Jess On a Hot Tin Roof

Fall and winter have been quiet times up the lake. Most cabin owners secure their dwellings for the long cold months and don't return until spring or summer sunshine warms the scene. An exception to this rule (not counting Wayne and I) is our friend across the Hole named Jess. That's what we call him, but others know him by his given name, Justin.

All winter, Jess has been rebuilding his tiny 8X10 (pretty as a picture he says) cabin into a larger version with a loft. He's almost done, but this spring he has switched his efforts to a new structure on a separate float. It has gone up amazingly fast, especially with some prefabrication he did in town.

Jess has a skookum (strong) barge-like boat that is perfect for transporting building materials and supplies up the lake. Wayne and I have had fun watching Jess and his assistants raise the building from ground up (theoretically speaking, actually float up). Today Jess was up on his roof giving it some finishing touches.

It amazes me how talented people are here in Powell River. My sheltered city upbringing has made me a specialist rather than a generalist. Goes to show, what is an advantage in one setting can be an overall disadvantage. Wayne and I are learning to be more self reliant, but it's slow and hard work. In the meantime, we watch and learn from locals like our good friend John and our neighbor Jess. -- Margy