Today is National Nature Photographic Day! I found this Sea Otter in Tofino’s harbour. I kept my distance and observed what she was doing? She was …
HAPPY WORLD NATURE PHOTOGRAPHIC DAY!
Please join Wayne in celebrating World Nature Photographic Day!
We have a colony of marmots along the rock breakwater at the edge of Okanagan Lake. M and I discovered them on one of our morning walks.
There were a number of community members about, socialising and eating.
There are quite a few different varieties of marmots, but essentially they are large ground squirrels and are a part of the family sciuridae. This family also includes the famous weather-predicting groundhogs of stage and screen.
This little community has found a great location to call home; it’s just around the bend in the path shown below, where it begins to follow the shoreline.
Happy Wednesday.
We have had quite a bit of rain over the last few days and there have been beautifully lit sunset or sunrise cloud formations.
We’re happy to have the rain as we have also been experiencing very warm days, too, and this keeps our fire risk much lower.
I’m wishing for good soaking rains for Alberta and the other areas of the country that have been severely affected by forest fires.
Happy Tuesday.
I recently saw this lovely peony bush in full bloom.
They are such lush and richly scented flowers; they make me really feel like it’s summer.
Happy Monday.
Lavender grows very well in the Okanagan. The soil and weather conditions are rather great for it, so it’s quite prolific.
Not only does it look and smell wonderful, it’s also thought to be a calming and centring element of aromatherapy. I have a small bottle of lavender oil next to my bed; I don’t think it puts me to sleep but it certainly has a fantastic scent!
Lavender does well as a dried plant and you can also cook with it (depending on the type and it also has to be carefully sifted). Given its varied and many uses, it is an extremely versatile plant and it shines at this time of year!
Happy Sunday.
The northern mockingbird is slowly making its way ever further north; in the past its most northerly range was southeastern Canada, but they are becoming very commonly seen in southern British Columbia as well.
They are very plain-looking birds but their vocal range and penchant for mimicry is prodigious. When I lived in Arizona I saw them frequently, so I was delighted to spot one again here in Canada and hear its gorgeous song.
Happy Saturday.
The south end of Penticton is bordered by another lake called Skaha.
Another interesting fact about Penticton is that the land it sits on is actually the result of an ancient landslide that cut off the end of the long, narrow Okanagan Lake and created a second one.
Penticton and its surroundings have been inhabited for hundreds of years by the Okanagan peoples who originally settled the area and traded up and down the west coast, including as far as South America.
Penticton is one of two cities in the world that sits between two lakes; the other is Interlaken, Switzerland.
Happy Friday.
House finches, unlike starlings or sparrows (these birds are considered to be invasive), are native to Canada and can be found all over North America.
The red colouring comes from the foods they eat: the more carotenoids they ingest from fruit, flowers and seeds, the redder they will become. That’s why there’s so much variation in colour and they get mixed up with other types of red coloured finches such as redpolls and purple finches. Personally, I always think that they look like someone spilled raspberry juice on them!
Finches love peanut butter and nyjer (thistle) seed, and if you also have a water source in your yard, you will attract many of them, sometimes 20 or 30 at a time. They’re busy, non-aggressive little birds who love to chat non-stop with each other and are beautiful to watch.
Happy Thursday.
We had lunch at a winery today. The food was stellar.
And so was the wine.
And the view.
And the weather.
We feel very fortunate to be here. Happy Wednesday.
It’s definitely beach time in the Okanagan.
Sun and great weather, lovely walks and comfortable evenings on the deck.
Happy June!
In the Net! - Pictures and Stories of Life 