Rainy Season on Vancouver Island

There are really only 2 seasons on Vancouver Island - the wet season and the dry season.

Here are the dates of the first rain - the beginning of the wet season - over the past few years.

2014 - September 17

2015 - August 28

2016 - August 30

October 2016 it rained 27 days out of 31.

It has been the 2nd wettest October since 1940.

All of this rain has been a real test for the drainage systems in the new back yard. I am pleased to report there has been no sign of water in the sunken Gravel Bed garden. This time last year it looked like we were building a swimming pool.

And the hugelkultur beds seem to be absorbing all the rain they can get without any surface erosion.

I am very glad I left the garden beds either covered in big-leafed plants or a thick layer of straw as protection from the impact of all those raindrops on the soil.

The Backyard project Phase 3 construction began the last week of September when the old deck was taken off. And work has continued throughout one of the wettest seasons on record. Rain doesn't stop the work but it slows things down, things get very muddy and it can't be as much fun as working on a sunny day.

Articulation's 2016 Study Session in Gimli

First stop out of Winnipeg on the way to Gimli was at Arnason's Icelandic Horse Farm.

One of the few places in the world outside Iceland where these distinctive horses can be found.

For more about these unique horses visit Articulation's blog here

Rock Art - Boat - Gimli

The reason why Articulation went to Gimli was to study Icelandic culture.

Gimli (New Iceland) is the largest Icelandic settlement outside Iceland. Back in 1875 and 1876 more than 1,000 Icelandic immigrants settled on the western shore of Lake Winnipeg on land the Canadian government gave them to govern independently. 

We found Icelandic textiles old (as above in the Gimli museum) and new in the local shops.

A Whitefish boat up on the hard. 

Evidence of the early dependence on fishing in Lake Winnipeg was found in many places up and down the western shore.

Hecla historic home

The Icelandic immigrants brought with them their architecture and woodworking skills.

Pickeral and wild rice

We sampled Canadian/Icelandic food whenever we came across it.

For more about Articulation's time in and around Gimli, check their  blog  here.

Articulation's 2016 Study Session

This year Articulation members collected in Winnipeg Manitoba to begin their annual 2016 Study Session.

Winnipeg has wonderful artwork on its buildings - old and new.

View from the rooftop of Mandy's studio building.

This rooftop building has stories to tell.

Descending

Wendy, Mandy, Donna

Go to the Articulation's blog  link here to see more of what we got up to.

Teasels - a cloth worker's tool.

This year's teasel harvest

I refreshed the teasels at the front door. 

This is my shingle.

elserine is a weaver. 

During a Vancouver Island Surface Design Assoc meeting elserine demonstrated how the teasel was/is used to full woven or knit garments to make them soft. Gently stroking the cloth with a tied teasel bundle raises the nap. Commercially they have been replaced by steel combs but some woolen workers continue to prefer to use teasels because they are kinder to the cloth, the teasel hook breaking when meeting resistance and so avoiding damage to the fibers.

In parts of the USA, the teasel is considered noxious because it out-competes native plants. I have noticed teasels grow where soil has been disturbed and damaged so I consider them 'band-aid' plants. They have long tap roots capable of bringing minerals up from lower soil levels to the surface and they produce a lot of stem and leaves which are useful for the 'chop and drop' permaculture method of soil building. As the plant material decays, it releases organic matter and minerals into the soil making them available for other plants.

In our garden, I believe the teasel will serve its purpose until soil conditions improve and the plant is no longer suited to the site and its seeds, with a two-year viability, will no longer germinate. 

Backyard Project: BOOM. DONE. AGAIN.

After the rock was broken up on the first site the blast mats were removed and moved to the second site.

This first site is where a tool shed and a garden shed are to be built, beside the garage.

Aaron carefully lifted the mats over the Gravel Bed garden without damaging anything.

Then tracked along the path around the Gravel bed garden to position the mats on top of the second explosion site.

This is the wire that links to all of the drilled hole full of explosive and wire. It is long so the Powder Man can step well away from the site before he pushes the button.

BOOM. DONE. AGAIN.

This is the second site after Aaron removed the blast mats and dug up the broken rock with his digger. As a friend said, "Now to deal with the bits." Yes, it will be a chore but I have plans for them, according to their size. When I told Aaron this he said, "Why am I not surprised?" I have no idea what he meant.

This site had a small mound of granite preventing it being made into a level ground for the construction of a pergola. Now that problem is solved the construction of the structures can begin.

Backyard Project: Finally the Powder Man

The next step in the blasting process was the arrival of this machine to move the blast mats to the blast site. 

The driver is Aaron Yager, Yager Construction, the owner of the construction company working on phase 3 of the Backyard project. They also worked on phase 1 of the Backyard project - the construction of The Green Shed, my studio.

Another vehicle drove up the back track and put out these serious looking signs, one out next to the road and the other a flip-down one on the vehicle.

This is the explosive powder, urea nitrate. 

It can also be used as a fertiliser!

The blast mats were stacked beside the rock to be blasted.

This is the lump of granite that needs to be reduced so we can build on it.

This is the Powder Man and his assistant. Here he is using a steel rod to push what looks like string down into the previously drilled holes. His assistant is taking all of the strings and twisting them together.

The Powder Man pours a measured amount of the powder into each hole. Next, the blast mats are stacked on top of the rock. We all stand well back. The warning signals blast out.

BOOM. DONE.

This is the tagline of the blasting company. I love it because that is exactly how it happened.

HHS Drilling and Blasting - BOOM. DONE.

Backyard Project: Next Came the Driller

The driller drove his specialised, high-tech machine right up to the blast site.

He used a steel rod to measure distances before spraying a circle of orange paint.

He put on ear protection then began to operate his machine.

Over each circle, he drilled a hole into the rock. It was so noisy and dusty. The windows and walls of the house were getting covered in a fine dust. I rushed to close all of the windows but Ron knew what was going to happen and had closed the house up before me.

He moved his machine down to the second area to be blasted and drilled.

I was pleased to have confirmed the paths I had designed were indeed wide enough for smaller vehicles to travel along.

The driller inserted a red plastic cup into each hole

Then he left, with his machine.

He left behind two piles of finely ground granite where he emptied his machine. I gathered up this dust and sprinkled half of it on all of the new garden beds. I figured it was so finely ground it wouldn't take too long for the plants to be able to access these in-situ minerals.

Backyard Project- Preparing for Blasting

Much excitement.

A truck backed up the back track with a most unusual load.

Old rubber tires have been threaded together with steel cables and secured with metal brackets and bolts.

HHS Drilling and Blasting had arrived to prepare for the blasting needed to be done before the next phase of construction could begin.

It was another one of those specialised, high-tech vehicles. This is command central tucked under the heavy duty hoist. The first task was to lower the stabilising legs on either side of the truck.

Next, the driver hung the remote controller from his neck and proceeded to unload the very heavy rubber mats.

Then he left.