February 16th, 2014

Well, yet another cold and rainy week in the beautiful Cowichan Valley.  Not really much opportunity for outdoor chores, but still lots to do!  The rain broke just long enough for us to make a trip to Osbourne Bay in Crofton.  Plus plenty of indoor projects on the go.

Osbourne Bay in beautiful Crofton, BC.  A little piece of paradise in our own backyard.

This is one of our favourite hikes, partly due to the hundreds of Arbutus trees that come in every shape and size.

Another tree in the way?  No problem!  Just grow around it.

Sideways forest.

The first cabbage seedlings breaking through.

One month old leeks and two week old Copra onions looking remarkably similar.

Our second batch of celery.

Spinach seedling with young bergamot seedlings breaking through.

Healthy looking artichoke seedlings standing next to their poor departed twin siblings.  I hate having to thin.

Our first celery seedlings thinned to single plants.  Our first pepper plant in the top right.  Rapini in the bottom right just beginning to shows it's first true leaves.

My first attempt at homemade vanilla extract.  Ridiculously easy to make.  One more month and it should be ready for use.

Homemade triple fruit marmalade.  Orange, lemon and pink grapefruit.  Unfortunately it's not really feasible to source out local citrus fruit here in the Pacific Northwest, but thankfully there's some amazing produce coming up from California.  Even despite the major droughts they are experiencing.

Well, if the weather man is correct (fingers crossed) we should start seeing the end of rain by Wednesday which means we can get some serious work done on the weekend.  It also looks like we could be up to 10 degrees Celsius by the end of February which would be good news for planting early peas, carrots, lettuce and broad beans.  Stay tuned!!