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	<title>Gabriolan.ca</title>
	<link>http://gabriolan.ca</link>
	<description>a blog about life on Gabriola Island</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 18 Mar 2010 09:37:24 +0000</lastBuildDate>
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	<item>
		<title>A spring ferry to Gabriola</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I decided today that I should finally get around to reading the book October Ferry to Gabriola. And that got me thinking about the first time I took the ferry to Gabriola.
It was a perfect early spring weekend afternoon. I arrived early for the ferry and sat in the rental car in the Nanaimo lot [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/18/spring-ferry-to-gabriola/</link>
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		<title>Strange events at Whalebone Beach</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Investigative reporter Anon E. Mouse investigated the reports of mysterious knitted sweaters / tube socks at Whalebone Beach and reports (investigatively, of course) that the railings at Whalebone are indeed stylishly tricked out in knitted fashion accessories.  Didn&#8217;t you know, leggings are the new spring look for railings!  The knitting gnomes, guerrillas, or [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/18/whalebone-knitting/</link>
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		<title>A basket of nettles</title>
		<description><![CDATA[These are the nettles I harvested in the woods today; they&#8217;re in my amazing Gabriola basket. It&#8217;s a Gabriola basket because it was hand-made on the island by a local artist &#8212; and with local materials, too! The handles are made of blackberry vines, I think.
This basket is perfect for collecting nettles, mushrooms, and whatnot. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/17/gabriola-basket/</link>
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		<title>More ferry nonsense coming?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Oh goodness. If it&#8217;s not one problem with BC Ferries and Transport Canada, it&#8217;s another. The Province reports: Increased costs, fewer sailings if safety measures implemented on BC Ferries.

Acting on the Transportation Safety Board&#8217;s recently released Watchlist of recommendations would increase costs and reduce service on B.C. Ferries, according to a spokeswoman for the company.
Deborah [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/17/more-ferry-nonsense-coming/</link>
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		<title>Sharp stuff in the Gabriola woods</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
Remember a while back I showed you the machete in the Gabriola woods? Well, these clippers and this saw have recently appeared just next to the machete. Go figure.
(Thanks to my ever-observant hiking friend for telling me about this newest addition to the collection of weird stuff in the Gabriola woods.)
]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/17/sharp-gabriola/</link>
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		<title>The first Atrevida</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Except for scattered place names, there is little evidence that remains of Alejandro Malaspina&#8217;s expedition to the Northwest in 1791. One curiosity, however, is the name of Gabriola&#8217;s first regular ferry, the Atrevida. Apparently, it means the Daring in Spanish. Captain William York Higgs named his new ferry, built in 1928, after a Spanish corvette. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/17/first-atrevida/</link>
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		<title>Islands Trust launches food security project</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Here&#8217;s a bit from the press release the Islands Trust published today:

The Islands Trust has initiated a project to address the issue of food security in the Islands Trust Area and provide public education through a new food security web page.
The Islands Trust can support food security by creating policies that deliberately link land-use planning [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/islands-trust-food-security/</link>
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		<title>Islanders want to see ferry act changed</title>
		<description><![CDATA[You&#8217;ve heard what people on Gabriola Island think of BC Ferries. But what do residents of nearby islands think of the service BC Ferries gives them? This article from the Comox Valley Echo speaks of the concerns voiced by Denman and Hornby islanders: Islanders want to see ferry act changed.

The local ferry advisory committee is [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/ferry-act/</link>
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		<title>On collecting whale snot for research purposes</title>
		<description><![CDATA[In case you&#8217;re a marine biologist, dear reader, I have to include this essential tip from Makezine.com: how to collect whale snot using a remote control helicopter.

Lately we&#8217;ve had lots of folks writing in seeking practical advice on collecting tissue samples for use in studying whaleborne disease. I had no idea there were so many [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/whale-snot/</link>
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		<title>On walking through Gabriola wetlands</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Note to self: when the trail goes through wet areas where it&#8217;s this kind of lovely, consider that the water directly in front of one might be a tad deeper than the shallow innocent puddle it appears to be.
Consider that one&#8217;s gumboot might possibly get stuck in a foot-deep trap of water and sucky mud.
Consider [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/gabriola-wetlands-2/</link>
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		<title>Elinor Ostrom interview</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Those who like the way the Gabriola Commons is managed for the good of the community may be interested in this interview at Alternet.org:  The Woman Who Just Might Save the Planet and Our Pocketbooks. Interview  summary: What if our economy was not built on competition? Nobel Prize winner Elinor Ostrom talks about [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/elinor-ostrom-interview/</link>
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		<title>Peat for your garden, or coir?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[If you stop in at a garden centre and mention that the soil in your garden is all heavy and clumpy, somebody&#8217;s likely to point you to the bags of peat moss, which you can mix into your soil to lighten it up. It&#8217;s great stuff, but where does all that peat come from? Peat [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/16/peat-vs-coir/</link>
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		<title>Backyard bunnies for food?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[From good.is: Backyard Bunnies Are the New Urban Chickens.

By now we all know that eating a lot of meat—especially factory-farmed meat—isn’t very good for the planet. Fortunately for meat eaters, some meats are more sustainable than others. And as it turns out, rabbit is one of the healthiest, leanest, and most environmentally friendly meats you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/15/backyard-bunnies-for-food/</link>
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		<title>Guerilla knitter on the loose</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I hiked in Gabriola&#8217;s 707 Acre Wood today, and came across this: a few trees wearing, um, sweaters? Really. I am not making this up. Somebody has been knitting for trees, and now several trees are sporting fanciful knitted stripes.
I don&#8217;t know many knitters, and don&#8217;t knit myself. But a friend who does knit came [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/15/guerilla-knitter-gabriola/</link>
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		<title>Gabriola turkey invasion</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
There are 25 wild turkeys in this particular flock. I met them on South Road at Lochinvar, just across the street from the Gabriola Museum. Later they moved up the road a bit to the Gabriola RCMP Station. And later? They&#8217;ll be at your house, oh yes they will, terrorizing your dog.
That turkey at our [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/14/gabriola-turkey-invasion/</link>
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		<title>Deerbone cross trail</title>
		<description><![CDATA[So, there&#8217;s a certain part of the Gabriola woods where there ought to be a trail. It would be so convenient. It would save me from going down to that other place and then turning back up again. And besides: I&#8217;ve bushwhacked through the should-be-a-trail-here place several times. Dense salal. Difficult. So yes, would be [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/13/deerbone-cross-trail/</link>
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		<title>The Atrevida</title>
		<description><![CDATA[On December 7th, 2008, this blog featured the Atrevida and its history along with a photo of Gabriola&#8217;s first ferry. It inspired me to take a closer look at the history of the Atrevida.
The Atrevida, built in 1928, began its life as the Gabriola ferry in 1931 when the B.C. Government decided to fund a [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/13/atrevida/</link>
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		<title>Who wrote what? And: another Gabriola blogger!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Who wrote which blog entry on Gabriolan.ca? You&#8217;ve never needed to notice before, because I wrote them all. But now we have a couple of new bloggers around here, so you will want to pay attention to who wrote what.
Just under the title of each post, there&#8217;s a line that says posted by Gabriolan or [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/13/gabriola-bloggers/</link>
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		<title>Pacific Sand Lance</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Have you seen this fish? It&#8217;s a Pacific Sand Lance: a tiny thing, just a couple of inches long at most, and skinny.
The Pacific Sand Lance is a common sight on Gabriola&#8217;s sandy beaches, especially in summertime. Of course you might see schools of them in the water, but you&#8217;re more likely to notice when [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/13/pacific-sand-lance/</link>
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		<title>Evil slugs</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;m rather fond of wildlife in general but my least favourite critters on Gabriola have to be the monster slugs. Like these two, photographed in the very act of sneaking up on my boot for some unknown but possibly nefarious purpose.
I didn&#8217;t clue in until today that the black slug (also apparently known as the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/12/evil-slugs/</link>
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		<title>Oh snow</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Some readers of this blog are in other parts of Canada, dreaming of their next visit to Gabriola, or the Gabriola property they&#8217;re planning to buy very soon now. They imagine an early and perfect Gabriola spring, full of sunshine, warm breezes, and early-blooming flowers.
Um, people? Just so you know, it&#8217;s snowing on Gabriola today. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/12/oh-snow/</link>
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		<title>Gabriola signs that aren&#8217;t</title>
		<description><![CDATA[What do you think this un-sign is saying? Is it:

There&#8217;s something I wanted to tell you, but now I can&#8217;t remember what it was!
Look! I am framing nature for you! or
Something else altogether?

There are a lot of these signs that aren&#8217;t around Gabriola. This one is on Lochinvar Lane, just opposite the exit from Folklife [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/12/gabriola-signs/</link>
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		<title>Native plant seeds, promoted at last</title>
		<description><![CDATA[On Gabriola, we have serious problems with invasive plants. Broom, daphne, honeysuckle, holly, English ivy, blue iris &#8212; these are just a few of our problems, and they&#8217;re spreading at an alarming rate. They Aren&#8217;t From Here. They take more resources than they should, and steal nutrients and water that native plants should be getting. [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/12/gabriola-native-plant-seeds/</link>
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		<title>A thing of beauty</title>
		<description><![CDATA[

A thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
Its loveliness increases

Because it&#8217;s a fungus, that&#8217;s why.
(Apologies to John Keats.)
]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/11/thing-of-beauty/</link>
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		<title>Gabriola&#8217;s YOGI trail</title>
		<description><![CDATA[
I&#8217;ve been wondering where the YOGI trail got its name, and stumbled across the answer on the on the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust site. The Cox Community Park History page says:

It was named the YOGI Trail because of its proximity to the landmark rock figure erected by the Youth Organization of Gabriola Island in [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://gabriolan.ca/2010/03/11/gabriola-yogi-trail/</link>
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