Category Archives: Photography

Commentary, Photography

A Tamarack Forest in Autumn

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Yesterday, M and I went for a hike in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park. It had rained earlier in the day, but when we got started at about one pm, it was bright and sunny with that sharp clarity of fall light.

Inside a big yellow. Inside a big yellow.

We hadn’t hiked here before and found ourselves in the midst of a spectacularly yellow tamarack forest.

Tree Gold. Tree Gold.

This forest is recovering from a large, ravaging fire that occurred in 2003. It’s amazing to see some surviving giants, seriously scorched at their bases, but still growing.

The new, the old, and the survivors. The present, the past, and the survivors.

We climbed through the forest and up to a lookout over Lake Okanagan.

What a view! What a view!

We finished out the day with a drive along an old railway track. This afforded us some impressive views; we were stopping every 10 metres!

 

The city of Kelowna is in the distance. The city of Kelowna is in the distance.

The old railway tracks have been removed and the remaining trail is used for hiking, biking, or creeping along in a truck, as we did.

Forest that escaped the fire. Forest that escaped the fire.

M and I have experienced some additional life stuff lately and so a day like yesterday was truly fabulous!

I’ll be coming by to catch up with all of you. 🙂

Photography

Okanagan Spring

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Apparently, spring has been early, and I’ve been enjoying every minute of it, even when the temperature went up to 30C for a couple of days. It’s more seasonal now, but those warm days ensured that blooms are everywhere, that the hills are verdant, and that lushness prevails. The wine is growing! 🙂

It's green!
It’s green! (And blue!)
More green!
More green! (And blue!) The snow on those far hills has been gone for a couple of weeks now.
And yellow. These beautiful daisy-like wild- flowers are everywhere.
And yellow. These beautiful daisy-like wildflowers are everywhere.
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This very popular trail is on the site of an old railroad track. It’s a favourite walk of M’s and mine.
A final view ... for now.
A final view … for now.

🙂

How is your spring going?

Commentary, Photography

Iconic Vancouver Island Scenes

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The Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean at Otter Point

A trip to Vancouver Island wouldn’t be complete without a couple of shots of its iconic coastline. These enormous logs (above) washed up during the terrific surfs that can occur during winter storms. The logs themselves probably escaped from logging pens or “booms.”

The surf and the rain are doing their jobs.
The surf and the rain are doing their jobs on this old log.

The weather was a comfortable 10C with rain showers and a few sunny periods. The rain was a strong reminder of the fact that Vancouver Island is home to ancient “old growth” rain forest. First Nations peoples and many others have worked hard to save these forests from logging companies. Typically, the forests grow right up to the edge of the ocean.

An old stump imbedded in the gravel beach.
An old stump imbedded in the gravel beach.

This stump has likely been there for a long time; people have carved their names and initials into its deteriorating surface. I can’t help but wonder if this stump is what was left after the tree was cut down for lumber.

Another view of "this old log."
Another view of this beautiful remnant.

The tree itself must have been very old and very magnificient before it died and its remains were washed into the sea. I couldn’t count the rings because of the surf and also because of how worn it is, but I could see many of them, perhaps a hundred. It’s still magnificient, still standing up to the elements that will eventually take it completely.