Thin ice on Lac des Roches caught two walkers off guard on Christmas Day. In two separate incidents, a walker wearing winter boots and one wearing snowshoes, broke through the ice in the narrow channel connecting Little Lac des Roches with the bigger lake. Although the channel is shallow and only waist-deep on an adult, the incidences could have been much more serious if they had involved children or pets. A large patch of open water, still seen on Dec. 28, near Boultbee Road is evidence of how thin and weak the ice is. Clearly, the ice on the big lake should be avoided until well into this winter and much colder weather.
Birders count
Local birding enthusiast Wendy Marshall led a group of nine equally avid birders out for the annual Christmas Bird Count on Dec. 18. The excursion starts and ends at Lac des Roches, and involves a 25-kilometre route around Bridge Lake. The group counts varieties and numbers of our winged friends, hearty enough to stay in the area during winter. Once again, Tom Godin, 100 Mile House wildlife specialist and artist, joined the group and provided his usual entertaining and informative comments throughout the day. Tom managed to snap a photograph of a Barred Owl spotted during the excursion, which was a special sight for the group.
Book club
The local book club will meet on Jan. 4 at Lori Jollymore’s home to discuss The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein. Call Wendy at 593-4538 for details.
Donations wanted
The deadline for donations of books and tabletop entertainment items is Jan. 15. These items will be displayed at the upcoming fundraising Play It Again Sports and Entertainment Jumble Sale hosted by the Bridge Lake Community School on Jan. 23. Call Wendy at 593-4538 to reserve a table to sell your unwanted items and for more information.
New goals
Winning at Losing is a group discussion on healthy lifestyle and nutrition and is scheduled to take place on Jan. 13 at 6:30 p.m. in the Bridge Lake School. Several Lac des Roches ladies lead a discussion on personal weight management control and invite anyone to join in. This may be helpful to those considering weight loss as a personal goal for the new year. The drop-in fee for the community school is $2.
Trees downed
On Christmas morning, one neighbour awoke to find two large spruce trees, snapped at their bases, down in his yard. Whether it was as a result of a misguided flying sleigh or the very strong winds that blew for days through the area is debatable; however, there was no question the damage to two boats stored on the property was extensive.
Power blips
Frequent intermittent power losses at Lac des Roches this fall may be the reason for an increased number of household equipment failures. Several residents have reported problems with electronic and computer components. It has been suggested residents can mitigate the effect of voltage variations by installing surge protection on sensitive electronic equipment and computer-controlled appliances.
Critter counts
In addition to the regular sightings of moose, deer and fox around the lake, lucky neighbours were delighted to spot a group of four bobcats on nearby Wavey Lake Forestry Service Road in mid-December. They appeared to be a family of a mom and three young.