Some things are just plain bad when spring comes: the thawing, mud, potholes and running water everywhere, which is pretty well what April was like.
We did have some beautiful sunny days, though, which the ducks, geese and whooping cranes enjoyed as they rested in some of the flooded fields.
Cariboo Regional District Director Al Richmond checked out the situation on Felker Road during Easter and organized a couple of pumping trucks to help remove the pooled water in the fields above, which was steadily running down the road, causing flooding.
Enbridge was also on-site to explore any potential solutions for the water issue. I am happy to report the problem there has been resolved for now.
Never a dull moment, though, as other problem areas have popped up – the road into the garbage dump being the worst. A contractor has been hired to remove the heaving saturated soil and to replace the material with rock and gravel.
This work has been started but has to be done when the dump is closed for the day. Today I managed to get in by just idling through as the ground was very soft.
Thrift store open
The Thrift Store reopened for the season on April 10 and, judging by the number of people shopping, it was a complete success! Many thanks to Judy and her team of volunteers who worked so hard preparing for the opening. Everything was very organized and displayed nicely.
Lac La Hache
Elementary
The students and staff at the elementary school are pleased to welcome principal Kristy Davis back from her leave of absence. There seems to be much more information available as to what the students are learning and a bit about their activities.
The school bikes are out for student use in the morning, during recess, lunch and as part of the PE program. The Parent Advisory Council (PAC) works behind the scenes, arranging to have all the bikes tuned up and safe for students to ride. The school will welcome any bikes in good working order if anyone wishes to make a donation. An exciting thing to look forward to is that the PAC will purchase new gym mats – big thanks to Country Prime Meats which helped in big savings in shipping costs.
The school has received funding to provide students with a daily grab-and-go style breakfast and hot lunches are provided every Thursday.
The students had many days of outdoor learning – from garbage clean up to planting seeds for the garden and pulling invasive plants from the schoolyard. They were also given the opportunity to learn about evergreen trees, composting and a lesson about salmon.
The younger students thoroughly enjoyed their outdoor math class where they calculated the perimetre of the garden beds in order to replace the rotten boards. They used hockey sticks, Inga Blocks and meter sticks. Other lessons included non-verbal communications on the playground and using objects from nature to create closed shapes with three sides that were 10 centimetres each.
Tree planters
There has been much discussion and concern expressed about renting the Garlic Festival grounds to the tree planters for a period of four to six weeks. The tree planters are a self-contained unit with all their meals being served and their laundry cleaned at the site. They follow strict rules and are not allowed to leave the grounds unless it is to work. Many of the tree planters are working hard to fund their schooling for the fall and it is definitely not a job most of us would like to do.
Odds and ends
A couple of things to look forward to is the opening of Skookum Scoops Ice Cream on May 14 and there is a huge street sale planned for the May long weekend on Station Road to Caverly Road…watch for the signs and the balloons! People are invited to follow COVID rules and to provide their own tables to display their items that are for sale. Sounds like a fun time – wear your mask and stay safe!
Mama pig Sally is a diligent mom and will just drop anywhere to feed her babies! (Kerryann McKenzie photo - submitted).
