This past weekend gas hit $1.46 a litre in Vancouver. We’re bracing ourselves for a $1.50 a litre, which the experts are predicting will happen this summer. With gas now over $6.00 a gallon, I’m curious to know if this will affect how you “play” at the cabin.

We sold our old two stroke engine for a more gas efficient inboard model. While Bill likes to throttle our new 17′ SeaRay wide open, my eye is on the gas gage. I’m not sure if we will take the kids for as long a tube ride or as many this summer given the high price of petro.

I know boats are expensive toys to own and operate, but I’m wondering if other’s are thinking the same thing.

Like cars, boats burn fuel more efficiently when they are properly serviced and maintained. Cottage Life has a great article on spring maintenance for outboards.

One thing is certain, the faster we go, the more fuel we’re going to burn, especially since our new boat is heavier than our old one.

I’m thinking we’ll still make good use of our new boat, but I’m betting we’ll be going a little slower and maybe not quite as often. I’m also thinking my kayak is going to be getting a lot more use.

Leave me a comment and let me know if the high price of gas is going to change the way you play at the cabin.

Cheers,

Julie

P.S. If gas seems expensive here, folks in England are paying over $9 a gallon. Ouch!

Question: What follows two days of rain? Monday.

The cold damp weather we’ve been experiencing on the west coast has a lot of cottagers rolling their eyes. ‘Not again,’ we’re silently thinking to ourselves. Cold, rainy summers spell disaster for cottagers, especially those who are renting seasonal properties.

Heather Bayer, a fellow cottage blogger, has some great tips on stocking your cottage for the rainy weather. I know the last thing I want is to be cooped up inside my cabin for the weekend, but sometimes the best offense is a good defense.

Here are some things you might want to do to rain proof your cottage. It may also preserve your sanity.

Rain Proof Ideas:

Board Games

Monopoly, Scrabble (Jr. Scrabble is great too), Labyrinth, Pictionary, Checkers, Luck of the Draw

Puzzles - Ravensburger make great puzzles - I find the ones for ages 9+ to be enough of a challenge for everyone

Activity Books - Sudoko, Cross-Word Puzzles, Word Searches, sticker books for the younger crowd, and colouring books these soft cover books are available at any chapters and provide a good mental workout as well

Projects Kits - Solar kits, bird houses, models - ships, cars, airplanes, knitting, and stitching are all great activities to work on with kids

Chick Lit - There is nothing worse than finishing a good book early in the holiday and then have nothing else to read. Here are some of my recommended summer reads:

• The Friday Night Knitting Club
• Lullabies for Little Criminals
• Glass Castles
• Are You There Vodka, It’s Me Chelsea
• Something Borrowed

DVD’s - a must for any cabin and with Rogers and Blockbuster selling off recent releases for a fraction of the price, owning is much cheaper than dragging the whole family to the theatre. Here are some of our favourites:

• Devil Wears Prada
• Enchanted
• Indiana Jones Series
• Star Wars
• Weeds Season 3 (Start at season one if you haven’t seen it and make sure the kids are asleep before you start watching it)
• Planet Earth
• P.S. I Love You
• Anne of Green Gables

Hopefully the weather will break and the prediction of this being the hottest summer in North America will come true. But just in case they’re wrong, I will be stocking up for the rainy season a.k.a. summer.

Cheers,

Julie

While the price of beef continues to skyrocket, I’ve noticed pork has been trending downward. I’m not sure if it’s the result of surpluses on the provincial side or a glut of pork across Canada. Whatever the case, there has never been a cheaper time to eat pork.

I’m must admit, I was raised a beef girl, but when it comes to ribs, I really can’t tell the difference. Today’s recipe, Hoisin Barbecued Ribs, can be used on either pork or beef, the meatier the rib the better.

Hoisin Barbecued Ribs

• 2 - 3 pounds uncooked ribs
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• sea salt
• fresh ground pepper
• 1 tbsp BBQ Burger Seasoning (from Spice Depot - or any barbecue seasoning)

Directions

Place ribs in large pot filled with water and boil them for about 60 minutes on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp salt, 1/2 tsp ground pepper and 1 tbsp barbecue seasoning for flavour.

Combine remaining ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Drain ribs and place on a foil lined metal pan. Brush sauce over ribs (meaty side up) apply generously. Bake in oven at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for 30 minutes - I recommending cooking them slowly and reapply the sauce at least once, so the flavour really sinks into the meat.

These are finger licking good ribs and a great dish to serve at the cottage.

Cheers,

Julie

First to arrive are the black flies, tiny little bugs that crawl under your hat, crash into your hair and disappear into your ears, followed by the high pitched screaming mosquitoes. Summer, with its long hot sunny days, beckons these annoying pests out of hibernation and into our lives, where we will spend the next several months waging war on these blood thirsty insects.

Natural Bug Repellents

Scared off by the dire threats of Deet, and inspired by an article written by Dr. David Suzuki, I decided to investigate some natural options to insect repellents. Here is what the “naturalists” are saying:

Best Bug Repellents

It seems mosquitoes, like vampires, have a strong aversion to garlic. EarthEasy.com recommends putting one part garlic to five parts water in a spray container and misting your body. Don’t be surprised if you repel more than just bugs.

Oils - Soybean, Eucalyptus, Citronella, Catnip (be careful with this one), Tea Tree and Neem oil are all touted as having bug repellent properties. Among them, Eucalyptus was reported to be the most effective in keeping the bugs away. Again, the concentration of oil will impact the outcome. My experience has been that concentrated oils can be pricey, but a little does go a long way.

A lot of people swear by Avon’s Skin So Soft - great bath oil, but I’m not a big fan of greasy. Not sure what the success rate is with this product.

Other ways to deter mosquitoes is to:

1. wear dark clothing,
   
2. avoid sweating as mosquitoes are drawn to moisture
   
3. mist yourself with vanilla. According to one message board pure vanilla (the higher the alcohol content the better) is very effective, but don’t be surprised if bears suddenly find you very desirable.

If you love to garden, marigolds are reported to be a good bug deterrent. Perhaps even a few potted plants on a picnic table may just keep the pesky bugs away while you enjoy dinner.

Bite Blocker - if all of the above seems like just too much effort, Bite Blocker seems to be getting some good reviews. Its ingredients include:

• soybean oil
• coconut oil
• geranium oil
• citric acid
• vanilla

Hmmm, maybe the natural oils do work after all. If anyone has any good natural remedies, please leave me a comment.

Cheers,

Julie