10C overcast.
Played Scotch pairs yesterday, one of those good days when you're really on your game.
The yard is looking nice, trying to get it bird friendly is paying off although I suppose the not so friendly hawk will be around soon to take his tax.
Tried to watch the video of Alan's service that has been put out on facebook by our friend Cappi, but our computers aren't cooperating. Here is the link if anyone wants to try. https://vimeo.com/42271426

He knew he could get salal berries almost anytime so he avoided them.

He had luckily brought his water pails and pack sack so was able to get everything back in one load.

He stoked up the fire again then as there was still two or three hours of daylight left he trotted down to the beach and picked up a half dozen oysters.

As he started to head back to the trail, he turned and looked out over the water. There was nothing to be seen except the water, a jut of land several miles away and some seagulls wheeling over and diving into a probable school of small fish. Bob stared for several moments; for a moment a face framed in black hair crossed his mind but he shook his head, shrugged and turned again.

That night he feasted on venison heart, oysters and two types of mushrooms. ‘Hmm you don’t get ‘surf and turf’ better than this.’ He smiled in the darkness.

Later he stoked up the fire again, turned and moved the meat about then went to bed.

He awoke in the middle of the night to a roaring wind, the old cabin shook and the rain pounded like thunder on the shake roof. He went back to sleep but was awakened in the morning by the sound of dripping water.

Rain was leaking through the roof and falling on top of the stove. He put a bucket under the drip and went to check his meat.

The fire was out, drowned by the torrential rain and one corner of his pole frame was skewed and several pieces of meat had fallen on the ground.

‘Could be worse.’ He thought.

He picked up the meat and took a tentative bite, “Hmm not bad although is it dry enough to keep?” He finished eating the strip then went and got some dry wood and restarted the fire.

Rain was still falling. Concerned that the rain would interfere with his curing process, Bob took the axe and cut several long poles then tying them together fashioned a rough tent frame.

He still had several pieces of plastic sheeting in the wood shed, these he draped over the frame and staked the edges outside of the pit. Immediately the smoke was compressed and some of the heat was trapped under the plastic. ‘I should have thought of that sooner.’