The Okanagan Valley is surrounded by mountains: there are sub-ranges of the Rockies to the east of us, the Coastal Mountains are to the west of us and the Okanagan range of the Cascade Mountains are to the southwest of us. It’s no surprise then that our valley becomes subject to a lot of cloud and mist, particularly in the winter.

Penticton’s elevation is 385m (1263 ft) and the mountains around us are at least another 700m (2300 ft) higher; mist and cloud are typically trapped by mountain ranges.

I love watching the interplay of cloud and light as it forms, disperses and reforms, all the while playing peek-a-boo with the sun.

Happy Winter Solstice – if you’re in the northern hemisphere, from now forward our days become longer.