Chuggin’ along….

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…we are.  Still doing ‘deckwork’ and, today, I welded up a couple of stanchions to hold railings.  We’ve rebuilt a set of stairs, started on the water closet and generally made a helluva lot of noise and mess.  Just chugg’n along doin’ what needs doin’.

The view from our deck

And so are the WHALES!!  Last few days, it has been practically Moby Dick-ish around here.  Humpies, this time – the last few times.  We saw a lone humpy a few days ago, then a couple yesterday and – just today – a family of three. AND the lone humpy came back heading south.  But the best part is their proximity. Most of the time they are mid-channel.  But, at least twice for Sal and three times for me, we have had them so close to our beach they could have been scratching themselves on Potty Point.  I would estimate that the closest they came was ten meters from the shore. They are BIG.

The whales were so close that Sally realized after the fact she shouldn’t have used a telephoto lens

Very nice to see.

I have to put in another plug for solar panels.  I know, I know….‘what more can be said?’   And I am definitely repeating myself but…….we have not had the genset on for three months! ALL POWER FREE FROM SOL!  That’s computers, lights, battery chargers and freezer and all the power tools anyone needs.  Plus the odd appliance. We are very fortunate.

Some poor bastards (47,000 at last count) have been sent fleeing from their fire threatened homes in air thick with smoke and ash while we bask in the ‘coastal version’ of our provincial summer sunshine.  The garden grows, the power flows and why we are so blessed, no one really knows.  But that’s the way it goes sometimes.  We are very lucky.

Nothing much to report – that’s why the lack of posts – and I accept that politics is off the table when it is so beautiful.  Although, I wonder how the Machiavellian politicians take advantage of the public’s summer focus on life and beauty instead of the economy….?  I am sure they have used that time for some subtle evil-doing but even I am in a ‘who cares’ kinda mood when the outdoors is so fantastic.  It is that kind of time right now….I just don’t care enough to comment on Trump, BC politics or any kind of politics right now.

Got my motorcycle running a few days ago.  Up and down a crazy hill to give it a test run. That was good.

Checked out the alternator on Charlie’s truck – the one we use now and then – and it is shot so I will get another and replace it next week.

Another new couple moved on to the island a short time ago. Sal met R at book-club. Part-timers, tho.  Pleasant. A good addition.  Population still hovering around 50.  Island about 50 square miles in size.  The ratio remains the same.

I sincerely hope that everyone reading this is having as great a summer as we are.

 

18 thoughts on “Chuggin’ along….”

    • They don’t. They commute. But our immediate front yard seems to have some appeal. They stop over for a bit. Not long. Grab a snack….but they are out front for ten, fifteen minutes as a rule. Sometimes longer.

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  2. Excellent photos.
    Geez even when you’re working you get to “oogle” whales! How good is THAT?
    My work consists of cursing gridlocked traffic and chasing unpaid bills……

    Your 3 months of solar maximus is great! No genset = fuel not used = fuel you dont need to drag up the hill.= chillax and watch the “humpies”

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    • On average, two or three for every whale sighted. They’re ok. They are almost always keeping the distance but, really…? Hard to see the whales like we do when you have to stay 100 meters away. I confess to not being just a little smug when the whales pass by the deck by 50 feet and three dozen or so survival clad, sweating tourists are seated 100 meters away seeing not much more than blowholes. Petty of me but I still feel way luckier.

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  4. Amazing whale shots. We have to be happy with squirrel and chipmunk sightings. But that’s okay by me. I know how you love squirrels. Summer has been great. Not too hot and now a bit of rain to fill my rain barrels up on the cliff. Carrying buckets up for the potatoes is getting old. My garden is doing better than ever. Part of that is because we don’t leave for more than three days or so at a time. We’ve had two trips to Vancouver Island and next week plan to take the ocean boat out for a few nights on the chuck. Today is a town shopping and chores trip, but we have to get back to the marina before the weekend lake visitors take all the good parking spots.

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  5. Glad to hear about not needing to run the generator for three months. That’s great!

    As I’m very off grid myself, and about to embark on the solar power thing, may I ask about the battery storage you have in place? Why type and what capacity?

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    • Scrub that question – I found your post on batteries. Seems you run 48 volt with 600 Amp-hr of lead acid batteries, and you use your system in a way similar to what I’m planning – lights, water pump, fridge, and occasional appliance usage. But not for cooking or heating anything.

      My designer recommended 48 volt with 400 Amp-hr lead acid – but using those 2 Volt batteries. As I am up in the hills and get much more cloud cover during summer and autumn (compared to my district) I was thinking that 600 or 800 Amp-hr might be more appropriate. Anyways, you’ve provided a good cross reference that shows I’m in the right ball park.

      Thanks!

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      • Dollar for dollar and pound for pound solar panels give more value than do batteries. BUT you need all the components in the power supply chain of course. Two volt batteries are the best but everyone, it seems, screws up their first batch of batteries so I recommend trying to get the most (+7 years) from regular 8D or L16’s for the learning years.
        Let me know…

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