Last Friday Fleurday I posted flower pictures from March, April and May; today I’m posting pictures from June, July and August. And I’m really happy about that, because right now we have cloud down to the valley floor and a lot of rain! In the mountains it came down as snow, so if you’re planning a ski trip, I know where there’s plenty of the fresh stuff! But on to more colourful things …
… like a lovely June iris …
… a very fresh daisy …
… and some lovely variegated hydrangeas.
July brought pond lilies …
… impatiens …
… many more hydrangeas …
… and lots of pond lilies, too.
While in August we had anemones …
… sunflowers …
… black-eyed susans …
… penny macs …
… and last but not least, tea roses.
I really enjoyed my little trip through the summer archive! After going for a very soggy and grey ramble today, it was lovely knowing that all these lovelies will be back.
One of the maple species that tends to be overshadowed by the red and sugar maples is the black maple (acer nigrum). So-called because of its dark brown trunk, the black maple is a lovely shade tree.
They have a beautiful shape and in autumn, their large green leaves turn a combination of orange, red and yellow.
They are related to the sugar maples to the extent that some botanists consider them to be a subspecies and they can also be tapped for syrup.
They can grow up to 34 metres (112 ft) and will develop a dense crown which encourages people on a hot day to sit underneath with a cool drink.
We’re very definitely entering our grey, rainy season.
Sunny days are becoming rare; it’s more likely that we will only see glimpses or bits of pink or orange.
The bright and beautiful autumn colours helped alleviate the grey for a while, but there aren’t many of them left now.
They’re on footpaths and sidewalks, in parking lots and on benches, but soon they will be gone with the wind.
The ever hopeful ducks always gently approach looking for a little handout, and it’s always a treat to see them, whether it’s grey outside or not.
I used to give them quinoa which is a healthy choice for them, but the city has really made it very clear that they’re not to be fed unless there’s an unusual cold snap, and in that case they will do it. After all, they are sort of city pets.
We recently had a very sunny day that started becoming overcast by mid-afternoon with clouds swiftly moving in from the south.
I was fortunate enough to leave for my evening ramble in time to see the sunset before it became completely obscured.
I very much enjoyed the counterpoint between grey and orange as the clouds began to envelop the evening sky.
Now that we’re heading into December the sunsets don’t last long – or may be shrouded by gloom – so I took the time to savour this one before it disappeared and the clouds had their way with the skyscape.
I’ve enjoyed watching large maple leaves gently fall from this tree and now there’s only a very few left including this little one, its time done, its rest awaiting.
There’s something very soothing about taking just a couple of minutes to watch leaves floating to the ground; a very centring activity.
During late autumn we begin getting a lot of valley cloud that can envelop us for days at a time in a sort of luminous cotton ball.
On average, the Okanagan Valley is about 230 metres (754 ft) deep and during late autumn and winter, a thermal inversion occurs which is a thick, low-lying layer of cloud that stops up the valley like a cork in a bottle.
It typically arrives around now and can be unrelenting until about mid-February. While it protects our wine grapes and fruit trees from the winter low temperatures that most of the rest of the country experiences and usually gives us mild, snowless winters, it can also ground air traffic and impact mental health when the sun is blotted out for weeks on end.
Although this phenomenon is common wherever deep mountain valleys can be found, the valley floor’s 132 km (82 miles) long Okanagan Lake contributes to the strength of its effects and causes it to be extremely stubborn here in the Okanagan. So, other than visiting a sunny southern country or sitting in front of a sunlight lamp, how do we get a rest from all that cloud?
Well, one thing we do is to visit a ski resort for lunch. We are surrounded by mountains that have a corresponding number of ski hills high enough to be quite far above the valley cloud, so since we don’t ski any more, we go for lunch to enjoy the sun and blue skies. It’s a lovely break from the overcast.
Another thing I find helpful is to look for the remaining autumn colours.
This cotoneaster is brilliant as is the barberry pictured below.
There are also the seasonal lights – coming soon – that brighten these shorter, grey days.
Light decorations on a city park tree, December, 2024.
Although many people are really affected by the grey conditions that usually develop here during the winter, I find that it does have its own beauty.
January, 2025
The clouds themselves as they hang on the sides of the valley and puff over the lake are lustrously pearlescent and their shapes gorgeous, and given how they protect the valley during the coldest months, I think that’s a fair trade-off.
We have had lots of wind over the last couple of months; much more than normal. That pattern seems to be quietening now that we’re closer to winter, but we’re still experiencing the occasional windy day.
We had another one recently and it cleared away some cloud that had been lingering; you can see the streaky sky in the picture above.
The clear air also gave us a pink toned evening before it became dark and the wind died off.
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