The New Ferry

So here she is the new ferry Northern Adventure taking the place of The Queen of the North that sank last year.

Nice looking but does not stop in Klemtu so that makes it a bit hard to get a ferry to Prince Rupert now. They had hoped it would be named for the communitie here who saved all but two off the sinking ferry but no luck. Sad I think it should have been.


Today is the start of our Canadian Long weekend. Canada Day is July 1st for those who are not sure that is like say in the States your July 4th. It also is the start of the summer holidays here as well. So hence the ferry it will be packed now almost every day. We hope to have a sunny long weekend but who knows, just caught the weather 5 day and looks like rain, 60% today, tomorrow grey,70% sunday, and rain all day monday. What a lovely way to start July. Well off to get my second cupa this morning and get ready for the day later from the Bluff

Dogs

Here are our two dogs. We got them from the Border Collie Rescue of Vancouver. They are all over if you like Border Collies they have every thing from pure to mixed. As you can see ours are a mix Hope the long hair is mixed with springer spaniel which we love as we had one before and found that mix very calm. Now Billy he is mixed Lab and has all the obssesions that both breeds have. Wanting to always be on the go and going places and doing things. It is nice to have them. Have to keep a watchful eye as here there are wolves. Yet overall they are great company and glad we got them.

Our neighbours have two as well but much smaller Pom and a Jack Russell, who like Billy is very active. Yet they all get on and play rather well.

The chopper never arrived yesterday either so we can only guess that they will come today, but it is the office so who knows it is usually a guessing game with them one never knows when they will come (or even come). No notice to changes in the flying schedule. That is life on the Bluff have a good one.

From the water

This is what the boats see from the water as they approach the Bluff. When they did the molds the other keepers did the carving of the Name and the Whales. They also did a few things heading up the path.

Back a few years ago they did a major renovation here so they thought it would be nice to do. I agree it is. And along with the new gardens and the lawns being taken care of it is looking like a lovely station.

Well off to enjoy the day no sun but no rain either.. later from the Bluff

Gardens

Seems like I have not yet killed our neighbours hard work on the station gardens. I will put up a few photos for those to see who are gardeners.

I love Hen and Chicks and seems like they will flower not sure how I did that but nice to see. They usually love heat and might bloom in heat so with all this rain one is not sure how this happened. Maybe I because I fed every time I watered for fear of killing anything.

Just spoke to my family and they are all but me(sigh)on the East Coast of the States right now , HEAT, sun and sand how lovely. Oh well this is life on a lighthouse you do not always get to be where you would like to be when you would like..

Well summer will come here soon. So off I go a chopper expected today with someone coming to test our water well take samples. Have a good day from the Bluff

Sun

Sun,,hurray we are to get one day. Then back to the rain and showers and fog .. that is the life out here.

I guess I might give people the impression that I do not like living out here. There are times that I donot like it. For someone who is out going and love to visit, chat and have friends around it is hard. Yet I do love it out here there are great days , sun, whales, wildlife, birds, and other sundry of things that make it so great. The job is one that you do every day so you get into doing the weather every three hours, and doing stuff in between those. Another person working makes it so much easier that is why there are two people. Depending on who is the Pr. Keeper you migh even get a fair bit of time off. To fish,take hikes depending which station you are at, camping. There are those that might like you put in an 8 hour day but I am not so sure that is necessary unless the station is in tough shape if they have been kept up over the yrs a few hours a day I would think keep it up.

We where so glad to see our seal back and that a friend had come along.If I get a chance I will get a photo they are very hard to catch. A bit like the hummingbirds. They bring alot joy. Hungry little guys we must go through alot of sugar water in a day about 3 liters of it. Worth what little effort is involved in making it.

Off to see about grocery order comes July 5th and we start now to see what we need and stuff like that.. so later from the Bluff

She/He is back

Well our seal is back today. Infact we saw two of them so glad. One had wondered as it had not been seen since the ferry that day. So good to know that she/he has brought someone else along.

Another wet day but not as bad as it has been the last while and they are saying 60% rain on the weekend. Thought crossed my mine (not that it is a big one) the mind that is that if this is summer weather we are in for a long wet summer. I will be glad of going out on holidays if that is case.

Have been checking out the gardens and the hens and chicks are looking like they will bloom. This will be a second blooming for them I hope to get photos if that is the case. It is rare that they do.

Lovely eagle flying by with what looked like an eel in its claws. So interesting out here. I was chatting with someone today and said that living out here has its pitfalls but at times like seeing and eagle fly by and the seal, along with the other lovely wildlife make it worth being out here some of the time. Every job has its good and bad on the nice days that is good and the ones that are romantic.

Well off from the Bluff hope most are having a nice day.

Sucker Holes

What are they you ask? Well that is when there are rain showers then things clear and small patches of blue show up even the sun. Then with in mins gone and pouring rain low visablity and cold. That is what a sucker hole the blue that comes after the shower making you think finally good weather. But that never comes, looks like bad weather all week.

So I have been at least able to get the housework sort of caught up and we did have a chopper yesterday. Hubby wrote a test so we could apply to move to a station down south. With having a new grandchild coming and wanting to be closer to the one we have as well as age (does not mean we are getting younger ).Guess that we will know if we are given a new station.

One must say that with all the rain the only nice thing is the waterfalls across the way are lovely to hear and see. As well the gardens are going but there has been rot we have had so much of it this yr. Well a short one today so have a good one from the Bluff.

Still Wet

Looks like rain again all day.. and for the rest of the week and tomorrow if the first day of summer.

If there is no fog or high winds we could see a chopper today. But will we get goodies or mail I think not there seems to be only a few who remember to bring things or well ask the nice warehouse person for our things. Not just our station but pretty much all of us 27 that is . Well with this much water good day to do more laundry and using water no point in wasting it. What does not fit in the cistern just over flows and with water some summers in short supply we do extra things like a second rinse for the wash, do the floors every day stuff like that.

Well better get at the house stuff if anything interesting happens will write again good from the Bluff

Humming Birds

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Here a couple of snaps of our birds.. they give us alot of pleasure on days like today.

Knew it would never last

So here 1s the rain again. We knew that it would never last the sun that is I mean one and half days is really luck. Besides it is only the day before summer what could we expect here, summer one thinks not.

About the only thing this is doing is keeping the gardens watered and the plants blooming. Of course the grass grows as well and someone (no name no pack drill) put food on what lawns we do have here. Then wonders why they(lawns) growing so fast.This time got part of them cut.

Had our first Humpback Whale the other day. And the humming birds are nuts for the sugar water.

The photo is of our small garden back of our house and the pond where the newts are is beside that. Well time to go and check on things have a good one from the Bluff

The Mussel People are here

Early morning wake up today, was on my first coffee and surprise of surprises the chopper arrives. So it was rush, rush get donuts cooked, a loaf of bread, and a clean tablecloth.

They will be here all day or at least most of it. So that will make it nice and the pilot knows about Mac's even more helpful to hubby. As he got a new Mac for Father's Day. I called home and seems that my younger brother and is daugther went down to surprise my Father today. That should bring a smile to every ones face.

The weather is not great today. Looking like we could get wet again never ending here had to be a few days of nice weather and then ugly... for about a week. I can only wish that summer would come as tomorrow is the first day of summer. Of course it is bug heaven here as well. I have been eaten by the noseeums, and then the horseflies will arrive soon. We can only hope that we will get summer soon. As the noseeums love me and I have allergies to them and puff up around the bite. Well getting on to make a lunch here for my guests.. so lovely to have them here and I can get mail out as well. Hurray!!! Have a good one from the Bluff

Drains, choppers and dirty dishes

Has been a couple of days. And by the title we have been working of clogged drains, having chopper in and out,laundry and dirty dishes. Well the dishes where cleaned in the bathroom. But still ahhhhh. For those of you in town it is easy to clean a clogged drain try living out here first you have to a snake, drain cleaner and if it goes into the septic tank you can not use the normal stuff or into the ocean either. you can try what you have if that does not work then you have to start taking the pipes apart yourself and running a snake. Oh joy of all joys try finding the right pipe from the maze of them under the house. Once done then you have try and get it up the incline. This has taken us almost a week of work but finally today we have clear kitchen and laundry pipes.

The weather is looking great and there are choppers expected again today most of the day. This will mean mail, and the new vacuum how love. So not only can I clean the dishes now I can really give the house a good clean. As the other one is not working well again I have had to wait weeks to get it after ordering from the good old Sears catalog. See it has it's uses other than toilet paper.. well that is only from what I have heard. (truth to it who knows)

Well I must run and clean the basement and get at the laundry and we can have a nice dinner as I can do the dishes.. humm what is the world coming to that I am happy to wash dishes. Well better than the bathroom sink for sure. Smile have a great day from the Bluff

O'happy day

You ask why well my new vacum is in, a new computer, and ordered goodies. And a chopper tomorrow so who knows we might get lucky and see it all. The unhappy is that our sinks have been clogged now for going on day 2. This means washing in the kitchen and doing laundry is out of the question. How sad the laundry ca not get done but the dishes well the old bathroom sink thing like when one is young and has a hot plate in a rooming house and you are to suppose to cook. So you was up the evidence in the bathroom sink.

And we are getting lovely breaks in the overcast. They are saying sun tomorrow but maybe just maybe we will get it a day early and last a few days. But that is hope of all hopes. The gardens are doing well but so are the weeds and grass. Which makes it hard to take care of in the rain. Tehre is now more than the main waterfall we have several smaller ones rushing down the mountain across from us.

I will have make sure I have a lunch ready for the people coming on the weekend who are doing evniromental stuff on station. They check the mussels , soil and I think the water as well that we drink and other stuff. They seem to come every year and I think so far we are good with all that we do here.

Well time for weather and getting on with the house. Have a good day from the Bluff.

I think all the spiders are washed away

So here we are day what ever and still showers, cold . I know when the heat hits we will complain about that too. Would be nice if there could just be so many days heat,then a bit of showers and so on. That way we keep water in the houses and the gardens wet. Always know when there has been alot of water when we hear the waterfall across the channel that means that the lake up there is full. Any time now it can stop.

Had our sea lions playing, and had pod of Orca go through. Missed that as it was early morning. Things like that usually are dawn or dusk time. Nice that the hummingbirds are all day.

The other couple will be back July with the grocery order then a month after that I head out. Have been busy planning where to go and what to see and who to see. One has to make the most of their time off.

Still lots of fishing boats heading North so there must be a big opening. Nice to have them passing well off to do things bye from the Bluff.

I think all the spiders are washed away

Quite day

It is one of those days on the lights where you do work but just not kill yourself. There are large black clouds just waiting to dump rain on us. Yet there are times the sun pokes her head out. Though you know that those black looming clouds will pop any moment. Here in British Columbia they call it liquid sunshine on days like this well it is liquid.

Have a new hummingbird feeder at the kitchen window, the little birds have decided that the glass between me and the feeder is safe and gathering around. Love to watch them and how they interact with each other. I made a second batch of sugar water less the red food colouring. Have heard that it burns or could burn tonuges. When they find the feeders they love it and go nuts drinking the water. At the highet of hummingbird season we have to fill twice a day.

I am now halfway thought this working time. In someways it will be nice to have life back to normal. One tends to let the house fall when two of you are working long shifts. Not that you do not do the normal stuff just the stuff you do when you can and need alot of time to take care of it

Well weather time so off I go and those clouds opened up.. (of course)weather time and my weather. Have a happy from the Bluff

Questions

Was asked if we can have visitors. Well depending on the station you can get lot of them hikers they are called and stations like Nookta, Patchena, Scott get alot of them over the spring, summer and even into the fall. So in one way those are guest sort of.

But as for family and friends unless you have a station that is near water and a town or say a ferry route. Then you can get them by boat or if you are on one of the hiking trails they can of course hike the 28 km's or more to get there. So it is not easy to get friends out. As for family they will fly immediate only if you are on a station that only has choppers to get in and out.As well hard work and entertain.

What do you have to bring well I would say that if you are going to Crew or third house as they call it. This is where relief keepers say or crews when they are work at that station. The houses have basic stuff like sofa , bed, some dishes, some pots, sheets and maybe a few towels. But of course there will be not tv or stuff like that as Tv, sat internet, and cell phones belong to indivigal keepers. So there for it would be up to them if they wish to share it. There are other things that we keepers buy or bring with us like vhf radios and antenna's the guard does supply handhelds.

Food can be a problem at the start until the store you are dealing with gets to know you and what you like and how to sub for stuff if it is not in stock. So yes there can be a bit of problems.. but not alot if you can email the store and let them know what you are unhappy with or call. If you do not have a phone or cell phone in your area then having a calling card and use the aln but again one has to remember that all the lights connected to that circut can hear you. But it is better than no commuication at all. And fast and if you do not have internet then you have to have your grocery order ready to go out when the one comes in. Then you can call in the few things that you might have forgotten or find that you would like last minute.

These are all things that make it not fun if you do not have the things you are used to having in town. But then there are moments that make it all worth living out here. Just not taking groceries off a chopper still running in the pouring rain, and the rain day after day,and when the systems go off line due to bad weather. Well hope this assists in any questions one might have but if there are more feel free to ask.. So once again have a nice day from the Bluff

Flotilla

So the fishing season must be opening. Yesterday the gill netters, and the bow pickers as they are called went by headed North in groups of 4/7, opening up North yes!!

Along with the fishing vessels passing we had not one but TWO choppers yesterday. Last yr in the fall we had a bunch of stuff dumped around the pad for a two week wait. This is all stuff for what we call the mountain tops. What is up there are the antenna for the ALN (just a fancy name for the guards lighthouse vhf system) and one for the Radio operators in Prince Rupert. We did have a bit of taken. Nice to see part of the pad now. They where to come all weekend and move the rest of the stuff but to no luck. It has started to rain and clouds are very low. So maybe tomorrow if all is better.

Our spring seems to be a couple of warm days and the rain and winds. Well it is only June and we are lucky to most. Have been watching the news and parts of British Columbia are flooded. The only road to Prince Rupert is washed out one end and mud slide the other. How lucky we where to get our fresh veggies and fruits this month. Seems one truck made it to Rupert to where we shop.

I have two humming bird feeders one in front of the kitchen window and one off to the side. Well they have finally found the one in front of the kitchen window. So nice to see then and what the play. I have to say that out here is and all the wildlife is one of the many things that make living out here so great. I met someone who said what a dream job. Strange as I thought their life was a dream what they do. It is a bit like a book I read many years a go called The Grass is always green on the other side of the septic tank. It is at times like that having someone say what a dream job and it being a lovely day here slight breeze and no bug that you think to oneself yes it really is romantic and a dream job with all you see, with the ocean at your feet 24/7 365 brings a smile to ones (ok my face). Well off to have morning coffee (second cup) and watch the flotilla of boats still heading North. Signing off from the Bluff.

Could be a wet one

Well it is cldy here today but large black clouds hanging on to the mountain tops. Good sign that we could get rain again today. There is to be chopper coming again but if the weather turns that will be that.

Has been a busy day all ready. Scraping out buildings for painting, mowing, and feeding the plants along with trying to keep up the house. When there are just two of you it gets let go most days so you can work outside in the good weather. And only hope that you will not have guest pop in or drop in. We have at times had non Guard choppers land here and visit or just touch down. On good long stretch that will have to be painted as well.

I was asked how we get our water well no rain no water. So one would think that we would love the rain..once the houses are full nice to see it leave and for engery we have engines here that we keep running all the time. They are for the light and all the buildings as well.

Wonder if the village will get lucky this yr and have a White Bear (Ghost Bear) come through the Klemtu village again. They say it brings luck. I would love to just see one and get a photo. Should check with my friend Gordon Henschel he is great Vancouer Island Painter and does alot of the lights and wildlife up and along the great vast coast we have here. http://www.henschelfinearts.com/workshop1.html that is his site where you can see painting and stuff.

Well I guess that I should see about lunch here and then off to do weather .. which we do every 3 hours starting at 3 am so we have long days. Well all have a good one from the Bluff.

Could be a wet one

Double day

What at day it has been!!!!! First we get our groceries and mail on the Day. And the order is a good one no real mess ups. So now we can get ill on junk food along with all the good fresh veggies we have. Lovely to have fresh lettuce and stuff and have a hamburger with tomatoe, lettuce and cheese.

As well today we had guests. I was busy as always in the early evening on the phone and noticed a nice small boat with two people on board. So off Billy, Hope and I went to see what we could do and even have a chat. Well to our lovely surprise they decided to come and visit. Both where great people not often that late at night you get visitors. Well let me just say that these two are welcome here anytime. Hubby will be sorry he was off to bed but then those early morning (3am) shifts are not nice to get up to if you have not had enough sleep. One can only hope that they will pop in and meet him.

Guess I should have said a triple day as the weather was good here at the Bluff and now the channel is like glass, you can see the sealions just under the water.

Well guess I had better run and clean up the bird feathers out the back walk way seems that while chatting we had a larger bird .. attack and eat a what looks like could have been a robin. So from the Bluff have a happy evening I know I will snacks.. Hurray..

Fog

Yesterday was a foggy day. Not alot of stuff got done outside. Those sort of days are needed for sure because on the nice ones the house is let go. As well the bit of rain showers that where had helped with the transplants alot. We had been expecting a crew but seems they cancelled and we are hoping they will come today.

I hope too as I would love to get mail and goodies that way I can get what ever is needed out on the grocery chopper this Thrusday. That will be a big day always is. It is one of those things you think you will love and get to enjoy but as the weather and time go on it because a big chore and the mail bag and the packages from what you shopped (yes I did say shopped) come. That is done on the computer and with our phone we are able to call for stuff from stores in the same town we get the groceries from.

I got my ok for a chopper ride in Aug so that means that I will be off on my holidays then Hurray off to see family and friends for a month or more. As I do not work every day of every month I can take off station for a wee bit of time each yr. That helps keep one sane the getting off. With a new grandchild coming at that time of yr I might even decide to hang out in the couver(Vancouver BC) for a bit longer who knows. And now that most places have computers when I get near one I will have to post a few things about the holidays off.. Well must run and get things ready just in case it is called the hurray up and wait. So that is all from the Bluff chat later..

Noises in the night

Last evening while I was sitting about waiting to give my weather. This was at 10:15pm and heard a noise outside my wee window. To look out and see a whale just going down. I was able to see a bit up the channel and noticed blows. So would leave one to think 2 of them.

And today as I was heading up the long stairs heard a woosh turned and could have tough a eagle. These are a few of the romantic noises heard on a lighthouse. Along with the ships horns going off while fog floats over the water, flags flapping in the wind, wolves howling on a crisp winter evening, (scary) and at odd times we can even her the fish jumping.

How lovely it would be if most could hear all this. Know that our grandchild would love to see them. Well anyone in my family would I am sure along with most of the population. So lucky that we have had a lovely day again small breeze, sun and clear skys.

Off to do weather and then see what else I can move in the gardens., Have a great weekend to all later from the Bluff.

For your Interest

I was asked if the seal died. The answer is no he/she just made alot of noise, but if he/she could have been hurt. I have not seen him/her around the last day or so. We hope that it was ok just scared of the being bashed about.

Today was another great day, sunny and warm. So we moved daisies.The big white ones they do not smell nice but look great from a distance which is what we need here from the water. And then had to replace where they where one of the other gardens was a bit overfilled so moved a couple of those plants to the empty spot. We still have two heather bushes and another large group of white daisies. I have to get some lattice up as well the climbing sweet peas are coming back this yr big surprise.

It is nice to get people asking questions about the blog and what happened to things during our day that I might have forgotten to put in. Next week we have a crew coming they will be staying in the neighbours house to put in new flooring nice surprise for them when they get home. But not sure I would want them in my home with me not there. Oh well so far not for us to worry about yet.

I have a niece who has just married and she and her hubby are doing firewatch. So now we have someone else in the family who knows what it is like to live in the middle of no where with no one else but your partner. They to have to do weather watches and more. Who knew that someone else would know what it is like to have very little about you but your partner and wildlife. Well can only hope that there will be no fires in their area.

Well off to see about a bit of lunch ok so it is late lunch but lunch all the same. Have a great day from the Bluff.