Merry Christmas

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!  It has been a busy couple of months with George and I working at our store in Red Earth Creek, Alberta.

Thank You and Seattle Boat Show

A Big Thank You to all the Boats that visited us this year!

The season is now over with no boats for a week.  August was busy and it was steady for about three weeks in September.  Nova Spirit stopped in on October 6 for a visit.

stats for the bakery and restaurant:
over 700 cinni buns
over 250 loaves of bread
countless number of fish and chips and pizza, ribs were a big hit

Milk, Eggs, Fruit and produce were in high demand.

We are hoping to have an ice cream cooler next year as well as some frozen meat.

I was in Alberta for September and George is there now.  He had his 6 month checkup and all is well.

Closing everything up for the winter, coolers and freezers are empty and clean, water is drained and the barge is secured.

If everything goes as planned, we hope to have a booth in the Seattle Boat Show in January.   We have registered and are just awaiting our booth assignment.  If any of our friends are interested in spending a day in our booth let us know.

A Big Thank You and we look forward to seeing you at the Boat Show!

Where did the time go

Can't believe that it has been almost a month since I last posted on here.  We have been fairly busy, with Melissa, Signe and Darren coming for a visit for a week.  What a joy to have them all here.  Darren had not been here since 2009 so I believe he saw a difference.  Both Melissa and Darren were a big help (we did not expect them to work) and Signe was a joy for all.  She is so full of energy and curious about everything.  She would say, "You have a boat coming in.  It is a BIG one"  She loved the people and the ocean and for 2.5 years is as smart as a whip.
The first two weeks of July were slow but it picked up the last two.  We still have not had a full dock this year, but the season is not over yet.  The weather has been cooperating, with it being hot and sunny.  Even when the wind is blowing, the strait is calm and it helps keep the mosquitoes away.  George and I have had a battle with them this year.
My garden is not doing well this year as it is full of weeds and I do not have the time to tend to it.  Maybe one of the slow days I will get to it.  The peas need picking but the tomatoes, zucchini and cucumbers are a sorry site.  I picked only two lots of lettuce, enough for three salads only.  Rain is needed and the weeds need to be gone.
Have not seen any wildlife for the last week or so.

as big as the propane tank, July 21, 2012

 About a week ago a huge grizzly came through the yard.  He was the biggest bear I have ever seen.  A deer was just a few days ago.  Hopefully there is not anything else in the bush as even the birds are gone.

The Red Shoe "Hore"shoe tournament and Canada Day

July 1, 2012

Even Bud joined in

In Play

Having fun

Now which one is closer??

How to judge this one, hmmm

pretty

Who'd da thunk?? Lucky throw

Must measure to be sure!

Winners Jane and Paul

Winners with our tournament organizers, Colyn and Connie

 Canada Day was a big success as we supplied chili and dogs for moorage customers and neighbors.  To fill the lull between supper and fireworks we held the The Red Shoe First Annual "Whore"shoe Tournament.  It was a huge success.  Horseshoe stakes were put on the wide dock and participants threw either red or black high heels instead of horseshoes, hence the "whore"shoe.  Round robin was played with the winners being Jane and Paul from "Pacesetter" receiving "Port Harvey Marine Resort" bath robes. 

Winners Paul and Jane of "Pacesetter"
The Red Shoe First Annual "Whore"shoe Tournament

 It was a good win as they had had trouble with the steering on their boat so had a couple of extra days at the dock.  They have since made it to their destination.

CANADA DAY

Once again we will be celebrating Canada's birthday with Chili and Dogs, Fireworks and this year a new "whoreshoe" tournament.  Please join us on July 1, 2012

Here they come

It has been a busy two weeks so far.  Mother Mary was here for a week and was a big help.  I believe that she enjoyed being our ``ambassador`` and visiting with boaters.  We have done many meals already, and on Tuesday had run out of fish already even though we had only started serving on June 11.  Good thing I had to go to town on Wednesday and get supplies.  We have enjoyed everyone that have come to visit and will enjoy the ones still to come.  George has his ``coffee time`` with everyone in the morning, with many, many pots of coffee being drunk.
The cable for the power to the dock, is finally as far as the dock.  Now is the job of hooking it up.  The cable itself is about 6 inches thick so it was quite a task for George.
We are also getting ready for Canada Day and hope to have a ``whoreshoe`` tournament if the weather cooperates.

First Pizzas and Cinni buns

We served our first pizzas on Friday and cinnamon buns were a hit yesterday morning.  We will be ready for all   meals in the pub/restaurant very shortly.  A little tweeking and it will be done! Some produce and Dairy are in the new glass front coolers in the store.  The season is starting to pick up with boats daily now.  On June 13th we will be having a small get together for our neighbor Doug who turns 80 on Tuesday.  Mother Mary will be here on Tuesday and Colyn and Connie arrive tomorrow.  How exciting it will be!  We are hoping that the surrounding neighbors will be able to help us honor Doug.  He is a special person in the area and well known on the coast.

Ready to go

With a busy month behind us we are ready for moorage. The pub will be open shortly and power will be soon. Need to have some strong people to help with the cable. Anyone interested? We hope to have a good June. April and May were slower but was expected. George is busy building 70 more feet of dock and I am currently in Alberta visiting family. I am enjoying my time with Melissa and Signe. Mother Mary was honored with a 80 birthday party on May 26 which was well attended. She will be visiting us in June for awhile. Looking forward to her visit.

Getting Ready

Getting the Dock ready

 George came home at the end of April and we have been busy getting ready for the season.  Water was hooked up and pressure washing started.  We moved the barge back to where it was originally.  It was an uneventful move.  We have the cable coming for electricity and new steps will be built (they were torn off during the storm).  We will have glass front coolers for the store this year to display the produce and dairy properly.  We are looking forward to a good season and to visiting with returning friends and new ones.

away it goes-making the turn

in the bay

getting closer

almost there

in place

back to the beginning

Happy Easter



The last two months have gone by fast.  George has been in Alberta since the beginning of February.  He did come home for 5 days with Christine during her spring break and also at the beginning of March  for a couple of days to put the small dock to shore and ramp back up.



The barge and small dock after it took off



On March 12, we had the Storm of the Year with 50+ knots and water spouts in the bay.  Because the wind was more east than southeast, the barge took the brunt of the wind.  Consequently, with such high gusting winds, the barge pulled the bull rails off the small dock to shore.  Only three lines were holding the barge, one to the main dock, one to shore and one to the old junk barge in front.   The line to shore pulled the pin out of the rock and when it broke lose, the weight of the barge pulled the small dock away from the pile and away from the main dock.  Everything was floating.  What a scary thing to see.  The ramp was still attached at the top but the end was in the water. That afternoon when the wind died down, Doug came over and helped me tie one end of the barge to a pile to keep it from swinging.  I did not sleep well that night that is for sure. 



After it was secured the next day



 The next day, Doug and Bob secured the barge lengthwise along the main dock and it is still there now.

When George came home, we were able to get the ramp up, using the high tide and ropes as pulleys.  When the tide went down, we were able to secure the small dock under it and fasten it around the pile and to the main dock.  The old junk barge is now on the beach and will be emptied and dismantled.



George should be home in the next week or so.  We can get ready for the summer.  Lots to work to do and the weather has finally turned around.



After George and I secured everything.



Nice and straight now and clean!



April 1 I saw our first hummingbird and am glad I put the feeder out early.  Robins have been digging for worms and the juncos like the bird feeder.  The falcon is back and the warblers.  Tulips and daffodils are ready to bloom and the trees have a green tinge.  Signs of spring for sure. Winter was harsh with nasty winds and lots and lots of rain.

Have to get busy now and clean the store, plant flowers and mow the grass (yes, it did grow oodles).  Can't get to the Pub yet and there is no water or power on the dock, but will be as soon as George gets back.  George put the small generator on the barge so I can pump the bilge.

January 2012



Look at all that snow!

We arrived back home on January 16, 2011 to a foot of snow and -10 C.  We have never seen so much snow before since we have lived here!  Of course it took the rest of the day to warm up the house.  Thank goodness for the propane heaters, especially the new one.  It warmed up in here in no time.  The snow and cold remained for a couple of days.  Our water was froze but thanks to being prepared we had the water jugs full so we could at least drink and cook.  Sea water was used for a couple of days to flush the toilets.  George was able to get the water running two days later and we filled up the big jacuzzi tub in our bathroom (the only thing this tub is good for).

Winter Wonderland

We both had showers, and the water froze again.  George got it going again on Friday, with the filter housing cracked and now changed.  One does not know how much water is appreciated until you have to melt snow and use sea water.



A short life is in store for him!

The weather started warming up on Thursday, so I went out and built a snowman.  Poor thing had a good short life as it almost gone now.

We were quite surprised to see that the grass is green, the snow drops are sprouting green tops and the daffodils are starting to come up.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Alberta.  George worked at our Tru Hardware Store in Red Earth Creek and commuted back and forth from Peace River and I was able to spend quality time with Signe in Grande Prairie.  We enjoyed our Christmas with family in Peace River.  Mother Mary is well and is looking forward to coming in June for a visit.  Her trip last year was cancelled unexpectedly.  We do not miss the -30C temperature with wind chill.  This was the temperature on January 14 and 15 when we left.