My photos in this continuing series show our beautiful world. Maybe they’ll encourage viewers to help save it from human carelessness. This month’s …
#ScenicSaturday 28th October 2023
A gorgeous sunset photo of the Greek island of Zakynthos, courtesy of Stuart who recently travelled there. It shows the beauty of, as Stuart notes, “our home” – this wondrous planet called Earth.
Even though we recently had our first frost, the dahlias have been continuing to do well.
Bright and pretty, they probably won’t last long after we have a hard frost, so I’m happy to enjoy them as much as possible before waiting until spring to see them again.
The lovely green and yellow reminds us that even through we’re transitioning to winter, the beauties of new spring life aren’t far.
Happy Sunday.
Red barberry is a relatively low-lying and dense shrub that has red edible fruit and green leaves that turn a brilliant crimson in autumn. I have often admired these bushes …
… until I did a little research and learned that they are an invasive species that has caused some rather serious issues.
Because they have a thick, dense thatch, they attract ticks; research indicates that this plant, more than any other, has caused the spread of Lyme disease. These bushes are also responsible for changes in soil nitrogen which in turn leads to a decline in native species.
Although they look beautiful and I love their autumn dress, they are banned in many areas – particularly because of tick infestations – and unfortunately should probably be eliminated wherever they are found.
Penticton sits between two lakes: Okanagan Lake at the north end and Skaha Lake at the south end.
Okanagan Lake is the much larger one; it’s 135 km (84 miles) long, from 4 to 5 kilometres (two to three miles) wide, and is as much as 230 metres (760 ft) deep in some spots. Technically, it is a fjord lake as it was created through glaciation.
For many years Okanagan Lake has been a hub of recreation, transportation, sustenance and employment; its 10,000 year cultural importance to the Syilx/Okanagan Nation cannot be overstated.
Penticton is built on the result of an ancient landslide that split Okanagan Lake into two, with the smaller one in the south becoming known as Skaha in Okanagan or horse lake in English.
Skaha Lake is 12 kilometres (seven miles) long and two to three kilometres (two miles) wide. Its average depth is 27 metres (87 ft), making it ideal for canoeing, swimming, dragonboating, windsurfing, kite surfing and sailing, and especially for learning these activities.
This relatively shallow lake warms up in the spring and summer and by August is like a big bathtub. It retains this heat well into October; we saw people swimming last week before the arrival of this week’s cold snap.
Much recreational life revolves around these lakes, even if only to sit on one of the beaches to relax or just to enjoy the view.
Happy Friday.
While shooting the larger landscapes of the fall display from Mount Pollux, I tried to zoom in on some of the pockets of color. The tops of the …
10.26.2023 A spot of color on the Holyoke Mountain Range
A stunning autumn scene from Stephen Gingold. The nature photos on his site are gorgeous, so I hope you click the link above to take a look.
The trees here in the Okanagan are glowing in the best kind of way with the most intense, fiery reds and oranges.
We’ve had quite a bit of rain and mist over the last couple of days, so these gorgeous trees very impressively puncture the overcast with their colourful abandon.
Happy Thursday.
There are still lots of late bloomers around.
They’re getting lost a bit in the abundant colour show that our trees and bushes are putting on right now, but they are still pretty and lovely to see.
These flowers were in a neighbourhood garden bed, many of which still look appealing despite their seasonal decline.
Happy Wednesday.
‘Daisy Cat’ A bit of feline fun – the family cat, Lennox, pictured in his element, sunning himself amongst the daisies in the backyard. Fearsome!
Daisy Cat
I love this set of photos of Ebb Then Flood’s family cat, Lennox. He’s a very handsome fellow, dozing among the daisies.
The sugar maples are such brilliant colour combinations right now. Enjoying a walk means also enjoying the glow from these trees – a wonderful autumn gift.
There are reds, greens, oranges and yellows on the same tree or a succession of trees – a stunning sight.
They don’t last long, but my, what a show!
Happy Tuesday.
Someone stopped at the year-round duck community next to the creek to drop off some veggies and grain for them.
They were in duck dinner heaven. No scavenging for bugs tonight!
These ducks forage mostly on their own but people will supplement their diet with carrots, peas, cabbage, cooked pasta and quinoa, all of which are good nutritional choices for them. Feeding them bread or crackers really isn’t good for them as they apparently gain weight easily and this affects their ability to walk.
Happy Monday.
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 