I LIFT MY EYES TO THE MOUNTAINS

It has been a long, hot summer of lifting my eyes to the mountains, not only to behold their beauty but to watch for smoke which would be a sign of another wildfire. There have been days where the mountains were shrouded in smokey haze and a hot breeze would whisper through the dry grasses in our valley creating a sense of uneasiness in the midst of news reports of the growing devastation of wildfires throughout our province. We watched and prayed for safety.
We packed up our trailer and drove through the mountains into other valleys in the west Kootenay region and the smoke was there as well, sometimes blurring the view and then with a change in the wind the mountains would once again come into focus.

Our campsite at Syringa Creek Provincial Park near Castlegar was on the shores of Arrow Lake. What a treat to have our own private beach just steps from the trailer. One of my pastimes on this vacation was sketching the mountain contours that lay before us. In the haze there is a tiny glacier in the V and below it an old railroad trestle.

I collect heart rocks but this one was too heavy so it will remain on our little beach for others to enjoy

Off  into another valley to New Denver on the shores of Slocan Lake.  A beautiful and peaceful reflection garden was near our campsite from where one evening after a dry thunder storm we saw a new fire start in the mountain and as the evening darkened we could see trees candling.  We were safe but again we prayed for safety of those living in that area. Had fun sketching this mountain.

We were on a mission in New Denver to visit the Nikkei Internment Memorial Centre which tells the story of the Japanese Canadians who were uprooted in 1941 from their homes and livelihoods at the coast to be transplanted over the mountains into deplorable living conditions all through the Slocan Valley and then later over the Rocky Mountains to a hard life in the prairies, and over time their hopes dashed of returning to what once had been a comfortable and prosperous life.
We both read the book 'Obasan' by Joy Koyawa on this vacation which added to the details of this very sad chapter in our Canadian history.

Travelling north west through gorgeous vistas brought us back to Arrow Lake near Nakusp where we again had a lakeside campsite at McDonald Creek Provincial Park. More mountains to sketch! I wonder what will be my focus on another vacation.

Two lovely hot springs to  enjoy in this area and then home via the Galena Bay Ferry where more mountain vistas called to me.

From the ferry another wildfire in the Selkirk Mountains and then just days later this billowing inferno taken from my driveway of the fire in Joe Rich just east of us. Again we pray for safety, not only for all those evacuated from their homes but also for the hundreds of weary fire fighters for whom this summer will not be forgotten.

Psalm 121

The Message

I look up to the mountains;

    does my strength come from mountains?

No, my strength comes from God,

    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.

He won’t let you stumble,

    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.

Not on your life! Israel’s

    Guardian will never doze or sleep.

God’s your Guardian,

    right at your side to protect you—

Shielding you from sunstroke,

    sheltering you from moonstroke.

God guards you from every evil,

    he guards your very life.

He guards you when you leave and when you return,

    he guards you now, he guards you always.