Saturday, August 20, 2011

Inflatable Transport

The Channel (Okanagan River)

Floating down the River

"Please pass the Duck Food Dear"
Meanwhile next to the Channel is the Channel Parkway with four lanes full of cars and trucks roaring along. Maybe this method of transport is better? Less pollution, less noise, and no fatal accidents? It seems quite likely the way of the future in Air Transport, with huge helium filled dirigibles floating through the skies driven by solar power. They are big enough to have their own floating pools. What a view they would have! Inflatables also store more easily than cars... Of course one would have to grow locally, but after all humans used to do that for centuries...
And so, on this beautiful summer day, high forecast 32 degrees Celsius, we are obliged to SLOW DOWN!

Friday, August 19, 2011

First Wine Tasting

The Dog Barking Lot at HMV (His Master's Voice) AKA "Hawthorne Mountain Vineyard" AKA "See Ya Later"
We took Hanne's daughter Karin and her Randy to See Ya Later Ranch Winery for their very first wine-tasting. They didn't realize there are over 370 wineries in the Okanagan Region!
This particular winery's owner was very fond of dogs (K9's) and many of his wines are named after his favorite pets like "Rover"! There is a special place for visiting dogs outside, with tie-ups, drinking water, and treats. Many items for spoilt dogs are for sale within.
Area for visiting K9's

Karin, Chad, and Hanne at See Ya Later Ranch

Their Very First Wine-Tasting: Karin and Randy

Randy, Kevin,Chad, Karin, and Hanne ( Mormor)
Their outside patio restaurant and grounds were full of happy customers flaunting their wine glasses and clicking cameras.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Seasonal Photos

Vaseux Lake

Our Summery Ancestors, Lakeshore, Okanagan Lake
It is still summery here and Hanne's daughter Karin's family of four are camping locally so we might be busy being entertained for a few days. Yesterday our great-grandson Jake celebrated his sixth birthday. We look forward to reports from the beach on Bowen Island where a certain aunt, and some great aunts and uncles, gathered to celebrate with Jake.
Hanne's other daughter Elise is reporting from Brewster, Washington State, on their camping holidays.
Sagebrush (Artimesia cana) now in Flower
Here are a few photos from this time of year in our valley.
 There have already been a few fires but all snuffed out safely so far, even one up in the hills behind us in the same area as the big one of 1993. You can see how dry it gets. Today we are off on a short bike ride. See you later!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Summer Holidays

"Oh I do like to be beside the sea-side!" It's time for summer holidays, the Works have two weeks in August every year, usually in our family in England when I was a boy it was the last two weeks in August. We went to the seaside. Scarboro' was alright, nice sand, but when tide was out it was too far to the water. In Dunoon it was hopeless, the beach was all pebbles. One year things got delayed, and it was the last week in August and the first week in September. We never got September, because it was 1939 and England declared war so we had to go home early. I remember another year we went to the Isle of Man and I was sick the whole way over on the ferry. That's about 70 miles of sick. The sea was too cold to swim in. As a boy, I never liked late August because it went dark too early.
In spite of all the problems, I still believed in the old saying that an Englishman should retire to the seaside, so when I first retired, I bought a house near the beach in Nanaimo on Vancouver Island.

 We hope you enjoy the present day holiday at the beach in Wales from the Guardian....
Beach Life by our Skaha Lake

Shushwap Lake at Lee Creek

"It's all downhill from now on girls!" Near Armstrong BC
We have just returned from a short holiday by Shushwap Lake at Lee Creek; hence the gap in posts.....