April 2023

 

The Weather

Of course we have to start with the weather…….

Picture us poor people living in the desert (?).  No sweltering temperatures for us!  The first three weeks of April were cold, with relief only coming the last few days of the month.  Of course we were desperate for spring, but had to keep hanging on until the last possible moment.

April 1—high of 4.1, 1” snow overnight and squalls during day

April 18—at least 1” snow overnight, flurries during day and next day

April 21—snow on the ground in am

April 25—first Calliope Hummingbirds at feeders

April 29—Brian’s first bike ride

April 30—high of 22.6

The cherry trees in the valley had their blooming delayed by 2-2 ½ weeks, so we didn’t even get comfort there.

Away to Tofino

For a break from the snow, we decided to go to Vancouver Island (Tofino explicitly) to celebrate the Easter weekend and my 70^th birthday.

On our way, we stopped into Cathedral Grove (now renamed MacMillan Provincial Park) for our tree fix.  The north side of the trail has been completely replaced by boardwalks, saving the habitat from erosion caused by considerable human traffic.  They had done a beautiful job.  And even though it was raining and miserable, there will still lots of people there.

To the complete surprise of the ex-Ontarians, the only wildflower in bloom (other than Skunk Cabbage) was a Trillium.

From the Grove we continued on to Tofino, and our stay at the Wickaninnish Inn for one of the best hotel experiences we could ask for.

Our room was very comfortable, complete with fireplace and balcony, and the view was spectacular.

 

The Official Welcoming Official lorded it over everyone from above.

Beach-walking was our primary activity.  Although it rained almost all our visit, it didn’t keep us indoors.  Four to five layers of clothing (!) were sufficient to keep us warm and dry, although we certainly walked funny!  One day featured heavy rain, a brief but intense hail flurry and biting winds.  Nothing like variety to stir the spirit!

The size of the driftwood on the beaches was impressive.

 And the tide pools were fascinating.

Despite the weather, one group of people were out on the beach regularly, and were having the most fun.  The surfers were there in droves.

Right across the road from our complex was the Hotel Zed, and was it ever geared for surfers!

The outside was painted in rainbow colours, and on the inside they had amenities one didn't always see.

Like a disco room.

Or a retreat room straight from the east.....

There were unique touches for the guests, both inside...

And out....

Driftwood was not only appealing for decorations, but was used to build quick shelters on the beach for surfers.  Some were elaborate; some were rudimentary.

Tofino did show signs of spring.  Magnolia trees were in full bloom, some rhododendrons were starting to flower, and some little bulbs were out.  It wasn’t sufficient to convince us that spring had arrived.

 

Our scepticism was rewarded by the scenery after the first hill leading out of Tofino.

Back to Our Stomping Grounds

Back home on the mountain, the neighbourhood had made great efforts to celebrate Easter on one road.  Mr. (now Ms.) Bullmoose was in fine form.  The eyelashes were spectacular.

 

The local coffeeshop had Easter urns out in the parking lot.  It still took another 2 ½ weeks for the first spring flowers to start blooming, and for the first hummingbirds to return.  May looks much more promising.

Farewells

This will be my last blog on this site.  The posts started after my mother suffered a stroke and was severely handicapped.  For her, the next 9 years were spent in a long-term care facility.  The staff and their care was fabulous, and this was a way I could communicate with my mother.  One of my brothers, Jim, would faithfully bring his computer and show Mum the pictures while telling her my stories.  Mum passed away on March 29, 2 days before her 93^rd birthday, and it is time for me to move on.

 Thank you for visiting and your comments via emails.  It has been fun sharing these things and getting your reactions.  I appreciated your attention--it has meant a lot.

 

Sincerely, Helen

March 2023

 

The Weather, of course

Was March the month where it was supposed to start roaring like a lion and ending baahing like a lamb?  Nobody told us here.  The month began with lots of snow on the ground which slowly started diminishing, only to be topped up by 2 ¾” of new snow on March 24.  Cooler temperatures have kept that icing on the cake.  March was supposed to be a cooler and drier month than normal, but we are still sitting on snow pack that is 124% larger than normal (or more, depending on the expert.)

Thus we are now enjoying typical post-March paranoia.  Will the snow melt swiftly and cause flooding?  Will the snow melt slowly and hopefully get more water left in the ground?  Does this mean an early or late start to the fire season?  And for heaven’s sake, when are we going to see spring flowers?!.....

Signs of Spring

We have had more signs of spring from the bird world, with the following birds back:  Red-Tailed Hawk, Turkey Vulture, Say’s Phoebe, Mountain Bluebird, and, of course, robins.  With all the snow still on the ground on the mountain, we had to descend into Osoyoos to walk along the waterfront.  They have a lovely park which is immaculately tended by volunteer gardeners, and there we could finally see the first spring flowers and the fountain flowing.

Spring is at least two weeks later than usual because we normally see the first cherry blossoms at the end of this month, but they are still huddled into buds.

We continued to have roof avalanches almost daily, because the sun is getting warmer and melting more of the snow on the roof.  However, even that progress is gradual and you can see the line of icicles marking each day’s progress.

 A Quilt is Born

Generally, I can guarantee it will take me a minimum of two years to complete a quilt, but I accomplished a miracle this month after only 4 ½ weeks of work.  My friend, Suzanne, will be undergoing somewhat complicated abdominal surgery in the middle of April, and I wanted her to have something to please her while she experiences the need for post-surgical naps.  She had unwittingly chosen the colours, and the result turned out to be quite pretty.

The Game Camera Failed Again

In the middle of March, Brian had occasion to inspect one side of the driveway near the garage, and found a set of cougar tracks  The foot pads cover an area of about 4” by 4 ½”, but by the time you consider the fur around the pads you get tracks that are more like 6”x6”.  Needless to say, the game camera was monitoring activity far from the site.  Another cool set of tracks for us to admire!

Neighbourhood Excitement

Early in the last week of March, we got a text from a neighbour warning us about some thieves in the area.  In talking to her, she mentioned having a truck come down their driveway part way, and then backing up.  Then it went to a building site next door.  Our neighbours thought little of it until 6:30 am the next day, when they saw the truck driving into the building site and parking.  Then two men in hoodies left the truck and returned a few minutes later carrying boxes.  Craig got some good pictures of the truck including the license plate and called the RCMP.  By late afternoon we got the word that the thief had been apprehended.  A SWAT team had been deployed because the truck pictures showed evidence of a firearm.  It turns out the 39 year old suspect was on parole, and he was the son of the local ex-mayor.  The lot next to the one hit was also burgled.  In each of the three cases (the neighbour and the two lots next to them) were all displaying building permits, and apparently are more vulnerable as a result.  Fortunately, we escaped without any trouble.

Hopefully April will provide more interesting pictures of spring if it ever comes.

Thanks for visiting!

February 2023

 I apologize for the paucity of January’s blog, and this one will be little better.  This is a result of having travelled to Tahiti and French Polynesia for 3 weeks.  The good news is that I finally got that blog published:  you can check it at malloysatlarge.blogspot.com

After basking in the sun, we returned to our regular February regimen of fog/cloud with at least half the month with overcast skies.

Temperatures weren’t bad, and we only got 3 ½” snow during the month, so we are out of the worst of it.

The first signs of spring are approaching!  I heard my first red-winged blackbird on February 13, and by the 20^th I had three at my feeders.  The other normal visitors made their rounds.

Unusually for the Okanagan, we had some fantastic displays of northern lights.  Here I have to feature the work of another photographer, Trent Fischer, since sleep claims us at that time of day.

Hopefully next month will have more to feature!

Thanks for visiting!

January 2023

 

Happy New Year!!

January in the Okanagan—the start of spring!

After a chilly December, we were surprised to be ushered into a mild January.  By the middle of the month, we had received 11.2 mm of rain and our snow level had gone from 12” to 6” in four days.

The warmer temperatures meant a lot of fog and cloud, but with the nice temperatures no one was complaining.

For us, it meant an early start on spring phenomena:  roof avalanches. 

Witness the picture of the roof from the outside:

 

And from the inside:

 

It meant that we needed to be very careful when we were standing nearby.  The excesses fell off with resounding bangs and crashes.

The Wildlife Story

After obtaining numerous bird pictures by having the camera mounted near the feeders, I decided for a change of locale near a commonly used deer trail.  This was not a success.  Nary a deer passed the camera.

In the meantime, we were quite excited to find elk tracks in the yard, leading up to the bird feeders!  This was a first in five years for us.  The prints are LARGE and we saw characteristic signs of the snow being pawed away to expose the ground for grazing.  Subsequently, we saw two more days with fresh elk tracks.  Since I am not entirely stupid, I moved the game camera back to the area of the bird feeders.  What can I say—nary an elk passed by.

Mr. Stag Mule Deer was more than happy to clean up cracked corn on the ground underneath the feeders.

 

This will be a fairly short blog this month—stay tuned for an update within the week.

 

Thanks for visiting!

 (PS  And a very Happy Groundhog Day to You!!)

December 2022

 

By the time we get to the last month of the year, time flies by so fast that we wonder where it went.

The Weather, of Course

The month started off slowly, with winter well-entrenched.  Cold temperatures prevailed, culminating in 41 record low temperatures broken in BC on December 23.  Osoyoos had a record low of -21.8C versus   -17.5C in 1983 while we reached -28.1C up on the hill.  Snow came every few days, never in large amounts, but it just kept adding up.  Brian blew the driveway 8 times in December, more that he ever did in a winter month in Ontario.  Something is just plain wrong with this picture.

Speaking of pictures, we did get a number of nice winter wonderland views.

 

During this time, there seemed to be weather bombs falling all over Canada like Russian missiles, and travel plans were horribly disrupted for many people whether on the road or in the air.  We hope you were not caught in any of the dicey conditions found almost everywhere.

Christmas on Anarchist Mountain

We were delighted to have a return of the Firehall Potluck Christmas Dinner on December 18.  The Fire Hall gets decorated to the ying yang, everyone brings one or two dishes to share and we sit down to a very generous meal (and of course we all eat too much).  That was suspended for two years during Covid.

In preparation, all of the equipment is driven out of the hall, tables and chairs are set up, and the decorating begins.

 

Then a mob turns up (they expected 120 people this year) and there is much visiting and fun.  We are warned that if there is a fire call, we need to just sit down and stay out of the firefighters’ way.  Fortunately, none of that kind of excitement occurred.

 

In October, I showed you a quilt we finished for a fundraiser; the quilt tickets were all sold, and we had the draw at the Potluck.  The best part of it was immediately handing a cheque of $1911 over to the Fire Department for their use in the future.

Wildlife Sightings (or not…)

 Early in December I was awakened by a weasel kill just outside the bedroom door.  The prints in the snow told the story.  The weasel lives in a rock pile on one side of the patio and we often see tracks going to and fro.  But no pictures....

After giving you so many bird pictures last month, I thought I would balance that out with some deer pictures and correspondingly moved the game camera beside a trail commonly used.  They didn’t.  With all the snow on the ground, I believe the deer have herded up other than a few stragglers that venture by to eat under the bird feeders.  If they do come by, they tend to use the driveway/sidewalk/path to the bird feeders like the sensible animals they are.

This led to a number of big misses.  Brian came in to excitedly announce that he could see elk tracks by the garage and up to the feeding ground.  I checked, and the kind of beast was confirmed by the fact that they were pawing the ground clear to get grazing.  This happened again!!  No camera!!  Then, we saw a couple of beautiful mule deer stags noshing at the feeding ground!!  No camera!!  Finally I move the camera back and pointed it toward the yard to catch the big guys.  Finally one came, and gave the camera a very close inspection.  So much for the wildlife saga this month.

 

Atmospheric Phenomena

With the unusual weather this December, we saw a huge variation in clouds and skies.  I don’t know if you have experienced this before, but in still conditions with specific ice crystals in the air, you can see columns of light going upwards into the night sky from the street lights below.  Very beautiful and somewhat eerie.  We experienced something even more unusual this month.  Again, with still conditions and specific ice crystals in the air, you can see a column of light coming down from the sun.  I took pictures, but this one taken by a local photographer (Laurie Lennie) was even better.

 

Thank you for visiting, and we wish you a happy and prosperous New Year.

 

 

November 2022

Since I am Canadian, it seems only natural that I should begin by talking about the weather.  After a glorious and warm October (warmest and driest on record), we felt entitled to start November in the same vein. 

My bird feeders were still inside, away from the bears, but I was putting out some cracked corn to the delight of the Stellar Jays.

A friend and I went hiking on a favourite trail, with a couple of viewpoints such as one overlooking our house (!) and this one looking at some mountains to the north. 

This picture is not so important until you look at the scars on the mountain across the way.  The scarred parts are where the Nk’Mip fire burned last year and the subsequent roads created to get heavy equipment into burning places.

Within a couple of days, the temperatures started dropping.

On November 4, we got 9 ½” of snow overnight.  This was confirmed by the Snow Measurement Specialist.

We got another 7 inches of snow on November 7, followed by 5 inches of snow on November 8.  As you might expect, Brian was busy with the snowblower.

The Town of Osoyoos has some inexplicable activities at times.  For all summer, the fountain in the downtown park was idle. Tourists came and went with no refreshing spray to mitigate against the heat.  However, the Town decided to start the fountain again in November.  This was the result.

Temperatures have remained colder than normal during the rest of the month, leading to the fact that November was the third coldest one on record for Penticton (north of us) and the fourth coldest for Kelowna (more north of us).

Oh, and on November 30, we got another 5 inches of snow.

We do get some spectacular winter scenes before our eyes.

When the sun shines, we get some beautiful views and beautiful sunsets.

If we are wrapped in fog from the valley, we get some beautiful hoar frost on the grasses and trees.

 

Neighbours below us took a picture of our house, and we think we are looking pretty darn good with the new stucco job done in the spring.

.

 

To get a break from the cold, we decided to go back to Campbell River for a quick trip for some warmer temperatures and a chance for Brian to see some of the scenery I enjoyed so much while he was in hospital.

We hit the first objective immediately, but for two days the sightseeing was considerably limited given some all-encompassing fog that even the locals were complaining about. 

We did go along the scenic path that ran along the shore for 8 kilometers, but many of the sights were somewhat shrouded.  Still, we saw more chainsaw carvings and wall murals and other bits of art

.

The third day was completely different.  The sun was bright and the scenery was fabulous.  We only had a couple of hours there before having to drive down to Nanaimo, but we made up for it with some better sightseeing.

 

As you can see above, one of the things I like most about Campbell River is showing Aboriginal art alongside non-aboriginal offerings.  The local Walmart Store has some wonderful bas-relief original symbols on the front of the building.

Locals told us about a new driftwood statue erected on the beach this fall:  it was a life-size statue of a humpback whale.  The work was really impressive.

 

Then we discovered a driftwood dinosaur nearby, done by the same artist.  I don’t think it was life-size but it still was notable.

 

An then there was a little driftwood raccoon.  It doesn’t get any better than that in my mind.

 

When I saw this the first time, I didn't recognize it as a raccoon since someone had put a daisy chain around its neck.  All-season decorations seem important here.

At the last minute, we decided to take a whale watching trip ie the Nanaimo to Horseshoe Bay Ferry.  As we just pulling away from Nanaimo there were three or 4 humpback whales in the surrounding waters, blowing away.  And just as we were pulling into Horseshoe Bay another couple showed up in the waters to make their presence known.  Both times the ferries were near to tilting as passengers ran from one side to the other to watch.

On our way back, we stopped at a local attraction just west of Osoyoos, called Spotted Lake.  It has great significance to the local native community.  There are some unique minerals in the water that configure into spots during the summer.  To my surprise and delight, this phenomena continues into the winter.

For the bird lovers…(the rest of you can ignore this)

As soon as we had snow, the bird feeders went up again, to very receptive crowds.  The jays continue to visit in droves (I’ve seen as many as 8 at once), but we also get Clark’s Nutcrackers, Black-billed Magpies, and a Northern Flicker.

 

Then, to my shock, I got a picture of not one, but two chipmunks out trying for a last-minute buildup of their larder.  They make them tough out here…..

 

Thanks for visiting.  We hope that December is a happy season for you and that you can enjoy times with family, friends, and neighbours.