I found July to be an incredibly stressful month, I am a born worrier, and there was an awful lot of stuff going on that I worried about. Firstly, was the intense heat, days, and days of it. It was the time for a rush of vehicle fires, thankfully none of them started a wildfire alongside the roadside. There was one report of a vehicle fire right by the Kokanee Bay Resort. Thankfully, the Lac La Hache Volunteer Fire Department had a very quick response so all ended up well.
Everyone did what they could to stay cool, evenings out on their boats, tubing in creeks or staying indoors in air conditioning. I took my dogs swimming in a dammed-up pond up here in these hills, it was priceless to watch them frolicking in the water and really getting wet to cool off.
Finally, it started to cool off and then there were days of rain, then days of thunder and lightning. There were two large lightning hits close by; thank goodness the fires were not that large and were extinguished quickly. I was reliving 2017 with the constant drone of the bombers and the spotter planes. I found myself running to the windows and checking to see which direction the planes were going.
Our community suffered a great loss when Fire Chief Terry Murphy passed away suddenly on July 7. Terry was a kind gentle person who had terrific organizational skills and was known to stay calm during stressful times. He will be dearly missed by his family, the Fire Department family and by us, the Community.
There was a nice memorial service for Terry on Aug. 3, the attendance was so huge that the service was held at the Rolf Zeis Arena. There were bagpipes playin, and members of the family shared stories about Terry as did his co-workers. The service ended with the Last Call for Fire Chief Terry, it was very touching and emotional. People mingled after the service and partook of a delicious lunch that was prepared by Pam King.
The Community Club continues to work on their projects. The new tiles are on the roof of the schoolhouse and looking great, volunteers have built new rails and stairs for the building (these are just waiting for the stain.) Nancy Sootheran volunteered to paint the porch part of the schoolhouse, the prep work has been done and some of the painting has been started, I cannot wait to see the finished project!
There was another successful work bee at the Festival Grounds, all the picnic tables are now stained and the holding tank has been installed for the double outdoor washroom which has now been set in place. The haying at the festival grounds is finished and it was a real community effort. Sheldon and Anna from Almost-a-Ranch donated the use of their tractor and did some of the operating, Rob Hayes also did some work there and Percy Ogden lent his mower. Thank you all for your hard work getting the grounds ready, the date of the Garlic festival is fast approaching – August 24 and 25. It will be a super fun time, so mark the date on your calendar! There will be all kinds of vendors and fun-type things for the kids also.
Sophia from Timothy Lake Gardens has been set up at the Lac La Hache Bakery on Mondays (as early as 9 a.m.), pop in and see her and grab fresh veggies. The date of the Flea Market this month is Aug 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., stop on by and check out all the vendors and their goodies. There is something new at Mt Timothy ski hill - a giant plinko board, buy a chip and try your luck. The ski hill is open Thursday to Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. The Zorb arena is open and there are e-bikes available to rent to go exploring to the top of the mountain. Any questions, please call 250-396-4095.
