These are our dogs, Meg, Tully, Rose and Tess.
What would be a good caption for this pic?

Back at Muskrat Ranch, at Ta Ta Creek

Nick and I are looking after Muskrat Ranch in the East Kootenays for the month of February.  Not as many animals as there were two years ago when I was last here.. the sheep are gone (in the freezer?) and she's down to two horses, three chickens and three border collies, which added to our two, make five. It's beautiful here; sunny most of the time, cold and snow on the ground. Had to get away from the constant rain on Bowen and The Coast.  Luckily, Margie wanted to go to Ecuador to visit with friends, so everyone's happy. Sadly we have to leave on the 24th for Vancouver for Nick's surgery on the 25th.  Still lots of time between now and then though, for great walks with the dogs, brushing the horses and generally enjoying ranch life.

Nick with 4 of the 5 dogs at Muskrat Ranch,
Margie's horse trailer parked beside the garage

Chance and Gamble ready for breakfast

Nick starting the fire for heat before we do anything else!

Lovely walk on a cold sunny February day

the wood & kayak shed across form the ranch house

New Work

Tender Series: Wood

Wood stains on Wood panel

20" X 20"

Tender Series: White
Acrylic and wood stain on wood panel
24" X 24"

West Breeze Sunday Afternoon, Salish Sea
Oil and wood stains on wood panel
48" X 30"

New Work 2016

Charcoal on wood panel with oil.

I'm still working on this.. Of all the work I've done this fall, this feels the most successful.

The Salish Sea

This last week Nick, Oscar (Nick's son) and I sailed over to Mayne Island to visit Nick's sister, Kathy,  and her partner, John.  We had fabulous weather there, back and in between, sailing across the strait in 15-20 knot winds, making about 7.5 knots on average, and then down Trincomali Channel to Montague Harbour for our first night.  Excellent moorage there tied to mooring buoy, and good swims at the beach.  Genoa sail jammed in the rolling furler the next day taking it in, so went without it for the rest of the trip. Cost us about a knot and a half on our way back across the Salish Sea.  Fabulous trip out and looking forward to lots more this August...

Oscar and Nick with Meg and Rose on Spring Moon

Big Gord, Rose and Meg

Yesterday I visited Big Gord in Long Term Care at UBC.  He's only there for Convalescence, so the Long Term part is misleading.  He's been battling with a wound that went through to the bone since last December, and has been in the hospital with it since January.  The bone got infected and the wound opened up to fist-size.  Long battle to recovery with surgery in the near future (hopefully) to put a 'patch over the opening.  I took the dogs in, Rose and our new dog, Meg, because for the first time in 6 months, he's in a place where dog's can visit.  They loved visiting Big Gord. Took to his bed like it was their own, snuggling up with him, and then falling asleep.  Born therapy dogs.  Love therapy.

Cardboard Kayak Races - Bowen Island Steamship Days

This Weekend Bowen Island Hosted Steamship Days with all of it's fun & festivities.  One of the events is a 'design and execute your own cardboard kayak' using a 4' x 6' sheet of cardboard, a roll of packing tape and an x-acto knife.  Our method was to design as we built... trying to hold onto the idea of origami paper folding and applying it to a boat design.  Lots of cutting and scoring took place with god knows what design in mind... but gradually a vessel slightly resembling a kayak grew out of the mess we had made of the cardboard.  Nick was frantically trying to get it 'structurally sound'  all the while I was cutting and scoring with great abandon.  Then massive amounts of tape were needed to keep the water from pouring through the seams. Midway we looked at the competition and felt sorrily inept, but in the last 5 minutes before Times UP, it came together as if by magic. And when we put in Tyler,  our little brave and skilled paddler, by god, we won!  She shipped no water at all, stayed up-right (others were tipping over and sinking, or folding in the middle and going down, or simply going down). But our little vessel stayed afloat like a water bug, skimming to and fro from start to finish line, back and forth many times, all the while passing sinking and abandoned ships. All this to say, never give up the ship: miracles do happen. 

Captain Tyler Matzen being greeted at the finish line by his sister.

Captain Tyler bravely paddling our cardboard kayak to Victory