Nature Giveth

Mother Nature's delicate balance is evident this spring.
We can't often "read the signs", but signs do exist.

She giveth and she taketh away.

First the sad evidence.
This magnificent Red-Tailed Hawk was found lying dead near my vegetable garden.
There were no signs it had been in a vicious fight--with the numerous Bald Eagles that roam the valley's skies--and no other signs of trauma were evident to this inexperienced birder.

It was wet from a brief rainstorm, but no other signs of trauma were seen.

And the next day, this magnificent Bumblebee appeared to be having difficulties.

Not "pollen laden", it wasn't clear why he had difficulty standing up. 

The bumblebee, after an hour, couldn't be found so I'm unsure if it regained flight.
I hope so.

And to end on a happier note, here's a photo of two snails, presumably during part of their copulation process.

Two Gastropods (snails) found in the yard

So...do snails have live births or lay eggs?

They lay eggs, to put it simply, but the reproduction process is entirely complex.  And some are even Hermaphrodites, which is explained thus:
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has complete or partial reproductive organs and produces gametes normally associated with both male and female sexes. Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which either partner can act as the "female" or "male." For example, the great majority of tunicates, pulmonate snails, opisthobranch snails, earthworms and slugs are hermaphrodites. Hermaphroditism is also found in some fish species and to a lesser degree in other vertebrates. Most plants are also hermaphrodites.


How intricate and lovely are the shells of our land-based snails!

It's sad indeed when Mother Nature takes a magnificent specimen such as a Red-Tailed Hawk or Bumblebee.

And then one feels joy at seeing the two Snails mating.

Now You Know How Residents Feel

Funny (not really) when government rules affect government people!

"We have a bunch of bureaucrats

 on a power trip

 telling me how to develop my property,"

Rick Fairbairn 

It appears that Regional District of North Okanagan directors are ALSO impacted by changes to rules that govern the Agricultural Land Reserve. 

Castanet news, on Monday April 22nd, wrote a story in which it was stated by Rick Fairbairn, a rancher and rural Lumby director, that "we have a bunch of bureaucrats telling me how I can develop my property."

"This is hurting family farms."

  Eric Foster

Even Vernon-Monashee MLA Eric Foster got in on it, adding:  "This is hurting family farms. It makes it difficult for families to stay together," said Foster, noting additional residences will not be allowed, and neither will detached suites and manufactured homes for family members.  And for principal residences, the total floor area must not exceed 500 square metres.


"We have a bunch of bureaucrats on a power trip telling me how to develop my property," said Rick Fairbairn, a rancher and rural Lumby director.

As the saying goes, "no sh.t, Sherlock!"
Now do you see how all you elected people impact residents...especially residents with acreages?

You should...

Carbon Tax Lies

Revenue neutral? 
Nope, thanks to Justin Trudeau's lies.
And Premier Horgan's lies too.

Liar, liar, pants on fire

The Prime Minister's "intention"--as stated by Dan Albas, Conservative MP for Central Okanagan-Similkameen-Nicola--is to "ensure the national carbon tax is revenue neutral to citizens".

Excerpts from Mr. Albas' editorial in The Daily Courier, Monday, April 22/19, follow:

On April 1st, B.C.'s carbon tax rate increased from $35 tonne to $40 a tonne.
PM Trudeau called for a pan-Canadian agreement on pricing carbon pollution in Canada of $50 per tonne in 2022.

Click graphic to enlarge

In B.C., the NDP government's budget over the next three fiscal years reveals that the carbon tax is forecast to generate $1.7, $1.97 and $2.2 billion.  Yup, Billion.

So is the carbon tax revenue neutral here in British Columbia?

$6 billion in revenue to government

$928 million returned...

what's wrong with OUR math?

In BC., the carbon tax will generate close to $6 billion in tax revenue over the next three years, the climate action tax rebate, intended to offset those costs to lower-income citizens over the same period, is forecast to return just $928 million.

Of course Horgan and Weaver are laughing...British Columbia's residents have bought their diatribe hook, line and sinker!

"Clean B.C.", another climate-related provincial program, has a total spending forecast of $679 million over the same three years.  Therefore, in order to meet Trudeau's $50 per tonne carbon tax target, BC citizens will pay close to $6 billion in new carbon taxes over the next three years.

BUT...$6 billion collected, only approximately $1.6 billion total is being returned in various programs related to climate change. 

So that means, in B.C., the carbon tax is not revenue neutral.

Dan Albas asked at the editorial's conclusion:  "Do you support the carbon tax increasing to $50 per tonne by 2021-22?

The answer is a resounding NO.
Why?

This is why:  (from a Lake Country letter to the editor):  Canada, a massive country with a very small population, produces 1.6 per cent of world carbon output that virtually is offset by 318 billion carbon dioxide breathing trees and has about zero effect on the world pollution stage.

Lies, lies, everywhere lies.
Song lyrics...come true. 

Bureaucracy Never Decreases

And now the North Okanagan's School District No. 22 is also contributing to the impact of red tape and shifting, ever-changing rules.

On hearing that schools now charge an annual ridership fee for busing, a friend who is in her early 60's stated "When I was a child, buses picked up and delivered kids all the way out to Baker Hogg Road (on L&A) without any fees because it was rural kids who needed the busing."

Exactly!

Last year's newspaper story...parents are angry at the risks imposed.

The School District imposed a $300 annual busing fee--per child--for families who live outside a 2.4 kilometre distance from BX Elementary school on Silver Star Road. 

"That's a horrendous additional fee for a family, say, of three children," admit parents, adding "especially when we pay exorbitant school taxes annually."

The hue and cry from parents led to a Transportation Survey conducted by the school district, and results are now released.  Not surprisingly, the majority of families have not in favour of the district's fee structure.

Controversial busing fees of $300 per child were rejected by respondents.
The survey asked parents if they would support a $25.00 fee for all students and a $175.00 fee for "courtesy" riders (which decreases the original $300 down to $200 annually).  Fifty-seven per cent of respondents agreed.  (scroll down to Bus Fees, near the end of the link provided).

Number of students currently using the system is 3,167.
Of those, 971 students are considered "courtesy" riders, and 2,196 are "eligible" riders.

"There should be NO additional fees for busing...beyond school taxes," Kia would've said.

Agreed.
But School District No. 22 is determined to download costs...and look at the bureaucracy they're creating!

Probably need to hire someone just to track it all...

Hummingbirds are Back

Yay!

Despite the cool and rainy weather, a Hummingbird was today seen feeding at the Highlands Golf clubhouse feeder (that I put out about a week ago in anticipation of their return).

Species are so numerous and varied that I have trouble distinguishing among them.

Not a good photo...but yes, it's a Hummingbird:

At a time like this, it's hard to remember to NEVER SHOOT INTO THE LIGHT...

The hummingbirds--and the rest of us--could use some warm sunny weather.
But their return is a sure sign that winter is over.

"Thank goodness February's cold is long gone," Kia would've said.

Amen to that!

No Wonder Meadowlarks Are Absent

It shouldn't be a surprise why songbirds are on the decline.

I especially miss Meadowlarks here in the Coldstream Valley.
Only a rare song is heard from a meadlowlark.
And friends in the Foothills area of Vernon are concerned too.

Yes, some of those friends own cats to protect their properties from rodents.
And yes, cats are predators.
Natural predators such as hawks, owls and coyotes remain numerous around acreages.


But to increase pressure on ground nesters by introducing fire, intentionally, just may be the proverbial straw.

The fire department has its priorities, and I understand that.

Western Meadowlark, photo Wikipedia

Foothills area homeowners will be grateful that wildfire danger to their homes is mitigated, however it comes at a high cost.

Ground-nesting birds aren't that numerous...but they do possess some of the most thrilling songs.

The Foothills prescribed burn plan...it begins either today or tomorrow.

"No wonder there are environmental conflicts," Kia would've said.

Bad news will continue unabated.
Good-bye Meadowlarks...

The Tooth Fairy Visit

Our grandson will turn five next month.

"My front teeth are wiggly," he commented a week or so ago.

But waiting and waiting wasn't his thing, apparently.
So he pulled one out himself, which prompted this lovely letter under his pillow (along with his prize...a Toonie).

Proof, from a very excited young man...

What a great poem the Tooth Fairy wrote him!

Tables Keep On "Giving and Giving"

...their substance away.

The saga of the disappearing Leko Precast picnic tables goes back a ways...
They started falling apart years ago when I first started recording the phenomenon with photos.

And here we are today...

Tops and seats were already replaced...and painted.  Thank you to Richard Lockwood

Concrete is disintegrating!  Continually!

Yup, the tables are disappearing.

A big thanks to Richard Lockwood who offered--yes offered, of his own volition--to provide concrete tabletops and seats!  Yes, he did, and for FREE.  And the tables weren't even produced by his concrete company; they were produced by Leko Precast.

"It's good there wasn't a microphone recording your comment as the photo was being taken," Kia would've said.

Yup.
The air was blue.

Reducing Water Consumption

It's actually easy, even for a commercial facility like the Highlands Golf clubhouse.

The "thermo brew" coffee maker relies on warmed carafes.
Each morning, carafes are warmed by preheating them with hot water before placing under the coffee maker.

Hot water doesn't flow from the tap right away.

Rather than pouring cool water down the drain before it becomes hot enough to warm the carafes, it's now poured into a bucket to water plants.  Same with the hot water from the carafe before placing carafes under the coffee machine.

It's really surprising just how much water is saved with this procedure, and it doesn't take any extra time over the previous method.

A few days of the water saving technique really adds up!

And the dried coffee grounds are sprinkled over the flower beds.

Easy peasy, as they say.

"Since water rates are always increasing, maybe the invoice will remain the same," Kia would've chuckled.

We can hope...