Friday, June 25, 2021

I’ve decided there is a magic hour at the studio on Texada. It’s early but definitely worth getting up for. I’m usually out on the deck by seven but the action doesn’t really start until eight. There are a few hummingbirds around but they don’t appear in numbers until it is a bit warmer.

By eight though they are fighting over the feeder. Somewhere between eight and eight-thirty we usually hear the loon; occasionally we will hear it a bit earlier and sometimes in the evening but within that half hour is the clearest call.

And for the past two days I’ve had deer coming past my window somewhere between eight-thirty and nine. Yesterday two came across from the right side and today I had a momma and her baby approaching from the left. Momma was so close I think I could have reached out the window and touched her.

It doesn’t happen every day but when it does it is pure magic.

Thursday, June 24, 2021

The loons are back – and no, that isn’t what our Texada neighbours are saying!

The last time we were here Pat heard a loon once but I missed the call. Yesterday morning while I was at my computer I heard a loon, which is very odd for Powell River. Last night Pat heard the loon again. This morning, just after I got up, I definitely heard the loon and we heard it again a couple of times while we sat on the deck having coffee.

It is wonderful sitting out on the deck in the quiet of the morning listening as the birds start waking up, the hummingbirds find the feeder and, if we are lucky, we hear the cry of the loons. And it gets better. I had barely sat down to do some cross stitching when two deer wandered past my window. They seemed to have no idea I was there but, of course, I was being very quiet. I didn’t have my camera out so tried taking a picture with my phone and it wasn’t very good. I got a lesson from Pat for next time, but I also will keep my camera handy.

I’ve been cross stitching all day. A cross stitch quilt block, my stitch-along and I’m finishing my day working on a gift.

The heat hasn’t arrived yet but there is a heat warning from tomorrow until Tuesday. The studio had stayed quite cool all day so I have my fingers crossed we’ll be able to keep it cool when the weather really heats up.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

Our area is in for a heat wave over the next few days starting its climb tomorrow and peaking on Saturday and Sunday. Since we are in the forest on Texada we decided to come over and take advantage of whatever cool we can get.

I had barely unpacked from our last trip before I was packing up again; in fact I think the two things coincided. It was a bit of work to get projects ready to bring over with me but I have plenty of cross stitch, a few sewing projects and an old crewel embroidery UFO. If I run out of those things I know I have an embroidery UFO, an embroidery kit and several hardanger lessons in my cupboard here.

I had a lot of computer work to squeeze into my daystar home. I managed to get the Hall accounting to the accountant and I updated the Guild’s blog. I sent off photos of the Guild mystery to the designer; I haven’t heard anything back from her but I’m sure she will contact me again as she has been very good about answering e-mail during the mystery process. I got the taxes paid on the Powell River house and the Texada studio, as well as the taxes paid for both the Hall and their rental house. I have all the bills paid too; I can do banking from over here but you never know whether our signal will be strong enough to complete an action I like to do it from home. I got some birthday cards in the mail today too.

Whew, I need a break. We caught the six o’clock ferry across today even though we were both packed up and ready by two. Our local produce deliveries have started and we have to wait until between four and five for them to get to our door.

Pat sat out on the deck for a bit after we arrived this evening and the hummingbirds didn’t take long to find him. We have the feeder filled but it is still too hot to put outside so they will have to wait until tomorrow morning.

I only have a few stitches left in a cross stitch project so I’ll work on that before bed. There is a cool breeze coming through tonight. So far it seems we made the right choice to be here.

Monday, June 21, 2021

We didn’t leave Texada until the five o’clock ferry and it was a good way to end our visit this time. I had all day to get my cleaning done and I interspersed the cleaning with some cross stitching. If we leave on the noon ferry we tend to putter around until it is time to go and the day is pretty much a write-off.

But now that I’m home I’m not sure where to start on catching up. My car started but I have the charger on it now. I need the car tomorrow morning so I wanted to be sure it had enough juice left for another day.

I didn’t have time to unpack my bags from the Guild meeting last Thursday so I still have those bags sitting on the floor. The bin that I brought back from Texada needs to be unpacked and, of course, I still have all the mess in my studio that I created when I was getting ready to go. While I was away I flagged a few messages and I’ll deal with some of them tonight. I need to get the Hall accounting to the accountant; I send what they ask for and then the back and forth for more information starts. I have photos to load on the Guild blog from our party last week and, if we are going to head out again mid-week, I’ll need to do some planning and repacking.

If in doubt as to what to do first – write a journal!