Sandra Neill, canine companion, Nazko, and travel mate Don Jackson arrived home safely from their river boat trip in the Yukon. Despite a few hair-raising moments involving gravel bars, large rocks and fast moving water, Sandra says she is already contemplating her next northern trip. Don travelled from Australia for this adventure, saw several bears and enjoyed everything there was to experience in our beautiful country. Along the way, he was able to add some antique Canadian licence plates to his growing collection of souvenirs from around the world. It is a relief to have Sandra safely back in her relatively urban home in the Cariboo, compared to the wilds of northern Canada.
Fall drops in early
Anyone who slept in on the morning of Sept. 10 may have missed the first snowfall. The sudden drop in night-time temperatures signalled the beginning of frosty mornings, which are definitely affecting water temperatures and plant life. Gardeners are busy harvesting crops, cleaning out garden plots and greenhouses and filling compost boxes with spent plants. Several visiting grandchildren and their grandmas have been observed still swimming in the lake as the high afternoon temperatures still provide immediate relief from the skin-chilling water, at least for a little while longer.
Wildfire impact
A visit with family recently relocated to Peachland followed by a bus trip to Vancouver for her annual girlfriend pajama party was a good plan for Marguerite Neill. The unexpected wildfire in the Trepanier Creek and the evacuation order that ensued changed her return plans significantly. Although her bus was allowed through the highway blockade and Marg was able to get to West Kelowna, her car was stranded at her brother, Allen’s, house inside the evacuation zone. Luckily, after only one night in a local motel, the order was lifted, her car could be retrieved and she could drive back to Lac des Roches. When asked how her brother felt about his recent move to Peachland, Marg replied Allen is still happy with the relocation, but regrets having recently had all his outside windows washed as absolutely everything was coated with a layer of ash –even the inside of Marg’s car.
Work and play
The upcoming Thanksgiving weekend is an opportunity for residents and friends to partake in and watch the annual Boultbee Road horseshoe tournament. Many players and spectators will use down time during of the tournament as an opportunity to prepare their cabins for the winter. Structures may suffer from the affects of heavy snow loads and shifting ice, so it is common for residents to pull property out of the water and build temporary structures over stored items. Residents are once again reminded it is both unlawful and annoying to place private property, such as docks, ramps and boats, on public accesses. Many accesses are used heavily during the winter months for all types of recreational activities on the icy playground, as well as provide access to a year-round water source for firefighting.
Burning bans
Thankfully, burning bans are still in effect in the Cariboo. Yard work that disturbs the top few inches of soil, such as pulling weeds or removing stumps, provides evidence of just how dry the land is. The dew and frost in the mornings does little to add moisture to the ground and lack of rainfall during the latter half of summer has compounded the situation in this area. While small campfires have been allowed throughout the summer, they still could be hazardous if not monitored diligently during these very dry conditions.