The hot days of the August long weekend attracted several careless boaters to Lac des Roches. Despite posted speed restrictions and the provincial speed restriction of 10 km/h within 30 meters of shore, several boats were operated in unsafe and unlawful manners. It was not surprising to witness a small rowboat capsize and see there were only two lifejackets among the six adults who ended up in the water. Thankfully, all occupants made it to shore with the assistance of other boaters in the area. An all-to-often disturbing scene was a dog, swimming out from shore, in search of its family which had set off for a boat ride. Despite being natural swimmers, dogs can suffer exhaustion and end their frantic search in disaster — for the entire family. This too had a happy ending as a boater convinced the dog to return to shore. Restraining a dog left alone on shore is the best means of ensuring its safety.
Season short
Cooler air temperatures last week seem to have kept many boaters away but the water was still very pleasant for swimming — for several reasons. Water temperature in one shallow bay registered 18 C although it fell a few degrees further out in the deeper water. Swimming certainly feels safer during boating lulls as so many boaters seem unfamiliar with popular swimming areas. There is a much better chance of encountering loons with fewer boats around as the loons will often pop up, out of nowhere, on their long underwater dives in search of food fish. We had cause to grab the binoculars for a closer look when the splashes turned out to be the steady strokes of an ambitious swimmer who crossed the entire width of lake back!
New pavement
I am sending another thank you to the ministry for the new pavement on Highway 24, which removed so many bumps. It has now passed our official tool test. The test occurred when a small screwdriver was inadvertently left on the bumper of our vehicle after minor maintenance. After a road check trip to Interlakes corner, the tool was still on the bumper — a passing grade to the smooth road and the smooth driver!
Friends to meet
Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake, the community and lake stewardship society, hosts its annual general meeting Aug. 20 at 7 p.m. in the Bridge Lake School. All are welcome.
Lost and found
Recently, my nephew lost his wallet between Williams Lake and our house. Phone calls to the gas station and police produced no wallet and the enjoyment of his road trip was dwindling fast. It was delightful to receive a call that night from the 100 Mile House RCMP to say his wallet had been turned in and find the contents in tact. A good end to a lost and found story!
Well, earlier this month, while walking around the yard, I found a golf-ball sized black knob on the lawn and placed it on a table near our picnic area. I learned that the knob had been missing from our lawn mower for a couple of weeks, so I was quite pleased that I had found it. Imagine my dismay when, two days later, the knob vanished from the table. I suspect, like the hard boiled eggs that were stolen from our deck by the raven, a hungry bird mistook the knob for an edible tidbit and it is now lost forever. A bad end to a found and lost story!