nature, Photography

September 6’s Friday Fleurday

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I’ve been watching these panicle hydrangeas over the last couple of weeks as they have developed into incredibly lush and beautiful clusters of flowers.

The bush is about 2.5 metres tall (approx. 8ft) and covered in these rich pink and white panicle bundles. They are now reaching the height of their beauty.

Aren’t they lovely?

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Aurora Borealis

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The Northern Lights recently paid a visit to the Okanagan Valley. I was surprised to see such bright and colourful lights this far south but the sun is coming to the end of an 11-year cycle where huge solar storms are bombarding the Earth with extreme amounts of energy that is manifesting as unusually strong, brilliant and swirling Northern Lights.

My last picture of the Aurora was taken in the Northwest Territories where they are frequently and stunningly visible, but these pink lights were a lovely southern gift.

Who needs fireworks when we have these?

Happy Wednesday.

Reblogs

Reblog: Jo’s Monday walk : Costa Vicentina

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The big attraction for me of the Costa Vicentina, on the south west coast of Portugal, is the rugged cliffs, much darker in composition than the …

Jo’s Monday walk : Costa Vicentina

Beautiful pictures of the southwest coast of Portugal from Jo at Still Restlessjo. Please click on the link above to see more of her gorgeous photography. Her site is well worth a visit.

nature, Photography

August Sampler

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It’s September, and if you’re in the Northern Hemisphere, for many there are mixed emotions involved. Some like the arrival of cooler weather and the beautiful autumn colour changes, while others will soon be missing the summer sun. But in the meantime, a look back at August – a very warm August!

August 1 sunset over Okanagan Lake. It was 39C (102F) at 8:44 p.m.
August hydrangea.
I’m so hot! A marmot tries an early morning cool-off before the temperature goes back up!
Mid-August; evenings were becoming a bit more comfortable for strolls along the lake.
Pond lilies are always a delight to see.
Skaha Lake at the south end of town. Penticton is one of two cities in the world that sit between two lakes. The other is Interlaken, Switzerland.
The cool of an early morning walk.

Although I’m sad to see summer coming to a close, I’m happy that I won’t have to be as strategic about choosing a cooler time of day for walks or hikes. As I get older I find that I’m becoming less comfortable with high temperatures. I overheat quickly and take longer to cool off – I’m thinking of walking around with cold packs in my pockets – but that soon won’t be much of an issue. Here, September is a gorgeous month; it’s really the best of both worlds.

I hope your September is enjoyable.

Sometimes, life is like that.