bedrooms of the lodge

the painting of all the three lower bedrooms of the lodge

has been completed by gwendolynn this week

the freshness of white trim/ivory and sage walls

has created a calming interior

with focus on our awesome exterior views

sunRISE bedroom

Rookery

sunSET bedroom

STONE STAIRS

neil and travis construct the outside staircase to the cottage

solid strength of blasted vancouver island rock

Kiwi Harvesting

kiwis in the courtyard

a bountiful harvest this season

with the help of jennn today

we have planted a few hundred flower bulbs

sunSET room LOG BED

the beach wood king bed of the sunSET bedroom

is a creation of neighbour greg innes

local art is featured and sold throughout the lodge

sooke is renowned for its many artists and studio tours

AMAZING SUNSET

The magic of sunsets from craidelonna's deck

each unique in design and detail of colours

"another wonderful day in paradise"

- with thanx -

puttin' the gardens to bed

fall is now upon us...

the maples and alders have dropped their leaves

and the last of the flower blooms are gone...

seeds have been collected and next years bulbs still get planted

with the help of jennn

the gardens are put to sleep for the short winter...

new balcony for the cottage

Unprotected wood rots on the "wet"coast of Canada
The balcony of the cottage undergoes full repair...

thanks to the help once again of the "clubbie surfers" the huge 18' support beam has found it way into position today...

protected/silicone/membrane and stained - balcony built to last - with new dry space deck below...

for cottage guests to sit or dine outside...

the miracle of pampas

cut down & leveled to the ground in early spring...

the pampas has surged back to grandeur

the resilience of nature

the heron's flight

A tranquil quiet moment for the blue heron is interrupted

its prehistoric screech & screams

voices its displeasure at the disturbance

as it lifts into flight over the peaceful waters of the ocean

LOWlow Tide

The FULL MOON

has created a wonderfully lowlow tide line

and sandy beach

A warm sunny walk on the beach

becomes an OCTOBER playground..

the DETAILS of NATURE

finding the beauty in the details of nature..

stormwatching - surf's up...

There's a storm brewing and the ocean begins to swell

SURF's UP .!!.

the season for storm watching begins

as the ocean takes on its fall/winter sound of pounding SURF!

surfers & swingers celebrate a windy stormy day

washed in the ocean spray

Alaskan Saw

a downed cedar on the property

has been milled by the surfers with their alaskan saw

into a bountiful stack of 4" slabs of wood for future furniture & stuff

Mosaic Bathroom "facelift"

the continual art of maintenance...
the mosaic bathroom
is remodelled this week
new paint detail by zen gwenn

"all in a day"

Today the seagulls decided that the backyard stretch of ocean was the place to be...
there must have been fifty of them , some flying low while most bobbed effortlessly atop the water's gentle swell.... at that moment the majestic eagle swooped into their midst
in a flash he descended onto the water's crest... pulled out a fish and was gone in a breath with catch in talons... to the screams and screeches of the gulls....

studio deck

the new studio deck is complete...
the upper deck of the lodge takes on a fresh red wood cedar appearance
rivalling the tired old silver

August Walks on the Beach

before the long weekend
"the family" takes a walk on the ocean beach
Ritchard / Lmnop (ellie) / and notice Sowell our cat, in the background
happy sunshine days of summer

BlackBerry

Rural BlackBerry Service

todays harvested luncheon treat for guests

Fresh from the Front Yard - Ocean Edge

Tire Stairs

35 new TIRE STAIRS

Creating the west-side pathway from the lodge to the ocean front

posts are now cemented into place for the railings

we now have three pathways for guests to get to the beaches below

EVENING GATHERINGS

Evening Gatherings with Friends

Wedding Day

Summers Meals - OUTdoors

A summer table is set

for guests to enjoy

a special luncheon in the courtyard

sunSET Bathroom renos

Simple clean lines & colours

reveal spectacular views of MAGNIFICENT sunsets

the Fire Pit

Guests are invited to sit outside
under the stars
enjoying the evening ocean breeze
with the fire burning
roasting marshmallows
(got a great recipe for smoors)

LindSAY takes a break from keeping house
to check out the new fire chamber
i tell her she looks like a barker girl...
when i try to explain.. she asks "who is bob barker?"
hmmm... generation gaps..?

outside hot water shower

The Outside Shower is now complete
with hot and cold water !!!
HOT WATER for the cooler evenings
or in the fall and winter when one braves an outside shower..
for folks who just like things hot & steamy.

COLD WATER , say the Finlanders is helpful
when finishing a sauna..>

SO..
some like it cold & some like it hot....

Designed with sliding panels
Guests can have the privacy of their own shower... or open the blinds to view the ocean & strait around them..

Your choice to Enjoy..!!

NEW UPPER NEST DECK

the rickety rotted deck of the nest is gone...

replaced with pressure treated wood

underneath thick full dimensional red cedar decking
SOLID & STRONG

the old tired silver begins to be replaced with the brilliant hues of natural red cedar

Summer Flowers & Water Systems

installation of a new watersystem
provides ample water for the gardens....

SUMMER FLOWERS BURST INTO BLOOM..


ALL WATER for Craidelonna will pass through
our new state of art water system..

thanks for the help of ray & terry & jason & pat with crews
for the installation of new catchments of the springs with larger new storage tanks and pipes.. the system is a series of on-flow chlorine treatment.. charcoal filters and gradient micron filters, finished with uv light panels treatment...

FRESH! CLEAN!