NoOne!

[Queen K]

Did you ever get that Snowmobile? Is that still the plan?

[NoOne]

Is a book in the works? A chronology of leaving something behind to gain something instead?

mrs. noone keeps a daily journal of things we accomplish and happenings around the property, sort like a ships log ( cabin date 9.25.09 - 9:11am - in surrey visiting and shopping, mr. noone on internet ).

And did you pack books in? If so, what titles and why?

with the exception of some books all of our library in electronic. we maybe have about twenty or so books on the shelf; the bible, three dictionaries, first aid and a few manuals. the rest are cookbooks.

this is a sampler of books we have. the list is well over 1500 titles now. we did not refuse any ebook from anyone as we would not know when it might come in handy. we both read quite a lot and enjoy reading just about anything. i like science, tech, diy. mrs. noone leans toward self awareness and heath. we don't read much fiction but i do have collections on the hd of asimov, heilein, chrichton, verne and others.

11000 RECIPES Ultimate Cookbook eBook
Dictionary of Strum & Picking Patterns
Drying Fruits & Vegetables eBooK
Encyclopedia of Homeopathy
Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition
Encyclopedia of Natural Cures
Encyclopedia of Card Tricks
Plastics Materials and Processes - a Concise Encyclopedia
Vegetable Gardening Encyclopedia
Whose Bible Is It - History of the Scriptures through the Ages
Construction Of Wood Gas Generator For Fueling Internal Combustion Engines
Fun With A Pencil
Essential Animal Behavior
The Dog Listener - Learn How to Communicate with Your Dog for Willing Cooperation
Jane's - World War II Tanks and Fighting Vehicles - The Complete Guide
The Complete Guide to Learning a Language
The Complete Outdoorsman's Handbook - A Guide To Outdoor Living And Wilderness Survival
The Monthly Sky Guide
The Power of Your Other Hand - A Course in Channeling the Inner Wisdom of the Right Brain
The Oxford Thesaurus, an A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms
The Ultimate Ice Cream Guide
Timber Designer's Manual
Raw Foods Bible
Watercolourist's Guide to Painting Buildings
Thai Massage Manual
Linux Bible 2008 Edition

i also have about 700 or so films on the hd for movie nights.
not many new ones, mostly oldies from the forties, mystery, suspense, cheesy. all of elvis's movies, ellery queen, charlie chan. and of course the old trek series, beverley hillbillies, red dwarf, monty python, midsomer murders, on the buses and on and on...



Are you picking different wild berries than just hucke?

you must mean huckleberries? no, sorry, we stick to blackberries as they are easy to find if you know where the best ones are ( we used to live down on the coast so we have our favorite spots to pick from again ). we do buy un-sprayed blueberries but those get eaten as is.

What has been the MOST alarming thing you have experienced so far? Flora, fauna included.

after hikes it is fun to check each other out for ticks, you have to check everywhere. haven't found one yet and don't think we will but i'm not telling mrs. noone that. to much fun looking for them.lol.as for alarming things i would say not much. i think the hardest thing for me is not having the internet on a daily basis. sifting through a hundred or more emails when in town is not fun. squirrels are annoying but cute, deer are getting used to us, hard to sleep in when you fall asleep on the porch at 8:30pm.

we do find ourselves jumpy when ever we here a motor sound as no one but us comes up our road. it is like someone coming through your front door unannounced and uninvited. always a friend or family dropping in though the forestry guy has dropped by twice (first wondering where the smoke was coming from and the second because he likes our coffee).


And are you gearing up for Wild Mushroom picking?

we stock up on dried mushrooms ( chinese and others ) and have a large supply on hand.

[NoOne]

Did you ever get that Snowmobile? Is that still the plan?

i forgot to mention about it last time. i found an early 70's skidoo olympique down in the states real cheap. engine is being rebuilt right now and should be restored and up at the cabin when we get back.
also came with a sled on skis to tow behind. won't be a speed demon but i think it looks funky.

[Captain Awesome]

Do you have a camera there? Can you post some pictures?

[Lady tehMa]

Very cool to be hearing from you!

Do you have a coldroom or root cellar set up? What is gardening like in your neck of the woods?

[NoOne]

Do you have a camera there? Can you post some pictures?

as i answered before my wife says i can post no photos, unless you want to see flowers or a squirrel or whatever she shoots. the wife has a 4meg camera she snaps with and i have all my pro gear ( film only - no digital ). we moved to have it all to ourselves, selfish, i know but others would understand if they made the move. when i come up here the last thing i want is to pick up is a camera.

[NoOne]

Very cool to be hearing from you!

Do you have a coldroom or root cellar set up? What is gardening like in your neck of the woods?

hello, nice to talk to people interested in our little island in the woods.

we have a cold room off our entryway for use in the winter. there is an old rooty type cellar that we may play with next spring.

i've saved some smaller timber to put in raised beds for a garden next year. we got up here a little late to plant much but did get lettuce, radishes and carrots planted in plastics pails. they hang from a cable between trees like a clothes line. hose runs along the cable with holes in it for watering. everything that lives up here seems to like a free meal.

it is noon now, got to get the day on the going, taking the sister's kids berry picking and then back to the mountain tomorrow. the family are all coming up at once for the last big camp out of the year before we leave on our trip. hope the weather can hold out. it is around 15c today in surrey. the weatherman down hear is more often wrong than right calling the weather. should expect foul weather, the pne is up and running in vancouver.

[NoOne]

hi all,

we're back from our europe trek and are so glad to be home. just to sit and do very little for a while.

don't think we'll leave the cabin for a week or two.

i do have a question to put out there....hope for some good suggestions.

a friend dropped off some wood from his furniture/woodworking business while we were gone. nice wood, beech, some oak and ash, etc. all end cuts. biggest would be 1 foot long by 6 inches wide and some up to two inches thick.

i'm looking for ideas as to what to do with it. when i first showed interest in what he had i was thinking of firewood but now that i have it it seems to be a waste to burn it (i think what i saw was rough framing lumber and he brought me the premium wood).

most of it will be winter projects, small stuff, mostly for giving away. much will be done with hand tools although i do have the basic woodworking power tools, plus a biscuit tool. so far i plan on making a whack load of cutting boards to give for christmas presents but i'm wanting ideas a little more exciting. nothing too elaborate but unique. a link to what you find would be nice.

will check back soon......

noone and mrs.

p.s. the wood pile filled the back of a pick up so there is quite a lot of it. building an addition to the snowmobile shed to store it under cover. the wife laughed when i said i had so much wood and didn't know where to put it. god i love a woman with a sense of humor!!

good day all and have a great winter.

[Graham Adder]

a friend dropped off some wood ...<snip>...i'm looking for ideas as to what to do with it. ...nothing too elaborate but unique. a link to what you find would be nice.

One used to be able to go to Reimer Hardwoods here in Kelowna, and buy the odd palette of wood ends and odd cuts. These were saw ends and such from some pretty exotic woods. $100.00 would fetch you enough stuff to keep the most avid hobbyist going for awhile.

I used to make really nice wine boxes to give local wine faves to others for Xmas, Bdays and such.

I'd start with a piece of whatever thickness you wish (I generally went with 3/4" as it was common). If the bottle was 3 1/4 across then I'd make the end pieces exactly 3 1/4" square.
Then I'd cut two strips for each of the four sides (8 total) at 1/4" thick and half the width of the bottle. I'd measure the length of the bottle from tip to base and add the 1 1/2 " to cover the end blocks (3/4" each times two). If you make the strips 1/4" thick, a 1" 'brilliant' finish flat head nail works wonders for the box-nail look. Glue each slat/strip in place. Pre-drill the slats for nails so you don't split the slat end when you drive the little nails in. A small dab of glue will keep the slats in place, but don't use so much glue that it'll ooze out and be visible.

Leave one of the three sides open.

To make a lid for this side., take the two slats you cut for that side and tack them together with two short slats that will be crossways inside the box. Cut the backing strips 1/4" thick and 1/4" wide by 3 1/4" long and glue to the two slats 3/4" from the ends the ends, so they will sit inside the box tight at the ends...this will keep the lid tight up and down and the proper length cut at 3 1/4" will keep the sideways positioning correct. By using small strips at each end, the curved bottom edge of the bottle base should have clearance for the lid to fit tight. You may have to shave the edge of the bottom strip a bit for clearance if it doesn't seat tight.

To finish the box I snip eight of the 1" nails to less than 1/4" long. I then pre-drill the eight holes at the ends of the slats and glue the 'fake' nails into place so every side of the box looks the same.

Finish with oil to bring out grain and luster of the wood and plop a bottle of rotten grapes into it, tie a piece of jute/twine around it with a tag attached and presto you have a classy little box to offer some local wine in that can later be used as a candle box or a match box for the mantle.

People always comment on the 'hidden door/lid' idea and those 'brilliant' nail heads really look great against a dark oiled purple heart or padauk.

If you have guy pals with rec room bars...little tiny wooden tool boxes to hold the bar tools/church keys seems to work well.

Wooden puzzles are a great way to use small end cuts and given to the right kids/parents, they can last enough years to become a keepsake.

Last but certainly not least...pipes...I made several pipes for friends a few years back from apple wood. There's PLENTY of apple wood scraps around this area so it was a free venture for me and to this day a few of them still use theirs and make them into conversation pieces when used.
I made pipes with slide-outs to reveal a bowl at one end and a stash compartment at the other. I also made different varieties of conventional pipes. Wooden pipes rock.

[Queen K]

Hi No One, got any snow yet?

[anniecat]

Wow.....my first visit to this thread and have read every post and every word and all I can say is WOW!

From somebody else in their 40's living in Kelowna and starting to feel like we're losing our quality of life while trying to keep up with the rat race (in otherwords, I think we're starting to lose the race!) I so admire what you are doing. We are not in a position to do what you are doing because we have two small children who are just starting school but man would we like to find some type of life where my boys can still flourish and not miss out on life but at the same time my husband and I can get back to enjoying life, instead of fighting it and just trying to keep our heads above water.

Good for you and keep the posts coming.......very inspirational!

[NoOne]

I used to make really nice wine boxes to give local wine faves to others for Xmas, Bdays and such.

thank you for lighting a bulb in my head with your idea. mrs. noone is giving bottles of home made, hand picked blackberry syrup to our closest friends. your description of building a wine box was great!

Hi No One, got any snow yet?

hello your majesty,
yes, we have gotten snow but not enough for the snowmobile. i go to bed at night as the snow falls, get up at the crack of dawn feeling like a kid on christmas morning, only to find out the temperature has risen. hoping for a good pack of snow early december. the road is VERY muddy heading up to the cabin right now.

we like to find some type of life where my boys can still flourish and not miss out on life but at the same time my husband and I can get back to enjoying life, instead of fighting it and just trying to keep our heads above water.

decisions become easier if you can define those things important to you and your family. honesty in your answers is crucial.

the wife and i had many discussions before making the step towards living up here. we thought living in or around kelowna was the right plan at one time. we liked the airport, i play golf and we both like a glass of wine once in awhile. but then again we can find airports anywhere, there are golf courses everywhere and we like california wines.

kelowna is for people that want a life in a city and share that life with thousands of other city dwellers. while people say it's my life and i control it, much of how you end up living is dictated by your surroundings. regardless of how hard you try to raise your children right you don't get a say in everything they learn or pick-up. i wish you courage and all the best.

i'm lucky in a way. i don't have a fear of failure ( which means i succeed more often than not because i try) and i married a woman who is as smart as i am but better looking.

well it's getting late, off to bed. back up to the cabin on monday, i'm guessing the next time out will be on the sled.

just in case we don't get out for awhile, everyone have a merry christmas and a happy new year.
hope for a run into vancouver mid december but may say screw it and stay put till new years.

till next time,

mr. and mrs. noone

[NoOne]

snow is falling at the cabin, and it should stick to the ground now.

down to the flat lands for a few spare parts, a couple of drums of gasoline, one more trip to costco. waiting in surrey for the parts truck to arrive.

found a honda 1000 genny on craigslist for portable power and charging. need more gas for it, the main one at the cabin runs on propane.

might have to walk in to get the snowmobile to haul the supplies in. weather radio says rain, we get snow. they say snow, we get rain. my weather rock out side our kitchen window know more than they do.lol

killing time in a parking lot,

noone

[Graham Adder]

Try to find yourself a diesel genny.

Then contact Noel @ http://www.enviroimports.com/bio_diesel.html
( [email protected] )

You could be running on free, carbon neutral fueled power. How would THAT be for adding on to your fine example?

[pbear]

Hey Noone, Merry Christmas to you too. I' wish you and Mrs. a warm, cozy, inspiring winter.

Have fun with the wood pieces. How about making some cutting boards using different kinds of woods. They'd make great gifts and are practical too. Also thought if you had different coloured woods you could make a checkerboard.

Safe journey home.