“Ride the Rising Wind” by Barbara Kingscote

I follow several Powell River friends online. One day there was mention of a book about horses, one of my favourite subjects. As a young girl in the suburbs of Los Angeles, I dreamed of having a horse of my own. My dad helped by taking me riding at a nearby stable on the Los Angeles River, which at the time was not the cement channel it is today. I always rode Flash, but I think his name was more of a joke than a description of his fleet footedness.

When we came to Powell River, I saw a brochure offering trail rides at Tanglewood Farms. I’ve never completed my desire to check it out, but when I learned that the owner Phoebe Kingscote’s mother Barbara wrote a memoir of a riding adventure from the early 1950s, I had to get it.

Barbara Kingscote grew up in Quebec in the 1940s. She too had a love of horses. Working on a small subsistence farm, she gained the experienced needed to apply for veterinary college. In 1949 when she was twenty years old, the owners of the farm moved to the West Coast, but couldn’t take their horse Zazy. The solution? Barbara would ride the black mare all the way from Montreal to their new home in Lytton, British Columbia. But just prior to departure, Charlie, the owner, gave the mare to Barbara to be her own.

Ride the Rising Wind: One Woman’s Journey Across Canada (NeWest Press, 2006) is Barbara and Zazy’s story of the massive undertaking spanning sixteen months and over four thousand miles. Barbara left with minimal supplies lashed to Zazy’s saddle and $100 in her pocket. She stopped along the way at logging camps, farms and towns to intercept mail, buy meager supplies for herself and her horse, and enjoy the company of generous Canadians all along the way.

When she wasn’t offered a loft or bedroom, the intrepid pair slept under the stars or a tarp in pouring rain. Their winter was spent working in the cookhouse at a logging camp. That was a story in itself. But come spring, the two were back on the road.

To take such a journey today seems impossible. The roads are more like freeways, the traffic even more congested. Towns and logging camps along the way no longer depend on horses, so support would be minimal. That’s one reason Barbara’s story is so compelling. Horse people dream of such adventures and opportunities. The closest I ever came was riding in the Chilko Lake area helping a dude ranch hand with the horses.

After learning about the book, I found a used copy online. And then, strangely enough, I bumped into another at the Powell River thrift store. I always stop in every week or so to see what Canadian and regional treasures I can find to add to my reading shelf. -- Margy

“On Island Time” by Hilary Stewart

If you want an out-of-print book, there are many wonderful used bookstores and thrift shops. But if you are looking for specific topics, online is often better. I recently searched Amazon.com for books about British Columbia. I found a nice selection for not much more the shipping charge of $3.99 USD. It’s strange, hardbound books are usually the cheapest at $.01. Given the choice, I purchase from GoodwillBooks.com. It’s reputable and profits go to a good cause.

On Island Time: Stories and drawings about island life and the small wonders of the natural world (Douglas and McIntyre, 1998) by Hilary Stewart was a recent arrival. This one cost $3.99 plus shipping, but it was a signed copy. Cool!

On Island Time is the memoir of renowned author Hilary Stewart covering the years leading up to and including her life on Quadra Island. Quadra is one of the Discovery Islands just off the coast of massive Vancouver Island. It’s easily reached (or relatively so if you know ferries) from nearby Campbell River. Quadra Island, and many other coastal communities, attract authors, artists, and individuals wanting to get away from big city life.

Hilary discovered Quadra while passing through with a friend on the way to his property on Cortes Island (an additional ferry away). Heading home one day she discovered a property for sale near the Quathiaski Cove ferry dock. Her decision was a spur of the moment event, much like our float cabin purchase. Another similarity is that Hilary had to wait for retirement to move into her dream home. She built a cozy cottage, but had to rent it out for eight years. We kept our cabin private, but had to wait five years before we could retire, and three more before we got our permanent residency to live there full time.

Rebecca Spit Marine Park on Quadra

Hilary is a detailed observer of nature around her island home. She provides detailed descriptions and lovely illustrations to go along with her chapters. Her bird watching and plant logs were fun to review. And I’ll try her recipe for Salal berry jam. I have lots of those on the cliff next to our cabin.

Another interesting aspect was her work with educational programs at the Strathcona Park Lodge near Campbell River. Wayne and I were just there this summer. We saw lots of young people having dinner and talking excitedly about their daytime activities.

Are you thinking of getting away from the city to retire? Are you younger, but want a change of pace for yourself and your family? Reading about others' experiences helps you discover the advantages and pitfalls. But like Hilary’s and our experience, sometimes the decision comes to you in the most unexpected way. You just have to know when to make it happen.

Have you made a big change in your life? How did you come to that decision? How is it working out? I’d love to hear. -- Margy

Painter's Lodge in Campbell River, BC

Painter's Lodge Oceanfront View

Every cloud (even on a cloudless summer day) has a silver lining. After a very frustrating day trying to get to Strathcona Park for two days of kayaking, we ended up getting towed back to Campbell River.

After dropping our not so trusty 1989 Ford Tempo with her Big Yellow Banana (the nickname for our kayak) on top at Gord Knight for repairs, we started walking towards downtown to get a late dinner. Being a small town, a good Samaritan stopped to offer us a ride. And also because it's a small town, we accepted. While eating pizza and salad at Boston Pizza we tried to figure out a place to stay for the night.


We called Painter's Lodge north of town. It's a resort, which was fine with us. We felt we deserved a touch of our cloud's "sliver lining."  We checked in after 9:00 pm and still got a lovely garden view room.

Painter's Lodge is located right on Discovery Passage. It's well known for fine accommodations and dining. We were too lake for dinner, but had a wonderful breakfast in Legends. There's also the Tyee Pub for lunch, dinner and drinks with a view.

Painter's Lodge is well known for its fishing charters and wildlife adventures. You can bundle lodging and tours for some great deals. There's also a free water taxi across the passage to the April Point Resort, another property in the Oak Bay Marine Group Resorts. It runs from early to late linking the amenities of both resorts.

Click here for more information about Painter's Lodge. Wayne and I give it our own personal two kayak paddles up award!

For more information about kayaking in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia, check the Powell River Books Blog by clicking here. You can also preview Wayne's book Paddling the Pacific Northwest on Amazon. It's available in print, Kindle and e-book formats at most online book retailers. -- Margy

Wayne and Margy's Summer Vacation

Powell River Ferry Terminal

Life on a Powell Lake float cabin is like a perpetual summer vacation, but sometime Wayne and I think it would be fun to do something different. Our 2015 "summer vacation" is an example.

We loaded up our 1989 Ford Tempo with the Big Yellow Banana, our 20' Current Designs Libra XT two person sea kayak. If that wasn't enough, we crammed lots camping gear in the trunk and back seat.


We set out for Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. That's not as easy as it sounds. From Powell River, you have to catch a BC Ferry to Comox before driving along the Island Highway north to Campbell River. Because Mr. Kayak starts to vibrate quite a bit over 80 kph, we decided to take the old coastal route 19a. Plus, it's much more scenic passing forests, farms, and finally right along the shore.

Our old 1989 Ford Tempo with the Big Yellow Banana on the Comox Ferry.

After a quick McDonald's run for a McFlurry and wifi for our iPad GPS, we headed out of town to Strathcona Provincial Park. We had reservations for two nights at Buttle Lake Campground to use as a home base for exploring Buttle and North Campbell Lakes with Mr. Kayak.

Blocking the road to load up.

It's excellent road all the way, and our old Ford Tempo with it's big load was doing exceptionally well. We decided to stop at the Strathcona Park Lodge just outside the park to check it out. We parked along the road and walked around to see all the amenities: cabins, lodge rooms, restaurant, hiking, water sports, and special youth activity and education programs.

When we got back, the Tempo wouldn't start. Seemed like vapor lock, not surprising on a hot day after a long drive up a mountain road. We sat in the shade and let her rest -- several times. By 5:00 we thought we better call for a tow. We have AAA from the States, but it's seamless with BCAA.

Strathcona Park Lodge entrance was our exit.

In just over an hour, Clint and his a big tow truck arrived from Coastline Towing. That's amazing. Sometimes you have to wait longer  in the big city. Coastline serves Vancouver Island, and will even go out in the bush to get you out. Good to know! First Clint unlocked the car, which accidentally got locked with the keys inside on the last try to get it started.

Clint determined that there wasn't anything he could do except haul us back to town. Fortunately, their big truck had ample room on the bed for the Tempo with it's long load on top. To get her on board, we had to block the road in both directions. Wayne went out to assure drivers it would be quick. You see, salmon were running up the coast at Tahsis.

An overnight and all day stay at Gord Knight for repairs.

When we got back to Campbell River, Clint dropped us at the Gord Knight used car sales lot with a full service shop. Don't tell our Tempo, we did have fleeting thoughts about a trade in. But fortunately the mechanics found a burned out inertia fuel shutoff switch. It's supposed to protect you from fuel leaks during roll over accidents. Basically, it shuts off all fuel flow. Not good when you are trying to take a summer vacation.

The fix wasn't expensive, so the Tempo was reprieved. But by that time, we didn't want to head all the way back to the campground. We'd already spent one night in town at Painter's Lodge (watch for a future post). All we wanted was make it back to Comox to catch the last ferry, and head up the lake and our perpetual summer vacation at home.

Do you have any funny (after the fact) summer vacation stories? -- Margy

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

Need a large casserole to share with family and friends. This pasta dish is easy and inexpensive. Have leftover chicken, it's even better.

I started with this Campbell's Soup recipe and then made it my own. If you need a smaller portion, check it out.

Easy Chicken Tetrazzini Casserole

5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cooked and cubed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
3 stalks celery diced
1 bell pepper diced
2 cups mushrooms sliced
2 cans condensed Cream of Chicken Soup
1 can condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup
1 cup cream (or milk)
1/4 dry sherry or white wine
3 tomatoes peeled, seeded and diced
2 cups spinach steamed and chopped (or a frozen package)
salt and pepper to taste
2 teaspoons dried thyme
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1-pound package of spaghetti cooked and drained
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Cook 5 skinless boneless chicken breasts in boiling water, cool, and cut into bite size cubes. Set aside.

Saute onion, garlic, celery, pepper, and mushrooms in olive oil. Add soup, cream, and wine. Cook on low.

Steam spinach. Squeeze out as much water as possible and cut into smaller pieces. Peel, seed, and dice tomatoes. Add both to the sauce mixture.

Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme (or your favourite spices).

Add prepared chicken and cook on low.

Cook spaghetti to al dente. Drain and rinse with hot water. Add spaghetti to the chicken and sauce mixture and blend thoroughly.

Transfer the cooked ingredients to a 9X12 inch baking dish, or several smaller ones if you plan to freeze them for later use. Sprinkle the top with grated cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until it is bubbling and the cheese is browned

I split my batch into one small and one large casserole.

The small one made two dinners for Wayne and I while we were in town at the condo. The rest went to our friends in the Maithus clan, where the bigger casserole was enjoyed by all. -- Margy

Arlington Fly-in

Last Saturday, Wayne and I went to the annual Arlington Fly-in at the Arlington Airport, not surprisingly in, you guessed it, Arlington.

This important aviation event has been going since 1969. It started as an EAA (Experimental Aircraft Association) get together and spaghetti dinner.

It has grown a lot since then. It's even grown since Wayne and I first attended in a rented Piper Warrior in 1984.

That trip included a funny story. We had just spent a wonderful night at the Paradise Ranch in Grants Pass, Oregon (now closed). We enjoyed the local wine so much we bought two bottles to take with us.

Airplane camping at the 1984 Arlington Fly-in.

To protect the bottles, we wrapped them in towels and put them in our clothes bag. But we guessed wrong about the tolerance of corked wine bottles lying on their sides.

When we landed at Arlington, everything was soaked in wine, so our plane became and impromptu clothes line. Good thing we didn't have to explain the strong odour of alcohol to anyone for a couple of days until we could get to an laundromat!

We meet up with Bob from Powell River.

This visit to the fly-in was more uneventful. We went in our car on the way back from a basketball game in Seattle.

The last day was overcast, but the rain held off for the three days of the event. There's still camping on the field next to your airplane.

As we were walking around, we found our friend Bob from the Westview Flying Club in Powell River. He comes every year with his Tri-Pacer.

Flight of eleven approaching in an arrow formation.

In addition to airplanes, there are static displays, vendors, lots of food booths, and aerial demonstrations. On the last day there's even an airshow.

We didn't stay long enough for the show, but that didn't matter. All day long there were airplanes coming, going and flying in unique formations.

This group of eleven planes went overhead several times. Their last maneuver was the flying arrow for obvious reasons.

The Arlington Fly-in is every year in mid-July. Mark your calendar and watch their website.

The entrance fee for walk-ins was $15 and children 15 and under were free. They even had a special kids day, making it a great family event. Have an airplane? People arriving by air get a reduced rate. Maybe next year we'll fly 997 down and camp with our friend Bob. -- Margy