Penticton, BC Okanagan

We made two trips to the Okanagan: September colours in the fall and the first chill of winter in November.

The Channel joins Skaha Lake with the Okanagan Lake. Landlocked, Kohee  salmon  are swimming upstream to spawn.

Mushrooms growing in the grass remind us of the dampness of fall.

We visited OSOYOOS and the NK'MIP DESSERT CULTURAL CENTRE ... with a great restaurant, wine tasting, golf course and resort.

http://www.nkmipdesert.com/

http://www.spiritridge.ca/nkmip.html

Impressive sculptures.

This area is designated as desert, but with irrigation, it grows orchards, fantastic tomatoes and grapes.

Interesting plant ... Sumac ... the name provided by Linnea, a reader of the blog.

Research shows that it is the same family as Poison Ivy and some variations can cause a rash.

You can spend a few days touring the wine tasting rooms of the local  wineries throughout the valley.

There are lots of farm markets.

We also hiked the KETTLE VALLEY RAILROAD trail. Much of the railbed has been linked for the trail.

The old railroad linked towns in the valley. We look across Okanagan Lake.

The pine trees grow in the grasslands.

On the hill, a cabin, with an incredible view.

Sometimes the interest is in the small details ...

We were accomapnied by two welsh terriers and our hosts.

A pine tree grows from a cone!

wild figs

Sandstone cliffs with 'the guardians' - eroded over hundreds of years. 
This area has the lowest amount of rain in BC.

ANOTHER INTERESTING DAY ... A VISIT TO THE OLD GRIST MILL OUTSIDE OF OSOYOOS:

1872 Price and Nicholson arrived in the Similikameen Valley. In 1875, he purchased a farm and built a grist mill  and store. The store was made from hand hewn lumber and parts of it still remain.

Rock walls and homemade doors finished the house.

There is a museum with many interesting items from the early days. This fanning mill cleans seeds with screens to separate grains for size and a fan that blows through the falling wheat to clean  out dust and chaff.

Chores took time: indoor heating required chopping the wood, cooking meals required growing the food and washing clothes was in a tub with a 'wrangle' for wringing out the water!

The Apple House, built into the hill to keep temperatures constant for storage. 1906, the Kettle Railroad was finished, allowing for the selling of apples to other areas of the province.

Interesting machinery is around the property. The historic site is a project in process.

The Grist Mill is being rebuilt. A creek is diverted into a trough to fall onto a water wheel. As the wheel rotates, it turns long belts to move the grinding stones.

The water is collected into a pool and becomes a stream again.

Fences ... able to be built quickly and taken apart and moved.

Many plants have been planted that are either indigenous to the area or a food source.

Some perennial flowers and more practical herbs ...  used for food and medicines.

Heritage corn.

?

We were there for the apple festival, entertained with a chorus and  an apple pie contest.

THE TRIP HOME ...

Yellow Lake ... a moment of beauty!

The farm stores have fresh and colourful food and decorative gourds.

Near Keremos the hills are pure rock and eroded gravel and yet, trees find a place to grow.

The river valleys glow in gold.

This rock is an example of the metals that were mined in the area. The black area is the metal, the red looks like lava flow.

I take these photos while my husband is driving. Sometimes we hit a bump or suddenly the road curves. I find these 'errors' to be beautiful.

We knew we were nearing home when we hit the Fraser River and misty skies.

Near Hope, the rain runs off in cascades from the mountainside.