Scenic Saturday - Our Okanagan

Technically it is still autumn, right.  This past week we have had some great weather and beautiful sunrise and sunset.  It is too bad that our golf courses ended too early because the weather has been perfect for a fall round of golf.  Although there are still a few courses around the Okanagan that are still open, most of them are already closed or will be closing in a week.  During our last trip to Kelowna for some shopping, dining and a little bowling, I was able to take some amazing photos of the mountains, lakes and of course sunsets from our living room window.  A couple of the local news always features photos sent by the viewers.  This is where I got the idea for this post today.  This is my Okanagan in the fall. 

Scenic Saturday - CDA

CDA means Canada or if you live in Idaho, it means Couer D'Alene.  After coming back from a two week vacation in Toronto, Ontario we took a couple of days to get organized and we headed to Idaho to check out this quaint city of CDA aka Couer D'Alene.  We have heard so much about it and Jeff's bff thought it would be great for us to meet there. So we did.  It was a bit of a long drive for a day on the RV but we made it.  The Blackwell Island RV Park was situated on an island, therefore the name, and luckily we were given a spot that was over looking the water.  The Park was clean and everyone in the park was friendly and of course very respectful of each others property.  The motor homes, 5th wheel and trailers were just way bigger than ours.  It is funny that when you see our RV parked in front of our home, it appears to be big.  But when you are at an RV park such as this last one we stayed, our RV is the smallest. LOL.  Anyway, today I am combining the beautiful CDA and some of the special ones we saw in the busy city of Toronto.

Marilyn Monroe twin tower located in Mississauga ON

The view from our RV spot.

Photo taken aboard the Lake Couer D'Alene Cruise.

This turkey was trying to get inside the ROSS store, shopping for Thanksgiving outfit?

Waddling Wednesday - Just too cute

The last couple of weeks I have been taking photos or videos of just nature which includes these ducks travelling with their mom.  Some of them are near the edge of the creek but last week I saw one trying to cross the green on # 17 hole at Hillview Golf Course.  I am not sure

if there were the same one that I saw a week before.  One of the photo I am sharing are three beautiful butterflies that were just sitting on the cart path.  My golf buddy and I stood so close to them and they were not flying away.  We believe they were taking care of one of their kind as it was hurt and did not want to leave it behind.  It was quite a scene but eventually my buddy just gave the wing of the hurt one and all of them was able to fly away.  We didn't want a golf cart who was on the hole prior to drive over them.  It's too bad that I was not quick enough to take a photo of a family of turtles.  I am sure there was a mother, father and two babies.  I was being very quiet but I took a very small step and made some grass move and they all quickly jump in the creek.  There was some photos I took of turtles on the same creek and they must be the same.  This post might be a little too boring but wait till you see the videos.  

Trailing Thursday - Rail Trail and Kekuli Bay

When we came back from San Jose, Jeff brought back a used expensive bike that his buddy from his former work place.  He was going to try and find a used mountain bike and for some reason, his buddy had an old one that he thought maybe Jeff might want to get back into mountain biking.  And now he is definitely enjoying the beautiful rail trail and other bike trails in our area.  All I can say is that the photos that he has taken looks so peaceful and serene.  It's too bad I am not into biking.  But then again, Jeff is not into golf.  I guess we just have different sports that we prefer.  We still go out and play tennis when we can and during the winter we try to play squash where there's nothing else to do.  So here are some of the photos Jeff shared during some of his escapades.

Secret Saturday - Amazing scene at the course

As much as I don't want to take out my phone and take photos during my round of golf, there are moments where it's a must.  My golf buddy says I am addicted to my phone because I will take it out to take a photo of anything interesting that I notice at the golf course.  Not only flowers but I have been taking whatever strikes me as something shareable to the followers of my blog.  So here's the latest take just from this week but I added some that was shared and other ones that I probably took a week or two ago.  Some are so cute and maybe one a little scary.  Hopefully you will enjoy it as much as I did when I saw it.

The family trying to get in the creek near the bowling alley.

On # 15 hole, the duck sitting so patiently on her nest.

This is a little scary, like that movie the Birds.

Friday morning on hole # 9, a wet and cold morning, baby ducks huddled.

Sylvia, the neighbor of my MIL, she's 94 years old, she just loves to weed.

Hopefully the family was able to restore this fig tree,

Scenic Saturday - Some amazing views

When you are the passenger riding in front of our RV, the windshield is so wide that you have such a beautiful view of whatever scenery is upcoming.  Although I find it hard to take photos while the RV is moving, it is still amazing the variety of scenery that we have seen during our trip home.  We left San Jose, California and we traveled through northern CA, then through Oregon and Washington before crossing the Canadian Border of Osoyoos, BC.

I hope that you enjoyed these scenic and picturesque images that I have taken using my phone camera.  Sometimes, the lens is a bit dirty but I thought it was still pretty clear. LOL.

Trees Thursday - Fall has arrived.

It is definitely not a surprise the some of trees have changed their colors. Technically fall begins tomorrow. So it is very fitting the I share all the latest photos I have taken during our trips and even at the golf course yesterday.  Although some of the trees in the Northwest Territories does not change at all, there were some that had bright red colors.  Of course it is very difficult to compare fall in eastern Ontario.  For many years when I lived there, it was one of my favorite time of the year.  Even my mother when she was alive, she would try and visit during mid September to mid October.  One year I took her to Ottawa and she was so happy to see all the leaves along the highway 401 going East.  Here in Vernon it is not as noticeable.  Where is your favorite fall getaway to check out the changing of the leaves?  I am sure the New England states would be awesome this time of the year.  In the meantime, you can just check out what I have to offer.

Windy Wednesday - Not a good day for

It was a beautiful sunny day and we decided to go for a little drive last weekend and since it was such a clear sky, we could see from a distance a very colorful hot air balloon.  Obviously, it was not a very windy day, otherwise that balloon wouldn't not be up in the air.  Each time I see a hot air balloon it reminds me of my one and only time I had the opportunity to be in one.  It was a gift from a good friend of mine for my 40th birthday - a champagne hot air balloon for two.  For most of my family and friends they know that I am petrified of height. So why am doing this?  Well, it's one of those things you always wanted to do but afraid to.  But the opportunity was there and for those ones whose had the experience, they said, you have got to go.  I was living in Ottawa, Ontario then and it happened the middle of autumn. The leaves were changing and it was gorgeous.  The process is that they would call you early in the morning (if you choose the morning one) and let you know, if it is a go or not, this is after you pick the date.  We got the call that morning and was advised that it was a NO go due to the weather being overly windy.  I immediately thought it was a sign that I should not be doing this. So we scheduled for another day and this time, they called and it was a good morning to do it.  Well, it was scary but I would have never exchange the experience because it was truly amazing.  After you land, the champagne is waiting for you and a certificate.

That's pretty high, right

This is the part that they are almost getting ready to land.

See how neat it would be inside that basket.

Multicolored Monday - It's nice but not like Ontario

As promised from my previous post, I am sharing all the photos that I have been taking when I see some of the multicolored leaves that have been changing.  Some of these photos are just around our area and the one tree with two colors (green and red) is from the highway that we took during our Sunday drive.  Since this is our first Fall in this area, I am not sure where there are truly changing of the leaves scenery.  If you are from Ontario, you know what I am talking about and if not, then maybe you are from the eastern part of the USA and so it will also be amazing.  Let me know if you have some great Fall photos that you want to share and I might be able to collect and post them this month. 

Directly behind our backyard.

Across the shopping mall.

Along the highway going east, same tree two different colors

Outside the tennis court in the park nearby.

Tennis Tuesday - Taking advantage of warm weather

In another couple of weeks, the leaves will start to turn and then fall comes then we all know that white stuff.  Jeff and I have been taking advantage of some of the warm weather to play tennis and get a bit of exercise.  The only problem is most days it is very smoky.  We have stayed in as much as we can but after a while we need to get some fresh air or should I say smoky smell.  We had found at least 3 different tennis courts that are very close to our home which is perfect.  There's one that has a great view except I cannot take great photos to share because of the smoky skies.  Sorry I have to keep repeating myself because it's been over a month and we hardly see those beautiful blue skies.  Anyway, I decided to take photos of the different plants around the park where the tennis court it.  If you look closely on one of the photo you can almost see the Kalamaka Lake. 

Notice some of the leaves are already changing colors.

We notice that these grass weedy like plants are everywhere.

This would be a beautiful photo if the sky was blue.