Petty Catwater

We moved north from Vancouver to escape the noise and the craziness and to find a spot to live in beauty. We found one and now are on the edge of nothing but more nothing all 400 km to the Pacific. We are 20 km outside of a small town halfway between nowhere and not much. Sharing that is a pleasure.

But even though we are remote, Jenn could not abandon her passions as a chef so we refocused and our mainstay is now a weekend Table d'Hôte in our front room. Come share our passion!

Jenn has always preferred collaborators over just assistants; the challenges of partnering ups the game and have usually led to new features in the menus. Want to join the challenge? Those who assist share the gratuities.

While food is our central focus, keeping a rural estate functioning demands much else. There is always a never-ending list of garden and workshop and maintenance tasks; DIY or it will never get done. Plus, the wish list never gets shorter. The cottage may be complete but new projects are always crawling in. There is a good chance you can do some serious construction.

We garden in a challenging climate: sub-boreal, poor forest soils, 900 m elevation and the season is very short. Still, we have managed to approach self-sufficiency in several crops: garlic, carrots, beans, peas and maybe onions this year. We are also half-way there in tomatoes and hot peppers. Perforce, we have had to get practiced in crop preservation: canning, drying, storing; seasonably, you could join us in those.

There is an finite number of steps between full reliance on the city and being mostly disengaged; (no one can ever be completely separate.) We sort of straddle the middle; facing daily tasks that might never be needed in the city but still holding on at the edge of the grid.

We have no livestock and there are no children.

And for the thrill seeker/amateur de sensations/caçador de emoções, we offer a chance to confront your primal fears and confront a bear as you step out the door: maybe a cute little bear or a stinky scruffy one or a shy panicking one or maybe a surly huffy momma.
Actually, the occasional moose is much more dangerous but bears get the bad rap,

Be aware that we are far from town and there is no public transit, no uber and a 1-way taxi fare is about $50. If you don't have your own vehicle you will be basically locked onto the property until we go to town.

Jenn has always been a chef in fine-dining and seeks to broaden her repertoire.
Bruce is a former industrial forester now sous-chef, garden peon and general dog's-body for Jenn's insidious plan.

Our big thing is food: growing it, preparing it, serving it, playing with it. Everything we do is somehow related to that passion. and so everything you do will be related to that in some circuitous manner. We are definitely a foodie household; we aim for the best in dining experiences both for guests and for ourselves. Our past volunteers (Workawayers, HelpXers, Worldpackers) say the food we provide is the best they have had as interns.

Jenn or Bruce generally prepares family dinners but you can be asked to assist and you can volunteer to do more, experiment and learn. In any case, you will be asked to set the table and load the dishwasher after dinner.

We provide the essential parts but you make your own breakfast and lunch.

You have a private spot to rest and sleep. Depending on season and arrival sequence, it will be either our little travel trailer/caravan or our ex-b&b space. The caravan has electricity for lighting and heat for the coldest nights. Alternative can be a glamping platform. We supply all bedding and towels.

WiFi is adequate but we are on satellite with latency lag. If you are a digital nomad we need to discuss whether your needs can be met.

Showers are limited due to water supply and disposal issues.

You must not smoke or vape on or off site while you are resident.

We try to welcome multiple volunteers at all times. We welcome people all year.

If you are not already in Canada, you must be eligible for the eTA (Electronic Travel Authorization ) or either already have or have approval for a visitor visa.

Eu adoraria se você pode me ajudar a aprender português!
J'adorerais que vous m'aidiez à réapprendre le français !