.  After sanding, 3 coats of oil with sanding between coats.

And this is Taisho in his favorite place from where he can look down over the valley.

And for your viewing pleasure, here is Taisho’s first encounter with a beef bone.

January has been very warm and sunny with very little snow.  The pursuit of pleasure has triumphed over working on the house – including two concerts, a presentation and two interviews on Canada-Saudi Arabia relations, long walks with the dog, and a spectacular lunar eclipse (blood wolf moon – worth googling images)

We enjoyed several dinners during the local “dine around” period – this is a poster in the men’s bathroom at Quail’s Gate Winery.

We collected these arrows over 9 years of New Years Eves at Zojoji temple in Tokyo. One is supposed to consign last year’s arrow to the New Year’s Eve’s bonfire each year but we collected them and have finally burned them in our own bonfire.

Mizuho sent an abaya (Saudi black cloak) to her friend in Japan and she in turn sent some sweets wrapped as only the Japanese can.

Taisho continues to be a delight.  He enjoys surveying his kingdom from the back lawn.

Made some sausage with our neighbor Klaus, a man of many talents who has been making a winery and vineyard for the past 7 years.  We made fresh bratwurst and Italian sausage using only pork and seasoning, no nitrates.  Had some with his cider and also had the first taste of last year’s chardonnay and pinor noir – very promising.

And started on the front hall closet.  These are the doors – a solid Baltic birch panel painted white and oiled fir with lapped fir slats.  Next need to complete the cabinet and make the top/bottom rails. 

This is the year our house project evolved into a lifestyle.  We built a firewood shelter and garden/motorbike shed, installed 100m of fencing and three gates to keep the dog in and the deer out, felled several dead trees and cleaned up branches, spread several tons of 1″ round stone around the house, terraced and leveled several parts of the yard, built some more rock retaining walls, and finished a few projects inside the house. We found time for several trips and a great deal of leisure activities, as well as teaching a course at UBCO and giving several interviews, and the welcoming of our new Shiba, Taisho. Shall now turn to interior projects for the winter, and sporting activities outside.

Getting rid of a pile of small branches and twigs.

New hovercraft ($50 on sale) that moves heavy equipment by using compressed air. Works like a charm.

View of the kitchen cupboards as they have looked for a few years now.

No idea how we will find anything now.  Next on the kitchen list is two more banks of drawers, and maple/cherry trim above the uppers.  And then doors for the corner cabinets, and another set of uppers, and the cherry trim on the peninsula.

And here is Taisho playing with a neighbour’s dog. Lots of spunk.