Last hike in March

We, and our feathered friends, awoke to more snow on the ground...but it was a glorious day for a hike!

Regardless of the white stuff...spring is popping up all over....the buttercups are quite persistant and will not be deterred!! And the moss is thriving.....even here in the dry Okanagan! The oregon grape (I thought was a West Coast native...) is also quite predominant and very colourful this time of year!

There was a "traffic jam" as we encountered climbers on the Skaha Bluffs...a very popular spot - apparently climbers come from all over the world!

We squeezed by the climbers and carried on our sedate way.....scrambling over boulders, up & over the hill and headed for home! Tired but happy, with visions of buttercups & fuzzy burst bull rushes

dancing in our heads.....

Easter colours & other oddities

Grandsons, Max & Rylin, coloured eggs while visiting Grannie & Bubba just before Easter, they were collected straight from Tijmen & Kim's hen house....

Ever seen a Siamese fighting fish in a coffee pot??? Here's a blue beauty! Where do people get these ideas.....???

Easter was quiet at Toy Creek Road...but a walk on Easter Monday, once the snow had again disappeared, was ever hopeful of Spring's return - this beautiful lichen on a very large glacial rock caught my eye! The forest of poplar....winter skeletons awaiting the warmth & rejuvenation of the sun...Mike constructed a feeding station, a few days before Easter, to attract the birds....and we are seeing plenty of juncos and house finches, and occasionally a Downy woodpecker....it's been just over a week since these little beauties discovered the seed buffet, but it has had an unexpected downside! In the past 2 days we have had 5 flying fatalities as the little pilots whizzing back & forth seem to have literally "run into problems"....they are whacking into our glass-panelled deck!! Upon conferencing with neighbours, we hope to have a solution by tying ribbons on the railing as a warning!

addendum.....the ribbons seem to be working! thank goodness!

Weird critters

"Aw, come on....play with me! See, this is the game: you try and get the pine cone before I do, if I let you get it...you could maybe throw it for me....but I bet I'll beat you to it!!"

This little buddy joined me for quite some time on my solitary walk along the KVR railway bed above Naramata, on Wednesday. Every so often he would grab a pine cone from the side of the trail and drop it in front of me. At one point, he even picked one off the tree!! I learned from a lady who was walking her dogs further on, that his name was Jake and he loved to walk with any/everyone who passed by (he lived in one of the houses below the trail) We did eventually part company....but he was very entertaining and amusing! Quite a loveable "lad"....if somewhat odd-looking!!

A creature of a different sort "reared his head" on our trek up Rattlesnake Mountain, just north of Summerland .....isn't nature wonderful!

Seasonal confusion??

On our March 1st hike we marvelled at the evidence of an "early" spring....mountain buttercups...they were popping up all over!




But we were also surprised by a brief but intense hailstorm!

On our hike to Rattlesnake Mtn on March 11th, a storm was brewing!




March 12th was another promising, spring-like day.... with lovely views over Okanagan Lake!


By Saturday March 15th, it seemed we were headed for winter once more, as we woke to an inch or so of fresh "white stuff" on our bedroom deck...but it's sooooo pretty on the branches of the sagebrush & willows....!!
It was all gone by the end of the day...

Now as I sit at the computer on March 16, today's grey skies are threatening more fluffy flakes...only 5 more days til Spring!! ????

Big White Ski Week

Well, here I am again....loving every minute on the slopes of Big White in Kelowna, B.C.
(March 2-7)



(just off the Alpine T-bar...amid the snow ghosts...then over to the top of the Gem Lake Express...)

It snowed the first two days (28cm), so the skiing was very nice....the third & fourth days were a gift of blue skies and sunshine!

We ate, skiied & hot tubbed our way through the week.....with some line dancing lessons from Marlene and Wii games (for a laugh!) courtesy of Masae. Masae (our "youngster" from Japan) made us sushi and a wonderful creme brulee'.....mmmmmm!! Everyone contributes and we eat way too much!

Before you know it, it's time to go....better get the shovel & dig my car out!

This year's Powder Puffs included: Fran, Jade, Jean, Gail, Marlene & Masae (standing)