Friday, August 30, 2024

Friday Favourites

 


The stars are always above us, swirling in the vast reaches of space, hidden by clouds or, more frequently, by light, that of the sun or of man-made light. We walked last night in a dark campground. The occasional light shone from a fire or lantern, but the darkness was deep. The Big Dipper looked ready to pour out its starlight, and straight above the Milky Way spread itself twinkling over our heads.  


We are exploring a bit of our own province with its varied landscapes. From coastal mountains into the interior plateau where dry grasses wave across the hills and scraggly pines line the horizon. 


In a small creek the Kokanee salmon are beginning to spawn, their bodies turning bright red as they struggle upstream to their birthplace  Kokanee are a type of freshwater salmon living in lakes rather than in the ocean  


Okanagan Lake stretches for 135 kilometres. It’s a popular destination for vacations with its dry hot summers, and an increasingly popular place for living year round. I’m so glad there are park lands set aside for everyone to enjoy. 


Above is a photo of Loch Ness, taken on a cloudy day in June. I confess to being a bit underwhelmed by the sight of this famous loch until I remembered that we have so many beautiful lakes in Canada. Loch Ness and Okanagan Lake have something in common - each claims fame to a mythical or seldom seen creature living below its waters. Have you caught sight of such a creature? 


19 comments:

  1. How lovely to catch the night skies while out camping. I see the Big Dipper so rarely these days. What a treat for you. I used to love looking for it on dark nights growing up on the farm; as you said, it was like it poured out starlight. We did the Loch Ness tour when we were there in 2016. It was part of the tour, otherwise the pair of us wouldn't have gone. A little underwhelming, but still fun to imagine the 'possibilities'. Happy long weekend, Lorrie!

    ReplyDelete
  2. The night sky in such a setting is priceless. Enjoy every minute!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I remember lying on my back in deepest France, gazing at the canopy of stars. You have such lovely regions to explore.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dearest Lorrie,
    Those indeed are scraggly pines!
    The Canadian lake is the big winner with its clear water and lovely surroundings.
    Freshwater salmon is beautiful in color at their spawn time!
    Hugs,
    Mariette

    ReplyDelete
  5. How beautiful to see the night sky, in wonderful British Colombia. We used to see myriads of stars at night as I grew up, but alas that is no longer the case. The salmon is so pretty in the water, a special sight to see also. Enjoy your camping, which sounds like a real treat. PS exciting for you to see Loch Ness too.

    ReplyDelete
  6. We have been fortunate to camp in a few areas where the sky was pitch black and so many stars visible. It truly is amazing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Lorrie~ Beautiful post!! What a blessing to live where you can still see the stars, and, especially the Milky Way! Your picture is so pretty! I remember seeing Kokanee when I was a little girl. We had a cabin next to a reservoir. On a bridge going over the water, you could always see Kokanee in the fall. That photo brought back a lot of memories. You really live in such a beautiful area! Enjoy your time there! Hugs, Barb

    ReplyDelete
  8. I’m smiling that you have a Loch Ness. So many British place names made their way over to Canada. It certainly has a moody look of a Scottish loch. B x

    ReplyDelete
  9. No matter how many photos and times I've tried, I can never capture the stars. Bravo to you! What gorgeous views you have shared today!

    ReplyDelete
  10. We should put Okanagan Lake on our travel list since it is so close to where we live. We will be close to Loch Ness soon but it isn't on our Scotland itinerary this time around. We will see plenty of lesser known lochs! We have not seen Nessy or any other creatures. Maybe this September...

    ReplyDelete
  11. I guess you can't help but look out at the water in hopes of seeing something! We have a skunk ape here in the forest that people talk about seeing. I love the first photo. I couldn't believe it was real...it's so perfect!

    ReplyDelete
  12. You have so many nice places to explore. I also went on Loch Ness and Fiords in Norway beautiful places!

    ReplyDelete
  13. I have never seen these mythical creatures, but I have a handmade mug featuring the Loch Ness monster!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I did enjoy your 'Friday Favourites' all look lovely, especially your first one, the night sky.

    All the best Jan

    ReplyDelete
  15. That is one thing I miss about living in the country . . . the visibility of the stars and planets in the night sky. Your photo of the Big Dipper is wonderful! You are an artist with your lens and with your words!

    ReplyDelete
  16. I love how you capture the beauty of your province, from the starry skies to the Kokanee salmon. Okanagan Lake sounds like a true treasure! Your mention of Loch Ness made me smile — we often forget the magic in our own backyard. I haven't seen any mythical creatures yet, but I'm always hoping!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Lovely pictures from lovely places!
    Titti

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous7:21 PM

    I have been noticing the stars in the early morning hour this week, so magical. Okanagan Lake has been on my list of places to see for a long time. I think I got close once, but not close enough to see the water as we drove through cherry orchards.

    ReplyDelete
  19. Marilyn M7:22 PM

    Oh no! I forgot the comment was from me, Marilyn M.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for your comment. I read and value each one, cherishing the connections we can make although far apart. Usually, I visit your blog in return, although if you ask a question I try to contact you directly.

Waterton Lakes National Park

  We returned last night from a lovely two weeks exploring not too far from home. "Far" might be rather subjective, as we left our...