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Rockin' Rhonda: Peter and Dave, they're on the mics. All right, join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.

Peter McCully: Welcome back to the Pulse Community Podcast. I'm Peter McCully, and life here in mid Vancouver Island is picking up speed. As people are getting out more, plans are coming together, calendars are filling up. We can feel summer coming.

Dave Graham: And I'm Dave Graham. I'm an early riser and it has been nice to see the sun earlier and earlier each morning. We've had some magnificent shows of light and shadow in recent mornings. I just feel special for having witnessed it, but that isn't my focus these days. I'm on a mission to clean the garage.

Peter McCully: Yes, Dave. And how's that going?

Dave Graham: I've been unearthing magical objects from the latter half of the 20th century. You remember the pocket fisherman and the rotary dial telephone from last week? Well, I found another treasure. I might even go so far as to call it a humdinger. A Chop-a-Matic.

Peter McCully: What? The original infomercial classic.

Dave Graham: I know, right? It's now a collector's item. I did some research. I could sell it online for, well, probably close to 20 bucks. That might not be a great return on investment, but how do you put a value on a life lived with less clutter, a life free of excess baggage? On the other hand, nothing can chop like the Chop-a-Matic. It slices and dices. Maybe I should keep it.

Peter McCully: And Dave, that's why it's taken you a week to get three steps into your garage. But if you happen to come across a cowboy hat, you might want to dust it off and get it ready for the big festival coming to Nanoose.

Dave Graham: Good thinking. I believe I actually do have a cowboy hat somewhere in there. It's in a box marked Tupperware. Anyway, Chris Buck is bringing the Boots and Boats Singer-Songwriter Festival to Nanoose Bay.

Chris Buck: We're launching our first year in Nanoose Bay. We're bringing one to Vancouver Island as well. It's relaxing. We do it right on the water. They get to hear great artists and great songwriters perform over three days. There are over 21 artists performing, so it's really cool — not only for the artists, but for the fans attending. It's very niche and I think they're really going to enjoy it. The lineup is incredible this year. So much talent. Bring a lawn chair, set up and enjoy the music in a beautiful setting.

Peter McCully: Jim Moroz joins us from the Seaside Cruisers Car Club. Every year on Father's Day, the club transforms downtown Qualicum Beach into a huge classic car show and shine with hundreds of vehicles.

Jim Moroz: We start at five in the morning getting ready, putting up barriers, and parking guys getting ready. Then we start parking at seven, and by eight thirty we're parked. That's where everybody takes a breath — as long as it's not raining. Everybody takes a breath and reflects: again, we did another good one this year. Everything's parked and now it's just up to the spectators.

Dave Graham: That car show has become a Vancouver Island institution. The Seaside Cruisers put so much effort into this massive event. I'm starting to learn that some people actually use their garage to store their vehicles. Interesting fact.

Peter McCully: On a future edition of the podcast, AJ Friese of Victoria joins us to talk about his new album and his role in a new show with Kevin Klein and Laura Lenny.

Dave Graham: We'll also be talking with Tom Sewid, a Vancouver Islander who now resides in Washington State. He will be a speaker at the upcoming Squatch Watch conference in the Comox Valley. He'll join us to talk about — what else — Bigfoot.

Peter McCully: And we'll be talking gardening with Deborah Gurrad, a member of the Vancouver Island Master Gardeners Association.

Dave Graham: Peter, do me a favour — see if Deborah can refer me to someone for some specific advice on plant care. I'm hoping I might locate a mint specialist. You're shaking your head. What is a mint specialist? Not a thing? Come on. I can't be the only person with mint issues.

SOSD69: When families are supported, our whole community thrives. That's why SOS launched For Our Families — a campaign dedicated to keeping essential and enriching SOS child, youth and family programs open, accessible, and vibrant. You can make a donation through the SOS website, and you can help by teeing off at the first ever SOS For Our Community Golf Tournament. June 6th at Morningstar Golf Club for just $180 per person. Enjoy the driving range, 18 holes of golf, a golf cart, buffet dinner, on-course challenges, the chance to win a brand new vehicle from Parksville Chrysler, and other great prizes. Bid on great local items in the silent auction. Support local children and youth. Strengthen local families. Learn more at sosd69.com.

Ian Lindsay & Associates: Ian Lindsay of Ian Lindsay & Associates has played an active role in the local community since 1979. He has been with RE/MAX — Vancouver Island's most advanced real estate business network — since 1996, marketing and selling residential, rural, strata, recreational, investment, and project development real estate. Ian has received several awards recognizing his exceptional community commitment locally, as well as awards for outstanding performance and achievement from both RE/MAX International and the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board. You'll find true real estate professionals at ianlindsay.ca.

Peter McCully: Congratulations to Gillian Lisbet of Lantzville who won tickets for two to Rock the Range, Qualicum Beach, with 54-40, The Steadies, and the Chris Buck Band. Stay tuned to the podcast and our website, as well as the social pages, for our upcoming giveaways. We have a summer of giveaways planned.

Dave Graham: There will be tickets for April Wine, Beach Fest Rocks, Blue Rodeo, and the Great Canadian Bash in Langford with Our Lady Peace and The Tea Party on the bill. Yes. I said Blue Rodeo — a top-tier Canadian band coming to this little seaside town. Ticket sales did not last long, and we have tickets to give away. Head to ThePulseCommunity.ca or our Facebook or Instagram pages for details on all the contests. Let's get to our first guest. Here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: Jim Moroz joins us from the Seaside Cruisers Car Club, the volunteer-driven organization behind one of Vancouver Island's most beloved annual traditions. For more than two decades, the club has transformed downtown Qualicum Beach on Father's Day into a gathering place for classic car enthusiasts from across the island.

Dave Graham: Jim, we meet again. Nice to see you. Must be getting close to car show time.

Jim Moroz: You're right on there for sure.

Dave Graham: We're talking the 33rd Show and Shine for the Father's Day weekend. I'm wondering how that milestone settles on you.

Jim Moroz: To me — and I'm sure the club would agree — it confirms a long-time acceptance of this show and the support we've received over three decades now from participants, from the people that come out, and from the Town of Qualicum Beach and the City of Parksville.

Dave Graham: In terms of the people that came out, what were the numbers last year?

Jim Moroz: We figured between 15 and 20,000 over the three-day period. That includes the Friday night cruise, the Saturday night dance, and the Sunday show.

Dave Graham: Remarkable for little old Qualicum. And I'm wondering how registrations are looking. They opened up early this year — any update?

Jim Moroz: Yes, they opened up early because we had a better plan. As of today, we have 366 cars registered of 500 spots available. Plus we'll also have 50 of our members' cars out there as well. So it confirms it's a premier show on Vancouver Island with that many cars.

Dave Graham: I imagine you're keeping track of where people are coming from. Where do they come from?

Jim Moroz: So far we have participants from Airdrie, Alberta, St. Albert, Alberta, Lumby, BC, Friday Harbor, and then all over the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.

Dave Graham: The poker run sat out last year. It's back for this year. What can people expect?

Jim Moroz: This is a pretty special event. It's more for the people that come for the weekend and stay, so they have something to do on Saturday morning and then the dance on Saturday night. We limit it to 150 cars. There are six stops they drive around to all over Parksville and Qualicum, and they collect playing cards in a sealed envelope. Then they bring those six cards back, discard one, and open five. The first three best hands win, and then we do draw prizes after that. It's pretty popular.

Dave Graham: Sounds like fun. Of course, the weekend — as you've alluded to — is a three-day event, starting with the cruise night on the Friday. Do you want to run down some of the highlights?

Jim Moroz: We had over 400 cars last year and we expect the same this year. It's open to everybody — not just participants, anybody can come. It's about an hour and a half cruise. We snake through Parksville, Eaglecrest, and all through Qualicum and end up back at Eaglecrest. There are probably five to 8,000 people who sit along the route. You can see our route on our website, www.seasidecruizers.com. That's a highlight of the weekend.

Dave Graham: People show up and line the streets.

Jim Moroz: Yes, they do. They line the streets. We go through a lot of residential areas — people are all out there with their lawn chairs and their drinks in hand, and everybody's having a good time.

Dave Graham: Already mentioned the Saturday morning poker run, you touched on the dance — what else is happening?

Jim Moroz: Saturday morning poker run, and then Saturday night we have a street dance with a live band. This year it's going to be Green Oats Revival providing live music. And then Sunday is the big show. Friday, Saturday, Sunday — that's what really goes on.

Dave Graham: What hours is the show?

Jim Moroz: The show starts at nine and goes to three. The street dance is six thirty to nine thirty. We have food trucks — staging starts at four and they don't leave till seven. Everybody comes down and looks at the cars while they're staged over by the old curling rink in downtown Parksville.

Dave Graham: About how old might the oldest vehicle be?

Jim Moroz: We've had some from the twenties and thirties. Qualicum Beach — isn't it the retirement capital of the world, with the oldest average age in Canada? So there are some beautiful vehicles. Last year we had some outstanding ones out at the show.

Dave Graham: In terms of the overall showing from the vehicles, is the spectrum from the twenties to today reasonably well represented?

Jim Moroz: We're trying to encourage young people to come out, so we'll even take a motorcycle. We'll take any vehicle as long as it's insured. We don't see too many motorcycles, but we do see a lot of late-model cars that have been dressed up, and they mean just as much to the owner as a '32 Ford.

Dave Graham: What kind of an impact is the EV showing?

Jim Moroz: We have an EV section — it's all basically new EVs that they show. As far as EVs go, I've never seen an old car with an electric engine in it. I think in my age group, they want to smell gas and hear the engine — you're not getting that from an EV.

Dave Graham: You're obviously a member of the club — tell us what kind of vehicle or vehicles do you have?

Jim Moroz: I've got the spectrum. I own a '73 Cuda — I took every nut and bolt out of that car and restored it about five years ago. I've got a '72 Chevelle convertible, and I've also got a couple of the modern Challengers — they're numbered series cars. I'm going to bring the Chevelle this year to the show and park it in our members' parking area.

Dave Graham: Just curious — having never done this myself, not having a vehicle worthy of it — what kind of prep, what kind of hours does it take to get a car ready?

Jim Moroz: Depends on how you want it to look, but I would say four or five hours just to wash and wax it, make it presentable. Interior, exterior, trunk, engine — there's a lot of work. It could probably go up to 10 hours. Some people have them detailed for them. The tires, the rims — to make it really nice looking, there's a lot of work.

Dave Graham: Do you regularly drive all your vehicles?

Jim Moroz: Yes, I do. They're all insured. I don't drive them every day, but in the summer I do. Most days I like to get out and take them for a ride.

Dave Graham: The 50/50 draws support local charities. Can you talk a little bit about where this show's benefits will be headed?

Jim Moroz: We are a charity car show — after our expenses, all net proceeds go out to charity. Last year we gave out $30,900 to local charities including Arrowsmith Search and Rescue, Bellenas School, Dashwood Fire Department, Errington Elementary School Breakfast Program, Haven Society, Luma Grief and Bereavement, Manna of Homeless Society, North Island Wildlife Recovery, Oceanside Recovery Centre, Parksville Museum, and a wonderful lady named Eva — she's close to a hundred years old and runs Wonderful World of Books. She's just an amazing lady and we've been donating to her for the last couple of years. The members vote on who we donate to, which is great.

Dave Graham: That is a wonderful list. Of course, Oprah famously listed this event as one of the top things to do on Father's Day. Does that amazing announcement of hers still echo today?

Jim Moroz: It does, but I don't hear it as much as I used to. It's been probably 15 years now since she said it. She does own a house in West Van, from my knowledge — on the ocean.

Dave Graham: In terms of the folks that come out, are you seeing a good representation from all ages for spectators?

Jim Moroz: We are for sure. It's a big Father's Day tradition around here. As far as participants' cars, we're trying to entice younger people to come out. I think some of them believe they need a hundred-thousand-dollar car to park in our show, and they don't. As long as it's an insured car and they love it, we welcome it. That's how we get 500 cars.

Dave Graham: We have the cars, the food trucks, vendors and sponsored displays, Shriners Pancake Breakfast — it's a long day. I'm just curious: is this one of those things where as soon as one year's over, you're starting on the next?

Jim Moroz: Oh yes. We take about a month off and then we start again. This year we changed our trophies — we went from standing trophies to metal art, so we had to do all that. And then every year we have to update our website and registration page. You're always doing something.

Dave Graham: How many people does it take to put this whole thing together?

Jim Moroz: The volunteers alone — the club — there are probably about 60 of us. And then we also have the Dashwood Fire Department, and this year Qualicum Beach Fire Department will man the gates and run the 50/50 draws. They receive the money that we pay out.

Dave Graham: How long have you been associated with the club?

Jim Moroz: I think it's about five or six years now. I've been president for four. I always say I drew the short straw, but I quite enjoy doing what I'm doing. For the near future I'll continue to do it, but our challenge is that our members are obviously getting older year by year. The trick would be to entice some young people to join the club and then take over and keep it running.

Dave Graham: On the day of the Sunday show, are you just run off your feet busy? Do you have any moments to soak it all in and enjoy the event?

Jim Moroz: That's a good question. We start at five in the morning getting ready, putting up barriers, parking guys getting ready. We start parking at seven, and by eight thirty we're parked. That's where everybody takes a breath — as long as it's not raining. Everybody reflects: again, we did another good one this year. For me, it's just seeing the joy in people's faces when they look at these cars. That makes you feel good.

Peter McCully: Thanks to Jim Moroz and all the volunteers at the Seaside Cruisers Car Club for the incredible work they put in every year. The Father's Day Show and Shine in downtown Qualicum Beach is one of those events that brings the community together. You'll find links in our story notes at ThePulseCommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: If you have someone in mind that you think we should be talking to, please reach out. You can leave a voice or text message — head to our website and click on the contact link. You'll find links to all of our podcasts, plus events, contests, and Vancouver Island webcam links at ThePulseCommunity.ca.

Peter McCully: A reminder that you can also find us on Apple, Amazon, iHeart, Spotify, TikTok, and YouTube. We're also on Facebook and Instagram.

Fireside Books: There's exciting news for book lovers. Fireside Books in Parksville now has a second location in Port Alberni. The Bookworm — used books are just $5 or less. The Bookworm on the corner of Redford and Anderson opens seven days a week from 10 to 5. Building your personal library for less. Fireside Books at 464 Island Highway East in Parksville is a book dragon's dream come true. Browse their extensive collections seven days a week. Both locations make growing your personal library easier than ever. New and used books and so much more. Order online at firesidebooks.ca and pick up at either location. Ask about returning books for a book credit. Fireside Books and the Bookworm — two locations, one amazing adventure in browsing.

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Peter McCully: So Dave, you say you have a cowboy hat, and that kind of has me wondering if that means you're a country music fan.

Dave Graham: Well, I did go line dancing once, but I don't own cowboy boots or a jacket with fringes, if that gives you any idea of where I stand on the issue. I have come to appreciate country music more and more over the years though — all those songs about somebody doing somebody wrong, and then someone drives their pickup truck somewhere, and there's stuff about whiskey and crying. Well, that's country music.

Peter McCully: I think Chris Buck might have something to say about that.

Dave Graham: I think between me and Chris — who is an actual musician writing and recording and performing actual country songs — only one of us knows what he's talking about.

Peter McCully: Well, let's bring him on. Dave, here's Marilyn.

Marilyn: Chris Buck traded BC for Nashville, but never lost his roots along the way. With a gold record, multiple BCCMA awards, over 13 million streams, and a brand new nineties-inspired album, the Chris Buck Band is writing the next big chapter in Canadian country music and bringing the Boots and Boats Festival to Nanoose Bay.

Peter McCully: Thanks for joining us on The Pulse Podcast today, Chris. I'm looking forward to our chat.

Chris Buck: Thanks for having me on. Appreciate it.

Peter McCully: Now, you started the Chris Buck Band after losing your best friend to cancer at just age 13. That's a very profound beginning to a music career. Did you know it would become a career?

Chris Buck: I didn't, but I know he was a very talented guitar player — a lot better than me — and I wanted to keep the dream going with him in the back of my mind. I started playing the bar scene around 2012. We did the bar scene for years, and one thing led into the next. We started getting some radio play, and it's been a slow climb.

Peter McCully: All good things take time.

Chris Buck: That's what they say.

Peter McCully: What was the country music scene like when you were coming up?

Chris Buck: I grew up in Ontario — a lot of people don't know that — in a place called Midland, near Barrie. I lived in the Lower Mainland of Vancouver during high school. Then I spent the last seven years down in Nashville and recently just moved up to the Okanagan. I love it up here. There are a lot of great artists in this area. It's been really cool.

Peter McCully: And a lot of great wine to go with all that great beer.

Chris Buck: Yes. A lot of great wine and some great lakes too.

Peter McCully: Who were your earliest musical influences?

Chris Buck: I really loved Johnny Cash. I really loved Bob Marley — people are like, huh? I listened to a lot of Bob Marley growing up. Bob Seger. Steve Earle — I've seen him play live. And a lot of the early nineties country. Big fan of that growing up.

Peter McCully: I read somewhere that you sang Alan Jackson at your very first karaoke contest. Was that a regular thing for you?

Chris Buck: That's how I started. I don't think I was a very good singer at the beginning, but my friend's mom owned a karaoke company. One thing led to the next — I started running some shows and entered some contests. The first song I ever sang was Chattahoochee, in a contest, and I ended up winning it. My friends said, you've got to do country full time, man — it's totally your voice. And I've been singing country ever since. I guess that was the path I was going down.

Peter McCully: You've been around a little bit. Let's talk about some of these moves you've made. You made the move from Lake Country to Nashville — that's a pretty massive leap. Nashville's full of incredibly talented artists. How do you hang onto your musical identity in an environment that's designed to push you towards a more commercial sound?

Chris Buck: I was pretty lucky in the sense that when I moved up to Lake Country during the beginning of the pandemic, I actually got a publishing deal two months after buying the place up here, which made it a little easier to go back down. I had some work down there with a company named Anthem Entertainment out of Nashville. That said, my wife quit her job, sold her car, and she supported me down there for a few years. It's a lot of competition. I was writing usually two songs a day, five days a week in an office. It was very intense writing. It can drain you creatively doing that. I think I got to a couple of points where I just didn't even enjoy it because it was just so much. But I did learn a lot — I've written with the best writers in the world, and I just take that into my music.

Peter McCully: And who are you writing with?

Chris Buck: A lot of upcoming Canadian artists mainly — I just wrote a song with Emerson Drive, I just sent a song the other day that I wrote to Brett Kissel and he responded right away saying he loved it. I write with an artist named Zach McPhee, who I think just had a number one, another guy named Josh Stump who's got a top 10 right now, and a guy named Ulli Burs who just had a top 40. A lot of these younger artists coming up — I've been writing with them and it's been great.

Peter McCully: And they all have great country names. Every one of them.

Chris Buck: That's true. Not as good as Buck, though.

Peter McCully: No. That's a tough one to beat. Then you packed everything up and came back to Canada.

Chris Buck: Yes, the deal structure — they can option out. I did four years with Anthem on the last deal, and I wrote close to five or six hundred songs with them over that time, so they have quite a large catalogue of mine. Typically they'll move on to a different writer because they already have such a large catalogue of yours. It wasn't unexpected, but it brought us back to Canada — which now I look at as a really great thing. At the time you're thinking, I'm done as a songwriter. But literally, when I was crossing the border to come back into Canada, I got an email from a company out of Toronto called Arts and Crafts — an independent publishing company. I signed a deal with them four months ago. Life has a funny way of sometimes working things out that you may not see.

Peter McCully: It's interesting to see that you have this next chapter going, because you've racked up multiple BCCMA awards, a CCMA nomination, and over 13 million streams. By some measures, you've already had a significant career.

Chris Buck: And that's great and all, but it's a rollercoaster ride sometimes. You ride the high of top 20 singles and sometimes you don't get them for five years. It's just a tough industry. At the end of the day, if you can pay your bills and do what you love, you've won. That's the way I look at it.

Peter McCully: I did want to ask you about Nashville. Canadian country artists often face that challenge of breaking into the US market while maintaining their Canadian identity. How did you think about that balance? Was cracking the American market part of your goal, and if so, how did you try to protect that Canadian identity?

Chris Buck: Obviously the goal is to break out in the States, but it wasn't really on my bucket list. I think I was down there just to learn and get in the rooms. That said, being a Canadian — I find a lot of Canadian artists will try to start acting like they're from the south or they're American, and I always knew where they were from. A lot of people down there said I sound very Canadian when I talk, and I didn't have a problem with that. I think great songs are great songs. It's your identity. But like you said, it's a grind down there. There's so much competition — you'll walk into a restaurant and the waiter's a better singer and guitar player than you are, and you're like, what am I doing here? But if anyone goes down there, it pushes you to become better. That was my takeaway from it.

Speaking of younger artists who want to break out in the US now — I've had long chats with a bunch of labels down there, and a lot of them are looking for younger artists who have a huge TikTok following or already have a big fan base built in. They're taking more interest in that rather than going down Broadway in Nashville and finding a great band. The industry has changed. You've got to be online. You've got to be posting every day about your music. For me, I'm not the type of person to do that, but that's where things are at.

Peter McCully: I wanted to ask you about your Answers album, which won Album of the Year at the BCCMA Awards. What questions were you trying to answer with that record, and did you find them?

Chris Buck: I don't think I found any answers, but I started writing that album right after a long breakup before I met my wife. So a lot of the songs were a fresh-start kind of thing. I did not find any answers — to answer your question.

Peter McCully: I'm sorry, I had to ask. Now, you've spoken openly about your sobriety journey. For our listeners who may be on a similar path, what advice might you offer?

Chris Buck: It's a slippery substance. Especially being in the music industry — everyone wants to drink and party. You get caught into these patterns. I think by taking a long time off it, I realized that's a relationship with a substance, and some people just don't react well to it. I always got that really bad feeling in the morning — like I knew something was wrong the night before. I got to a point where I didn't want to feel like that anymore and I was like, I don't want to live like this anymore. The path I was going on wasn't going to get me farther ahead. It's tough to give up something like that, but in your heart, if you want to do better, you've got to be disciplined and really commit to it. How many times are you going to go out and make the same mistakes and not learn from it? The odd time I may have a drink to celebrate now, but it's not the same as it was before. That's just not who I am anymore.

Peter McCully: I wanted to ask you about appearing live. You've headlined some of Canada's biggest country music festivals — Boots and Hearts, the Stampede, Rock and River, Big Valley Jamboree. When you're standing there looking out at the crowd, what goes through your mind?

Chris Buck: Fun. Those are the fun shows where it looks like a bunch of bumblebees — you can't even see people's faces, there are so many people. I actually get more nervous in a room of six people playing an acoustic set. Those big stages are fun for me. And then obviously the best part is when you see people singing the words you wrote back to you. That's always the highlight for me.

Peter McCully: I recall years ago seeing Garth Brooks when he was in Canada. Nobody sat down. I'm standing there for two hours and the other thing that crossed my mind was everybody around me was singing every word to every song.

Chris Buck: Yeah. Probably pretty good, unless he can hear the off-pitch ones through his earpiece.

Peter McCully: You mentioned collaborating with some of these younger writers. You've also had a chance to collaborate with Gord Bamford, who is the most decorated artist in Canadian country music — I think he's got 26 CCMA awards — on the song "Cowboy Boots."

Chris Buck: I sent him that song and said, hey Gord, here's a good one for you to cut. He said he really liked it, and I said, if you're not going to cut it, I am. So he said, I really like it. And I said, why don't we just do it together? It was actually a very easy process. Gord's got such a good country voice — the song just fit him. Gord's a great guy. He's done it all in Canada. He's gotten all the awards and played every town in Canada, I'm pretty sure. Just great to meet guys like that, be around them.

Peter McCully: Now, your new album is described as a nineties-inspired record channelling artists like Brooks and Dunn. I hear a little George Strait in there. What brought you back to that rootsy classic sound?

Chris Buck: I grew up on that stuff and I always wanted to do a nineties, Brooks and Dunn, Steve Earle-type record. I just felt the way the country music scene was going — it was going very pop — and I chased what everybody else was doing. I was like, this is what they're playing, I'm going to do it. It never really felt like me, though. So this is the first album I used my own money on. I went in, I wrote these songs — some of them four or five years ago — and I just did an old-school country album. The new single, "One, Two Step," I just found out has cracked the top 40. It's really cool to see a song that sounds a bit like George Strait get that love again at country radio. It was very unexpected for me as an independent artist to be in that place. So I guess the message is: you've really just got to do what you love and not worry about all the other noise or what everybody else is doing. It took me about 20 years to figure that one out. Write songs that you're passionate about.

Chris Buck Song: "One, Two Step"

Peter McCully: Chris, you launched the Boots and Boats Singer-Songwriter Festival at Turtle Bay at the marina in Lake Country. I read somewhere that the idea came from showing some of your Nashville friends photos of the Okanagan and judging their reaction.

Chris Buck: It actually started as a songwriting retreat where we'd meet and write in that beautiful part of the world. One of my close friends said I should do a music event, and we talked about doing like a singer-songwriter festival. I started showing pictures to some of the big hit songwriters down in the US — I'd say, hey, I'll fly you up and we can write songs in the Okanagan — and showing them pictures of the water up here and the wineries. They were like, yes, I'm down for a weekend vacation. So a lot of the writers come up here, they songwrite for three days, they get to perform, and they get to hang on some pontoon boats on the water and have a great time. The locals love it. It's such a unique event. They're called rounds — groups of three. They'll talk about the stories behind the songs, and a lot of them have written big, big songs. It's really neat to have them up here. So it wasn't on the bucket list — it literally just started as an idea.

And now we're launching our first year in Nanoose Bay. We're bringing one to Vancouver Island as well. It's relaxing. We do it right on the water. They get to hear great artists and great songwriters perform over three days. There are over 21 artists performing, so it's really cool — not only for the artists, but for the fans attending. It's very niche and I think they're really going to enjoy it. The lineup is incredible this year. So much talent. Bring a lawn chair, set up, and enjoy the music in a beautiful setting.

Peter McCully: I did want to ask you — you're in a unique position here as a younger artist who's been both an independent and a signed artist. What advice would you give to a younger songwriter or singer coming up these days?

Chris Buck: Whether you're writing for yourself or others, don't be afraid to reach out to writers who have written big songs. Reach out to artists — hey, do you want to set up time to write? A lot of the time they'll say no. But the odd time they'll say yes. The other thing — great songs start with great ideas. If you have a hook, I'm all about song titles. If you have something that's really catchy, writers like myself will just pounce on that. A lot of times I'll go down the Hallmark card aisles and read the cards — they do beautiful song titles on those cards. It doesn't need to be personal, it just needs to be a great idea.

Dave Graham: Chris Buck — what a story and what a lineup he has put together for Boots and Boats on the water in Nanoose Bay, with 21 artists over three days. Pack a lawn chair and settle in for some fabulous music in a beautiful setting. You'll find links to the Chris Buck Band and the Boots and Boats events in our story notes at ThePulseCommunity.ca.

Peter McCully: Our Skookum Kid's Stories include the Mellow Submarine with Captain Dave and his crew, and Peter and Gracie, the American Eskimo dog. Our stories are now offering colouring pages to go along with each new episode.

Dave Graham: In this week's episode, Captain Dave and Larry the Lobster head to Bayne Sound to visit the Dungeness Crabs — one is huge. But I'll let them tell the story. They also learn a bit about crabs and their environment.

Peter McCully: And our Radio Archaeology classic radio series features original episodes of Dragnet, featuring Sergeant Joe Friday, and Marshall Matt Dillon in Gunsmoke.

Dave Graham: As part of our Pulse Community Podcast, we invite you to join Cindy Thompson of Parksville for A Resilience Project. Through guest stories, listeners can discover key elements that can move us from surviving to thriving.

Peter McCully: Parksville counsellors Joel Grenz and Sean Wood present a behind-the-scenes look at municipal advocacy work that directly impacts Vancouver Island taxpayers in their podcast, Non-Partisan Hacks.

Dave Graham: You'll find these podcasts and more at ThePulseCommunity.ca. And while you're there, sign up for our weekly newsletter. It'll keep you up to date on the latest podcasts, guests, and contests.

Peter McCully: We're looking forward to another great week on mid Vancouver Island. With lots happening and more to come, people are enjoying the great outdoors. The sports fields are busy and we're all enjoying the ride as the days get warmer and longer.

Dave Graham: I can't tell what it's like from inside my garage, Peter. I have to keep an eye out for spiders and other creepy things that might want to climb onto me and go exploring. I'm actually hoping I might find my camp stove, and then I won't have to go so far to whip up a mug of coffee or maybe a bacon sandwich. Oh great. Now I want bacon.

Peter McCully: Hey folks, thanks for listening. If you have any comments, tips, or questions, please get in touch with us at ThePulseCommunity.ca.

Dave Graham: So Peter, what's next for you? Got any plans for the next little while?

Peter McCully: Well, did you have something in mind, Dave?

Dave Graham: Well, right now it's bacon, but other than that, I have a few items in the garage that I'm going to need some help moving. Shouldn't take more than an hour. Maybe three. Peter, are you leaving to go to your car and then driving to my house? Is that what's happening, or are you just walking away? Hey, if you help me, I'll make us bacon sandwiches. Peter — hey, if you're coming over, would you bring some bread? Oh — and bacon.

Rockin' Rhonda & The Uptown Blues Band: Here comes Peter, here comes Dave, oh listen. Bringing stories, making waves. No missing. Spinning tales in the podcast cave. So to speak. Laughs and insights everywhere. What a treat. Peter and Dave, they're on the mics, all right. Join the ride. It's gonna feel just right.