Our first stop was Smitty’s Oyster House where we had a sampling of fresh raw oysters from Gorge Harbour on Vancouver Island. The large plank table that you see in the image above sits just a few feet from the salty brine and we were encouraged to toss our empty oyster shells over the railing to help seed a new oyster bed. The table has an interesting story. When the restaurant first opened, the municipal council of the day were only prepared to allow a single table for outside seating. I guess you can fight City Hall!

After following the boardwalk along the shoreline we cut through a beautifully landscaped park and found ourselves at Leo’s Tapas & Grill where a plate of freshly prepared calamari was waiting. Leo’s also hosts a Seafood Festival in January and a Greek Festival in February. I’ll be marking both of these dates on next year’s calendar.

We left Leo’s and walked a few steps down the street to Mike’s Gelato where we were greeted by an impressive array of 64 varieties of gelato. It was tough narrowing my choices down to our allotted three but with a little help from our affable and engaging server I choose the Chocolate Snickers, Radical Rolo and Twisted Sweet & Salty.

We walked a couple of blocks further to the Black Bean Cafe, a coffee shop that uses only organic, fair trade beans, which they roast themselves. I had a caramel macchiato and sampled some strawberry-rhubarb muffin… what a great combination. They do all of their baking on-site and have a very loyal customer base.

We crossed over to the other side of the street and were welcomed inside by the owner of Daffadowndilly, which offers an eclectic collection of work by local artists. The building was built in 1928 as a shake cutters shed and has had a colourful history. When we commented on the slanting floor, the owner shared the story that the building had been partially knocked off its foundations by a runaway truck that had careened down the steep hill some years ago.

This is the impressive view from Gramma’s Pub, our next stop, and another business with an interesting story. The pub was first opened over 40 years ago, and was operated by an elderly couple, affectionately known as Gramma and Grampa by the locals. We were served a glass of Landing Lager, which is the house brew and made by Russell Brewing specifically for Gramma’s.

The Black Berry Shop was our next stop and as you can see from the image and guess from the name, they offer a lot of blackberry products. We had a sampling of an interesting  blackberry/garlic jam over cream cheese on a cracker and it was delicious.  There was also blackberry chutney, syrup and vinegar as well as some straight up blackberry jam. The store is a cooperative for over 65 local artists and food producers and offers a wide variety of wonderful products.

Gypsy Cove is right next door and we were able to sample some of their food products as well. We started with a refreshing glass of iced tea made from one of their many specialty fruit teas. They offer over 35 different teas for a variety of tastes and needs, including a good selection of “wellness teas” to help with energy, relaxation or jet lag. We also sampled some of their infusion sea salts with some raw veggies – my two favourites were the Spanish Rosemary and the Salish Alderwood Smoked Sea Salt.

What a great day!! I was able to sample some very tasty food products made right here on the Sunshine Coast and I heard lots of interesting stories. All in all it was a very entertaining day and provided me with some unique experiences that helped this long-time resident connect even further with the community.  You can find more information about Catch Our Drift on their website.

Follow this link to return to our Coracle Cove website.

Any festival that’s been happening year after year for over 30 years has obviously found the right formula for success.   The Festival of the Written Arts  has been described as “Canada’s longest running summer gathering of Canadian writers and readers.

This year is the 31st anniversary and another full slate of outstanding Canadian writing talent will be here to talk about their books. If you like reading, then the festival is a great place to hear about new work from your favourite authors, but it’s also a great introduction to others whose names are less familiar and a few about whom you know absolutely nothing.

In fact, in previous years’ festivals some of the new names have often been the best presenters and “in some instances, the hands down biggest hit of the Festival.”

The Festival takes place over a four-day weekend, August 15-19. You can check out the full program at  http://www.writersfestival.ca/  but don’t leave it too long as many of the events often sell out early.

Tickets go on sale by telephone at 8AM on Wednesday, May 29th, and I’ll be ready with  my selections previewed and made, and my telephone on speed dial.

Follow this link to return to our website.

How good is this… a walk in solitude through a beautiful forest and a chance to do some photography – sounds like the perfect outing for me!! Hidden Grove is just five minutes from Coracle Cove and I’ve been spending a lot of time there lately.

A series of wonderful trails has been created over the past few years and recently, one most worthy of mention.  A widened trail with a good smooth base makes it perfect for the wheels of your choice – a wheel chair or a child’s stroller - providing increased access to a broader spectrum of users.

There’s a cultural history component to the trail system as well. Shortly after entering the trails you’ll notice several trees which have undergone bark stripping. The shíshálh Nation have settled the area for several millennia and continue to harvest the bark of the cedar tree to make traditional baskets, regalia and clothing. The bark is relatively thin and grows back quickly.

The history of Hidden Grove is also one of survival… survival from natural fires of several centuries ago, which left charred bark up to a foot thick on the largest Douglas firs. More recently, the area was scheduled for logging but the local community rallied together  and Hidden Grove has been saved again.

Today these precious 125 acres have been set aside solely for recreation and less than 5 minutes away from Coracle Cove, they provide our guests a nearby opportunity for both solitude and a re-connection with nature.

The main trail rises gently, passing rocky outcrops and mossy plateaus and brings you to the Ancient Grove, a concentrated group of tall, stately firs like this one, which is marked on the map as the Lonely Giant.

The extensive trail system loops through some interesting micro-climates and vegetation. I followed the Red Trail a little further and the change in vegetation was dramatic with a profusion of low growing ferns and moss covered tree trunks.

The network of trails is well marked with signs like this at each intersection, and it’s impossible to lose one’s way. Today,  it seemed as if I had the trails completely to myself, with the exception of a lone Swainson’s Thrush who kept me company with its plaintif, flute-like song.

Follow this link to return to www.coraclecove.com

At the time of European contact their population exceeded 25,000 but that relationship would prove to be costly as disease and misguided government policies brought this once proud nation to its knees. Their totems tell us a story of freedom and re-birth as the shíshálh re-gained their economic independence and moved forward to rebuild their Nation.

In a tremendous cultural renaissance, almost 30 totems have been carved in the last thirty years. While contemporary, they are impressive indications of the rich cultural and artistic heritage of the shíshálh.

Our tour begins at the Sechelt Indian Band Hall which is located behind McDonald’s. Leave your car in the parking lot and walk around to the front of the hall.

It is here that the talking totems begin their story…

On the water side of the Hall, a circle of smaller totems, carved by Jamie Jeffries surrounds a large granite bolder with a plaque describing the history of shíshálh Nation. While only four of the original seven remain, three of these are faceless and represent the loss of identity under the Federal Indian Act.

On October 9, 1986 the federal government passed legislation removing the shíshálhs from the oppressive Indian Act. They became the first in Canada to achieve a self-government status enabling them to exert more control over their economic development . The provincial government would follow 20 months later with legislation creating the Sechelt Indian District Government.

Two larger totems stand to the side of the plaque, each celebrating the passage of this historic legislation by the respective parliamentary body. A second set of totems stand at the front of the hall honouring the elders of the community for their patience and wisdom.

Follow the road leading toward the ocean and turn left, walking along the seawall until you find five totems majestically looking out to the Salish Sea. The  shíshálh territory was vast and these totems represent the four main clans of the nation. The ts ´únay were in Jervis Inlet at Deserted Bay and the xénichen at nearby Queen’s Reach. The téwánkw occupied the waters of Sechelt Inlet and the sxixus ranged from Pender Harbour to Roberts Creek. The fifth totem, in the middle, marks the amalgamation of these four clans in 1925 to form the modern day Sechelt Nation.

Leaving the waterfront, walk up Chelphi Avenue until you come to the highway and then turn left, until you reach the traffic light where you can cross the highway. Within just two decades of achieving self-government, the shíshálh Nation had created the Tsain-Ko Village Shopping Centre, the crown jewel of their economic development.  To celebrate this achievement five more totems were erected in 2007.

The eagle on the top is the Spiritual Bird that watches over all of the communities. Below is the Welcoming figure, holding its arms out in greeting and welcoming people of other nations to the Sechelt Community

This Thunderbird is the spiritual guardian of the Sechelt Nation and was carved by band member Tony Paul in 2007. Tony is a prolific carver and is currently creating a totem to commemorate the opening of the new wing of the hospital which sits on traditional grounds, generously donated to the community by the shíshálh Nation.

Cross back over the highway and follow the sidewalk to MacDonald’s, making one final stop at the House of héwhíwus complex. The tems swiya museum welcomes you to a journey encompassing the shíshálh land, history and culture. Stop by the tsain-ko gift shop and take home a reminder of your visit to Sechelt.

With special thanks to Susan Blockberger, Lenora Joe, Fran Nahanee, Bradley Hunt, Jamie Jeffries, Lori Dixon, Kerry Mahlman, Tony Paul and Candace Campo for helping to compile this information.

Follow this link to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

As a novice birder, I’ve approached this new-found interest with enthusiasm, and one of the great things that I’ve learned about birding is that it has a season. Migratory birds set off from distant points south, and arrive here on a schedule that has been in place for eons. The arrival of the Rufous Hummingbird is a much anticipated event among local birders here on the Sunshine Coast.

Hummingbirds are of course, are extremely hungry after their migration, which could have been up to 9,000 kilometres long. They are naturally attracted to feeders and with two freshly filled feeders installed, I had my first visitor today – did I mention that there is a competitiveness among our local birders to announce the first sighting. It wasn’t me, but I was close.

They’ll stay for most of the summer, providing us with lots of entertaining moments and opportunities for taking pictures like these. It’s one more reason why you should bring your camera when you come to stay at Coracle Cove.

I took this photo from the outside deck off the suite and caught this Spotted Towhee in the act. He’s a bit bigger that most of the others and has a particular preference for these black oil sunflower seeds.

We have a large variety of LBJ’s (little brown jobs) mostly from the Sparrow family. This male Song Sparrow has one of the most beautiful mating songs which they sing upon arrival in the Spring to establish territory and attract a mate.

I think this White-crowned Sparrow is a particularly handsome chap with his black and white stripes, and he’s a pretty good singer as well.

This is another of those LBJ’s that are sometimes difficult to identify. It looks like a sparrow but the yellow wing and tail feathers ID it as a Pine Siskin, one of the flock of Siskins in the opening image of this blog.

All of these images were taken just a few feet away from our feeders so be sure you bring your camera when you come to Coracle Cove.

Follow this link to return to our website www.coraclecove.com

]]> http://coraclecove.com/everythingsunshinecoast/?feed=rss2&p=1598 0 http://coraclecove.com/everythingsunshinecoast/?p=1577 http://coraclecove.com/everythingsunshinecoast/?p=1577#comments Mon, 03 Dec 2012 20:50:31 +0000 Coracle Cove http://coraclecove.com/everythingsunshinecoast/?p=1577 Continue reading →]]> Last week I blogged about some of my favourite Christmas traditions -  gathering with a large group of friends and family to walk through the woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree; building a large beach side bonfire to watch the Carol Ships sailing by at night; and best of all, attending a wonderful Winter Harp concert. All of these are annual Christmas traditions that I look forward to at this time of the year.

Christmas is also about food and each year I’m responsible for organizing my Men’s Group to make about 350 rum balls for the Christmas Cookie Sale at our church. These rum balls are an extremely popular item and are likely the reason why line-ups appear well before the doors open.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Some of the guys in my group barely know how to boil water, so over the years I’ve had to perfect the recipe and simplify the process to ensure that all 350 rum balls are made to the same exacting standards that our door crashing, Christmas cooke sale customers have come to expect.  Herewith, is my not so secret, favourite Christmas recipe…

You only need six ingredients so gather the following together:

• 2 1/2 cups of Vanilla Wafers (you could also use chocolate or Graham)
• 1 1/2 cups of walnuts (Martha Stewart likes to toast these for extra flavour)
• 1 cup of powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup of dark rum
• 1/4 cup of corn syrup

Dump the first four ingredients into a food processor and whirl it all together until you get a loose crumb.  Pour this into a large bowl and set aside. Add the last two ingredients into a smaller bowl and mix well. Add the wet to the dry mixture and mix until the liquid is completely absorbed and a large dough ball can be formed. Add more rum if you need but only a tablespoon at a time. Refrigerate for half an hour or so. Make yourself a cup of coffee while you’re waiting. You can add a drop or two of rum… just for quality control, mind you.

The size of the rum balls is a matter of individual choice. We usually get 30-40 rum balls from this recipe but church cookie sales are a serious business and we’re not giving them away. Start by dividing the big dough ball into 4 parts – you should get 8-10 balls from each quarter.

Now comes some fun. Pour a little cocoa powder into a cereal bowl and drop in one or two rum balls. Twirl the bowl around and Voilà…  the rum ball is coated with cocoa. You can do this with some powdered sugar as well, or even some ground nuts that you’ve toasted, just like Martha.

Rum Balls mature in flavour with age so start early and store them in a covered container in the refrigerator for at least a few days before serving. I like to wrap them in some cheese cloth that I’ve soaked in a little more rummmmm….

Three beautiful harps, rare medieval instruments and percussion combine to perform an afternoon of festive carols and stories and a most hauntingly beautiful Christmas concert. The ensemble features Kim Robertson, one of the world’s top Celtic harpists and the ever popular narrator Patrick Ball.

Sechelt is the first of their concert series, and many Vancouverites have been known to take the short ferry ride to hear their performance in a more intimate setting. I’ve often been tempted to travel in the other direction to experience their concert in the majestic cathedral of  St. Andrews-Wesley United Church in Vancouver

Watch the video below, a most beautiful rendition of O Come O Come Emmanuel. A singular voice accompanied by the  mesmerizing sound of a 9th century replica Spanish Organistrum and a medieval Bass Psaltery.

Christmas for me is a time to celebrate all these wonderful traditions – the Winter Harp concert, our annual Christmas Tree Brunch with family and friends, a large beach-side bonfire to watch the Carol Ships cruising by at night… it is a magical time to experience and enjoy, and it has begun, once again.

Start with some fresh pears. They don’t have to be ripe but you don’t want them bruised. If they’re a little on the hard side you’ll just cook them a little longer.  When you cut them it’s nice to leave a bit of the stem  on both sides. Scoop out the core with a melon baller or a small spoon, and clean up the other end where the flower petal was. Cook a few extra to keep on hand for your next craving.

You can use anything for your poaching liquid and once you get the hang of it you can experiment.   I used a bottle of red wine and added a cup of sugar, a couple of tablespoons of mulling spices and another tablespoon of black tea.

The cooking time will vary so let the pears simmer for 10 or 15 minutes and then poke them with a skewer to check. Remove them from the poaching liquid and let them cool. While you’re waiting you can ladle some of the poaching liquid into a cup and enjoy a pleasant hot drink. Save the rest of the liquid for the next time.

At Coracle Cove we serve these with our signature decadent cream – half a cup of both whipping cream and sour cream, a quarter cup of sugar and a few drops of almond extract – whip it all together. We also add a few sprinkles of granola, or in this case, some left over crumble topping with black sesame seeds…yummmm!!

Follow this link to return to www.coraclecove.com

Goldmoss Studio in Roberts Creek

With several opening night receptions taking place up and down the Sunshine Coast Friday evening had an air of festivity . Fresh on the Coast, located in Sechelt featured live music, refreshments and a demonstration by local artist Brett Varney.

Artist: Brett Varney

Just a few doors down the street, Artworks celebrated their recent relocation to Sechelt with more food and music and a demonstration by contemporary artist Donna Swain. It was a magical experience watching this image emerge on her canvas.

As the evening progressed, a large crowd converged at RockHouse Studio... even the Mayor showed up to help celebrate Art on the Sunshine Coast.  RockHouse, as the name implies features a large granite interior wall which was an intersting counterpoint to the work of impressionist painter Dana Caple Smith.

Sechelt’s Mayor John Henderson with Dana Caple Smith

Saturday morning broke with unexpected sunny skies and I was really looking forward to visiting a “best of the best” list of Arts Crawl participants in Roberts Creek that had been recommended to me by one of the organizers. As a long-time Coast resident, I was aware of a number of artists located in this colourful, eclectic community but I was definetly in for a few surprises.

 This is it. Design, a glassworks studio is tucked away deep in the woods of Upper Roberts Creek, and this modernistic studio, filled with treats both inside and out, is now on my official visitors’ must see list.

Further up the road, as I drove deeper into the hinterlands I found yet another hidden jewel down a roadway behind this interesting street marker.

Andrew Dunkerton came to the Coast in 1975 and has lovingly crafted his beautiful post and beam studio from the trees on his small acreage. Andrew’s love of wood carries on into the studio where he has created beautiful Northwest Coast style masks and bentwood boxes.

My next stop was filled with more surprises. Goldmoss Gallery, with polished concrete floors, high ceilings and tall windows offering magestic ocean vistas beyond would not be out of place in an urbane setting were it not for the majestic tall cedars surrounding the gallery. Goldmoss, which opened in 2010 provides a mix of work by local artists Bon and Lee Roberts as well as others from afar, and their goal is “to provide original fine art to established and emerging collectors.”

Artist: Sally Michener

Sunday brought forth another sunny morning. It was going to be a perfect day for a drive up the Coast to visit a special studio in Halfmoon Bay. But first I wanted to re-visit the studio of Laurie Rolland. Laurie’s small tidy studio in Davis Bay belies her status as an artist whose pottery has been displayed internationally and held in both corporate and public collections, as well as my own.

George Pratt’s studio was the last on my list and I was looking forward to my visit.  Like many artists that I had met this weekend, George was drawn to the Coast as much by its lifestyle as its beauty.  His work is widely collected in North America by private individuals and corporations and several large works have been commissioned for public display in Canada. Some also  have been presentation works for foreign dignitaries including Prince Phillip and Bill Clinton. I was greeted by several of his creations as I walked up his driveway.

His home based studio, set on five acres of rock and trees offers inspiring panoramic views of Welcome Passage and Thormanby Island. More recently, this talented artist has turned to painting and coming inside his studio of vibrant colours was like a fine dessert to end this wonderful weekend.

I’m already looking forward to next year’s Art Crawl. But more importantly I’ve got a great list of galleries and studios that I can re-visit myself and recommend to my B&B guests when they’re looking for intersting places to see on the Sunshine Coast.

Follow this link to return to my website at www.coraclecove.com or to read some of my other recommendations for the Sunshine Coast.