Canada Forces Base Wainwright

 Saturday, Oct. 17

There was a horrible fire during a training exercise at Canada Forces Base Wainwright, Alberta's military centre. I wanted to track it.

Four soldiers are dead, 39 were injured by this fast-spreading fire. Not to belabour it, but to celebrate the heroes. The victims are in our hearts. The fire was spread by a fast wind, on a grenade launch site. Firefighters had issues getting close to it. After a few days, 36 remained in hospital, and as of Friday, Oct. 23rd, 27 are still in hospital. Others have been released.

Canada has 46 burn patient beds, as the graphic shows. The provinces (B.C., Ontario, and Saskatchwan) are helping Alberta. US Ambassador Hoekstra, after dissing us for weeks, and a week after the incident, has offered help from the US. A day late and a dollar short!

Ontario has sent a couple dozen specialized burn nurses from Toronto's Sunnybrook Hospital, with a robust burn unit. It can take 2 hours to change bandages for patients, and nurses are working hard. 

After the fire, air ambulance helicopters took victims to Edmonton,  and Calgary, to get treatment. 

Hamilton has an excellent burn centre, as well. 

This is a device that is like a printer that makes fake skin for burn victims.

Wainwright Airport, near the fire spread in that dark image in the centre of the photo, between the airport and the green water of Jamieson Lake. Saskatchewan sent emergency vehicles, the distances are amazing, and they were so efficient. 

Thank goodness for those who run towards danger and do their part.

Saturday's Critters

 The bird feeders are up! In a rare moment of interspecies cooperation, I noticed two morning doves and one blue jay all eating from the cracked corn tray feeder. The jay took off by the time I managed a photo, you'll have to believe me! 

I had an interesting trailcam capture! A Barred owl...

   

 We've a doe who is hanging about. Not much time left for nibbling leaves! They are falling...

 Butch favours the driveway... 

   

 Barry is still chopping trees down! 

   

 Oct. 17th I spotted a beautiful garter snake! Soon they will be in their hibernaculum and sleeping the winter away. 

 

Cinnamon likes Barry's fallen logs.

 

Saturday's Critters # 671 visit more critter's at Eileen's meme.

Toadstools and Barry!

 Another frost last night. Things are shutting down outside. I needed mittens to put the garbage out the other day.

Little baby toadstools, three of them!

 

I've been wearing my little red winter boots! They are cozy, as I amble through the beautiful forest.

Speaking of ambling through the forest... a coyote.

 

Barry Beaver on the move

 

 He chopped this Aspen sapling down, but didn't remove it. (Lower left corner↙ of the photo.) I thought I'd move it closer to the wetland. Maybe he forgot about it! Or maybe he was chopping up the rest of it for a winter cache. 

Helping Barry!

 

Being helpful, I put the fallen sapling on the hill, near where he is working on the oak tree. It is gone! Maybe it was in the way of his oak tree work! Ain't nature grand?!

Barry, in the summer

Off for a drive! Part 2

We went for a drive last week. Here is Part 1.

 These cottages are on a peninsula. 

This is a really interresting cottage.

We saw Mallards, geese, crows, and heron, but I have to rely on archival photos!

Shallow lakes attracts the birds.

Joe likes the tree canopy. 

Forest, trees, wetland

 The Aspen Grove, pretty much pruned by Barry Beaver and the July 1st windstorm!

With enough windfall, I can see across the wetland.

He is making progress on the oak tree...

Barry's new lodge, covered in mud for insulation:

This morning it is -2℃ and there is frost. Winter, bring it on...