SPRING, 2025

 I feel that it's been a slow spring this year, but there are always delays to every season during the past 2 decades.  We had a week of spring in late February when it poured rain and ruined the snow.  I'm going by the skunk cabbage, or as Patrick Lane called them,  swamp lanterns.  We have a large patch at the end of the Pine Ridge Road and they usually bloom the 2nd and 3rd weeks of April.  This year, it's been the third and fourth weeks of April.

Yesterday, we had our first warm day.  I had a lovely drive to Trail and many trees are in bloom.  Hiking up to the Bluffs, it was actually HOT on the exposed part of Trail that faces south.  One delightful thing in my yard was the nectarine tree in bloom.  The peas, onions, garlic, and sweet peas are all growing and the next planting should begin in another week.  Tulips that are protected from the deer are doing fine.  Very happy to see my Pasque flower has finally found a place to be happy.  

Earth Day 2025

 I just returned from an hour's litter picking along 1.3 km of roadside in my local area.  It's a mix of good news and bad news.  I managed to do each side of the road in 50 minutes but I am leaving all paper products, heavy items and I don't scramble in and out of ditches any longer.  I am feeling my age!!  Two and three years ago I know that it took me a couple of hours to complete that much of the road so the amount of litter is perhaps less.  The most encouraging thing is that I think I only picked up ONE styrofoam container.  But there's still tons of paper drink containers with their vile plastic lids.  Let me vote for a party who bans the use of "take out drink containers".  I don't think it would take long to convert people to "carry your own container" if there was no other choice.

I've been cleaning up cans on this stretch of road for the past several years.  I get started just after the snow leaves.  It was just as plentiful this year as any other.  In fact, it may even be worse.  I've converted Dave into becoming a "can picker" and I am dismayed to say that he picked up 140 cans on 2 sides of the highway over a 2.5 km stretch.  Litter bug, Litter bug, shame on you! 

BC Parks and Recreation Recreation Sites

 We've stayed in plenty of recreation sites over the years and last week, during our trip "west" to Keremeos we ended up at the Red Bridge Rec Site on the Ashanola River.  This is located on a FS Road that used to lead into Cathedral Provincial Park, a place we visited many, many years ago.  

This particular site is very nice, although its appeal is somewhat dampened by the huge fire that swept through the region 2 summers ago.  The campsite is now pretty much surrounded by dead trees, but the grass looked lush and inviting on our recent visit.  It allows the rock cliffs to be the major feature.   There had been some attempt to take down some trees and clean up parts of the campground, but lots of work still needs to be completed.  We had a fire in the firepit and managed to get one campsite looking quite good.  I wished that I had brought a rake!  

My main complaint about these sites is that they are "user maintained" which means the "user" is supposed to take their garbage and recyclables with them when they leave.  I find it rarely happens.  This campground had one site which had a large pile of garbage in it and perhaps the intention was to "clean it up in spring".  I do hope it gets done.  I collected 9 recyclable containers left in firepits because people won't even put these into their cars and give to a charity group who are fundraising.  The amount of litter that gets left around by humans is disgusting.  My other complaint about these sites is that they can become "party places" and it isn't long before they get pretty much "trashed" - literally and figuratively.  BC has such beauty - why can't we learn to treat that beauty with respect and kindness?

SWIWS

We just returned from a 4 night camping trip to the "West".  There was definitely a taste of spring.  After leaving Kaslo in midafternoon on a Thursday, we travelled as far as Greenwood to spend the night.  I found the trailhead for the ride to Midway from Greenwood (13 km) and was rather excited to see it - it is one section of the trail that we have not completed.  Alas, it was -3 when we woke up in the morning, but it was clear.  Travelling on to Osoyoos, we readily found a campsite at swiws provincial park, formerly known as Haynes Point.  It's a very nice park, actually, but is one of the most popular in the province and difficult to get into.  However, no reservations are accepted before mid-May so April was our opportunity.

It was excellent for bird-watching - there were hundreds of red-wing blackbirds who were busy showing off their red epaulettes in the marsh.  I picked out our campsite from the male wood duck who happened to be swimming by.  There were great globs of coots on the lake, and the next most popular birds were the buffleheads.  Mergansers were a close second.  My prize sighting was 2 red-necked grebes hanging out with the coots.  Saturday morning, we observed a very large and fierce looking bald eagle high in a tree and one of the early morning runners said this particular eagle lives a couple of "blocks" away on the lakeshore.

I'd definitely go back to swiws in the spring.  It was quiet - and we even had one full day without wind.  We did learn that wind can be a big factor in one's enjoyment of the park.  The park is located on that very narrow stretch of land that juts out into Osoyoos Lake.  

Spring is Springing!

Yesterday morning it did feel very much like spring.  We took ourselves off to Castlegar to discover Waldie Island, a former heronry on the Columbia River.  There's a good trail along this side of the river and our first stop was an elevated platform to observe the birds on the sewage lagoon!  There were tons of them, mostly ring-necked ducks and there were also enormous turtles laying on various logs - the sun was out but it was only about 5 degrees.  That did surprise me.

Other bird species we saw were:  teal, common goldeneye, mallards, buffleheads, common mergansers and we think, a female wood duck.  There was even a lone,  red-winged blackbird sitting in the remains of bullrushes.  

As we hiked along, we read well-worn signs about the area and in the early 2000s the location of Waldie Island in the Columbia River was a huge heronry.  However, since 2003 there have been very few pairs found at the Island.  It is a restricted area, but likely it was NOT restricted 20 plus years ago so the herons decided to leave because of all the human activity.   The walk is a good discovery for us because birds do seem to come there, at least in spring!  Here is the Island on a bright spring morning.  

Seventy Fifth Year

I've just had my birthday weekend and have entered the 75th year.  I enjoyed celebrating myself.  Saturday (the actual birthday), I went out with the "running" group who are mostly all walking now.  I have become a walker with my 75 year old left knee and plan to continue with that for the long term.  We celebrated "me" with coffee and treats which is the usual Saturday morning routine, but I got toasted!  In the evening, I went to see The Red Thread, performed by Elle, at the Langham Theatre.  It was a very well done presentation of Elle's life and her relationship with the three muses.  It was cleverly put together and I so admired her red crocheted pantsuit - I wonder if it was a thrift store "find" or do she make it herself???

Thursday evening, my pre birthday, eve, I had 3 women to dinner for our regular book club and was presented with my absolute favourite chocolate cake!  I have yet to make one of these cakes but I do have the recipe.  It's the best chocolate cake that I have ever eaten.  The women did the candles and song version of the birthday.

Friday, as part of my pre-birthday celebration I had lunch with a friend at the Kaslo hotel and we were served an excellent fish chowder!  I will return.

Sunday, another friend took me for lunch, once again at the Kaslo Hotel.  This time, I had the "mini brunch" breakfast - also very good.  Then I had a walk with Dave in the areas of Woodbury and Ainsworth and we dined at JB's in Woodbury that evening.  I have been extremely overfed!

Happy Birthday, me!  

Enough Said!