A September Sunday

The following photo essay depicts an early morning hike and swim  on Sunday last. I hiked down our mountain, along with two of my favorite gals (and two favorite wee guys),  for a quick dip in Okanagan Lake. The experience was a little bit of everything: sun and moon, light and dark, warm and cold, wet and dry. Thought for sure the hike back up would warm us up--had to do it bare foot to keep my toes from remaining blue and numb. The water was warm enough but without direct sun overhead, one never really dries off or warms up...

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Lake Okanagan  8 a.m.

Frernando waits for Pip to get into her bathing suit.

Tabby Cat (in her new short hair cut)  is the first one in the lake.

Sister love.

Pablo wants out of the water and into the forest.

Fernando, "I'm done. I've had enough lake for the day."--his paws barely damp.

Sisters explore.

Fernando and Pip.

Pablo and Tabby Cat.

Wait for me Tabby!

Pip, testing the water to see if she should change into a Mermaid or not bother.

Mom, come swim with me--let's be mermaids.

Get in here Fernando! Still waiting for the merdog to get his paws wet...

Time to climb back up the mountain for breakfast. Wait for us Tabby Cat and Pablo!

Boarding Birthday on the Lake

On every Birthday I like to try a new adventure. Usually this involves attempting a sport I have never tried before. Yesterday it was paddleboarding. So much fun. The lake was fairly calm. Well, I have to admit, it was really calm. The only waves were from passing boats. The sun was shining and it was the best way to spend a birthday afternoon. We all loved it. The tiny girls were deemed to young to try by the board rental shack. Yes, there were tears. I think I just might be ready to try this in Hawaii! Decided living in the Okanagan isn't allowed unless one owns a paddleboard and kayak--both are so much fun. Thank-you to all of my family for making this another great birthday!

Mist and Nem on Okanagan Lake, British Columbia

Hi--having a Happy Birthday...

Mist and I with boat approaching!

Tabs and Nem

Nem and Tabs

Peter, John and Dingy in the middle.

Peter

John

The guys stop to chat.

Tabs and I 

Tabs and Mom

Me

Tabs

Mist

Mist and Nem

Ogopogo--Spirit Monster of Lake Okanagan

My girls posing on the head of Ogopogo.
Do you believe in the existence of Ogopogo? There have be documented sighting for centuries but more importantly the Okanagan First Nations believe that Ogopogo is the spirit of Okanagan Lake.
We never look at the lake without looking for unusual ripples indicating the perhaps location of our monstrous friend.

Mist and I had the best hike on Sunday morning. We hiked down to Paul's Tomb with Fernando and stopped at the little beach. The water seemed so refreshing that we jumped right in--Mist in her cut-offs and me in my underwear. After we were nicely cooled down, we climbed straight up the mountain on a trail less traveled--on our hands and knees in bare feet for parts of it--it was that steep and slippery.

Yesterday Mist and I accompanied Tabs class to Vernon for a day of watersliding.
The park looked like a scene from Where's Waldo. So crowded--every school in the valley was there it seemed. Hot and crowded describes it. The line ups for a slow slide were 1/2 h. I managed the tube ride with Misty: waterfall, pool, waterfall, pool--all the way down the hill. It was fun but my butt sometimes hung too low through the tube and got banged around. And also it was stressfull manouvering one's tube well out of the way of some big-boys and their antics--If they came gushing down a waterfall right after you, the force of them hitting the pool, flipped your tube. Although I was guilty of flipping some kid on his tube but only because he hung out at the base of the waterfall and wouldn't move!

The girls are both at school today to pick up report cards. Pip and Artemis are playing here this morning and then...the travel begins!

Peter and I drive the 3 girls and Fernando to Grand Forks to meet Auntie T. She then picks them up and takes them to Nelson with her for 2 weeks and then tomorrow Peter and I leave for Malaysia.

I was dreaming this morning that I was in Paris and I kept opening my eyes to find myself in the same Parisian Hotel room. I couldn't believe it--so I kept closing my eyes and opening them again to make sure it was real--sure enough, everytime I opened them, I was in the same Parisian Hotel room. It was real! I was so excited! And then I closed my eyes again and reopened them, sure I'd find myself in the Parisian Hotel room once again. But alas, that time I opened them to find myself at home, in my Kelowna bedroom. I couldn't believe it! I closed my eyes again to make sure Kelowna wasn't the dream! Rats and Phooey!

The Perfect Weekend

The children's table and
The adult table below.The best weekend. I must write this down, record the weekend for future reference. When I'm bored or blue, I can check back to my perfect weekend and know what makes me happy--fun! I biked all night and sailed all day...dreamy.

We biked on the Kettle Valley Railway line (a high mountain abandoned railway line with world famous trestle bridges, tunnels and cliffs) from Myra Canyon towards Naramatta.

Peter and Miranda were my companions. It was mystical, serene, beautiful and so much fun. It was quiet and near dust, only our bikes and pristine wild BC wilderness. We saw a grouse and her two chicks--their peeps were so cute--they sounded like human babies.

I never wanted to turn around and come back to the van. Even though we'd never be able to bike it in the dark because of sharp cliffs and canyons.

And then Saturday, Peter, Mistaya and I sailed all day on Lake Okanagan. WOW--It was so much work, so much fun and a little scary. Sailing (as skipper) requires full concentration and powerful arms to steer in heavy wind or waves.

And then, following a day of sailing, on Saturday night, we had a party at my sister Miranda's house, she and John hosted a fabulous Thai BBQ for my family, friends and my sister Theresa's family (who were in town for one night only). We danced, sang, told bad jokes and ate a most delicious Thai meal with peach tart for dessert.

Now for today--Sunday--all day on the lake again--sailing away. We had to capsize the boat today and learn how to right it again and crawl back into it. I was slightly terrified of getting tangled in ropes or knocked out from the boom. We sailed to the middle of the lake (800 ft depth) and purposely tipped ourselves. We survived and righted ourselves without incident. Sailing is amazing. Being the skipper is very zen--full concentration. The trick is to remain calm during sudden bursts of heavy wind--not so easy for me.

So, there you have it, a perfect weekend. Perhaps my favorite to date.

However, now I am tired, perfect weekends can do that--and I still feel like I am on the boat when I sit down--that rocking feeling in my head. And tomorrow up way to early...

Fire Burning

These photos were taken only an hour ago. Behind us, across the lake, rages another horrid fire. 4000 homes have been evacuated in West Kelowna. The Fire jumped the highway. If you are trying to reach Kelowna from Vancouver--you're out of luck. To make matters worse, another fire is burning across the lake further down near my beloved Bear Creek. It is giving me flash backs to the devastating Okanagan Mountain Park Fire that raged through Kelowna six years ago. However, this time I am wiser and if the smoke gets too thick I am heading down to Nelson to live until it clears. (Make up the guest rooms T!)

Despite the horror of watching the flames shoot upwards across the lake, we had a wonderful picnic with the Klironomos-Harts and my mom. The waves were high and exciting and the water warm. We went to Bertram's beach which reminds me of the Mediterranean with its cliffs, warm water and romantic lighting from the evening sun. Walking on the dock was fun--like a rollercoaster in the wind and waves. We had Vieners and veggies for supper.

I worked most of the day. Only getting through one article! I have 5 more to muddle through before I start the writing of my paper. The good news is that I am learning So much and the research is fascinating. I especially adore the information on phenomenological immersion. That means being completely lost in a book. What is most fascinating is this occurs when one is deep into a novel, and yet e-books do not facilitate this experience of creating a fantasy in one's head to escape to while one reads. It has to do partially with the materialism of a tactile book. The reality of the book being something that is visible and touchable yet also parts that are invisible and untouchable to us. This is where it gets a little deep. And this is the part I love! If we hold a book and look at the front cover, we know it has a back cover and pages inside yet they are invisible to us at that moment--this helps us create a cognitive bond with the book and build a fantasy world around it--this is a very limited explanation but it really is deep stuff and I don't have the energy to explain more tonight. Good-night all and sleep well...

Evening Stroll by the shores of Okanagan Lake

Back at Okanagan life. These pics were from last evening. Tabs and Pip wore their PJ's.

 Mistaya is busy each evening with drama practice. They perform "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the end of the month.

Tabitha is enjoying her new found freedom of being old enough to walk (or bike) to her friend's houses for play dates. 

Pip is having bad dreams. She told Tabitha this morning that she dreamed her "Littlest Pet Shop" pets were farting and then exploding and were soon all gone!

I will meet a prospective supervisor this afternoon to discuss my thesis project. The only draw back with this supervisor is that she is going on a sabbatical next year. But it is slim pickings at UBC for supervisors.

I am thinking of creating my own yoga routine to do each evening just before I meditate. It may be a solution until I have time to fit in a professional class into my life style. I am getting a little bored of my routine though. Will put some thought into this area of my life. 

Enjoying "Omnivore's Dilemma"--the politics behind agriculture! I had no idea that the invention of chemical fertilizer changed our world forever. Finding the book completely American though, it doesn't address what is going on in any other country currently. Well, at least not yet--I must read on.

Happy Birthday to my sister Miranda!

Bear Creek, BC

Finally the sunshine. It has been the longest, coldest winter/spring on record in the Okanagan. Thank G it is behind us!

The hike was beautiful as usual.

Fernando proved to be a little mountain goat. He has no fear of water, swimming in the creek, often falling head first into the water. 

I am so relieved that one class of mine is over. I get to the point where I am so done with that class and just want to move on.

Yoga still causing me to doubt my anatomy. Why is it that I hate having my head lower then my heart? Every time I must hang my head in a posture, the blood rushes into my nose and stings and I smell blood. I have some sort of ultra-sensitive system, I have always hated hanging my head either back or forward, lower then my heart. I always feel a little sicky. But I persevere. Never day die...

Rented  7 Pounds with Peter. Not a feel good movie. It took me awhile to figure out if Will Smith's character was a villain or a saint. Still undecided. Yes, it was saintly of him to save many lives. But I am not a fan of suicide. I think it vile. Killing himself caused perhaps more bad karma than the good karma created by saving a few lives.

--pic above of Bear Creek falls. The glacial snow hasn't melted yet, thus the creek is still low.

--A view of Okanagan Lake (My back yard).

--A view of Little White Mountain across Okanagan Lake.

--Fernando, the little mountain goat.

---Mistaya with the mountain behind her.

--Peter and Pip.

--Me and Fernando.

--Tabitha, ready for anything, with her personal binoculars, magnifying glass.