Tuesday, May 26th, 2015

Realized that I'd missed Tuesday and so dropped it in here.

heArt Fit morning sees Faith's interpretation of a microscopic view of bamboo.  My photo does not do it justice, as the colours are far more vibrant. An interesting composition.

Ed dazzles us by liberally dragging paint like magic across the white canvass. 

 Knox mountain hike later that day. Stunning as always.

Thursday, May 28th, was a fast bike ride. The cottonwood trees are releasing their fluffy flying around seeds by the gazillions.  

Friday, May 29, 2015
WRT hike to mix things up this morning and I'm glad I did as I met some folks I know. It was hot already at 8:00 am this morning and will be sweltering by the afternoon. Another lovely view looking north east.

Signs like this one creep me out. It was on the inside of someone's tool trailer near the top of my hike. The message is clear. This person means business about his/her livelihood.

I found these lying in the sand near a house being built. They are nail heads for an air nailer. Thought I might jig with the image to make art. See for yourself what happened. I rather like the original.

Okamino and Beyond

Wednesday, May 27th, 2015

WRT Hike early this muggy morning and the woods are humid, an unusual smell in the usually dry Okanagan.

Spied this little guy lapping up sunshine. He/she let me get very close to take pictures.

When we were young, we would pick these an pop them against our hands and arms, the bladder behind the flower acting like an exploding balloon.

Okamino and Beyond

Thursday May 21, 2015

The Mission Creek is showing off on my bike ride today. 

I've been absent from my blog, getting ready for a party in honour of my husband's 65th birthday on the 23rd. He doesn't like huge demonstrations and events for himself, and we don't plan them, but that's exactly what we ended up with anyway. Sometimes, the thing we avoid is the very thing that we get.

Friday, May 22, 2015
A hike up Knox is a tension buster. Dalmatian toadflax are everwhere, and people have been pulling them out. It's a fool's game to even attempt it.

Saturday, May 23, 2015

Another day up Knox and there is the offending toadflax serving up some nectar to what looks like a giant bee, but is in fact a moth.

The camera on my phone is amazing to be able to get a shot like this without too much trouble, making photographers out of all of us.

Sunday, May 24th, 2015
Sold this piece to a friend for her daughter to give away.  I want to remember the loose style, the building and decorating.

We made it up Knox, just, even after the party the night before. Good on you Don, even in your advanced age. (smile and chuckle)

Monday, May 25th, 2015
A bike ride today around my usual 24 km circuit. Going up High road are these very tame deer in Anne and Gord's yard.

Lovely vine hanging over a cement fence on our hike up to Wilden ponds.

Okamino and Beyond

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

heArt Fit day is always a bit of a blur, a good one though. Keith brought in a self-portrait, albeit when he was a bit younger and had more hair, for Renata. 

Renata didn't see this as a completed work, thinking she might further tear and use it in another work. It says so much.

A visitor from near Portland staying at the Grand didn't want to do the usual shopping/wine tasting and found us. She used to paint before children and has just taken up the craft once more. She chuckled the whole time making this, which is collage and drawing and paint. That is real sand on the bottom. I suggested she call it Holy Mackerel! which she did and left to one of our regular attendees. It looks like the start of a children's book, don't you think?

Wednesday, May 20, 2015
WRT hike this morning and the shadows cast by this Yarrow was intriguing.

 Here's the hill that was, on the way to not being.

Witness the drying up of the Arrow Leaf Balsam Root.  Seed heads form and eventually, the whole plant dries up during the summer.

Okamino and Beyond

From Penticton I rode the KVR north as far as the first tunnel.  The surface was smooth enough for my hybrid bike's narrow tires and since it was a sunny Victoria day, there were many people of the same mind as me there. The heavy rains from the day before caused these normally tame creeks to roar like the missing freight trains that used to run on this track.

This is looking south on Okanagan lake from the first tunnel. Can you believe that it's paved through the tunnel?

Francois (with the glasses) surprised his friend Dan by taking him for a long bike ride down the KVR from Kelowna to Penticton for his birthday. What a nice thing to do.

A stunning view of the lake for the ladies from HNZ Global visiting from Montreal. Energetic Helene and MJ doing a little tweaking of procedures for their company and, getting to enjoy a lovely meal.

What a surprise to see our good friends Suzanne, Doug and Christianne from Blind River showing up for their evening supper at the same place. Too much! Looking forward to having them over for supper at our house tonight.

Okamino and Beyond

It's an urban hike over the hills to downtown today, necessitated by the rain which hasn't stopped all night and all morning.  The ducks are almost able to swim in the tennis court, but are having no difficulty on the submerged pathways. No one here is objecting, as it hasn't really rained here, well, last fall. 

This is someone's front lawn along the way.  They aren't needlessly poisoning their soil. This is a nod to my brother who feels bad that he has dandelions invading his lawn. 

 Water is the element of the day, a unique backdrop to your house numbers.

I'm going to sound cranky on this one. I know they've been doing this for a long time, but just because its been done, doesn't mean it needs to keep getting done. We had to dodge the Dodge just to get off the mountain.

 Applause!! This is the new Queensway bus station downtown, a wavy compilation of wood and steel. We tested the functionality; good garbage bins, good places to be out of the weather, unimpeded views, but the benches are a might uncomfortable. Was that intended? You never know these days with people hanging around that they might even lie down. Wouldn't want that would we?

Okamino and Beyond

Saturday bike ride, meandering through Kelowna past the "King's Garden" along the Dillworth pathway.  Can poppies be out so early?

From the Bluebird beach that we frequent in the summer, we saw many many big and little sailboats in formation. I think it was a race or is it a regatta.

Met up with our daughter along Abbott. Can't miss her with that vibrant pink jacket. That's her strategy to be visible to vehicular traffic.

Okamino and Beyond
Friday, May 15th, 2015
Payday
Mission Creek and the Greenway with my constant companion on our bikes. 

We listen to the CBC when we bike, with only one earpiece, you can still hear traffic and other important signals.

What a treat to go to GioBeans during the week. These smart primary coloured umbrellas are new.

I contend that the most organized and smartly dressed landfill site in the world is Kelowna's. I hadn't been for some time and was pleasantly surprised to see this lovely building which houses the Glenmore Landfill Administration.  Now if they could only do something for the poor guy who looks after the recycling end of it. We talked to this young Aussie for a few minutes. He sits in his truck out of the sun as much as possible and doesn't have running water. There is a porta potty for the other end though. He's lonely I'm sure, so go do some recycling at the Glenmore landfill and say hello to him.

Okamino and Beyond

Thursday, May 14th, 2015

Funny how we start taking this beautiful weather for granted. The Okanagan will do that to you, weeks and weeks of sunny weather. My bike ride took me by the yacht club.  I fear you could almost walk to the other side of the lake for all the slips and boats out there.

This is a front yard near Cawston. There isn't an inch of grass. It delights in every corner at every level.

Okamino and Beyond

Wednesday, May 13th, 2015

Knox Mountain

I spy with my little eye a California Quail, almost smack dab in the centre of the photo. So typical of the Okanagan, with sage and Ponderosa Pine framing it all.

Unless I'm told otherwise, I think this is flax. So delicate, with hardly any green leafy leaves.

Intriguing plant with stem coming through the middle of each leaf. 

Could this look more idyllic? You could just lay your blanket, have some wine, bread and cheese and lay there for the afternoon.

Okamino and Beyond

Tuesday, May 12th, 2015

I've been missing on the blog, but not missing my hikes/bike rides.  

Tuesday was heArt Fit. Ed brought in a painting he did at home. The colours are far more vibrant and impact-full when viewed more closely. Ed also make the frame and stretched the canvass himself, all this with a cast on his hand. Way to go Ed!

You may recognize Renata's style by now. On show and tell, the painting got turned around a number of times.  I think this is near perfect.

Alberto, who is near 90 years old just returned from Italy. Alberto has quite a story to tell about having lead poisoning. He used to be a dentist.  It's hard not to see teeth in this after you hear his story.

Ah, Keith showed up to warm our hearts. So, so happy to see him in the crowd. Welcome back Keith. You can see the young and young at heart creating.

Everything becomes art to Keith, even directions to restaurants and shops in Edmonton.

A later day WRT hike in the wind.

Someone please tell me what these remind them of!