Greenwater Report for September 11, 2000

The Greenwater Report for September 11, 2000

Greenwater Provincial Park - September 11, 2000 - By: Gerald Crawford

half done
September 10th, 2000: Sunny today, and windy, but cool enough that I wore a jacket while mowing the grass. Clouds have been forming later in the afternoon, but as I write this it doesn't look like rain. Doreen was talking to Laurie at Mozart and she said they had been able to do some combining last week. They were going to call me to come down tomorrow, but thought they had better wait and see if the clouds that were forming would bring rain. Laurie said they were about half done.

long fall
or
early winter
Brian Shuya said that because the forest is so lush so late in the summer, it should indicate a long fall. Dennis Harron, on the other hand, has been heard to say it will be an early winter and a tough one. I wonder how close we would be if we averaged the two? We like winter, but not six months of it, so would be happy if Brian is closest.

new CO
Welcome to Shaun Kruchkowski, the new CO who is taking Kevin Weinberger’s place. He and his wife, Debbie, and their new baby are going to live in Porcupine Plain.

Kevin and Joy Weinberger
Last night we went to a farewell party for Kevin and Joy Weinberger. They have been here since 1991, and Kevin was the senior CO. Now he has taken a post in Prince Albert as a fire prevention officer with the forest fire management branch of SERM. His badge and number are being retired.

sorely missed
The party took the form of a pot-luck, and was very well attended. Lots of speeches and presentations, of course, but all were brief. I knew the Weinbergers were active in the community, but didn’t realize how involved they were baseball, hockey, figure skating, dance, Sunday School were just some of their activities. They were well liked in the community, and will be sorely missed. We wish them well in their new lives.

mice
The battle with mice is starting again. Those little flickers of motion at the corner of the eye aren’t just imagination it means we are again being invaded. We set four traps, and so far have caught about six of them. None for a couple of days, though, so maybe it was just a small family that moved in.

raccoon
Do you remember me telling you the raccoon that has been visiting looked as if she was raising a family? Thursday night the family paid us a visit there were four or five of the little beasts; one in the bird feeder and the others trying to get in. I went after them with Doreen’s broom, which is kept handy by the patio doors. All fled except the one in the feeder, and because it’s a confined space, it couldn’t move as quickly. I gave him a good jab and he left with a snarl. They were back two more times, and each time there was one in the feeder, the rest trying to get in. Doreen had complained that part of the feeder was bent, and didn’t think the squirrels could do it. Mystery solved.

electric fencer
Next day, I bought a small electric fencer and rigged it up to the feeder. The first night, no raccoons came around. Saturday evening, while we were at the Park, Lucille was keeping an eye on it. She says she heard a thump and a crash, looked out the patio doors and saw a raccoon slinking away. Sure wish I had seen it! Maybe it will discourage squirrels, too.

brown and gold
There has been a remarkable change in the forest in the past week, with lots of brown and gold, and a bit of red showing up. Lots of leaves have fallen, too, and the underbrush is thinning. I don’t think it is any earlier than normal, but I can never remember from one year to the next.

Alex Dunlop
Alex Dunlop tells me they are settling into the new office nicely. The quiet is remarkable; in the old office building, he could be part of a conversation going on anywhere in the building without leaving his office, and now he keeps thinking the outer office is deserted. Jan is having the hardest time adjusting, though, after years of typing letters with someone’s phone line wrapped around her neck.

annual bike ride
I got a phone call from Arlene Shiels today, with some ideas for our annual bike ride that might make it more attractive to families. She suggests keeping it within the Park, thinking that people who come to the Park don't want activities that take them out onto the highway. Also, open it up so that kids with trikes and roller blades can participate, and wind it up with a wiener roast or something. She and her family are going to do some more thinking, and by next year should be able to come up with a plan. In the meantime, any ideas are welcome.

Gerald B. Crawford
Box 100, Chelan, SK S0E 0N0 (306) 278-3423
Check out my Webpage: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/crawg

Editor's note: This week we did not get a picture from Gerald so we have elected to just toss something together.

The Greenwater Report for September 11, 2000

Greenwater Provincial Park - September 11, 2000 - By: Gerald Crawford

half done	September 10th, 2000: Sunny today, and windy, but cool enough that I wore a jacket while mowing the grass. Clouds have been forming later in the afternoon, but as I write this it doesn't look like rain. Doreen was talking to Laurie at Mozart and she said they had been able to do some combining last week. They were going to call me to come down tomorrow, but thought they had better wait and see if the clouds that were forming would bring rain. Laurie said they were about half done.

long fall or early winter	Brian Shuya said that because the forest is so lush so late in the summer, it should indicate a long fall. Dennis Harron, on the other hand, has been heard to say it will be an early winter and a tough one. I wonder how close we would be if we averaged the two? We like winter, but not six months of it, so would be happy if Brian is closest.

new CO	Welcome to Shaun Kruchkowski, the new CO who is taking Kevin Weinberger’s place. He and his wife, Debbie, and their new baby are going to live in Porcupine Plain.

Kevin and Joy Weinberger	Last night we went to a farewell party for Kevin and Joy Weinberger. They have been here since 1991, and Kevin was the senior CO. Now he has taken a post in Prince Albert as a fire prevention officer with the forest fire management branch of SERM. His badge and number are being retired.

sorely missed	The party took the form of a pot-luck, and was very well attended. Lots of speeches and presentations, of course, but all were brief. I knew the Weinbergers were active in the community, but didn’t realize how involved they were baseball, hockey, figure skating, dance, Sunday School were just some of their activities. They were well liked in the community, and will be sorely missed. We wish them well in their new lives.

mice	The battle with mice is starting again. Those little flickers of motion at the corner of the eye aren’t just imagination it means we are again being invaded. We set four traps, and so far have caught about six of them. None for a couple of days, though, so maybe it was just a small family that moved in.

raccoon	Do you remember me telling you the raccoon that has been visiting looked as if she was raising a family? Thursday night the family paid us a visit there were four or five of the little beasts; one in the bird feeder and the others trying to get in. I went after them with Doreen’s broom, which is kept handy by the patio doors. All fled except the one in the feeder, and because it’s a confined space, it couldn’t move as quickly. I gave him a good jab and he left with a snarl. They were back two more times, and each time there was one in the feeder, the rest trying to get in. Doreen had complained that part of the feeder was bent, and didn’t think the squirrels could do it. Mystery solved.

electric fencer	Next day, I bought a small electric fencer and rigged it up to the feeder. The first night, no raccoons came around. Saturday evening, while we were at the Park, Lucille was keeping an eye on it. She says she heard a thump and a crash, looked out the patio doors and saw a raccoon slinking away. Sure wish I had seen it! Maybe it will discourage squirrels, too.

brown and gold	There has been a remarkable change in the forest in the past week, with lots of brown and gold, and a bit of red showing up. Lots of leaves have fallen, too, and the underbrush is thinning. I don’t think it is any earlier than normal, but I can never remember from one year to the next.

Alex Dunlop	Alex Dunlop tells me they are settling into the new office nicely. The quiet is remarkable; in the old office building, he could be part of a conversation going on anywhere in the building without leaving his office, and now he keeps thinking the outer office is deserted. Jan is having the hardest time adjusting, though, after years of typing letters with someone’s phone line wrapped around her neck.

annual bike ride	I got a phone call from Arlene Shiels today, with some ideas for our annual bike ride that might make it more attractive to families. She suggests keeping it within the Park, thinking that people who come to the Park don't want activities that take them out onto the highway. Also, open it up so that kids with trikes and roller blades can participate, and wind it up with a wiener roast or something. She and her family are going to do some more thinking, and by next year should be able to come up with a plan. In the meantime, any ideas are welcome.

	Gerald B. Crawford Box 100, Chelan, SK S0E 0N0 (306) 278-3423 Check out my Webpage: http://www3.sk.sympatico.ca/crawg

	Editor's note: This week we did not get a picture from Gerald so we have elected to just toss something together.