In 1992, when we and dog Alex boarded a freighter in Bremerhaven to cross the Atlantic Ocean towards Halifax in Nova Scotia, it was intended to be the start of a 3 year trip with a motor home throughout Canada, USA and Mexico. But you never know.
Our destiny brought us to a property near Lemon Creek in British Columbia's Kootenays. This piece of land at the river had an exceptional fascination for us and awakened the desire to live there. Spontaneously we bought house and property, returned to Germany after 2 years of travelling and applied for immigration. In 1995 we moved to Canada. To say good bye to family and friends, to sell everything we owned in Germany and to retire from our jobs as school principal and graphic designer was a big step. But it was, as well, a great beginning, with the challenge of managing life in what was, for us at this time, foreign country.
We gave our house the name Haus Lemon Creek. It had its own history and the story can be read in Robert Inwood and Christian Bruyère’s book "In Harmony with Nature" (Sterling Publishing Co, 1981).
Katharina from Switzerland and Glenn from USA tell that they had heard about a valley with a great lake, surrounded by mountains and forests. When they came to visit the valley in the early seventies they felt absolutely enthusiastic about its beauty and decided immediately to buy the property at the river.
House Building
with Simple Tools
The House went over to
Margie und Karl
Over the last 30 years many things have changed here. What 3 decades ago was a simple, hard and secluded life nowadays is equipped with all the amenities of modern civilization. But we still live in the midst of nature. Beavers create the landscape in front of our door, kingfishers, Canadian geese and bald eagles nest close by, deer roam though the forests without being shy of people, skunks walk by, and sometimes a black bear leaves his footprints behind.
Unsere Blumenterrasse
Our life, now with girl dog Mira, is fulfilled with all the daily work such a large estate requires. We enthusiastically enjoy photography and writing, and to experience nature in outdoor activities like mountain hiking, bicycling, canoeing, skiing and scuba diving is an essential part of our life quality.
We are often asked whether we are homesick for Germany. Of course we are. We miss old friends, the different life style, the remains of the long history, the influence of various cultures one meets everywhere in Germany. We especially miss the whole volume of our mother tongue when we have to express ourselves in English.
Our Almost Domesticated Deer |
Elisabeth and Michael with Mira
Our House Today
Katharinas and Glenn's House
in the Nineteen-Seventies
It was hard work to develop the land and to build the house with the simple tools they had. But life in the remote wilderness without electricity, running water and telephone obviously did not make them happy. When they split up in 1980, Margie from Austria and Karl from Bavaria became the new owners. They as well sensed that they had found their paradise in the property by the river. They as well started the hard work to shape the land and to improve their living conditions. Margie designed flower and vegetable gardens while Karl built additions to the house and made many inside and outside modifications. To hand it over to us in 1995 was not easy for them.
We restored the second house on our property to the comfortable guest chalet Haus Lemon Creek is today and we like to share the exceptional beauty of our place with our guests. In 2008 we purchased the neighborly property with Haus Beaver Castle. Today we share the incredible beauty of this incredible place with our guests.
Guest House Haus Lemon Creek
before Renovation
Our Paradise by the River
Mira
On the other hand we have made many new friends here, we enjoy the nature around us every single day, the freedom our large property and the independence to fulfill our days as we like. And to have so many nice guests from Europe is a wonderful experience and helps keep our connection to Germany alive.
Elisabeth von Ah
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