Kootenays

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 35 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Thimbleberry Plants, Ferns and Wild Raspberry Bushes

The thimbleberry plants with their beautiful white flowers are blooming in great abundance right now at the Arrow Lake. Their fruit is almost inedible, as it has too many seeds and too little flavour. On one of their leaves I captured a fascinating bug taking a nap in the hot afternoon sun. Ferns are everywhere in the woods and their leaves forever impress me with their forms and shapes. In my search for new aspects of nature I also came across a wild raspberry patch, which attracted dozens of bumblebees. Ignoring the more attractive flowers of the ubiquitous thimbleberry, they zeroed in on the humble raspberry flower. They were too quick for me to catch them with my camera. Enjoy.

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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 24 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

May Impressions from the Kootenays

April showers bring May flowers. We all know the saying. I collected a few photos, which lend support for its general truth. But here at the Arrow Lake I must add the humming birds, which visit our area with the regularity of a clock at the time the trees are beginning to bud. A dramatic cloud formation is nicely rounding off this week’s photo presentation. Enjoy.

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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 22 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Late Apple Blossoms

Almost a month late the apple trees in the Arrow Lakes region are finally showing off their blossoms. They are especially plentiful and promise in contrast to last year an abundant crop. I love their delicate petals, which remind me of the fact that the apple trees are actually related to the rose family. I selected three photos for this post. Enjoy.

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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 16 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Nature’s Progress in Early May

What a difference altitude can make when looking for signs of spring’s progress! The first image was taking only half an hour’s drive from the ferry at Fauquier at an elevation of 1200m. The grass has not turned green yet and there was still snow on the ground. But a pair of geese had already taken possession of this beautiful lake in the mountains. Down in our valley I took picture of calm Taite Creek, which shows yet no sign of the annual spring run-off. Deep in the dark woods I also noticed that nature was quite a bit behind in its normal development. The lonely tree stump at least 50 years old is in a state of total decay giving evidence to Nature’s eternal law that one must give back to her what one has borrowed at the beginning of a life cycle. Looking up I noticed the ‘candles’ of the pine trees silhouetted against the blue sky. Their vigorous growth announces that spring in the forest is also on the march. Enjoy.

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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 20 Comments

Wednesday’s Photo

First of May Greetings

Today I am posting only one photo. Nature is quite a bit behind in our neck of the woods in Western Canada. Normally the cherry trees would have already shown their blossoms and the plum trees would have put on their white dress. Last week I caught the late bloomer of a daffodil in the brilliant morning light. Truly a harbinger of spring! Enjoy.

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Canoeing on Easter Sunday

/ Peter Klopp / 27 Comments

Intermission

Before I delve into the next blog series about my Aunt Anna (the eighth child of Friedrich and Emma Klopp), I would like to share a short video which I filmed on Easter Sunday. My wife and I decided to go to our beloved Taite Creek Campground and venture out for a canoe ride on the blue waters of the Arrow Lake. While my nature-loving wife was paddling,  still young at heart she was happily singing a German boating song. Enjoy.