Horsefly

Several years ago CBC had a radio show that mentioned Horsefly and Likely. I do not remember what the show was about, I just liked the names of those two towns and thought I should like to go to them.

Today I drove to Horsefly, apparently so named because of the pesky horseflies that greeted the miners back in 1859. The Horsefly River was the site of the largest gold strike in the Cariboo. 

Today there isn't much there:  a general store, a community hall, a pub, a school, but there is the river and Horsefly Lake which attract tourists.  It is quiet there and very peaceful. 

I had dinner in Horsefly where I bought food from a roadside cart and ate sitting by the river at a picnic table with a local guy named Bob. Bob was born in Horsefly and plans to live all his days there. He said he was 40 but looked much older with his greying hair and missing teeth. Twice a day he eats a mushroom cheese burger from the local cart and laughed when I asked if he ever cooked. 

The food cart was operated by a woman originally from Trinidad/Tobago but had moved her family to Horsefly from Calgary to give her children a better life.

I enjoyed the drive today. It has been many years since I traveled this way and loved the landscape around Kamloops and north.

I am staying in a wonderful Bed and Breakfast in the country, just ouside of Williams Lake called Juniper Trails. There are three resident dogs and three guest rooms which are named after the dogs:  Molly's Rest, Chase's Place and The Duke's. I am staying in Chase's Place and here is a picture of Chase. 

It has been a long but very satisfying day. Tomorrow the first destination will be Likely, followed by Barkerville, where i was lucky enough to get a B&B right on the heritage site. 

Goodnight

p.s.  No horseflys or mosquitos in Horsefly.