Hoar frost

Ice fishing on Yellow Lake

This picture was taken the first day of winter, December 21st. This is the first time I've seen people out on the lake and I'm always amazed that the ice will hold them this early in the season.

Between Cawston and Osoyoos - looking west

This is the packed earth building at the Cultural Centre. You can sit and watch little movies of native myths and legends, wander through a village and watch a rattlesnake show (complete with rattlesnake). At the other end is a vineyard and high-end winery.

and another

This sculpture is at the entrance to the NK'MIP (we say 'inkameep') Cultural Centre in Osoyoos. Osoyoos is a border town, hence the Canadian and U.S. flags.

This is a metal sculpture outside the Osoyoos Visitor's Centre.

Fence repairs in the lane behind the main street of Keremeos.

Fall clean-up

pine and cherry

A warm fire on a cool, moonlit, calm Halloween Night.

Goats on River Road

Although these goats stay by the road all winter, they don't seem to get hit by cars, even though the cars come around those curves fast sometimes.

Coming back to Cawston, driving east.

This is the first day the snow came down as low as the valley bottom.

Layers of colour

Frosted tree tops

Seed pod of Asclepias (butterfly weed).

Our ever-changing Spotted Lake

Our heavenly skies

Giant pumpkins

Caught off guard

We heard on the 6 o'clock news that it was going to get to -8 C overnight but there wasn't much that could be done about all the hundreds of bins of apples still left on the trees.

Apples on ice

Looks can be deceiving

No irrigation was on here to show how cold it got overnight, but all the apples feel like nurf balls and there's no point in picking them.

A startling effect from a pole, wires and vines.

This is rearing up out of an orchard between Osoyoos and Oliver - two towns close to Cawston. Osoyoos is south of us, and Oliver is north again but up another valley. We can get to Oliver by going over a mainly dirt road through a mountain pass from our Similkameen Valley to the Okanagan Valley.

A creative bug

This design was made by some tiny creature on a watermelon - its version of crop circles, I guess.

Sunflowers in the fall.

A bad cat.

Another greenhouse that will need repairing.

miniature horses grazing in the autumn sun

First sign of fall.

late summer sky

A beautiful evening in September. The moon (on the right) is just entering the third quarter.

summer evening sky

We've had a lot of thunderstorms lately and the cloud formations reflect some turbulence.

red currants

Everybody knows what cherries look like but these are ripe at the same time and are a lot more finicky to pick, but worth it.

catalpa blossom

delphinium

This is what has been keeping me from being on the computer.

Keremeos' famous Rodeo Pancake Breakfast and Parade. The town's most prominent people are doing the cooking.

A beautiful flower float.

The Pow-Wow used to be held the same long weekend in May that the Rodeo is on but they changed it to August. Natives come from all over North America to perform their dances. At dusk on Friday night the natives ride in to the ring from the east, west, south and north in all their regalia. There are booths with beautiful beadwork and leatherwork, and good traditional food.

A spirited horse.

Here come the tractors!

Spotted lake

This lake is just west of Osoyoos. It's full of mineral salts. It changes throughout the year. Sometimes it's sulfur yellow, sometimes covered over with crust and sometimes covered with water so the spots are barely visible. There will likely be more pictures of this lake on this blog.

wild sunflowers

These wild sunflowers grow all over the hills going east towards Osoyoos and north towards Penticton but don't grow as abundantly around our area of Cawston/Keremeos for some reason.

Road to Osoyoos

Close-up of sand cherry blossoms

Sand cherries in bloom.

Apple trees in full bloom

Apple orchard with packing houses in background.

Our MP, who spoke on behalf of the soldier.

our Member of Parliament, Alex Atamanenko, with the t-shirt that was given to him.

Soldier at Peace Walk

This soldier was in the Canadian forces for 14 years and refused to go to Afghanistan. He is waiting to see if he'll be given a release or will face a court-martial.

At the Mother's Day Peace Walk.

Mothers' Day Peace Walk

Every Mother's Day for 26 years Canadian peaceniks have walked from Haynes Point Park in Osoyoos to the border where they meet their American friends and fellow peaceniks for a rally. The doukhobor's come from miles away and sing the most beautiful songs in harmony.

Impending election in B.C.

Lakhvinder Jhaj, the NDP candidate, in the Keremeos office.