Arrow Lakes, BC

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 15 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

The Joy of Raised Garden Beds

About a month ago, I took you on a tour around our yard where flowers played a dominant role and the garden was a little add-on section of my post. Today I present to you the raised garden beds which generated quite a bit of interest. As a retired school teacher, I enjoy the simplicity and reduced work load when growing our vegetables and strawberries in the raised beds. The boxes are very simple to construct from rough cedar boards. I used plastic sheets to cover the ground so I won’t have any problems with weeds. I got the black earth from a nearby garden centre. Bush beans, lettuce, carrots, and strawberries are our favourite fruits and vegetables. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 15 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Wildflowers at the Lookout

Last week I postponed the presentation of wildflowers that were blooming at our lookout south of Fauquier BC. Now that the summer has officially started and a major possibly long-lasting heat wave is upon us, I would like to share with you the images of the wildflowers I captured on June 10. I do not know the names of the flowers on pictures 2 and 5. Perhaps the two Steves who have an outstanding knowledge of wildflowers can help me with the identification. The first photo with the daisy also shows the Arrow Lake in the background giving a clear idea of how high the lookout is above the lake. I discovered the bee on the tigerlily only after processing the image. Enjoy.

Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 26 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Two Moose Having Breakfast

Last Sunday my wife and I went to our favourite outlook to capture a few wildflowers. We were very happy with the results and were eager to rush home to view and edit the photos for publication. On our way home, we drove by the nearby duck pond. To our great surprise, we spotted two moose leisurely munching away at the delicious leaves. It was unbelievable luck to see them so close and to have my movie camera with me as well. So I decided to publish the video instead and leave the wildflower photos for next Wednesday. Enjoy.

Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 15 Comments

Joyful Canoe Ride across the Lower Arrow Lake

My wife and I decided to cross the lake for a photo and video session. We launched our canoe conveniently equipped with an electric motor at the Fauquier boat dock. Our first destination was the mouth of the Whatshan River. It was very turbulent because of the recent heavy rainfalls and the meltwaters feeding the river. So we kept a safe distance. Then we circumnavigated ‘our’ tiny island that I have written about many times on this blog before. We landed at a sandy beach and watched the Needles ferry travelling between Fauquier and Needles. Coaxed by the hot sun, we spontaneously jumped into the lake for a quick refreshing swim. It is not an exercise for timid people. The lake, being part of the Columbia River, is cold even during the hottest part of the summer. I measured 14 degrees C (47 F). We felt great. What a pleasant way to live through the Covid-19 pandemic! Enjoy the video.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 21 Comments

Fresh New Look after the Rain

Last week my wife and I paid a return visit to one of our favourite outlooks overlooking the Lower Arrow Lake. After a long dry spell so early in the spring season, Nature was quite a bit behind. But now it had a new fresh look after a much needed rain. Apart from capturing the landscape in the clear air with the clouds forming a dramatic background, my focus was on the colourful flowers and bushes that attracted my attention. The pictures turned out to be so stunning and beautiful that I make no apologies for going over my limit of five photos per post. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 32 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Life Cycle of the Dandelion

My wife and I celebrated our 55th wedding anniversary all by ourselves. Covid was the culprit that forced us not to invite anybody for this festive occasion. So we took a walk at our local golf course with no particular plan for taking pictures. I was surprised to see the dandelion flower at all three stages: budding, flowering and ready to cast its seeds into the air. I know dandelions are not very popular with many people as they consider them weeds and judge them to be ugly in their yards when they go into seeds. Nevertheless, I found them fascinating and here they are. Enjoy.