Kootenays

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 32 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Tall Grasses, Wildflowers and a Bumblebee

Whether you believe it or not after a very wet spring the grasses along the edge of the Fauquier Golf Course grew up to two metres tall. Since I prefer the landscape format in photography there was no way that I was able to capture their full height. But I was generally very pleased with the results, especially with the setting sun shining through the luscious stalks. The bumblebee feasting on a wildflower – I am sure my blogging friend Steve would know its name – was the icing on the cake. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 31 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Near and At the Hart Creek

The Hart Creek provides almost all of Fauquier with fresh mountain water. It originates in the Valkyr Range southeast of our community of some 200 people. Many of the mountains tower over a vast area with a respectable altitude of over 8000 ft. In my younger years, I would take my boys up to Mt. McBride, where after a six-hour strenuous hike we could relax and enjoy the fantastic view. Sometimes, we would even set up camp and stay a day or two in the alpine meadows above the tree line. Today I present to you five photos near the mouth of the creek from a recent evening walk with my wife. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 32 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

The Miraculous Alberta Rose

On a recent walk down to the Arrow Lake and our local Heart Creek we encountered so many wild roses that I decided to devote an entire post to the Alberta rose, which is also native to much of the BC landscape. As an emblem, it represents our neighbouring province to the east. It is extremely hardy as far as roses go. It can easily take -40 degrees weather and raging blizzards, which are quite frequent in that corner of the world. It must feel like being in heaven here in our relatively mild Pacific climate. So here are five pictures of our recent evening walk. Enjoy.

My wife viewed through a frame of roses with the golf course in the background.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 30 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Wondrous Sights on the Way to Nakusp

Last Tuesday I drove to Nakusp to do our weekly grocery shopping. It was a wonderful late spring day wildflowers blooming everywhere. I had to stop at a creek which was cascading down the mountain into the Arrow Lake. At a boat launch near Burton I captured a beautiful lakeside scene. You may remember a similar shot I took last year. At the Burton bridge, I spotted a lone duck happily cruising through the reeds. There I also captured the lake view with its dramatic cloud formation and the daisies creating a pleasant foreground. And then there were the lupines that adorn the highway on each side this time of the year from Fauquier all the way to Nakusp. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 28 Comments

Wednesdays Photos in a Video

Father’s Day Delight

On Father’s Day my wife and I initiated the beginning of summer with a canoe ride across the Arrow Lake. The weather was perfect and the wind was calm, ideal to cross the lake for the first time in 2020. To make sure we would use the least amount of time, we followed the path of the cable ferry, which was busy with Father’s Day traffic on its half-hour journey back and forth from Fauquier to Needles. To our surprise, the water was warm enough to get in a quick swim. Alas, we had left our swim wear at home. Enjoy the scenery.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 22 Comments

Wednesday’s Video

After the Rain

Today I am going to walk you through our yard and garden. You can describe the property as still being in the semi-wild state not typically found on the manicured lawns of city dwellers. After a brief look at our backyard, we enter the garden, which I have downsized by using only raised garden beds, a more age-appropriate gardening method for one approaching the octogenarian stage in life. Then we follow the rapid climb of our youngest son’s hops plants. It reached the present height in less three weeks holding the absolute growth record of all our plants. After looking at the blooming blackberry bushes, we are making a tour around my wife’s art studio with an apple, plum and pear orchard and fire pit area surrounding it. I also would like you to see the rose that finally made its appearance, coming in last after the magnolia, azalea and lilac flowers. Enjoy.