The towering hibiscus bushes are in full bloom right now. Many of them are three metres (10 feet) or more tall.
Originally from Korea, and in fact the national flower of Korea, these bushes are now a part of many gardens and parks here in the Okanagan.
In the United States they are known as Rose of Sharon, but they aren’t related to roses at all. Frilly and pretty, they add a lovely blowsy richness to the landscape.
Happy Thursday from the flowering hibiscus of the Okanagan Valley. 🙂
A couple of days ago, I saw these rather spectacular cirrus clouds, or
horsetails, as I called them when I was a child.
Cirrus clouds are usually very high, between 5 and 25 kilometres (3 – 9 miles) above the ground. They often indicate the arrival of a front, or in the tropics, the possibility of a hurricane. Our weather remained steady (and hot), so these cirrus weren’t indicative of a change – they were fair weather cirrus.
What I found particularly interesting about these clouds was the corkscrew in the center of them. It looked like someone had swirled the clouds with a whisk. That corkscrew shape is also a type of cirrus, but they aren’t usually found together.
Cirrus clouds have been documented on Mars and Jupiter and are also responsible for light halos and winter sundogs.
Cheers from cirrus clouds of the Okanagan Valley. 🙂
Recently, we stopped at the Nk’Mip Vineyard on a very hot summer day to have a bite, some water, and a glass of wine.
This bottle only had water, but it was lovely on a parched throat as we drank in the beautiful vista and waited for lunch.
Greetings from the ripening wine grapes of the Okanagan Valley. 🙂
I saw this mummy with twins sauntering across a road to an old apple tree.
Mummy wasn’t bothered by me at all as I stopped to take their pictures.
The little ones were more curious than concerned.
They blend in so well that they are not all that easy to see, but I would be happier if they were more skittish.
Greetings from the adorable deer of the Okanagan Valley. 🙂
Harebells are lovely light-blue/purplish bell-shaped flowers that are found everywhere on this continent but grow easily in the north because they like cooler temperatures.
A field of them makes a lovely green and blue carpet – a relaxing and comforting sight. 🙂
Pretty peonies
So fragrant and frilly
A sight to behold
A pleasure to enfold.
🙂
I have left the north and am presently at my home in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia. Recently, I sipped a glass of wine and watched the sun go down behind a hill.
I am happy and grateful for all the wonders in my life. The people (including the bloggers), the work, the food, the time to sit and enjoy a sunset.
Cheers from British Columbia. 🙂
I found these lovely rain washed rosebuds in a friend’s garden.
A north of
sixty (60 degrees north latitude) garden. Aren’t they lovely?
I hope you have a rosy day. 🙂
I found this lovely congregant of daisies.
Aren’t they pretty?
Happy Tuesday. 🙂
The Salt River runs through the town of Fort Smith, NWT.
All is very green right now because recently, there has been a lot of rain.
The Salt River is not salty, but is named for the nearby salt plains. The plains can be found in Wood Buffalo National Park and are very attractive to the many types of animals who like to lick the salt that has worked its way up from deep inside the earth.
During the fur trading days, the salt was collected for seasoning. It could still be used for this purpose today.
Happy Independence Day to our American friends and greetings from the non-salty Salt River. 🙂
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 