'Touch Wood' is an apropos business name right now

Dear Touch Wood friends and followers,

I want to update you on our wildfire situation here in the Cariboo and throughout the BC interior. We have been getting emails from our Touch Wood friends asking if we are safe and we thank you all so much for your concern!! You are like family to us and this month has been a challenging one so far.

We are working with a few lovely people this month on new commissions but are keeping our workshop and office work to a minimum while we prepare for what might be a life changing event.


Saturday afternoon. Smoke from the Hanceville fire to our south west...

The city of Williams Lake and some surrounding communities are fully evacuated as of Saturday afternoon and we are so sorry for all our friends and neighbours who have had to leave their homes to uncertainty and fear. Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected; the evacuees, the firefighters, the people who have already lost homes and livelihoods, not to mention the devastation to the land, the birds and the wildlife.

We've been on evacuation order out here for a full week now but have chosen to stay because we have a very good likelihood of being able to protect our home, our property and our business. And it's not our first rodeo. We didn't evacuate during the 2010 wildfires either and those fires came as close as two km.

'Safety first' has always been our motto!! I think we're in better shape off grid than most people in neighbouring communities; where power is off and services have ground to a halt. We have our own solar power system, backup generator and fuel, satellite internet, good well water, and a cold room fairly well stocked with supplies. We have propane for hot meals until we can use our wood stove again :) A good size creek runs through our place which is a real blessing. And while this is a scary situation, wildfires kind of come with the territory. We will stay till we can’t and we are optimistic we can weather this storm.


Sunday early evening July 16th

For all three of us and the wee pup, the stress is a challenge. It's a good test of our sense of humour, our patience and gentleness with each other ~ our ability to think clearly and to prioritize. We have done and are doing everything we can to preserve this beautiful little corner of the Chilcotin. After a week of a crazy amount of work we are feeling quite safe. There are still things we are doing to make ourselves safer but for the most part it's back to normal for us now ... aside from being prepared to run if need be. We're keeping the hummingbird feeders filled (at least until the sugar runs out), staying vigilant, knowing our escape routes and counting our blessings.

You are welcome to follow our public posts on my personal Facebook page. David has been doing an awesome job of recording and sharing our fire protection efforts at the end of each day. https://www.facebook.com/nkwala.jean

And as always, thanks for dropping by! Our love to you and your families! Stay safe and take care of each other. We'll do the same.

Touch Wood :) 

The dairy cow shelter built by Jenny Barlow

If you've been with us through a season or two, you've likely seen a few photos of this little log cabin. It's one of my favourite scenes to photograph; covered in snow or surrounded by willows and wild roses.
Yesterday, a friend asked me for the story behind the cabin so I thought I'd share it here as well.   The couple we bought these 48 acres from called it "Jeannie Meadow."

This wee cabin of hand hewn logs was built by Jenny Warde; a Cariboo pioneer. She ranched and trapped on this property and built the shelter (I think in the 40`s) to house her dairy cow and her chickens on cold nights. The building had no roof when David and I arrived and was almost crumbled beyond recognition. We took it upon ourselves to save this last remnant of pioneer history. We carefully numbered and dismantled the logs, chose a place of distinction at the entrance to our place, put the shelter back together and created a new roof with handmade shakes.

Jenny was born at Meldrum Creek about 1909. In 1981, the local Tribune newspaper interviewed Jenny and wrote a lengthy article about her life. As Jenny tells it, she always loved to be `way back in the woods`.   She was 7 when she started trapping with her older brothers. Until she was 16, she attended school during the days and tended the trap lines after school. She had 10 siblings, quit school after grade 8 and went to work to help support the family. Jenny married Doug Barlow when she was 23. They had 3 sons; Norman, Dean and Bud (Bud and his wife Jeannie are our closest neighbours and good friends). Doug Barlow died alone of a heart attack when he was out on their trap line. Jenny says it took them 8 days to find him.

Jenny worked with Eric Collier as a hunting guide for a few years. He`s the fellow who wrote Three Against the Wilderness. Collier used to say of Warde that she was `108 pounds of dynamite, and could shoot the eye out of a squirrel at 150 paces.
Jenny is legend in this neck of the woods.
We are humbled and honoured to have this little cabin in memory of her pioneering spirit and as a tribute to the work of her hands.

Waning Winter and Wooden Rings

Winter appears to be waning on the meadow. We've had a run of Chinook like weather for the last little while.  It's the 20th of February and it's 5 days early for us to be seeing our first harbinger of Spring but we have, just this morning ... and here he is.  David got some lovely pics of our first Red Winged Blackbird of the season.

Renowned photographer and naturalist Chris Harris notes that "In the Cariboo Chilcotin Coast region of BC, spring typically comes during the month of March. It can arrive late some years in this part of the province, but when you’re outdoors in March, it’s time to start keeping your eyes open and ears perked. It’s a wonderful day when you see your first robin or hear that early first call of a Red-winged Blackbird. Then you know that spring is officially here!"

My post on our Homestone blog last year notes that our first Blackbird arrival was the 25th of February and on that day we also noted the arrival a flock of snow buntings and two robins!

Here are a few photos from my walkabout yesterday morning. It was a lovely start to the day with a touch of frost on the trees and willows.

Today David is busy building rings for some lovely people.  The sun is shining down on us and I must, once I get this post written, get back to answering emails from more lovely people.  We are so touched by what folks write to us.

David made a ring for Bob in January.  

Bob writes: "The ring is exquisite! A perfect fit, the coloring I was hoping for (And as a woodworker myself, believe me, I know how impossible it can sometimes be to select for final color…), and a beautiful swirling grain around the knot. It is… Perfect!   

I had looked at other sites, seen photos of other rings… But I kept coming back to Touch Wood - and I’m glad I did. David’s rings just looked more natural and artistic. And, especially when we started corresponding about the ring, I knew I’d made the right choice. Thank David for fashioning my beautiful ring for me, and thank you both for being such great people to work with!" 

 Spring is springing, the birds are singing and all's right with the world.  Thanks so much for stopping by and ... drop us a note sometime.  We love to hear from you.