Tag Archives: British Columbia

nature, Photography

Late Spring Rhododendrons

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On yesterday’s walk I saw many rhododendrons. They have almost finished their lifespan, but are still impressively beautiful.

The classic pink rhodos.
So frilly and pretty. A spring gift.
The white rhodos (also known as western azaleas; they are a rhodo sub-species) have a mildly sweet scent.

Happy long weekend Monday.

nature, Photography

Views

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As indicated in yesterday’s post, I have happily arrived back in British Columbia and it looks very much like I won’t be returning to the NWT for any length of time before I retire in a few months from now. So, M and I have been enjoying something of a small celebration which is great because it’s coinciding with the long May weekend.

Okanagan Lake serenity.

We have already taken a few long walks (without mosquitoes!) and have been enjoying the relatively smoke-free weather and lovely temperatures. There have also been regular rain showers which, apart from keeping the hills damp, are also helping to clean the air of smoke particles.

Okanagan Lake is still and calm.

The famous Penticton market is open, people are swimming, the dog beaches are active and so many late spring flowers are blooming. I haven’t experienced the month of May in Penticton for a number of years now, so I am really enjoying this.

Greetings from the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia.

nature, Photography

Blooming Everywhere!

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I am at home in British Columbia where everything is a-bloom.

Common viburnum.
Rue or Basket of Gold
This rue was being used as a ground cover, but it’s beautiful in a hanging pot, too.
Viburnum opulus (aka hydrangeas). This is a sub-species of the plant in the first picture, but it has been hybridized to produce these rich, dense blooms.

Isn’t spring great? Happy Saturday.

nature, Photography

Blue Jay

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This member of the corvid (crows, ravens, magpies) family is a colourfully noisy addition to a back yard, especially if you have some sunflower seeds available.

Although they have very loud voices, they aren’t aggressive birds and they get along well with others. I enjoy watching them fly; their wings are almost like a blue and white kaleidoscope.

And, of course, the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team is named after them. Go Jays!

nature, Photography

Okanagan Sunflowers

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The Okanagan sunflower is prolific in the Thompson-Okanagan and in the spring can cover entire mountainsides with its pretty blooms.

The Okanagan sunflower lives mostly in the Thompson-Okanagan, but can be found in Washington State as well.

In spite of the name, it’s a member of the aster family and looks like a yellow daisy. It also doesn’t grow singly as sunflowers do but in clumps or clusters and it prefers very dry conditions. They are so bright and cheery and symbolic of warmth and good weather!

They love to bloom in conifer forest clearings.

Also known as the arrowleaf balsamroot, it is completely edible. Many animals and birds rely on it and indigenous peoples ate the leaves either cooked or raw and used the taproots to make flour. It has the additional advantage of containing many immune-boosting properties, so the Okanagan sunflower is not just a pretty face!

Happy Friday.

nature, Photography

Autumn Leaves in Spring

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Beech trees hang on to their leaves throughout the winter.

This beech tree had lots of leaves, but they were those of last year.

I tried to find out why beeches quite firmly keep their dry, winter leaves until the new ones push through, but there were no definitive answers.

This one had dropped all of its nuts and deer and other animals were getting some early spring nutrition, but nature’s reasons for hanging on to the leaves remains a mystery.