A picnic lunch, an hour of casual beachcombing, and some outside playtime for the four of us today.
The two of us, looking a tad like former long-haired hippie people.
Maybe we were. Maybe we are.
OrangePekoe and Granville stretched their legs as well. We kept OrangePekoe on a leash because cats do not come when called. Granville, on the other hand, had a lively time off-leash.
We love this view at Owikeno Lake. We are parked on the north shore of the lake. We had our picnic lunch near the end of the road, an area called The Reload. That’s where, historically, the logs were loaded onto a truck, and taken to the other end of the village before being transported out of the fjord. The river between the lake and the top of the fjord does not accommodate the huge logs that were harvested in this area.
Nigel and OrangePekoe wandered in the midst of some of the rogue logs that, decades ago, escaped from the barges at the Reload. There’s plenty of good wood piled up on the pebble beaches around the lake.
A closer view of a handful of logs. They are nearly a metre wide, and more than ten metres long (at least that size, says Nigel, who is a dab hand at estimating length). Massive Douglas Fir, Sitka Spruce, and Red Cedar lounge on the pebble beach.
Some logs have been in the water for a long time. They have weathered into interesting textures and patina.
And some shapes intrigue our imagination, leading to favourite games like “what do you see?”
The smooth rocks and pebbles on this beach have been tossed and tumbled in the water for yonks. They make for a bit of tricky walking because they roll around underfoot. It adds to the adventure.
Nigel clambered around on the boulders and logs at water’s edge while taking photos. I guess it is reminiscent of his surveying days. Now-a-days he looks through a camera lens instead of a theodolite lens. Still looking for horizontal and vertical angles though.
OrangePekoe paid no attention to the photo opportunities. She scrambled among the rocks and logs, surefooted on the rounded surfaces. She is an explorer at heart.
Granville is a simpler being. Sticks of various shapes and sizes kept her entertained. She’s not shy of a foray over the logs to get the ideal stick from the rocks below.
She’ll also find and toss around twisted and multi-pronged sticks on the grassy bank.
A naturalist at heart, coupled with beachcombing, are favourite activities. They were my amusements.
There was not much unique flora, but spotting the usual items is a joy in itself.
A display of moss on a log at the water’s edge. Moss are flowerless plants that often grow in thick clumps on logs or in damp areas.
A type of bracket fungus on the large stump in the water. These fungus are woody perennials, growing larger every year. They are not edible.
This was an appropriate find for this Valentine’s Day’s outing.
All in all, a very enjoyable outing for the four of us.
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