Winter

By Lardeau Valley Time on January 20, 2015 • ( 1 )

Its mid winter here in the Kootenays. And quite often I look upon this time of the year as the time to inventory my photos, plan for shows and books. And almost forget that there is a world still out there. It’s not that I don’t like winter. I’ve been a downhill and cross-country skier and snow shoe occasionally now. And I love the snow as it falls (not that keen on it when it comes to snow shovelling). But the light can be trickier now, with flat light on the snow. And a lot of the wildlife has either migrated or gone into hibernation. So I mistakenly look inwards, staying close to home.
But there is still a beautiful world out there, so I thought I’d show you some of it today.
We live close to a creek with a lovely waterfall. Not a huge waterfall, just a nice size. And the winter makes it magical….

And the rest of the valley really is just as lovely..

Winter wildlife is not as visible to me, hidden by the snow. But it leaves evidence of its presence. Otter, which can be hard to see at anytime of year, create interesting tracks in the snow as they hop along the river’s edge and dive into the water under the ice. Their tails leave a telltale track like a ski track.

And they love sliding into the water from the river bank, in both summer and winter. But the winter track is easier to see….

By the beaver dam, owned by an animal that is very nocturnal (mainly due to man’s attempt to kill them all a couple of centuries ago for fur hats), is busy as a —- around its dam and house….

Winter also provides some wonderfully artistic effects. The first is caused by the overflow of our local dam. It’s a water flow control, not a hydro facility. But the water is released every so often and this is one sight….