Thanks Jerry for always taking the time to attend these events..........

Sharen Gibbs photo.

 

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day

Many thanks to those who took time out of their holiday weekend to share some time and knowledge with our community. Gerry Moran, from the Anarchist Mtn Fire Department. Ian Nagel from the BC Wildfire Service, Josh Kester - Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with the RDKB, and our Area E RDKB director Sharen Gibbs.

There was plenty of opportunity for one on one conversations after the presentation, and most of those attending left with some FireSmart swag.

Special thanks to Brandan from BMR for his participation, and for arranging the venue.

I would have liked to see more people attend, but there was a reasonable turn out  - Jack was the youngest, and stayed pretty quiet in his rocking car seat, and the oldest community member participating is 89.

Josh stayed after the presentation to do some free Home Partners Program assessments. If you would like to take advantage of this opportunity, contact Josh, and he can arrange another day at Baldy.

wms3@rdkb.com   It's free, and you get a comprehensive report that can help guide you through your ongoing FireSmart work.

Gerry Moran reiterated what we have been told by many wildfire people. A structure protection crew will triage. If you have done a lot of FireSmart work, and they think they can save your house, they will do their best. If your home has not had FireSmart work and they don't think they can save it, they will bypass it.

BC Wildfire Service hands out more than $20K in fines for pair of Wildfire Act infractions - Kamloops News

BC Wildfire Service hands out more than $20K in fines for pair of Wildfire Act infractions - Kamloops News: the BC Wildfire Service slapped a pair of fines for contravening wildfire legislation on two separate occasions recently in the Kamloops area. The two administrative penalties were handed to one unide

What are you doing Saturday? Coffee and Muffins at the Lodge 9:00, followed by FireSmart Presentations

Our guest speakers have given up their Saturday of this long weekend to come to Baldy and share their knowledge. It is wet today, but we still have a lot to do for Wildfire Preparedness.

Gerry Moran, is from the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department. A firefighter, a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, and the Chair of their FireSmart group.

Ian Nagel, is from the B.C. Wildfire Service, serving in the Boundary District.

Josh Kester, is a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, employed by the RDKB. If you haven't already done so, you can sign up for a free assessment of your cabin and property. wms3@rdkb.com

Our Area E/West Boundary Director RDKB, Sharen Gibbs, will also be attending.

Owners - late nights?

If you have been late coming home the last couple of nights, please let us know. Traffic in the village the last two nights around 2:00am. Scoping us out?

Heads up

Do not stop for Ford Escape out of fuel, bottom of the canyon, McKinney Road. Familiar face walking up this side of transfer station, later seen walking down. Second person in the Escape.

Canada Day

If the crowds at the Osoyoos Festivities are a bit much for you, check out Canada Day in Midway.

 

Ford recalls 95,000 pickup trucks in Canada because transmissions can suddenly downshift to 1st gear - Business News

Ford recalls 95,000 pickup trucks in Canada because transmissions can suddenly downshift to 1st gear - Business News: Ford is recalling about 645,000 pickup trucks across Canada and the U.S. because the transmissions can unexpectedly downshift to first gear no matter how fast the trucks are going.

ER at South Okanagan General Hospital unavailable 6 to 11 a.m. Tuesday - Oliver/Osoyoos News

ER at South Okanagan General Hospital unavailable 6 to 11 a.m. Tuesday - Oliver/Osoyoos News: Patients in the South Okanagan will not have access to the emergency room for a five hour period Tuesday morning.

Roof Sprinkler for Sale

Custom made by CF Fence, heavy duty, fabrication cost $90.  Made for 12/12 pitch roof. Selling because I have switched to a gable end fixed mount. Only downside to this sprinkler is getting up on the roof spring and fall to put it up and take it down. I raised the sprinkler to clear the chimney.

$60. Can add a heavy duty used hose for nominal amount. unbaldy@gmail.com 

We have no control over what structure protection crews will do. If we have done the FireSmart work, and a sprinkler is in place, it will save crews time to save our houses.

End of an era..........Chris and Allison, you will be missed!

A realtor post tells me that #12 in the Condos has sold. Decades of memories of Chris and Allison every Christmas and Spring Break, watching their children grow and ski, and more recently their grandchildren on the slopes. 

Just a "few" years ago.

Getting the buy in from the community...........

See a sample of a property assessment - Penticton

 

Catch and Release

Be vigilant, they are on the loose.

Video features Dan Stevens - he did 27 assessments here last year.

 

Summer? Longest day of the year?

Sunny, then cloudy, then sunny,,,,,,,,,,, interspersed with a few downpours. 

My views about Facebook are not a secret..............

There is only one Baldy related Facebook page that I am following now- BMR, so I can keep you informed on their news. 

One can be part of a problem, or part of a solution.

If you see something factual that is important to get out there, by all means, send it to me.

I would be more than happy to maintain an e-mail list of full time residents, so that urgent matters can be relayed quickly.

It is a well known wish of law enforcement, that people refrain from posting certain things on social media during an active police incident.

Free Library

The Little Free Library on Porupine is well stocked  - paperbacks, hard covers, DVD's and kids books. There is also one toque that may or may not have traces of dog saliva on it ;).

At the mail boxes at the bottom of the road - Oliver, there is a new tiny free library.

It takes a village, a community, and the RCMP!

There have been some concerns recently that were being addressed, then the anxiety went way up for a number of us when the first of two vehicles stolen in OK Falls showed up at Baldy. Dangerous driving resulted in at least two close calls, one for a member of our community, and one for an RCMP vehicle.

Stolen goods were seized here on Sunday.

This afternoon, witnesses let me know that they saw the second stolen vehicle (motorhome) in Rock Creek, with police in attendance. Varying reports from the suspect three, to a total of 5 individuals detained.

Many of us will sleep better tonight, but things are now in the hands of the justice system. Time will tell.

My hunch is that the goods seized were stolen elsewhere, but I really don't know. We do believe that the person(s) who stole a quad here recently were not related to this. It would be prudent to do an extra cabin check.

When things are out of site, there is less attraction. When things are out in the open, there is temptation.

One thing evident in this experience, is that it is difficult to match goods with the original owner. One option is to engrave your drivers license number on tools and other items.

Wyze camera Father's Day sale ends at midnight tonight.

Thank-you to the community members from Oliver, Baldy and the Boundary for keeping their eyes open.

A public thank-you to those who supported me through a very stressful few days.

 

Please welcome new member of the community................

A new member of the community is here in his Adventurer motorhome, clearing his lot off  Tin-Horn. Not to be confused with the Jayco posted below. 

Stolen Motorhome

 32ft Jayco Greyhawk

A motorhome that looks very much like this one was in the village last night, and at the side of Baldy Road this morning near the burn pile. If you see it on a side road somewhere, do not approach, call the Oliver RCMP. Stolen from OK Falls during the night, Saturday.

Please be vigilant...........

The images of the truck involved in the quad theft a while back, do not match the vehicles related to the recent police presence in the village.  There are a number of surveillance cameras in the village. If you are considering getting one, you may want to look at WYZE cam. They have inexpensive cameras that produce decent images, alert your phone, and have other features.

I am aware of at least one recent theft of a chainsaw. If you have had anything stolen from your property recently, be sure to report it to the Oliver RCMP. Stolen goods were seized in this area this week.

June 29th - Join us - We have some good speakers on Wildfire Preparedness

From the Anarchist Mountain Fire Department - Gerry Moran

Gerry is  the Chair of the Anarchist Mtn FireSmart Committee, a firefighter with AMFD, and a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist.

Anarchist Mountain has 12 years of FireSmart experience. They were also affected by the 2021 Nk'Mip fire.

One of the next steps for Baldy is developing a "Community Wildfire Protection Plan". I am looking forward to learning what the Anarchist Mountain group has done in this regard.

Josh Kester is a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist with the RDKB

Josh is an experienced wildfire fighter, and Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. Twenty-seven of us had the free assessment provided by the RDKB last year. The assessment is comprehensive, and is a helpful document for prioritizing your activities as you make your property more resilient. Josh would like to book assessments on or around June 29th for travel efficiency.  wms3@rdkb.com

Ian Nagel, BCWS

Ian is from BCWS, Boundary

RDKB Area E

We acknowledge the support of Area E Director Sharen Gibbs, and she is planning to attend.

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It doesn't seem to matter which structure protection person you talk to, the message is the same. They will triage buildings, and work on the ones they have more of a chance of saving. If you have done nothing, chances are, they will bypass your place and work to save one that has done a bunch of mitigation work.

The other scenario that is being talked about more often since the Fort Mac fire - if your home is FireSmart, and your neighbour's is not - if your house catches fire from the neighbour's fire, your insurer may go after the neighbour's insurer.

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This is a good opportunity to learn, and to meet up with your neighbours to collaborate on over lapping ignition zones.

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If this isn't enough to convince you to show up - free coffee and muffins courtesy of FireSmart Canada, as well as a draw for FireSmart swag.

Saturday

Some of it melted today..........

 

I probably should carry a saw in the truck theses days. This one was brittle enough that it was not too tough  to pull off the road.

Well the weather guessers said 5cms possible on some mountain passes over two days.............

It didn't start snowing until after 5:00am this morning and we already have more than 10cms. It is pukin' .

 

Thursday

There is a separate recycling program for oil and empty oil containers. Look it up.

 

Aggressive Deer

Please keep your dogs under control, even when out on the trail. There have been dogs killed and people injured in Penticton and Kelowna.

A dog was seen chasing a deer on the trails this morning - when push comes to shove, the dog could well lose. 

June 29th - Coffee and Muffins, Followed by some excellent speakers.

 

Where are they now? Hayden

 Photo Courtesy of Okanagan Falls Fire Department.

Hayden Thomas-Zahrawi, is pictured on the right during mop up operations of a recent fire near OK Falls. Hayden was part of the ski patrol team at Baldy. He is the FireSmart Coordinator for the RDOS, and a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist.

Hayden's Mom Nancy is a volunteer instructor with the Baldy Blue Jays adaptive snow sports program.

I'm not sure how many generations there are in the Pioneer Thomas Ranches family, but his late Grandparents, Morrie and Denise Thomas were close friends of my family. The best roast beef dinner ever was prepared by Denise, served after we went out with Morrie to feed the cattle.

FireSmart, and Theft Smart

We all have things we can do to better protect our properties. The persons involved in the quad theft awhile back were in the village for about an hour and a half. Were they looking around?

The fellow who was chased off a few years ago, identified, and visited by police was someone who sold and delivered firewood up here.

A fellow who was associated with the theft of an ATV from a locked building here a few years back is out of jail. (incarcerated for other deeds.)

A good thing, but a concerning thing to see RCMP vehicles in the village more often.

 

The 60 cent Stroll

I walked the perimeter of the parking lot today - a woman had posted on FB that she lost glasses last winter, and needs the damaged ones to claim the insurance.

What I did find (besides two quarters and a dime), was a fair bit of crunched beer cans and other debris in the ditches. 

A handful of people with buckets and pick up tools could make quick work of the mess. I have a couple of pick-up tools, and BMR has some as well. You'll want gloves and a pick-up stick - there is even a tampon at the edge of the parking lot.

Sturdy footwear recommended. Some of the stuff is wet behind alder.

South Okanagan General Hospital emergency service closes Sunday overnight - Oliver/Osoyoos News

South Okanagan General Hospital emergency service closes Sunday overnight - Oliver/Osoyoos News: South Okanagan General Hospital is closing its emergency room doors once again Sunday overnight, due to limited physician availability.

Neighbours Helping Neighbours

FireSmart team of the week - Paul C, Cheryl and Wayne D. Major work on two properties. Bonus for me was the wood that came up in Paul's dumpbox trailer, and the help from Cheryl and Wayne with a load transported  in the trailer today.

Ready for splitting, and tossing into my trailer to be hauled up to the back, Great work Wayne, all of the load stayed at the top of the bank.

I think we are all kind of glad that the weather has turned wet this afternoon - good excuse to stop working. I'll never keep up with Gerald, but we make a pretty good team.
 

How is your weather stripping, window seals?

Friends of mine in Shrike Hill had property damage, and food spoilage in the 2021 fire. The main part of the house was fine, but an add on sun room had smoke damage to some contents. The add on had single pane windows, and the room was not intended for cold weather use.

BMR Online Store is Live - Payment Plan available

 

Book Now - Wildfire Mitigation Specialist

Wildfire Mitigation Specialist Josh Kester will be here on June 29^th, and would like to book assessments around that date. He has experience in the field seeing the benefits of good FireSmart work, saving homes.

To contact Josh directly:       wms3@rdkb.com

Online form:

https://www.firesmartapp.ca/application/BC3AF

This is a free assessment from RDKB.

Need Eggs?

I heard good things about John W's farm fresh eggs last winter. He has a few available now, pick up in Rock Creek. Limited supply. $7 per dozen. If you don't have his phone number, I can give it to you. Act now, they won't last long.

unbaldy@gmail.com 

Council of Forest Ministers unveil new wildfire strategy - BC News

Council of Forest Ministers unveil new wildfire strategy - BC News: The Canadian Council of Forest Ministers have unveiled a new four-point strategy aimed at educating the public on the threat of wildfires and expanding investments in wildfire prevention and mitigation.

FireSmart Event June 29, 2024

Coming to your inbox very soon.

The upcoming FireSmart newsletter is full of good information, and some details about our annual  "Wildfire Community Preparedness Day." Join your neighbours at the lodge for coffee and muffins at 9:00am on June 29th, and there will be speakers at 10:00 on wildfire behaviour and FireSmart.

After the presentations, there will be a draw for FireSmart swag, and a walkabout.

West Kelowna fire chief says money being spent on the wrong side of wildfires - Kelowna News

West Kelowna fire chief says money being spent on the wrong side of wildfires - Kelowna News: West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund believes governments should spend more on preventing wildfires as opposed to hundreds of millions to put them out year after year.

Lots of info firesmartbc.ca

 firesmartbc.ca

Tire Recycling

 https://tsbc.ca/recycle-your-tires/

Free Home Partners Program Assessment

Twenty-seven Baldy owners took advantage of the free FireSmart assessment last year. It is a no obligation process, that leaves you with a detailed report. It is a good reference for prioritizing your FireSmart work.

Apply today for a free assessment:

https://www.firesmartapp.ca/application/BC3AF

Another gust, another tree?

Most of us on the road today saw either twigs, branches or tree chunks on the road from the gusty winds that went through.

Thanks to Iain for removing the one I wrestled and flagged, before I got back down with a saw.

The tree that I found blocking most of the road was on the first big straight stretch below the junction on McKinney Road. While I was trying to move it, I could hear noises coming from one of the adjacent trees. 

Monday

A little bit of everything today, including snow. The flowers are survivors.

 

BMR Updating online store

 

Good food, Good Times, Good Friends

Best RV park - free camping, free wi-fi, good company, and awesome food.

View from Rosie's Campsite

  Celebratory Salmon dinner Thursday night 😉, and you know the Friday night menu.

Thank-you Paul

Paul C is a kind and generous guy. He periodically shows up at my door with some fresh produce, and prepared meals. Last time he stopped by, he noticed that I was pretty much out of firewood outside the basement door. I came home today to find a nice pile of dry ready to burn firewood. It will be enough to get me through until it finally warms up.

 As for the continuing cooler temperatures. Matt and Bentley hiked up the mountain today and Matt skied down.