Tag Archives: walking

Commentary, nature, Photography

Museum Ship

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The SS Sicamous is a museum ship that is permanently grounded at Penticton’s Okanagan lake front. It’s a steel hulled, stern wheel steam ship that used to carry passengers, and later in its life, cargo, to the communities on the shores of Lake Okanagan.

Photo courtesy of B. Murphy

It was apparently quite luxurious for its time, but once roads were built, the Sicamous wasn’t needed any more. Its state began to decline but it was rescued by the SS Sicamous Restoration Society.

It’s now a museum and events facility, but you can also simply sit next to it to enjoy good weather and brunch, which is what M and I did on July 15.

Happy Monday.

nature, Photography

Little Quail

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Quail are ubiquitous here in the Okanagan Valley. I often see them racing around, their cute little comma-shaped head feathers arriving ahead of them.

The male is on the left and the female on the right.

Although they can fly, they are amazingly fast runners and when chicks are nearby, the adults will suddenly burst into flight, distracting potential predators away from the little ones.

They are extremely social and live in family groups of 20 or more birds. They don’t migrate for the winter but will congregate in coveys of up to 100 birds to keep warm since at 25 cm, (10 inches) they are very small.

They are portrayed extensively on the art work of this area and there’s even a winery named after them.

Greetings from the quail of the Okanagan Valley!