WE WENT FOR A DRIVE THIS MORNING JUST SOUTH OF OLIVER

 These photos were all taken on the east side of the Okanagan River south of Oliver.

Looking to the north we see part of the little town of Oliver and in the distance on the right is McIntyre Bluff.  Our house is just this side of the bluff.

Oliver has declared itself the Wine Capital of Canada and there certainly are lots of vineyards to support that.  There are numerous wineries throughout the area.

Here's the Thing Vineyards

There are many fruit tree orchards among the vineyards

Where I was walking on the hillside above the vineyards was prime cactus habitat.  All those lumpy things in this photo are cactus so you can see that it was difficult getting around!

WE SPIED A TURTLE FROM THE HOUSE WINDOW

 

Purple Loosestrife, a noxious imported weed.  Very pretty but it crowds out other wetland species.  These plants are growing on an island in the river adjoining our park.

Male Spotted Towhee singing his heart out

One of many bluffs across the valley from us

Western Painted Turtle

A day or two after our record breaking high temperatures, I was walking up the street to pick a few apricots when I noticed this petunia growing in the crack between the cement curbing and the asphalt.  Amazing!

SUNDAY AFTERNOON DRIVE

Another day that is too hot to do much outside so we went for a drive through the vineyards east and south of Oliver, BC.  We are in smoke season so now we live in the Smokanagan.

Some neat evening rays over our house a few nights ago

McIntyre Bluff

The Sumac is looking pretty

This field of mixed gardening was out behind a fruit stand I stopped at the other day, they grow quite a bit of their own produce.

Vineyards south of Oliver

It's cherry time 

 

A FEW FROM THE ARCHIVES

 Since I'm going through a dry spell photographically with this heat wave, I have dug into my archives again. These photos were taken on a rainy day visit to Englishman Falls Provincial Park on Vancouver Island a few years ago.

A very wet Arbutus Tree

Alder leaf on a Maple leaf

HOT WEATHER KEEPS US MOSTLY INDOORS

 Not much happening for photos in this hot weather.  We are enjoying our airconditioned house these days.  We did go up to Karen's yesterday to pick peas but we went early and beat most of the heat.  I've gone walking up the river after supper every night but it was pretty brutal last night as it was still 43C when I headed out about 7 pm.  I took my big camera with a polarizing filter on trying to get photos of the large carp in the river but I wasn't happy with any of the images so I took some photos of the moving water to give some coolness to the people suffering from the heat.

Welcome to our little town

June 29

June 29

BLUEBIRDS AND FAWN TIME

Female Western Bluebird

Male Western Bluebird

Male Western Bluebird

Male Western Bluebird

On our way up to Karen's yesterday to pick peas we took a couple of sideroads to get some vineyard views.

This view over Vaseux Lake is looking down to where our house is.  The shear cliff in the center top is McIntyre Bluff and we are just beyond the base of it.

What greeted us at Karen's