Author: lacdesroches

The extreme swings in daily temperatures are having a remarkable effect on the lake. Like nature’s own boom box, some days and nights are filled with the constant and resounding booms and “kerflubbs” caused by the cracking and shifting ice. Sporadic damage detected to docks and lakeside structures is now a common complaint from most lake residents. Rocks and other lake-bottom materials are now exposed along the shoreline, due to the low water levels. The debris is being lifted and pushed upward by shifting ice and frost to levels higher than the lakeshore edge itself. The lake is offering unique sights and sounds this year as it prepares to consume the weakening ice.

Good logging

Salvage logging of dead pine and fir trees along the highway just north of Lac des Roches has come to a close. Any logging so close to the lake is unsettling for many residents due to its potential environmental impact. From the looks of the remaining forest, the selective technique and the apparent care taken to preserve the live trees and minimize impact on the land indicates this salvage logging project may not have caused harm to the ecological balance of the watershed.

The clues were there: colourful outdoor tree lights, the smell of roasting turkey and the Chinese New Year holiday in mid-February. These signalled Cheryl Materi was home from China to celebrate a late Christmas with her family, Yvonne and Daryl Llewellyn, at their home on Lac des Roches. Cheryl is in her second year of teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to approximately 120 high-school students in Qingyang, Gansu in northwest China. Her strong desire to travel abroad, but lack of funds to do so, made working abroad a viable option and teaching English was a natural choice following her four years of university training to acquire a Bachelor of Arts in English. From rural living in the British Columbia Interior to a foreign country and city of 300,000 would seem like a huge change for anyone, let alone a 25-year-old, but Cheryl has found that foreigners, such as herself, are treated with utmost respect where she lives and works. She has also made many friends in addition to the 11 other ESL trainers she is acquainted with. Her biggest adjustment was learning to go without her two biggest loves — chocolate and cheese. "I do what I can, making western dishes with Chinese utensils and Chinese ingredients. " Cheryl adds she has learned to "alternate dinners between noodles and rice," but she stir-fries everything. She really appreciates the care packages sent by her mom, which have included Kraft Dinner, a staple in any young person’s pantry. When her contract is complete at the end of the school term this spring, Cheryl says she will consider alternative locations to continue ESL teaching. It will be interesting to learn which corner of the globe Cheryl is working in at Christmas next year and won’t it be a surprise to us all — to see when the Llewellyn’s will light up their yard with bright lights to celebrate Christmas 2010?

Property damage

Shifting lake ice at Lac des Roches has already done some structural damage to docks on the big lake. The snaps and bangs emitted from the ice slab during the mild winter months are an indication of developing cracks. What is so amazing is how all those hundreds of narrow cracks can accumulate to such a degree as to allow the ice ­— and anything in its path — to shift by several feet. While many waterfront property owners pull their docks onto the shore or move them temporarily into quiet bays to protect them from damage, this is not always practical and damage is often the result.

Temporary fuel outage

Residents should note the Husky fuel pumps at the junction of Highways 24 and 5 are scheduled to be shut down for upgrades March 15-22.

Wildlife

There have been several sightings of the few mule deer that stayed on the plateau for the winter, as they seem to be more active now with the longer days and mild weather. A pair of bald eagles has been perched at Rock Island, above some ice fishing holes and may be scouting out potential nesting areas on the west shore. Several migratory birds have reappeared at the feeders and made for some lengthy recording for the Backyard Bird Count, which took place Feb. 12-15. See www.birdcount.org for results. A Canadian lynx was spotted just east of Lac des Roche in late February. It is a rare treat to catch a glimpse of one of these elusive felines.

Al and Marie Wallewein of Lac des Roches were two of the many British Columbians who responded to a public request from Bill Barisoff, speaker of the legislative assembly, for submissions to the BC Moments celebration in 2008. While Al and Marie were packing up some belongings in preparation of their upcoming relocation, they came across their certificates, which acknowledge their contribution among the more than 400 submissions that were sent in to Barisoff. The selection and placement of engraved stones of the 150 “winning” BC Moments was halted by Barisoff due to the economic downturn, but it is delightful to know local residents took the time to submit significant moments in history that honoured our area pioneers. Al and Marie are significant contributors to lake stewardship through their involvement in water-quality monitoring for the Ministry of Environment, Loon survey data collection for Bird Studies of Canada and leadership roles they hold with Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake. While we wish them success at selling their home and moving to northern Alberta, it will be sad to say goodbye when the time comes. Thanks you two, from your many neighbours for the memories and moments.

Community involvement

The new calendar for the Bridge Lake Community School is out for the next three months and it is filled with events and courses that may be of interest to residents. The calendar includes an explanation that the organization is faced with potential funding cuts and must rely on community participation in its adult offerings to keep many of its popular children’s programs running. I would like to encourage neighbours to peruse the calendar as there will surely be something there, among the variety of selections, to entice your attendance. See you at the community school.

Looking at the bright side

The lack of snow in the area this winter is a bit disappointing to many winter sport enthusiasts. There are, however, several bright sides and residents are taking advantage of them. While there is no snowshoeing to be had in the fields surrounding the lake, there hasn’t been a day yet where the Boultbee ladies have not been able to enjoy their daily walk on the road. Snowmobilers may not be able to sled from their yards to the trails in the surrounding Crown land, but the forestry roads are bare enough to manoeuvre vehicles with trailered sleds to get closer to the snow at the higher elevations. Ice fishers haven’t given up their pursuit of burbot in our challenging lake as the general ice depth is still well over a foot in most places. Take note, however, that regular walkers on the lake have reported there is open water at all the small feeder streams, and where there is open water, there is bound to be thin ice. We may not have a winter to enjoy, but we can certainly find ways to enjoy the remaining winter months.

Residents mourn

Sadly, our good friend and neighbour Judi Stacey passed away last week. Our hearts go out to her devoted husband, Ed, her children, family and many friends. She will be missed by us all. Condolences are sent to Lois Motz and Barry Reid on the recent death of Lois’ mother. Our thoughts are with you both during this difficult time.

The constant drone of active logging that has drifted over the south Lac des Roches hills during these winter months seems to have stopped. In its place is the resounding sound of the shifting and cracking ice that now fills the air — night and day. Mild temperatures, strong winds and lack of sound-buffing snow are all contributing to the eerie yet delightful sounds that only a frozen lake can emit.

Land values rise

Residents are reporting about a 30 per cent increase to land values on their 2010 assessment notices for properties that lie in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District at the east end of Lac des Roches and those in the Cariboo Regional District at the west end. The subsequent calculation of property tax, while based mostly on assessment values, will reflect the regional districts’ tax differences, but we won’t see these for a few months yet. It is definitely time to start putting away a little extra savings to pay for the anticipated tax increases. Information on area assessments and related processes are all available on the website; www.bcassessment.bc.ca/evaluebc.

Readers retreat

The Feb. 6 meeting of the Bridge Lake Book Club will be hosted at the Woloshyn home on Lac des Roches, when the group will discuss The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Contact Wendy Dubbin at 250-593-4538 for details.

Give a hoot

Owls have been very active around the lake recently. Since they are nocturnal, most are simply heard, but a boreal owl was spotted in the area in January. Last week, on a rare calm evening, three owls where heard conversing from the treetops around the beaver pond at the east end of Boultbee Road and a Great-horned owl was heard calling in the night at the west end of the big lake.

Bird counting

Residents are encouraged to donate a minimum of 15 minutes of their time and join in on the Great Backyard Bird Count initiative Feb. 12-15. Volunteers report their sightings on-line to www.birdcount.org where instructions on ‘how to participate’ can be found. This is just one of the many bird studies local birding enthusiast Wendy Marshall is involved in, and she has offered to answer any questions volunteers may have on this activity. She can be reached at 250-593-2327.

Celebrations

Marguerite Neill will celebrate her February birthday later this year with nine high school chums at their decades-old annual pajama party. Never mind that this is the year they all turn 70… apparently even golden girls "just wanna have fun. " Happy birthday to Luca Lanzoni who is very active resident. Although winter months in the South Cariboo are traditionally known to be the resort industry’s quieter time, Luca’s involvement with the Bridge Lake Elementary School and his many artistic pursuits means his days are anything but quiet. Best wishes to you two and all those celebrating personal milestones this month.

Unseasonable spring-like weather has not benefitted Lac des Roches. Since the strong warm wind has evaporated most of the snow, the lake level remains very low. Water pools on the lake from melting ice are also evaporating fast. Winter play is on hold. While deeper snow in the surrounding mountains can offer an adequate playground to snowmobilers, the bare access trails at lower levels are a barrier.

Readers review

Lorraine Jollymore hosted the January book club for a dozen reading enthusiasts who reviewed The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz. As usual, the book discussion was lively and thought provoking, and led to many related discussions both on and off the topic of the book. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 6 to discuss The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. Contact Wendy Dubbin at 250-593-4538 for details.

Defiant doggy

Residents may encounter one of our newest community members, Sheba, a friendly but skittish yellow lab-cross that now lives at the Coyle residence on McCarthy Road. Sheba is a rescued dog and may have suffered some abuse in her past. She is still learning her boundaries and wanders occasionally from her new home, perhaps in search of playmates and biscuits or just to meet her nieghbours. She is not aggressive to people, dogs or cats and is especially friendly to women. I hope we can all find the patience to be kind to this adjusting and well-deserving young dog.

Torch run fun

The Olympic Torch Relay passes by Lac des Roches on Jan. 28 inside a vehicle convoy and without fanfare. Residents may wish to join the celebrations planned in Lone Butte around noon and at 100 Mile House around 12:45.

Celebrations

• Best wishes to Marie Wallewein, celebrating her birthday next week. Marie is an executive member of the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake as co-chair and liaison to area societies and the Cariboo Regional District.
• Good wishes are sent to Elsie Clarkson, celebrating her birthday today. She and her five siblings, all 70 years or more, will be travelling to Ontario in February to visit their mother, Lillian Reid, who will turn 100. What luck to have such longevity in their genes? Elsie says her mother frets when she can’t remember all of the names of her 32 great grandchildren and two great great grandchildren. Well, no wonder!
• Also celebrating his birthday today and another year of good health is Bill Jollymore, the media director for the Friends group. Undoubtedly, Bill will once again entertain his good friends with his humor and remarkable recollection of witty anecdotes at the dinner that will be held in his honour tonight.
• A faithful reader of this column and yet another Jan. 20 baby is my mom Shirley Mann of Langley. Although health issues have prevented both of my folks from travelling to the lake for a few years, they keep current on all the activities in the area from their annual subscription to the 100 Mile House Free Press.

Ice fishing for burbot and trout can be challenging on Lac des Roches, but there are plenty of other winter activities that are popular on the lake when the ice thickens at this time of year. During the holidays, snowmobiles, skiers and skaters made good use of the ice, which provides one of the few flat spots for play in the predominant hilly terrain that surrounds the lake. While walking on the flat surface of the lake is a winter-only treat, caution must be exercised due to the potential slippery surface as well as the weak points that occur over the underwater springs that feed the lake. Take care and enjoy our winter wonderland – even if it is only a temporary playground.

Bird sightings

Perfect weather conditions and enthusiastic participants made this year’s Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 19 an excellent day for birding, says co-ordinator Wendy Marshall. A record number of species were observed this year, 22 in total, including three golden-crowned kinglets never previously counted. This year, the local birding group was honoured with the presence of well-known birder and wildlife artist Tom Godin of 100 Mile House, and the group is hopeful that his attendance will become an annual tradition. Next year, the excursion will likely be planned for after Dec. 26 to accommodate more participants who were unable to attend due to busy holiday schedules prior to Christmas. The next major birding event — in which anyone can participate — is the Great Backyard Bird Count in mid-February, more information to follow.

Get well wishes

Many concerned residents send their heartfelt good wishes for a speedy and full recovery of her health to our very dear friend and neighbour Judi Stacey. We are sending good thoughts their way, to both Judi and her devoted husband, Ed, during this trying time.

Gordon Marshall reported that Lac des Roches was completely covered with ice on the cold morning of Dec. 6. The temperature at lake level was just below -25 C, so it only took two nights for the ice to form on the lake. Lac des Roches is usually the last lake in the South Cariboo to freeze due to its size and the persistent easterly winds. The ice groaned and cracked for a couple of days following ice-on, but a thin layer of snow a few days later quieted it right down. The cold temperatures are thickening the ice and it is safe for walking along the edges but needs further testing before sledding or skiing in the middle is recommended. Coyotes and otters have been crossing the lake ever since ice-on, but there is no evidence that the lake has supported a heavier creature or person yet. Ice has been on Little Lac des Roches since November and several plowed hockey rinks have been put to good use by the many hockey enthusiasts living on Gerald Crescent.

Time for sledding

The Bushwacker’s warming hut has once again been relocated by Rod and Joan Hanzel to its popular spot on Wavey Lake Forest Service Road, near Cow Camp. Soon, the hut will be a popular rendezvous and resting spot for area sledders. Located amid huge stands of dead pine trees, there is an unlimited supply of firewood to last the entire winter and spring season. Sledders are reminded to treat this hut and the surrounding Crown land with kindness, so it may continue to be used for many years to come. Reports from one avid sledder on Boultbee Road are there is already plenty of snow on all the popular routes north of Lac des Roches.

Olympic Torch

Residents may be disappointed to learn that the Olympic Torch Relay from Kamloops to Williams Lake on Jan. 28, 2010 will not be run on Highway 24 which borders the entire length of the lake. Although it is likely the torch will travel via Highway 24 from Clearwater, it will be transported inside a vehicle and without fanfare until it reaches the next torch celebration, planned for Thursday morning in Lone Butte. It is expected children from all the surrounding schools will be bused to Lone Butte to witness a short portion of the torch relay. Event organizer Heather Nelson has extended an invitation to all Lac des Roches residents to join Lone Butte’s celebration of this historic event.

Light up

Night is the best time for walking this time of year because so many coloured lights on houses and outside trees are alit. Congratulations to the wonderful job so many residents have done, decorating their homes this year – our roads look very bright and festive. Thank you from an admirer and Merry Christmas to you all.

A fire at an occupied home at Lac des Roches on Nov. 19 was extinguished quickly due to the fast actions by Interlakes Volunteer Fire Department (IVDF) members. The damage at the Gerald Crescent home was extensive, but limited to one wall of the house. Jamie Moberg, a nearby resident and IVFD first responder said initial evidence indicated heat from a wood stove ignited a buildup of hidden bat droppings on the stove pipe where it passed through the wall to the exterior of the house. Bats are a nuisance and potential health issue for many homeowners living near the lake, but few knew they were also a fire hazard. The incident serves as a reminder that all emergency services for police, fire or ambulance, must be called into 9-1-1 for appropriate dispatching to be initiated. A second call to local first responders is fine and will be attended to on a best-efforts basis by the dedicated volunteers, but calling 9-1-1 first will ensure the appropriate responders throughout the Interlakes area are notified through an established paging protocol.

Bring binoculars

The annual Audubon Christmas Bird Count is scheduled to take place Dec. 19. This fun-filled day begins and ends at Lac des Roches and would be enjoyed by anyone interested in observing wildlife in the area. Local enthusiast and guide Wendy Marshall will provide details at 250-593-2327.

Animal movement

A clear layer of thin ice developed over most of Lac des Roches on Dec. 2, when the wind subsided and temperatures dipped to below -10 C. Without the cover of water, otters were spotted moving on the ice throughout the next day, revealing the location of their hidden ice holes under docks. Only because of a light snowfall overnight on Nov. 23 were Boultbee residents able to see signs of a violent confrontation between two bucks. Warmer temperatures during the following day melted the tracks and erased all evidence of the night’s drama.

Book club

A record number of 19 reading enthusiasts attended the last book club meeting for 2009 on Nov. 29. A discussion of Jamie Ford’s first novel, Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, birthday cake for the hostess and a fun book exchange was enjoyed by all. The next book, The Long Walk: The True Story of a Trek to Freedom, by Slavomir Rawicz will be discussed on Jan. 9 at Lac des Roches.

Old phone books

Before recycling 2009 Kamloops phone books, neighbours at the lake may like to reuse it first. Although the 593 exchange is part of the Williams Lake directory we receive as part of our phone service, the nearest services — besides 100 Mile House — are located in Kamloops. A business directory for North Thompson communities, even if outdated, is very handy.

Celebrations

Birthday wishes to Jamie Moberg, who is a busy local businessman, trainer and IVFD volunteer to name a few of his many activities. Lorraine Jollymore celebrated her 75th birthday in Washington at a special party with many friends and family. Anniversary wishes to Al and Marie Wallewein who monitor water quality and loons on little Lac des Roches. Al, the webmaster for the Friends of Lac des Roches and Birch Lake Stewardship Society is also celebrating his birthday this month. Happy third anniversary to Barry Reid and Lois Motz, who are executive members of the stewardship group and volunteers with IVFD. They still appear to be enjoying a very long honeymoon here.