Meanwhile, back on the farm

the logs at right are where I chop the wood

 The rain does let up from time to time, though the clouds don't clear much this time of year. I had to get out for a walk, so went down the path from my cabin and past the piano man's cabin, to where the landlords are building three new houses to sell. One is finished. One is near completion, and one is half way there. Awesome looking houses, and I think they have a view of the lake.

lots of fungus with this much rain

my sleeping loft window

just down the road

new house the landlords have built for sale

an unusual stand of trees

lotsa moss on the trees

Whiffen Spit

just small crests today, but big seas find their way here

the calm inner harbour of Sooke

big stumps

someone built a driftwood shelter

love the purple seaweed, it really stands out

Pacific Ocean

must have been a big sea on recently that threw this seaweed up over the breakwater

the sun made a brief appearance

The rain stopped for a few hours yesterday so I drove to Whiffen Spit Park and hiked the breakwater trail to the end by the lighthouse. This is the land that protects Sooke Harbour, as you can see by the difference in the water - looking glass to cresting waves. It seemed to be a popular spot to walk dogs, as I saw several, including a brindled Great Dane who was very friendly and we were nearly nose to nose...

It is a lovely park, even in winter. They were collecting winter garbage when I was there yesterday. I almost felt like helping out...almost. I've done the collection for years in other communities I've lived in. I wanted to take photos and get in a good walk. Bending over for garbage was not on the agenda for the day. They have several benches in the park to rest on, but they were all soaking wet. There is also an outhouse and a couple of garbage cans along the way. Other than that it's pretty basic. The driftwood shelter was interesting for sure. I'm not sure who built it or for what purpose, or how long its been there. I'll have to get the scoop on that one. Either way, it was pretty cool. I remember crawling under the wooden breakwater in Grand Bruit and hanging out. We also used to crawl under some rocks that were resting against each other tee pee fashion and hang out next to the ocean like this shelter. 

The rain held off just long enough for me to get home. Within a few moments it began again. It's been raining pretty much every single day. It might not rain all day long every day, but there are days where the rain goes on and on. There's been some heavy rains, and then like today, just a heavy damp mist mixed with rain squalls. In other words - wet. 

I've had no trouble keeping busy. Stormy and I are doing very well in the cabin. I thought we might face the same cabin fever I was feeling in my apartment in town, but with the abundance of natural light in the cabin, floor to ceiling glass across the front, it just doesn't feel like that. Stormy LOVES the cabin like I knew he would. When he isn't looking out one of the many windows, he is curled up, grooming and sleeping near the wood stove. 

I don't have cable here, a first for me. It was offered, but I declined. I have more than enough on my computer to watch. I spend a great deal of time on the computer, either writing, researching, or the usual social communications - email and Facebook. I've also found a few gaming sites I enjoy from time to time. I miss knitting, but cannot afford to wreck my hands and arms again, so my hands often find themselves restless. I may have to pick up some paints again, and try that. I lost all of my paint supplies in the fire, so will need to build my supply back up again. I've also been reading but need to visit a used bookstore, or a charity shop to pick up a fresh selection. I don't have many with me like I used to, so have either read everything I own, or have decided I didn't want to. I had picked some up over the past year at yard sales and charity shops, hoping they would be good, but there have been some stinkers. 

Well, it's pissing rain again now. I was going to go chop some wood, but will wait until the rain breaks again. Such is life on Vancouver Island in the winter. Rain. At least everything is very green.

The Piano Man

"Sing us a song you're the piano man 
Sing us a song tonight
Well we're all in the mood for a melody 
And you got us feeling alright"


There is a piano man here on the property. He lives in a cabin just down the path from me, but I haven't seen it yet. I might take a walk past there tomorrow if it isn't raining. I've been curious about what is down that path as the landlord drives down there several times a day to work on the houses he is building there. 


I hear the piano man every night, playing away for hours. He seems to be a night owl like me, 1:30am and he was still tickling the ivory. The sound carries through the woods to all of us that live here on the property together each night, lulling us to sleep. I can't hear it from inside the cabin, but each time I'm outside at night, I can hear it. I was soaking in the hot tub tonight, and the sound of the piano man came through the woods. Life is good.

It's Raining Men!

Don't I wish. Though I seem to only have male neighbors with the exception of the landlady, and the gal who is moving to Tacoma this month, it is not raining men. It is just raining. A lot. Heavily. Yes, I still prefer it over snow, but damn, I would like to have just one sunny day since I moved in two weeks ago to sit out and enjoy it. But alas, I shall observe from the inside for now. I do really appreciate the large floor to ceiling windows in this place. Stormy does as well. The birds don't mind the rain at all and have been busy at the feeder these last few days. He also likes the new pink bedspread I scored from the gal moving out. It covers the brown sofa well.

It's Another Wet One

It wasn't raining when I got up this morning, which was exciting in itself. And it didn't start to rain again until about 2pm, just as I started bringing my dry clothes home from the laundry room. I do not have a laundry room in this cabin. I trek through the woods, around a few bends, and down in the bowels of the former bed and breakfast building is a laundry room. I had only been told it was down under, but no specific directions. I opened a few doors, and found nothing, so went to my new friend Ken's door, but there was no answer. The only snow in sight is at the foot of his steps, so either he's dead in there, hermiting, or he is away. So then I knocked on Leo's door and he was happy to tell me where the laundry room was, and then jumped into his boots and followed me down to make sure I found it. There are two washers and dryers, kind of. The new front load washer is broken as the drum belt snapped and no one has fixed it. The new dryer works very well, and I noticed a small apartment sized dryer on the floor, but wasn't sure if it was even plugged in, so didn't bother. I could only wash one load at a time anyhow, in the older but working well washer.

Once I finished the laundry I set about making a fire and it was much easier with some drier kindling. The wood I bought is very good quality as far as cut goes, but is about 6 months from seasoned well enough for good burning, so there is some effort involved. Once it is burning, it does burn hot and long. It's Douglas fir, and splits like a dream for making kindling. I chopped up a bunch in the rain the other day and have been drying it inside here, so it makes a much better fire now. I packed all the wood up against the fence and wall by the door, with some of it under the eaves keeping somewhat dry. There isn't usually much wind with the rains most of the time. I bring in some wood and dry it by the stove for burning later too. Not all of it is damp, but the bulk of it is. I've even had sap seep out when I was chopping some of it up for kindling. Hardly dry. I would have given those boys a piece of my mind if I'd noticed at the time. It is pretty damned heavy too, being so wet, so I borrowed the landlord's wheelbarrow and hauled it to the back that way.

The rain is pouring still on my tin roof. The ceilings are high here with the loft so it isn't right over my head. I have Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers on anyhow, so the rain is the background. When I am up in the sleeping loft, however, the ceiling is just a few feet above my head, and the window is literally right beside my head, so I hear it well enough up there. There's no real wind or thunderstorms so the steady rain is pretty soothing and I haven't had much trouble sleeping through it.

My head has been otherwise occupied with Australia. Between my interview prep, research, and chatting with a friend who is also interviewing for Oz, I've been pretty absorbed by the culture of it all. I'm sure I'm already boring my daughter all to hell who has heard me drone on about Australia in every phonecall. My friend and I are both jazzed about the potential opportunity to work abroad, so have no problem talking about it several times a week. She is trying hard to picture herself there right now, as she freezes in the Yukon where the current temps are below -40C for the past week, plus the windchill. Brrrrrr....I do not miss that about the north at all.

I'm hoping to find somewhere to hike tomorrow, rain or shine, If I wait until the rain stops to do anything I'd still be in bed. I'll just dress for it and take an umbrella. With the temperatures here hovering at about 9C, the rain is warm, and I got me rubber boots, 'by.

Now it's back to Stephen King scary movie night...awesome with the rain on the roof, the black night just outside the floor to ceiling glass in front of me. If only we got thunderstorms here...but then I would have to worry about losing the power and then I couldn't watch Stephen King movies. Boooo!

Give Me Cozy Cabin Life Anyday

I went to Victoria yesterday to pick up my refunded damage deposit from my former landlord. They were on the phone when I got there, suffering computer issues that would not let them print out a cheque for me. Great. He asked me if I could come back later, or could they mail it to me. Um, no. It was the only thing I came into town for, that and to check my mail. I made the landlord aware of this. He then  offered to dash to the bank to get a money order from the account for me. Okay, make it snappy. Oh, what, you want me to come with you? Okay, sure, if that means I'll wrap this up quicker. Let's walk? Okay, if it's just down the street. Meanwhile, nearly 4 blocks later we cross the street and into what also happens to be my bank. That's good. I can deposit the money right there. If only he remembered the PIN for his bank card...sigh...so then he tried calling the receptionist for it as she normally did the banking. Problem was, she was already on the phone with the tech support...still...had been for over an hour. Finally he thought to call her cell phone and finally got through to her for the PIN. He finally handed me the cash, and off he went. I continued on and deposited the cash. I was out the door just minutes after him but he was nowhere in sight. I felt in my pocket the keys I had readied for him while I was sitting in the bank so long. No matter, I had to pass by the office anyhow to get back to my van. I dropped the keys off, she was still on the phone, and the landlord was nowhere in sight, having made another stop I reckon on his return to the office.

Anyway....once I had the dough, I headed to Walmart to stock up on a few things. It had started to snow, so I didn't spend too much time dinking around there. It can sometimes feel like the twilight zone, and I lose all track of time. I haven't been wearing a watch since about my second day on this journey last April, wanting to take a break from being a clock-watching government worker. It has been very relaxing to say the least, but the hazard is, losing track of time. After Walmart I headed home, stopping at the only Superstore for miles for a couple more things. We were to get snow and rain this week and the roads would be messy, so I stocked up for awhile. I'd rather stay the hell home and let someone else flip their car into the ditch. There's already been one this week, knocking out the power for 8 hours.

So that was yesterday. Today has been spent reviewing things for my upcoming job interview, watching yet another weird Australian movie, and the general business of the day - dishes, shower, cooking, nap on the loveseat with Stormy...I just wish I had arranged for some firewood. I emailed one fellow but haven't heard back. I'll have to grab the paper when I'm in town next to see if anyone is selling a half cord. I've seen a few signs, but am always moving and not able to jot the phone number down as I fly by on the highway. Yeah, Karma can fly...but she doesn't speed. Her new bumper sticker reads "I'm learning to fly, but I ain't got wings"...homage to my very moving experience with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers last summer at the Gorge.

The cabin is working well for Stormy and I. I carry him upstairs each night and back down again in the morning. He isn't the least bit restless at night, which surprises me. He does check out the upstairs windows from time to time, but for the most part, sleeps soundly on the bed, stretching his toes into my back. The only noise I hear is when the neighbor has her surround sound on for a movie, and when she and her partner are talking loudly. Sometimes it sounds like arguing, while at others, just a loud discussion. That's when I turn my music up...and tune them out.

The stars are easily found on clear nights here. Sometimes I sit out and watch them appear in the dark night sky. Away from the city's amber glow, the sky seems full of them. My view of the sky is limited by trees, something I never had to worry much about in Newfoundland. The timber is tall here, and the wind whistles through the trees. I love it.

And The Rain Stopped

  I've been in the cabin for a week now, and yesterday the rain finally stopped. It had started on Tuesday, and rained straight through until Friday where it broke briefly and then started again. I took a swim in the hot tub last night under the stars and it was just awesome. I could have stayed in for hours, but was worried I'd fall asleep and drown myself in the tub. Yeah, not a good idea. I'm sure the owners frown on that.

Stormy has a new girlfriend. She is a Himalayan mix and has been skulking around the cabin these past few days. At night she meows, calling for him. I don't hear her often, but she is there. Stormy is definitely happy to have all of the glass to look out through. I read about a study last year that put kitty cams on 500 cats and they spent 70% of their time looking out the window. I think they are probably always plotting their escape. Stormy is sitting at his post as I write this.

The power was out yesterday for about 8 hours after someone ran their car into a hydro pole. I had the wood stove burning, and tons of candles. I cooked on a butane cook stove, so we were good. I read until I couldn't see well enough. I have a book light, but didn't bother. Stormy and I spent a lot of time resting our eyes on the sofa while we listened to tunes on my laptops, until the battery ran down in both of them. I made a thermos of Bailey's hot chocolate to sip through the evening.

It's sunny again today, with some clouds, and a breeze of wind that makes it a little raw out there. I think Stormy and I shall be observing this fine day from the inside, sipping more Bailey's hot chocolate on the sofa. No, Stormy will not be having hot chocolate.

Cabin Neighbors

Well, it isn't Coronation Street like my city apartment was, but I have definitely met some interesting neighbors here. First there are Ken and Leo - older gentlemen that live in two of the big-house apartments. Ken is recently separated from his wife and broke while waiting for the divorce to go through, so is renting a tiny cabin apt until then. Leo is a currently unemployed Vietnam veteran from Newfoundland. When I met Ken, and happened to mention the bed dilemma, (getting it up on the loft) he offered right away to get Leo and the two of them would help me lift the mattress up, and they sure did, in short order. Thanks fellas! While chatting with Ken initially, he talked about a friend who was supposed to give him some VHS videos over Christmas so he could have something to watch, and the friend didn't. I asked him if he had a DVD player, and he said he didn't, nor the money to buy one. So I told him he could have mine, as I have only used it a couple of times and have my laptop to play them on anyhow. I also told him I'd burn some movies off for him. He was so excited, he could hardly contain himself. When they came to help with the bed, I gave Ken the DVD player, and he said it was like Christmas all over again. Awww...so I told him about pay it forward and karma. If I have the chance to help someone or make their life better, I would do it, and that this philosophy has returned good karma to me all year.

I've had several long chats with Leo so far. He was a paratrooper with the Canadian Armed Forces for 10 years and has traveled the world. He's shared story after story about his time in the army, and showed me his battle wounds - shrapnel to the hand. He also told me how when that happened, a bullet glanced off his helmet, missing his face by mere fractions of an inch. I haven't ever met or chatted with a Vietnam war veteran, so was fascinated. I had no idea the Canadian were involved, but they were. He said the last person he killed was in Guatemala...we chatted at length about the war, the military, air force bases, missiles, fighter jets, cargo planes, parachuting, and cultural customs in the many countries he has visited.

I also met another guy, but can't recall his name. He lives in the cabin just down the path from me, and plays the piano. I can hear him at night if I open the door, and it sounds amazing. Leo said the fellow is a very gifted pianist...who knew? Leo also said he has every hepatitis going, a result of former IV drug use...that was easier to believe as the fellow was dressed in blue jeans, long scraggly hair, and drove a beat-up pick-up that was just about out of gas when I met him. He said he couldn't stay and chat as he drove by, because he didn't have enough gas, and barely had enough to make it back to the gas station in town.

Then I met Josh. the son of the landlords. Also another fascinating individual. He just returned from 6 weeks in Europe, and he is very interested in archery, and was fascinated by the heavy bows he saw in Spain. Josh, Leo and I were chatting at one point, and Leo shared a fascinating fact about archers back in castle times - the circular stairwells were generally built to wind down to the left, counter clock wise so the right-handed archers could use the bow and arrows at intruders. He has been in dozens of castles world wide through his travels.

I'm not sure how many others live here on the property, but I reckon I'll meet them at some point.

I was asked by the landlords to park my van out of sight in another parking lot, not the space that is actually provided for me across from my cabin. Why? They have 3 high priced houses for sale on the property and feel my hippy van would discourage buyers as they drove by to get to the houses. They apologized for the narrow mindedness of buyers, and wish they had a van like mine, but need to sell the houses, and the real estate agent could show the houses at any time. I'm less than impressed with this, given how much it rains here, but I don't expect to be using the van much in the coming months, other than a few trips to town for groceries, so have resolved myself not to get too bent out of shape over it. I still mind the profiling, just like at the border, but whatever - can't change the minds of everyone.

I had the most amazing blue-sky weather for moving, but the usual winter rains have returned and it's pouring outside today. The cabin has a tin roof, so the rain sounds very soothing. There is also so much natural light, even on a rainy overcast day like today, that my mood is so much brighter than it was in my dark and depressing town apartment.

Stormy has not yet figured out how to get up into the loft, although I have heard him trying. I've brought him up, but he seems so restless up there, pacing and trying to figure out a way to get down, that I take him back down. He did jump from up there once, but I don't want him to hurt himself or break something in the dark, so will wait until he figures it out for himself. The loft has a nearly upright ladder, which apparently is a challenge for cats.

I scored a box of wood yesterday and finally got the fire going, a little bit too much and had to open up the door to cool off. I tried sleeping upstairs but it was like an oven, so will have to avoid big fires like that in the future. I spent some of the night on the sofa and then went back up at some point when it had cooled off. The cabin has just one small electric baseboard heater, which is totally inadequate for heating the whole cabin. The size of heater is what I would install in a bathroom...so need the wood stove going when I can, just to take the chill off. I have an electric heater that I used in the van, one of those tiny cube things, and it works well to warm me while I sit here and write.

 Well, it's nearly time to head into town and see about a mailbox so I can have my mail forwarded and start calling folks who need my new address. There is also a pawn shop I would like to visit with a few things I am looking to unload. Then I'll have to come back and get down to business - writing.

Settling Into Cabin Life

the bathrom, pretty standard

the kitchenette area - Stormy is in the window seat

the wood stove can really crank the heat out!

the kitchenette is pretty small but adequate

the living space

the storage space up overhead

the sleeping loft - just a few feet above my head is the roof

Well, after a few weeks hiatus, I reckon it is about time I posted an update. I was in Whitehorse for Christmas with my daughter and came back to Victoria on the 29th, and packed up to move. It didn't take long to pack, as I didn't have the mass of stuff I used to have before the fire. It took just two trips in the van to get most of it out here. I made a final trip yesterday and brought the last few things. It hasn't been without incident, of course. I had asked a friend to help me load and unload on Saturday, but she was pretty hungover and didn't show up until a few hours after I was ready to go. Once she got there we headed out to Sooke, only to receive a rather frosty reception from the landlady who was miffed that I was making her late for a scheduled dinner. We hadn't arranged a time, and she said nothing about it in her many emails, and I hadn't promised to be there any specific time, just sometime in the afternoon. She rushed me through the lease, and then took off.


I wasn't moving much furniture, but the one thing I couldn't manage on my own was my mattress. I could drag it here and there, no problem,  but once I arrived at the cabin, it would have to be lifted up over the loft railing to get it there, and as stubborn and strong as I can be when I want to, I cannot physically lift the mattress up to the loft alone. Impossible, at least without a pulley, which I did not have. The next-door neighbors offered to come out and help me, taking anything I couldn't fit in my van, in their car, and would help me with the mattress. Great. Wonderful. Thank-you. The only problem was when the time came the next day, they came to inform me they had forgotten a friend was coming to town from Vancouver, and they couldn't help me. Great. Wonderful. Thank-you...they did help me load the van, but I could have done that on my own. I needed help getting that mattress up in the loft! The landlady had already informed me she does not work on Sundays, so I couldn't ask her. I left Victoria in a pissy mood, tired of people who break promises. They were not the first. I didn't even attempt to drag the mattress in, but figured I could throw my foam pad I used in the van for the night. And then I laid down on it, on the hard floor and realized that was NOT an option. My hips would never forgive me. So I curled up on the loveseat with Stormy and spent the night tossing and turning there.


I paid for internet access and telephone, neither of which were working when I got there, given that I did not see any jacks, and while there were two wireless networks that showed up, one didn't work and the other required a password I did not have. Great. No phone, no net. What am I paying for? I'll find out in the morning, or so I thought.


I realized that night I had not deposited some cash in my bank account that was needed to help cover the rent so went off in search of a Scotiabank. None in Sooke. Great. The nearest one was in Colwood, about a 20 minute drive away. Fine, I'll go in the morning, as it was a holiday yesterday and my rent wouldn't be coming out until today. I got up the following morning and drove to Colwood, only to have both bank machines tell me they are unable to accept deposits at this time...WTF? out of envelopes was my guess, but who the hell knows. So then I was forced to head into Victoria to go to the bank there, WAYYYY farther than I wanted to travel yesterday. Once there, I decided I might as well finish cleaning the apartment, and that would save me from going into Victoria another day to do it. I rented a carpet cleaner, borrowed a vacuum cleaner and I was off like a herd of turtles. I finished up in short order, returned the vacuum, carpet cleaner, and my Shaw boxes (cable, tv, phone). The line was ridiculously long and it took me a half hour to get through it.


So then I was finally on my way home about 3pm, and went off in search for the landlady to find out just what I needed to do to get the internet and phone working, along with a bunch of other questions I had but did not get to ask as I was rushed through everything with her. She was nowhere to be found. There were 5 phone numbers posted at the office to call, including two cell phones. No one answered. There was an emergency number on my lease. No one answered. There were two different doorbells to ring for service. No one came. WTF? I tried for hours, walking back and forth to the office each time. Hours turned into two days. I had important things to do both on the phone and the internet and the landlady was MIA. I was super pissed. Where in the hell did she go? And why in the hell isn't anyone answering ANY of the phones? I ended up driving into town (Sooke) for cell reception so I could make the calls, and get someone else to do on the internet what I couldn't. They didn't come home last night, and were not around all day today, and finally pulled in about 8pm tonight. They weren't home long before the landlord came over and sorted things out. The internet and phone cables were behind a bookcase, and the phone was not currently hooked up for my use. The internet was working, but the landlady had turned off the modem when she left yesterday morning and didn't think about my desire to use it...sigh...


I did have beautiful moving weather, not too cold, and blue sky days. A rarity this time of year, as it has been raining for weeks, and today it started to rain again. The cabin has a tin roof, and the rain sounds awesome on it. I may change that tune however once a downpour comes while I'm in bed and the roof is just 3 feet above my head...


I am all unpacked and settled in, and Stormy seems to like the cabin, particularly the many windows he can look out. The one problem is he has not yet figured out how to get up into the loft yet. I brought him up a few times, but he slept downstairs last night. I missed him, as he always sleeps on the bed with me. I reckon he might figure it out one of these days, but the nearly upright ladder isn't easy for kitties. I put his kitty condo next to the ladder, hoping he might leap from there somehow, but so far, no go.


So here I sit in my cabin in the woods, overlooking the tiny Poirier Lake. Life is good.