Category Archives: Home

Fall 2022

What a joy to come up here after a successful summer season. Gratitude to our guests and Ray and Angela at Wind & Waves who help us keep the wheels greased and the bills paid!


Upper Bench trail ride.

Driveway railing from an old power pole.

Recording some songs!

2022 Hornby Fall Fair. Dr. Walford is retiring from his (mobile) dental practice.


Excited for spring 2023! I <3 Hornby!

Spring 2022

Hello There!
Can’t say it’s been very spring-like just yet! But I’m on the island getting the place ship-shape for summer.

Welcome Home!

This little fellow hit the window yesterday, but after a few minutes warming up in my hand, was good to go. They are in shock, but sometimes not actually broken. You can watch them snap out of it as everything comes back online. And then woosh… they’re off!

A tasty surprise! Oyster mushrooms!

It’s beginning to feel a lot like Hornby!

Fall 2021 – It’s A Wrap!

Thank You! I’ve been up at the cabin do some repairs. Quite the deluge, not to mention a couple of wind storms. But Hornby in the fall has its beautiful days as well… Note the new deck posts and beams. That was fun. And following that, some clever tree work by local arbourists, Whiskey Jack Tree Service. Thanks Thane and Samuel, well done!
As some of our repeat guests already know, Frances is stepping down from Wind & Waves. She (and Garth) have handed the reins over to Ray and Angela. I’ve met with Ray and he’s every bit as Hornby as you could hope for in a manager. I hope you’ll feel confident booking through them (same website, will update numbers as the become available). And feel free to contact me John@HornbyVacationRentals.com if you have any concerns.
See you in the spring!

Bamboo In The Windows To Keep Birds Away

For years I could count on at least a few birds hitting a window every spring. We already had the deflector stickers on the windows but they didn’t seem to work. I tried hanging a few other things in the window before discovering that I could bend some bamboo (from the back yard) into the window frame to hopefully create some awareness for the birds. It seems to have worked! On numerous occasions I’ve seen birds go into emergency stop mode as they neared the window. I’ve also seen them slow down but not in time enough to avoid a hit, but then be undamaged enough to fly off. If you’ve ever heard that tell-tale ‘thump’ against your window only to find a dying bird lying on the deck, then you’ll know what a relief it was to find something that helps.


Sometimes you can recover a stunned bird by gently holding it in your hands (for the warmth) until they come to.

Flower Boxes 2019

I have a few tomato plants, some lettuce, basil, kale, broccoli and chives growing in the flower boxes this year. As leaves become abundant I’ll often clip a few off for my salads. Dear Pip’s Place guests, please feel free to do the same and please water!

And a reminder of why we keep the deck to the gate closed (and why we don’t allow pets at Pip’s). This buck lounging in the front yard keeps the rose bushes trimmed.

Our Cabin on Hornby

[Scroll down for latest news.] A spacious deck, perfect for relaxing. Great hikes and bike trails nearby.  Sleeping four adults very comfortably.  Competitive rates. If you have any questions about renting our cabin please email me John[at]hornbyvacationrentals[dot]com. Bookings are handled by WindWaves.ca, who have been managing vacation rentals on Hornby since 1995. You can email them at: hornbywindwaves@gmail.com. (Click photos for larger sizes).

20140817cabinFront

Deck 2015deck2

Deck from cabin interior.
2015deck1

A deer in the roses! Deer pass through the yard daily.
20150606goodMorningDeer2

It’s for this reason we don’t feel comfortable allowing pets.
20160605deerFawn

Cozy!
cabinAtNight

Tribune BaytribuneBike

Looking North from Outer Ridge TrailLooking North from Outer Ridge Trail