Our visit to Oliver provided us with a much needed break from the activities of big city life. The small town ambiance of Oliver is an attraction to me, for I enjoy the quiet evenings outside. We saw the Turkey vultures coming in to roost in a tall Douglas fir near the house we were staying in. The birds all sported red necks and faces. Before I became a teenager we saw Turkey vultures, then for years not a one was seen. It is wonderful to see the populations increasing again. Another bird that is on the increase is the osprey. As a boy, I don’t remember ospreys in the neighborhood.

The daytime temperatures of 15C are very appealing too, I even got some tan on my face while pruning my sister’s trees.

Of course we had to bring some locally produced wine home, some plants and some jam. I also brought home copies of most of Wally Smith’s Orchard Run columns. I’ll be doing some periodic referrals to his columns.

Our return to Edmonton led us south through Osoyoos, which is starting to look very commercial and reminds me a lot of the busyness of Kelowna. As we began our climb up Anarchist Mountain, we saw apricot trees in bloom in scattered plantings throughout the area. I am disappointed that we are missing the fruit trees in bloom in all their splendour. If I remember correctly, it was only the pear blossoms that really stank. Everything else had a very pleasant scent. As a visitor, it is not possible to have everything the way you want it, and missing the bloom is just the way it is.