a new-to-me Ranch hike

I think I'll call this walk "the Bosun Bump".  It's the hump of land to the west of the trail we usually go on, past the two Bosun Lakes to Porter's lake (the "third Bosun").  Chris knows all the trails between here and Porter's Lake, and for 3 years I have been saying I would love to have Chris show us where some of them go.  So, a couple of mornings ago, he said "I'm going with Chewie.  Want to come?" So much for washing the floor …

 No photos of the actual route.  Only at our farthest point - "the stump ranch" (at Porter's Lake) where Chris and Ana and Jeff and boys lived for their first 3 years here.  Chris knows the horses, but found a length of baling twine to make Chewie a lead so Sparky wouldn't go for her .  I sat on the steps with Chewie while Chris said hello.

Chewie and Chris on the stump-ranch cabin steps

Sparky, Thunder and Chicklet (I think)

So, for future reference, how to go:  

On the "far field, follow the obvious trail steeply up "Nancy's hill".  Then straight up, through a space in the barbed-wire fence and about 50m beyond, to find a trail continuing up through the forest.  It's flagged here and there, goes through a draw between two humps (either of which one can climb for a view down to New Denver or down towards Silverton).  In the draw is a spring lake, about the size of Loch Colin, very green in summer.  Follow the flags to a slice of private land, logged 20 years ago, and follow its logging road down to the stump ranch.  And there you are!  Not sure how well I will do on my first solo try.  (My first solo lead, that is, - too many signs of bear to go it alone.)  

Doco in the pond

One last summer swim in Slocan Lake.  We're off to Vancouver this morning (but back in 3 weeks).  Thank you glorious home!

Wood nymph

Wood nymph

Ana Bokstrom's show of ceramic masks, "Many Faces", opened today at the Hidden Garden.  Quite splendid!  And "Wood nymph" will be coming to live at the Ranch.  He is actually friendlier than my photo suggests.

Pan

Dragon

Gaia

Gaia was one of the five masks of Ana's that cracked in "our" kiln.  You can see the solder above the nose where Ana has fixed it.  Again, it looks good in real life.

on stage at the Hidden Garden

August 6th - Paul Gibbons and Anna B and Rachel

And in the audience, Doco and Lily and Alice (two Érics and Meo - out of sight).  

Photo by Anne-Francoise.

Between songs, Anna B said something like this: "I see Rachel Harris in the audience.  Paul and I have this blues song that we would love to have you dance to.  Would you?"  A pause.  Then, Rachel: "What, right now?"  Anna B: "Well, we'll do our next song and then see what you think."  And Rachel did it and it was wonderful!  

(No other Rachel-and-Paul dance this summer on account of Rachel's shoulder injury and Paul's other concerts - one with Uzume Taiko in the Nikkei Centre 20-year celebrations - plus home-in-Silverton renovations.)

chicks at six weeks

So - Ellen, Alice, Molly, Lily - here are "your" four chicks, born on (I think) July 13th.  Now "teenagers" I guess.  They still mostly follow their mother around wherever she goes in the garden, but at least one (only his head's in the photo) is getting adventuresome.

Can you tell among the chicks "which is which"?  I can't.  Problem is, when I try to get a photo of all four, all I get is backs.  

Ahh, here they are all four (plus mum) more or less visible.  Chris thinks one of the browns will be a rooster.

A lone hen has a secret hole in the fence and spends her days at large - even up picking strawberries with Doco in the orchard.  This morning, we thought Red had found the hole, but it turns out he charged Chris in the garden and got thrown over the fence.  He is doing his rooster-strut back and forth to the cathedral for our breakfast entertainment.

Zizi and pups

How can one resist?

Zizi, Will Castleton's youngster from Summit Lake, had pups on August 17.  Here are the four having brunch on August 20.  The dad is either Molo or Nougat (or both?).

As I understand it, the red towel is for me to bring to Vancouver next week to Ellen and Pat, so that Thomas, their elderly cat, can get used to the smell of Wilhelmina ("Will") before she arrives at their home in 6 weeks!  She is, of course, the most beautiful of the litter - mostly black, with white paws and tummy and brown socks and cheeks.  Will has earmarked the other female, Tosca, for Chris.  But, as Chris says, "I have a dog" (Chewie).  Here's hoping.

the barn-window maker

The "squirrel barn" (100-year-old dairy barn) in its restored glory - new foundations (Chris two years ago); new old-shake front (Rayan last summer); new tin roof (Chris, Ana and Jeff last summer); and now, new old-windows (Doco this summer - one set still to go).

One very pleased barn-window maker, having made new framing and fitted new glass into old mullions.  

pit houses on the Slocan River

Julia Greenlaw and Diana and I walked the kilometre north from the Lemon Creek trailhead on the Slocan River "Rails to Trails" (turn west onto Kennedy Road, just south of Lemon Creek, and go straight down to the parking space) to this remarkable spot, especially remarkable because until a few years ago, none of us knew it existed.  None of us knew there had been a large native population in the Slocan Valley - the Sinixt people - building pit houses here 3000 years ago.  Cole says the Sinixt are the most easterly group of the Interior Salish.  The largest pit, from about 700 BC, is 23 metres across (above: Julia and Diana are standing in it - hard to get the size of it in a photo).

This and several smaller house pits were abandoned after several hundred years, then reoccupied and re-abandoned several times.  Major archeological disputes about why? and when? abandoned.  But by 1890, because of epidemics at least, there were almost no Sinixt left in the Slocan Valley when the miners came.

The Slocan River "Narrows" at the pit-house site was a bountiful salmon-fishing spot.  Now, with the Columbia River dammed, there are no more salmon but it's still a beautiful, tranquil spot to visit on foot, by bicycle, or by canoe (from Slocan City, as we did last summer and will again).  Note for canoeists:  easy to put out here and carry the canoe up the short trail to Lindsay Road.

which is which?

Chris' "girls" (plus Red) lined up for their compost treats.  For "which is which?", best ask Ellen or Molly or Alice or Lily (or Chris or Ana, if you're not fussy about names).  Chris says they are all much easier to handle since you four carried them around this summer.  A friendly bunch, for chickens.

to the Alamo

or "Galena Trail 2"

Well, I didn't exactly get us lost.  Just added an hour of hike.  Diana and I set off from ThreeForks to the Alamo mill, first along the Old Sandon Road ("trail not maintained").











Turned right at the top of the hill - all fine.  It's my favourite sort of trail - narrow, well-worn, criss-crossed with small tree roots, sided by bunch-berry and mossy rock.

Then we came to "confusing corner".  Took the downwards path but, after about a minute, I decided we were missing the mill, so back to confusing-corner.  Next, 10 minutes up the "ALAMO" road - Thomson and Teagan, you know this one from last summer (so did I, but I forgot).  Turns out it goes UP to the mine, not DOWN to the mill.  Back to confusing-corner.  Next, 20 minutes along what must be the Old Sandon Road, west across Howser Creek.  A very nice trail, but clearly past the Alamo and not the one we wanted.  So, back to confusing-corner and, 2 minutes down our first path, there we were in the day-lily and stone-wall remnants of Mr. Cunningham's garden by his collapsed house.   Exactly where we wanted to be.  Maybe I'll get it right next time?

"Found", we followed the path down through the jumbled remains of the mill to the Galena Trail and back to ThreeForks.

Galena Trail

A lovely plod along the Galena Trail by Diana and Meo this afternoon, from Denver Siding to not-quite the cable car, in the tracks of family runners (Rachel and Eric and Candy) and bikers (Teagan and Colin and Thomson), if not quite at the speed!  Followed by a swim at Bigelow Bay. Yum (water's still "warm", but the weather forecast is coming up chilly).  Tomorrow our goal is the Alamo mill site from Three Forks, on a piece of the old Sandon road.  

Wish I'd started this blog sooner, when all you guys were still here!  As it is ...

down to Meo and Doco

Can you tell from this photo that, as of today, the only remaining two-legged inhabitants of the Old Ranch House (or the Cathedral or the Clay House) are Meo and Doco?  Douglas and family were all back in Vancouver by July 27th (now in Oxford, UK, for the year).  Rachel, Eric, Alice and Lily returned to Montreal 5 days ago.  Colin, Teagan and Griffin left for Vancouver in the Fit at 7:15am today (to join Rowan and Janet at Wiltshire Street).  Even Sue and Steve Pond headed Vancouver-ward at 1:15pm today.  Phew!  Some difference!  What a wonderful summer.  Thank you all!!!!!

the first

Well, here goes!

Doco, the "garçon méchant", having climbed below the platform on Idaho Peak for a perfect photo of the anemone tousle-tops.  Hard to scold him when he looks so thoughtful - and he made it back up to safety.  Photo by our friend Anne-Françoise Hirsch from Lille, July 29, 2014.

Seventeenth century Dutch lady seen at her clavichord.  

Painted by Anne-Francoise Hirsch, Lille.

hereby begins (I hope) a Meo and Doco blog