Wednesday’s Photos
Exploring the Island across the Lake
In the late 60’s BC Hydro flooded the valley after building a dam to provide some control over the fluctuating water levels of the Columbia River. The stretch between Galena Bay in the north and the town of Castlegar in the south is known as the Upper and Lower Arrow Lakes. But BC Hydro’s main purpose was to generate electricity. Thousands of people were forced to leave their land along the lake shore. The island, which my wife and I canoed to, was once connected to the land on the opposite side of the Columbia River. Before the dam was built, the island was rich farm land with an orchard and a farm on it. As you can see, two weeks ago the forests nearby were still burning with a lot of smoke in the air. We are grateful for the rain, the end of the wildfire and the clean air we can breathe again. Enjoy the photos.

The Fauquier – Needles Ferry

Looking East where the Fires were Burning

Driftwood Sculptures on the Island

Driftwood Arch

A Sprinkling of Red from the Rose Hips

View through the Trees onto the Lake

Nature’s Sculptures Everywhere
I love the driftwood (photos). And the picture looking east, even if that shows the effects of the fire, but it has such great pastell colours.
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There is one positive aspect about wildfires. The smoke in the air is perfect for great photos. I guess it is because the light is scattered, which reduces the harshness of the midday sun.
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They certainly make for a wonderfully soft light. And some of those are even positive for nature.
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This is the kind of light which also makes excellent portraits. Thank you, Pit!
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🙂
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Looks like a pretty nice fall canoe paddle location. Thanks for sharing.
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Yes indeed, it was a beautiful ride across the lake in spite of the smoke in the air.
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Beautiful, Peter! If the photo looking east was a sunset, one would find it amazing, knowing that the colours are from fires, dampens the spirit a bit. I am glad to here that the fires are out now. Fires are such a terrible threat for people and wildlife.
I remember you writing that the area burning was “only” the size of Denmark. I can’t start to fathom how vast Canada is, if that is an “only”. I can read the figures on Wikipedia, but that is very abstract. Denmark is just a tiny speck on the map …
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Canada with its huge geographical proportions ranks second right after Russia. I has hard to explore all the amazing sites of just one province. Best wishes! Peter
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I would so like to see Canada! We have already started to play the lottery … 😉
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When you are doing your planning, think small. The distances can be overwhelming. Choose a region and then focus on the wonders of nature you may find there.
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Not like the people, who “do” Europe in two weeks? 😉
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I remember some German tourists who were bragging of their thousand-km trip to the Great Slave Lake. It was in the middle of May. It was unusually hot and the car trip though the endless boreal forest was very boring. When they finally arrived, the lake was still completely frozen over. Aber, so sagten sie ganz stolz, “Wir waren am Grossen Sklavensee”. That’s how some are ‘doing’ Canada.
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Would you recommend a trip with the Rocky Mountaineer? The scenery looks spectacular … but the train seems to be very posh and five star hotels for the overnight stays etc. I am not sure, if that is really me.
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It would not be fair if I recommended the Rocky Mountaineer without any experience with it on my part. I heard it is a bit pricy, but if you can afford a return trip to Jasper from Vancouver, then you will experience two wonderful worlds: the Rocky Mountains and Vancouver, one of the great Canadian cities wedged between the ocean and the coastal mountains. Best wishes! Peter
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At the moment we are only dreaming ….
My husband would like to trace his steps from his childhood in Toronto, so we will need a lot of time and money …
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Interesting! Your husband then has some important roots in Canada. No wonder the great interest!
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I think he was four or five when they emigrated from Denmark. They lived first in Three Rivers and then moved. He started school in Toronto. But they went back to Denmark five years later.
I was already as a child interested in Canada and North America. I read all the adventure stories of Karl May und Lederstrumpf und was es da nicht noch alles gab und Geschichten über Alaska.
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Ja, der gute alte Karl May, der war für all unser Fernweh verantwortlich. Viele Grüße auch an deinen Hubby!
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Oh, and why the Great Slave Lake, is that a very special lake? The Arrow Lake looks very beautiful to me … 😉
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Wonderful photos! The smoke certainly makes for dramatic photographs—but otherwise, it is very sad and scary. You really have a great eye, Peter. Your photographs are truly works of art.
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Thank you, Amy! Your words of appreciation mean a lot to me.
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I agree, this is a wonderful album. The second shot, with its wavy patterns and bronze tones, could be a silkscreen print. And I like the way you framed a shot with the driftwood. Hurrah for nice fresh air and an end to the fires, too.
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Thank you for your compliment, Robert! The second picture of the lake and the mountains is also my favourite photo from our canoe trip!
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Eine herrliche Seenlandschaft und sehr schöne Fotos. Vielen Dank
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Ich danke auch, Labby!
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Such beautiful photos Peter! So glad the rain came and stopped the fires!
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Barely two weeks of rain, the smoke is gone, the wildfires are out, and already people start complaining about the wet weather. Haha! Thanks for the kind comment, Jodi!
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Beautiful images Peter – what a gorgeous place
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Thanks for the compliment, Leanne!
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Beautiful photos, Peter!
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Thank you!
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Grandiose Bilder zeigst du uns, danke Peter!
Herzliche Grüße, Ulli
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Vielen Dank, Ulli!
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Such a perfect place for camping. Can you still find fruit trees in the vicinity?
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Yes, we found several apple trees. A great place to camp in the summer indeed!
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Wow 😃
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Such a picturesque place! And again your pictures are so beautiful, really wonderful Peter:)
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Thank you, Rashmi, your compliment is very much appreciated.
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From “Looking East where the Fires were Burning” on magnificient pics, dear Peter!
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Thanks to the smoke in the air. Haha!
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so great…. …what a stunning landscape. I like that photo of the ‘burning fires’… …excellent capture. The water in that image is so tangible.
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Markus, I really like the way you focus on the details of my photos. It shows your genuine interest in photography. Thank you!
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It’s a pleasure, Peter. Thank you.
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Stunning photos, Peter! And I’m so glad for you that rain has finally come!
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Thank you, Peter, for your wonderful photos and it was interesting to hear the story behind the place as well. Your photos of the driftwood were magnificent, really showing off their natural beauty.
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