“From those to whom much is given, much is expected” this quote comes from a speech Bill Gates gave at a recent Harvard Commencement. As a cottager, I have the incredible privilege to enjoy a lifestyle that very few people can afford. I am surrounded by rugged snow capped mountains, tall cedar forests, a pristine lake that my neighbors drink from, and spectacular sunsets.

Our vacation retreats allow me the unique opportunity to view wildlife, bears, deer, eagles, and osprey, from my own backyard. While most people can only read about them in books or visit them in zoos, they are my neighbors.

So used to city living, I forget how fragile this eco-system is, and in my attempt to make my cabin look nicer, more “home-like,” I am unconsciously destroying precious habitat.

This past spring, I received a copy of CottageLife’s The Green Cottaging Guide, you can view it online at www.cottagelife.com/greencottaging. It contains easy-to-follow advice on how to “Go Green” – yes, there’s that word again, at the cabin. Below are some recommendations, from the guide, on maintaining a healthy shoreline.

• Don’t rake the shoreline or remove driftwood or fallen logs. Yes we want everything to look neat and tidy, but these logs and rocks provide feeding grounds, and spawning areas for aquatic creatures, such as frogs, fish, and salamanders. Also, leave the weeds alone. They may tickle us when we’re swimming, but they hold sediment in place and provide shelter for water creatures.

• Rebuild the buffer zone – if in the building process of your cabin, you removed trees, shrubs or grasses from the waterfront, replace them. This foliage will help trap harmful runoff in the roots before it gets to the lake. Allowing leaves to decompose will further help to reduce erosion.

• Opt for a low-impact dock – if you are considering building a new dock, chose a floating, pipe or cantilever dock with is less disruptive to the lakebed. Try to chose a design that requires little to no modifications to the shoreline.

I realize that while I “own” a cabin, I don’t really own it, I have only paid for the privilege to use it. I am merely its steward.

Here’s to being good tenants.

Cheers,

Julie

Every magazine I pick up these days has the word “green” somewhere on the front cover. From “Green Cleaning and Cooking” to “Enviro-Friendly Homes, “green” is the “it” word. I must admit having seen the movie, An Inconvenient Truth, I am much more eco-conscious and am trying to walk more, drive less, particularly because I have a gas guzzling SUV.

Living up at the cabin for the summer, I am aware of how little energy we consume. Our “grid” consists of four six-volt, deep cell batteries, four solar panels, a generator and a propane tank, that gets filled once a year. This limited supply of power has had a dramatic effect on our behavior.

For example, at the cabin I only turn on lights when it gets dark, then never more than two at a time. We use low watt bulbs. At home, it is not uncommon for us to leave lights on day and night.

My lawn at the cabin consists of hearty weeds and a few scrawny blades of grass. As a result, I use the Weed Eater once or twice over the summer. Grass at home gets cut every 10 days, complete with leaf blower to keep things tidy, and semi-weekly watering to keep everything green.

When it comes to laundry, I have a high energy washing machine and a 20 foot clothesline strung across the front of our cabin. I don’t have a clothesline at home, or even a drying rack for that matter. As for dishes, we take turns washing up, but at home – you guessed it, everything goes into the dishwasher.

As for appliances, we have a propane fridge, stove and fireplace. In the city, we have the same ones and then some. Freezer, microwave, dishwasher, garburator, TV’s, stereos, alarm system, and fans to name a few.

We even have a low water toilet; button on the left for pee and button on the right for, well you know how it goes. But at home, we flush a lot of water down the drain.

How did our energy consumption get so out of hand? Was it modernization, laziness or accessibility?

I know I can live a simpler life and use a lot less energy. I am going to start off by turning off the lights until we really need them. Next week the dishwasher?

Here’s to going “green”.

Cheers,

Julie

With the clouds rolling in, the temperature dropping, and the water getting choppy, you realize today might be a good day for an adventure. I consult with my neighbour, Stu, who recommends his favourite day trip, Englishman River Falls Provincial Park. Located just outside Parksville, B.C., this 45 minute hike is just the right length for my five and seven-year-old kids.

Entering the park, we are surrounded by tall majestic cedars’ whose thick green boughs block out most of the sunlight, leaving a cool dark forest. Filling out the parking form, we can hear the roar of Upper Falls. Stu advised us to hike Lower Falls first; it is a steep descent and easier to go down than up. The trail loops around to Upper Falls and then ends back at the parking lot. With our picnic lunch and Daisy straining at her leash, we set off down the trail.

As we get close to the falls we hear screaming. Crossing the bridge, we see hikers jumping off the rock outcrops into the icy emerald green water. After each jump, they don’t linger in the glacier fed pool.  Scrambling up on the rocks, they quickly dry themselves off, climb up and do it again.

The kids, seeing the water, quickly scramble down the rocks, whip off their sandals and join the other visitors wading in the calmer shallow river. The rocks are smooth, but the icy water soon numbs our feet. We spend an hour at Lower Falls “swimming” and eating.

It only takes about 15 minutes to hike to Upper Falls. Crossing the bridge, we follow the switch-backs up the steep slope and wind up back at the parking lot.

This pristine park has a large group picnic area, running water bathrooms, and overnight camping. The campsites are spread out and nestled in the dense woods. This is a great spot for a hike and a picnic, and a beautiful place to overnight.

If You Go: Exit 51 - Parksville - take Alberni Highway  (Highway 4) and follow the signs to Englishman River Falls. Turn left onto Errington Road and follow it to the end.  Make sure you pack water shoes, bathing suit, towel and camera.

We capped off our adventure with a double scoop waffle ice cream cone from the Coombs Country Market - located further down the road on the Alberni Highway.

For more information on this park or other hikes visit the BC Parks website and take a hike.

Cheers,

Julie

The plump ripe blackberries burst, staining our fingers red, as we pull on their delicate bodies. Fighting their spear-like thorns, we brave the dense underbrush, trying to get at the low hanging clusters. The fight is torturous. Our wrists and fingers are irritated from the tiny little pricks. At last we emerge from the thorny briars. Our Tupperware bowl is overflowing with the sweet succulent fruit.

It’s berry season on Vancouver Island. Blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries flourish on this rocky coast. The Saturday morning Farmer’s Markets offer an abundance of local homemade jams and jellies.

Talking to one local producer he informs me that his jam has only three ingredients: fruit, sugar and Certo. ‘Wow, I forgot how little is easy it is to make jam,’ I think to myself, and so braving the elements, the kids and I set off to procure the berries.

This is actually the hardest part, getting the fruit and keeping the kids from eating it. We are rewarded for our efforts. Stirring the deep purple mixture, a sugary aroma fills our cabin. I can already taste this sweet-tart jam on my hot buttered toast, and unable to wait for breakfast, I end up having toast for dinner.

Five cups of blackberries yields eight cups of jam, enough to share with our neighbours.

Below is the recipe we used – it is simple and delicious – perfect for the cabin.

Blackberry Jam

5 cups of crushed blackberries (I used a potato masher)

1 box CERTO Pectin Crystals

4 cups of white granulated sugar

Preparation

In a large saucepan stir together crushed blackberries, and Certo.

Bring to a boil over high heat. Add sugar.

Return to hard boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Stir and skim for 5 minutes. Pour into sterilized jar to ¼ inch from the rim. Cover with lids and screw rings on firmly.

(I use a pan of water to sterilize the lids, rings and jars as well as any utensils I need – I boil everything for 10 minutes.)

Cheers to Jammin!

Julie

If you vacation at a cabin that doesn’t have telephone service, getting Internet access can be costly and challenging. Driving into the closest town and trying to find a signal is also a bit tricky especially if the town doesn’t have a Starbucks.

There are several options for Internet when you cottage in remote areas, but how you use the Net, and what you’re willing to spend might limit your options.

For straight email - a Blackberry is a good, but somewhat pricey option. I have a Rogers Blackberry, and with a data plan and phone, I’m paying about $117 per month - ouch. It does have great coverage and I can send and recieve emails. I can also surf the web, but bare in mind the screen is tiny and it is a bit slow.

Option #2 Wireless Aircard. I simply take my sim card from my blackberry, insert it into the aircard and plug it into my laptop. Sending and receiving is a very slow process and costly. Not great but it works in a pinch. Sierra Wireless makes the aircard. They are also come in a USB model - check your computer before you buy anything to make sure it has the proper slots.

Option #3 Satellite. XploreNet offers satellite service throughout Canada. It costs $399 for the dish and modem Installation is extra and will run anywhere from $100 - $500 for installation. The satellite needs a clear line of sight and be south facing. You also have to run two cables into your cabin where the modem will reside. You plug your computer directly into the modem or you can connect your router into the modem for wireless access.

If you want to lower your costs and your neighbors are close by i.e. 150 feet away, you might want to share a satellite signal. Using a wireless router, you could share your signal. If you are both using it at the same time, your service will be slower.

The rates are based on speed and the length of your contract:

$59.99 will give you 512 kbps upload and 128kbsp download (so slightly faster than dial-up but not by much)

$99.99 will buy 1 megabytes upload and 256 kbps download

It’s not a perfect solution, but you can pay by the month and the speed is actually not too bad - just stay away from trying to send photos .

XploreNet is only for Internet access only, they do not offer television service - that requires different equipment and uses another satellite. They will be improving the service in the next several months for Voice over IP or Skype Internet calling.

If anyone else has any other solutions or suggestions, I would love to hear from you.

Cheers,

Julie

“Hit It!” This past weekend the big and the little took to the water, dragging their parents and friends with them. Boat after boat criss-crossed lakes throughout cottage country, pulling and sometimes dragging water skiers and wanna-be skiers. With the spotter yelling words of encouragement, some made it up out of the water, while others - submarined.

Getting up on water skis is no easy feat, especially if you’re a beginner. Fortunately for little kids, their skis have been modified to help with the whole process. Shorter, wider and with two bars, one in the front to keep the skis from crossing, and one in the back to keep them from separating, they stand a much better chance of making it up (pictured above). They also come with two handles - one for the skier and one for the spotter.

Newer skis come with training DVDs, and as six-year-old, Jarred told me, “I watched the video and learned how to do it.” It must work because he made it up on his first try. Kid’s skis retail for approx. $250 and can be found at any boating store or marina. For the older crowd, sorry, there are no trainers - but go back and check out “Brand New Boards” blog.

But regardless of age, there are a couple of things to keep in mind when starting out with a beginner:

• Make sure they are dressed appropriate - little kids get cold fast, they are also nervous - so if they have a wet-suit make sure their wearing it.

• If at first you don’t succeed - stop after a couple of tries - take a break and try again. It’s hard work and newbies tire quickly. We will try starting a skier off the dock and in the water, but in the water seems to work the best.

• Good idea to have someone in the water with the skier - calm them down, fetch the rope, turn them over if they turtle.

If all else fails, there is always water-ski camp. If you live on Vancouver Island, WSWBC Water Ski Training Camp has an upcoming camp from August 25 - 28. This four day camp costs $500 and is coached by Clint Baikie. For more information go to Waterski and Wakeboard British Columbia.

For all those folks how tried and failed this weekend, don’t be discouraged. Watch the DVD and get back out there, as the 4-H motto goes, “Learn to do by doing.”

PS - it’s always a good thing to help chip in and pay for gas, new skiers go through a lot of fuel.

Cheers,

Julie

I love flowers, Black Eyed Susan’s are among my favourites. I envision flower beds filled with these bright yellow plants, but all I have been able to grow, are their paler cousins, the Shasta daisy.

My project for next year is to landscape around the cabin, plant some shrubs, add some wildflower beds and maybe even coax some grass up through the weeds.

While most people spend the majority of their time on their gardens in the spring, the fall is also an excellent time to plant, transplant and prepare your flower beds for the next year.

Shirley Aarts, owner of Dutch Gardens & Nursery, Port Alberni, British Columbia, has been gardening for over 28 years, and teaches fall gardening courses. Here are her tips on autumn planting.

• Planting - there is still plenty of time to plant or transplant shrubs and roses. Shirley likes the cooler days and says the plants still have time to get settled before the cold weather arrives.

• Dig up your flower gardens, turn over the soil even if you are not planning on planting anything right now.

• When it comes to buying bulbs, especially tulips, buy only #1 bulbs. Shirley does not recommend you purchase your bulbs at Walmart or any other big box retailers, “Go to a nursery and make sure you are buying #1 grade, this will ensure you get the best quality bloom on your flowers. You pay more money at a nursery, but you will get years and years out of that bulb.”

• You can plant bulbs any time now, up until late October, after that, it is too wet and too cold.

• Pansies are a great plant to replace your annuals, but make sure you are buying winter pansies, there is a difference.

As for my Black Eyed Susan flower garden, Shirley recommended I wait until spring and then buy a Rudbeckia plant. I confessed my attempts at scattering wild flower seed mixes had not been successful. She explained that many of the seeds in these packets germinate at different times and require different conditions. Lupines for example need to be frozen for 48 hours, then soaked in water and started in peat pots before they are transplanted. Once they are established, they will “naturalize” or spread.

According to Shirley, “Gardening is suppose to be fun. It is a learning thing, and you can learn from it every single day.” Hmmm, maybe when it comes to gardening, I have ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder.

I would love to hear about your gardening adventures - please leave me a comment.

Cheers,

Julie

(Thursday Afternoon - Deck Partially Painted)

Today’s blog is dedicated to all the cottagers who are in the midst of a “renovation or “cottage project.”

Our “little project” started a month ago with my husband staining part of the deck. As you can see from the picture (our cabin on Horne Lake), we have a fairly small outdoor area, approximately 450 square feet, but the lattice, which wraps around 3/4 of the cabin, goes on for miles.

With part of the deck stained, and friends arriving in two days for the long weekend, I decided to get busy and finish the job. Well one thing lead to another and now in addition to staining the deck, I’ve decided the lattice needs to be beautified too. What started off as a three hour project has mushroom into a three day project.

I have never actually stained lattice before and at about 2 p.m. on Wednesday, I realized I’d made a big mistake. ‘Oh my God,’ I thought to myself, ‘I am never going to finish this before the weekend.’

Maryann, our quiet but very cheerful nanny, cautioned me, “Once you start, you have to finish,” she said in the same voice she uses on our children. The two of us slugged away all afternoon barely making a dent on the deck.

By day’s end, we had mercifully ran out of stain. Standing back and surveying the damage, I knew I’d sunk us. The lattice trim went on forever, sucking up paint like water in the hot desert. The trim around the glass was slow, time consuming work. With only 48 hours to go before the weekend, I picked up my cell phone and dialed for help.

My older sister, Natalie, is a pretty good sport. She has come to my rescue on numerous occasions. After several urgent messages, I finally tracked her down. She admitted to getting my call but was pretending to be out of town. After some coaxing, she agreed to pitch in.

At 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon, she arrived with my birthday present, a Wagner Power Painter Lock and Go -model 242. Hugging her I declare, “This is the best birthday present you’ve ever given me!” It takes about 10 minutes to hook up the sprayer, and despite the wind, we manage to get most of the stain onto the lattice. What would have normally taken all afternoon to paint, only takes about 20 minutes of spraying. The Power Painter is a define must have for anybody with a lot of painting to do. It costs about $100 and can be found at Canadian Tire.

Thanks for a great present, Nat.

Cheers,

Julie

Driving down the dusty lane, leafy green corn stocks with their golden tops grow in neat narrow lines. A small wooden sign with the words, “Fresh Corn,” is propped up against a wooden post. Following the green arrows, I arrive at the source. Nothing tastes better than corn slathered in butter, and getting it fresh from the field tastes even better.

Now that the corn is ripe and plentiful, there are many ways to serve these golden niblets. Today’s Corn Salsa recipe can be used as an appetizer, or served as a delicious summer salad. Accompanied with grilled steak, it makes a delicious meal.

And if you like things on the spicy side, try the Spicy Butter recipe below, it will add some zing to your cobs.

My favourite place to find recipes is at www.epicurious.com. Users provide their comments and offer suggestions for improving the recipe. Today’s recipes are from this site.

Corn Salsa with Cilantro Dressing

Directions

In a large bowl combine the following:
3 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from about 6 small ears of corn)
1 red pepper chopped

1 orange pepper chopped
2/3 cup finely chopped red onion

½ cup black beans (from can – rinsed)

In blender, purée until smooth:
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1 garlic clove
Salt and pepper

Preparation

Just before serving, pour dressing over corn mixture and toss. This makes a great appetizer or add it to a salad and serve with grilled chicken or steak.

We all love to slather our corn with salt and butter, but if you want to add some zing to your cobs, try this spicy butter instead.

Spicy Butter

Ingrediants

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh chives
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lime peel
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon Hungarian sweet paprika
Pinch of cayenne pepper

Sugar (optional)
8 ears of corn

Directions:

Mix first 7 ingredients in medium bowl. (Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before using.)

To boil corn: Bring large pot of water to boil; add pinch of sugar, if desired. Husk corn. Add corn to pot. Return water to boil and cook corn until water starts to boil and corn has turned a darker shade of yellow. Drain corn and serve immediately with lime-chive butter.

To grill corn: Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Remove all but the innermost husks from corn. Fold back inner husks and remove corn silk. Rewrap inner husks around corn. Grill until husks are slightly charred and corn is tender, turning often, about 10 minutes. Serve immediately with lime-chive butter.

Cheers,

Julie