Shuswap evenings

After a day out on the lake exploring we spent the evening watching the sun begin to set behind the distant mountains. This is a photo of Shuswap Lake, located in the lower mainland of British Columbia in Canada. The photo is taken from a beach close to the town of Salmon Arm. Across in the picture is the public beach of Canoe. Such a wonderful peaceful place to enjoy the summer months but also beautiful through the winter too.

Amongst the Waves.

Whilst in Vancouver in the summer I decided to go for a swim in the sea, as well as trying out my waterproof camera. The water was refreshing as it was so hot in the city during the summer. The only thing that I wasn't keen on was the amount of seaweed but that's just me. This photo was taken at second beach part of the Stanley Park coast.

Vancouver sunset

Taken from the Vancouver Lookout at sunset. The lights of the city beginning to turn on contrasting the natural glow provided by the sun. In the background the mountains stand in gloom against the man-made buildings full of light. To the right the Lionsgate Bridge provides a link from the city to these mountains, cementing Vancouver as a city of contrasts, a metropolis surrounded by nature.

Kayaking the Shuswap (2)

Whilst in Canada we spent 5 hours out on Lake Shuswap kayaking. It was a wonderful experience where we got close to wildlife including a young buck and an Osprey came and caught a fish mere metres away from the boats. Here is my kayak back on the beach after our time out on the lake. It was great fun and a memory that will stay with me for a long time. The lake was a nice refreshing temperature and a nice escape from the heat of the BC summer, with some days hitting 40 degrees.

Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm, BC, Canada.

Reflections.

Canada has such beautiful natural scenes nearly everywhere you look from the prairies to the stunning mountains and lakes. All these scenes seem to stand out no matter what the weather conditions happen to be. So I was most pleased looking back at my camera to find this photo of the slightly overcast sky reflecting in a perfectly still lake. I can’t comment on where this photo as taken as all I know is that it was taken from the greyhound coach window somewhere in BC, about 20 minutes west of Revelstoke, which may make this Three Valley Lake.

Kayaking Paradise.

Having only been in a kayak once in my life and that being in a swimming pool I wasn’t expecting to spend 5 hours in one whilst in Salmon Arm. This was such a fantastic day spent on the Shuswap. After paddling towards Canoe beach to see if we could get the hang of it we set off on a mini adventure. Along the way we spotted Bald Eagles, Ospreys in the nest, as well as fishing mere metres from our boats and a fine young buck coming down to the shore to drink. It is a day that will remain in my memory for a long time to come. We took along water and a picnic, stopping at a rocky beach, most likely only accessible by boat to have lunch and a swim to cool off from the heat of the day, before continuing on our way. This photo is of our friend; a keen kayaker looking at the Bald eagle perched above us in the trees.

Shuswap Lake, Salmon Arm, BC, Canada.

Smoke in the Valley

Whilst in Canada this summer I experienced a couple of the forest fires within interior BC. Driving back from Vancouver on the greyhound bus we passed through the Okanagan Valley, which was affected by the smoke from the Kelowna fire. Here I captured a photo of the valley in the evening when it should have still been light outside.

Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada.

Vancouver nights

 Vancouver was my first time on holiday completely alone. I had travelled to Canada with my mum, but had taken the trip westward by myself.On my first evening in the city I returned to the Vancouver Lookout which I had been up earlier in the day in the hopes of catching the sunset. I may have arrived early but the wait was well worth it to see the mountains and the city lit up by the orange glow of the setting sun. 

Vancouver from the Lookout. Summer 2014 at Sunset.

Mule Encounter

Whilst visiting friends in Kelowna, we took a trip up the nearby Knox Mountain. As it was so hot whilst we were there, we opted to drive to the top lookout point. On returning to the car we noticed this lovely deer enjoying the shade of the trees and I couldn't help but snap a picture or two to remember the moment.

Mule Deer, Knox Mountain, Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.