Boating the South Thompson River

What better way to spend a sunny summer day than on the beautiful South Thompson River for a boat ride.  We spent many summers doing this, but those days are past and this day is a great reminder of great family boating days.  The view is so different from here on the river.

Boating on the South Thompson River

We travelled upriver with family and friends in a couple of boats with the plan to stop on Banana Island for a picnic and fun.  The sun was shining, the river was calm and the sights were relaxing.

Eagle eye view

The hoodoos and clay banks line the South Thompson, and create some very interesting shapes as well as viewpoints.  It is more likely we’d see an eagle in a tree but this one was happy to watch everything from the bank’s edge.  See more eagles here.

Grazing the green grass

The river is still high the beginning of July but that doesn’t seem to discourage these cattle from grazing on the riverbank.  I’m sure that green grass is tastier than sagebrush and they’re checking it out.

The Pritchard bridge

Pritchard Bridge has historic appeal, it is rare that we see anything old anymore, hopefully it lasts another many years.  It has the strength to allow a logging truck to pass over so it should be.  There was a ferry crossing at this point before the single lane bridge was built.

Historic Pritchard bridge

I have not found much history for this bridge but it was built in 1920 when sternwheelers would travel up and down the river, hence the room to pass under.  There was also a busy wharf and a train station here.

An osprey in the nest

We see these nests on our travels but rarely do we see an osprey in there so this was a surprise.  The river hawk, as they’re also called, always nest on high platforms near fresh water and live mainly on fish.   They are a large raptor with a wing span of 180 cm, which is almost 6 ft. Osprey are the only living species that live nearly worldwide, the only place they are not found is in Antarctica.

Alpaca herd shows little interest

When we passed by these sheep, we were far enough away to not realize we weren’t looking at sheep.  Photo close-up says their necks are too long…….I think they are alpacas!  Research says they are quiet and peaceful, hum to one another to communicate and they look pretty darn cute, too!

The bald headed eagle

The bald headed eagle is such a majestic looking bird and I do not seem to get enough photos of them, in my humble opinion. (: This one was watching the passers-by and waiting for his lunch to appear.  There are more of this eagle to see here. 

The South Thompson River offers some great scenery and sights to enjoy.  We will never tire of these sights and hope to see them again.  There is just no place like home.

Show and Shine ~ Hot Nite in the City ~ Kamloops, BC

Mix together Kamloops, hot August days and a car show and you’ll have one of the biggest and best car shows our city will see called the Show and Shine Hot Nite in the City!  This year celebrates the 20^th anniversary of this show. 

1932 Ford 2 door sedan ~ Kamloops, BC

Hot Nite in the City did begin as a Thursday night show but it later became a two day event, growing as it did over time and having many from other places come to show their cars, too.

1934 Ford wrecker  ~ Cache Creek, BC

Friday night is the registration and Poker-run which was added eleven years ago for participants to get involved and see the city.  The last stop of that run is the A/W, the annual hosts for this evening.

1942 Ford cavover pickup ~ Kelowna, BC

The show once took one city block but now covers thirteen blocks.  Victoria Street and the avenues on either side are closed for the day and allows cars to line the streets for everyone to see and enjoy. 

1950 Ford F-100 ~ Washington, USA

 I would say that by the crowds always gathering around this beauty makes it the star of the show.  The crowds are large and music fills the air, the shops are open to welcome visitors in to make the downtown experience a great one. 

1951 Ford pickup ~ Quesnel, BC

 350 cars were expected to participate in this year’s event and they varied from vintage cars to semi-trucks and everything in between. They come from far and wide and are welcomed with Kamloops hospitality to the Hot Nite in the City Show and Shine.

1937 Oldsmobile Touring Sedan

What a trip down memory lane this offers for many whether it is an old family car or otherwise, you will hear people sharing a story of the past when they see a special car.

1929 Ford ~ home built ~ Summerland, BC

This show brings people from all over the western provinces to participate as well as from Washington, Oregon and Colorado.  The car club communities enjoy sharing their pride and joy and many make their return yearly. 

1961 Buick Bubble Top ~ Nanaimo, BC

We, the people of Kamloops do enjoy seeing these vehicles, some of which are absolutely vehicular works of art!  The support and enjoyment shows with the crowds that walked the streets of Kamloops on Saturday. 

Ribfest at Riverside Park, Kamloops, BC

Ribfest is now a big part of the Hot Nites in the City weekend and the Daybreak Rotary Club of Kamloops biggest fundraiser of the year.  Several vendors come from out of town to sell to people lined up for hours to taste those delicious BBQ ribs.

Music can be heard from every corner of the park and Music In the Park at the Rotary Bandshell had an audience of thousands enjoying their entertainment of the evening. A large kid zone with lots of free attractions were enjoyed, too.

These events take hundreds of hours of volunteer work to happen and the work of these volunteers is applauded by all.  The success of these events are shown both by the turnout of locals and the thousands of dollars donated to our organizations as a result of this. 

Thank-you to all the volunteers who played a part in this week-ends festivities, a great job was done by all.