Rainbow's Roost ~ Kindergarten trip ~ Kamloops, BC

With the school year nearing the end and summer fast approaching, there are lots of activities happening!  What more fun for a kindergarten class to do than to spend time on the farm!  What a fun time we all had.  Yes, “we” as I was invited to join our youngest grandson on this big day.

I had never heard of Rainbow’s Roost, which is situated out Westsyde Road along the North Thompson River, but what a gem it is.  It has been host to many kindergarten classes before and they’ve got a great program that allows the kids to enjoy all the aspects of the farm.

We gathered under the trees at the picnic tables and learned the rules and regulations that make sure that all visitors will be safe and they understand how to approach the animals.  We broke up into groups and each began in a different part of the farm.  

Our first stop was to see some of the animals in a large fenced area that also allowed for getting up close for a good look and petting most of them.   Most were quite available to pet, some weren’t as much but the kids were enjoying them all.

The kids had a great time scratching ears and petting backs and heads of the horses, lambs, pigs and chicken.  This is an experience that most of them have not had before and was a great way for them to meet some farm animals in their natural environment.

Our next was a walk around part of the farm and Sheila, our hostess, would explain to the kids about their surroundings.  The stop at the big pig’s pen was interesting.  They’d all had their ‘mud bath’ before we arrived so were just lying there having a morning nap.  These pigs were big, VERY big raised on a healthy organic farm.

The pond held some interest to the little visitors, as water usually does.  They were finding snails, tadpoles and lots of “allergies” which we accepted as being the algae!  

We would take a break under the shade of the trees between each change of venue to get a drink or snack then carry onto the next great adventure.  The one my grandson was most excited about doing was the hayride behind the tractor, he insisted on getting a photo of the tractor engine, guess that was interesting, too.  Farmer Ed pulled us all around the farm, which has some great river views and lots of trees to make this a pretty area.

Rainbow’s Roost was a wonderful experience for the kids and a lovely surprise to this Grandma.  They’re great hosts and Ed and Sheila offer many services on their farm, this is just one aspect of Rainbow’s Roost.  To learn more, please check out their link by clicking on here and support the local business.  

Thank-you to the staff, the great teachers and all the kindergarteners involved for the fun adventure. 

We love Kamloops, BC ~ Sunrise to Sunsets

We love Kamloops for all the scenery, attractions, sports, diversity or weather, and that would include the beautiful sunrises and sunsets.  We all enjoy seeing that big blue sky to be flawless and free of clouds but our sunrises and sunsets would not be as stunning without them.

 

Summer sunset from Peterson Creek, Kamloops, BC

There has been damage done to many of our pine trees by the pine beetle but the trees made an interesting framing for the summertime sunset we enjoyed while taking an summer evening walk through Peterson Creek Park.

 

Sunset over teepee at Kamloopa PowWow

Mid summer evening spent at the Kamloopa Pow Wow near the Kamloops Residential School on the South Thompson River, offers a sunset backdrop for all to enjoy.  It was the ending of a grand show, if you wish to see more of the Pow Wow show, click here.

Autumn sunrise over Kamloops, BC

There are not many sunrises that are quite this bright and they disappear so quickly that there is never time to get to a better viewpoint but this one is taken from our own deck and it was amazing to watch.

 

Sun setting after Kamloops afternoon rain

We were crossing the Halston Bridge after a late afternoon rain and the setting sun and clouds made such a dramatic picture ahead.  You’re not able to see Batchelor Heights to the west side of the North Thompson River as the contrast is natural lighting in the picture and better able to show the true colors of the sunset and clouds.

 

Autumn sunset on Mt. Paul and Mt. Peter, Kamloops, BC

I was following Ord Road  heading east to get to Westsyde Road and head north up the N. Thompson River when the lighting on this late afternoon drive made Mt. Paul and Peter look beautiful where they stand at the meeting of the North and South Thompson Rivers.

 

Christmastime sunset in Kamloops, BC

With the neighboring homes preventing most views of evening sunsets, I was happy to include some of the color while taking pictures of my Christmas lawn decorations. Now if only I could eliminate all those wires in my pictures………. but then I wouldn’t be able to light up those Christmas decorations ! 

Christmas morning sunrise in Kamloops, BC

Many grandparents will make those early Christmas morning drives to get to watch the little ones and all their excitement open the gifts that Santa has left and we are no exception.  The timing was perfect to catch this pretty sunrise as the sun was streaming down from behind the dark bank of clouds onto the crystal white snow up in the hills above Kamloops.  This picture was taken as we drove the new road below Thompson Rivers University (TRU).

Sunrises are such a great way to start the day and then to finish the day with a sunset, what could be better?

Westsyde ~ McLure Ferry ~ Kamloops, BC

I like to think that we have sunshine in Kamloops most of the time. We are a semi-arid climate so we do get over 2000 hours of sunshine a year. We also get very little rainfall, the yearly average is 174.8mm (6.8 in.). So why is it that we seem to be getting rain when I am out taking pictures of our beautiful part of the world? I wish I had the answer, but all I can say is that this isn’t normal, really !

We planned to spend the day at the North Thompson Fall Fair which is held in Barriere, BC, which is 66 km (39 mi) north of Kamloops and we chose to make a circle tour of the trip there and back.

 

Westsyde Road scenery

We left Kamloops heading north through Westsyde and followed Westsyde Road for about 40 km. We passed the small communities of Noble Creek and Black Pines following the country road leading us through the Whispering Pines Indian Reserve, which then leads us to the McLure Ferry landing.

The McLure Ferry

The McLure Ferry has been in operation for a very long time and offers the only crossing of the N. Thompson River between Kamloops and Barriere. There is enough room for two vehicles but the crossing only takes a few minutes so the wait will not be very long should there be more than 2 vehicles.  Watch the ferry crossing the river by clicking on this.

McLure Ferry Captain

The McLure ferry is a reaction ferry, a cable ferry that uses the reaction of the current of the river against a fixed tether to propel the vessel across the river. The tether can be seen on the left in the photo.  The ferry doesn’t follow a time schedule but is available on demand for most hours on any day, other than high water and winter season. There are very few cable ferries left but we have one right up the river from Kamloops and it even gives you a free ride !  Check here for more details on the schedule and take the scenic drive to the free ferry.

 

View of the N. Thompson River on crossing

Once you land on the McLure side of the river, you will drive through a residential neighborhood of country homes and small farms, where we saw some sheep watching the ferry traffic pass by, and then out to the Yellowhead Highway.
The one thing that stands out in my memory about McLure is Mr. Len Sadler-Brown.  He was a tall man with a big mustache and the occasional twinkle in his eye.  Mr. Brown was the very tolerant, although strict school bus driver of many years ago. He lived there and drove the bus from McLure picking all kids up to deliver to school in Kamloops and then brought us back home safely, no matter what the weather was.

N. Thompson River at Heffley Creek, BC

We then followed the Yellowhead Highway south, which follows the North Thompson River on its’ way to meet the South Thompson River in Kamloops, BC. We pass lots of farms and ranches in this fertile area, thanks to the river, where we see horses, sheep, cattle and also vegetable productions.

N. Thompson River, Heffley Creek, BC

We drove through the communities of Vinsulla and Heffley Creek, which is 26 km (17 mi) north of Kamloops. This is where you will find a lot of history with the River playing a large part of early exploration and fur trading, dating back to the early 19th century.

This circle tour would take less than two hours but I think you should allow more time as you will want to stop and enjoy the area.  Our day took us to Barriere where we enjoyed the North Thompson Fall Fair, which I shall tell you about soon.  Even on this rainy afternoon, we know there is just no place like home.