Osoyoos Desert, BC

A beautiful mother's day in the desert--the southern tip of the Okanagan right on the USA/Canada border.

It is one of the earth's most beautiful places in my opinion. I want to live on an acreage there someday. 

The pictures include one of spotted lake--a sacred aboriginal place for centuries. It exists on aboriginal land and as of yet one can only view it from the road. All of the landscape in the area is an ecosystem at extreme risk--vineyards are chewing up the land to grow grapes in this precious area teaming with rare and endangered plant and animal species.

I captured the dessert interpreter centre statue of an aboriginal warrior with a real raven resting on his spear. The ratttlesnake sign is for real. The area is alive with the shake-shake of rattles.

My day began with breakfast with my dear mom, sister Theresa and Joop as well as all my darlings and Peter. And it ended in the desert--one of my favourite spots on earth to visit.

 We drove across the border (risking our lives as the American border official went ballistic on Peter because he dared drive ahead before the green light went on!) and dined at a Mexican restaurant.

I received many lovely cards from my daughters and a gift of two black pug bookends to add to my collection. Tabitha composed a song titled "A Happy Mother's Song" and played it for me on the piano. She'd hand written the entire score of notes out by herself. She is amazing!

I realize that I have explored the entire Okanagan from tip to tip in the past two weeks. First, I traveled to the northern tip, past Armstrong, to explore an old graveyard. Next I explored Vernon  (of course central Okanagan is covered as  I live in Kelowna) followed the next weekend by West Kelowna and Penticton in the south. This weekend I went to Oyama (central Okanagan) followed by an evening in Summerland (south-central Okanagan). Lastly, I crossed the southern most tip of the valley entering Osoyoos and then into the American Okanagan valley yesterday.