Several years ago I lived full time on Ruxton Island, and it is there from whence these few photos come. As a brief preamble, I unfortunately lost everything on my laptop, which contained a few thousand photos from that time, due to corrosion. I've tried all sorts of things to try and bring the photos to life by any nefarious means I can think of, but all to no avail. I do have quite a few books on the gardens of Japan and all the related subjects, and if my memory serves me, this little bridge was built as a miniature of a similar looking bridge in Japan, possibly one of the temple gardens, but I can't remember which one. Subsequent to the construction of this small bridge, I made a pond over which I did another single span bridge about 20' long. Sadly, all I can find on that one is photos of the big timbers, I think about 3" by 14" by 20 feet long, which I cut on my small backyard sawmill. There is a full set of pictures with explanation of how the entire bridge went together on a DIY site, but my attempts to retrieve those photos failed.
You are a man of many talents Keith. That is an amazing Japanese themed garden you had. The bridge looks completely authentic. (in miniature). Also once again, I do like those screens.
Ruxton is gorgeous - to think you did this off-grid (no power and no city water?) AND all materials incl paint and nails brought in by small boat (sea truck is handy on the coast)
I was bragging about the other bridge I built, but this is all the evidence I can find. Not much really, is it? These are the two slabs which I cut on my small sawmill. I believe they were 3" by 14" by 20 long. I cut them into slight curves in order to make the bridge have a bit of that lovely Japanese feel. I might even put one of those awfully small photos up from the old DIY website, just so that you can see I wasn't kidding! Hmmmm, looks like 3 slabs there, not sure if I used all three or not for that bridge.
We watch a program called 'Alaska the last frontier'. These photos of your saw mill very much remind us of this. If you want something, you get on and make it. A very good attitude IMO. Great photos Keith.
What species are you sawmilling in the photos ? Hemlock or deciduous tree? Just curious I recall friends long ago on another island nearby who built everything themselves - and I think their saw was based on a Volkswagen engine - this would have been 1980s decade.
Oboy, now you want me to remember back more than 10 years? Good heavens, I don't even remember what I had for brekky this morning! Judging by the colour of the wood, it would be hemlock. Doug fir has a much more reddish/brown colour. I do recall that this wood was extremely heavy, which would further indicate Hemlock. Hemlocks are always low in the water, whereas fir floats higher.
I did spend about three hours trying to find some of the building pictures of both the pond that I dug out with a Mexican backhoe (shovel to you and me!) and the bridge that eventually went over it. Thus far I have managed to find about 30 such photos, but still quite a way to go. As soon as I get to the end of that little chore, I will start to bring you the results. Should be back later today sometime. Edit: Unfortunately, every single one of those photos becomes so pixelated when any attempt os made to blow it up that it renders the photos extremely blurred. Still trying to think of where else there may be a source that is better.
But when you expand it, you get the picture. A little blurred, but it's OK Keith. 10 out of 10 for effort for getting it on the thread and equally so for the bridge itself.
Hello D. When I click on it, it doesn't want to expand. Still looks to be the same size as the thumbnail. Could it be because I have a 27" screen?
Could be Keith. I click on it on my tablet then expand it with two fingers. It won't do it on my small computer screen, so that's what is happening for you I believe.
After all this disappointment, I casually asked Val if by any chance she might have taken any photos on our very last trip to the island. Wow! Did she ever! So now I have some wonderful photos to share with everyone and you will be able to see how I managed to squander much of my time while I was there. Many of them were of the house, inside and out, nothing to do with any bridge or garden, but I might sneak one or two in anyway. These photos were taken from the small deck at the back side of the cabin.
Stairs going down to the J garden level. As you can see, there's very little flat ground on that lot.
@Keith Elliott, you do love constructing things Keith. Glad you found the photos to share. Not an overnight project by any means.
How did you choose the perfect red paint color? I mean, on Ruxton, one has to make some decisions and live with them til next boat goes to Nanaimo Was your pond fed by a spring or rain or seasonal creek? I am glad you have some photos preserved Thé Wallace Island David Conover wrote a memoir book or 2 back in the Day - it’s an interesting read of impulse and innocence ... and thankfully now it’s a provincial (state) park Wallace Island, British Columbia
Somewhere in one of my Japanese gardening books, I think there's a picture of a bridge with a similar colour to this one. So it wasn't very original on my part at all. Besides, I just liked to have something a bit more vibrant during the winter when most of the plants were dormant. There is no such thing as a creek on Ruxton, strictly rainwater. Ruxton is only 1.4 miles long by .4 of a mile wide, and that is the extremities. There is a wetland in the middle of the island, which is slowly being taken over by flag irises. Given that the iris is an invasive species, we did try to organize removal of some of it when I was still there, but I have no idea if that effort has been kept up or not over the years. I have my doubts, as that wetland is around 10 acres in size. It was pure luck that we ended up finding some of the old photos, that was strictly a last resort.
While scouring my remaining photos of Ruxton, I ran across these of the wetland, it was actually quite beautiful when the sun was shining!
Good morning Keith, what a lovely natural wetland, Canada Geese as well. What a wonderful place Ruxton Island looks. D
I only wish that I had more photos of the wetland that are good to show, but all the rest are pixelated. And you even know that the birds are Canada geese! Too many people call them the Canadian Goose, which isn't correct, so thank you for that.
