Sightings

Being a relatively early riser, I took Gillis for a walk up the road this morning while Mike slept. Up by the old Inman farm I saw a female mountain bluebird flitting between fenceposts, and two as yet unidentified shorebirds who seem to have no business living at 3500+ feet with no body of water in sight.

When we got well past the second cattle guard, Gillis suddenly stopped, became very alert, and let out a very soft "woof". About 50 metres away, I caught a glimpse of a mama moose and her last year's calf. We all turned around and went our separate ways.

Wild strawberry plants are beginning to emerge in the woods. Where the ground gets full exposure, the snow is now gone, where it gets very little, it is still knee high in places.

The Roadhouse

Here's our favourite breakfast place. The pic was taken two weeks ago - there's less snow now. Cheryl's a great cook; I highly recommend the omelettes! The restaurant is just around the corner on Hwy 24.

Buck

Buck is our newest family member. He's coming to live with us as soon as the snow goes enough to do more fencing and build a barn. He will be well loved. 

Yay, Cliff

Cliff came over and unloaded everything for us - made the job quick and easy! 

Doesn't Look Like Much...

Those little pieces, along with two buckets of nuts and bolts are going to make a 20x34' shop! 

Delivery

The truck arrived with the shop pieces at 7:15 a.m. - I had to wake Mike up to deal with it. The hay truck on the left is our neighbour, Sam. We had the first traffic jam on Inman Road today since the house arrived! 

Mike's New Workshop...

We ordered it from here, and it arrived this morning. We have to wait till the snow goes so we can pour a concrete pad for it, and we have to assemble it. It's going to be 20'x34'. It comes with a solid back wall; we have to frame the front wall and install doors/window, or whatever we decide. Blogger won't upload pics, so I'll have to post individually through Picasa

Crumbling Cabin on Highway 24

The landscape of the South Cariboo is dotted with little pieces of crumbling history - log cabins and barns that are gradually returning to the earth. Some sit alone, seemingly in the middle of nowhere, and others are clustered complete with falling down fencing, old working ranches. I love the look of the weathered wood, and always wonder when they were built, who lived there, and what life must have been like so many years ago.

Efforts are being made to preserve a few of these treasures, like this homestead near Lac la Hache on Highway 97

The Lone Butte Water Tower

This has been restored by the Lone Butte Historical Society, I believe. Lone Butte has an important place in BC history as once being the largest centre for commerce in the Cariboo. The railroad runs alongside the water tower, which once provided the steam engines with water. Lone Buttians seem quite proud of their water tower. click here for a historical picture

All the amenities...

Gasoline, groceries, and grog...what more could you need? The owners of the Lone Butte General Store are from Korea. Since I told them my lovely daughter is currently living in Korea, they have been very, very nice to me. 

Carter's Cones

These folks do awesome ice cream cones from May till September. They also sit outside with a radar gun and a display unit shaming people who speed through town - well, I saw them do it once, anyway. I was being a law abiding citizen and got a smile and a wave.

Lone Butte, unincorporated

 

The Latest in Mud Avoidance...

We arrived home from the coast to a mudbog...and quickly made a makeshift landing out of woodscraps and an old pallet. Don't laugh...too hard! 

Pictures...almost

For those of you who at Melissa and Chris' wedding (which, btw, was lovely) bemoaned the fact that I don't post often enough and don't post enough photos - I specially went on a photographic tour of Lone Butte and surrounding areas this afternoon to find some interesting sights for you. I can only enchant you with pictures of trees and snow for so long. Unfortunately, Blogger is not in the mood to upload pictures at the moment, so you're going to have to wait a little longer.

Mud!

As daytime temperatures begin to climb, and things begin to thaw, the result is mud. We have a wallow suitable for a hippopotamus at the bottom of our front stairs. This will be taken care of as soon as the snow finishes melting - Cliff will grade a slope away from the house, and will bring in LOTS of gravel for us. Nothing much we can do until the snow goes away, and it is the bain of every newcomer to the area who starts a homesite from scratch. I'm not complaining, just commenting - I wouldn't trade my mud for all the paved parking lots in the lower mainland!

Paradise Lost

...and so my blissful period of total umemployment draws to a close. I start work on March 27, part time, thankfully. I spent today in Kamloops, in orientation.

Snow is beginning to recede.

I have added a nifty 100 Mile weather forecast -> for your viewing pleasure.

Jasper the neurotic dog is being medicated for separation anxiety.

Saturday we head south for Melissa's wedding.

And that's the Inman Road report.

Bed Hound

A lazy morning last weekend. Mike was actually out of bed before I was. Almost unheard of.

Snow Hounds