Driftwood Sculptures

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 18 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Rain, Rain, and More Rain

Cold and rainy weather has plagued our region for the past four weeks. Last week, still recovering from major surgery, I ventured out to look at the low water level of Arrow Lake. BC Hydro expects massive water pouring in from the spring run-offs. So it drained the reservoir down to the lowest allowable level. Many of the tree roots of the flooded orchards are visible. They serve as skeletal monuments against the devastating flooding of the valley more than half a century ago. Using the dark clouds, I attempted with some post-editing to create a sombre atmosphere that underscores the dark mood that the roots spread over the eerie landscape. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 45 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

A Grey November Day

It is hard to imagine that some people could like a grey November day. But pampered by so much sunshine for so many days in a row, my wife and I felt very adventurous and decided to go for walk along the shore of our beloved Arrow Lake. Walking through the woods, we found some mushrooms posing to be photographed. At the shore we discovered more of nature’s art work, a head sculpture in the water, interesting driftwood shapes, and tall golden grasses. Even when totally clouded over, our lake, valley and mountains look beautiful. Enjoy.

Here is a funny puzzle that recently emerged from my childhood memories. My mother who had never learned Latin in school asked me one day for a translation of the following phrase by an obscure Roman writer. Di currentum serum. If you have a solid background in the German language, you will be able to crack this nutty puzzle.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 25 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

Of Driftwood, Roots and Landscape Impressions

Last week I indulged in capturing a hover-fly feasting on the pollen of a daisy. On that same canoe trip, I could not resist taking photos of a driftwood sculpture and a beautifully shaped root formation laid bare by the constantly rising and falling lake level. Also the first rose hips have made their appearance, a sure sign that the fall season is upon us. Enjoy.

The sculpture would make a scary ghost on Halloween Night.
This was once a mighty tree before the flooding of the lake more than 50 yers ago.
Even on a dreary day the landscape exudes tranquillity and peacefulness.
Nothing here to disturb the peace.
The rose hips of the Alberta wild rose have made their first appearance.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 33 Comments

Nature – The Greatest Artist

Let your eyes roam over a beautiful landscape and you will discover nature’s artwork in a stunning mountain scenery, in a cascading waterfall, in the undulating waves of the ocean, or in the small world of flowers and insects visiting them. Today, my focus is on the driftwood sculptures shaped by the natural forces like wind, sun and frost. These photos were all taken on a recent excursion to ‘our’ island. Enjoy.

Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lakes

/ Peter Klopp / 26 Comments

Wednesday’s Photos

First Sunny Weekend in 2020

On the first Sunday in February, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the first sunshiny weekend of the year. The road down to our favourite campsite was so buried in deep snow that we had to park our car on the main road. Fortunately, the partially melted snow cover had frozen so hard that we could easily walk down to the beach without any trouble. The sun felt warm in spite of the subzero temperature. It was an invigorating hike, and the photos, which I took home and I have chosen for today’s post,  were an additional bonus. Enjoy.

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Natural Splendour of the Arrow Lake

/ Peter Klopp / 36 Comments

Of Nature’s Artistry and Man’s ‘Inukshuk’ at the Lakeshore

Driftwood sculptures abound along the shorelines of the Arrow Lake. While canoeing on the lake south of Fauquier, I discovered some more, which I would like to share with you. There are also man-made structures that campsite visitors have set up following their artistic urges. Viewing them, I felt inspired to build an ‘inukshuk’ myself. Strictly speaking, these stone structures are not inukshuks. The latter have their origin in the monuments of the Inuit people in the Canadian Arctic. Among the stones, I found one that appeared to have a smiling face and in a precarious balancing act, I managed to put it on top of two other bigger stones. Enjoy.

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