Four Seasons Journey Through Our Yard – Part II

May 1, 2015 / Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Two Weeks Later – What a Difference!

Not too much change is noticeable here except for the greening of the little bush on the left. The tulips in front of the house are gradually replacing the daffodils.

On the wild hazelnut and maple trees the tender light-green foliage – two weeks ago barely visible – is becoming dense and is preparing to provide shade for the summer.

The cherry tree behind the shed is beginning to show off its white flowery dress, while the plowed garden plot in the background is still waiting to be planted. Frost is still a menace at the beginning of May.

In our mini orchard the filbert bush is no longer bare, while the apple and pear trees seem to say, ‘Just wait ten more days and we will put our splendid aromatic blossoms on display.’

Only sharp eyes will detect the rich colors of the tulips. But the plum tree, which produces the biggest, roundest, and juiciest fruits in the fall, clearly marks the difference of two weeks with its blossoms.

Hiking in the Spring – Part I

April 26, 2015May 1, 2015 / Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Taite Creek Trail

Today I start with a recreational theme on hiking. There are many wonderful hiking trails in and around Fauquier that are waiting to be discovered. Also there is no better time to explore the awakening of spring than by a walk through the woods along the rushing waters of a creek. Even if one was blind and could not see the beauty, the fresh aromatic air swirling about one’s face and the melt waters thundering at a distance would be enough to make you feel in tune with Mother Nature.

View onto the Lake at Taite Creek Campground

This afternoon after a heavy rain during the night the sun was shining brightly. So Biene (Gertrud) and I felt like driving down on Applegrove Road to our favorite spot at Taite Creek. We were lucky. We had the lake, the beach, and the campground all to ourselves. After our customary game of boccia and some home-made cake and coffee, which I brewed on our camp stove, I went for a hike, while Biene enjoyed the peace and quiet in the warm sun to do some knitting.

A Tree half uprooted by a Storm forms a beautiful Arch

More than ten years ago a sports-minded father created with axe and chainsaw a challenging dirt bike trail for his teenage son. We discovered it by chance and since it had been abandoned by father and son it turned out to be one of our favorite hiking trails.

Last Look at the Lake before Turning Left

For the first 500 m it runs parallel to the lake until it reaches the mouth of Taite Creek. Then turning left it follows the creek for about one km before it moves away into dense forest. Old overgrown logging roads crisscross the area creating a veritable maze where you could get easily lost. Luckily the boy’s father had carefully marked the path by tying yellow ribbons onto tree branches. Near the end the trail changes direction and crosses an old growth forest area, where in the fall I find some of the choicest mushrooms for our dinner table.

Wild Wilderness at its Best

Everything except for the trail is wild around here. This is perfect wilderness and nature at its best. One must often climb over a tree trunk that a violent storm had blown over across the path. Canada geese nest near the lake. The air is filled with the high-pitched voices of the osprey. And if you are lucky, you might see the king among the birds of prey, the bald eagle, soaring high above in the sky.

Trees Stretching to the Light

The trail ends at the bridge on Applegrove Road. If you are ambitious and don’t want to return to camp by the same route, you can extend your beautiful walk a little by turning it into a full circle tour. From the bridge you walk a few hundred meters in the direction of Fauquier, until you see the campground access road, which will lead you back where you started. There will be more posts on hiking trails in the near future on this blog.

Biene’s Studio and Art Gallery

April 20, 2015 / Peter Klopp / 1 Comment

Last week we took a walk through our yard, which ended with a view on Biene’s cabin and studio. Today we take a look inside. The pictures with their titles are self-explanatory. Some day Biene will present her pictures and rock paintings individually at her blog bieneklopp.com.

Biene’s Studio in our Backyard

Look Inside Through the Front Door

Biene’s Work Area

Gallery and Sleeping Area

Stained Glass Window

Gallery and Reading Area

Some Samples of Biene’s Art Work

Mini Kitchen and Room for Plants

Looking at our Yard in the Mirror of the Four Seasons

April 16, 2015 / Peter Klopp / Leave a comment

A Walk through our Yard – Early Spring

When our family moved to Fauquier in 1976, the only house available was a two-bedroom bungalow with an ugly lean-to serving as storage area. It looked more like a summer cottage than a house having only a total living area of about 100 sq m. The yard is huge by comparison with a length of 100 m and a width of about 30 m. The back half of the lot was completely undeveloped. Wild Russian poplars and the odd cottonwood covered the mostly swampy land.

It was obvious that the house would not be large enough to accommodate our family of seven at the time of our move from Alberta. My father-in-law had to have his own bedroom during his visit in Canada. The four boys took the other bedroom and slept in bunk beds. Biene and I slept in the tiny living room on a couch that we converted into a bed for the night. In the spring of the following year we added a double wide mobile home to the house with a breezeway connecting the two units. From one moment to the next we had two bathrooms, two living rooms, and even two separate kitchens. Year after year, as our limited financial resources would permit, we made improvements to house and property, which included a sundeck, a sun room with pantry, a new roof over both houses, and a large garden. I planted two apple trees, two pear trees and several plum trees after clearing the land. But the best and most precious thing for Biene was to have her dream fulfilled. She finally has her own studio, which our son Robert built for her in 2009. This is the place, where she can be away from the distractions caused by phone, computer, TV and the constant reminder of things that need to be done. Here in the quiet surrounding of her studio she lets her creativity inspire her to paint or draw animals, flowers and portraits. Biene will one day showcase on her own blog bieneklopp.com some of her work by setting up a virtual gallery.

Now let us begin our early spring walk through this beautiful place on the hill overlooking the Arrow Lake.

Our House at 518 Willow Street

The Main Entrance with Bench and Table for our Afternoon Coffee

View of Front Yard, Garden, and Studio at the very Back

Wild Violets Spreading all over the Lawn in Early Spring

View of the Garden waiting to be Planted

The Greenhouse I built for Biene from Scrap Materials

Gooseberry, Black and Red Currants, Black Berries and Strawberry Plants

Our Mini Orchard with a Hazelnut Trees in the Foreground

Biene’s Retreat – The Studio

Low Lake Level Reveals a Thriving Forest Industry of the Past

April 13, 2015 / Peter Klopp / Leave a comment

Log Ramp and Tree Stumps

The water level of the Arrow Lakes is always at its lowest at spring time to make room for the run-offs later in May and June. That is when the snow in the mountains begins to melt. If the season is accompanied by very warm weather and heavy long-lasting rains, then we can expect the rivers and creeks to turn into raging torrents causing wide-spread destruction. Before the lake was dammed up in 1967 and large tracts of fertile agricultural land were flooded, Fauquier’s prosperity relied primarily on the forest industry. It provided work and income for the local residents. In the 1940’s the area around the two branches of Pin Creek and Taite Creek formed the basis for a large logging operation employing many people. The loggers often lived in camps, as the distance was too large for the daily round trip to and from home. The cheapest way to ship the logs to the log mills was to haul them down to the lake, where they would roll down the log ramps into the water. Tug boats would then pull the log booms down to Castlegar for processing. This year the lake level was much lower than normal due to maintenance and repair of marinas, boat docks and other recreational facilities along the lake shore.

Today I went for a walk along the beach and took some pictures of one of the log ramps that is usually submerged as a result of the building of the Keenleyside Dam some 30 km south of Fauquier. The ramp and the tree stumps are now a relic of the past and stand in stark contrast of the natural beauty of the surrounding mountains, scenery and the beaches of the Arrow Lakes.