My Week in Pictures

These are just some of the wonders that my eyes beheld this week. There are a few more in posts from earlier in the week.

Dang me! Dang me! They ought to take a rope and hang me! Nobody should be this fortunate.

The Street Where I Live

Ice and Snow on the Walls at Lake Koocanusa

Ice Fall

Just a wall but to me a work of art

Just Another Sunset

The Shores of Lake Koocanusa

Beautiful Brown Eye

You can't really see it, so you will have to take my word for it, a perfect image of the forest and the sky is reflected in her eye.

©Kinsey Barnard

An Afternoon in British Columbia

Journal: May 09, 2008

Ok, so how cool is this? At about 1:00 in the afternoon we decide we want to got to British Columbia. Ten minutes later we are there! And the mountains shown in this photo about say it all for us! The snow pack this year is fantastic and the Canadian Rockies are in their splendor!



Since it was late we couldn't go too far so we looked for someplace we hadn't been before and did we make a score. We found the Kikomun Creek Provincial Park. It's a complete mystery to me how this little gem has escaped our attention. There are five little lakes in this park and pictured above is the one we spent the afternoon walking around. Sorry mom didn't make note of the name. Bad on her!




We saw all kinds of critters. I tried to chase after them all but was limited by my leash. Drat! We saw mallards, squirrels, Canada geese, painted turtles and a pileated woodpecker. Mom thinks the pileated woodpecker is the coolest bird around and has been trying to get a fine art photograph of one since forever. She still doesn't have one! This guy flew into a tree right in front of us. These birds are pretty darned shy so rather than take a chance of missing him altogether mom just fired. Not good! Way underexposed and no chance for a second shot. Better luck next time mom!





There is a trail that goes all the way around the lake. Way cool hike. The water was crystal clear and beautiful shades of many colors. There was, quite literally, beauty everywhere we looked. Mom was the only human in the place. All I can tell you for sure is it was one fabulous afternoon! Mom was even talking about bringing Clementine up for a night or two so we could explore in greater depth. Oh, boy, I sure hope we do! We love Canada!

©Kinsey Barnard Photography

SHORE ACRES & NEARLY LOST IN SOUTH SLOUGH

Ok, so we headed back to Shore Acres. You remember, the place they don't even let dogs out of the car! Being the loyal, patient dog that I am I kept Shadow company.

As you can see from the photos mom got all fascinated with rock and sand formations that she found along the bluffs.

When she was finally done we headed for the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve. Now there's a mouthful!

When we got there we decided to skip the Interpretive Center and head straight for the trailhead. As it turned out that wasn't such a smart idea. At the trailhead there was a holder for maps but there weren't any. We aren't the type to be intimidated by being map less or clueless, so away we went.

The trail meanders down a kind of dark little rain forested valley with a pretty creek running alongside the trail. Again, as you can see for yourself, mom got fascinated, this time by these big yellow blooms called Skunk Cabbage. After taking a bunch of pictures we continued on down to the slough.

The trails started going every which away. We came to a big deck about 20 feet off the ground that overlooked the slough. I saw a squirrel on a tree trunk beside the deck. Not realizing what I was doing I made a leap for the rail and the squirrel, about the time I realized there was nothing but thin air where I was headed mom grabbed me and pulled me back from the brink. I would have hung myself for sure. We both nearly had heart attacks. Remember the old saying "Look before you leap"? Well, I'm a believer now!

We continued wandering, having no idea where we were going. Mom said that surely we would find a sign that directed us to the Interpretive Center but we never found one. Eventually, we decided to try and retrace our steps. Mom said not to worry as they would come looking for us at closing if we hadn't found our way back by then. They'd see Shadow and come looking for us. We found our way back, thank goodness, and headed over to the Center where we found out it was closed until Tuesday. This was Sunday!

If you're in Coos Bay and like to walk trails we can recommend this place. We also recommend you pick up a map before you wander off! :)

©Kinsey Barnard Photography