Saturday, October 19, 2013

Boucherie Mountian


Boucherie Mountian, if you live in Westbank you are used to looking at it, driving around in or even partially over it as you wind your way to one of our many wineries or on your way to Kelowna.  As things sometimes happen, I have hiked many places in the the world but not some right at my back door, Boucherie is a prime example of that.  So...on this return trip home I have taken the time to hike to the top several times and what a nice hike it is. Though not that long of a distance, the assent and decent can be quite steep but the reward at the top is magnificent...a 360 degree view of the Okanagan Lake from Okanagan Landing to Peachland.  Though these pictures may be somewhat duplicate, I felt the need to include all of them.  


The view north, up Okanagan Lake with Kelowna and the Okanagan bridge in the background.


Who's the "King of the Castle"?  Ken still loves to climb to the top of any rock pile he can find, like a billy goat!


The first time up Boucherie was on Thanksgiving weekend, in preparation for a big Thanksgiving dinner.  Share used an App on her phone to measure the elevation gain and distance of our hike.
 200 metres up and 4.5 km. long.


The second time up the mountian, I took my little sister, Sharon.  Along the way we stopped to read a few of the wishes left by other hikers on the 'wish tree'.


Some people also left stones placed around the tree making wishes for a better and healthier life for themselves and their loved ones.


The leaves and grassed are turning to lovely fall colours that are a nice contrast to the blue of the sky and the water.  And way off in the distance (you just can't quite see it in this picture) Little White Mountians is already capped with snow.


Sharon and I had to pose for a pic in front of Kelowna and the bridge so we could remember this beautiful afternoon.  But while I was setting up the camera for our picture....


There is this!!!  She just couldn't help herself...I guess there is a little aphrodite in all of us ;)  

What fun!!!

Monday, October 7, 2013

September at Home


I feel like I'm on vacation...from vacation!  A few less blogs.  With most of the time we have spent at home, here in B.C., visiting family and friends and revisiting areas of our province that we know and love, we are relaxed and settling into a easy routine.  Just a few camping trips and bike trips...we are happy with that.  Through the pictures that follow, hopefully you can see why we love it here in B.C. and are always happy to come home. 


Camping a Little Big Bar Lake in the Cariboo.  So much more room to pack camping gear when you have two bikes.


And as the sun sets over Little Big Bar Lake we reflect on some of the reasons we love Canada.


Dog Creek road runs along the Fraser River Canyon and through the Gang Ranch, one of our favorite rides.


What a great campsite.  After a day of riding it was great to sit the relax at La Salle Lake just outside McBride.  Just a bit of the Rocky Mountians can be seen in the background, what a reflection!


It just takes some fresh ingredients and a love of good food to make salsa...


and that is what Mom and I did.  Spicy salsa, peach salsa and black bean and corn salsa, all made with fresh vegies from my parents garden.


Don't let the look on his face say anything...he loves mowing the lawn...really!


Mount Baker looms in the background behind the City of Vancouver.  We lucked-out and had some fantastic weather on our trip to the coast, Vancouver and Bowen Island.


Ken and his sister Shari toast to good times with family and friends on her rooftop patio.  It was a great meal and a nice evening for Mexican.


The totem poles in Stanley Park in Vancouver, a must see when you are in the city for your first time and many times after.


Wow, thanks again Tony for a feast not to be soon forgotten.  Prawns and crab, right out of his traps...you just don't get fresher than that!


"The Chicken Coop" on Bowen Island. The 4 chickens do their part producing eggs but they are just part of the family and wait patiently to be let out in the morning to have the run of the garden during the day.  Real FREE RANGE.



While on Bowen Island we walked the path around Killarney Lake every day, 6 km. that are not hard to take.


Now that was an big, old tree...oh the stories it could tell.


We made a quick stop in Mission to visit Sue and Rob, this girl is a fantastic cook and healthy too.  For breakfast fruit and vegie smoothies accompanied our meal.  Good stuff!


A steady brisk breeze is hard to come by on the Okanagan Lake but we got out for a great afternoon sail with Ron, on his 26' McGregor.  We didn't want to come in.


Long english cukes from my parents garden, we are loving it!


Across the Okanagan Lake, Kelowna gets a bit of a rain storm and Westbank enjoys the rainbow.


We are so lucky to be in the Okanagan during the fall.  It is grape harvest time at the wineries and the weather is great for a few last motorbike rides.