Dear Deer

    All the years I've been out here I've always had various deer that hang around, at various times of the year. All the clover and grass I've planted and maintain around here probably has something to do with it.

I keep a salt lick block across the lawn on a rock under the cedar.

 Sheltered from the rain for the most part, a new salt lick will last over a year out there. 

Note the blue stained rock from probably 15 of them over the years.

During the lush Spring season they don't seem to mind sharing their pasture with the bear. 

I took this off the deck one June, note the smoke from the trees down at the far end, down in the hot spring campsite. If you look close, there are two people standing down there, probably taking a picture of a bear and a deer standing in front of a cabin.

Smart deer.

There was this extra smart deer one Summer a few years back, a doe of course. 

It would wander in during the heat of the day and stand there in the arc of my lawn sprinkler getting pelted by water every time it came around. It would give a big shake and wait patiently for it to come around again.

 

The next year, she brought her young one in and showed it where to find rain on a hot day.

This is a trio that stayed with me for a week once.

 I called them Larry, Moe, and Curly.

They would come up to the cabin, intrigued by my cats at the time, Skook and Chuk, under the porch steps in this case, who seemed every bit as interested in them.

                               Hey deers!

A few years back some elk had been reintroduced several mountain ranges away.
I know that at least one has made his way down here and beyond to the south.

Always Something.

There is no shortage of things to do around here let me tell you.
The old decking and associated walk ways down at the hot spring have been there for quite a number of years, and keeping up with replacing broken and worn boards is a constant thing. When I can fit it into my lax schedule sometimes I go down there and do some maintenance. That wore out old ramp up into the A-frame came up on the list this summer.

A quick trip over to the lumber pile and I was in business.

This time I had the luxury of building one in the shop, out of the sun and away from the bugs. It came all apart again so I could haul it down to the hot spring.

The old ramp was added to the A-frame when I built it back in 1996.

A quick pass from stem to stern with the chainsaw reduced it to manageable pieces. Joey showed up to see what was going on...

...and was immediately put to work. We hauled out the old ramp and left it for the campers to break up and burn, once the fire ban is lifted that is.

Some assembly required. Hows that go again?...

A little shovel work here and there...

A cinder block here and there...

A level?... that's a first.

A whole bunch of screws.

Slam bam. One nearly instant wheelchair accessible ramp into the A-frame tub.


There was a galvanised tub put in two years ago that has not stood up very well to the hot spring water and rusted through on the bottom.

I finally gave up on it and rolled it out.

I wheeled it up into the back of the pickup and hauled it to the bone yard. Something else will take it's place.

Its not unusual to have to send down the service vehicle to deal with buggered tubs.

I often leave my generator and tools there overnight while the fiberglass sets, no one ever buggers with my stuff.

Sunday Visitor

    One Sunday morning back in July an unfamiliar 180 buzzed the place, bringing me out of the shop. It circled around for an approach from the south, side slipping on the rudder into the narrow opening  between the trees and settling into the knee high field of dandelions out front.

Well turned out it was my cousin Bruce, with a new plane, stopping in on his way to the interior. We had a tea and a good visit before he decided it was time to continue on.

The daisy's were out in full bloom, so much so I expressed concerns over the extra drag on the landing gear.

I offered to mow out strips for his wheels and made a half dozen passes or so.

He climbed in, fired up and held the brakes while he checked the mags. He saluted and released the brakes, the 180 raced off the lawn and unimpeded by long vegetation, jumped off the first hump and climbed out then began a steep bank.

Of course he had to circle back around and buzz me again before carrying on to the Okanagan.

Daylon

This is my new friend Daylon.

Daylon camped out at the hot spring this summer with his friend, all the way from Kamloops. During his stay he showed exemplary skills in firewood stick gathering, cooking hot dogs over the fire, hot tub monitoring (with particular attention to bikinis) and keeping me up to date with happenings and possible maintenance issues down there.

He showed good rudimentary skills at the drum kit, and did the daring zip line across the river.

He thought my silly little bike and I were cool.

In recognition of his skills and good taste he was awarded the last of the coveted hats, thereby joining the rarefied ranks of Hotspring Rangers.

See ya next summer Daylon.