Pocketful of Memory Cards

Benvoulin Church

Turns out I'm not the only one happy the rain stopped so I could get at the huge field of Canola in front of  Benvoulin Church.  Unfortunately our goals are conflicting. I had to be satisfied with using a little creativity to get a perspective that hid the bare patches.

Chris Botti with bassist Richie Goods and drummer Billy Kilson at Mission Hill Winery last night.  For a more detailed description of the event and recommendations for live music in the Okanagan Valley this summer, check out this link  on my blog From the Valley and Beyond.

Being a member of the United Church was a very important part of my mother's life.  As a young woman she belonged to CGIT and taught Sunday School. She was a welcome addition to her church choirs and when other obligations made it too challenging for her to commit to the choir, she was often praised for her singing by the people she stood behind in the congregation.  She was part of many bible study groups, baked for many bake sales, helped out with the pageants at St. Mark's and volunteered whenever she could.  Yet when it came to her religious practice, she was a woman of quiet faith.  She didn't push her beliefs on her family and friends and never chastised us when we didn't attend with her. My mom's illness was lengthy and I know her faith gave her great comfort.  Today, on the first anniversary of her passing I'm posting these "Promises of God" from a paper we found tucked into her bible.  Some of you may remember that I read it the funera...

In the spirit of my How Did I Get Here post, I thought I'd share a few of the online places I visited last week before PMC goes back to being just a photo blog. This site really tugged at my heart strings.  What generous souls these people have.   Heartfelt is a an organization of photographers who volunteer their time and skills to give the gift of memories to families of premature or still born infants as well as kids with serious illnesses. If you've been inspired by their generosity and would like to connect with like minded people,  People for Good  is a fine place to start.  They have 209 suggestions for ways to do good, and they've posted a few videos on how small acts of kindness have made a big difference in their own lives.  Their goal is simple but honourable  "... to make the world a better place, one good deed at a time." Here's an clever way to help get your camera back if it gets   stolen lost .  And if you...

After much thought and an overview of the posts from the past two months I'm going to make some changes.  Since the blog title and description talk about a daily photo,  after Monday's post, my focus will be on regular (though not daily) photographs.  And since I love Kelowna and love sharing all the things that you can do here, I'm going to revive my blog " From the Valley and Beyond ". I've been keeping my ears and eyes out for things I'd like to do and thinking about experiences I'd like to repeat.  Over the next few months you can look forward to one photo per post that links to more detailed posts on From the Valley and Beyond.  I'm hoping for posts on biking the Kettle Valley Railway Trestles , an outdoor concert in the Mission Hill Amphitheatre, kayaking with friends, wine tasting and picnicking via bike through East Kelowna , birthday celebrations in NYC,  and events put on by Festivals Kelowna and Parks Alive .  Cross your fin...

Ran some errands along Bernard Avenue this afternoon and took a couple of shots of the downtown brick work. The Bean Scene is part of the Bernard Avenue Heritage Store fronts between Pandosy and Abbott.  The funky coffee shop's rustic sign fits in perfectly. Across from the Sails, new brick that looks old fronts the line up of popular eat-in and take out restaurants.  For all you ice cream fans out there I can tell you with great certainty that Moo-Lix is open for the season!

I was planning on posting this next week but since this "What to do..." has an option that can only be done on a Wednesday, I thought I'd give you a chance to plan ahead. Last night, what started out as a chore (albeit a pleasant one) turned into a great Wednesday night date.  We planned to hit the 5:00 pick at Benvoulin Road Strawberries but when we arrived at 5:07 there wasn't a parking spot to be had.  We decided since we were already half way there, we should grab an early dinner at Poppadom's , my personal favourite for Indian food in Kelowna.   June 23rd, just had to add this terrific video just posted on their fb page. The announcement of their new  menu  turned up in my email box earlier this week and I was keen to see what they had to offer.  The good news is they're still committed to sharing traditional flavours from all corners of India using fresh foods and healthy cooking methods, but the focus is now on local ingredients. ...

Thought I'd start a regular Wednesday feature to share some places that you might like to visit. Today is a blue and sunny first day of summer, a perfect day to visit Kelowna's Waterfront Park; the collection of asphalt, red brick, wooden and concrete pathways that wind along Okanagan Lake through downtown Kelowna. You can start at Hot Sands Beach near the W.R. Bennet Bridge, and meander along the lake through City Park  continuing past the Spirit of the Sail. I recommend a quick trip across the street to Moo-Licks for an ice cream to keep your strength up for the rest of the trip. Follow the red brick path towards the Yacht Club across from The Bear in Stuart Park and continue along the pedestrian/bike path.  Walk past the smiling faces at Rose's Pub Patio, through the locks, past The Delta Grand Hotel and along the lovely wooden boardwalk that leads to Tugboat Bay.    A walkway continues between the sandy beach and condos lead...

Mallards at Rotary Marsh Here I am at week 22 of my public declarations of gratitude.  It's a great way to start the week especially when Monday can be such a down day.  I'm feeling grateful for all the tasks I completed today.  It's amazing what I can accomplish when I get away from the computer for a while. I'm thankful I was able to sort through the spare room closet, while visiting with Val on Facebook (Ok, I wasn't away from the computer the  entire time!) I'm thankful it stopped raining long enough to take the dogs to the dog park. I was worried the butcher was closed on Mondays but I'm thankful it was open so I could pick up a few things while I was out this afternoon. I'm thankful I was able to get through bunch of housework, including Mount Washmore (even thought it really doesn't look like I did much). I'm thankful I was home when my sister called so we could have a nice chat. I'm thankful that befor...

On this Father's Day I wanted to recognize all the Dads in the Wood-Young family.  They are the kindest, most caring, generous, honourable, smart, funny men that I know and I love them all. On behalf of their wives, children and grandchildren, I extend a heartfelt thank you! Cyril and Sandra Wood on Cavendish Beach PEI Reg Young in Sidney, B.C.  Bob Young with Caroni and Adam Peter Young with son Andrew Bradley and Shane Poole, Paul Lake B.C. Mike and Nicole Young, Paris France Mike and Adam Young, Drumheller Alberta

I posted this as my Facebook cover photo the other day cause there's something I really like about it so I thought I'd share it with you.  I don't know what it is that's so appealing.  I'm not a big lover of cattle (medium rare please!) but there was something so very compelling about this little herd that moved ahead of us along the first leg of our Black Knight Mountain hike a couple of Sundays back. This guy scares me a little, kind of like Health Ledger's Joker in that Batman movie. I love how they all have the same expression on their faces.  This guy is my fave with his horns that point sideways.  What purpose would that serve?

Wednesday June 13th was Max's first birthday.  I really tried to get some photos of he and Pitou to post but they were most uncooperative.  Probably because I'd woken them from a nap and the sun was blinding them.  Yesterday was also a write off, but I finally got them to cooperate a little better today.  It has been a challenge to get them to hold still while I make adjustments and as a result it's been hit and miss on the quality.  Still, it's nice to compare and get an idea of how Max has changed over the past year and grown in relations to his little Big Brother. 7 weeks 10 weeks 4 months 5 months 6 months 7 months 8 months 9 months 10 months 1 year old!!!! .......and I had to add this one 'cause it made me laugh with the "corporate eyebrow" raise.

Mother's Day fell during the time I spent in Whitby last month, so my daughter promised we would spend a day together when I got home, starting with a hike over Knox Mountain.  The weather has not been cooperating on her days off and so we have been spreading out our time together over the past two weeks and it's been a never ending celebration.  Today was the highlight.  Since the weather was iffy we decided against Knox, and headed to the Farmers' and Crafters' Market with umbrellas stashed in the car. The Wednesday market is pretty sparse compared to the Saturday morning one, but we managed to see some gorgeous pottery, sample some tasty treats and I purchased the cutest little photo album from a vivacious young woman named Emily (stay tuned for more about her and The Tangled Fox in a future post). As a mother's day treat, my daughter bought me a beautiful bouquet of flowers from one of the vendors.  The peonies smell incredible and I was surprised to ...

When my sister and I were very young we shared a bedroom.  On the nights when we couldn't sleep (and I wasn't reading a book by the light from the hallway), my sister would tuck her pillow under one arm and jump across the narrow gap between our twin beds.  We'd snuggle together, whispering and giggling late into the night. Our conversations would cover the gamut of subjects and when it seemed we'd run out of things to say, we'd stop and try to figure out how we'd arrived at the final topic of discussion.  We'd trace our way back through each subject, trying to remember what tidbit of information had prompted one of us to head off in a different direction..."oh, that reminds of the time.." or "wasn't that the same place that we..." It was a kind of forensic deconstruction of the conversation.   The way the mind works amazes me, and I'm also amazed we were able to remember the conversations to allow us to do this.  These ...

Today I'm saying thank you for: the chance to enjoy the sunshine for the past two days, after a week of rain. the fact that we have no flooding or water damage in our neighbourhood. the new endocrinologist at the hospital.  I really like and trust him. the loss of a few pounds.  Hopefully no one else finds them. the fact that our daughter joins us for dinner Sunday nights and we talk daily. the opportunity to capture the shot along Benvoulin Road that has eluded me for the past two weeks.

Those of you in Kelowna know this is not a photo taken today.  It's been raining for a week now and I just felt like finding a photo that would cheer me up.  I took this one last year when I had my Artist's Date at Benvoulin church.  I pass by the church several times a week along the rural route I drive to avoid the very busy Gordon Road when I'm heading for the east side of the city.  I've stopped many times along the way to capture a photograph or two and I thought I'd remind you of the ones that appeared on my blog this past year.  And if it ever stops raining, I've noticed a couple new spots that have potential so you'll be seeing more I'm sure. Here are the links to the photos in the order they appear as I drive along Swamp and Benvoulin to Springfield. - early spring on Swamp Road -  Tomato King -  Father Pandosy Mission -  tomatoes from Don-O-Ray -  pumpkins !  and more pumpkins ! - horses and ponies at ...

No, not that one.  I'm talking about a word that makes me cringe every time I hear it, especially when someone calls me one. No, it's not "feminist", I wear that one with great pride.  It's a word that has become ubiquitous in certain circles, a word I can hardly bring myself to even type....f**die.....Yes, it's foodie . I loathe the word.  It just sounds so diminutive and childish. Why is the media so bent on destroying the beauty of the english language.  Why do these things catch on?   There are perfectly good words already out there to describe us...food lovers, chefs, gourmands, epicureans...ok perhaps a little pretentious but foodies!!? ?  That's how I call my dogs to dinner.   "Max, Pitou...foodies!"  I am not part of a dog's dinner. As a food lover and a wordie  word lover, I can hardly bear it. I was thrilled to discover that someone with a much more impressive cooking and writing pedigree than I feels the same way. ...