There is some important news to highlight in Halfmoon Bay today:
The Sargeant Bay Society is excited to announce that a new fish ladder and viewing platform is being installed at Sargeant Bay Provincial Park, with construction starting Aug. 6.
The fish ladder has been engineered to allow salmon and smaller fish to enter more easily at lower tides. The new design also incorporates a “beaver deceiver,” which will allow water to flow into the ladder from a submerged pipe in Colvin Lake, enabling fish to pass, even when there is a beaver dam at the top of the ladder.
Please note the park will be closed to visitors for several days, starting Tuesday, Aug. 6. This will allow for removing the old fish ladder and the safe installation of the new fish ladder and viewing platform. If all goes to plan, the park will reopen by the end of the week.
A big thank you to Streamkeepers and Sargeant Bay Society for taking on this important project! The ladder was designed by Kirby Reitze and his team of Fisheries and Oceans Canada engineers in Nanaimo and fabricated by Key Mill Construction Ltd. in Ladysmith.
On Cedarwood Road this past Saturday, there was an impromptu street market hosted by the residents that sold homemade baking, lemonade and salmon burgers. This is such a cute community idea; let’s make this a thing, Halfmoon Bay! If you live on a street in Halfmoon Bay with some crafty folks, bakers, gardeners, etc., and want to host a street market of your own, message me, and I’ll help you get the word out. Eagle Drive Crew, if you’re reading this, I’m in!
On a personal note:
We’ve been lucky to have some heavy summer rain this last week. My garden looks hydrated, and it was nice to have a break from hand watering while my rain collection system was replenished!
However, it was not great for chicken mites in my coop—the moisture mixed with heat creates the perfect environment for these nearly microscopic bloodsuckers. And let me tell you, these parasites are what nightmares are made of. Even writing about them now makes my skin crawl—I can literally feel them in my hair and haven’t even been in contact with them yet.
This is by far one of the least glamorous things about raising chickens. The beautifully curated chicken and homesteading photos on social media fail to mention the hell that is dealing with mites.
Flashback to June 2021, when everyone was hiding from the 40-degree heat, I was inside my chicken coop, covered head to toe with a full face mask, suit, hair net and gloves, attempting the seemingly impossible task of terminating millions of mites from every nook, cranny, crevice and feather.
Well, that’s where I’m heading now while contemplating, “Is it really worth the eggs?” If you know, you know. Also, if you raise chickens and have experience dealing with mites, feel free to reach out, and we can exchange tips on how to deal with this insanity!
Happy weekend!
