So, we arrived at St Ives laden with fruit, ice-cream (you have NEVER in your life tasted such delicious ice-cream as produced by the D Dutchman Dairy in Sicamous!!!! ), coffees, breads, etc. In fact, Graeme needed to use the yellow guests' wheelbarrow in which to load our grocery stock because the box was too heavy and full to be carried up to our unit. We have been graced with unit #1…right in the corner with only a little glimpse of the lake. This has not really bothered us too much, since we've been out all day almost every day so a view has not been a necessity to our stay. However, we do have a little creek whooshing down our side of the property, about a metre away from the unit, so we've had the pleasure of relaxing to the sound of moving waters. St Ives was the very 1st Time Share facility to be built in Canada and is made up of rows of wooden cottages (painted an earthy pink colour). It has been a very comfortable stay and I am sorry to say goodbye on the morrow.

Our first visit here in Shuswap, was to the Albas National Park to do the 5 km loop walk to the Albas falls. It was on this walk that I nearly spiked a little mouse-creature with my walking pole. I must have missed it by a millimetre, but it scurried its 6cm little body over the path and simply hid its head under a leaf - sort of 2 year old mentality….if I can't see the monster human, then it can't see me. Its silky grey tummy and 3 cm tail were lying as still as dead. I lifted the leaf, but it scuttled away so quickly that I still didn't see its face in order to identify exactly what it was. Such incredible entertainment by the little creatures on this trip. The Alba falls were worth the walk, but nothing like the power we have become used to in the Rockies. We then hit the loggers' road to Seymour Arm to see the Seymour falls. On our way there we encountered a very pretty and tranquil lake called Nellie Lake. For some reason the recreation area has been closed to the public, but hey, we're South Africans and we will probably never be here again, so we went in anyway and photographed very appealing autumn surroundings. We then ventured on to Seymour falls which is right on the northern end of this enormous lake. Again, a very quiet forest walk with some steep declines to get there, which meant of course, steep inclines for the return trip. Upon our return we heard hunters in the nearby forests by way of the resounding blasts that went off at intermittent intervals. Again, very pretty falls and worth the drive and the walk.

Following day saw us at the Roderick Haig-Brown National Park to try our luck at seeing the salmon run, but no such luck - not a fish (except a dead one) to be seen. After reading the interpretive boards, I realised that we had been blessed at Begbie falls to see the sock-eye salmon there - because that is what they were doing…spawning. So, salmon run or no, we saw it anyway! (the big salmon run happens every 4 years and next one is due this time next year) We then went on to do the Cottonwood trail around the park which makes its way mostly alongside what they call a spawning channel. Such a beautiful piece of artwork that channel was - water that was tinted teal but absolutely crystal clear and with gorgeous reflections of autumn-beginnings reflecting on the glassy surfaces of the water. When we got to the mouth of the Adams River, we sat for a while watching a seagull quite conspicuously guarding its find of a dead salmon from a noisy gathering of squawking ravens in a nearby tree…it would simply sit on a log near the dead fish and when the ravens seemed to make a move, it would hop down and consume a mouthful or two and then hop back onto its log-post to establish its dominance!

I had forgotten to pack lunch for us so we stopped at Subway for a sarmie and I also popped in to the grocer to buy some ready-made pastry in order to make an apple pie with the apples from Revelstoke that were now turning floury. We then made our way to do the walk up to the lookout point for White lake. On man!!!! Sometimes I really wonder at myself….another killer climb , but a stunning view from the top. We sat up at the lookout for a good long while before descending back to the car. Upon opening the car door I realised the mistake I had made with the purchase of the pastry!!!! The heat from the car had caused the rising agents to do what they do best and the container had split its sides and the pastry was making a sort of alien-type gooey creep across the back seat of the car. I salvaged it…squished it back into its "box" and then into a bag, and in the end…it made a really good apple pie! I spent the night sorting through all my photographs and filing them into individual folders, since I realised that I was beginning to lose track of which were which. Got to bed just after midnight!

The following day we decided to have a "do-nothing" day so we caught up with some phone calls to some family (9 hour time difference limited the number of calls we could make), transferring photos from the phones onto the computer and generally just slob around…..but it was all too much for my hyperactive husband, and he decided that he would by hook or by crook go kayaking on the lake. He returned 2 hours later looking like a drowned rat!!!! I had peeked out of the window previously to see very choppy waters and to sigh my relief at having decided against going!!! I seriously thought he had fallen into the water, so wet he was!!! Anyway - he did his kayaking!!!!

Next day started with a wine-tasting visit to the Celista Wine Estate about 20 minutes away from where we are. (As we were leaving I saw a red crowned pileated woodpecker land, as woodpeckers do, with a bit of a thud, against a wooden lamp post). It was a very interesting tour and tasting experience. The winery is only 7 years old, going into their 8th year and already they are winning international awards. Only disappointment was the teaspoonsful of wine decanted into our glasses for tasting!!!! Definitely need to visit some of our Cape estates to learn how to be generous!!! Their prices are also about 7 dollars more than we can get the same wines in the local liquor stores, so guess where we'll be getting ours. From there, we drove as far as we could to get to the Scotch Creek lookout point which looks over the whole of "our" arm of the Shuswap Lake. It was on this walk through these forests that we realised just how much drier the vegetation is on this side of British Columbia. No luscious mosses and shrooms and other vegetation that gives off the magnificent forest aromas. The view was once again absolutely stunning as we looked out over a very sudden cliff drop and over the valley to the enormous spread of lake that shimmered reflections of the sky and clouds. Boats that looked toy-like were weaving their way around Copper Island leaving rippled trails to spread out over the water. It's actually quite amazing just how far those ripples travel!!! The surrounding mountains were hazy, but beautiful in their misty tones of purples in the far distance on the other side of the lake. After having our lunch on the cliff's edge, we started our way down again…..Believe it or not….we encountered another 3-toed American Woodpecker - male this time with a little yellow feathered cap on its head!!! He was giving his tree some real "neck-grease" as he was determinedly trying to force any insects out for din-dins! How he saw anything in the dust he was creating is beyond me! Now, how blessed are we….most Canadians don't ever get to see these birds at all and here we've seen two in two very different places, and both male and female!!! Last stop was to see the Evelyn falls just up from our neighbouring village. Lovely set of about 3 drops as the water finds its way to the creek below. This walk was a little greener than the walk up to Scotch creek, but still no over-production of moss carpeting.

And then yesterday we decided to return to Roderick Haig-Brown NP to try our hand at the upper trails. We agreed to do the river trail especially considering the dryness of our surroundings and anticipating the underwhelmingness of the higher trails. So we walked about 6,5 km along the Adams River towards the Adams lake and sat down on two conveniently chopped tree stumps to enjoy our lunch next to one of the gushing rapids in the river. There were some mossy patches along this walk, but what struck me was that here, at last, we were hearing bird life. We saw a ruffed grouse which took umbrage to our presence and most certainly was not going to be as obliging as its cousin the spruce grouse, to allow us to take a photograph!!! However, it was good to hear birds chirping their songs out over the forest. I also cottoned on to why my hubby allows me to walk first - all this time I've been thinking that he is wanting to follow my pace - BUT what he is actually doing, is allowing me to catch all the cobwebs and clear the way for him!!!! I think that had I not been wiping the wretched silk threads from my face I would have emerged from the forest with a veritable cocoon covering my head!!!!! Stunning discovery along this walk was what I have termed "lyshrooms": Great, big, white mushroom-type organisms growing lychen-style from the fallen logs. The walk back to the car wasn't bad, since this walk was a relatively flat one with only two or three nasty inclines to make my hips complain, not to mention my lungs!!!

We then drove around to Adams lake and there discovered the logging industry for which Adams Lake is used. Then on to Quaaout Lodge, which we were advised definitely not to miss by the manager of our establishment….now hear me carefully….there are some people from whom you do NOT take advice…we cannot for any reason understand why she made such a big deal of this very ordinary hotel with Little Shuswap Lake as its outlook. Only thing of the mildest interest is the eaves of the roof that are carved at the end of each wooden beam to represent one of the wildlife creatures for which Canada is known. We then wended our way back via the farm route and stopped for a quick breather at Magna Bay before making our way back to our lodgings.

So…today is the day for laundry, chilling (Graeme watching the President's Cup), blogging, packing and, in general, getting ready for an early start in the morning as we head further south and across towards Vernon…..