A moving experience

 When I was a kid in England I used to marvel at how the local fishermen could move big heavy boats using levers. Some of that came back to me today as I moved our BIG cedar slab table from the trailer site to the house.








With the help of a come-along, ropes, ratchet tie down straps, my pick-up truck and a bit of sweat labour it all came together quite smoothly. (I drove verrry sloowwly).








Taking the weight off right in front of the house, this lovely lady begged to have her photo taken:)

Canada Day 2013

 Summer is here! The patio is ready to use. Once again the old cable reel makes a great table, even supports the sun umbrella.










 ... and the ladies go into zero gravity zone for a chat.










momma doe and fawn, through our dining room window yesterday evening.








Splitting a large round of douglas fir using the pneumatic manual splitter. It can produce 10 tons of force! The woodshed is now pretty full -- enough for next winter anyway.

Patio reflections...

 

Today I was working on the finishing touches to the patio in front of our house. It involved several walks through the cedar grove behind the house to my workshop, and back. Each time I walk through those trees I feel loved. I breathe the air and savour its sweetness and coolness. And I reflect on how fortunate I am to live in a place where my environment offers me these feelings. I think about those who endure the mean streets of cities. I think about those who live in paradise but don’t recognize it. I think about the choices each of us make and how we rationalize them. I see now that there is no sanity without an ongoing, harmonious relationship with nature. For all the brilliance of intellect displayed so dramatically and abundantly around this world of ours, to me it all looks suspect unless rooted in a deep, constant, breathing, oneness with the plants and animals and insects and rocks. And soil.

Who do we think we are that we can imagine a life without living close to the soil?  We have been living in an ego-bubble. It just burstJ

Namaste

Andy:)

Patio started!

 After waiting a month, the patio pavers finally arrived today. (The manufacturer apparently has 8 molds and I needed 200 pavers). Anyway setting them in place is going well and I hope to be done in a couple more days.






 The new woodshed extension is now comp-lete and I added a divider to make a section on the left for kindling. Our tenant in the trailer, Dale, likes chopping wood so he's been splitting and stacking to fill the new section.






This guy has been hanging around with his lady friend for a few days. My eco-friendly, super-quiet, no-cost grass trimmers:)

June 16th - wasps, lizards and lumber

 A coat of cedar-tone finish works wonders for the deck. Here you see the work in progress with the steps done and the top deck not yet done. The end result is a big improvement.









Last night I became a mass murderer and blasted this nest with an insecticide foam. This morning the occupants were no more and I safely removed the nest.










I'm extending the woodshed and today got a good start on the frame. The floor is made from recycled shipping pallet lumber. The rest is local cedar.








 I watched while a blackbird chewed a piece off the tail of this little lizard. When the bird flew off I went outside and checked on the victim. He was lying upside down looking pretty dead, but when I flipped him over, he woke up and scurried under a leafy plant for cover. Once his tail grows back he'll be as good as new and much more careful around blackbirds.

A Walk In The Park

 Honeysuckle has to be the sweetest fragrance on Earth! We are blessed to have this lovely bush on our place. And the bees love it!









K'was park swamp is a magical place, especially at dusk when the beavers like to put in an appearance. Tonight I played my flute for them until the reflections demanded my photographic attention...


















This daisy forgot to close at the end of a sunny day. Just having too much fun...

Patio prep and wildlife

 This is the latest view showing the new glass railing on the upstairs deck and the area in preparation for the patio.








Today I hired a guy to help me add a layer of sand to the compacted gravel base for the patio. Using "screed" boards, we levelled it so that it is now ready for the final step, laying the paving stones.








 This little corner is outside the mini-door off our bedroom. (I call it my peeing door:) Today I added the railing and part of the walkway that will lead to the front side of the house.










This healthy looking doe was hanging around in the meadow yesterday with a scruffy looking yearling. Last night I saw four deer grazing in the meadow. Their willingness to come close to thew house is wonderful. But watch those ears if you make a sound....