The Squamidian Report – Dec. 12 / 09
Issue #394
Including:
The Ontarion
Hi All,
The wife is now a volunteer dog walker for the local humane society. The dog walkers walk the dogs that are there as they wait to be adapted. So each day she goes there and gets the one assigned to her. It is sort of like day parole for the dog, it gets to be out of its cell so it can enjoy the outdoors. The pound is located close to where the Mamquam River empties into the Squamish River so there is plenty of on nice walking areas to explore. She can work her way along the riverbank or she can stay up on the dyke or she can walk the many short trails that work their way back and forth. There are eagles flying around and occasionally there are seals playing in the river. After all, there are some salmon heading up stream to spawn and that attracts the fish eaters. The seals will actually come several kilometers upstream as they follow the fish.
The dog she is currently walking is a young Shepard who is hyper active and has zero attention span. Other than that it is a nice dog. It is friendly and happy. It needs someone who has the time and energy and knowledge to work with it. There is no danger that we will end up taking it home, it is not the kind of dog we would want and we don’t want any dog at this point in our lives. We want to stay petless for a while yet so we can do the bike trips we intend to do and so we don’t have to plan around a four legged family member.
She has had some pretty nice days to do her dog walking. That Arctic High that has settled over Alberta and the Interior Mountains gave us very cold sunny weather. We had to put up with some frigid outflow winds but the air was fresh and dry. Very nice indeed.
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On another note, we had taken a drive into Vancouver last Sunday morning. Both of us wanted some books and there are no ‘real’ bookstores here in Squamish. So we went into Park Royal where there is a Chapters or Indigo or some such place. I didn’t actually pay attention to what it was called. On the way in and on the way back there was a traffic backup near Lions Bay. An endless row of dump trucks was turning off the highway and heading up a narrow steep goat trail. The trucks were disappearing out of sight into the trees way up above. I was able to find out why.
Many, but not all of the streams that flow down the sides of the local mountains are categorized as ‘debris flow’ streams. That means that when they are running high and fast they tend to pick up rocks and trees and sections of mountainside and carry said debris down hill. Debris flows tend to take out bridges and homes and anything else that might be in their path. One such debris flow steam is along that section of highway and way up above, a catchment dam had been has been built to intercept mudslides before they can do any damage.
Near the end of our endless November rains the village of Lions Bay felt and heard what they thought was a 2-minute earthquake. What they actually felt was a debris flow barreling down the mountainside. The flow was captured by the catchment dam, which is lined on the uphill side by concrete abutments designed to slow the flow. When the dam was inspected it was found to be full and all but one of the abutments buried under mud, rocks and trees. The dam had worked perfectly and had caught and held the debris flow. The job at hand was now to dig out all the material and remove it so that the dam is ready for the next event. Hence the long line of trucks heading up empty. They would be coming back down full and then repeating the process over and over.
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One last thing guys,
if any of you would like to send a Christmas note or greeting to be included in
next week’s addition (the last one before Christmas), please feel free to do
so. Just type it up and send it to me by Friday the 18th so I can
process it in time. And come on; let’s hear from at least some of you… it’s
getting lonely up here in the editorial office.
doug
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Hello everyone!
Well, winter has finally arrived here in KW and its
white all over!
I managed to use the snow blower twice in the past
two days. On Wednesday I was surprised at how well the Toro was able to handle
what was mostly water as it blew the slush off the drive and the walkway to
about half way across the street. It was like blasting the road with a fire
hose! LOL!
On Thursday the conditions were better. We had about
3” of snow on the walkways so it was more enjoyable to clear that away than the
water from the previous day. I can always tell when winter is here by the sound
and sight of our city trucks plowing bare pavement in our area. What the heck
do these guys think they’re doing? I’ve always wondered why their supervisor
isn’t checking conditions before sending them out. If the road is bare, park
the darned trucks until it snows some more! I guess it’s a chance to grab a
little overtime!
I’ve heard two different versions of our upcoming weather
for this winter. I’ve heard that we’re to expect a mild winter with very little
snow. I’ve also heard that it’s going to be a winter for snow like no other in
the past 30 years. Well, whatever happens, I’m prepared for anything this year.
In fact, I’m sure that this February (traditionally our snowiest month) will be
my favourite month this winter. I’ll be enjoying it from Florida! LOL! I’ll
make sure that there is plenty of gas for the snow blower and that Adam knows
how to work it before we leave here on January 29th! LOL!
I’d be willing to bet that this next month and a
half will fly by with the anticipation of spending the month of February down
south. I only hope that the Florida panhandle is nice and warm this winter.
Heck, as long as it’s warmer than here I’ll be happy!
Well, today (Dec 11th) is Carole’s 39th
birthday so I’d better go put the tea on! I like to treat her special on such
occasions!
That’s it for today folks!
Thanks for tuning in and I look forward to talking
to you all again next time in The Ontarion Report!
Bye for now… Greg.
PS: Something To Think About>
In an average year, one septillion snowflakes fall
in Canada. That is the number one (1) followed by 24 zeros!
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Have a good one..
the doug
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