Month: November 2017

Building a House

November 18, 2017 — Leave a comment

Journalizing the Build

Oct 28 to Nov 17, 2017

It’s been awhile since I posted pictures of the build as we have been quite busy with other activities. Jim is playing hockey now here twice a week and golfing and I have joined two artist groups and have been participating is some workshops. We are also taking in some of the events and activities on the island along with choosing and purchasing materials for the house. I have compiled some pictures of the progression of the build into a slide show.

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I have also put together some random pictures from around the site. It’s all coming together fairly quick even though we have had a bit of rain.

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Halloween and Markets on the Island

November 5, 2017 — 2 Comments

 

 

 

Halloween on the island is a pretty big thing. There are so many events you can take in during the few weeks before Halloween.  The markets had halloween costume contests, pumpkins and decorations. On Halloween night everyone celebrates with bonfires and fireworks!  I of course decorated the window of my suite with a few decorations which I smuggled in my suitcase to the coast (sorry Jim!). My decor was not up to my usual standards but that’s okay. We didn’t have a single trick or treater which is well down from the 150 or more I was used to getting! We had a nice night anyway Jim bought me a cheesecake coffin (so sweet) which we took over to our new neighbour friends (Christal and Bob) to share and have a few laughs. We had an excellent time!

 

 

Goats on the roof market. The last time we drove by here (years ago) to was a very small store. It’s now a mall! It a nice place to shop with lots of artistic products and local food to purchase. It was raining and the tourist season is winding down so there weren’t too many people around and some of the shops where closed for the season. It was a nice stop but unfortunately no goats could be seen on the the grassy roof. I guess it was too rainy for them.

 

 

Oct 27, 2017

We attended a book launch at the Vancouver Island University. The author was Shanon Sinn and he discussed his book  The Haunting of Vancouver Island and read excerpts from it. The room was filled with about 100 people and was decorated in a halloween theme. Pizza, drinks and of course Halloween candy was there for all. I had been hearing about this writer since I came to the island and have been trying to find his book so when I heard he was having a book launch at VIU I wanted to go. I also contacted Jim’s cousin Linda and she came with us to the launch. We ended the night going out for a curry in Nanaimo. It was an great night! Thanks for sharing this with us Linda!

A ghost on Vancouver Island.

Even ghosts have to contend with the rain here!

Furniture Arrived!/Building a Basement

November 4, 2017 — Leave a comment

Oct 20, 2017 – Furniture and stuff has arrived!

Two sea-cans made it to the Island safe and sound. Thanks again to everyone who helped us pack back in Regina. We couldn’t have done this without you.

We thought we has everything organized, packing the things we needed to use at the suite by the doors of the sea-can, however it wasn’t so easy getting things out (especially when we were trying to sort things in the rain). It’s all okay as we where able to pull out enough stuff to get by.

 

Oct 22, 2017 – Rainy days!

The rain for the first few days would come and go but we were still out and about. Jax hated his doggie rain jacket so it may be the last time he wears it. When we first put it on he wouldn’t move from the couch and was very confused. I think he prefers to be wet.

On what must have been the rainiest day of the week Jim decides we should go register for our BC medical cards and I agreed. What I didn’t know is that we were also going to apply for our licence too which of course needed photos (didn’t tell me we were getting our drivers too). Anyway the result is that on both our medical and driver licence cards pictures (which have a 5 year expiry) we look like a drowned rats, thanks Jim!

There is a park in town called Askew park. It’s almost like a little rainforest in the city limits. The fall colours here are so beautiful and have lasted at least 2 and 1/2 weeks. As soon as the rain let up we took Jax for a walk through the park and he loved it. All the new sights and smells for him he was a pretty happy boy.

 

Oct 24, 2017

 

The rain cleared up and our builder Dan got an amazing amount of work done.  The  basement forms were removed, weeping tile and services rough in installed and then the site was backfilled. It’s really moving along!  Walked over from the suite to check out the build and witnessed this beautiful sunset. Pictures really can’t do it justice.