Ahhh The Beauty of A Sunset

Lately all our sunsets have been influenced by wildfire smoke. Even the slightest smoke particle can change the way we see things.

I like this one because the clouds look like a small stream leading to the
mountain top.

This one is the sun setting behind the mountains. Notice the band of clouds
blocking the middle of the sun and how hazy the mountains look.

Sometimes, we are gifted with some amazing photo opportunities like these.

This is one of my favorites. The contrast of the trees against the orange
sky and clouds is striking.

Wildfire Smoke, A Full Moon and The Sun

Can you see the layers of smoke on the mountains?


The fires continue to burn around us but so far Kamloops has dodged the bullet.

Last week a passing train sparked a fire on Ord Road that spanned several Kilometers and charred the ground. How lucky the residents were that the KFD were able to get a handle on it and had the BC Wildfire Centre right here? A friend of mine lives on Ord Road and the fire burned everything in her yard to within a few feet of her home. When she told us that I almost cried. The cause of the fire is still unknown. Here's the facts:

1. A wheel on the train had locked and was spitting sparks. The engineer didn't know about his locked wheel.
   
2. A train car, loaded with scrap steel, caught fire. This could be a renewed arguement to return the caboose to the trains and some have clearly stated that the fire on Ord Road would not have gotten so out of hand if there had been a caboose and an attendant on the train.
   
3. The sparks, or the fire from the car, started a grass fire that came dangerously close to residences, the Kamloops Golf Club and had the potential to become a full blown interface wildfire.


4. The KFD can't tell which happened first.

Believe it or not, that's the moon! The smoke and clouds give it an eerie appearance.


It is no secret that I like the caboose and think that the need for a caboose during the dry summer months is certainly there. CN and CP, on the other hand, probably think I'm nuts and definately don't want to spend the money to protect our environment.

No so lucky is the town of Lillooet. The fire is still raging, but the residents have been allowed to return to their homes after several days under evacuation order. The town is still under an evacuation alert, the fire fighters have been able to get 40% containment of the fire, but they are not out of harms way yet. I pray for rain.

So, with all those fires burning in the Kamloops Wildfire District (over 600 at the moment), the air quality is understandably crappy. I admit to making an understatement here. There's nothing like waking up in the morning, pouring a hot cup of coffee and looking out the front window to see a blanket of white. Not that magnificent mountain that normally fills my view. Just white. I half expect to see the title of LOST appear in black letters right before my eyes.


But we do get the occasional spectacular skyscape!

The sun, though trying to shine down, becomes obscured by the smoke. The moon, when it rises high in the sky glows an eerie halo. The clouds, when lit from behind, take on strange and beautiful shades. Then, just when we thought the night sky couldn't get any better, it clears and gives us a full moon rising!

The full moon cresting the mountain ridge in front of my house. The trees silhouetted by the moon are amazing. I was lucky getting this shot.

After The Lightening.....

Comes the fire......

It started last night.

We thought it was out when we didn't see anymore flames.

We were wrong as it smoldered until a wind came along.

Looks like it's under control and contained.

Farewell Uncle Ken

God speed Uncle Ken.

June 28th, 2009.

We will miss you.

Go with grace into the arms of God.

It's Raining!

Ugh, it is raining in Kamloops. We really should be grateful for the rain, but it seems like it's been raining for ten months now! So, I went outside to take some pictures of the yard.

This tree turns purple when it gets enough sunshine and water. I think it is called a Tamarisk Tree. It's leaves are feathery fronds. It's really quite pretty.
The pond has not been repaired yet. We have a leak and can't find it. We lost all our fish over the winter when the pond heater quit working properly and shorted the pump. No new fish and the pond is empty for now. Kind of sad.


That's the pool. Doesn't it look like a clown exploded all over my patio furniture? The white box is covering a stereo and there are speakers that we covered to be waterproof. Good thing in the rain.

This used to be one of those canvas folding chairs. Now it just collects the water on my patio because I forgot to fold it up. At least now I know where the water is coming from.

And it looks like we're going to need to replace the patio roof supports. Those boards are about to collapse! I didn't realize how bad they really were until I took this picture. I knew they needed to be done, but it looks like it'll be this fall. They certainly won't hold up with two feet of snow this coming winter.

Poor Butterfly

I was talking to my father outside and when he turned around I saw this little guy clinging to the back of his shirt.
I put my fingers against dad's back and he climbed onto them. I noticed his one wing wasn't moving at all.

I put him on a flower. I thought that if his wing wasn't working right then at least he'd have food.

He's so pretty.

Zipping Here, Zipping There!

Last year we decided to try a new sport. To us anyway. It's been hanging around, and I use the term loosely, for a few years and had intrigued us for some time. So, we packed up the car and drove an hour or so East on the Trans Canada Highway.

We registered, signed the waivers, paid and collected our safety gear. We then went through a comprehensive safety briefing and were taken to the first phase of our Sky Trek Adventure Park.

Climbing ladders, carefully walking toe to toe across a metal wire strung between two trees, crawling across rope nets and hanging in a harness while gliding from one tree to the other.

It takes a great deal of faith to practically throw oneself off a small wooden platform 45 feet in the air and rely on a 1/2 inch coil of steel to keep you from falling to the ground and killing yourself. Once I got over the fear that that wire wasn't going to fail, I was able to truly enjoy myself, even relishing in the feel of the cool breeze on my face as I zipped from one tree to the other.

I knew that it would be physically challenging, but I didn't realize just how difficult it was going to be. I completed the first two courses, but declined the third. The day was getting old, as was I, and I just knew I would be feeling this activity come morning.

And how! I found muscles I had forgotten I had. Walking was painful for a week and my rear end wasn't pleased either. My arms throbbed and I'm not sure where the big bruise on my right side came from.

You would think that once would be enough for this woman. Yet, I find my mind wandering to the third and most difficult part of the Trek that I didn't complete. I can't leave that unfinished. So this summer my daughter and I will once again find ourselves at the Enchanted Forest Adventure Trek, climbing rope ladders, walking toe to toe and gliding between ancient trees in one of Canada's most beautiful primordial forests.

My butt just aches as I think about it.

I can't wait to feel my muscles rebel once again.

Chickadee Ridge!

A Visit To Chickadee Ridge, Armstrong BC

A few years ago I learned about an amazing place that had a herd of over 250 horses. It was less than an hours drive from home in a lovely town called Armstrong, so I thought it would make a great day trip. And did we ever have fun! Just finding the place was a treat, then actually getting out among the horses was amazing. Over 250 horses that rushed over to see you as soon as they spotted you! They were so loving and gentle.

They even had a giant rocking horse. Notice the real rocking horse beside it? Look carefully!

Of course, these aren't normal everyday riding horses. These are MINIATURE HORSES! Each perfectly proportional to their full size counterpart, but ever so adorable. This guy was almost full grown! The horses were scattered in various paddocks and could move from one field to another freely. Often they would look up from grazing, see us and begin wandering toward us.

They loved to be touched and petted, and were especially attracted to my daughter. At first she was weary of them, but they quickly made her feel welcome and the day passed too quickly watching her play with them

We both were quite taken with this little guy. He was about two weeks old and calm as anything as we approached. His mother just looked at us, whinnied a cheerful welcome and continued to graze nearby.

If I thought I could get away with it, I'd have one in the back yard for a pet. It could fit through the doggie door and they are able to be house trained!

This guy was fascinated by my shoes and kept trying to eat my laces. Every time I tried to get a picture of my daughter with him, he'd put his head down and start directly for my feet, giving the lace a munch!

I think I shall have to take another trip to Chickadee Ridge soon.

So pretty

Took this picture of the ornamental tree in the front yard.

I love the water droplets on the leaves.
A neighbour gave us these Lily of the Valley shortly after we moved here.
Even though I neglected the flower bed where they are planted, they still try to prevail.
I plan to clean that flower bed up.



These are the petals from the ornamental tree.
It was in bloom until the wind came in.
The yard looks pretty with the purple petals everywhere.

The Colour Lilac

The lilac trees are in full bloom and are such a pretty colour purple and they smell so sweet and fragile. I've cut some from the trees in the backyard and the essence has filled the house.

Fire Season Is Upon Us!

Every year around this time we pack all our valuable papers and belongings into tote boxes and put them in spot where we can access them quickly. These totes sit there until late October, when the weather turns cold and soon the snow will fall. Insurance papers for the cars and the house. A pictorial record of every electrical appliance and how much they cost to replace. We have pet carriers standing ready. A bag filled with new tooth brushes, clean underwear, clothing, shoes. Anything we might need if we are forced to be away from our home for an extended period of time. Anything we might need if our home should be destroyed by a wild fire.

Many people would not understand the degree to which we prepare and until you experience it, you will never know the horror of being evacuated from your home because a wildfire is threatening your community.

In 2003 we got to experience it first hand and had to flee with what we were wearing and our pets. For three days we didn't know if we had a home to return to, or even if we could ever return.

This is a thermal photo taken by a satellite. The red is fire. In the upper right corner of the photo you will see a small community, with a bend of a river as it's border. This is where I live and we were perilously close to being wiped out.

Although we are part of the City of Kamloops, we have our own water system and septic tanks. When the power lines were burned, our water system failed. It was a 20 year old Diesel generator that pumped the water the firefighters used to beat back the fire. If the fire had jumped the highway and caught just one home, all 745 houses would have been lost.

I used to watch the fire planes fly over my house all the time. Now, when I hear them, my eyes search for smoke because, Where there's smoke, there's fire!

The mountains are now beginning to recover, and most of the trees are burned timber, but I still get nervous. There is more that can go up in flames. There's across the river and over 5,000 houses and businesses that could go this year. I sure hope not, but the possibility is there.

Kamloops is home base for the provincial Wildfire Fighting Services. I really hate to hear those planes coming, yet I know they are here to, hopefully, save us again.

But, just in case, our bags are packed and sitting by the back door. I hope I never have to grab them.

I Just Noticed Something....

I was just going through the photos I took during our trip to Alberta in March. Usually we just drive directly home from Medicine Hat, but this time we decided, at my daughter's request, to detour to Drumheller and visit the Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.

When I took this photo of my daughter I didn't notice the banner hanging to the right of the giant leg. It sort of looks like the paleontologist is a ghost looking on in approval.

I know it has nothing to do with Kamloops, other than the fact that we live in this fair city, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

You Know You're Canadian When.....

I found this on Facebook and had to share.

* You stand in "line-ups" at the movie, not lines.

* You're not offended by the term "Homo Milk".

* You understand the sentence, "Could you please pass me a serviette, I just spilled my poutine".

* You eat chocolate bars instead of candy bars.

* You drink pop, not soda.

* You know what it means to be on pogey.

* You can drink legally while still a 'teen.

* You talk about the weather with strangers and friends alike.

* You don't know or care about the fuss with Cuba, it's just a cheap place to travel with good cigars.

* When there is a social problem, you turn to your government to fix it instead of telling them to stay out of it.

* You're not sure if the leader of your nation has EVER had sex and you don't want to know if he has!

* You get milk in bags as well as cartons and plastic jugs.

* Pike is a type of fish, not some part of a highway.

* You drive on a highway, not a freeway.

* You know what a Robertson screwdriver is.

* You have Canadian Tire money in your kitchen drawers.

* You know that Thrills are something to chew and "taste like soap".

* You know that Mounties "don't always look like that".

* You dismiss all beers under 6% as "for children and the elderly".

* You know that the Friendly Giant isn't a vegetable product line.

* You know that Casey and Finnegan are not a Celtic musical group.

* You participated in "Participaction".

* You have an Inuit carving by your bedside with the rationale , "What's good enough protection for the Prime Minister is good enough for me".

* You wonder why there isn't a 5 dollar coin yet.

* You use a red pen on your non-Canadian textbooks and fill in the missing 'u's from labor, honor, and color.

* You know the French equivalents of "free", "prize", and "no sugar added", thanks to your extensive education in bilingual cereal packaging.

* You are excited whenever an American television show mentions Canada.

* You make a mental note to talk about it at work the next day.

* You can eat more than one maple sugar candy without feeling nauseous.

* You were mad when "The Beachcombers" was taken off the air.

* You know what a toque is.

* You have some memento of Doug and Bob.* You know Toronto is not a province. (...yet)

* You never miss "Coaches Corner".* Back bacon and Kraft Dinner are two of your favourite food groups.

* You actually get these jokes and you suggest this fanpage to all your Canadian friends!!

At The Airport

Kamloops Airport is formally named Fulton Field and handles a nominal amount of daily traffic. After over twenty years jet service has also returned to our fair city. Every kid loves to go to the airport to watch the planes land and take off.

During the dry summer months there can be a plethora of planes landing and taking off. But these are not the average passenger prop or jet planes. No, these planes are fire planes. When we hear these planes flying over the house we know that there's a forest fire out there somewhere. We hope that it isn't threatening any homes and that the firefighters can beat it down quickly.

The summer of 2003 was a wildfire bonanza for British Columbia and I was one of the many thousands evacuated from their homes. Some, like myself and my family, were lucky, others lost not just their homes, but their livelihoods as well.

My eternal gratitude goes to the BC Forest Service and all that they do for our forests.

Tranquille....Not So Serene

Today my daughter and I took a drive out to the old Tranquille Sanatorium. At first it was a hospital that treated TB patients, and was quite successful until the early 1940's, when they found that medicine better treated the ailment. It was then turned into a hospital for the mentally challenged and was run by the BC government until the late 1980's. Since then it has been bought and sold several times with each buyer espousing grand plans for development. Most of the buildings are abandoned and falling apart, but there are a few that are occupied.

I was happily taking pictures from the road when a rather portly young man (I am being polite) speed up to me and threatened to take my camera. This is what happens when bullies grow up and realize they can't get a real job. Unfortunately for him I am very much aware of my rights and, being a red head, dared him. I also made a big show of writing down his license plate.

I was somewhat confused by this silo and wondered what caused the dome to go askew. We shall have to see how long it takes to completely fall off.

It's too bad this site has been allowed to go to ruin. Most of the buildings are too far gone to ever be restored to their previous state.

Unfortunately most of the buildings contain asbestos and would need to be stripped before they could be used again. The cost is likely too high.

That Goose Is Watching Me!

The goose kept watching us as we walked along the quickly dwindling beach. It's spring, which means the snow pack in the mountains is beginning to melt rapidly and the water level in the North Thompson River is rising quickly.

Across The River.......

Across the river from Rae-Mor Park I found an interesting sight.

Half way up the mountain, parked among a fleet of Semi tractors......

A CABOOSE!

Remember you can click on the picture to get a full view.

That's right.......a caboose! It's been eons since the trains have ended their lines with a caboose. Apparently they are not economical once all the engines have been converted to diesel power. They didn't need anyone riding the back of the train watching for fires from the steam barrel (if that's what it was called).

The caboose was my favorite part of the train. As a small child I can remember standing at the crossings and waving, just to say hello. The engineers waved back to us all the time, and it was always a thrill when they did. But the guy in the caboose must have been a father or an uncle because on special days like Halloween and Easter, he would toss candy at us from his perch on that back porch at the very end of the car. He made our day and we felt special for a little while. There are days, when the world has gone just too far that I long to be that small child standing at the crossing once again.

Much of my young life was spent in the Northwest Territories, where there are no trains. The muskeg would just swallow the tracks overnight, I'm sure, and the permafrost made laying a solid foundation for the tracks impossibly expensive and improbable.

Now I live down the road from the home base of the Rocky Mountaineer and, when my daughter was smaller, I used to walk to the train tracks every Thursday afternoon to wave at the passengers. Never has a train gone buy when someone didn't wave back at us! April is upon us and soon the Mountaineer will once again blow past our community. I hope to be there to say "hello" once again.