Tuesday, November 29, 2016

Weather for Ducks

On Sunday at the farmer's market, one of my customers commented on the lack of blog updates.  I told her she probably gave me the kick in the backside I needed.  So this is for you Bev!

 We have had an incredibly wet October and November.  Depressingly wet.  Only 5 days in those two months without some sort of rain. We've had nearly 12 inches of rain this month, and 9+ inches last month.  And blue sky, well that has been in very short supply too.  Oh we'd see bits of blue now and again, but I don't remember the last time we had a whole day of blue sky and sunshine here in Abbotsford.  So even though these photos are a month old, I'm going to share them with you.
  This was our last trip to Oliver at the beginning of the month.  The first day we were there was a bit rainy.  Actually, it makes me laugh to say that.  Most of the time rain there is fleeting, and light, and generally does not seem anywhere near as bad as it is here.  On average, Oliver gets 1/5 of the rain of Abbotsford.  That day, by the time we got down the dyke for a walk, the rain had stopped.  The next day was lovely.  Blue skies and white puffy clouds all day.

This stretch along the river is one of our favourite summer walks.  On a hot day it is mostly shaded, and there is a great dog swimming spot along there.  You've see the pictures of that!  This day it was very pretty.  Enough yellow leaves left on the tree to glow in the sunshine.



Some really cool beaver art!





The Thorp Rd. bridge and weir.  Or Vertical Descent Systems as there are called there.




Two photographers at work here.




Late afternoon we took the dogs for walk along another stretch of the river, north of town.




The Okanagan river has been channeled, but there is work being done to restore the ecosystems around some of the oxbows of the original path of the river.  This bridge is over a little offshoot that runs through one of the oxbows and returns back to the river channel a bit further downstream.



A bit if a wind making Jake's ears stand up.  He turned 12 this past summer.  He has lots of grey on his face now.