Flights of fancy
You sit on the rocks at Drumbeg or Berry Point, watching a flock of seabirds fly in formation near the Gabriola shore. How do they do that? American Scientist’s Flights of Fancy article explains:
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Archive for March, 2011
The lost crops
Did you know that the crops we routinely grow and eat in North America barely scratch the surface of the diversity grown for food elsewhere in the world? The Journey to Forever website links to free online access to several books on the subject – they look fascinating. So far, I’ve browsed in a book [...]
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Gabriola Health Care Clinic site approved
There was a meeting on Gabriola a day or two ago about the proposed medical clinic location. Did you go? I didn’t, and have been wondering how that meeting went. Today I happened to notice a new sign on the window of the Gabriola Health Care Society’s fund-raising office in Folklife Village. It reads: It’s [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,Islands Trust Comments Off
Perennial vegetables for your Gabriola garden
Shipping food to Gabriola seems silly when you consider that we could grow much of our food right here on the island. And what if growing food could be way easier than we think? With that in mind, I followed a recommendation and bought a copy of a book called Perennial Vegetables. Here’s part of [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island,gardening 4 Comments so far
Lyme disease under the microscope
A new report in the BC Medical Journal says that Lyme disease is much more common in BC than is generally reported, and also – this is rather worrying – that many doctors in BC are not familiar with the early symptoms. [Source: sorry, Vancouver Sun article no longer available.] So for those who spend [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island One Response so far
Your MP’s voting record
The MP representing Gabriola is Jean Crowder. Now that we’ve got a federal election coming up, you might want to take a look at her voting record. Do her votes represent your opinions? How’d they Vote will let you see for yourself — here’s their page on Jean Crowder. I love online tools like this.
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From e-reader to tablet computer
Have you noticed how many Gabriola commuters use e-readers or tablet computers on the Quinsam these days? Take a look around, and you’ll probably spot a few in use on each sailing. If you’re a frugal sort, a DIY type, and have an ereader, you might like to meddle with the works and transform it [...]
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On Easthom
Some of Gabriola’s drinkers must be an athletic crowd, or maybe they just like the woods an awful lot. I find beer bottles and beer cans all over Gabriola, in the most remote off-the-trail areas you can imagine. Grab six-pack and go hiking must be a favourite thing to do. The other day I was [...]
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Passive solar dome house
About to build a house on Gabriola? Please build something like this passive solar dome house so the rest of us can stop by and have a look.
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On the Gabriola waterfront
Scamper down the rocks on any bit of Gabriola waterfront, and you’ll find this. It’s at Descanso, it’s at Drumbeg, and I bet it’s on any tumbling-down-to-the-beach rocks in between, too. It’s got to be a succulent. If I were a good and energetic blogger, I’d go research what it might be, and could then [...]
Lighthouse de-staffing program cancelled
All the Gabriola people who’ve written letters in support of lighthouse staffing will be pleased about this news from the CBC: Lighthouse de-staffing program cancelled by DFO.
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Another traffic stop day for Gabriola
Today was stop everybody on Gabriola day for the RCMP; the police seem to set up these traffic stops every three or four weeks. It annoys the hell out of me, because it seems to be based on the presumption of guilt, and the idea that police can stop innocent citizens for no reason at [...]
Filed in Gabriola Island 11 Comments so far
Got frogs, Gabriola?
I’m listening to the frogs out back, who are croaking along in a most melodious manner. Is it the Pacific Tree Frog that we’ve got on Gabriola? No, wait, they’re Chorus Frogs… or…? No, wait. (Now that the wine has worn off a bit.) Seems to be the same frog, under two different names.
Filed in Gabriola Island,wildlife 2 Comments so far
Logging debris in Gabriola’s 707 acre park
If you’ve hiked in Gabriola’s 707 Acre Wood, you’ll have seen them: piles of logging debris like this. They’re all over the place. What should be done with them, or should they just be left to slowly rot away? I seem to remember hearing that these piles might be removed, possibly so that there’d be [...]
Getting rid of the advertising
Usually I see Gabriola websites when I’m at my own computer, using my own web browser… and then it’s all good. But a while back I saw how some of those same sites looked when viewed on a friend’s computer, and I was pretty much horrified. There was advertising on the screen. Yuck. Gentle readers, [...]
Filed in assorted 2 Comments so far
Sustaining Gabriola’s ecosystems
This is from Sustainable Gabriola’s ecosystem page: Ecosystems and Natural Areas Sustainability Framework Gabriola Island covers approximately 5256 hectares (12987 acres) and encompasses a broad range of ecosystems including: old forest, woodland, cliff, riparian, freshwater, wetland and herbaceous. The rate and degree of development on the island is managed to a large extent through the [...]
Filed in environment,Gabriola Island 2 Comments so far
Gabriola Island meeting: Riparian Area Regulation
The Islands Trust announces that Gabriola will host a community information presentation next week. Topic: Protecting Fish-bearing Streams: the Riparian Area Regulation. Date: Tuesday, March 22nd, 2011. Location: The Roxy, 560 North Road, Gabriola. Presenter: Michelle Jones, Mimulus Biological Consultants Qualified Environmental Professional. Blurb: Michele will talk about her role as a QEP, ensuring any [...]
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Gabriola, bulk water extraction, and the Islands Trust
Last week the Gabriola Sounder reported that the Islands Trust recommends a ban on commercial extraction of groundwater. Now the Dailiy News has a story on this, too: Islands Trust wants province to look at groundwater regulations. I thought you might like to see Sheila Malcolmson’s letter to the province, which seems to be the [...]
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