Smokey yoga and plums

We went for another smokey morning walk to the wharf and discovered a large group (maybe 70-80) of yoga participants on the wet grass in front of the gazebo. They were undeterred by the smokey air.

The lake is shrinking rapidly. Shorebirds are able to walk on the lake bottom from the end of the wharf until (almost) the rocky breakwater. Many groups of migrating geese, mergansers and other water birds are stopping to fuel up enroute to southern areas. They are reluctant to leave because it is still so warm here in the north.

This sandpiper and his friends were wading at the far end of the wharf.

Following a call from our friend we rushed over to harvest plums that were falling from the trees. The skies opened and we were soaked by the time we had filled a bucket with the juicy treasures.

Now we have the task of pitting, bagging and freezing!

Still smokey

Still very smokey.

Yesterday's smokey sun.

I hope that the predicted rain for this weekend

helps those who are fighting the wildfires south of us.

Road trip to Kelowna

We made a road trip to Kelowna today to visit friends at the Cancer Lodge. Enroute we had to stop for coffee and a scone at The Bean Scene, our favourite Vernon cafe. Their blueberry scones have white chocolate drizzled over the top and are amazingly delicious!

After coffee we did a lazy walk down to Welkmart for some canvases. Along the way we passed a young musician entertaining his two dogs with piano tunes.

I love the idea of public pianos. The accessibility provides for a diverse exhibition of musical talent.

At the Cancer Clinic Lodge in Kelowna I left John to share a lunch visit with Harry while Lois and I tested the flavours at The Marmalade Cat on Pandosy Street. The chicken & pesto panini was delicious and their coffee was great. John and Harry were just going for a walk to the beach when we returned.

The smoke in Kelowna was much better today. Back home in Salmon Arm we can see the sky!!! Hopefully the wildfire situation south of the border has improved.

Smokey

It is a bit easier to breathe today than yesterday

and there are small patches of blue sky.

John tried to see the hills through the smokey air on our morning walk.

They weren't visible in any direction.

The Hive

Breakfast at The Hive in Canoe this morning

They have used old Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew

book covers as "bill folders". Cool idea!

Great coffee that is roasted onsite.

Smokey and dry

The lake is shrinking...

houseboats have disappeared from the wharf

and dragon boats are stranded on mud

The air is thick with smoke this morning...

...hiding the hills

and turning the sun into a red ball

peeking through the trees behind us.

More music at the Ross Street stage

Daybreak Rotary hosted a free pancake breakfast downtown this morning

alongside the Ross Street stage where performers from

Roots & Blues entertained us.

The tiny bassist performing with Scott Cook and the Second Chances.

Drummer with the Roots & Blues Allstars.

I love to see the musicians perform against the backdrop of our community mosaic!

Music Crawl

Music Crawl

A Roots & Blues opportunity to enjoy diverse musical styles

by local musicians and visiting performers

at local venues on a drop-in basis.

We didn't get beyond The Wicked Spoon

where we shared delicious food

and savoured the music of Jordan Dean

and Brent Parkin.

Jordan sang some original compositions and several covers.

He is a very talented lyricist!

Brent Parkin, from Winnipeg, also performed several of his compositions

as well as some oldies. Very impressive guitarist!!

The 31st house showing

After entertaining friends last night I decided to "bump" my routine and arrive at Curves for my Wednesday workout at 10am instead of 8am. Normally I would leave the house around 7:30am for the walk to Curves. I was enjoying a leisurely morning coffee when the phone rang at 8:15am. It was our realtor. Could our house be shown in 2 hours?? We looked at each other and decided to tackle the cleanup from last night's dinner party and prepare the house for its 31st showing.

We scurried around to vacuum, sweep, dust and clean before I dropped John at Java Jive for his morning breakfast around 10am while I carried on to Curves. It wasn't until halfway through my workout that I thought....what if I had gone to Curves at my usual time???? What would John have done??? What would the house have looked like??? OMG!

I must have known that it was important to change my schedule this morning!!! Who knows...these could be the new owners of our home.

ODD SOCKS

My knitting group, Odd Socks, met yesterday

to work on more pieces for the TREE exhibition.

We gathered under the Catalpa tree beside the gallery.

Delores watched us from inside the gallery office.

Creating a leaf...one of hundreds!

Wrapping a branch...one of many!

Curly willow branches partially wrapped.

Hundreds of yarn balls are being used to complete 

this project for an October exhibition in the gallery.

More visitors

My sister Liz and her partner arrived for a visit two days ago. We enjoyed a reunion over dinner at Moose Mulligan's Pub in Sicamous. They had been travelling with their trailer and dog through BC and Alberta for the past six weeks.

Yesterday they joined us for lunch and a Salmon Arm walkabout. It was a grey day but we managed to squeeze in a tour of downtown and a wharf walk before the skies opened.

Later in the day we enjoyed the Dinner Theatre at Haney Heritage Village...roast pork dinner followed by a very entertaining stage production that was moved into the tiny church due to weather concerns. We were very grateful for some much needed rain!

The guys had to "test drive" the old Willys that was stationed onsite.

After waving farewell to Liz and Ken at 8:30pm we joined a full house at Wicked Spoon restaurant for a Wednesday night performance by Dom Fricot and three fellow musicians. Dom played hockey with Adrian when they were teenagers. 

They played an eclectic mix of music...originals and covers.

Dom has a beautiful vocal range.

It was such a pleasure to applaud his success as a musician.

The group is off to Holland in September for several gigs.

Whew!...quite a day!

Today's visitors

On a detour after the wedding at Heffley Lake

they stopped to share a morning coffee...

...and to model the hats that were left

in the borrowed car!

Tonight's visitor

She enjoyed some nibbles on the beans and lupin.