Summerland

Yesterday we visited Summerland for some last minute 2011 shopping.
Here are a few images from this strangely named town up in the hills, where " The Spirit of Summer Never Ends". Its name was inspired by some lines from an old Spiritual hymn " There no cloud shall dim the sky, in that happy home on high, in that heavenly Summer Land "

"The Happy Home on High?"

"Better than Boxing Day Sale"

Mural on the Anglican Church

Tree Root in the Park

It was first settled in 1887 by a family from Ontario who brought some apple tree saplings, named in 1902, and incorporated in 1906. More history here if needed.
This is the last post for 2011.
A Happy, Healthy, and Prosperous New Year to you all from Hanne and Michael!

Hello 2012

JANUARY 2012

FEBRUARY 2012

MARCH 2012

APRIL 2012

MAY 2012

JUNE 2012

JULY 2012

AUGUST 2012

SEPTEMBER 2012

OCTOBER 2012

NOVEMBER 2012

DECEMBER 2012

Here is your free calendar for 2012. To print it go to this address. Enjoy! Cheers and a Happy New Year from Penticton.

Surprise

Tree Patterns yesterday in Okanagan Falls Provincial Park

Busy as a Beaver. A freshly-felled Tree....

Hanne wondering where the snow is this year....

A Gaggle Of Geese, Okanagan River

There are quite a lot of ways of expressing surprise in English. Here are a few of them. " You could have knocked me down with a feather!"  " He knocked my socks off!"  "That boggles my mind!" "They stopped me dead in my tracks!" "Wonders will never cease!"  However these days we have to move faster and don't have spare time enough to enunciate long sentences so we need shorter ones, like "Wow!" "Really?" But the one that takes the prize for surprize nowadays is "OMG". This originated in chat rooms and I am told is used by young dumb blondes who can't write in long hand. However I don't think that applies any more as the expression is used now more in long-hand by almost everyone for the last twenty years at least. I think it stands for "Oh My God", and in the religion-non-offending form "Oh My Gosh" or "Oh my Goodness" which seem quite meaningless. There are other translations of OMG naturally. I am not offended by this prize-winning expression but must admit it is getting to be tiring hearing it all the time everywhere. As in eating porridge every day for breakfast. I wonder what the next one will be?

Snow

Sometimes it just snows, In 2009 we had tons. This year, it has almost all melted away.

Hanne walking on Otter Lake Rd

Icicles on a partially constructed new house

Snow Patterns

Barn with Snow

Even in Alberta it is plus eight Celsius, and people are out cycling. These are photos from 2009 in Armstrong BC.
 At the Coast, it is pouring with rain.
The solar panel manufacturers are apparently going out of business in many countries. What is the world coming to?....                      

Christmas For All

Every year there are reports around this time about Christmas being banned, about changing it to Holiday Season or even Winterval, about worrying in case non-Christians are offended, and so on. It was refreshing to find therefore that certain groups are out there encouraging everybody to celebrate the season of Christmas, whatever their faith.

Small old Apple Orchard House, Penticton

Children's Play House on Stilts amongst the Trees

Our Elegant Hostess Ellen opening Christmas Presents

What to do with Christmas Wrapping Ribbons Afterwards! Ellen's son Steven with his wife Jude

Christmas Day was not too white here this year, but here are a few photos from our day to remember it by...

Wind

Elise and Adam in Jamaica, Christmas Day.

Wind Damage! Skaha Lake

Happy Christmas from wind-blown Hanne

Skaha Lake Waves on Christmas Day (2 degrees C)

Sunburnt Son David and Daughter Deborah in Te Awa Mutu, NZ (Photo by Grand-Daughter Adel)

Another windy time on Christmas Day yesterday. Some farm buildings had roofs torn off at the coast. We stayed indoors mostly, but went to Skaha Lake for a walk later on, but had to abort it because of high winds. Santa checked in here in spite of all the security and left his gifts. We both are sporting fancy new jackets, new hiking socks, and smelling of New Zealand lavender, with chocolate round the corners of our mouths. We are off to Ellen's today for a Danish Smorgasbord. Hope Santa was good to all of you, and that you have been good to Santa. Our children sent photos from New Zealand and Jamaica! Great!

Glædelig Jul!

Hanne wishes you a merry Christmas!   (Breakfast on Christmas Eve)

Michael wishes you a Glædelig Jul! { Morgenmad, Jul } A Toast with Egg Nog!

Ellen singing carols by our "fireside" yesterday....

Happy Christmas!
Glædelig Jul!
We are off to Ellen's house for Danish Jul this evening, after attending afternoon service at the local Lutheran Church...
A Happy Jolly Christmas to All!
From Michael and Hanne
Christmas 2011

Bothy

Yesterday's Party at Athens Creek Lodge

Last Year's Party at Kurt and Else's House

Skaha Lake

Bothy ( courtesy of Wikipedia)

Does anybody know what a bothy is? An interesting word for various buildings with quite a bit of history and traditions associated, along with rules of behaviour  involved whilst using them. It started with Sylvia Plath's recently published drawings. You can read more here on this fascinating subject.  Now, on with the wrapping of gifts and preparations for parties.....

Paper Wine-Glasses?

Going Home for Christmas

Our Granddaughter Adel and Great Grandson Jake are on their way from Bowen Island to New Zealand and her Mom's House for Christmas

Snowmobile Tracks, Armstrong

" I thought it would be warmer than this outside, didn't you? " Christmas Alpacas, Armstrong

Maybe by next year Christmas we will be drinking a toast in paper wine-glasses? Paper wine containers by Green Bottle are scheduled for 2012. Then what next? paper chandeliers? What is the world coming to? Not to worry. Half the world is bleeding or starving to death. The human species will soon be extinct. In 2018 there will be no more room in landfill sites so we might as well go. But who wants to float around the oceans in a houseboat all mixed up with floating rubbish? There won't be anywhere left habitable on land... Hopefully this talk is only in our grandchildren's time. I'm alright Jack. There's always Everlasting Life so why worry? Said he, whilst happily munching on a suicidally delicious piece of egg-nog fudge. To cheer you up, here is a link to a new version of the Story.

Solstice

Outside our door this morning: three photos...

Sunrise

This year the Winter Solstice is later, and will occur at 5.30 am (GMT) tomorrow. I don't mind really, but next year it is back to the 21st December, and stays that way for a couple of years more. Today here it is sunny and last evening we had some snow. Time then for a snowy Christmas Card from us!

Driving

Digital Painting

Rushes

Cows near Keremeos

Newly planted Vines, Naramata

Not another post about driving you say, but I find this subject interesting. More and more people are driving impaired due to cocaine, cannabis, amphetamines, and prescription drugs. One fellow staggered drunkenly into the police car's back seat the other day in Kelowna after running over two pedestrians. He was high on cocaine.  Not easy for the police to pick up on. But here a select few are receiving special training. It seems a long way off but possibly in the future cars will have to drive themselves, just like space ships and LRT trains do now. But as for now, we have to have our freedom as humans to screw up!