Ospreys

This incredible photograph was taken by Lac Le Jeune resident, Tim Shields. 

Tim offers photography webclasses through Photography Academy. 

 

Improving Rural Internet Connectivity

Wilgengebroed on Flickr / CC BY

Residents will have received a letter in the mail from TNRD with a link to a survey regarding experiences with internet for personal or business use. Many of us work and study from home and are struggling to get the connectivity we need. Meanwhile, we continue to pay for services we're not receiving. 

Please complete the survey before October 5, 2020.

https://www.tnrd.ca/stay-connected/surveys/

Snap Up Real Estate

Dave Zirnhelt, owner of Snap Up Real Estate, is spreading the word about this free service.

Snap Up Real Estate is for people buying, selling, or renting. If you have your place for sale or rent, you are invited them to post the property on the website.

From the website:
Snap Up Real Estate is a free listing portal for Canadian properties only. It's a start-up founded right here in Kamloops! Find your next place or post your listing for sale or for rent. With over 1300 listings in the Thompson-Nicola, you'll have access to a large audience.

Note, due to the way Google Maps organizes addresses, Lac Le Jeune is part of Logan Lake.

Getting ready for skating season

Photo by Dustin Gaffke https://flic.kr/p/iVeKcB

The Logan Lake Ice Arena will be opening soon! If you need to get your skates sharpened, Al Fitter offers that service right in Logan Lake. Drop off your skates at 313 Peridot Drive. Call first if you're making a special trip to make sure he Al will be there: 250-523-6399. The cost is $5 per pair.

Housekeeping Services

The Merritt Time Savers are offering housekeeping services in Lac Le Jeune. Call for a free in-home estimate (250) 280-1199.

Wilderness Resort Restaurant

Get out of your kitchen during August long weekend!

The licensed restaurant & patio at the Wilderness Resort will be open Saturday and Sunday 9am - 9pm. Stop in for breakfast, or later in the day for a homemade burger with all the fixins.

Supporting BC Ranchers

When I saw this sign featuring our local ranchers at the Save On Foods meat department I just had to snap a photo. On the right is Ralph and Chris Michell with their two daughters.

In 2011 Jocko Creek Ranch was listed as a Century Ranch in the Cowboy Hall of Fame by the BC Cowboy Heritage Society. Here is the history as published on the BCCHS website:

Jocko Creek Ranch is a family operated cattle ranch located 12 km south of Kamloops along the Lac le Jeune road. The ranch has been in the Michell family since 1903 and is currently being run by Noel and Katy Michell and their family. Noel's grandfather, John Ralph (J.R.) Michell, moved to the Kamloops area to manage a machinery store. He bought the home quarters of the ranch where the ranch house is presently. JR Michell married and had five children. The ranch initially sold hay to the nearby Iron Mask Mine to feed the horses and mules used in the mine. In the early years the ranch raised horses and had a small herd of cows. The ranch's brand is a lazy J connected lazy M on the right hip and it was bought by JR Michell in 1904. This brand is still used to identify the ranch's cattle. As the market for horse teams started to decline, the decision was made to expand and raise sheep in addition to the small herd of cattle. JR Michell became involved with city politics and was Alderman and Mayor of Kamloops. During this time, his son, Herbert Michell, took over the ranch along with his wife Gladys Reynolds. The flock was expanded to approximately 1000 Rambouillet and Columbia ewes. Herbert's son Noel took the ranch over at a young age after Herbert's health failed. In 1966 the bulk of the sheep were sold and more cattle purchased. The ranch's cattle herd initially was comprised of 200 Hereford or Shorthorn cross cows. Black Angus bulls were introduced in 1985 and now the herd is predominantly Angus. Noel married Katy McCallan in 1964 and they have managed the ranch side by side for 46 years. The ranch has evolved over the last 107 years by being flexible and changing as the agriculture market and lifestyle changes require.

Lac Le Jeune Store

The store is open for the summer! Linda and Walter have stocked the shelves and freezer with the usual necessities like chips, ice, and popsicles. :-) They can try to carry other items that we tend to run out of in our homes, like milk and bread, but only if we buy them! Also, boat rentals are available and Walter can offer some tips on fishing.

The store hours are 10 - 5:30, with a 12 - 1:00 lunch break.   

Susie Q's Housecleaning

No job too small. Reasonable rates /years of experience. Let me help you with your spring cleaning! Call me Susie 250-372-5920 Lac Le Jeune resident.

House sitter available!

Lac Le Jeune resident available to House sit
Flexible to homeowners schedule
Mature and professional

Excellent Lac Le Jeune resident references

If interested call Debra @ 250-374-8135 or email me @ walkthedog.debra@yahoo.com

Hannah's Hens

When I read Barbara Kingslover's book Animal, Vegetable, Miracle I was completely drawn to the story of Lily, the 9 year old girl who very efficiently ran a business raising chickens and selling eggs. Little did I know that we have our own story so close to home. My recent visit to Hannah's Hen House was an introduction to the world of a dedicated and hard working pre-teen entrepreneur.

As I learned from Hannah's 4-H speech, "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?", presented to me from the middle of her kitchen, the business began with a crate of 75 chicks that had literally missed the truck. In the absence of a hen house in the cold March temperatures, these chicks found a temporary home in the basement of the Michell ranch house. Fortunately, Hannah and her dad are both handy carpenters, and they were able to transform an out building into a comfy home for these chicks. By mid-July they had their first egg for breakfast. In Hannah's words...it was DIVINE.

Today Hannah has more than 45 chickens and has expanded beyond the standard brown and reds we're used to seeing. Her other chickens, some of which will be shown this week at the Vernon Winter Carnvial, have fancy names to match their interesting looks: Chester, Funky, Beauty (trophy winner), Greya, and Spots to list a few.



Raising these animals requires a lot of research, resourcefulness, and knowledge. Even the vocabulary -- names of the different breeds, talk about getting broody and which ones prove to be great settlers -- is quite different from what Hannah's friends are used to hearing.

The chickens all seem very content in the comfortable beds Hannah built with her dad. One coop is the now refurbished Stake Lake ski hut, freshly painted and customized for her specialty chickens. It's so comfortable even Polly the pet rabbit has moved in! And of course they all roam freely when the temperatures permit.
Over time Hannah has learned a lot about what to feed her chickens to produce excellent quality eggs. They have a balanced diet of ground flax for omega 3, and oyster shells to make their shells hard. Also, by experimenting with a variety of scraps from the kitchen, she has learned that onions and citrus don't go over very well.

In fact, Hannah is considered a local expert and has even been invited to speak to university students in Thompson Rivers University Natural Resource Management program.

Of course there's the business side of raising chickens. Hannah keeps very careful records to ensure she has enough eggs for her regular customers, which includes her teacher, the bus driver, and friends. Until recently, even her dad wasn't allowed to eat eggs but now he is allowed 2 per day, but not until he puts in his time gathering eggs in the morning!
Although the winter months are considered slow season for egg production, Hannah welcomes new customers, and will gladly take your empty egg cartons and kitchen scraps for her chickens.

Are you interested in purchasing fresh eggs from Hannah? Just leave a comment on the blog, or call 250-374-0282. If there is enough interest in Lac Le Jeune we can organize delivery once a week.

UPDATE: Hanna won several ribbons at the Vernon Winter Carnival: Two firsts, two seconds, and a fourth. Plus she won ten dollars in the rooster crowing contest!

Doggy care in Lac Le Jeune

Debra Miller, a Lac Le Jeune resident, is offering this really useful mobile doggy care service. After getting numerous requests from friends over the years, Debra finally turned her long-time hobby and passion into a business and walk the dog was born.

Walk the dog believes a good dog is a well-exercised dog! A firm believer in Cesar Millan’s (the dog whisperer) philosophy, exercise, discipline, and affection, in that order, are the cornerstones of a happy, balanced, and healthy canine. Adequate exercise, socialization and positive reinforcement are key. Whether your pooch needs a stroll around the block or a vigorous hike, a number of different services are offered geared towards your dog’s specific needs.

Services

• Potty Break
• Neighborhood Walks
• Hikes/Park Trips
• Pet Sitting
• Pick-up and drop-off services (vets’ office or groomers)
• Kitty visits

walk the dog
walkthedog.debra@yahoo.com
250.374.8135

Submitted by Debra Miller
Photo of Skippy by Frank Morton