Linden Gardens

Tulips

Primroses and our friends

Blossom with Spider

Tulips in Conversation

Yesterday was indeed a special day, the opening day for our favourite gardens. We enjoyed the Spring flowers and blossoming trees, and the weather was perfect. More photos can be seen here.

Special Days

A Powerful Machine to have in the Countryside

Endangered Species in Penticton

Nature and Man

Climate Change. Sketch by Michael

A human trait is to hold special days. We are very social creatures and enjoy celebrating events. Today is "High Five Day". It probably started in US Baseball in 1977, but there is talk of women's volleyball in 1960. We are supposed to give as many people a high-five today as possible.
Another Special Day is coming up on Sunday, "Earth Day" (for 47 years), on which at least a billion folk will make efforts to protect and nurture our planet against the ravages of, to put it simply, having too many people on it. This is to be followed on May 5th by another similar initiative, to show the world the harm it is coming to from pollution. (Check out 350.org)
Our planet has such a finely, delicately balanced environment. Some weird report on the news today suggested that overwatering our Orchards produces more pollution.....
 We should all try and protect our only planet. High Five to that!

A Few Spring Images

Snow Drops

Cranberries

Picnic by Osoyoos Lake

Can I have a nut please?

The light is changing for the better, Time to get out and take a few photos. The weather is improving, so we don't need to shout OMG all over the planet please. WOW will do quite nicely. Sprinkled with other expletives such as "that is really impressive" and so on, so that WOW won't get on our nerves. We don't really need to be that overwhelmed by others' achievements, like swallowing swords. breathing fire, or flying over the Grand Canyon with a jet engine strapped on, or do we? Excitement is the new normal? I prefer the old normal, where we enjoy ordinary things like sunlight and clouds, reflections and shadows, and appreciating the gift of sight.....
More of Spring here....

Robert G Christie DFM

Metal Sculpture in praise of the Salmon, Christie Memorial Park.

New walkway and lamps

Nice Picture but you figure it out what is it all about? View from the park.

Robert G Christie (Distinguished Flying Medal) was a navigator in the RAF when he was killed in action in 1943. He was the only serviceman to be killed in World War II who came from Okanagan Falls. A Provincial Park was built there and named in his memory in 1965 on the beach area of South Skaha Lake. The park recently underwent a major restoration, with lamps and paved walkways. It is one of our favourite lakeside haunts, providing shade and great views.
A Link to our Daily Photo here...

One More Comparison

 Foreground in focus

 Background less in focus

It is all a matter of taste but with SLRs it is possible to blur the background. This time I chose to make it more sharp as well and it gives a completely different feel to the result. Mind you, some people also choose to blur the subject or foreground as well....So see what you feel and remember all three possibilities every time you click..
Oh! whilst you are here, please identify the flowering bush for us. It's a bit like a Ribes in colour, but that is as far as I can get...

Cherry Blossom Time

Cherry? ( or Apricot ) Blossoms, Keremeos

Cherry? (or Apricot ) Blossoms, Keremeos

 Fruit Tree Blossoms are here once again. We drove to Keremeos yesterday for more nice apples from a roadside market, and a few photos. We bought a 20lb bag of Royal Gala apples for $12. It was very heavy!
I was intrigued by this sign, indicating all is not a "basket of cherries", or "a bed of roses" in fruit-growing country after all. We all have our problems....
Thank you all for visiting our blog!

Look Up

White-Breasted Nuthatch

Penticton Magnolias

Clouds in my Head

Hanne and Michael

Unlike in war zones like Kabul and Syria where one has to be always on the look "out", we in peaceful parts of the world have time to look "up", and see the birds. And the clouds. Just the other day the ruby-crowned kinglet arrived outside our place, singing its beautiful song, announcing the arrival of Spring, even though it is pouring with rain. The California Quail with its quaint little flag on top is singing to its mate, and every morning when I go outside to shave (yes I now have an electric razor) I hear the American Robin singing. Bird-watching has long been one of my minor interests, and this is the time of year when things certainly do become more interesting. We were in the woods the other day and saw and heard a huge flock of about 200 swans high in the sky flying North to nest. There was an article about the art of urban birdwatching in today's paper you might like to read.