Dear Canimites,
As the days grow colder, Trumpeter swans have arrived to dabble in the shallows of Mahood and Canim Lakes, feeding on the aquatic plants that will fuel their way south.
In the night sky above, Cygnus (the celestial swan) descends towards the west, as Orion (the hunter) rises in the southeast, his club held high at the ready. Following behind, keeping their wary distance, the Gemini twins advance hand-in-hand, their heads the bright twin stars Castor and Pollox.
Kristensen passes
The sudden passing of Peter Kristensen at his home last week left a big hole in the fabric of the community.
Peter was born in Denmark in September 1924. He made his way to Canada in 1950, worked his way across the Prairies, and fetched up at Canim Lake in 1954.
He worked at the Jens Brothers sawmill, and also at the Shangri La Resort owned by the Kelletts, who were to become his close lifelong friends.
Peter developed his own construction firm, building the original structure of the present-day Canim Lake Store, and also along the south side of the lake, his own home, those of Gordon and Marion Kellett, and the Martell and the Takagi families.
Peter gave up his car a few years ago. Braving the logging trucks on the South Canim Road, he made his daily visit to the store and to Marion's on foot or with his red "go-devil" golf cart.
Peter Kristensen, an ingenious man, gentleman and friend.
Swan story
The swans that grace us with their presence are likely part of the Pacific Coastal Population (PCP) that breeds in the Yukon west of Whitehorse and in eastern Alaska.
While most of the PCP migrates south down the Pacific Coast, our group takes a path to the east of the Coastal Mountains.
Swans were almost extirpated. In 1933, there were reckoned to be only 77 breeding birds in all of Canada.
With legal protection and greater care given to maintaining their habitat, their numbers grew to 34,800 in 2005 continent wide.
Local food
There is an interesting guide appearing, called the South Cariboo Farm Fresh Guide 2011, Connecting local food with local people.
It is the joint venture of the South Cariboo Sustainability Committee and the Agri-Culture Enterprise Centre. The current edition lists 31 local producers of products from meats and meat products to honey, vegetables, plants, hay and Christmas trees. Folks can get their copy of this useful list by accessing www.maddi.ca/ag-centre/engage.
People news
• I had the pleasure of meeting the gracious Barb Konradt who lost her home at Mahood Lake to fire in late September. She credits her life to Reba, her ebullient five-year-old border collie.
The dog woke to the smoke in the house, escaped the danger, then circled back to wake Barb to the fire.
• Longtime resident Harvey Maruk has hunted the area for many years.
This year, he reports seeing grizzly bear tracks in two places in the area of the Paddy Lake Road and the 620 (Boss Lake) Road. One print measured 10.5 inches long and 7.5 inches wide - bigger than my paw by a long shot.
Harvey adds there were wolf tracks on every road they travelled, more than he has ever seen before, a possible explanation of why hunting in the area has been a bit thin this year.
That's all for now. Until next time, here's wishing you many blessings.