The blog about the dinner party on the freighter didn’t resonate much. Odd, that. I liked it. I liked the ‘setting’ and the topic. One reader said, “I don’t like that touchy-feely stuff”. That is the only stuff I really like these days.
The log gathering has improved thanks to our considerate postmistress. Now she ties ’em up so we can go get ’em. That is very cool. Well, warming, actually. But you get what I mean.
We are eating our way out of here. We’ll leave here for a bit at Xmas (family) and the like so, rather than have food go to waste or use up propane to keep food from wasting, we kinda ‘plan’ to coincide the last few days here with the last few meals in storage. Which makes for a dull last-week menu but it’s efficient. There will still be ‘eggs-for-the-raven’ and some half-good veggies tossed, maybe a few pieces of bacon chucked as well (Raven and friends) but, generally speaking, we’ll leave a bare cupboard. Dry food, canned food, bottled food will remain stored but, of course, anything fresh goes to passersby (mostly winged ones). It’s part of the ritual of leaving OTG.
I am in a battle Royale with the tire people. We’ll see how that goes.
We had a store up here years ago. It’s old. Historic in a run-down, early 30’s coast-style, frame-building kinda way. Sits on failing, creosoted piles against a rotten and dangerous wooden wharf and pier. The old dock has been removed. It looks pretty bad. It is pretty bad. But, damn it, it is local heritage in a significant way. It is part of BC coastal history. It has some appeal. It’s worth saving.
So, we badgered the local government some and they may save the lease on it (it’s with the Provincial government). Local rep, Jim, great again as usual. If he succeeds, that will make the regional distrcit the owner. But, they are not keen to spend money and time (more meetings required for this kind of nonsense than trade negotiations with China, Mexico and Russia combined). So, they would like to get it only if they can give it away. Think of it like a tar-baby. No one wants to be stuck with it but no one can let it die.
A local group may spring up. They will undertake restoration and onging upkeep and management. Maybe. Local means old people. Old people need restoration and ongoing upkeep themselves. So, we’ll see about how that goes. One thing is clear: money will be needed. And money will NOT be easily found. So, we may have to put out an ‘appeal’. Crowd-funding a heritage restoration that no one can get to? I dunno……we’ll see how that goes, too.
I’m strangely optimistic. But that’s because I am strange, mostly. I think we’ll have to raise about $25,000 just to start. And $100,000 would gurantee it gets done and done well. Might take more. But that kinda money would mean we could ‘contract out’ the piling work rather than have old guys do it with hammers and ropes. If any of my six or seven readers knows how to crowd-fund, can do so successfuly and would be willing to raise money for this, please let me know. Like I said, I do not know for sure if anything will happen on this but I may as well see if there’s any outside interest.
Not much in the way of wildlife to mention. The little wood ducks have been kinda fun. Fifty or so seem to gather in front of our place a lot so as to ride out a storm or maybe just flock together…whatever….kinda odd, kinda fun. Pretty cute. They bob and assemble and hobnob as only birds of a feather can do. And it just pours down on them, waves lifting and dropping them. But they are the most common sighting right now. Even the raven only comes twice a day.
Sal had to do yet another water-trail trek the other day. She was ticked. I said it was her sixth trip up. She claimed fifth. Still, five trips up to get water to flow downhill defies the tenth law of physics: what goes up and down a lot is the definition of work. So work gets done. Or, in this case, does it?
“You just playing at it on those treks up the creek or is any real work getting done?”
“I am gonna kill you and no one would blame me!”
Our Off the Grid Home 
D., I enjoyed “the dinner party” post; wish I had been there too! Re: the heritage building…too bad you couldn’t have joined the “talking circle” and follow up meeting with J. at the community association’s latest AGM; you could have heard from the proverbial Horse’s mouth about it yourself….turns out its a very complicated rat’s nest of a situation involving a novel’s worth of characters, conflict and weird, complicated, “gentlemen’s agreement” sorts of real estate dealings. Perfect! It will be interesting to see what, if anything, unfolds. Hopefully it is not too complicated for the RD to see their way through the maze. Perhaps, IF the community ends up with this building we will be able to avoid hanging all sorts of signage all over it. Not that I am ungrateful, or against the idea etc. I just don’t like signs, and apparently the RD does, very much. Oh, but you probably know all the details already, having been to the dinner party….! Hope to see you two one of these days!
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Yeah, I was kinda ‘general’ about ‘how all this might eventually play out’ in my post because I knew of the rat’s nest situation. And it is some nest. Some rats. And, as mentioned, the incessant and interminable ‘meetings’ that go with that (more than NAFTA). I can no longer handle the damn meetings. Too old. Too impatient. Too grouchy. They drive me crazy. (I do not get invited much to parties OR meetings in case you didn’t know).
In effect, it is not unlike the ‘large chattering party with the background music’ syndrome for me. I have no time for that.
The actual project? I’ll DO it. I’ll send money for someone else to DO it. I’ll support it if it is ever DONE. And I will be proud of it no matter what. I think it would be great for the community. But I won’t meet over it.
“Dave! That’s crazy!”
It is. I acknowledge that. It is a bit odd. Fer sure……and, truth be told, I could probably handle one meeting every month or so….maybe….especially if it was kept pointedly short (under one hour no matter what). But community meetings with lots of people in talking circles under one hour? Never gonna happen. Pigs will fly before that happens. Hell, I will learn to fly before THAT happens.
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your sentiments about large groups has me wondering what would interest you in a visit to Hong Kong, is this just a waypoint on an itinerary,,,
recently read an interesting memoir ‘The legendary betty frank’ mostly about the chilcotin and caribou,
she grew up in owen bay on Sonora isl, on one occasion at 15 years she needed to get home from quadra, the heriot hotel people loaned her a row boat and she went that distance solo, in one go.
you probably know about this,she refernces a logging/milling show on your island that was called Cox something or other.
Betty Frank is still with us along with some some of her kin on quadra
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I hear ya Dave! I think it would be good for the community also, though I wonder how many meetings, or talking circles, one might have to attend to figure out a)how to fix it, b) what to use it for, c) how to pay for it d) who’s going to do what etc. etc. Time will tell I suppose, as it usually does. See ya around one of these days!
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Poor ol’ Betty passed on about a year and some ago. Maybe two years and some…ya know how time flies…
She was a real OTG’er even tho she lived on Quadra for some time. Quite worldly, actually. Attended the ladies book club a few years back – feted and honoured by them. Sal remembers her fondly.
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P.S. Not sure how to let Aldo know, but Betty Frank is, sadly, no longer with us. She passed on in 2014. She is survived by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren and many friends, a number of them on Quadra as you say.
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Seems a bit difficult to respond in the right place for now….but……Aldo, I am not enamored with Hong Kong. At all. Altho I have huge sympathy for the inmates there. And that is what it is….a giant concrete incarceration unit. Surrounded by (and part of) CHINA and the sea (with Chinese border controls), you cannot check out anytime you want and soon you may never leave. Think: Alcatraz only larger and more densely populated.
Where the hell does a poor HK’er go? I’ll tell ya: into what is as close to a real-life MATRIX as one can go in our world. See: their education system. Maybe North Korea is worse. Surely some parts of China are worse. But for the average first worlder (and they were), they don’t come born with a lot of options anymore.
CL….the thing is: NO amount of community meetings will fix it. That kind of focused expert ‘developer’ energy has to come from outside. Maybe RegDistrict. Maybe crowd-fund. Maybe even a one-person-show, but it is extremely unlikely to get a coordinated, funded, fully supported, participatory, efficient ‘development’ from any community group. Like herding cats. And our community makes a herd of cats seem cooperative. I love ’em for being feisty, feral felines but they would NOT constitute a potential team-in-the-offing to me.
Of course, there is a huge role for the community. We can hire ’em for a lot of it. They might like the work and the involvement. They can then manage and maintain it. They can even (God willing) maybe all agree on the basic function of it (I’m kidding, of course). But there is simply not enough time, money and energy for a slick working group to emerge and work efficiently with government. Hell, I am only a young 70 and I am not 100% sure I could play in that game. Most of us are even older. But – for the record – I am onside with anyone who steps up and asks for the ball.
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Yes, I hear you, loud and clear, and I actually agree with you as well!!
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gotcha,,,I was raised in Quesnel , a few years junior to davidicus, funny how in retrospect one seems to comprehend such a small part of what is going on around them , I probably passed Betty on the sidewalk, I know I lived in Wells when she had a horse rental scene going on there for a few years.,,, that is one small town
and what about the Hong Kong query, and the pic of the new boat jdcox said was cumin,
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HKpart- answer in the lengthy double-answer above. We are there for two weeks. Mostly celebrations and dinners. Ex-students. Boat pic coming still….but still a few months….
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Yes, you probably did pass Betty on the sidewalk, who would have known? Look farther, somewhere around here, JDC lets you in on the Hong Kong query, but will you be able to get out again that is the BIG question! Hopefully they will let JDC out when he has had enough. The new boat? Hmmm…..?
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David, I seem to recall that the old store is up for sale? How can that be if it’s in the condition you say? And I would lay off the comments to Sally about the water system! If not, it might be you tromping up there!
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Prompting frowns and glares from Sal is almost as much fun as smiles and hugs. It’s like poking Godzlla. But a man’s gotta do……
Haven’t you ever juggled nitroglycerin just to see?
Yeah, it is up for sale but it is unlikely to sell. Nests. Rats. Rot. No customers for a store. No dock. Major crazy. If it’s to be saved, it is unlikely to be by way of a savvy businessperson.
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Interesting comments about the store.
And the dysfunction ( political, beaurocratic, volunteer) that may or may not “save” it.
Reminds me of the old joke.
A govt beaurocrat in Ottawa was walking to his office one day when he heard someone sobbing. Upon further investigation he found the head manager for the Dept of Agriculture weeping uncontrollably at his desk….
.”Whats happened? Why are you so upset?, ask the concerned beaurocrat.
“Our farmer died!” , wailed the Dept of Agriculture executive.
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Pictures add much needed context us guys who have never been there.
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You are right. I’ll check. If not, I’ll get some.
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Ok……very strange……the post now has some pics in it but I did not put them there. Neither did Sally. Someone has access to my blog! Uri? Anatoly? You guys playing with me again?
Very spooky.
May shut down again…….
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