Watermelon vs Beans

I mean really, if you had to choose, which would you choose first? Watermelon of course. Nothing quite beats biting into a big chunk of watermelon on a hot summer's evening. Beans? They are kind of chewy with a weird texture and of course we all know what happens when they go through your system.

This train of thought is brought to you by the battle of the most awesome salads at the BBQ this past weekend. Apparently, my describing of the awesome watermelon salad I was planning to bring spurred Sandy to come in with her even more awesome bean salad. Who was the ultimate winner?

I think everyone was. It was quite a feast with a huge smorgasbord of salads and desserts that kept people coming back for more.  As far as bean vs watermelon, there was a fair bit of watermelon salad left over. I can only attribute that to it having been placed so far down the table that plates were full by the time people reached it. Undoubtedly an evil ploy, cleverly crafted by Sandy herself. Of course the picture below tells the true tale as Sandy prepares for a flavour sensation.

Mmm. Yummy Watermelon

Special thanks to all of the cooks who slaved away making the burgers while we all filled our faces.

Craig monitors the burgers

Russ and Donna getting ready to cook.

The big bouncy dragon castle was a big hit with the kids. I know I sure wanted to go in and bounce around.  Of course the bigger kids made it look more like a slam dancing mosh pit. All it was missing was a bit of punk rock music to make the slam fest complete. Fortunately, alternating big kids and small kept the carnage to a minimum.

Big bouncy fun.

And what BBQ wouldn't be complete without a bunch of cute kids dancing around and looking adorable.

The next Dancing with the Stars stars.

Older and taller, the girl of my dreams!

Special thanks to everyone who made this BBQ a success. There was a great turnout from everyone in the community and I think everyone really enjoyed themselves. Cheers.

Lions, Tigers and Bears Oh No!

Just a note that a cougar was spotted north of Columbia Ridge traveling through the corridor between Spirits Reach and here. So if it isn't bears its cats. It was no doubt just down getting a drink from the lake and is back in the boonies once again. Just be careful out there.

Big BBQ Weekend

Where does the time go? Here it is, already Thursday with another weekend just around the corner. It looks like the weather is going to hold with nothing but sunshine in the forecast and warm temperatures. It has been clouding over here in the afternoon (coinciding with when I get off work it seems) but the winds haven't been as nasty (or awesome depending on your point of view) as they were this past weekend.

The BBQ Bash is on course for Saturday night. I am making a frigging awesome watermelon salad that is so darned yummy I could eat it all myself. Of course, now that I hyped it up, it won't live up to expectations! Hope you enjoy it anyways.

See you on Saturday!

Summer in July

Wow. I must say that today was pretty much what summer is supposed to be all about. The day broke with crystal clear skies and dead calm waters, perfect for the boaters keen to get out and crank some arcs on the skiis and wakeboards. Of course just bouncing along on a tube works just as well. 

I went for a paddle down to Columere in the morning. The water was like a pastel painting as the undulating wake from passing boats passed in front of my board and flickered and danced in the light. Sometimes beauty is on a smaller scale and goes unnoticed amid the larger picture.

After lunch, a bit of a breeze came up and it was nice to see the sailboats hit the water, tacking back and forth. It seemed that everyone was enjoying themselves out there today.

Heather cruising on the Cat.

Sand good.

Enjoying the big bouncy floaty thingee

And that of course is the precursor to the long weekend next week. Lets hope the weather is just as nice. Long range forecast so far is looking good.

Bears and Weather

First the bears.

Apparently there is a bear roaming about the neighbourhood. I haven't seen it but I haven't been around that much lately to see anything. I think it is a black bear and if we keep our garbage in check I am sure it will meander away as bears are oppourtunistic feeders and won't stick around just because the view is nice.

Black bears do tend to be more predatory than grizzlies are so if it thinks it can take you down without getting hurt you might be in trouble. Make lots of noise if you see it and if you get attacked, fight back. Travel in packs and don't let your kids wander off without you.

This all sounds much worse than it probably ever will be. I have worked in the forest pretty much my whole life and have never had a serious encounter with black or grizzly bears. They generally keep a wide path from humans and will bolt at the first sight of you.

So take precautions but don't stay huddled in the house for fear of a bear hiding on the porch waiting to get you as soon as you step outside.

Now the weather.

All I have to say about that lately is Ugh. Rain, hail, sun, rain, cloud, wind, rain, cloud. That pretty much sums it up this past week. We had a nasty storm on Tuesday afternoon that left piles of hail stones beneath gutter drains and eroded river channels down people's driveways. At least the grass is green.

The weather for the weekend is looking mighty promising so far with nothing but sun and warm temperatures from Saturday through to Monday. What the wind will do is beyond me so either it will be good for me (windy) or good for you (calm). No doubt, given the way the summer has gone, it will be bad for all of us with baby whitecaps and breezes.

But whatever. Enjoy it anyways. Go for a run or a bike ride or just laze about on the deck if the surface of the water isn't to your liking. It is summer and that is what summers are for.

Have a safe weekend.

Updates for this week from Denise

Summer has arrived at the lake!  Just a quick note with a couple updates and reminders:

Gate Code

The combination to the gate going down to the beach will be changed on July 31.  Please ensure your community dues are up to date and you will receive the code prior to the 31^st.  This will be sent to you as a separate email.

Lake / Railway Wooden Gate

If using the wooden gate to cross the tracks (when accessing the lake) please ensure it is closed behind you.  We need your help to keep our littlest community members safely away from the railway tracks.

Community Safety and Property

Columbia Ridge has been victim to both vandalism and theft in the recent months.  We are asking all community members to raise their attention and focus on any activities that seem suspect or threaten the safety and property of our community members.  This is especially true of the vandalism that has occurred down at the lake, where vandalism and mis-use of community property has occurred repeatedly over the past month.

Annual BBQ – Saturday August 6^th  (6 to 11pm)

We invite you to come out and meet new and catch up with old neighbors.

Thank you to Dave and Donna Rae for lending the use of the rec centre, to Ian and Heather Adair and Canada Safeway who are once again generously supporting our BBQ by supplying the burgers and hotdogs, to community member Yi-Nei Kao has kindly offered or organize crafts for the children.  We have many other volunteers as well making this year’s BBQ another one you won’t want to miss.  We’ll even have dancing on the outdoor dance floor under the big white tents.  (and of course, a cash donation bar!)

Cost:  $15.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 5 years and older.

Please R.S.V.P. as soon as possible to cathy dot cornfield at shaw dot ca and indicate the following:

- number of people in your party attending?

- your choice of hotdog, smokie, hamburger, chicken, or veggie burger?

- can you bring a casserole, salad or dessert?

- number of children and ages of participating in crafts?

- are you able to volunteer (e.g. set-up, clean-up, barbequeing, bartending)?

Thank you and see you all at the BBQ!

Top of the World Provincial Park

Well summer has arrived in the valley and the weather the past few days has been stunning. We took advantage of the fine weather to visit Top of the World provincial park. It is located south of Columbia Lake, 50 km up the Whiteswan and Lussier forest service roads. There was talk that the road was impassible but when we went it was fine. I wouldn't recommend driving a sports car up there but a SUV or Subaru styled car would make it no problem.

Tom and Brenda en route to Fish Lake

From the trailhead it is an easy six km hike to Fish Lake, a subalpine lake nestled into the surrounding mountains and forest. There are numerous, very nice camp spots along with a cabin for overnighters but we just did an in and out. An overnight stay would be cool as you could then explore the surrounding countryside and visit neat little spots like Sparkle Lake which sits above Fish Lake in a small, rocky basin.

Fish Lake and surrounding scenery

The park is very quiet. We saw no one other than the ranger on our entire hike so if a quiet getaway is what you need, head on out to it. All it needs now are some comfy foamies on the wharf for a more restful nap!

Nap time at Fish Lake