Dear Canimites,
August has come and gone in a blaze of sunny days punctuated by soaking downpours.
Now the air carries the tang of change. The last of the wild berries are done and the geese are drilling their young for the migration to come.
In the night sky directly above, Cygnus (The Swan) points his route southwest down the Milky Way, fleeing before the advancing season.
Hawkins Lake picnic
The Hawkins Lake Volunteer Firefighters Association held its annual picnic and fundraiser at the home of Bob and Fran Campbell on Aug.4. Association president Peter Thomson said about 130 people enjoyed the event, a particularly good turnout given the weather warnings posted for that day. However, the storm co-operated by staying on the other side of the mountain until after the festivities.
The friends and neighbours had their fun liberally spiced with hamburgers and hotdogs cooked by Harvey Ostroff, Tim Wasilieff, Ray Mattick, Phil Kline and Ted Clarke. The burgers and dogs were served with chili, beans, salads and dessert goodies brought by the good women of Hawkins Lake.
The ‘Slip and Slide’ served up hilarity for "children of all ages," says Peter. This was a strip of vapour barrier on a bed of fine wood chips laid down Campbell’s hill and then lubricated with water from the fire truck.
The chips were sculpted into a track, helping the sliders keep "in the groove" as they demonstrated their best moves to the cheers of onlookers.
Peter said the association cleared $1,250 on the day, much of which will go towards replacement of their current tender (tanker truck) and rapid response truck.
Them's the berries
Marga Hausmann is bringing in a bonanza with her garden this year.
In the raspberry department, she has picked no less than 78 pounds, most of which were sold to raise money for the Christ the King Lutheran Church building fund.
Mahood roads
Mahood Lake residents are pleased with the new culvert installed in the road leading into the settlement.
The original stream pass dated from the original construction of the road. Made of logs, it had rotted away leaving a dangerous void in the road. The new culvert is wide and floored with stones to permit fish to migrate under the road.
The gravelling of bare sections on the road to the Mahood Lake Provincial Park and settlement should have started by the time you read this. The crush prepared for this job is said to be "sharp," so keep an eye on your tires.
So you like fishing
Some local lakes have been stocked recently by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC.
Greenlee Lake received 3,500 rainbow trout yearlings of the Blackwater River strain in May. Fish of that strain tend to be aggressive feeders, which hunt throughout the day in shallow foreshore waters for smaller fish and large insects.
Flick a dragonfly nymph in toward shore and hold on to your hat.
Bobbs Lake got 10,000 kokanee this spring, and will receive 10,000 rainbows of the Pennask strain this fall. Pennask are mid-water feeders with Chironomids and water fleas their main dish.
They prefer deep open water, are most active in the evenings, and are known for their fighting and acrobatics.
Howard, Lorin and Paddy lakes have also received significant stocks. For more information, check out www.gofishbc.com.
Baking fireworks
The fire department is holding a garage sale, silent auction and bake sale at the Forest Grove Community Hall on Sept. 14.
The good women of Canim Lake are baking up a storm to support this effort, which funds the Halloween fireworks and the children’s Christmas party.
If you can help by contributing baking for the sale, it would be most appreciated. Please call Sheila Hart at 250-397-2645.
That’s all for now. Until next time, here’s wishing you many blessings.