Saturday, October 31, 2009

Friday, October 30, 2009

Golf Anyone?


The view from the first tee at the Gabriola Golf and Country Club

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

ABC Wednesday > O is for Old-Time


 Mark Twain's definition of a gentleman: A man who knows how to play the banjo but doesn't

Believe it or not, there is a small group of Gabriolans who meet once a month to listen and learn to play old-time clawhammer banjo. The music has traveled a long way from the Blue Ridge mountains.

Global ABC

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Monday, October 26, 2009

For The Seniors


Seen on the South Road

Sunday, October 25, 2009

Sunday Signage > Ideas?


There was certainly no shortage of good ideas floating around the room at yesterday's sustainability workshop. It was great to see so many folks so intently engaged in planning for the island's future. Big thanks to Sustainable Gabriola for putting the event together.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

International Day Of Climate Action


Today is International Day of Climate Action, a massive, unified initiative which includes over 5200 events worldwide, all of which are aimed at getting our leaders to recognize the need for dramatic change in energy policy. Since cycling is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce carbon emissions, today's photo is a bike from the Gabriola Green Bikes Program. This afternoon, I'll be attending an open community meeting/seminar sponsored by Sustainable Gabriola, a group that has come together to begin planning for the island's future. Items on the agenda include health care, food security, water quality and quantity, housing, elder care, transportation, local currency, energy and emergency preparedness. The event is at the opposite end of the island and since burning fossil fuel to get there seems inappropriate today, my wife and I are going to leave our vehicle in the driveway and hitchhike.

There's a lot of gloom and doom in the press these days and that's understandable given the global challenges we as a species are facing. Wanna read something a little more positive? I highly recommend taking five minutes of your day to read this

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Help The Kelp


Sometime in the mid 1990s, the once-bountiful kelp beds began disappearing from the waters off Gabriola. No one knows exactly why this has occurred, but a group of local volunteers calling themselves Help The Kelp have banded together to attempt to restore this vital indicator of ocean health. Team members include marine biologists, divers, journalists and concerned citizens. This afternoon, two divers supported by a shore crew and a kayaker, mapped out the locations for the first area to be replanted with kelp spores. With assistance from the Nile Creek Enhancement Society, they hope to seed two kilometres of coastal water off Berry Point and then monitor the progress of the spores as they grow into healthy beds.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

Best Seat In The House


Regular readers are used to me extolling the virtues of The Roxy. One of the things that makes our little island venue so swell is the seating. There are regular theatre seats in the middle of the space but around the edges of the room, you'll find some nice soft comfy sofas and chairs like this one. My buddy Roger always tries to get through the door early enough to claim this armchair. Can you blame him?

Monday, October 19, 2009

Tara's Red Door


Remember the food porn raspberries? They came from the garden just beyond this red door.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Sunday Signage > Curves Ahead


Hand-made street sign on Taylor Bay Road

Saturday, October 17, 2009

Ginkgo In The Rain


It's been raining on and off (mostly on) all week and I've not heard one single Gabriolan complain about it.

Friday, October 16, 2009

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Season's End


A sagging sunflower in the Otters allotment plots at The Commons

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

ABC Wednesday > M is for Mystery


Indigenous plant or invasive species?

Click here to see the other ABC participants

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Cindy Church


Cindy Church has been a fixture on the Canadian music scene for a quarter of a century. Folks around here refer to her as the Canadian Emmylou Harris which is about the highest compliment one can pay. She played a reunion show at The Roxy not long ago with her old bandmate Nathan Tinkham and it was an exquisite evening of acoustic music. I had the good fortune to be in the front row with ears wide open and Leica in hand.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Sunday Signage > Studio Tour


This weekend is the annual studio tour, the biggest art event of the year. Sponsored by the Gabriola Arts Council, the tour brings visitors from all over the province to see and purchase the creations of local artists. Factoid: Also known as the Island Of The Arts, tiny Gabriola (57 sq. km.) has the fifth highest density (per capita) of working artists in all of Canada.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Friday, October 9, 2009

Skywatch Friday #43


You can check out all the Skywatch participants from around the world here

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Heide's Corn


A breeze rustling the dried leaves of corn is one of the signature sounds of fall. Today's photo taken in the south allotment garden at The Commons.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Jeremy's Hand



You've seen Jeremy before, busking at the Saturday Market. Note the dent in his index finger (he'd been playing for quite a while) and his musical shirt.

This is Number 30 in the Musician's Hands series. You can see them all in one gallery here.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday Signage > Wood Oven


The Slow Rise Bakery sells out most every time at the Saturday market at Agi Hall. The lucky customer in the background is paying for one of the last baguettes.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Friday, October 2, 2009

Skywatch Friday #42


Click here to see all the Skywatch participants from around the world

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Silva Bay


Late afternoon at Silva Bay. The float plane is operated by Tofino Air and is about to take off for Vancouver.