Sand dollars and truck update

A friend, Rhonda, invited me to go sand dollar picking, she uses them in her crafts which she then sells on the island in the summer

I found our first one that day

As anyone who knows me knows, I was first in and first out.... I get cold so damn quick... we had to wait over an hour for the tide to go out enough or I'd have had a better time of it but it was so cold and the water wasn't any better obviously... I'll go again when things warm  up. It was +10C (50F) yesterday so we're getting there.

The engine coolant doohickey has been installed and we cleaned the compartment too

No point cleaning the engine and leaving the hood dirty, so.... 

We are still waiting for 1 part to be delivered and then the last bit can go on and she's done.

Wild Friday night on Salt Spring

 Firstly, its been raining for about 18 hours....

The presents under the tree are definitely wet

But my decorations are not running!

You may recall that I painted them with washable kids paint and because we live in the amazon (not literally) I coated them with Mod Podge to protect them from all the rain. It worked - so far.

Last night Brad and I went to see Fantastic Fungi (please pronounce with a G not a g - some things are really annoying)... I remember a couple of years back. some American friends (they still read the blog - they tell me) wondering how accepting Canada is. Well, up here in Canuck country - and especially on Salt Spring Island - the trees, plants and mushrooms are people too. Everything/everyone is accepted here.

This was actually a pretty good movie and no its not about mushroom people but about how mushrooms are the earth's medicine. That fauna communicate via a root system that interconnects much like the 'internet'..."as above, so below" comes to mind. The links below will take you to news reports from 'Main Stream Media'  for any argumentative types....

Apparently mushrooms (the magic kind, actually) have been scientifically proven to aid in depression, PTSD, and other such neurological issues (in limited - ie 2-3 doses).

Turkey mushrooms are proving to eliminate cancers, etc.

There are many health benefits of mushrooms, available in our back yard since we live in such a wet environment, especially this time of year.

Anyway, not a movie that is likely to be a big hit in LA for example but here on Salt Spring - it brings in a crowd. The theatre was about 85% full last night and this is the 2nd run of this movie here, it was played for about a week a couple of weeks ago but due to popular demand...... for another 4 nights.

Only on Salt Spring

Presents under the tree

I've been saving boxes, Tim Horton's coffee pod box, cracker box, every box... but in such a small space - where can you store them?

I searched around the property and found some medium sized but heavy rocks... wrapped them in saran wrap so as not to get said boxes dirty, and -- wrapped them.

Tim's box (we buy the 48 pod size)

Wrapped in saran wrap

Plain brown wrapping paper is $2 and change at the post office.

Tada

Robbie is guarding them.

The rocks will keep the boxes from blowing around in the event of wind and I found some fabric strings in my crafting kit to wrap bows on them. Real present like. I don't expect anyone will steal them, but if they do... jokes on them.

Being creative

Added a shelf in the old shed out back we just enclosed

Raccoons will be at this garbage can, so...

Time to build an enclosure so they can't knock it over every night, hopefully this will make the bungee cord sufficient

Its been raining buckets so here is the pic I managed to get of the garbage bin... I'm sure it will appear in other pictures later, and I doubt anyone actually cares about our bin surround anyway, so...

I think I mentioned the $10 6ft Xmas tree I got just before the move, well it will need decorations and I don't want to spend a fortune on Xmas stuff for an outdoor tree, so I decided to make them. Stopped at the Dollar store when last we were in Duncan and got some cookie cutters and kids paint (washable, so not sure how that will bode in the rain.... oh well)

Air drying for 2 days...

Painting.

You will just have to see them finished when I put the tree up, done every year on Dec 1st. I forgot to get a finished pic - I know, I'm a terrible human but you'll get over it eventually - or you'll see them when I take of pic of the finished tree... 

I dropped and broke a snowman but everything else worked out great and they are hanging to allow them to dry completely deep inside, some were relatively thick as I don't have a rolling pin, how I don't know but I dug and dug and couldn't find one anywhere.

Nov 11 & 12

Monday we attended the Remembrance Day ceremony downtown Salt Spring

Can't tell from the couple of pics I took but it was quite a good turn out

Tuesday we went to Duncan for some craft supplies. I can't remember if I mentioned it but I picked up a 6ft Xmas tree for $10 (hope its all there), we have a small tree for inside the rig but I wanted something for outdoors and it needs to be decorated or it will look silly... so off to Duncan to get some craftsy stuff. More to come on that another time, I suppose.

This was here last year also, not sure what its about but seems like the locals take their used pumpkins to this spot along the highway and set them out. Weird and I've no explanation for it but there it is, quirky.

Perhaps Ray & Deb have some intel on this, Deb?

Sporadic along a long stretch of road