Archives for January 11, 2020

The buzz is we are going to have a cold snap the like we have not seen before.  Really……. I am willing to bet some older folks remember some very cold winters in the past.  For those more recent arrivals to the valley, you have been living in a false winter paradise.

Our family moved to the Central Okanagan in nineteen forty-eight.  The winters of 1950 and 51 were severe to say the least.  The spring of 1950 saw temperatures so cold they froze the tree roots and nearly wiped out the tree fruit industry.

I remember old timers of the day reminiscing about the days when one could drive a car across the frozen Okanagan Lake. The subject came up in 1956 because the lake froze over causing problems for the lakes ferry operations.  I was ten that year.  It was also a harsh year for flying.  Four Saskatchewan Roughriders and one Winnipeg Blue Bomber were among the passengers of a Trans Canada Airlines Plane that went down in bad weather in the BC mountains.

The reverse was true in 1958 when we were blessed with a number of Chinooks and visits by a warm air system we call the pineapple express.

Want to talk about cold and snow?  Try to remember the winters of 1964 and the cold one in 1968.  both saw ice on Okanagan and on Kalamalka Lake as well.  I particularly liked Kal Lake freezing and here’s why.  What you see as a green bottom on Kal lake is really not from a green bottom at all.  The bottom is really composed of a gray glacial silt that reflects back as green.

I know because we had beach front on Kal Lake at Oyama,  the reason I mention it is because on a cold winter night we played hockey on the ice.  The full moons light reflected from the lake bottom and it was like playing in a lit arena.

We got some pretty standard winters after that without much variation until  the snow year of 1996.  The snow came early and stayed so long many thought spring would be canceled.

For those cursing the snow keep in mind the fluffy white stuff is natures blanket protecting tree roots and sleeping outdoor plants,  it also provides for enterprising folks who can print up T Shirts saying  “I survived the frozen Okanagan winter of 2020.

Two important chores to take care of.  Make sure your furnace is ready for the extra load and protect against frozen pipes.

Ok, get out your toque and gloves, it’s gonna get cold eh?

Fred Steele

The man accused of a 2017 armed kidnapping in Okanagan Falls has been acquitted of all 10 charges against him, marking the end of one of the longest and bizarre trials in recent memory.

Afshin Maleki Ighani, 46, had his head down in the prisoner’s box as Justice Nitya Iyer delivered her verdict Friday afternoon in Penticton Court.

The judge pointed to “numerous frailties” in the testimony, or lack thereof, of the Crown’s *two key witnesses (Jodie Walker and Christopher Gliege) ……the alleged victims in the case.

Credits: Castanet above – Penticton herald below

After one year of firing lawyers, self-representation and numerous other delays, one of the South Okanagan’s most notorious criminals has been acquitted of all charges.

Ighani who pled not guilty to 10 criminal offences including two counts of kidnapping using a firearm and assault with a weapon, was acquitted of all charges Friday in B.C. Supreme Court due to inconsistencies in statements by the case’s *two alleged victims.

“I accept that it is certainly possible that Mr. Ighani committed some or all of the offences for which he is charged, (but) the standard of proof in criminal law is proof beyond a reasonable doubt,” Judge Nita Iyer told the court.

Ighani was accused of having taken *Jodie Walker and Christopher Gliege captive on April 22, 2017, after they agreed to give him a ride from Okanagan Falls to the Lower Mainland in exchange for $400.

At one point during the trip, Ighani was alleged to have ordered the vehicle be driven up a logging road between Manning Park and Princeton.

Back story

Ighani came to Canada from Iran – he married, he had two children and his family lived in Oliver. He has been before the court in previous times and was even ordered deported to his place of birth.

But to no avail – meaning courts  in Canada did not want to send him back to Iran.

In a separate story – Ighani was connected to an altercation  in Oliver where the victim  was shot in the hand but died of an overdose later  and could not testify in court.

Ighani has been in jail a long time and when a final sentence is passed he may be eligible for immediate release.

Depends on a conviction, a sentence and the number of days served.

 

Press above to enlarge

 

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Report below contains stats from two separate machines that register visitors to the ODN site. The figures are not the same and that can be explained that the numbers below represent one part of the register of readers as it is split between home computers and mobile, telephones, I-pads etc.

Magpie enjoying Sumac berries

Thanks for banner pix as well

 

Cool as a Cucumber

Where did that expression come from? It is apparently based on facts that can be easily tested when you have a cucumber plant in your garden. Even in hot weather the core of the cucumber remains about 10 degrees cooler than the outer ‘skin’. If a cucumber is severed from the plant that does not happen anymore. The reason is that the plant keeps circulating plant juices that keep the core cooler or else it will spoil. That design feature is the result of a purposeful, creative plan. It also contains a life lesson for us.

Sometimes we get hot and bothered about what is happening to us. You might say the heat is getting to us. But if we are connected to the One who created us and maintain trust in His cooling advice for us, we can get through those troubling times as “cool as a cucumber”.

So, let’s keep cool,

Henry Wiebe

SLEIGH BELLS JINGLING           

Usually December and January can be counted on to give us some snow.  Out come the sleighs and families take their little ones to local hills, for some fun and games.

As a child, my sledding adventures in England were rather poor.  Barely an inch of wet snow, with all sorts of rocks and twigs to poke at the unwary legs or bottom, usually resulting in very wet clothes and numerous bruises.

My first taste of real Canadian snow, dry, deep and soft and falling in huge flakes, was a wonderful experience.  I wanted to play in it like a six year old and I made my fort snow angels at age 39.

When we first came to Canada, we settled in Port Coquitlam and every winter we did our share of taking the kids to the local mountains.  Our particular one was Burnaby Mountain or sometimes, Cypress Bowl about a half  hours drive away.  I would pack up a thermos of hot wieners and a bag of buns, another thermos of hot chocolate and a smaller one of coffee.

The kids would tire themselves out sledding down and walking back up the hill, time after time.  Dave and I would always amuse them by managing or fall off the sleds or end up in a heap of snow, head first.

One year we got a couple of  truck inner tubes which travelled at tremendous speed down the hill and over the berm of snow that was piled up at the bottom.  It was supposed to slow the sled down but acted as a ski jump for the inner tubes, causing groans of pain from the riders, who then promptly set off for the next ride down.

After a couple of hours the exhausted foursome ate the hotdogs with enthusiasm then back to the hill for more fun.  By three pm the sun was going behind the hill and it was time to head home.  Piles of wet mittens, socks and coats would go into the back of the big station wagon and the girls would snuggle under the blankets with home made chocolate chip cookies and the last of the hot chocolate.

Total cost of this day out would be the cost of the lunch, which we would have needed at home anyway.  Benefit from the day out, happy kids, happy parents and everyone tired and ready to settle down with books after supper.

None of our outings with our girls cost us money as we had none to spend but our kids got the benefit of seeing all our local mountains, lakes, hiking trails in fact, anything that was free.  Round the lower mainland, as around here, there are so many things to take advantage of if you just look.

During or first years in Canada we learned of all the free, or very cheap, things to do.  In the school holidays we would drive to the ferry terminals, park the car, and go as foot passengers to the various Gulf Islands.  The cost was less than $20 for the whole family.  We always took swim suits and a picnic and had fantastic times exploring.  The ferry ride itself was always a thrill for the girls as we could let them roam the decks unaccompanied.

Another time I took them all on the bus to Vancouver, with transfers, we were able to go to on the Sea Bus to North Vancouver, explore the waterfront there and have our picnic.  If the girls had money to spend we would visit the market.  We could also take another bus on the same transfer, and ride to Horseshoe Bay, which we sometimes did and bought fish and chips to eat on the beach, a real treat from the usual home made picnic.  An entire day out for the cost of a bus ride and enjoyed by all.

We took our girls away from the sea wall, and instead, walked the trails in Stanley Park.  Once you get on those trails it is so quiet that the birds will actually come and eat right out of your hand.  He dogs can explore the undergrowth of the rain forest and there is so much to be seen amongst the fallen trees and moss.  Nature abounds, and all sorts of little creatures venture out if you are still.

My daughters all grew up with a love of the outdoors and have shared that with their own children.  It is free and God’s handiwork is everywhere you look, a wonderful thing to expose young people to.