Pocketful of Memory Cards

I haven't had much time for photography or writing as of late but I wanted to share a few of my weekend captures. I was lucky enough to be part of the Ecora AGM held at Spirit Ridge Winery Resort and Spa  last Friday. The resort is located in the border town of Osoyoos B.C.  about two hours south of Kelowna. It was a rush to get ready for the overnight stay so I figured my phone would suffice for photos.  My regret was immediate and my iPhone declared useless as we wound our way up the hill to the main building.   The weather was grey and overcast but somehow the low hanging cloud added to the mystical ambiance of the place .  My eye was caught by movement in the hills and I watched three wild horses - one charcoal black and two chestnut, as they moved over the dessert scrub that covered the undulating hills surrounding the resort.  Their manes and tails flowed behind them like silken flags, and without ever stepping inside the place, I immediately...

Luckily I had my camera in the car last week when I noticed a swoop of lavender in the west.  I headed over to Lakeshore Road to capture the lovely sunset from Rotary Beach. I'd been taking some indoor shots earlier and had my white balance on florescent so the colours aren't quite right, but anyone who saw the sunset in Kelowna Thursday will tell you it definitely had a lavender/periwinkle tinge. 

My daughter will not be happy with me for mentioning Christmas before the first of December, but I just can't help myself and it's for truly selfless reasons.  I thought sharing a few of my favourite things might give you some Christmas ideas for that wonderful person on your list who enjoys cooking, eating, photography, reading, writing and spending time with loved ones. This is a great little stocking stuffer.  I stumbled across it at Valoroso when they were giving out little samples of it with cheese and bread.  It's a basic paste of hot pepper, olive oil, and white white wine vinegar.  I put it a little dab of it on everything I can think of, like scrambled eggs, meatloaf, or apetizers. A half a spoonful tastes great swirled into a bowl of pasta.  There are a couple different flavours and sizes but I find the 90 g bottle of "love fire" has the best flavour and the most comfortable heat.    A fountain pen makes a great gift for any wri...

The day after Don-O-Ray closed, Jas was kind enough to meet with me so I could buy a few more baking pumpkins to freeze for soups and pies. The fact that I'm roasting these pumpkins as I type reminded me that I'd taken some photos while I was waiting.  It was a lovely fall day and with my iPhone in hand I just I couldn't resist.  

I returned home from running errands on Wednesday afternoon to find a tall narrow box leaning against my front door frame.  It was from my Dad and I had a vague recollection of him saying there was a parcel on the way, but I couldn't remember if he'd told me what was inside.  I carried the box into the kitchen, found an exacto-knife and cut carefully through the packing tape. Inside I discovered a colourful quilt that my mom had started making for me when I was at university. The beginnings of the quilt were discovered when we were going though boxes in my mom's computer room closet after she passed away a couple of years ago. My mom had signed up for a quilting course in Pickering Village in the early 80's.  She made some lovely place mats and a throw pillow and then decided she wanted to make me a quilt to have on my bed at university. Unfortunately while it was being assembled, some grape juice leaked through a knapsack and onto the quilt.   I'm not sur...