| 2009-12-23 Still walking on thin ice |
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| 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. |
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| 2009-12-08 Fire raises issues about bats |
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| 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. |
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| 2009-11-25 Wild winds stir up trouble |
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| Although we have experienced minimal power outages, the wind blowing through Lac des Roches this month has been ferocious, on both the lake and its shores. The trees can usually withstand the predominant winds from the east, but we have had some casualties with uprooted and snapped trees everywhere although no serious property damage has been observed by the Block Watch crew. The removal of dead pine trees along the power line on Gerald Crescent have put the minds of several residents at ease with the decreased chance of property damage and downed hydro lines as we expect the storms to continue. The huge slash piles that burned in the hills east of the lake during the earlier wind storms was a bit unsettling since we have had so little precipitation since the spring, but the fires appear to be out. |
| Readers meet |
| Wendy Marshall and Lorraine Jollymore co-hosted this month’s Book Club discussion at Wendy’s home on Nov. 7. Thirteen members discussed the novel, When I was Young and In My Prime, by Alayna Munce. Members reside throughout the South Cariboo, from 108 Mile to Lac des Roches. Some often travel significant distances from their rural homes once a month to join in on a few hours of thought-provoking discussion and to share their common interest in reading. The date of the next meeting has been changed to Nov. 29 and will be a discussion of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel, by Jamie Ford. Interested readers may contact Wendy Dubbin, Bridge Lake Community School co-ordinator at 593-4538 for more details. |
| Wolf sighting |
| Wolves are fairly common in the area later in the winter when the lake ice offers them a new hunting venue of the many critters that burrow along the shoreline. A lone wolf trotting through Boultbee Road yards on the afternoon of Nov. 17 was a surprising yet magnificent sight. It’s just another reminder of how close to the edge of British Columbia’s backcountry we live and our need to respect the animals we share it with. |
| Beautiful birds |
| Bald eagles continue to hunt over the sheltered bays, using the few docks not pulled from the lake as tables for their feast of unlucky fish. Migrating trumpeter swans are a daily sighting around the lake now. Even if you don’t see these huge white birds, their distinctive sound can be heard all hours of the day and night as they discover the abundant open water – thanks to the high winds that keep the ice off of the big lake. |
| Celebrations |
| Best wishes to all those around the lake who are celebrating special occasions this month. Happy 10th anniversary to Daryl and Yvonne Llewellyn, and a very happy birthday to Ed Stacey who still amazes us with his exceptional energy at "70 something." Friday the 13th was especially lucky for Karen and Tighe Lefebvre when their new baby girl, Sophia Margret Maria, was born. Tighe says both of his girls are doing well. Congratulations to all.' |
| Concert coming |
| Please note on your calendars that Dec. 17 is the date of the upcoming Bridge Lake School Christmas dinner and concert. It is always nice to see so many neighbours attending and encouraging the creative talents of several children from our community who attend the school and perform in the concert as well as a show of appreciation for the efforts of the parents and staff who make it all possible. |
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| 2009-11-10 Const. Neill on the move |
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| Proud Lac des Roches residents Tony and Marguerite Neill will see a lot more of their daughter, Sandra, since her recent relocation to Kamloops with the RCMP. After many years of working throughout the Cariboo as a biologist in the forest industry, Sandra switched careers four years ago and graduated from the RCMP’s Regina Depot in August 2005. Const. Neill’s initial four-year assignment to the small town of Chetwynd in northern British Columbia, where she received “good experience,” ended last month when she assumed her general duties much closer to home. Now, if only Tony and Margueritecould convince their son, Scott, who resides in Australia, to move his wife, Becky, and baby son, Finn, a little closer to Lac des Roches. |
| Winter gardening |
| Wendy Marshall advises there are still plenty of garden tasks remaining despite the snow we’ve had. Late root crops of carrots and parsnips must be pulled from the damp soil, dried and stored. Apparently, autumn is the best time to plant spinach seeds and garlic gloves for the following growing season. It may be necessary to scrape away snow, but if the soil is not frozen, seeds and cloves can still be sown and bone meal added to a six-inch deep hole — best for garlic. Both spinach and garlic will often sprout under the snow, she says, so when the snow melts, a new vegetable crop is right there to welcome the warmer days of spring. |
| Fishing trip |
| For many years, longtime resident Bill Jollymore and his wife, Loraine, have enjoyed fishing the pools along the Margaree, a Canadian heritage river on Cape Breton Island, N.S. Their 65-day, 22,300-km, round-trip drive was made even more enjoyable this year when neighbours Gordon and Wendy Marshall flew out to join them for some world-famous Atlantic salmon fishing. The Margaree Salmon Association honoured Bill this year for his many years of generous support and conservation efforts for the river. He has this prestigious award and his stunning pictures to add to his collection of souvenirs from these trips to Canada’s east coast. It was the first trip to Cape Breton Island for Gord and Wendy, and they added a drive along the nearby scenic Cabot Trail to their adventure. Wendy says the changing colours on the different trees were breathtaking. As with any fishing trip, weather is a key factor and a rainstorm, which lasted several days, resulted in muddy waters and poor results for our local fishers and the 50 other fishers out on the river. Gord’s response to the fishing conditions was his familiar adage: “The fishing was great — the catching was lousy.” All four agree — their trips were fantastic. |
| Hazardous hill |
| Two traffic accidents on Highway 24 at the west end of Lac des Roches on Oct. 25 have renewed concern among area residents about construction of an access just east of the hill. Slippery conditions, resulting from the shaded pavement, steep slope and sharp bend of the road, are notorious for surprising even the most experienced drivers. Residents are particularly concerned slow or stopped vehicles using the new access could compound the danger on this stretch of the road. They are quick to urge neighbours and friends to drive with extra caution on this hill, especially during the winter months. |
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