After the Fire: Bear Creek

A favorite hiking area decimated by fire last summer. It was the first time I'd seen the damage.

The Canyon and water fall at Bear Creek

Deep in the canyon a couple of Canadian Geese set up home away from all possible predators except perhaps a giant eagle. I zoomed in with my camera--they were way down, near the bottom of the very tall canyon. 

Mistaya and a burnt, young ponderosa pine.

My lovelies: Tabs, Mist and Pip

Beautiful Tabs

Pip and Tabs 

Peter managing the water break

Picnic time. I made a French style baget, based on a sandwich I had last summer in Cucugnon, France: baget, cheese, lettuce, tomato and pickles. But alas, it just didn't taste the same outside of France. In France it was the most delicious sandwich I'd ever eaten. In Canada, it was so-so. Perhaps I forgot something... 

Peter in his anti-hiking shoes. He insists on wearing them!

My daughters and I hike through the burnt out forest. The fire jumped the creek and burnt both sides of the canyon.

After the fire.

Rebirth: after the fire and spring

Peter, Pip and Mist over looking the city across the lake.

Kelowna, BC across Lake Okanagan 

A hill (missing its trees after the fire), above a log-jam on Okanagan Lake.

A beautiful Ponderosa Pine with holes (made by some creature) all over its bark.

Hiked with my family at Bear Creek, Okanagan Valley today. We live in an arid mountain region and each year the forests surrounding our home and city are on fire. I knew Bear Creek was closed last summer due to a close fire but it wasn't until today that I realized it had actually been ravaged by flames. The thick ponderosa forest (as thick as a ponderosa forest ever gets--the trees need space and sunshine to thrive) was decimated. Ponderosas may just be my very favorite trees ever. Their bark is very textured and colourful and it smells of warm vanilla in the sun. 

I taught a Zumba class at World Gym (across the lake from my home) this morning and decided to meet my family afterward for a hike. Thus, I am in Zumba gear rather than hiking apparel in the pics. It was nice to get out and explore Bear Creek again--it is one of our favorite family hiking spots.
Zumba can be stressful at times. Little things can make me loose focus and screw up a dance. Case in point: I was introducing a new song I'd just learned this morning. The gym floor was laminated (plastic wood). It was too slippery for my dancing sneakers-- I had to dance in bare feet. And of course, some odd person left the class before it even started! One thought about the bare feet or why the person left, and bam--I forgot the next step. That's life.

Stowaway on an Arc

Pics are from a photo shoot of the Maplelea dolls for their upcoming catalogue. No word yet if the top pic made it in.

Tonight I'm alone
Alone in the dark
Away from the familiar tone
Stowaway on an Arc

--lines from a poem I wrote when I was 11 years old. They seem fitting today as I rest in bed with a nasty virus that has left me feeling tired, achey, nauseous, and fainty. My sister Miranda had it last week. I woke up feeling OK and Peter and I did our early morning Paul's Tomb hike to the bottom of the mountain and back up again. We even past the site of the forest fire. It was frightening to see. A large part of the forest burned and if it had proceeded any further, it would have climbed up and over the mountain and burned down our house! Thank goodness our mountain is watched each and every summer by fire crews and they are fast to react. Every summer, a fire starts on our mountain and every summer they get it out before any houses burn. Still, I think I will make a list of our most valuable items and where to find them incase one of these summers we must evacuate. I'll have to let it all burn except for my art work, writings, family movies and photographs and the smocked dresses my mom has made my girls! I figure I need to teach Mistaya to drive so she can head down the mountain with all of the little girls and our dogs while the adults pack up the vans! lol

It was after the hike that the bug crept in. I just wanted to go back to bed.

Last night Miranda and I attempted "Eat, Pray, Love" but it was sold out so we watched "Switched." All of Jennifer Anniston's movies are the very same. She looks exactly the same, not a hair out of place, and plays the exact same woman over and over.

 I finished applying for the MFA program. It was so much fiddly work--using up to 3 computers at once to locate all of my art photos and text and mail them away. The applying itself was so much work on its own, I feel like I am ready to graduate the program!