my parents;

had a party and we all of us gathered - brothers, sisters, in laws and their folks, uncles, aunts, nephews, niece, cousins, cousins once removed, neighbors, childhood friends…it was an “everyone welcome” party spanning several days at several venues;

i did not take any of these photos. most of them are Leanne’s and my aunt Julia’s. this is a photo of Leanne that Julia took (it’s my favorite!);

now if you want to see the truly ridiculous side of my family check here.  (click on HQ to view high res scans)

no cherries. no apricots. it was a strange and rainy time in the Okanagan for our reunion of family and friends.

there were sunny patches, often with clouds of thunder looming over the mountains but we did have an afternoon at the beach and there was a little wine touring fun.

i’m waiting on the photos of others to fill in the gaps. it was a busy time but i’m still figuring out how to simultaneously sling my camera and baby - most of my photos are really really bad. oops.

…were full as they often are. Perhaps it was the fall of the acorns that set me in a bit of a panic, grasping for more sunshine, more fruits, more spontaneity…

A peek at the forecast reveals that sunny Sundays might be over (at least for this week) and i reminisce. There certainly hasn’t been enough of baseball or bike rides.

I hope to share a bit of a birth and a wedding in the next little while after i edit some hundreds of photos. i think these last jobs took the clickety click out of me as the Okanagan photos are sparse. Trust me though, the time was well spent in the orchards, at the beach, visiting friends and family (and cats).

and now this not so little one prepares for the gradual entry back to school. He’s not at all excited. In fact, he’s breaking my heart with his anxiety about it saying the only thing he likes about school is baking bread and that we can do at home.  i’m trying to be confident for him, knowing there is so much more that he enjoys that he’s forgetting or not thinking about. Fortunately his teachers are awesome and supportive of all sorts of quirks and situations. Still i can’t help crossing my fingers.

Across the road, up the hill and into the orchard. Even fruitless the trees offer us plenty. There’s been some pruning going on so hopefully the sun filled peaches won’t weigh the branches down too heavy as last year. i’ve been meaning to gather some cherry wood for more building blocks. i have procrastinated once again but hopefully there will be some dried branches when i return next.

it was well past bed time and that pink in the sky invited us all for one last wander up the hill to gather long grass and to take in the view. We had to leave early the next morning and we weren’t yet satisfied.

sigh. it’s over already and so fast.

(i know i took too many photos and editing out was hard so i included many)

it was this little one’s 1st birthday which prompted the Spring visit to the Okanagan. it was a chilly afternoon, an awesome party and bbq near the lake with all the little ones taking over the playground and lots of familiar faces to connect with - love that - i wish i’d taken more photos and planned for more time away to get more visits in. more please;

proud parents, friends and cupcake baker (delicious N! Little A ate parts of 3 of them);

little gal’s big brother;

my buds from waaaaay back when (plus the little Z);

another day, another brunch and more visiting;

some solo time around town, taking in some favorite views;

Grandma and Bestafa have chickens so we call it a farm. While we were visiting they added 30 laying hens and a rooster to their 13. it was some kind of hootenanny. They mostly live in a coop - bigger than the one they originally came from so i don’t feel so bad for them. The cleverest ones escape and run freely about the yard dusting themselves in the garden, digging up and pecking away anything freshly planted. They can really do some damage. Between them and the deer i don’t know how a garden ever grows there. it was a good game though, chasing and coaxing them back to the coop. Little A’s squeals were of pure delight.  if moulting and the idea of cleaning the poop didn’t creep me out so much i’d say a hen would make a fine and fun pet (i hear there’s been a new law passed that allows us to raise chickens in the city). Some of the ladies, as i like to call them, are currently moulting which i guess explains the variation of egg sizes and quantities.They sure are funny little friends.

Little A’s cat Happy has grown in size and not wits. While we were there he climbed himself up a 50 foot pine and spent 2 nights up there before figuring his way down again. Poor guy was more in need of cuddles than of food and water. Little A followed him around every other moment and claims the kitties to be the highlight of his entire trip. The deer and wild horses ranked pretty high too but he couldn’t pet them so interest was more quickly lost.

Another highlight was playing with his friend Claire. He loves her. the 2 of them raced and played in and out of the corn field and vineyard, made up games, explored, worked out mild differences and laughed themselves silly.  it was awesome.

i sure wish we could bring home that magic of friendship.

i’m certain i didn’t find this beauty when i actually lived in the Okanagan but each year i return and despite the season it raptures me in all it’s bleak and yet fascinating detail. i did not find asparagus. it is too early still (good excuse for another return sooner than later).  Not much is growing green here yet and the deer are munching away on what tender new growth there is. i did find burdock thistles, sticky things but not prickly or dangerous as the jumping cacti. The remains of the corn field were a playground for daily adventures and explorations. The photos do not do it justice but i like them still.

more to come….

August in the Okanagan is a time to enjoy the abundance. Little A is in his element here; wandering, exploring, picking from the gardens and orchards. i’m grateful that we have this to look forward to each Summer. We sort of have the best of 2 worlds because Vancouver is pretty great too.

i just can’t believe the peaches. so so so delicious. quite possibly my favorite fruit when picked fresh off the tree and still warm with sunshine. in some parts of the orchard they’re dropping off by the dozen even before ripening. many of these trees are old and despite being supported, huge branches have broken, laden with the weight of so many fruits. to me it’s tragic. still it’s a beautiful place to pick breakfast.

yummy!

Bestafa grows hazelnut trees. It was a long time growing since the deer also love to eat the tender leaves on the young trees. These nuts all came from a self seeded tree in their yard and Little A spent a good half hour peeling them - a fine and entertaining project. i love their caps. Now they sit in a bowl on our table where we mix them around to help them dry. Fresh they are the texture of a fresh coconut. interesting but i prefer them dried.

Some days were hot as expected and other days more surprisingly cool, hinting Autumn’s breath. We enjoyed it all and soaked up what seemed like a quick end of Summer with visits, a mountain view, runs through the corn rows, garden wanderings, a wine tour and beach fun. it was quite perfect really. Note; the red hat was forgotten, quite on accident, at home, and so opened the opportunity to fall in love with blue.

grandma’s front step. i love it.

this guy hangs out with his buds in the hollow of my parent’s property. he’s been around a couple years and only ever grows 1 horn.

indeed the corn has grown high over my own head. the cobs were still small but we ate them anyhow.

grapes to the left corn on the right;

so many great wines to try. i feel that we should encourage the fruit farmers to grow more than grapes as there is a mono culture trend spreading throughout the Okanagan. i suppose the money is good but what will we do when there is such a small variety of BC fruits?

should we go back for apple picking in the Fall?

overwhelmingly simple. beautiful. hot. seemingly still at first glance but if you pause long enough you’ll notice that it’s busy full of life. i feel the heat and smell the sage when i look back on these. sigh. sometimes i like to go to this back road for a little perspective.

so bright out;

at grandma & bestafa’s house we see deer every day. they like the cool shade of the gully and sometimes a doe will birth a bambi or 2 there. ooooh their sweet bambi spots. so adorable. we got to see2 newbies this time. this gal, she’s just wandering by on her way to the vineyards next door.

a little randomness that i couldn’t leave out - Betty’s garage doors. i like them. and grandma’s treasures. i see where i get my gathering from;