The Ides of March are come and gone, as is most of our ski season here in the Okanagan.

1-C_22_0115 Silver Star Mountain still looks good, but in reality, the skiing has been mediocre in my opinion.

We have not had a significant snow fall in the last two months.

2-C_22_0096 This photo depicts one of the better snow days, but these have been few.

3-C_22_0108 When we have had snow, it has been overcast, as on this day. Many days have been sunny. 

Most of the skiing has been confined to the groomed slopes.

In Vernon, the snow has melted away, as in this photo of the view across Kalamalka Lake from where we are living.

4-C_22_0116 5-C_22_0121 This is a similar view on a sunny morning.

We have been happy to have visitors who have come for the skiing (still better than in Ontario) and wine touring.

6-P_22_0027

Sahana and Harrison visited for a week. Here we are wine tasting at Frind Winery in West Kelowna, where we also enjoyed lunch.

7-M_22_0021 This photo I took at Mission Hill Winery. We also visited Mount Boucherie and Grizzli Wineries.

8-C_22_0119

This photo was taken across the road from our house on a frosty morning in Kalamalka Lake Provincial Park.

9-C_22_0122 These are the trees that I have been photographing nearby; still looking for a great sky background.

10-M_22_0025 We've eaten at this restaurant with ski friends and guests a few times.

11-M_22_0026 This is Gerni's Farmhouse restaurant at Sparkling Hill, a Swarovski spa overlooking Okanagan Lake in Vernon.

This is a 16th century Austrian farmhouse which was dismantled in 2019, shipped to Canada, and rebuilt at the Sparkling Hill resort.

12-P_22_0037

Here is Harrison about to dive into his choice, a pork knuckle.

13_D7A2500 This was during our visit today to Gerni's. 

We celebrated St Patrick Austrian rather than Irish.

Ken, Mo, Anna, Veda, Jas, Charlie: all great ski friends and dining companions.

Some of the pleasures of the Okanagan are the wine and dining opportunities.

In this area we've discovered many interesting and special food experiences.

14-M_22_0027French Patisseries One of our latest discoveries was a patisserie in Lake Country, just south of Vernon.

Good that it is not close by!

Spring is coming quickly to the Okanagan Valley.

15-C_22_0123

These poplars are beginning to bud, the first sign that winter is coming to an end, as is the ski season.

Another indication of this is the number of our ski friends who have already left for Ontario.

Silver Star Mountain will close after the first weekend of April.