My Specialized Turbo Vado e-Bike A Fun Way to Explore and Beach Comb The Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada, is a very hilly (mountainous, in fact) place. While understanding how it makes ecological sense to bike, I personally started sweating just thinking of the hills here. So most often I walked, which was fine but limiting. To the post office and back carrying my shipments took a long time. I like technology, and suddenly got a serious urge for an e-bike. Never looking back! The steepest hills are suddenly easily conquered. This recent acquisition has had an added bonus, in that I now enjoy checking out new places. It turns out some very fine places are not that far from my home. Yesterday, looking at Google Maps, I saw a little beach marked. Peddling over, I was absolutely astounded at this beautiful, secluded place. What charm! Even better is that when I walked along, I discovered this beach is perhaps the best I have so far found on the Coast for the type of stones I need for my beach stone wind chimes. My new Arkel panniers will get tested carrying home a few of these heavy stones. Since getting my bike just a couple of months ago, I have already logged over 700 kilometres. I am sure our car has many fewer kilometres on its odometer. Not only is the bike an awful lot of fun, but it also feels good not to be burning all that fossil fuel. New Beach Found, Thanks to e-Bike Exploring

Galloping Goose Bike Trail Vancouver Island Holiday Enjoying a Peaceful Break Specialized Turbo Vado First Long Bike Trip It's hard for me to take time off from making wind chimes and suncatchers: I love my work! It is especially hard at this time of year; as the USA and Eastern Canada thaw out, and people turn to decorating their outdoor space, and it gets busy here at Coast Chimes. But everyone needs a break. A bike trip proved ideal, especially on Vancouver Island which turns out to be very bike-friendly. From downtown Victoria to the Galloping Goose nature trail, bikes often get priority on Vancouver Island— very different from most of the Sunshine Coast! My new Specialized Turbo Vado performed flawlessly, and the Buzzrack Scorpion H2 car rack was a real treat to use. We meandered, enjoyed nature, enjoyed the gorgeous weather, saw new things (Bouchart Gardens— worth it!), and also had some fine meals out. Now back to it. I have a very long to-do list, starting with firing back up my website and Etsy, and immediately producing many sets of copper and brass chimes (I am definitely behind!). Oh! I'll still take time each day for a nice walk / bike ride— that's just he way I work.

Fireweed Blossom Picking Sunshine Coast BC My job is a pleasure. But I do enjoy some time off. All year long, I make a point of going for a walk or hike during the day, just an hour or so, which is refreshing, especially in the winter rains! But really I am waiting for summer, with blue skies, warm ocean. My holiday time is a couple of hours each nice afternoon, walking or biking down to one of my favourite beaches, sprawling out with a good book in the shade, taking dips. Lovely. Some good, long hikes are also always a preferred summer time-out. Lately we made several trips up to a large fireweed patch we had our eyes on. The first couple of trips, the flowers were not quite open. The last time was perfect for picking, and we got our ten cups for fireweed jelly (see below). I first stumbled across fireweed jelly somewhere on the internet-- perhaps Instagram or Pinterest, and it immediately caught my eye. This was several years ago, and it has been on the to-do list ever since. I am so pleased to have finally accomplished the making of this treat, as it is absolutely gorgeous. The color is so intense, it almost looks artificial. However, nothing could be more natural. While trying to steel a couple of hours a day for my 'break,' I feel the pressure of attempting to keep my stock of wind chimes and suncatchers up, and, indeed, increasing stock for the fast approaching Sunshine Coast Art Crawl. That's all going okay, but I need to keep working really hard to get to where I wish to be. It will happen. Even with my daily mini-vacations. Fireweed Jelly Kaleidoscope Wind Chime at Coast Chimes

Large Beautiful Glass and Copper Wind Chime by Coast Chimes It's clear: from the number of orders pouring in, the wintery areas of the USA and Canada have thawed out, and people are turning to their yards and gardens, deciding to add some decor. Why Coast Chimes? I designed with three main elements in mind. First, appearance: my wind chimes and suncatchers must be beautiful. Second, durability. My works are designed to last: Coast Chimes is the environmentally right decision in what is far too often a throw away world. Third, for the chimes, they must sound fine, and not annoying. I worked on the sound until satisfied that they sound great: pleasant, not too loud, blending with the natural environment so as not to intrude on ones peaceful moments in the outdoors. Beauty Durability Lovely sound These days, with the price of copper (I just invested in more raw stock), they are also frankly a good deal. Back when I started, I hardly paid attention to my copper, as it was not very expensive. I pay attention now! And while the price of copper has increased several 100's %, I have not raised my prices in years. So enjoy a good deal! Visit Coast Chimes and choose something amazing for yourself or for a friend?

Specialized Turbo Vado e-bike Coast Chimes Orders Headed to the Post Office Most often in the past, I would put an order inside my large backpack, and strap the others onto the outside, sometimes during the busy seasons also having to add a large garbage bag or two, and hike the kilometres to our local post office. It was easy if the car happened to be home to do the simple thing and drive. These pretty spring days, it is a pleasure to use my new e-bike. We have many really steep hills here, and I never felt like using a regular bike much-- just too hard on my knees. The e-bike lets me choose just how much assistance I want. Loaded down, steep hill, I can get a lot of help, making even the steepest hill no problem at all. Pleasure riding, or on the flat areas, I can basically turn off the assistance and get some work out. The only issue is all the narrow, twisting roads we have here, or narrow roads with high speed limits. If there happens to be a bike lane, it tends to be a fairly narrow strip, no barrier, full of sticks, stones, or worse, and also frequent uneven pavement. It seems biking is becoming ever more popular, and I hope everyone puts pressure on the government to improve this situation. I myself plan to advocate for improvements. I feel great getting some exercise, not contributing to the traffic and air pollution with an ICE. Customers or Coast Chimes may appreciate that I constantly do all I can to reduce, reuse, recycle. Also, I design and build all my creations to last, unlike cheaper stuff often designed for a season or two and to be thrown away.

A Sincere Thank You To All Those Who Appreciate and Support Handmade Quality Back over 25 years ago, in my home in the woods, far from most people, I first came to understand what an amazing thing the Internet could be, as I discovered I could reach the whole world. Thanks to the Internet, my work started to spread far and wide: the USA, Canada, Mexico, Europe, Japan. This year, and especially this Christmas season, has been no exception. And I am grateful. So thank you all my customers. You make what I do possible. Wishing you a happy holiday season, and a fantastic 2020.

One of My Favourite Spots Just Above Roberts Creek, BC Sunshine Coast From Powell River to Port Melon, the Sunshine Coast is without doubt rich in awesome hiking options. Before moving close to Gibsons, we lived in upper Roberts Creek, and that is where I first discovered the almost countless trails this area boast. Every once in a while, I enjoy returning to this part of the coast, to revisit those trails. Just yesterday, I took a friend through one of these routes. A beautiful blue sky day, and early enough so we did not wilt from heat. Perfect! The picture above is one of my very favourite spots on the coast. It's such a peaceful spot. But it is also typical of many of the trails on the Sunshine Coast. One thing: because there are so many trails, it is pretty easy to get turned around and loose your way. I recommend the free app, Maps.me, available at the Apple App Store, Google Play, and Amazon Apps. Unlike Google Maps or Apple Maps, Maps.me actually has a lot of hiking trails on the maps. If I did not know the area well, I would not go to a place like where I took this picture without it, and even though I know the area well, I still reference the maps from time to time.

Exceptional Swimming and Beach Combing Beach Sunshine Coast, BC It's a rare day I don't get out for a walk along one of the beaches here on the Sunshine Coast, BC. It's in my job description! I need to find beautiful beach stones and lovely driftwood for my wind chimes and sun catchers. It's one of the more pleasurable parts of my work. But it's an awful lot more fun in the late spring and summer than in the winter rains! I plan it as my main vacation, taking extra time, bringing along a book to read for a bit, having a swim or two. That's good stuff! All the better, when I find something great, like this amazing piece of driftwood I found yesterday (sorry, no pic yet). Thanks to my Specialized Turbo Vado e-bike recently acquired, I have been discovering some 'new' shorelines. It is astounding that after living here for 25 years, there are still places to discover not far from home. The beach pictured above is only a 10 minute bike ride away, and I never knew it existed! Best of all, it turns out it has fantastic stones for my needs (no, not all pebble beaches are created equal in that department-- most have stones that are not shaped as I like them to be, smooth and rounded). Visit the Coast Chimes Website to see new, fantastic beach stone and driftwood works.

Backyard Organic Food Garden Coming Back From Winter Counterintuitively, when we had acreage we found we could not really do that much with it, as it was just too much land for us to manage, especially with young children and work. Moving 5 years ago to a very small lot, the difference is remarkable. I think when we had acreage, it was frustrating because even spending a full day on it did not show much impact. Now, a few hours and you can see progress. One thing was certain: when we bought the land and built the house, I said no grass, none, ziltch. Having spent 20 years mowing hilly acreage with a push mower, I had had more than enough! Also, I hated the noise, the stink, the seeming pointlessness of it-- especially in spring, you cut it, and it grows back so fast! So yes to no grass. What a great decision! I get to lie back in my hammock with a good book and the sound of neighbours firing up their mowers hardly even bothers me, smirking with no grass to cut! (Actually, the noise does still annoy me...) So instead of grass, we have food. Lots of food! The first year, when from one of those large raised beds I harvested in one day 3 1/2 large colanders of french green beans, and from the side, buckets of raspberries, blueberries, I realized you don't need much land to grow an amazing amount of food. I had to buy a freezer! From fairly early spring to late fall, this small backyard provides the majority of our fruits and vegetables. And, with the freezer, on into the winter. I wish more people would move from lawns to food. You can do it on a small scale without that much effort and money, and you will save a lot at the grocery store, and eat better.

Copper Wind Chime $145 Free Shipping at Coast Chimes If you listen, customers can be a wonderful source for ideas. Thirty years ago, it was a customer who first gave me the idea for making wind chimes! From way back then to now, my designs have been inspired by nature, by trial and error, by dreaming, and by customers. Most recently, a potential customer emailed to ask if I could make a round wood windsail for her, instead of the antiqued hammered copper diamond I use. I put that together for her, and, I must say, I like it! When I get caught up on my fairly long to-do list, I will probably make more of these, and offer some of my wind chimes with that round windsail. I like to offer my customers as many options as possible, but whatever I offer has to be high-quality and beautiful. See all my current stock at Coast Chimes.

Looking Forward Towards Brighter Days Sunshine Coast BC Forest Hike December 28, 2020 Happy New Year, and a BIG thank you to all the friends and fans of Coast Chimes for making 2020 a pretty darn great year, despite all the challenges. It was super frustrating and sad to cancel the annual Art Craw in October. The Sunshine Coast Art Crawl became a major high-point with so many people visiting and inflating my ego, but I simply could not see it working well for Coast Chimes in the midst of a pandemic. On a bright note, online sales jumped dramatically, and it was fantastic to see so many returning and new customers. Deeply appreciated! The new year starts; time to reflect, take extra-long hikes, and rebuild stock that took a major hit. I've already made good progress-- the hugely popular anniversary copper wind chimes are now back in stock, as shown in the picture below. Soon I will focus on kaleidoscope wind chimes and free standing kaleidoscope suncatchers... maybe have some by the end of the month. Best wishes for 2021!

Summers are just too beautiful here on the Sunshine Coast to go away! Fall and winter, a different matter. As the fall rains start, getting away for at least a few days can be refreshing. Strapping the bikes on the back of the car and heading into the Penticton BC area to sample the famous Kettle Valley Rail Trail is a simple, fun holiday. We warmed up the first day riding the length of Skaha lake, both directions, and exploring Penticton. 60 kilometres was hardly a strain (I do have an e-bike, but my wife was on her heavy regular Liv bike), as the terrain around the lake was quite flat. We then had a day of hiking, follow by moving to our very comfortable Naramata Airbnb. The next morning we went to a more wilderness section of the Kettle Valley Rail Trail, and, in fact, we only saw a three other people during then entire 50 kilometre trip. The trail was excellent: spectacular views, cool tunnels, fresh air, no vehicles, a gentle grade: perfect! We had been mildly concerned about going in mid-November, but this proved, at least this year, to be perfect timing. No snow, no ice, no crowds, and very fresh air to keep you peddling hard to warm up! It was a little too fresh coming back down, but nothing a Baileys coffee at the local pub couldn't put right, followed by a sampler of spirits at a local distillery (Legends, highly recommend for the spirits and the food!). Below, a few pics from the Kettle Valley Rail Trail. A Gentle Incline, Kettle Valley Rail Trail near Naramata, BC (my 2020 Turbo Vado 3.0) Tunnel on the Kettle Valley Rail Trail Giant Ponderosa Pine, Kettle Valley Rail Trail View From the Kettle Valley Rail Trail View on the Return, Kettle Valley Rail Trail Warming Up, Legend Distilling, Naramata, BC

This Wind Chime Can Be Found Here at Coast Chimes This Wind Chime Can Be Found Here at Coast Chimes This Wind Chime Can be Found Here at Coast Chimes I love new materials, and alcohol ink is proving to be most interesting and beautiful. Years ago, I did quite a few reverse painted glass wind chimes, with acrylic paint. Alcohol ink is similar, but more challenging as it needs to be UV protected. So working with this ink is art and science. For my sea glass, people frequently ask if I do not have any red, or purple. Alcohol ink more than satisfactorily solves this desire, as the colors are so brilliant. So for the red lovers, for the purple lovers, and the gold and silver lovers, here's to you! See all my recent alcohol works, both suncatchers and wind chimes, here at Coast Chimes.

New Natural Pacific Driftwood Wind Chime Design Five Copper Chimes $175 Coast Chimes What a warm, welcoming wind chime! Naturally beautiful. This is a new design and I love the simplicity. It's going to look wonderful hanging in any garden, yard, or on any deck-- or from the eves of your house. The driftwood really matches with the antiqued copper of the chimes. These chimes produce a gentle, soothing sound: not at all like the large aluminum chimes that are impressive in the store, but annoying at home. The secret to a nice sound is the beach stone clapper, or striker: hard against soft metal does magic. Find this set, and other styles including a small brass chime set, at Coast Chimes.

- Maps.Me Excellent for Hiking We enjoyed another, even longer, hike yesterday, all the way from just above the Langdale ferry terminal to the bottom of the B and K logging road. That took about 3.5 hours and was a great choice because much of the lower Sunshine Coast was covered in thick fog. Up on the side of the mountain, warm sunshine, blue skies. We started in the crazy maze of trails known as the Sprock Kids park, a jumble of criss-crossing trails made by volunteers for mountain bikers. Now especially through this part is where I wish to give huge thanks and high recommendations to my favourite hiking app: Maps.Me, available for iOS and Android. I believe this app is crowdsourced, which may explain the incredible detail of hiking trails that appear. It's really up to date, and really, really helpful. It works offline, too! It shows exactly where you are (blue triangle, not shown in the above image), and which direction you are facing (pointy part of the arrow). I probably referred to it over a dozen times yesterday, to find the trail, or just to be sure we were on the right trail. Exceptional! The Sunshine Coast has more than its fair share of trails. Some are very well marked, but a lot of them are either not marked, or marked in a confusing way. So unless you are certain you are venturing out on one of the easy, well marked trails, I would not go without Maps.me, or another good map-- if there are any. Oh, by the way, Maps.Me is free... so really no excuse! Because the hike was a bit longer than anticipated, it was cool ending up at the highway, where a bus arrived within minutes and took us back to our car in Langdale. Here are a couple of pics from yesterday. Highway 102 Trail, Langdale to Roberts Creek Little Things are Often the Cool Things on a Hike

Typical Hike Scenery, Sunshine Coast, BC The biggest influence on my work is without doubt this beautiful area I am fortunate enough to live in. The ocean, the beaches, the rugged shores, and the forests. I try to go for at least a walk everyday, regardless of the weather conditions. And once or twice a week, I strive to go for a real hike. Lately Mount Elphinstone has been the target. This is a huge area and it is absolutely littered with hiking trails-- from easy to ouch, from short to as long as you want. Yesterday we enjoyed one of my favourite hikes-- a favourite even though I had only been on it one time before. Just the right amount of up and down (nothing lung breaking), no other people, a decent length for an afternoon (2 1/2 hours, including 20 minutes for a nice picnic lunch). Nothing refreshes me and inspires me like a good hike in our woods.

Coast Chimes Gallery Gibsons, BC, Canada Having reached a state of serious chaos in my workshop, I decided to do an early clean-up-- something typically reserved until closer to the date of the annual Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, in October. But I really needed to do something about the mess, so why not add more display space at the same time as re-organizing? Pictured above is one of the additions, a new lit zone to show off some of my kaleidoscope works. Everything in my home gallery is already photographed and available online, so no need to leave your home to order. Visit Coast Chimes to see all the great works available right now.

Beachcomber's Wind Chime Driftwood and Beach Stones Copper Chimes Available at Coast Chimes Lately, I have been concentrating on driftwood and beach stone wind chimes, sometimes with the addition of artist-made sea glass, or perhaps a half oyster shell. These are really nice materials, and very durable for those living in high-wind, heavy rain or snow areas. Glass looks so great in the sunlight, beach stones and driftwood look at their best in the rain! There is something about driftwood and beach stones: they just work so well together! Naturally beautiful! The antiqued copper of the large chimes, or darkened brass of the small chimes, look great with these materials too! Beautiful is the word, durable, and a light, peaceful sound. Really great for any garden, yard, or deck! Too see all the fabulous designs, visit Coast Chimes now. Free, fast, expert shipping to the USA and Canada, reasonable postage to other destinations. Driftwood and Beach Stone Chime Antiqued Brass Chimes Available at Coast Chimes

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime $95 with Free Shipping at Coast Chimes The wind chime pictured above is great outdoors all year long, but in winter it can add a nice sparkle of color to your property-- it's an eye-catcher! There are several sizes available, including larger, with five copper chimes. Large Kaleidoscope Wind Chime $185 with Free Shipping at Coast Chimes

Natural Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime Five Copper Chimes $175 at Coast Chimes Beach stones are awesome. One of the cool things about them is that they look even better when they are wet (like from the tide going out), and this copper wind chime is not afraid of the rain. So hang this up, enjoy it all year round, and have a good look at the intensified colours and shininess of the smooth rounded beach stones when it rains. Visit the beach stone section of Coast Chimes to see lots of different stone wind chimes: Beach Stones.

Specialized Turbo Vado, New Passion It's been a very long time since I've ridden a bike. As a child and teenager, I lived on my bikes. Then I had a pretty terrible accident on the way to school, and never really felt like getting back in the saddle. Moving to the Sunshine Coast, BC, my wife REALLY enjoys biking around, and has frequently urged me to join her. We have hills here, A LOT of hills, and narrow roads, and well... I did not feel like doing that at all, with memories of my bad crash still haunting me, too. But then I looked into e-bikes. I do love technology. In fact, my love of technology, and the thought of effortlessly defeating our local steep hills, lead me to getting my e-bike. Never looking back (well, I do have a rearview mirror!), as I quickly discovered it is a lot of fun to explore on a bike. Above, reaching my destination on an early morning ride. It turns out early morning is a great time to ride, before there is much traffic on the roads. My one gripe is that the Sunshine Coast is very poor, as far as road biking. If there happens to be a bike lane, it is narrow, and generally full of gravel, branches, trash. Most often, there is no special bike lane, and the secondary roads tend to be curvy and narrow-- not ideal. I'm pretty cautious (yes, memories of that accident...), and hope to enjoy this new hobby without incident. The bright green swimming noodle on the back of my bike is an idea stollen from a cyclists in Toronto: it makes me more visible, and encourages cars to keep some distance when passing. I do notice a significant improvement since attaching it. My Early Morning Route from Yesterday

A Bridge That Turned Out to be a Sheet of Ice After more than 25 years living on the Sunshine Coast, BC, it amazes me that we still find new hikes. This is a reflection of the terrific number of gorgeous trails criss-crossing the Coast. New trails are frequently being added, I think mostly thanks to a keen and energetic mountain biking community. Yesterday we maintained our tradition of going on a long hike the first day of the new year, and discovered a previously unexplored (by us) network of trails not far from where we live. The surprises were multiple, in that this was definitely one of the most interesting hikes yet (complete with an old graveyard, a well displayed and signed bunch of old logging equipment, and most surprising a whole lot of snow! Looking at a map before departing, I never would have thought we would be in that much snow, and it just goes to show how you really have to be prepared for anything when hiking on the Sunshine Coast. The most amusing moment came when my wife got part way across the above pictured bridge, only to discover it was one large sheet of extremely polished, slick ice! She did manage to creep the entire length without plunging, and I was happy to step down and across the stream without risking it. The entire walk was 3.5 hours, and a little higher than this picture it became a winter wonderland. Very refreshing! The hot tea with a delicious lunch hit the spot! For anyone not terribly familiar with hiking on the Sunshine Coast, two recommendations. First, absolutely go prepared (sun, rain, snow, wind may all be encountered during a single walk). Second, the very best maps for iPhone / iOS, and Android too, that I have found is called Maps.Me I believe the wilderness maps are crowdsourced, updated frequently, and very, very valuable when hiking in areas such as where we went yesterday, where there are many trails, and it is easy to get turned around / lost. They work offline, so brilliant. Can not recommend strongly enough.

Kaleidoscope Sea Glass and Copper Wind Chime by Coast Chimes My Kaleidoscope wind chimes are very popular. Still, I get new ideas for them! Above, I decided it would be nice to attache a larger piece of cobalt blue glass with a copper spiral to the bottom of the box frame of smaller glass pieces. I think it looks great! Coast Chimes is under full production, which is still not a lot, since it is one person (me!) doing everything! Sometimes I think I should hire someone to do some of the more tedious chores, but I am extremely fussy that everything gets done exactly right-- the very best possible -- and I think any 'helper' would likely be a headache. So I will carry on, by myself, and make sure each step is completed perfectly. While stock levels are down, there are still plenty of gorgeous wind chimes and suncatchers available to choose from, and a few more being added each week. See all my wind chimes and suncatchers at Coast Chimes. Always free shipping.

Happy New Year Wishes from Coast Chimes I can not believe 2019 is gone! What a busy, great year! My customers kept me busier than ever (thank you!), and kind messages about orders received kept me more motivated than ever: there is nothing better than an email raving about a wind chime or suncatcher, or how happy my work made someone-- so great! My plan of not getting my workshop back together before the new year fell flat, as I saw only one set of copper chimes left. So ordering copper, sawing, sanding with a vengeance. The copper chimes are for now under control, and onto some new design ideas that I am excited to share, once the sun pokes through and there is enough light to snap a few pictures... soon, I hope! Happy new year, all the best for 2020! Making the First of Many Sets Copper Chimes, Coast Chimes

Extra-large Kaleidoscope Suncatcher 19 1/2 inches by 19 1/2 inches Available at Coast Chimes with Free Shipping Just having received a new supply of plate glass, I decided to make an extra-large kaleidoscope suncatcher hanging. I cut a plate in half, making 2 12 X 12 inch pieces, cut extra-large pieces of cedar, and filled up the box frame. It's really BIG, and really nice. Pictured above on a dark, cloudy day, you have to use your imagination to see how bright and beautiful it will be when the sun comes out. I will update the pictures on my website, first blue sky day. You can also visit the suncatcher section of Coast Chimes to see smaller ones pictured with better light, to see how these look lit up.

A Little Corner of My Gallery: Coast Chimes This past weekend was the annual 3 day Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, and if the crowd swooping down on Coast Chimes (one of the 165 venues) was any indication, what a success! So many people from so many different places (the Crawl is becoming really famous and popular even off the Coast). The gorgeous blue skies meant even wider smiles. Each year I try to do better. This year I had another 800 feet of ferry lights, and those received a lot of compliments and interest. I'll aim for another 1000 feet next year, to really sparkle! Each year I wish to have every single chime with a bottom section, i.e., complete. Since the top parts are more interesting for me to make than the chimes, over the winter I tend to fall behind on chime sections. Well, I was far short of achieving my goal-- about 50 small chimes short, and 30 large copper chimes short. Too bad, as it is fun to see all the works displayed, and I had to put many out of sight. Next year will be even better! If you missed Coast Chimes during the Art Crawl, I am part of the Purple Banner group, so Coast Chimes is open all year round. Maybe phone ahead (604-229-5560) just to make sure I am home and not out on a beach combing mission.

A Small Yard Produces Lots of Organic Goodness We moved into our new house 3 years ago, and while I got going in my new workshop producing wind chimes for the world, my wife got going on what at that time was a barren, scorched earth landscape. My only stipulation was that I would not be cutting any grass. We moved from acreage where there was A LOT of grass, and I felt strongly I never wanted to walk back and forth with a lawn mower again. She agreed, and the result is what you see pictured above: food. She did invest many, many hours, but that turned out to be something she really enjoys; pulling weeds, planting seeds, and, of course, harvesting. This little yard produces so much, we had to buy a freezer. As I hear the noisy lawn mowers firing up to the left, the right, I laugh. Those characters are going to spend an hour walking back and forth, then maybe climb in their car and go to the grocery store to buy expensive, pesticide coated, produce for their supper. I suggest, if you have a yard, or even just a patio, that you grow your own. If you live on the Sunshine Coast, BC, or visit, you are welcome to come by. My studio is open pretty much everyday, and I'm happy to show off both the garden and my outdoor art for the home and garden. See my work and get directions on my visitors page of my website: Coast Chimes.

Off to the Post Office It's lovely living on a steep hill overlooking the ocean, until it comes time to ride a bike, or even walk! Especially on a hot day, like today. If it were not for my e-bike, I would definitely be loading up the car and driving. It feels great to spare the globe a little in the CO2 department, to get some fresh air, a little exercise (yes, it is still some work, even on an e-bike!). But this bike is fully loaded, there is no doubt! I am so happy to have made the decision to invest in really great panniers. These Arkel Orca 45's certainly do the trick. Now off to the post office. These Coast Chimes customers do not want to wait any longer than they have to!

A Wonderful Secluded Feeling Beach, Gibsons, BC, Canada Perfect for Collecting a Few Beach Stones It is such a joy to ride my new e-Bike, I have taken to exploring and discovering places not that far from home that amaze me. I had no idea! After living on the Sunshine Coast for nearly 30 years, how could all these jewels never been visited? I guess I never looked. Best of all, especially one new beach is rich in just the type of beach stone I need for my work. Often I have spent hours just to find a few stones suitable to use as clappers, or strikers, for my large copper wind chimes. Well, this beach has a lot of them. What a treat! The beach is down an extremely steep hill that normally would be challenging just to walk up, and I don't know if anyone could ride a bike up it. But it happily does not faze my new Specialized Turbo Vado, even loaded down with 30 pounds of stones. My Arkel Orca 45 panniers are certainly more than up to the task, as well: exceptional quality. So happy exploring, happy beach combing days are here! Natural Beach Stone and Cobalt Blue Glass Wind Chime by Coast Chimes

Capilano River, Lions Gate Bridge, West Vancouver A Different Walk It is not often that I go to Vancouver: there has to be a compelling reason. I love the slower, less urban environment of the Sunshine Coast, and forget sometimes that Vancouver is only a 40 minute ferry trip away. Yesterday I had to go for car maintenance and for a specialized dental appointment. Between dropping off the car and the dental appointment, I found myself with several hours to kill. This lead to a very happy discovery of the West Vancouver sea walk The Walk, West Vancouver, From Park Royal to about 25th Street Most people going to Vancouver for the day from the Sunshine Coast take advantage of all the shops and restaurants. I so enjoyed just walking for 2 1/2 hours, relaxing before the dentist. And I was so surprised by how lovely this area is! The river, the views of the bridges, the much clearer ocean than I would have expected, the piers to explore, the houses and apartments along certain sections: so interesting! There were also a number of seals, a popular crab fishing place, many birds. I recommend this walk. Train Bridge Lions Gate Bridge The Seagulls Seem Much Tamer in the City A Most Interesting Walk

Local Sunshine Coast Wild Berries While there is certainly no shortage of the invasive Himalayan blackberries (nearly every road is lined with this fast growing plant), there is a native blackberry that ripens earlier. The berries tend to be smaller, but I think tastier. Take a drive up logging roads, find a fairly recently logged area, and venture forth. These areas that were logged a couple of years ago tend to be rich with not only native trailing blackberries, but also raspberries, huckleberries, salmonberries. Munch away, and bring a bucket or two home with you. A Mix of Trailing Blackberries and Raspberries Picked from a Recently Logged Patch

Zen Natural Pacific Beach Stone Wind Chime @ Coast Chimes The plan today is to bicycle over to my daughter's place in Roberts Creek, and hit the beach down below her home for some beach stone and driftwood collecting. I absolutely love using these awesome natural resources in my works. It's a form of upcycling. The results are always something that seems so much in harmony with nature, perfect for any landscape. Obviously, the final products are also extremely durable. How long will those stones last? Long! These natural beach materials also seem to mesh so nicely with my copper and antiqued brass chimes. Like they were made for each other! Oddly enough, even though there are plenty of beaches here made up entirely of beach stones with lots of driftwood, it is not all that easy to find those that are acceptable to me. They have to be the right size, and nicely rounded, smooth, etc. I'm fussy! But that does not matter too much, as what could be more enjoyable then a few hours hiking up and down a beach? Not a bad job! See all my beach stone wind chimes on my website: Coast Chimes Beach Stones

Beach Stone Hunting Sunshine Coast, BC There are shorelines along the ocean here full of stones, such as the one below my home, but not the sort of beach stone I like to use. I really want rounded, smooth stones, and after about 30 years of using them, I now where to go. During the warm summer days, I love to jump on my bike and ride to the best beach for the smaller flatter stones I need for the clappers, or strikers of my copper wind chimes. It's not that far, but some very steep hills. Beneath the sun, one gets pretty hot walking slowly up and down the beach finding the perfect stones, so after half an hour or so, it's time to jump in the water. Lovely! After cooling off, it's great to sit in the sun for half an hour with a good book. Then time to load up the bike with the treasure, and ride back home. Below are some of the treasures brought home yesterday. And a detail picture of one of this type of stone on a copper chime. You can find all the larger copper wind chimes with beach stone clappers on my website: Beach Stone Clapper, or Strikers Beach Stone Clapper (the stone is very hard, so it resonates nicely against the soft copper)

7 Copper Chimes Wind Chime, Coast Chimes Perfect 7th Anniversary Gift Perfect for Lovers of Beauty $185, Free Shipping, at Coast Chimes I've made my signature 5 chime copper wind chime for years: it's very popular! Lots of people buy it for gifts, and especially for the seventh wedding anniversary, since that one is copper. I've had numerous requests for the same outstanding wind chime, but with 7 chimes, and so I am now stocking that. It's gorgeous! As with the one with 5 chimes, it is exceptionally well made, with polished, brushed, and antiqued copper, handmade hardware, all copper (ie, no fishing line, plastic), a solid red cedar roundel treated with hand rubbed oil. The beach stone clapper / striker resonates nicely against the copper chimes. This is great for the seventh wedding celebration, or for anyone who enjoys quality and beauty.

Cold Beach Combing! What a change! It felt like spring through most of our 2018-1019 winter here on the Sunshine Coast, walking with a light coat while reading about extreme cold back east. Now while what just arrived could never be described as extreme cold, it is definitely winter! The picture above was taken while the snow was still lightly falling. Now there are blue skies, and below freezing temperature: very beautiful. The cold will be hanging around apparently, and perhaps a bit more snow to fall. It's very enjoyable, but I am hoping that a thaw comes before too long, as I can not take pictures of my creations with snow on the ground, and new works are pilling up. Aside from long treks in the snow, it's wonderful to be snug in my workshop making all sorts of wonderful new works. Pictures soon (I hope!).

Looking Back at My Summer Afternoon Swimming Beach Gibsons, BC, Canada As a self-employed artist, one thing I learned very early is that discipline is important. It is all too easy to get sloppy, start later, finish earlier, read one more chapter. Then you end up not getting things done that need to be done, and it all slides downhill from there. Before going to sleep at night, I typically make a little list in my head of what I will start with the following morning, what I will accomplish during the day. It helps a lot for getting going in the morning, and for sticking to it during the day. If I fall short of accomplishing all that is on that list, it's not the end of the world, but I feel a bit bad and resolve to work harder the next day. This works really well for me. During the summer, Gibsons / the Sunshine Coast is the place to be. Not too hot, but hot enough to have a swim that feels great. Blue skies. It is very tempting to take a lot of time off. And I do take some time-- everyone deserves some holiday! But the summer is also the time where I do a lot of my main work, because the wood I work with is dry, the glass can be handled more easily, and there is a long list of things needing to be finished before the October Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, and Christmas rush. The way I handle the urge to toss everything and spend the day at the ocean reading and swimming is to make that list in my head, and finish it before taking off. But almost every nice day, I do walk down to the local sandy beach (10 minutes stroll, and just happens to be one of the nicest ones on the Coast). It is a wonderful incentive to work hard and finish up: a treat, and it doesn't cost a dime. If visiting Vancouver, or Vancouver Island, I highly recommend you take a side trip to the Sunshine Coast. Enjoy the slower life style, pick up a Purple Banner Guide of artists' studios and galleries (available on the ferries and in the tourists' bureaus). Make sure to drop by Coast Chimes (directions)-- I'm here everyday working (except for when I am down having a swim!) and would love to show you what I do.

Cedar Frames, Freshly Oiled Ready for the Addition of Beautiful Glass These wet, dark, cold days are perfect for tackling some long put off projects. Making cedar frames to fill with my glass is a great thing to tackle. The end of January through much of April are the slowest days at Coast Chimes for orders, so there is less interruption for answering emails, packing, shipping, and I can concentrate on the somewhat more complex projects, demanding precision use of saws and so on. I have to admit that I do not overly care for using saws and other power tools, due to the noise, the dust, the bit of danger (will never forget sawing the tip off my left thumb years ago!). But I do enjoy the end result. I should have these three frames completed later next week, with luck, and then I'll photograph them and have them on my website (Coast Chimes) and in my Etsy store, as soon as there is a bit of sunlight for taking pictures. That might be the longest part! There are a lot of dark, wet days here currently-- sometimes it feels we may never see the sun again. But it will happen, and so will my pictures.

Winter Arrives, Sunshine Coast, BC, Canada After a spring-like December, Winter has arrived on the Sunshine Coast. The car is parked, and we take this opportunity for longer (and much colder!) walks. All the roads are either free, or at least much freer, of traffic, and it is quite lovely to walk through the nearly silent white landscape, flakes of snow covering our shoulders. For me, too, it is a reminder of why the wind chime orders normally fall off a bit through the winter. It is easy here on the Sunshine Coast to forget what most people in North America are dealing with through these winter months. These current days are a reminder! A customer who custom ordered two very long blue glass and copper rain chains just sent pictures of what they look like in a Nebraska winter: Wow! I actually never had this sort of weight of ice in mind when I designed them, and I am very happy to see that they were able to withstand this winter extreme. The picture is below. Coast Chimes Rain Chain in Nebraska Ice

Elegant Sea Glass, Cedar, Copper Wind Chime $195 at Coast Chimes Full speed ahead— for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl, 2019! October 18-20, 165 galleries, 380 artists, including Coast Chimes. If past years are anything to go by, this will be an extremely fun, busy, interesting weekend. If you live on the Sunshine Coast, don't hesitate to visit some studios-- it's free, and so interesting to see the creativity and the studios. If you live outside of the Sunshine Coast and can possibly make it over, it is truly worth the effort. The Sunshine Coast is home to a large number of extremely gifted artists and crafters. Studios are open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 10 AM - 5 PM. Some studios also have events on Friday evening. I have been working for months in preparation, determined to have the most works, the best displays, yet. Coast Chimes will have about 225 wind chimes and suncatchers: glass, copper, cedar, driftwood, beach stones. Many of these are also on display on my website where you can get a taste (www.coastchimes.com), but when you visit during the Art Crawl, you save at least 30%-- my way of encouraging shop local! Susanne Keller will also have her gorgeous Can't Break Me Bowls, and Can't Break Me games on display.

Custom Order Coast Chimes It's enjoyable to hear from customers who have something special in mind, and working with them to achieve it. I started stocking the seven copper chime wind chimes a month or so ago, selling just the chimes with a hook to hang them, no top section. This is aimed at those who are about to celebrate their seventh wedding anniversary (copper), and it is very popular, it turns out. But it didn't take too long for someone to ask if I could maybe put a top section on it. They were thinking of maybe a beach stone. That's a great idea! And I worked with them to choose the perfect stone, as you can see from the quickly snapped picture above. Yep, I really like that look! Yesterday I chose a 'daily walk / hike' to a beach where I know there a some stones similar to the one pictured above. I didn't find too many of them, but I did find several. When I get time, I'll likely make a few similar to the above wind chime for my store. It's not unusual for customers to send me in a new direction-- I have some really creative customers! I'm sure most stores, crafters, artists, do have ideas bounced off them: one just has to listen.

One of the more than 200 works available this weekend at the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl 2018 at Coast Chimes, venue # 10, 535 Woodland Avenue, Gibsons. Hope you can visit! Free handcrafted copper earrings with every wind chime or suncatcher purchase (also for sale without purchase) October 19, 20, 21 is the date, this coming weekend, for the Sunshine Coast Art Crawl-- 165 venues of great arts and crafts, free to visit and explore. This will be the 4th time Coast Chimes participates, and it looks like the first time there will be blue skies, and warm temperatures: that's the way to see suncatchers! I have actually been preparing for several months, and this week I have been transforming my workshop into a second gallery space. Now for the final clean-up, pricing, and arranging. With the blue skies, I look forward to placing more than usual out in the garden as well. Hope you can visit! But if you can't make it, remember, Coast Chimes welcomes visits all year long.

Zen Outdoor Beach Stone and Sea Glass Wind Chime by Coast Chimes, $87 with Free Shipping Love, love, love beach stones! Smooth, rounded, cool! And somehow they just compliment the copper wrapped artist-made sea glass perfectly. Interesting, soothing, peaceful. The chimes are hand cut brass, polished, treated with a reactive that will never peel or flake. They are suspended from a handcrafted copper hanger with 21 strand nylon coated stainless steel and sterling silver crimps: Quality! Made to last! See this, and many other exceptional wind chimes and suncatchers at Coast Chimes.

Cobalt Blue Artist-made Sea Glass and Copper Wind Chime by Coast Chimes How exciting! Just over a week until the 2019 Sunshine Coast Art Crawl! I'm almost ready, with nearly 250 gorgeous wind chimes and suncatchers. Most of these are available for preview on the website: Coast Chimes There are a few more special works to assemble, and then the BIG transformation: changing my workshop into gallery space. This involves moving and storing all the tools and glass, cleaning up, hanging fixtures and lights, and arranging the works of art. I allow four days for that. If you live on the Sunshine Coast, or if you are visiting for the Crawl, be sure to drop by Coast Chimes. I look forward to seeing you! Here are directions: Coast Chimes Location Frosty White Artist-made Sea Glass Chime by Coast Chimes

Beach Comber's Wind Chime $175 with free shipping at Coast Chimes One of the great perks of my job is being able to go beach combing as part of my work. Working in my basement workshop, I find it is actually essential for my mental well being to get out for a good walk everyday. Fortunately, I live just a few steps from the Pacific, so I keep an eye on the tide chart, and head out when it is a little low. If it is too high, I can not get around certain seawalls. Most days I spot at least one or two decent pieces of driftwood, and maybe a stone or two. Just below my house is not the richest hunting zone— other beaches on the Sunshine Coast are better, but I prefer not to drive. My usual route takes me along a couple of kilometres of shoreline, and then I cut back up through the pretty little town of Gibsons. Just outside of Gibsons there is a very scenic little forest trail. So this walk takes me through beaches, a town, and a forest: what could be better! Wherever you go on the Sunshine Coast, it is a challenge to find great driftwood. Most is softwood, and too roughed up to use (splintered, cracked, broken). So it is exciting when a beautiful piece is found! Stones are easier to locate, but even there it can be a search to find one I really like (smooth, rounded). Even on the rare day when I do not find a single piece of wood or stone for my work, I still get the great walk, and always, always hope for tomorrow! Beach Combing Beach Near My Home, Coast Chimes

Glass and Copper Art Wind Chime by Coast Chimes It's been busier than usual this spring and early summer, with many orders going out the door each week. The good news is that while a lot of time is used packing and shipping, even more time is being devoted to creating new, exciting works. So every week great large and small wind chimes, and suncatchers, are added to my website: Coast Chimes. As per my usual summer schedule, I am sure to reserve an hour (or several!) for biking and hiking, sprawling on the local beaches, swimming, beach combing. Most days I find something on the beach to take home and incorporate into a new design. That keeps things fresh! This is a great time of year to add something remarkable to your outdoor living space.

Kaleidoscope Wind Chime $75 with Free Shipping at Coast Chimes A splash of colour: the beach glass inspired kaleidoscope wind chime. When sunlight shines through the small morsels of artist-made sea glass, you are treated to a spectacular show of colour. Attention to detail and quality, with clear red cedar treated with an exceptional Eco-house tung nut oil, extra-thick plate glass (1/4 inch), and 3 handmade antiqued chimes. The chimes are cut from raw brass, double-sanded, antiqued with a special process (not paint or dye, this finish will never flake or peel), they offer a gentle, sweet reminder to look, when the wind chimes them. This wind chime looks great anywhere, but is especially suited to being hung where the early morning / late afternoon sun can shine through the glass. See all the fabulous wind chimes and suncatchers at Coast Chimes.

Soothing Blues and Greens Kaleidoscope Wind Chime at Coast Chimes I make several styles of kaleidoscope wind chime, but I am extremely fond of those with just blue and green glass-- something very soothing about that combination of colors. Cooling too, on those hot summer days. The glass pieces are artist-made sea glass, loosely held (can be shaken around) between two thick plates of glass in a well crafted red cedar box frame. The chimes are classic Coast Chimes, copper that has been brushed, treated with a reactive, and polished. All the hardware is handmade from copper, to be extremely durable. Visit my kaleidoscope section, to see all the different styles: Coast Chime Kaleidoscope Section

Natural Pacific Beach Stone and Copper Wind Chime at Coast Chimes When the rain pauses, these are perfect days to ride my bike down to a local beach to collect beach stones and driftwood. So there are some great new beachcomber additions to my website. These materials look even nicer when wet, with the rain making the stones shine, bringing out the speckles and colour variations. They are all extremely well made, ready to withstand any weather, and wind. Visit my website or Etsy shop to see the entire collection. Driftwood and Beach Stones Beach Stone and Driftwood

Cooling, Soothing Blues and Greens with 5 Antiqued Copper Chimes $185, Free, Expert Shipping at Coast Chimes This is a wonderful wind chime for hot summer days-- just look at those cooling blues and greens! And who wouldn't love to chill out with his gorgeous piece of art in their yard or garden, or on their deck? The 5 polished antiqued copper chimes achieve a lovely, soft sound, thanks to the beach stone clapper or striker. The large hammered copper windsail assures even a soft breeze will make music. Visit Coast Chimes now to see all the wonderful wind chimes and suncatchers.

Warm Earth Colours Kaleidoscope Wind Chime $87 with Free Shipping at Coast Chimes After a fair period of warm, somewhat sunny, days, today is a cool, wet day here on the Sunshine Coast. That got me looking at this warming earth coloured kaleidoscope wind chime. There is something comforting and warming about the golden yellows, rich ambers, chocolate browns, and grass greens. Perfect for any yard or garden. Find the perfect addition to your landscape or the best gift for a loved one at Coast Chimes.