Home Sweet Sea Can

June on the Mountain ~ A family visit!

I have had very few visits to my mountain. Not only is it remote, but I started living here full time in 2021 - coincidentally as Covid began to peak. After nearly two years of living on my mountain, my Dad and Stepmom came from Ontario! Their flight was a trip from hell, their luggage was lost for a day but - they made it. First, they spent a few days visiting my brother in Vernon. After that, they all came to check out my place.

It was so nice to share our progress and home with family! I took them to the top of the property to see the whole view. We walked to an awesome viewpoint, and I showed them some wild edibles along the way. After that, we showed them the farm and said hello to the animals. My stepmom Margaret got some great pictures.

Me, Dad, Margaret and Brayden

She also got some great pictures of the inside of the house. So, here it is!

The space is so small that you can’t get the wood stove hot enough to cook on - without overheating the house. Next to the wood stove is a propane stove and oven for cooking. The kitchen cupboards and counter are made from cedar that we found in a waste logging pile (called a ‘slash pile). We built shelves for spices to keep food interesting in the winter.

The shiny silver thing is a gravity water cleaning system. It’s a simple design - water goes into the top and slowly flows through filters into the bottom - ready for drinking. Under the bed, there is some pantry space to the left and our clothes are in the big green trunk. To the right - just past the ladder is what we call ‘the fridge’. There is a vent through the floor allowing the box to stay cool through most months. In the winter things sometimes freeze in there!

The right side has more shelves with coffee, drinks and a small counter to sit at. I have plans to change this counter - waiting until I find the right rocks. You might notice that there’s a keg tap - the keg was filled with beer but now we refill it with water and have carbonated water on tap! Like a massive SodaStream. As you step in there is a coat rack to the right that also holds our helmets.

The yard is coming along, we now tractor rabbits across the grass and won’t drive across it until the turf is more established. We’re digging a pond where you see dirt piled to the right. Long-term plans for the pond include stocking it with fish! The mill is on uneven ground but Curt has set it up so that it cuts as straight as possible. There isn’t any actual level ground yet, so that’s where it has to be!

There’s still a ton to do but the property is starting to come together.

A few days after my family left Curt’s parents came from the lower mainland for a visit! We checked out a nearby abandoned mine, toured the farm, and had dinner at our place. Steak and prawns, delish!

Looking at a massive hopper that was built on the hillside

Wow, what a busy month! This year has been so different from last. Last year was dry and HOT. We were working on developing the spring and had to get water from town. This year Curt found a seasonal spring above us and - because of all of the rain we’ve been getting - it’s still running! Showers were less frequent last year. This year however - Showers for everyone!

Thanks for reading