Life Is Good

The excitement meter has been pretty low lately so when I received an email from Ken titled “visit” there was a definite jump in our spirits. As I am wont to do my first thoughts were of what to bake and than I opened the message. Terry or 'Kingpin' as he is more often referred to as was flying in for a couple of days. Obviously we enjoy the company, a change of routine and some gossip but I have to admit I was more excited about what else would be coming in on that plane. Fresh produce. When was the last time you got excited about a head of crisp lettuce? With an ETA of less than a week I quickly sent off my food order to our 'food order' person, Bev. There is the usual banter back and forth of what I would truly desire and what is actually available in the store. They depend on the ferry for delivering the goods and this time of the year weather conditions can (and will) hamper schedules.

My 'go to' food blog these days is “The Smitten Kitchen”. Still dieting ( yawn) I now have a good excuse, i.e. Kingpin, to try out a couple of delicious looking recipes.

“I don't think Terry eats sweets”, Mike informs me. When he was at the OP earlier in the season and I had headed out to Masset for a couple of days Mike was in charge so I had to listen to what was being told to me but REALLY who doesn't like cookies and cakes and squares. Maybe Mike was mistaken, so I plowed ahead. I didn't go overboard but I did manage to make some cookies, a cake (sorta) and a pan of squares. The fact that these all happened to be sweets that I have been craving may have accounted for my choices.

Taking into account Kingpin's possible aversion to sugar I started with a simple “Jacked Up Banana Bread” good for breakfast or a coffee break.

Rule #1 (in my book) any new recipe must first be sampled by baker.

“This is really good Mike, want a piece?” Stupid question.

Not having a regular size loaf pan I made it in 2 mini pans.... so they are small.... and really it's only a couple of slices each, more or less and it was warm and smelled sooooo good and it's fruit and fruit is good on a diet, right? I have bananas on my food order so I can always make more.

Sticking with a fruit theme and something not overly sweet, a pan of date squares. Having made these many many times before only a small sample was needed, just to make sure they were as good as I remembered.

I am a cookie person. I love cookies. I love “Oreos”. I love “Double Stuff Oreos.” I think only someone who really loves cookies can get excited when they come across a recipe for homemade Oreos. Once again it was only because of Kingpin's arrival that I made these. If this sounds as if I'm using him as an excuse than guilty as charged.

In the “Smitten Kitchen” recipe you can spread that wonderful filling with a knife or pipe. I liked the idea of piping, it not only gave the cookie a bit of a different look but was definitely 'double stuffed!'

FYI they really do taste like Oreos.

Can't say I had much hope for the arrival of the plane on February 25^th when I awoke but as the day worn on it cleared up enough for the flight to be 'a go'. 

'One Horn' aka 'Sammy' must know we have a fresh supply of produce and has been staking out his territory at the back door.

I'm not quite sure what I was anticipating more....the fruits and veggies or the new unit for the internet that would set me free. Sounds rather dramatic, I know except it's true. The system here has always been a thorn in everyone's side and Mike's always researching ways to improve what he can. The previous plane in November brought in a directional router that would focus the signal on the lodge and not out to sea but the problem remained that you had to sit by the patio doors to receive it. I was literally tied to the table by an invisible cord if I wanted to be on the internet.

In record time Kingpin had the new rads on the 50kw and the 20kw generators, along with whole new motor for the incinerator (no more burning in the barrel) so he offered to lend Mike a hand in trimming some branches down by the dish, that we felt were interfering with our signal.

Patience is a virtue or so I've heard and it was 6 whole days before Mike could hook up this new component. The instructions stressed that you must have a good signal so now all we had to do was wait for some clear skies.

March 3^rd is circled on my calendar as the day I was finally freed. That evening found me sitting back in my favourite chair, a glass of wine on the table beside me and my laptop on my lap. Happy happy happy!

We are going to remember this season at the OP as the year of the eagles. In the past it was a thrill to spy one maybe two soaring overhead but not a week goes by where I haven't been able to snap a picture or 5.

This is the upper heli pad.... a good place for landings and taking offs.

The grey skies are gone, spring is on the way.

Till next time

Heather & Mike

foot note: Mike was right.

Yes, We're Still Here

Who says “no news, is good news”.....well our boss for one. My weekly check-ins to Ken have read like a week old paper. Having an uneventful season can be a good thing but leaves me little to tell you about. The barge's arrival in early September to top up all our tanks had provided us with a secure feeling and peace of mind. The beast, which we call the furnace, is firing on a steady beat providing us with heat and all the hot water I can use. This year I don't even know where the shower bucket is and that is a good thing. The weather has been unseasonably warm or so it seems. Day highs of 6C to 8C aren't much different than the night temperatures. The fifty feet of waterline that runs above ground has never been in danger of freezing, knock on wood. In a trade-off for this warmish weather we have hardly seen the sun since the beginning of the new year.

How many ways can you describe the force of the rain – drizzle, spitting, misting, showers, drencher, cat and dogs, downpour. When there is a break I get out to walk along the beach which has also been devoid of anything interesting at all.

We haven't had any problems with raccoons this year getting into the basement and wrecking havoc with any food products I had mistakenly left out but after seeing this scenario I thought maybe it was due to the efforts of our residents eagles.

I was sitting on the stairs that go down to the beach being very quiet and trying to be invisible so as not to scare anyone away when to my complete surprise this head pops out from around the corner.

Majestic is a word often used to describe these incredible birds but I just laugh when I see this one.

Wasn't long before the whole gang appeared and took turns feasting on the spoils.

The water looks so inviting, I can just picture myself lazily drifting with the push and pull of the swells.... than I remember where I am and just how cold that tempting water is.

This is what you call a 'mixed bag' of weather.

I think the princess is feeling a bit lonely these days. Whenever the rain stops she comes up from the basement to sit along with us.

No matter what time of day you can always find someone sitting at the kitchen door.

Even a grey day can provide a beautiful rainbow.

Did I forget to close that valve again?

My first words on this post were about how everything has been working just fine, no problems no mishaps. Same old same old. Spoke too soon. Our morning walk down to the docks showed no signs of what was to come. Apparently a log was positioned just so and when the water disappeared it had nowhere to go but up.

Two great things about this scene...blue sky and it's 6 pm. The days are definitely getting longer and that means spring is on the way.

till next time,
Heather & Mike

A Mixed Bag

As much as I enjoy all the hoopla that goes along with the holiday season, I'm glad when the last piece of tinsel is plucked from the tree, the colourful wreaths and sparkly balls are carefully wrapped, the last box of xmas stuff is stored in the the attic and the final pine needle is sucked up by vacuum. It's nice to have things back to normal.

Our first week into 2013 got off to a 'shaky' start. We had just crawled under the covers and like always even into our 3^rd season I can never get over how dark it is once you turn the genny off. I still put my hand in front of my own face and marvel how I cannot see it but I'm getting off track. It couldn't have been more than a mere 3 minutes when in unison we said “We're having an earthquake!” It was a different feeling than the last one we experienced. This one the building seemed to sway where as before the whole lodge felt like it was vibrating. Sprinting out of bed we dashed into our bathroom, figured this was the closest safest place to go. Funny how out of habit the first thing I did once in the bathroom was to flip on the light switch...oh yeah no power. I would have to guess that the episode lasted all of 20 seconds but still it does get the heart rate up. Not feeling overly concerned we jumped back into bed. Imagine our surprise when we read the next morning that the quake was a 7.4!

The first day of the new year ended on a rosy note.

Yes I know that I went on before how Mike and I were forgoing all the delectable holiday fare that I would normally whip up but our willpower finally surrendered when I spied a tasty looking pie that had been posted on FB by my brother, part or their holiday feast.....so Audrey I have you to thank for this. Having some apples in the freezer which had been a suggestion from my uncle, I'm really getting the family into this one and not blaming them for our weakening resolve, an apple pie would be on the new years day menu. I wouldn't go as far and say there were cobwebs on the rolling pin but it has been awhile since it got a workout. From years of pumping out dozens of pies each Friday afternoon in the restaurant where I worked (and grew up in) it was a piece of cake to throw together one lone apple pie. When it came time later in the evening to finally indulge, you can bet that my helping was not a 'sliver', more of a wedge.....a big wedge.

 

We started off the new year with a breakfast of some leftover fruit, as in apples, as in apple pie!

Sammy and Al haven't been around as much these last few days. We notice little things like this, especially since they make a habit of showing up in the morning and peering in windows. The forest is a smorgasbord of sorts for the creatures who call this their home and like any buffet we all have our favourite items. After these trees were fallen we noticed that the deer immediately began nibbling at bits of lichen that had been clinging to the upper branches. That's Sammy in the foreground and if you look hard you'll see another deer in the background. This one is a newcomer and much smaller than Sammy or Al so we're thinking it's the Miss of the group.

Don't know how they know but as soon as I toss out some bones or bits of meat our resident eagle appears.

 

The time that we spend in Port Hardy during our 'out' time provides us with numerous opportunities to take pictures of eagles. At any given time you can spot half a doz or more soaring overhead, balancing atop a mast or enjoying the bounty provided by the sports fisherman.

The week has been a mixed bag of weather with our first storm of the year blowing in on Sunday, some grey overcast days ......

....and ending in a patch of blue.

till next time,
Heather & Mike