Some pics of our place (British Columbia)

[moolie]

You have a lovely place that clearly shows the labour you've put into it--I bet it feels so great to see winter receding

We've had a very mild winter here in southern Alberta, so the gardening itch has been strong with no snow to look at since January (except for a few flurries here and there).

 

[odd_duck99]

Gorgeous place, Joel! I think you just might own my dream house - apart from the soil that needs constant work! lol!

 

[Joel_BC]

Thanks for the compliments, Deb, moolie, and odd_duck.

Our challenges this year do not lie in the area of what's visible... We've got to deal with the possibility of blight in potatoes and tomatoes, and with bears getting in and harvesting at the ripe end.

Blight has come through our region quite nastily, last two years. It wiped out our spuds and maters last year, and unfortunately really ruined things for some neighbors who had been farming organically for 35 years! It's hit a lot of people's places.

The bears do some harvesting in the wee morning hours before we're up and around. They're something all of us around here live with, and many years they've not been a problem, but some years have been. Last year a bear got a sizable proportion of our corn ears and squash - and, when we were away for a couple days, got 90% of our carrots. We've successfully fenced against the two varieties of deer we have in the region, and now we'll have to put in electric to deal with the bears.

 

[Joel_BC]

For those unfamiliar with the Washington, Idaho, Montana, British Columbia zone in North America, here's a very recent wildlife video. This story came from my province, but out on Vancouver Island, which is a large island off the Pacific Coast - about 500 road miles (westward) from where I live. But the wildlife population is very similar there and here.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2012/05/11/bc-video-backyard-cougar.html

We have deer, bears, and cougars here. But the strain of cougars on Vancouver Island has historicaly been less afraid of people and human neighborhoods than in my region. When we hear about an attack on a human (usually a child), the story tends to come from Vancouver Island.

I've seen four in the wild my area, and they were all shy creatures.

 

[Joel_BC]

A few more pics... Not of our place, but from the area our place is in.

Here's an image of a little section of the Selkirk Mountain range, from the water:

Another shot showing a Selkirk view, again from a lake:

Some friends and my wife on a "corduroy" trail in a wilderness area in the Selkirks:

Summer: a little waterfall in the same area, with my wife, Corinne, sitting at the botom right corner:

 

[Dawn419]

Gorgeous pix, Joel! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Denim Deb]

Beautiful!

 

[Joel_BC]

Thanks, Dawn, Deb. Can't take any credit for the beauty. Glad you like the glimpses... I continue to appreciate it here.

 

[AdamBorzy]

Cool photos Joel. Do you go hiking/camping a lot?

 

[moolie]

Love your part of the world Joel, my Dad spent some of his growing up years in Nakusp which I think is in your neck of the woods. So pretty