I don’t think anybody’s clamouring for a department store on Gabriola, but many of us spend time pondering how alternative models of various kinds might work in our community. And so you might like to take a look at this NYT article: A Town Creates Its Own Department Store.
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From CNET: Breakthrough material is barely more than air. Researchers at HRL Laboratories and the Composites Center at the University of Southern California have created what they say is the lowest-density material, a lattice of hollow tubes of the metal nickel. Its volume is 99.99 percent air, and its density is 0.9 milligram per cubic [...]
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Last night Environment Canada issued a snowfall warning for our area. No snow. This morning that forecast page says snowfall warning ended. And now? Snow! It’s snowing heavily here, and starting to stick. I wonder if this will affect voter turnout tomorrow.
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Can you lift a branch that’s bigger than your body? This mushroom can, and has.
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If you’ve been waiting to have an RCMP officer check your papers, this is your lucky day. (Previous discussion on this topic is in this blog post: Another traffic stop day for Gabriola.)
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Which of Gabriola’s upcoming craft fairs is worth attending? If you’re involved with one of these events, here’s your chance to tell us the details. Where? When? What’ll be available? If you’re an exhibitor, tell us what you’re selling, if you like. (I was going to list a few of these shows, as I have [...]
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Here’s a fine addition to the island’s collection of home-made signs. Have you seen it? It’s on North Road. This one makes me smile. (See also: Gabriola ‘slow’ signs post from April, 2011.)
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Well, we’ve often discussed the invasive plants of Gabriola on this blog, and here’s an opportunity for some inventive soul: Invent a ray gun to kill weeds. No, I’m not kidding! The US Air Force has a Request for Proposals out there, right now, for someone to do this. The Air Force is requesting proposals/research [...]
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You’ve seen some of the huge trees in the Elder Cedar (S’ul-hween X’pey) Nature Reserve, and perhaps elsewhere on the island, too. Maybe you’ve crowded inside one of Gabriola’s hollow old trees or stumps with your friends while someone snapped a photo. Did it ever occur to you that the base of some old-growth trees [...]
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Your comments on previous hummingbird posts show me that some of you are rather taken with these birds. So don’t miss what the BBC has for you: Hummingbirds shake their heads to deal with rain. They’ve got video and everything. They explain: Slow-motion footage has revealed how a hovering hummingbird is able to cope with [...]
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How many book clubs do you think we have on Gabriola? I remember hearing a number once — 42? No wait, that’s the answer to life, the universe, and everything. Anyway, all you readers (and writers) of fiction might want to take a look at this article from Scientific American: In the Minds of Others.
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Suppose you want to hunt deer — or some other creature — on Gabriola. What are the various laws and regulations you need to follow? Where would a new hunter begin? And are the hunters in your area following the rules? According to BC Fish and Wildlife, you start by taking Conservation and Outdoor Recreation [...]
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If I tell you that I saw a raccoon up a tree, you’ll think that’s typical for Gabriola. If I tell you the raccoon seemed to be holding a cell phone and wearing earplugs, you’ll think I’m seeing things. Until you see it too, that is. This raccoon is on South Road, just bit the [...]
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What do you do when the power goes out (as ours did yesterday — yours too?), and you’re left with no electricity for the evening? We’ve got a propane stove, so cooking dinner is easy enough. We eat by candlelight, enjoy the fire for a while… and then go to bed, way earlier than we [...]
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Gabriola’s Remembrance Day service will be tomorrow, November 11th. Location: Gabriola Memorial Cairn (at the RCMP station – South Road and Dirksen). Time: 10:50 am. (Photo by Benoit Aubry; licensed under Creative Commons.)
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Apparently Corix was on Gabriola installing smart meters today; there must have been at least ten of their vans leaving the island on the Quinsam this afternoon. (We’ve already discussed smart meters over here, so no need to repeat those points.)
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Can you imagine one of our local cafés full of cats? Probably not, and I bet the VIHA inspector wouldn’t allow it, anyway. But look what’s going on in Japan: cat cafés. Cat cafés are huge in Japan right now. As the name suggests, these are coffee shops where cat lovers go to sip overpriced [...]
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Have you seen this plant on Gabriola? It’s Highbush Cranberry, and is apparently native to our area. Yet I’ve never noticed it in the woods here, and I am a noticer of plants, usually. The flowers are are followed by red edible berries. Wikipedia says: The name comes from the red fruits which look superficially [...]
