Nature Bay Wild Life Sanctuary

The bear walked past the orange bike
and took a look at us in the TV room
before lumbering off.

The bay sanctuary in Salmon Arm

... being thoughtful about how long this will take us ...

... start the trip by going east ...

 ... Raven Trail on which
we saw evidence of beavers ...

 ... Bonnie kneels to speak with a little friend ...

evidence of a beaver felled tree -- only the stump of a trunk is left

... the warf can be seen back to the West ...

Bonnie and I took a break from work at the Health Unit to walk down to the Shuswap Nature Bay Wild Life Sanctuary.

 David is going on a bike trip there with his Grade III class next week.

He is between bikes.

Unable to ride the brand new one, and Skookum is turning his old bike into a strider unit -- no pedals now -- just use your feet then balance on the seat with the new momentum you have created.

The orange bike is downstairs on the cement under the deck.

Last night Bonnie and I were watching Game of Thrones and she looked out at the deck at 1 am. “

Hey, there is bear looking at us through the patio doors."

 I only saw his shadowy four foot high form pass by the other window and out of sight.

We checked by going outside to look around.

He hadn’t bothered the new orange bike so we went back to watching Game of Thrones, but it wasn’t half as exciting anymore as the adrenalin that we now had pumping through our veins.

But back to our walk -- the bay at the end of the Shuswap lake was beautiful.

A Nature Trail Trust, the path carefully maintained through the cat tails and along the end of the lake.

The evidence of beavers at work was seen at the bottom of tree trunks now felled. Christmas Island was in view, though when the lake is at high water, that point in the walk is submerged.

We took the Raven trail – we didn’t walk it very far but we did walk out into the lake on a boardwalk.

The walk is only down hill from the Health Unit.

Tthen a scramble over the railroad tracks -- two sets of tracks.

Then the grade from the tracks down the hill, sliding on the rocks to the bottom of the hill, cutting out the 20 minute walk it would be down to the official railroad crossing by the train station in Salmon Arm.

 I was reminded of scrambles that I have taken from the tracks at the Shuswap, down to the water – dangerous ones where I think to myself, “You know, I am not going to try this again.”

... The Burning Bush ...

The scramble back up is easier – falling forward uphill is not half as scary as thinking I might be on a trip downhill that I just can’t put the brakes on.

I was busy with my camera – having seen this beautiful Burning Bush that is in full colour in what seems like every yard at the Shuswap.

 It is hard to take a walk in this lovely little village, without a good time being had by all.

Arta