On Thursday we returned from our trip to the Palouse. I saw this sign at a filling station in Orovile, Washington.

Sept21-1

We've spent the last few days exploring the Okanagan. One of these forays was to Mabel Lake, east of Enderby. This photo I made of the Shuswap River near Kingfisher.

Sept21-2

We drove back through the Trinity Valley to Lumby and back to Vernon. This photo is of the arid hillsides in the Coldstream Valley, just east of Vernon.

Sept21-3 On another day, we hiked the trail to the high point in Kalamalka Provincial Park, with a great view over the lake. Here is Veda along the trail.

Sept21-4 Yesterday I went alone on an all-day trip east along Highway 6. This is a photo I made along this route near Cherryville.

Sept21-5 My ultimate destination was just east of New Denver, to the ghost town of Sandon. Most interesting to photograph were many of the derelict vehicles - an old Kenworth truck and these Brill trolleys. Brill trolleys were electric buses which were built in what is now Thunder Bay from 1949 until 1961 (the dates of trolleys here).

Sept21-6Brill trolleys The partly-restored fire hall was one of the few buildings that I was attracted to photograph.

Sept21-7 Today was our last wine tasting trip. For this we headed south along Lake Okanagan. This is a view of some vineyards along the lake between Peachland and Summerland.

Sept21-8 The scenes along this drive, especially from Peachland south past Penticton and on to Oliver, are grand. The highway cuts high into the mountains above the lake and at other times hugs the lake shore. This is an incredibly beautiful drive. Our first winery stop was at Dirty Laundry Vineyard, with this welcoming sign.

Sept21-9 We concluded this day with visits to three wineries in Oliver. "A great way to end the Summer."

We returned to Vernon yesterday from a four-day visit to the Palouse region of south-eastern Washington. The Palouse is an area of large rolling hills of  farmlands. This photograph, taken from the highest point, Steptoe Butte, reveals the character of this landscape.

Sept16-1 We met up with our friends, Brenda and Don Johnston, who were here while en route to the west coast. This was another opportunity for me to photograph with Don, seen here photographing at sunset.

Sept16-2 The Palouse offers innumerable scenes for graphic images of the farm fields and of the patterns created by the farmers' tilling.

Sept16-3 Sept16-4 Colourful barns and decaying buildings also provide numerous photo subjects.

Sept16-5 Sept16-6 Sept16-7

There are also many old vehicles and farm implements in great settings to be photographed.

Sept16-8 Sept16-9 Unfortunately, from a photographer's point of view, the days were too bright and sunny. None of the puffy white clouds that enhance scenes were in sight. The only clouds were clouds of dust, from driving along the gravel side roads searching for images, and from farmers tilling their fields.

Sept16-10 This is a typical rural road, though many are more primitive than this.

Sept16-11 Here is Veda while I was photographing at last light. I have no pictures of her at sunrise light. I wonder where she may have been at 6:00 a.m.

Sept16-12

Sept11-1 This is the view yesterday morning of the Okanagan Landing area of Vernon.

We (Veda and I, with our friends Lauren and York) then drove the road along the west side of Okanagan Lake toward Kelowna. On the way we visited with a couple of York's old friends. This is the view from the house deck looking north over Okanagan Lake.

Sept11-2 After leaving Kelowna, we took Old Vernon Road to Ancient Hill Winery for a tasting. Here we met Minda, who had some recent medical issues. In her joy of moving on from this situation, she bought us each a bottle of wine. Here she is with us in the winery.

Sept11-3 That evening as dinner was being prepared, we witnessed this beautiful sunset over the North Okanagan Valley. I made the photo from the deck of the house.

Sept11-4 Today we drove south from Vernon through the Okanagan Valley. This photo is at Summerland.

Sept11-5 It shows the arid landscape of the Okanagan, and the lush greenery of vineyards.

The drive along Highway 97 is beautiful, with great lake views, high arid mountains with the road carved along their slopes, and lush vineyards dotting the landscape. Our first wine tasting was at Painted Rock, along Skaha Lake south of Penticton.

Sept11-6

Here Veda has just bought a bottle of wine. Our next stop was at Blasted Church to check out some interestingly named wines.

Furhtre along, this scene I photographed near Okanagan Falls.

Sept11-7 Along the road to Blue Mountain Winery we saw a small herd of Bighorn Sheep, with this ram among them.

Sept11-8 To our dismay, this winery was sold out of all their red wines. But on the way out along the road, we decided to check out Liquidity Winery, where we did purchase a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon which we plan to take home.

Sept11-9 This is the view from Liquidity Winery, with Vaseux Lake in the distance. One more stop at Hidden Chapel, a small winery in Oliver, where we put aside a couple bottles to pick up on our return, and it was on to Osoyoos for the night.