My whole life I have walked these lands, and I hope I will have the good fortune to be able to continue to as long as I live. My family has been here going on 4 generations now. When talking about Canadian ranching, this is a long time. I have built tree forts, pushed cattle to greener pastures by horse, mowed lawns and hayed the fields, crawled under tractors, learned how to jump on trampolines and fire a rifle, hunted for Easter eggs, watched calves being born, branded livestock, fished for trout and frogs in swamps, creeks and lakes, and driven 4-wheelers and dirt bikes here… needless to say I’m dirty almost instantly upon arrival. I love this place, I think of it often.
Sometimes it’s hard to take a different eye at the land you see frequently, hard to motivate yourself to step out of the regular. I think this is where artistic challenge is at its finest; the challenge for a fresh set of eyes upon the similar, not for identifying new equipment we need or location changes. With this frame of mind, everything is a tool, everything is art, everything has potential. It’s a great challenge and just requires a new angle.
These photographs were taken mid May, in the south end of the North Thompson Valley, near Heffley Creek, BC or just North of Kamloops. This region – depending on the industry and map you’re looking at, is referred to as North Thompson, Thompson-Nicola, Southern Interior, or Okanagan.
