Signs of Spring at last!

Skaha Lake in Spring

Blossoms on Alder Avenue

Mr and Mrs Goldeneye

We took a walk down Alder avenue in Kaleden and discovered delightful aromas coming from some pink blossom in someone's garden! The daffodils are finally blooming, and this pair of Goldeneyes are building a nest in the reeds no doubt. The little boat is ready for its first voyage on the calm waters of the ice-free lake. All that is needed is for some children to arrive. The honeysuckle leaves are opening, the willow tree leaves are growing by the day. Happy Spring from Penticton!

The Human Footprint

Happy April Fool's Day! and Happy Mothering Sunday everyone!

Coffee Cups

Reflections

Old Exercise Machine

Today's photos feature the human footprint. We like trailing (NZ) in the Nature(Danish) but prefer surroundings undisturbed by the human footprint. Yesterday was the warmest day of the year so far (18 degrees Celsius) when rolled-up sleeves were required on our walk. It was interesting to see old coffee cups in mid-recycling, an old exercise machine minus saddle, and how close-by dwellings had produced a duckweed-type growth on a pond. It reminded me of a daily walk long ago past a cow carcass. It gradually was recycled that summer in about three weeks. All that was left was a half pelvic bone and a piece of skull. The rest had been eaten up by something. Not like coffee cups or exercise machines or ( as in Alan's example ) an old scooter. No-one wants to eat those. We also came across a plastic bag of discarded music CDs. The plastic bag had almost entirely disintegrated, showing that at least some human-made thing had recycled....
The CDs were in perfect shape!

Modern Fashions?

Portrait of a Lady in Green by Christian Tagliavini

Flowers for Deb and Brian

Here are some ideas for your next fancy dress party!
The photographer Christian Tagliavini spent a year on his famous project "1503" not only photographing his models, but actually making the mediaeval clothes himself. You can see all nine photos here. I took the photo from the front cover of the latest copy of my university magazine.
The second photo is a bunch of flowers used for our recent guests. Please enjoy, we love sharing!

Visitors Gone

Deb and Brian at the Hooded Merganser with Hanne

Walking on the KVR Trail at Arawana

On Munson Mountain Penticton

After a welcome re-union our over-night visitors left for Vancouver this morning. Yesterday and the day before, we were driven all around the area to see the beauty spots, visit wineries, and sample the delights of the Hooded Merganser Restaurant. In the evening we were joined by our son Tim and daughter-in-law Jayne for evening dinner in our dining room at the Lodge. Afterwards we watched photos from Sam's time in Chile on the monitor. Now they are off to the four corners again, Sam to Whistler B.C., Deb and Brian to New Zealand, Tim and Jayne back to work in Kelowna. But, never mind, we have many fond memories to look back on, and of course photos to look at....

Visitors

Sam in his Kayak

White Water in Chile

We are at present enjoying a visit from my daughter Deborah from UK, on her way back home to Te Awamutu in North Island New Zealand, after a year in Chelmsford, being a social worker. Her husband Brian is with her, he works as a geologist in New Zealand. Their son Sam is here too, just back from Futaleufu in Chile where he worked as a white-water rafting guide. He is soon to do the same here near Whistler BC until the fall. We are exploring the South Okanagan with them for a couple of days. The photos from Chile are by Q-Photography. Many thanks to them for sharing.

Kite-Surfing

There are quite a few different sports using wind. Here on Skaha lake kite-surfing is popular in the winter months, and wind-surfing and para-sailing in the summer. Then there is para-gliding and sail-boarding and kite-boarding. It is all very confusing. We may have a go at para-sailing this year as they use a boat to take off from- no running along the beach...

Yesterday we were watching some chaps kite-surfing and here are a few photos. They manage to jump quite a distance up into the air, it is quite amazing. Maybe they should also have a parachute ( a defense against a fall 1807)

Rainy Farm Photo

Rainy Farm Photo

In creating a digital painting, the original photo is used as a basis, then brush strokes are added, varying the colors, eliminating details, and adding items as needed; then the whole is re-edited in Photoshop. You can see more examples here. (then go to the Photos tab.) Enjoy!

Rainy

It is rainy again, so here are a few rainy images. We forgot to turn off the lights last evening for Earth Day. It seems many others forgot as well, too busy demonstrating against cuts to the economy. Here in Canada, Parliament was dissolved and the election campaign got underway for voting on 2nd May. Soccer seemed to disappear from our screens, the only game England versus Wales. I'm not going to even mention cricket...

Okanagan Lake

Rain Clouds West of Penticton

Digital Painting

Tomorrow we welcome a visit from daughter Deborah and family from England, Chile, and New Zealand. More on that later... Enjoy your week-end, what's left of it!