Nicola Valley

It was a summer
morning that did not want to
end for me - lovely!

~carliewired

I was awake at 6 but not really wanting to roll out of bed. I'd looked at the sky which didn't look very promising at that hour. However, the promise of another hot day got me moving. I so prefer the cool of the morning. I was out the door by 6:30 heading south. 

I thought I'd like a Sunday morning drive to Merritt on the old highway. (Hwy 5A) This route through the bottom of the Nicola Valley is a beautiful one, but it takes about an hour each way. I'd hoped that a Sunday morning would give me a quieter trip. The locals are fed up with the truck traffic that travels here. The big semis are heavily loaded and they like to fly through this route. There have been some serious accidents with them. For their part, the truckers like this route because it doesn't have the climb that the alternate route has. However, this route is only two lanes without passing lanes or shoulders to pull off onto and is a very winding route. One has to be very alert and strategic to drive this highway.

So, I picked up a very large coffee, crossed the bridge, climbed up out of the valley and got on to Highway 5A heading south. Nicola Valley has a waterway through its floor. There are a series of lakes and ponds one drives by. The lakes are skirted by homes, both seasonal and all-season. Fishermen and other recreationalists love these lakes. There are an abundance of ranches and farms in this valley. One sees a sharp contrast right now between the irrigated areas at the bottom of the valley and the dry hillsides above. There were many fields of cut hay this morning. That smell of freshly cut hay filled the air as it warmed. 

I made a stop at the Nicola Pioneer Cemetery. It is not in good repair at the moment. I took a shot across a fence as I didn't wish to wade into the high, dry weeds. 

I also made a stop at the historic Quilchena Hotel. It was very quiet there this morning. My husband and I had planned to spend a weekend here, but never made it happen. It is now in the hands of the Douglas Lake Ranch and is not really functioning as a hotel at the moment. 
https://www.douglaslake.com/quilchena-hotel

I was able to catch an eagle overlooking Shumway Lake. It was calling out to another eagle hunting in the area. 

There was a great deal of bird life around the lakes. Big flocks of birds swooped over the lakes and the grasslands. There must be plenty of food for them there. 

I watched several osprey hunting. One dove down into the lake, came up flapping its wings but flew away disappointed. They are just too fast for me. 

Cattle are everywhere. The breed of choice would appear to be the Black Angus. Many were settled into wet places where they can stay cool. 

I was home with a very late breakfast. I hope to have this quilt top finished today. 

We have a mix of sun and cloud today with a high of 33 C. We might expect a few showers with thunderstorms late this afternoon.