Saturday July 14, 2007 – Summerland – Okanagan Valley

Today has been quiet for us. We went into Penticton this morning for their weekly Farmer’s Market. Lot’s of folks and families and pets having a good time, getting some sun, and buying: the fruit array we mentioned yesterday, plus beets, lettuce, spinach, new potatoes, carrots, onions, rhubarb, kohlrabi, broccoli, and squash; pastries and bread; natural foods, beans, nuts, and grains; flowers and fruit trees; jams, juices, and honeys -- everything looked delicious! There was an art fair as well with soaps, lotions, clay pieces, glass, jewelry, etc. Almost forgot, two vendors featured alpaca wool skeins in white, brown and pinto, all home grown and sheared. Although we saw fruits and vegetables we would have liked to purchase, we remembered last year when the USA border guards confiscated some of the foodstuffs we had bought in Canada. So we’re trying to restrain ourselves from purchases that we can’t consume in the next 36 hours. There were so many people milling about, we couldn't get a good photo of the wares.

I, however, couldn’t resist the wineries yesterday, and bought eight bottles. It will be a challenge to get it all consumed by tomorrow night. I’ll let you know how that turns out!

Penticton is a pretty little town. I say little, when in fact it feels much bigger especially on the south side where fast food and chain proliferate. It is primarily a tourist and retirement town with all that entails. Folks in the streets are having a good time. The restaurants are busy as are the beaches and the lake. We have enjoyed our visit here.

While returning to our car, we walked through the lakefront park and found a small Japanese-style garden. Not fancy, but quite peaceful and serene in an otherwise bustling environ. The photo is of a single stone across a small pond drain with a single hand-rail. Simple but pretty.

After the Farmer’s Market, we drove south around the next lake in the chain of lakes (in the Okanagan Valley), Lake Skaha; much smaller than Okanagan Lake. Lake Skaha is surrounded by brown, arid hills and a small population. We did visit one of the wineries there – again on the eastern slope. The above photo says it all: Blasted Church Winery!

We had to ask where the name came from. In 1929, the local folk decided to relocate a small church to another site. A miner – with blasting experience – agreed to help. With four sticks of dynamite inside the church, he was going to “loosen the nails” – so it could be easily disassembled. Yes, you hear it correctly. Somehow, they were partially successful – the blast did not destroy the church (just the steeple), and they were able to dismantle it and relocate it to downtown Okanagan Falls. The winery is built on the site of the “Blasted Church”. Only in the Okanagan Valley!

The pew is their calling card – the entrance to the winery. One of their newest wines is Dam Flood! And the last photo is a collection of their postcards over the years. A fun place.

We returned to the camper and took a well deserved nap. A great thing about retirement without a fixed schedule!

Tomorrow we’ll check out some of the local Summerland attractions and prepare for our return to the good-ole US of A on Monday. We’re looking forward to having cell connections and getting mail.