Dear Canimites,
A stream of campers began to flow into the area on Thursday of the long weekend, as families gathered for time together at their homes, cabins and at the resorts.
The water of the lake is delicious now for swimming, relief from the heat, and just a plain joy for the children to play in.
Above the lake in the quiet uplands, tiger lilies, Mary’s Bedstraw and columbine greet the new fawns that stumble after mom.
Land opening up
The sunny land of the Canim Lake View Estates lies waiting for its first residents.
The subdivision is 40 kilometres east of 100 Mile House on the Canim-Hendrix Rd.
Cradled by gentle hills, the south-facing property consists of 22 lots, ranging in size from 2.4 to 8 acres. Nineteen of these look across the waters of the lake to the forested mountains beyond, while three are park-like larger properties.
Gerhard Loeffeler designed the development. He says the lots were laid out not only to meet ministry requirements, but to best capture the beautiful view and take advantage of the other natural benefits of the site.
He has been working on this project for seven years. Gerhard says there is a registered aquifer underlying the site.
The electrical supply for each property has been laid underground. The access road was built to the latest ministry standard and will be maintained and plowed by Interior Roads.
Workers will lay the pavement for the intersection with Canim-Hendrix soon. The new road has not yet been named – a process which involves both Gerhard and the ministry. Residents will each develop their own well and septic.
Mahood Lake camping
The Mahood Lake campground, part of Wells Gray Provincial Park, was bustling over the long weekend with an overflow crowd.
Family reunions filled the two group sites, and the beach was alive with the sound of children playing in the water, dodging the 38 C heat.
Karen Blackwell, who with her husband, Paul, operates the site, says the fishing was "fantastic" over the weekend. Many large lake trout, kokanee, rainbow trout and whitefish were brought in.
The Blackwells are old hands at park operations and work hard to ensure campers enjoy their stay. Paul has worked in Wells Gray for almost 25 years.
Karen also advises people to secure their shoes, gloves and other portable gear overnight as the resident fox is building a new collection.
Bear alert
At the time of writing, there is a black bear making repeated rounds past homes just east of the Canim Lake Store.
It seems to have lost the normal caution and is now used to being close to people. Residents are advised to keep an eye out.
Of lupins and bees
The warmer weather has the bees buzzing, unfolding for us their intimate dance with lupins.
Those flowers have two large petals extended in front as a natural landing pad. As the bumbler alights, these two hinge down under the weight, exposing two other petals, small ones, which clasp both the flowers sexual parts, the stigma and anthers, in a stiff structure that resembles a horn.
The horn tickles the bee’s tummy as it clambers deeper into the flower in search of nectar, and in so doing deposits some pollen and receives that of another flower. That leads in short order to the production of a seed pod.
Who designs these intricate systems anyway?
Calendar
• Community Club Dinner, Iron Horse Pub, July 19, 6 p.m.
That’s all for now. Until next time here’s wishing you many blessings.