And this is summer still???
 

Well, now I know why I've had my oven on and open a few times tomight. I just checked and the weather says it's 5c right now, YES I SAID 5C ... humidity 87. Me wee bitty me's be achin' and hurtin' and me no likin' the chill ... WAH :(

The one thing I've really noticed in this area is how far the temps almost always seem to drop at night. Yesterday we hit 32c ... last night hit about 11c (which has mostly been par for the course even throughout most nights of the heatwaves)

How's YOUR weather doing?

Ma Yappy feelin' crappy chilled :p :D

Re: And this is summer still???
 

Well Ma, we've finally dropped below the 100's here in North Texas, forecast high today: 93F. We've had about 50 days of triple digit temps this summer so the 90's are a nice break, although I still enjoy soaking my cold Canadian bones in the Texas heat! Well I know the temperature swings in your part of B.C. I've spent many weeks hunting Mule deer, Whitetail deer, Mountain Goat, Black bear and Grizzly bear in the Flathead Valley, which isn't too far from Cranbrook. You never know what the weather is going to do in the mountains so I always had to carry extra gear and clothes in my backpack. I once got caught in a snow storm while reconnoitering the area in August! As a Canadian citizen I can legally hunt in B.C. on my brother's hunting license and we've been talking about a return to the Flathead, so ya never know, I might come knockin' on your door to say howdy one of these years. Better keep a supply of Tim Tams handy!

Re: Re: And this is summer still???
 

Sapper..
If ya take up with Ma you will find her a very social lady...and although she dosn't hunt four legged animals she may be handy when it comes to tanning hides...packing on the trail(with her electric buggy)set on "Sneak" mode...but I know for sure she can smell out a Tim Hortons coffee at t'ree miles...upwind....
A mighty handy hunting skill...

Hi Sapper-Man.

Well, it's much too hot and dry down your way for the likes of me, and by the way, I hope you folks get some good rains asap. Not too much though, and not too little.

A couple of the attractions (amongst more important ones) that drew me to this particular community is hearing that it has the most sun, and the mildest winters, because extremes either way really bother me ;)

When I lived in Nelson (about a couple or so hours West and a bit North of here) people always dressed in "layers" due to the swings of temperatures in a day and night, but the temps here seem to be even more extreme swings. 32c to 11c has been common lately, quite the difference. I go nowhere without a sweater "just in case" :D

A while back I posted somewhere in MLU that I met up with a huge doe (perhap 2 or 3 blocks from where I live) She was big, very filled out, and calm. I wonder if she was a "mule deer"? I can't recall if her tail was white, but I think it wasn't. Is this a clue? :)

Where and what is "the Flathead"? I've heard that name mentioned before (mountains?) but that's it.

I've seen no grizzlies as yet, and don't really want to meet up with one in my face, but from a distance would love to see one. They're amazing animals!

If you (or any other MLU-ers) ever get this way, and come knock-knock-knockin' on my door, know that I may or may not have a stock of Tim Tams, and also know that I used to go hunting (deer) as a teenager on Vancouver Island with my foster brother and fiance. Can't remember if we went to Saanich and/or Cowichan areas??? I dunno. But know that I couldn't handle the deer being killed, and I don't think I could join you in a hunting outing, as it would break my heart to see a creature killed, or warm and recently dead :( However, I totally and thoroughly enjoyed going along, dressed for hunting, even "dogging" (scaring the deer out :D ... then feeling very badly and crying when it got shot because I scared it out ) and shooting at branches and things ( a 303 and 330 rifles?) and just being out in Mama nature. I was a very good shot the few times I got to play! I never shot at a deer. My foster brother and Vic (fiance) finally refused to take me along anymore because I ruined their hunting expeditions :rolleyes: The hunting was for sport as well as to just fill the freezers with the meat, and both Terry (foster brother) and Vic would get extremely upset with anyone who came along and was a bad shot, only wounding a deer and having it suffer, so they were hunters with heart.

Ah, the memories you bring back :)

Ma Yappy.

Re: Re: Re: And this is summer still???
 

Yes, I'm social, but not being very social these days, so when it happens, I really enjoy it. (I would probably fall off my chair if someone from MLU Land ever actually knocked on my door :) ) I also enjoy :fry: tanning hides, and as you say, not the fourlegged ones. I'm getting out of practice with the :fry: and must find some local targets to practice on :eek:

And you remembered about the coffee run I begged and begged and begged for and you came to my rescue at CC4. Again, I thank you. That coffe was SO good! I can still taste it :D

Oh, what's that I smell right now? Ahhhhhhh, yesssss ... my coffee is ready for me, and me for it. Bottoms up :cheers: and :smoker:

Ma Yappy.

here at Yass
 

this August has been the driest and hottest for 11 years, the days have at least been nice though.

Max

Now Ma :yappy: pay attention, :teach:

The Flathead is a side-valve, Vee configured, eight cylinder gasoline engine of world renown. Apart from various cars, it can be found in all Ford CMPs, Universal Carriers, T16's, Atkinson Alligators and other industrial applications.

In 1962 I had the priviledge of obtaining an A and B certificate of gliding proficiency being launched into the air many times by the Flathead powered glider winch. Attached.

Errrrrrr, pay serious attetion Ma :yappy: this has very different connotations in other parts of the world, for example, :teach:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/3119024.stm
http://www.sundayherald.com/36866
:eek: :eek: :eek:

R.

Holey smokes and yichee wahhwah I think I'll RE-PHRASE my "dogging" deer, to "scaring them out of hiding" so they can be shot!

:teach: Ma Yappy ain't no dogging dogger type and be :fry: to anyone who should think so :eek:

ok ... am calm now.

Language and expressions, can be soooooo, awkward at times, eh? :D

And OK ... "flathead" is a side-valve in your language, but I think in BC language it's mountains or some such ... Oh SAPPER-MAN, do jump in here for the meaning of "Flatlands" BC language meaning :)

Master R., my fine and long-n-tall stretchy friend, thank you for your :teach: yet again ;)

Karmen.

Ah Yes
 

Yup dogging does mean other things,round these parts its
the start of trouble..
Weather oh yeah well we have been cool compared to our
normal summer.The month of august we should be blazing
110-115 should be the norm but we have been only in
the low 100s and some nights cooling into the 60s.
The biggest thing has been the rain we have had
seven inches in just a bit more than two weeks,this
is over our normal total for a year.Now we have a
cat 4 hurricane bearing down on us about 400 mile
to the southwest of us they say we could have heavy
rains by this weekend..
Patrick

The Flathead River, which is named after the Indian tribe runs north to south from approximately Highway 3 to the north all the way south to Montana. In fact, the first county you encounter in Montana is Flathead County. The Flathead river is nestled in a valley between the McDonald Range to the west and the Rocky Mountains to the East, hence the name, Flathead Valley. It's located in Management Unit 4-01 (for hunting purposes) or roughly 100 miles ESE of Cranbrook. The Flathead Valley saw much gas and oil exploration in the '70's and so has many roads providing relatively easy access to the alpine areas. Easy is a relative term. the roads are closed to motorized vehicles, which is a good thing. A two day hike will take you to the spine of the Rocky mountains and back, where you'll see some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet. I used to hunt with a mountain bike, so I could make the return trip in one day. it was about 12 hours of hard hiking up. It was too steep to ride my bike with all the gear I carried...rifle, spotting scope, food, survival gear, extra clothes, stove, flashlight etc. etc. However, I could make the return trip in about 45 minutes...hitting speeds I estimate at 50 miles per hour at times! (I have a very powerful guardian Angel!) One of the roads (Commerce Creek road) ultimately takes you into a box canyon, just below the crest of the Rockies. I found the most amazing thing there. Commerce Creek starts off as a trickle arising from an artesian spring in the floor of the box canyon. The first time I saw it, I was confounded by the fizzing of bubbles that my footfalls produced on the surface of the small pond produced by the spring. As I approached the edge of the pond I saw that everything that had fallen into the spring was covered in small bubbles. Thirsty after the long hard yomp up the mountain, I decided to slake my thirst with the water from the pool. It was delicious! The bubbles I saw were carbon dioxide and the spring was naturally carbonated! I wanted to strip naked and swim in it! The pool is in a wonderful little glade surrounded by God's majesty and I make a trip to that little spring whenever I can. Word to the wise though: the Flathead Valley is lousy with Grizzly bears! Not only does it have a large natural population but the National Parks Board transports any problem bears they have in the national parks via helicopter to the Flathead Valley. In fact, the Flathead Valley has the densest population of Grizzly bears outside of Alaska. So many the University of British Columbia and Montana Fish and Game have been doing a joint study of Grizzly bears and their habitat for years now in the Valley. The Grizzly I shot had two ear tags, both from Montana. When I contacted them with the number, they told me I had shot "Double Trouble", the name thay had given to this particular bear. Apparently he was a bad actor from ways back. I could overload Geoff's server with stories from the Flathead, bears in camp, wolf packs, butting heads with a cow moose. The list is endless. Maybe when I'm old and grayer I'll regale my grandkids with many "tales from the Flathead."

Hi Sapperman ... and thank you much for telling me about the Flathead Valley and all ;) (and you were very nice to say nothing about my "Flatlands" typo... ah, my brain should be rebuilt methinks :D

Wow, the ways you describe it all make it sound amazing and wonderful to see :) Ah, if only I were able and mobile I'd go exploring the areas surrounding this community!

I used to know a guy (casually) in Nelson whose job it was to study grizzlies. I forget his name now, but seem to remember we had some very interesting conversations about "his work". He really loved and admired the grizzlies. They really are incredible creatures!

:cheers:

Karmen.