Other Life Cycles Of Note

An appropriate outing for Thanksgiving weekend--because Wild Sockeye Salmon* is up there on the Thank-You List.

(*Salmon are not plants. I know. I digress. However, observe the algae on the rocks. It never used to be on the rocks in the Shuswap. I have now discussed an item of botanical significance.)

Below:
Adams River Sockeye Salmon, esqu., RIP: looking a little green around the gills.
And his wife, Ms. Rotty, RIP: in the advanced stages. My apologies to the squeamish.




The Adam's River Sockeye Salmon run is slim this year--the every-fourth-year big run is next year.

There was a huge local (and national--i.e., made national papers) controversy in the last couple years to try and stop development next to the park. The provincial government said it would purchase the adjacent lands but didn't, so the developer is going ahead with a massive high-density lagoon-type condominium/marina development. Everyone who knows anything about fish fry life cycles in river estuaries tried to stop it. The Shuswap Environmental Action Society http://www.seas.ca/ continues the good fight--Jim Cooperman has been active since I was in high school twenty years ago. O my that makes me feel ol--wise. Wizened.

Could be worse...





O, see below--there's the river mouth, and waaay across the lovely Big Shuswap there--that's where our family did a few generations of the pioneer thing. Basically, we've genetically evolved to climb hills.


So, another point being: I started out Back to the Land.
...Then I went downriver to the ocean...
...Maybe I'll hang out with all the fish in the sea (funny expression, that) for forty years or so...
...Then I'll buy a nice red winter coat, and I'll get this feeling...

Oh, for a gorgeous weekend for out-of-towners, stay at Quaaout Lodge on the Little Shuswap. Alas, it's gone all golfy, but still an amazing site/Shuswap Nation culture centre--totally reasonable prices. Walk through all the fall colours along the Adams, count fish. Breathe. One of many Sunday drives goes up the North Shuswap, through crafty coffee-shop territory. Lob dead fish over the plywood fence around aforementioned condo/marina development. Do this soon: fall colour prime time in next couple weeks.