June 9 Kamloops, Canada

Saturday, June 9

It is still drizzling a little this morning, so we forgo the hiking trails and begin the drive back down through the dripping trees and grasses.  I almost said "glistening" grasses, but there's not enough sun for that!

  Low clouds and fog make the scenery a little eerie and we stop here and there for photos.

 The falls disappear into  the slowly drifting clouds.

This is a close up of the rocky cliff beside the falls. Interesting shapes and colors.

I like the sound and look of Shadow Lake and do a quick look-see,  but only a few ducks look back at me.   It is cold and wet and after we have done some quick walks, we are ready for hot coffee and hot chocolate back at Horton’s in Clearwater.

We continue south on Highway 5, through trees, trees and more gorgeous beautiful trees.   Greg comments that Canada surely does it’s share of oxygenating the world! We are also now in logging country.  And pass several mills as well as logging trucks.

Unfortunately, we also see occasional remnants of forest fires.  Of course I shouldn’t say unfortunately because we have learned that fires have many benefits for plants and animals – just not for people in the vicinity.

We arrive in Kamloops, which is a fairly sizable town and decide to visit their library so that we can post a few days of the blog which have been written but don’t have photos attached yet.  Using our phone for directions, we head downtown and everything there is paid parking.  We park but can’t see the library  though the phone says it is right there, so ask the parking meter man where it is.  He tells us and then says he’ll walk us there – boring day, boring job I guess. He says this is just a side job he does a couple of days a week. We talk about Texas and his impression is that it is hot and very dry.  Funny how one story, one movie,  one photo, or one person’s description can shape our ideas of place – he had a friend who went there and said it was hot and dry. Houston wishes it were a little dryer!

We walk down a short alley and around the corner, only to find that the entrance is closed due to construction and we walk some more – almost back to where we started haha – before we find the temporary entrance.   Things are a little disorganized inside as well, but they are very friendly and their wifi is great.

After the library we head to the British Columbia Wildlife Park

which features BC animals that have been injured or orphaned.  The highlight, for me, is the Kermode Bear – a white black bear which the Indians call a Spirit Bear.

 There are also elk, a moose, black bears, mountain goats and big horn sheep, bison, a predatory bird section, raccoons, rabbits and more.

 The facility has been there for over 30 years and shows its age a bit, but was interesting.

Assorted chipmunks and yellow-bellied  marmots have moved in and made themselves at home too.

We are both pretty wiped out after this, so we get gas at a Petro Gas station and ask if we can boondock there.  It is pretty much like a Flying J or Love’s and the guy says sure, no problem.  There are two large lots and a Denny’s.  Trucks stay on one side and we, along with several other campers, stay on the Denny’s side.  We go ahead and grab a burger at Denny’s while we’re at it.   

Goodnight!