More Like It

Vera's Lilly of the Valley

A Garden on Scott Ave Penticton, across from Vera and Johann's

Reflections in a pool at Linden Gardens

Hanne, Johann, and Vera under our favourite Cherry Tree

Now this is  more like it! Sunshine and dry weather return! We celebrate with a visit to Vera's Spring garden, and afterwards take Vera and Johann to Linden Gardens where they are encouraged to invest in season's tickets...

Rain

Crop One. This shows the rain drops hanging under the branches

Crop Two. This is to make the picture bigger on the screen. Both views taken during yesterday's unusual rain, from our deck.

The Rain on our Patio Yesterday

To continue from yesterday. Nothing special really, just a whole month's rainfall in one day. A few basements flooded, bridges washed away, mudslides, a highway or two closed. Somehow I can't understand why cars bump into each other just because the road is wet. There were lots of collisions yesterday on the Bennet Bridge in Kelowna because of that, so they say. What ever happened to common sense I don't really know. I expect it has gone the way of good character, morality, honesty. All these new cars too with mind-blowing safety features and precision road-balancing technology. But then again all old people don't think much of the new generation....nor did they ever. Nobody connects the dots either. Electric cars don't pollute so no extreme weather caused by driving them. Yes they do have electric airplanes. They are called dirigibles. A bit slow though. Slow is good. Especially when it comes to reading the news on TV.... Check out 350.org...... and quit moaning Michael!

Flood Time

Daffodil or Oregon Grape?

Rose with Bleeding Heart?

My Workplace

Magnolia Tree

With extra snow in places, followed recently by a warm spell and now rain, some Canadians are waking up to flooded basements. Others on slopes, to mudslides. All is not rosy and blossomy in Spring necessarily. In Manitoba and elsewhere they are still awaiting  their turn.
Today I was experimenting with deep focus in dark conditions, and this resulted in the photo of my workplace, so you can see where all the blogs start out...
The other day I was playing with macro and this resulted in the discovery that with enlargement, an Oregon Grape flower looks just like a miniature daffodil!

Supper with Friends

Hanne with Ellen's Star Magnolia

View from the back yard

Candle holders

Danish Table Decoration, Paris and Ellen preparing the feast in the background.

Yesterday our friends Ellen and Paris went to a great deal of effort to entertain us at their new home, cooking a lovely barbecue feast for our culinary delight. These are some of the photos from our visit.

"Fine Gold Ore "(Orofino in Spanish)

"There's gold in them thar hills!"
We explored Orofino Road near Oliver but found no gold mine as someone had put a gate across the little gravel road. But a one-armed prospector called Reed found gold there about 150 years ago, and the business lasted until around 1906.
More info here.
These photos were taken on Orofino Rd.
More about Oliver history here.

Orofino Rd

Old Farm Entrance at the end of Orofino Rd

Up into the hills for golden views

Balsam Root Time

Balsam Root on Seacrest Rd Oliver

Hanne enjoying the view over Oliver

Farm Entrance

Old Home Made Fences, Orofino Rd. Oliver

Once a year the Balsam Root pops out absolutely everywhere in the Okanagan. Its beautiful yellow flowers decorate every glade and hollow. We had a miniature heat wave yesterday, and lots of good light for photos. I think it reached about 22 Celsius. Alongside these blooms come the myriads of white flowers of the Saskatoon bushes. So now with blossoms and leaves popping out everywhere, it's beginning to look a lot like Spring!
A detailed Photo of the Balsam Root can be found here.

Sunshine and Blossoms

It was sunny yesterday so we were able to have both light and shadows. Some people call them reflections, like the Danes who have the one word for both. Shadows and reflections are similar of course because they both echo another image. I'm not sure if sound can have shadows but it can certainly reflect. So on reflection, all in all, it was a good day for photos yesterday, even though I am now only a shadow of my former self, life is still worth living, especially following as I do in the beautiful shadow of Hanne.

Shadows and Lines in our living room.

Extra Large Blossom Tree on Ekhardt Rd

Detail of Blossom

Here is a link to more photos from yesterday.