Winter Camping

Went camping, going crazy here no camping, it's just wrong. Using the train got to about 22 miles from the site on the US border, so rode the rest on the electric bike, battery lasted quite well, considering, but pushes its capacity even going as light as pos. Such a nice bike tho.

Yep tent is just a tarp. That's all the wood they had so no fire thru the night, I was bloody frozen. Quite an experience tho, learnt a few things, Ray would have been proud.

Got this brilliant bike for a song of Craigs List. Its a big frame, all the gears in the world, such a good ride, it's some sort of mid range hybrid racer, never ridden anything so smooth. It's the bike for going camping with. Made by Specialized its called an Expedition, 2005 model, only year they did with discs, seemed appropriate. Disc brakes, fancy tyres and fast gear changes, it's wicked. Just need better knees and legs now! Adding mudguards and rack at the weekend. Calling it Goose, as in grey goose, goes far (expedition is its model in two tone charcoal grey) like wot a goose does. Want to try the 100km Grand Fondo ride to Whistler next year, so this is a start. First time I named a bike, all other bikes (this is my 5th one since we got here) were just called 'the bike'. Still have the electric for city riding. God I'm so urban! Linzi still has her mountain bike, we have what's called a stable. As the mighty Rik Mayall would have said... It's completely brilliant.

Xmas festivities down the hill

xmas trees sponsored by local biz, nice bunch of 6ft trees round a little ice skating rink and the old crane all lit up with the city tree under it, very nice, a few notches up on westerham

Linzi partakes of the free hot chocolate, can't stand it myself, not hoppy enough!

there were children around when Linzi iced this chap, poor little chap, then she was proud of it, made the girlie behind the stand giggle

The new xmas purchase. we had 3 of the regular size ones in the UK this is 3x the size of them. filled with LED lights and a chunky candle, very atmospheric

Evenings on an estuary

ducks and geese at dusk just down the shore from us

Yea it snowed here, just once! When it snows we ride

When it snows we ride, bracing and fun, plus I get to wear my lumberjack hat! Not been cold enough this year to wear it again. Dunno if that's good or not.

After a ride some how we end up at the local brewery! How did that happen?

After the beer heading home, Linzi makes a run for it over the tracks and up the hill home

home!!!!

And to think I was worried I couldn't get a decent beer here, it's a hundred time better than the UK. I do miss Blandford Fly tho by Badger. Spot the 2 UK brews. Marvelous.

Photo update

Har har. 30 bottles of U-brewWine. Our 3rd batch now and the best, a Merlot. Picked them up on the 23rd December JUST in time for the Xmas. We just walk a kilometer or so up the hill, bottle it, cork it, add labels and caps and trundle home with a big smile on our faces.

Found a lost dog. He seems OK about it.

Park & Tilford lights. Just the one pic from many taken on me phone! Its a garden on the edge of a outside shopping mall, very nice diversion for a bit.

Us in with the xmas lights. Happy New Year.

Solstice 2013

We went to one of the 5 local fire processions again. Last year it was Yaletown this year we made it to Granville Island. Missed the procession but caught the fire show outside and then a little while later settled in to watch these Morris Men, from England but living on Bowen Island. They were great and they sang, not seen Morrismen sing before. The 5 people to the left are Morris Women! From here. It was a good night, took the dog on the bus for the first time in his new carrier.

It only went and snowed... twice!

It's not breaking news to Canadians but here it kinda is. Twice before xmas we had a few inches of snow, each time it hung on for 3 days. This is the 2nd time. (click any pic to fill your screen)

The view down our high street just a few hundred yards from home... mmmm, slippy.

Sort of a selfie, dunno what Guinness was looking at.

Been a while

Well it been ages since the last update. So here are a few pics to go over a few highlights.

 I guess we are settling in as forgetting about taking pics for the blog.

So about 4 months ago we got Guinness here. He's a bitza... scottish terrier X poodle X dashound X who knows. He looks a lot like a Dandie Dinmont. Can't be left alone and wants to attack other dogs which is getting better as we work with him. He's a total cuttie, bags of character, bit talkative but a lot of fun.

After my (Mark) previous electric bike broke again I traded it in for a folding electric bike of a different brand. Then Linzi got the same one in white because it's a great little bike. 20" wheels goes up hills well and internal gears. This shot taken on the ferry as we head off to go camping... all 3 of us.

Man on this little boat said we can't get our bikes and trailers to where we want to go as all to narrow and hilly. This is my disappointed look. You can see the big trailer full of gear with the dog kennel on top, all in must weigh 100lbs.

Going to work some months after the aborted camp out. Dog kennel now has a dedicated trailer just the right size for it which makes life a lot easier. My work bag is strapped on top.

This is what we look like when we go out, one pulls the dog one pulls the cargo!

A very pretty autumn display in East Van not far from the workshop. Taken just a few weeks ago, all gone now and we have the first frost I have seen here.

Couple of days ago the afternoon sun was magic.

Guinness surveys his kingdom on the same sunny afternoon.

This years xmas tree. We get bits of fallen tree branches and holly to build a display. Narrow at the bottom, wide at top means the dog's tail can't destroy the tree and no needles to pull out of paws.

Have a great xmas and new year

mark, linzi & guinness

My first Workshop space

Day one going to the workshop. My new WIKE cargo trailer ready to go out into the rain full of tools and lunch and coffee, etc.

Once the trailer was emptied out at the workshop I went down to Home Depot a few miles away and got loaded up with supplies.

Second run that same day, more materials. Very heavy 3/4" ply and lumber.

By the end of the next day it all goes to make my work bench in the 60 sq ft I rent.

Another Home Depot run, this time with the little WIKE trailer.

Taking home planter benches for the balcony made from palates. The retro coolbox got totaled coming over the Second Narrows Bridge a few weeks later. A big expansion joint threw the trailer into the railing and it took most of the force.

Building the overhead bench storage I hauled even more weight back. This was the hardest load to haul. Lots of 2x4s and ply. The 8ft lengths made the trailer sway all the way back.

Building my 2nd steamer to bend wood. This one is much bigger than the first made from a tube.

Steamer nearly done.

Ready to fire it up. Steam comes from a wallpaper stripper on the ground via the black tube.

All done, works well.

Some oak strips bent and ready to glue into a laminate.

Strips in one of the forms.

Sawn oak ready to get steamed.

Back plate with wheels.

Nifty getting assembled.

All the main ribs are fitted.

Clamped in towing position so I can work on a few wrinkles I need to fix.