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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 30 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Green is the Colour of Hope

As we are rapidly approaching Christmas, I would like to share a few photos with you where green and red are the dominant colours. Nature is at rest, all the flowers have disappeared from our fields, the bright and cheerful leaves have fallen to the ground, and here in our Northern climes, we are now looking at a bare landscape. Yet all our conifer trees except for the larches keep their verdant attire. For me, they are the symbol of hope in an over-commercialized world where nature is being exploited and trees are primarily viewed as material wealth. Old tradition has always kept nature in high esteem. Coming originally from Germany, I brought some of the Christmas customs to Canada that are not very well known here. One of them is the Advent wreath with its four candles symbolizing the four Sundays before Christmas. And a sprinkle of red provided by the rose hips goes well together with the green. This will be my last post in 2020. I will resume my blogging activity in the New Year. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 28 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Canada Geese on the Fauquier Golf Course

As a direct consequence of global warming, the Canada geese that used to fly south to escape our harsh winters prefer to stay in the Arrow Lakes region. On the Fauquier golf course, they find lots of green grass, even though they may have to dig it up from under the snow. Recently, I observed snow geese which had joined the flocks of Canada geese. They seemed to get along quite well with their cousins. I created a very brief video documenting this rather rare event. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 26 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Woodpecker’s Delight

Recently I observed a woodpecker preoccupied with drilling holes into the old tree stump that has served as a stand for our wash basket. It did not notice me with my movie camera. So I managed to get as close as five metres away from this colourful bird. The result is this short video. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 20 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Our Hike to the Real Waterfalls

In the past few weeks, my wife and I crossed the Arrow Lake and the Needles Ferry Path a number of times. I proudly announced that we travelled up the Whatshan River to the waterfalls. When I recognized that I had made a mistake and heard that the waterfalls were far more inland, I invited my wife to go exploring. Attempting to climb the steep embankment almost turned into a disaster. Biene struggled very hard on all fours to inch her way up to the top from which I could only shout words of encouragement. When she finally stood on safe and stable ground, she was very happy that she did not give up. We were both rewarded with a splendid view and hike to the elusive waterfalls, which is the content of the video below. Enjoy!

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 36 Comments

Rescued Beetle on a Lettuce Leaf

A beautiful beetle was drowning in a sprinkling can. I filled up the can, so the beetle was able to crawl out. It was so exhausted from floating in the water for such a long time that it lay still on the top giving me time to study that poor little thing. I quickly got my movie camera and placed the beetle on a lettuce leaf. By now it had become active and was looking for a way to get off the lettuce leaf. Much later when I was editing the video clip, I discovered that apart from almost having drowned in the sprinkling can, the beetle also suffered from an invasion of lice that were roaming all over him. I wanted to help it get rid of these little pests but when I returned the next day to the garden the beetle was gone.

Does anyone know the name of this beetle?

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 36 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Canoe Trip To ‘Our’ Island

Across the Lake from Fauquier BC lies an island that used to be connected with the west side of the land south of the Needles ferry terminal. In the late 1960s BC Hydro built a dam near the American border to regulate the lake level and of course to generate power. As a result of this action many small communities were flooded and people were forced off their land. This is how this tiny island was created. I call this abandoned former farmstead our island, because very few people go there and we like to spend some time there all alone, explore its ancient apple orchards, relax and go swimming in the crystal-clear and refreshing waters in the heat of the summer. Recently I recorded such a canoe trip to this amazing little island on my movie camera. Enjoy.