Talk at coffee shop yesterday involved plans for the upcoming winter months. Some of our friends are returning to their city life commitments. Church, choirs, church choirs, UBC continuing education courses and grandchildren visits are reasons well worth the anticipation of an enriching winter. Excitement about travels to Cambodia, Sweden, Hong Kong, England, California and Saskatchewan are mixed with arrangements for boat moorage and winterizing of systems.  Extra tarps on compromised roofs, insulation around above ground pipes and diligent mouse proofing all come to mind as recommended tasks  worth their attention.

I listen attentively and share the excitement of my  friends. I travel vicariously through them and learn much from their experiences. Bernice keeps me updated with her blog while in Cambodia. Alison will write while in Hong Kong and hopefully my scrabble games can continue from Sweden and Saskatchewan.  I am always eager to hear what courses Sue has found to take from continuing Ed  and can hardly wait to hear stories from Barrie’s UBC project.

I canned six more jars of pear jam and six pints of pear quarters in vanilla honey. I filled the wood bin down at the door and split the kindling. Our wood stove wore the signs of spilled soups and sauces so we cleaned and painted it. Better than new, with my samovar waiting for ongoing winter pots of tea.

E is at the south end helping  a friend with her old solar panels. Solar panels (old or new) don’t seem to work quite so well after an arbutus tree has fallen on them…not sure he will be able to help more than recommend a new start.

I have to admit I am kind of sick of canning and the mess it brings upon my kitchen. The pantry is almost full, and I am almost out of jars. We were at the family house yesterday and it seems we got the fruit just in time. The raccoons have shown their presence and stripped the trees of what was left. I have an idea I am going to try for storing the keeper apples (Jonagold). These are from our tree here. I wrapped them in paper towel and have stored them loosely in a drawer in my kitchen. Theoretically I will be able to keep an eye on them there and will know quickly if they start to go bad. MR said they could last into the spring.

I just got a call that there are whales off Morris’s point. (thanks CH)  I have moved my iPad out to the perch to write while I wait for them to visit me. I usually hear them before I see them. They have been absent all summer, our last sighting was in the spring. Random whale visits, sea lions rafting in front of my house, and eagles feeding off my roof are the reasons we are going nowhere. It is winter and while our friends prepare to leave, we

Prepare to stay