July 2020

Season Change

July is the month when we finally went from Spring to Summer.  On July 1, the high was 14.2 degrees; on July 31 the high was 34.9 degrees.  Osoyoos had a record high of 39.3 degrees on July 30 but we are lucky up on the mountain and generally experience temperatures 5-6 degrees cooler than that below.   Thank goodness!  However, we are now closing up the house at 9:30 am to avoid the heat inside.

Up to this point, we had had twice the normal amount of rain this year, with June featuring temperatures 5 degrees below normal.  That changed!  The grasses have turned brown and crispy, and a lightning storm yesterday started 15 spot fires.  We’ve been blessed with low wildfire activity this year, but that has changed in a heartbeat.

Covid-19 and BC

Although BC has been extremely good on holding the lid on Covid-19, tourist season has then wreaked havoc.  There were two private parties in Kelowna on Canada Day (featuring tourists from Vancouver and elsewhere) that have now resulted in 137 cases of infection and over 1000 people needing to self-quarantine.  This whole area depends on tourism, but we locals are finding it more of a threat than an improvement to the economy.  Downtown is crowded with larger groups of people, most not wearing face masks, and most appearing oblivious to the threat of infection.  They are on holidays from elsewhere and they seem to think it is not a problem.  Brian and I have restricted our visits to town and stores even more, and are looking forward to September for a reprieve.

Brian’s Bike and Kayak Month

The good weather has finally allowed Brian to get out on his bike, and he has put more than 600 km on it.  In addition, he was able to get out for a kayak trip on Jewel Lake—named very appropriately for its beauty.  He didn’t need to miss Georgian Bay, for there was a loon to greet him here instead.

WWWW—or W to the fourth Power

Or maybe it should be to the fifth power because I am going to assail you with the Wild Woman’s Weed Wrestling Whines.  I promise not to bore you further after this post, but I will vent now in hopes of gaining your generous sympathy.  Stay tuned for very very small W5 comments when I am more restrained later.

With two times the normal amount of rain this spring, every plant on this acreage flourished.  The good news was that we have had an enormous of number of wildflowers blooming this year.  The bad news is we have had an enormous number of weeds growing enormously.  I try to put in 14 hours of weeding per week, and that amount of time lends itself to wild fantasies coursing through my otherwise unoccupied head during those hours.

At the beginning, I considered that pulling out large weeds (like a 4 ½ foot thistle) meant that I could line up carcasses on the patio for admiration.  These honkers are huge.  I can pull 3 mustard plants or 3 knapweed plants, and fill a wheelbarrow.  Big deal—I could have a thousand wheelbarrows of work.

I thought I had pictures of the carcasses on the patio, but I couldn’t find them, so I will spare you.  Be thankful.

Last year I measured my successes in how many large bags of weeds I took in for disposal (100).  This year, I have found a kindly friend with a large trailer, and now I am counting trailer loads.  See my happiness.

 

 There will be a similar load in two weeks from this.

Speaking of the wildflowers found (still there is good news), Mariposa Lilies have started blooming, and there are more here than I have ever seen before.  The flowers are the size of a lime, but have little other than a thin stalk to the ground.  For a desert environment, they seem a bit miraculous.

The Joys of the Wapiti Pit

Our community has an incredibly fortunate deal with the local developer where they allow use of one of their gravel puts for community members to dump flammable yard waste for safe disposal during the fire season.  Pine cones, needles and pine branches are generally the first offering, but noxious weeds disposal is a great alternative. (The alternative for this stuff is to take it to landfill more than 40 km away one way, and bagging all noxious weeds in double plastic bags for disposal). Volunteers (me and our FireSmart Committee) monitor access to the Wapiti pit every second Saturday  through the summer season, and at the end of the season, generally after the first snow flies, the local volunteer fire department has a wonderful time burning off the debris (they really are arsonists,) and then monitoring the site afterward for hot spots.  Last year we accepted 174 loads of debris: this year we are already past 350 with four weekends to go.

Critter Watch

With the feeders down for the bears, I have far less sightings, but there are still highlights. 

The first batch of wrens have fledged and the parents are obviously bringing food to another clutch.

California quail have shown up on the patio and driveway, although I haven’t been quick enough to catch pictures.

We have been treated to aerial displays of Common Nighthawks this last week—the first for me.  They are elegant fliers, but their family name of Goatsuckers seems a bit weird.

We had a week snake on our coffee deck—not sure what kind.

 

The Month Upcoming

 

It is so hard to believe it is August already, and I know we are all experiencing different degrees of constraint due to Covid-a19.  We hope this finds you all well and safe.