For two days in early September, artist Ann Bates, of Clearwater, sat in the field above Boultbee Road sketching the old landmark cattle barn in water colours. Ann is well-known for her outdoor scene sketches; however she admitted, old barns are one of her favorite subjects. She always paints on location, which gives her chauffeur and husband and most admiring fan, Stewart, many hours to explore the surrounding area, which he did in his cedar-strip canoe. Ann shows her artwork in Clearwater and Kamloops.
Black bear sighted
Last week, several residents saw an injured black bear feeding on the properties along Boultbee Road. Its injury was severe enough to prevent it from putting weight on one of its hind legs but otherwise he appeared relatively healthy. Despite its obvious pain, the bear seemed to have a normal disposition and was wary of humans. Residents should be cautious in their yards and mindful of the abundant wildlife that we share the lake area with.
Late great midge hatch
In mid-September, when our daytime highs jumped from 10°C one day to 28°C for the next two days, we experienced the biggest midge hatch that veteran fisher Gordon Marshall has ever seen on the lake. For several days following, evidently no fish were caught on the entire lake. Gordon figured all the fish were sitting on the bottom of the lake with indigestion from eating too many midges and joked that only a Tums antacid on a hook would interest them!
Loon count has grown
Wendy Marshall, our resident volunteer for Canada Lakes Loon Survey, reports that six loon chicks have survived on Lac des Roches this year. Despite the many predators that prey on eggs and baby loons from land, water and the air and the humans who venture too close to the loon families, adult loons have managed to successfully protect these chicks throughout the summer. In late October, we can expect the adult loons to fly south, leaving the immature loons to fend for themselves for a few more weeks before they migrate as well.
Poles inspected
During September, power poles around the lake and surrounding area were manually inspected by Shawn Parker for BC Hydro. Shawn explained that the health of the power pole is determined by the rate of descent or the speed at which a drill bit travels through the wood. Inspection involves drilling several holes into the center of the pole near the soil line. If the results are good, the pole will be passed and re-inspected in eight years. If the results are poor, replacement will be recommended. Most of the poles in our area are in good shape and, due to initial preservation treatment, are immune to beetles and worms that prey on so many of the trees in our surrounding forest. Wooden replacement poles (lodgepole pine or cedar) are best suited for our area due to the seasonal climate changes whereas milder, year-round areas use concrete replacement poles.