Is jellyfish?
Here’s what we found in a tide pool at Whalebone yesterday: a transparent jellyfish thing with pink innards. I’d love to know what it is.
Filed in Gabriola Island, sea creatures 6 Comments so far
Archive for May, 2009
How to find Gabriola’s new park?
So, you know we’ve got a new park on Gabriola, right? Coats Marsh Regional Park, it is. There was an opening ceremony the other day. Did any of you go?
Apparently there’s an entrance to this park on Aiden Road, off Coats Road, so I set off to find it. And good luck with that! [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island No Responses yet
To people who post things on Gabriola bulletin boards
<rant>
Ah, so you’ve come along to post some Very Important Notice of yours, but you didn’t think to bring any tacks or push-pins with you. And so you think the thing to do is to steal some tacks from other people’s notices.
Um, no. Actually, this means you should get your patoot over to the Medicine [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island, assorted No Responses yet
Corallorhiza maculata in the Gabriola woods
A month ago they puzzled me: lipstick-like shoots of some plant, popping up all over the place in the Gabriola woods. I’ve been watching them grow ever since, curious to see what they would become. And now I know! They are Corallorhiza maculata, also known as spotted coralroot. They’re starting to flower now, and it’s [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island, native plants No Responses yet
Georgi Georgiev is gearing up for another land speed record
From the Nanaimo News Bulletin: Sights set on speed standard.
Georgi Georgiev is gearing up for another land speed record.
At Battle Mountain in the Nevada Desert on Sept. 15, Georgiev’s high-tech carbon fibre and kevlar vehicle, which he designed and built on Gabriola Island, will try to inch closer to the speed of sound, surpassing the [...]
Filed in Gabriola people No Responses yet
BC Ferries stopped tracking meeting times
In case you’re not already incensed about BC Ferries, the Tyee comes to the rescue: Ferry authority stopped tracking meeting times.
After the NDP raised questions last year about the short meeting times for the B.C. Ferries Authority board of directors, the board just stopped counting.
Last May, NDP ferries critic Gary Coons, who won re-election last [...]
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Yam quesadillas at Harvest Thyme: yum!
I am fond of yams, as you might have guessed. Still, when Robyn at Harvest Thyme suggested I try a yam quesadilla, I thought she was off her rocker. Whoever heard of yam in a quesadilla, after all? Clearly an insane idea, but I said yes anyway.
That yam quesadilla was awesome.
I was disappointed the [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island, food One Response so far
Geese
Do you suppose our Gabriola geese ever fly upside-down, the way this one can?
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Gabriola Farmers Market update
I did get myself to the Farmers Market on Saturday, even though that meant no sleeping in. There were lots of interesting things, but — horror! — no more garibaldi cookies, as Slow Rise doesn’t make them anymore. Argh. Such heartbreak!
Anyway, if you’re wondering just what’s for sale at the market these days, you might [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island 2 Comments so far
What’s this doing in a tree?
In the winter, this plastic containter was just one more piece of litter in Gabriola’s forest. But now? Somebody has built a trail in the middle of nowhere, and used this as a trailmarker. I don’t suppose you’ve come across it, have you?
Over the next while I’ll show you some other unusual Gabriola trailmarkers.
Filed in Gabriola Island, trails One Response so far
What I learned during this election campaign
(Other than issues. I’m not trying to influence your voting decision here.)
1. Who’s organized.
Quite a while ago, I visited the websites of all BC political parties. If there was a sign up for our email updates thing, I signed up. Today — the day before the election! — the Liberals sent their first message to [...]
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BC Ferries – no access to public records?
Oh, BC Ferries. *sigh* From The Tyee: BC Ferries refused Tyee access to public records.
Provincial law says meeting minutes for the B.C. Ferry Authority must be open to anyone who asks to see them, but the agency refused this week to open them to the Tyee. [continue]
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Gabriola Farmers Market season again
Today the Gabriola Farmers’ Market sign went up at the Agi Hall; the market opens next Saturday.
I’m not a crowds kind of person, so I’m not looking forward to parking problems and swarms of people.
On the other hand, there’ll be fresh veggies, and maybe Garibaldi cookies and more of those chocolate-filled yummy things from the [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island No Responses yet
On road markings
When people come along and paint marks on Gabriola roads, I wish they’d leave a note somewhere to explain what the marks mean, and what they’re doing on the road.
These marks appeared on North Road in the Tunnel the other day. But why, why?
Filed in Gabriola Island 2 Comments so far
Ribes lobbii on Gabriola
Can you believe that something this showy is a native plant? It’s true, and it’s blooming right now in the Gabriola forest. Careful, though: it has wicked thorns.
Its Latin name is Ribes lobbii. Its common names include gooey gooseberry, sticky gooseberry, pioneer gooseberry, and red-flowered gooseberry. When it gets to the fruiting stage, it should [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island, native plants No Responses yet
Geoducks (Gooeyducks)
I don’t know what the weirdest creature is on Gabriola, but the geoduck is certainly a contender. The fun starts with the name: it’s pronounced gooeyduck, but written as geoduck. And, well! Have you seen what these things look like?
Here’s an amazing video about farming geoducks. You’ll see spawning, harvesting, and cooking.
From the video:
I’d never [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island, sea creatures No Responses yet
Cliff’s Cornell’s lawyer wants sentence reduced
From the Nanaimo Daily News: Army deserter’s lawyer wants sentence reduced.
The lawyer representing jailed U.S. Army deserter Cliff Cornell wants supporters to write his commanding officer to ask for clemency.
Filed in Gabriola people No Responses yet
Gabriola’s forest monster
I laughed when I spotted this monster on a recent hike. I suspect that woodpeckers carved his eye-sockets, but who added the rock eyeballs?
(Was it you, Mr Snapper? I know you’ve been in the area, because the monster is near the drilled well you photographed.)
Filed in Gabriola Island, photos No Responses yet
STV or FPTP?
On May 12th, BC voters will decide whether to stick to our existing system, or switch to the single transferable vote system.
If you haven’t decided how to vote on this issue, you might like to view the website of the organization that wants the change: STV.ca. They’re the group behind those ‘power up your vote’ [...]
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