Category Archives: commentary

Etty versus Doug

Posted on August 26, 2012 by Alistair

  Etty would not have approved of Doug or his lawn. Etty was the daughter of Charles Darwin and she helped her father with his editing, alas, often with an eye to bowdlerizing biology to conform with her Victorian sensibilities. Etty’s … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, wildflowers | 6 Comments

Slides on mountains

Posted on July 14, 2012 by Alistair

  People, around Kootenay Lake and beyond, have been concerned about the massive slide that destroyed lives and homes at Johnsons Landing (North Arm of the Main Lake). The event has been reported extensively in the media (e.g. the CBC) … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, history | 1 Comment

Summer begins

Posted on July 4, 2012 by Alistair

  Summer began today. After an unconscionably wet spring, the Sun rose to a clear sky and estival forecasts. Of course, when I say summer began, I am offering an observation, not a proclamation. Alas that was not the case, when two weeks … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, weather | 4 Comments

Two bees or not to be

Posted on May 3, 2012 by Alistair

  Yesterday afternoon, I was watching the last of the C.P.R. wreck saga: the lifting of the flatcar that had jumped the tracks and slid down the bank towards the Lake. That story has been told through a number of … Continue reading →

Posted in bugs, commentary | 10 Comments

Excavator out

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Alistair

  This posting follows the earlier ones about: Train wreck,  Wreck, stage one √,  Wreck, Sunday, and Drowned excavator. This morning, a large barge and crane arrived from the Nelson side. By 3:30 pm the excavator was no longer under water, but was … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, history | Comments Off on Excavator out

Wreck, Sunday

Posted on April 1, 2012 by Alistair

I was wrong when I guessed that the track was repaired last evening. This morning was spent doing this. I expect that this afternoon will be more interesting if they lift the flat car and excavator. Images of that will … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, history | 3 Comments

Ogopogo

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Alistair

  It was the churning water, the splashing, and the spreading waves that drew my attention to an unreasonably long and sinuous animal with a whipping tail and fish-devouring jaws. Yikes, it is an OGOPOGO !!!  ( ← Note my hyperbolic use of … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, mammals | 22 Comments

Pictographic seachange

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Alistair

  Pictographs are at once art and narrative. Pictographs—rock paintings—were created by Aboriginal people over millennia. Alas, many have become obscured by time, suffering fading, erosion, lichen, and sometimes vandalism. There is now often difficulty in discerning many of the shapes depicted. … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, history | 5 Comments

Snow eater

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Alistair

A weather condition that results in the particularly rapid melting of snow is often referred to as a snow eater. I explored the term, snow eater, on the Web and was disappointed by how many sites sloppily treated as if it were … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary, weather | 2 Comments

Random header

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Alistair

Since the establishment of this blog, Exploring Kootenay Lake, I have used the same header: a panorama of a rainbow spanning the West Arm and having one side apparently resting on Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. I am now experimenting with … Continue reading →

Posted in commentary | 6 Comments