Yesterday, Biene and I visited the waterfalls at the mouth of the Whatshan River. It was a hot day with a sizzling 32 degrees C. We stopped at our ‘island’ as we have often done in past summers and went for a swim in the crystal-clear and refreshing water between the rocky shoreline and the island. Then we paddled to the waterfalls, taking several pictures of the waterfall. Here is one that I like very much. Enjoy.
Gone is the dense toxic smoke, gone is the blood-red sun and gone is the feeling of tense anxiety about the imminent danger of the wildfires all around us. The joy of being free from the oppressive atmosphere that dominated our lives during the past two months let our spirits rise in jubilation. Prompted by the fortuitous turn of events, my wife and I decided to go on a hike on a rarely used trail past the Needles cemetery that led us straight to the Whatshan waterfalls. Here is a brief virtual tour to one of the oases of peace in our region. Enjoy.
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!
This is canoeing time. At our age especially when it is very hot we prefer our electric motor over the paddles. It also allows us to shoot images with greater precision concentrating on the beauties of nature all around us. At the Fauquier boat dock, we have the gulls relaxing on the log booms, one of our favourite themes. Past the island we visited last time, we navigated into the mouth of the Whatshan river. We needed to be careful, as the river banks are quite steep and there was no place to safely pull the canoe ashore. Lush vegetation greeted us, where ample moisture promoted plenty of growth. Surrounded by a carpet of daisies, a solitary mullein flower (Königskerze in German) attracted our attention. Finally, we arrived at the waterfall cascading into the bay of the Arrow Lake. The picture of the butterfly is a bonus taken in our garden. Enjoy.
The Peter and Gertrud Klopp Family 