Fall Harvest...

This year was the perfect gardening season on Gabriola, and the harvest has been impressive... The fruit trees were no exception, and the apples were the best crop I've had yet.

After eating all the apples we could over the past month, it was time to make Apple Sauce to preserve the harvest for the winter season.


With the abundance of apples on the island right now, here's my apple sauce recipe;

Ingredients

18 peeled, cored, and quartered apples, fresh from the tree is best
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tsp cinnamon (to taste)
1/4 cup of dark brown sugar
1/4 cup of white sugar (or more to sweeten)
3 cup of water

Method
1 Put all ingredients into a large pot. Cover. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes.

2 Remove from heat. Mash with potato masher. Add additional sugar or cinnamon to taste.

Ready to serve, either hot or refrigerated, or a good time to process it to preserve it. It also freezes easily, lasts up to one year in a cold freezer.

Enjoy!

Gabriola - Going the Distance

Here's a useful tool that will let you know how much of Gabriola you've seen in a trip.

If you sign up for a free membership you can mark the roads that you'll travel on the Island and get your distance in either miles or kilometers. It's great for those who are walking, running or biking to know the distance you've gone and if you time it you can work out your pace.

Find the website online at: www.mapmyrun.com .

Coats Marsh Regional Park to officially open on May 22

Clyde Coats' former family property will officially open to the public as Coats Marsh Regional Park on May 22nd. The ceremony begins at 11:15 am on May 22, at the Aiden Road entrance to the park located off of Coats Road. The new Regional Park is a 45.7 hectare parcel of wetlands and forest and is protected in a partnership between The Nature Trust of British Columbia, the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the BC Trust for Public Lands.

"Conservation is of great importance to residents of the Regional District of Nanaimo," said Larry McNabb, Chair of the Regional Parks and Trails Advisory Committee. "We are looking forward to the opening ceremony, and we are tremendously grateful to Mr. Coats for the opportunity to care for this property and manage it as a Regional Park."

Coats Marsh Regional Park features a wetland and stands of rare coastal Douglas fir. Two creeks run through the property and eventually connect to Hoggan Lake. The land also kitty corners the 707 Acre Community Park, owned and managed by the Regional District of Nanaimo.

"By protecting this unique property we have taken a tremendous step in establishing a large protected area on Gabriola Island that contains rare plant species and provides habitat for numerous wildlife," said Doug Walker, Chief Executive Officer of The Nature Trust of B.C. "At the same time, this acquisition will provide the people of the Regional District of Nanaimo, in particular Gabriola Islanders, with the opportunity to gain a greater appreciation of this ecological gem in their community." With the acquisition of the former Coats lands, the RDN now has 2016 hectares (1,769 acres) of regional parkland, including two campgrounds, nine day-use parks, and seven trails. The RDN manages more than 160 community parks, including the 707 Acre Community Park adjoining the former Coats property.

The Nature Trust of British Columbia is a leader in protecting BC's natural diversity of plants and animals through the acquisition and conservation of critical habitats and other areas of ecological significance. Through partnerships like the Coats Land Acquisition, The Nature Trust has invested more than $63 million to secure more than 61,000 hectares (150,000 acres) of critical habitat throughout British Columbia. (www.naturetrust.bc.ca)

Ever considered living next door to a conservation area... There is a gorgeous 5 acre property located at 1040 Coats Drive, which is currently listed for sale, additional details can be found at: http://www.discovergabriola.com/index.php?page=2&id=49 .

Mmmmm.... I smell chocolate!

Coast Realty's Community Easter Egg Hunt, Food & the KERPLUNKS !

Open to all ages, at the Commons on Saturday, April 11th, the day starts at 12 noon with our very own, Juno award nominees, the “Kerplunks”. Dance and sing along, there will also be a concession with hot dogs and drinks by donation to our 4H Club. Then, the really big event of Easter Weekend, and starting at 1pm ‘sharp’, is the Easter Egg Hunt, itself. This is a sight to behold if you’ve never been and the Easter Bunny makes a surprise appearance especially for picture taking, young and old.

So, you ask, “How many eggs are hidden amongst the trees, and meadows?” We asked the Easter Bunny, and with a wiggle of his nose, he whispered “way, way over 10,000”!

So, come one, come all and don’t be late, race time is 1:00 (and it starts on time)... It’s bound to be a fun day.

Visiting Gabriola this Summer…

Descanso Bay Regional Park - Campground
Gabriola offers a diverse opportunity of accommodations for visitors to the island, a summer time favorite is Gabriola’s Descanso Bay Regional Park campground.

This scenic sea-side campground is just a short distance, approximately 1 km, from the ferry terminal at Descanso Bay and is located at 595 Taylor Bay Road, Gabriola Island. The stunning 40 acre waterfront property has three bays with natural sandy pockets & sculpted sandstone beaches, offers 32 camp sites and is open year round. Islanders as well as tourists frequent the campground because of all its appeal to kayakers, picnickers, campers, hikers, beachcombers, swimmers to participate in outdoor recreation while balancing the camping experience offered by its tranquil surroundings.

This Regional Park is adjacent to Cox Community Park which offers over 100 acres of trails for pedestrians & cyclists, through a well established forest setting.

Gabriola Island attracts visitors from Vancouver Island, the rest of BC, elsewhere in Canada and other parts of the world, so you may want to make a reservation at #250-247-8255, if you’re planning a summer time getaway, as its prime season.

The Silver Lining

In the midst of a sunny Sunday afternoon feathers flutter as a flock of 29 homing pigeons leave their loft with wings that dance across the sky, replicating the silver lining of a cloud.

After witnessing this event several times with the kids in the car, I wanted to take a closer look, so I headed out with the kids and some friends to visit Kelly Waugh & Laura Marino at Island Ceremonial White Dove Releases (www.islanddoves.com) at 1970 South Road, Gabriola. This is home to 130 beautiful birds that are well cared for and fed. The owners make a special feed for the birds by combining hard red wheat, peas, popcorn, safflower, milo, flax seed and barley. A tour around the property gives more insight, there are the white racer homing pigeons (a descendent of the rock dove) which can be taken to special events and released, getting home in incredible timing and creating a spectacular memory at weddings, memorials & special celebrations. The beautiful and alluring Indian fan tail pigeons, which can make a fantastic sight in the white heart shaped display case. The Birmingham rollers were fun to watch, the just seemed to fall from the sky spinning backward somersaults with amazing control and then in an instant they were back to regular flight. They also have Donek pigeons (a greek diving, spinning bird) and Oriental Rollers from Persia and Asia minor.

We learned quite a bit & have been busy since, my daughter was allowed to take an egg home so she's busy since making a nest and putting one of her stuffies on to see if it will hatch, Kelly of course knows it isn't possible but being mom I need to play along. Sumbitted by: Tina Lynch

"Just one more run ?"

This is a common phrase heard by the parents on Gabriola as the current snow conditions are perfect for getting in some sleigh rides. The kids have been busy at work making runs through the yard to find the perfect place to go down with a little extra speed. After a good time in the snow, it's a great feeling to warm up by the woodstove and sip on a cup of hot chocolate. It's not just the kids that are having fun, parents are on sleds, neighbors are out for walks and a few are out making tracks for cross country skis. With people choosing to stay at home and enjoy the winter activities, the spirit around is joyful.