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Flotation fun and fishing keeps Lac des Roches busy

A lot of neighbourly discussions centre on local wildlife
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A beautiful day on Lac des Roches can only be enhanced by taking along your best friends. Marie Macchi has trained her dogs

While the ever-popular trout fishing continues to occupy residents and guests at the lake, the variety of recreational water use is always increasing.

Floating playgrounds, trampolines and lounging islands dot the shorelines and all kinds of "towables" are being dragged around the lake behind faster watercraft.

Pontoon boats have increased in popularity, as they offer stability, variety and room for an entire family, and their pets, to spend hours playing on the lake. It seems the new entertainment to watch on the lake is only limited to the imaginations of the users.

 

Coffee party

Ladies of McCarthy Subdivision got together for a meet-and-greet social in mid-July.

As is typical when meeting people in the Cariboo, there are several friends and family connections between the neighbours who migrate to the area full- and part-time.

Years ago, this beautiful neighbourhood was pasture for the McDonald ranch. Despite the development of dozens of waterfront and back lots, it still boasts luscious grasses and vegetation, which grow right down to the lake’s edge.

It is no surprise that much of the table talk turned to guarding docks and lawns from the unwanted remnants of the floating flocks of geese and ducks. Neighbours were happy to share their different determent success and failure techniques.

 

Berries at last

Last week, the first of the Saskatoon berries were ripe enough for eating.

It appears the berry success will be sporadic again this year. While one resident claims to have grown cherry-sized berries, another neighbour is lamenting over the mini berries she has discovered on her property.

The real challenge will be to harvest them over the next few weeks ahead of the bears, crows and cedar waxwings that can strip or destroy a bush in less than a day.

 

Healthy waste water

Wild rose bushes are not recommended vegetation for traditional septic fields due to their aggressive root structure.

Roots can damage the drain pipe, which can be just below the surface of the ground after years of settling soil.

Residents may need to be reminded that grasses are the least intrusive vegetation to maintain the healthy operation of a field. The Cariboo Regional District website (www.cariboord.bc.ca) is one resource for recommendations on keeping fields healthy and problem-free.

 

Wolves nearby

Quiet nights around the campfires in July have been disrupted several times by the distinctive howls of several wolves in the vicinity.

There is an unconfirmed report of a range calf lost to a wolf earlier in the summer, which is not uncommon. For the most part, wolves will keep their distance, but a community located on the edge of the wilderness is bound to result in sightings and encounters, so residents must stay aware.

 

Other wildlife

Deer, badgers and bears are frequently sighted around the lake now.

On the lake, there seems to be a high success rate of loon chicks so far, but the eagles are still a threat. Residents all agree, just sit and watch the land and lake from any deck and there will be wildlife spotted.

While some residents claim they can distinguish between the different individual animals and birds, some of us are only just able to determine the species, or in the case of deer, whether it had budding horns or not.

 

Colourful landscape

Vegetable and flower gardens are “taking off” with the abundant rainfall and recent warm weather.

Native vegetation is doing well as evidenced by the height and abundance of the annoying cow parsnip.