To say there is little to report for November is to make a complete understatement.
Like in other parts of the country, Covid-19 has had a very
dampening effect on activity. Masks have
been de rigueur for some time now, but with increasing cases Dr. Bonnie Henry
(our heroine) declared social activity to be minimized to a household basis only.
Despite our comfort that we live in a very unpopulated area, there have been 5
cases of Covid-19 in Osoyoos recently (town of 5000) (all brought in by
outsiders visiting) so we have become even more cautious in our outings. Fortunately, colder temperatures are here so
we can run our fireplaces and send smoke signals to the neighbours.
Speaking of weather, we hit a record high on November 5, and
temperatures have continued to be within a narrow bandwidth of +3 to -3 for
most days. We have about 6 inches of
snow on the ground up on the mountain, but Osoyoos still has no snow on the
ground.
The waterfront looks like this:
Osoyoos has always been a popular winter destination for
some Canadian snowbirds, especially those from the northern Prairies, and this
year is no exception. The town is pretty
booked solid, especially since many Canadians who normally go south the US are
looking for more Canadian locations.
The local businesses continue to innovate, and we have been most
interested in the actions taken by a new coffeehouse established on the main road
this year. (It’s called Junction 3 since
it is located on Hwy 3.) The coffeehouse is a nondescript little building with a
large parking lot, which has been outfitted with chairs, tables and lovely
flowerpots in the summer to let people enjoy the outdoors. When cooler temperatures prevailed, they
brought out several little plastic bubbles for people to continue enjoying the
outdoors while avoiding the elements. Each little dome has its own Christmas
tree to improve the patron’s’ spirits.
Regrettably, Brian’s mother passed away on November 9 after a
short illness. She had passed her 100th
year, and her decline was swift but merciful.
When Covid restrictions finally ease, the four siblings will plan a
get-together in Ontario where they can share memories.
Attendance is great and diverse. Amongst the larger birds, we get Clarke’s
Nutcrackers, Stellar Jays and Magpies on a regular basis as well as tons of the
little guys.
On November 30, I looked out at the feeders, and to my
surprise there was a five-point mule deer buck snorfing down the cracked corn
on the ground. No matter how I tried to
distract him or go from door to door to get the best shot, he was far too
interested in eating to afford me any other view than that of his rump.
Finally, I caught a moment!
Good looking animal! Notice how
close he is to the bird feeders…..
He stayed there for about half an hour, licking the corn from
the snow, much to the annoyance of the big birds who were reluctant to light on
the feeders while he was so close. Brian
happened to look out just as the issue was finally resolved. A magpie landed on the rump of the deer! He decided this was too much, and ambled off
to the satisfaction of the birds. Wish I
could have captured a picture of that!
Brian’s barber taught him that there are only 3 possible haircuts
for men:
Unparted
Parted
Departed
Thank you for visiting.
We continue to wish you well and hope for your comfort and health in the
upcoming month.
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