Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Plenty of Wasps on Island now!

Just when you sit down outside with a cup of coffee the wasps decide to land right on you.  After getting bit by one I decide to go to the hardware store and buy a wasp trap to catch them in.  My potion of orange juice and a little bit of sugar mixed into it worked to attract them down into the jar.  It didn't take long to trap several of them.

We also purchased a small bottle of oil of cloves to dab on our skin as they do not like the smell of it.  It seems to work but is fairly expensive.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Back on Gabriola Island

We arrived back on the Island to find drought and dust  The earth has dried out with a vengence now. The lawn is brittle and dry.   All of the Island is very dry and flammable now.   There are signs posting "Extreme Fire Hazard" down in the village and there are fire bans on now, too.  This also means that lawn mowers, chain saws, etc. can not be used either.
Most properties on this Island have rain water collection systems in place.  We have a good well but now we know that we want to put in a water cistern just to be safe if this drought happens again so that we can water plants and a garden.
Vehicles on the island are coated in dust and the road swills up a dust storm every time one travels by.
I am loving the heat, sunshine and afternoons spent outside, walking and discovering new beaches, and wearing sandals.   At least part of the day is spent lazing on my gravity free chair, taking in vitamin D, reading or snoozing.