I have worked here since 2011 telling stories of the Earth as preparation for a history of the Intermontane Grasslands of Central Cascadia and the rainswept coast that keeps them windy and dry. Now I am presenting this history, step by step, as I have learned it, often from the land itself. The history of this region includes the Canadian colonial space “The Okanagan Valley”, which lies over the land I live in above Canim Bay. The story stretches deep into the American West, into the US Civil War, the War of 1812, and the Louisiana Purchase, as well into the history of the Columbia District of the Hudson’s Bay Company. In all, the story spans the Chilcotin and Columbia volcanic plateaus and the basins that surround them. In this vast watershed lie homelands as old as 13,200 years (Sequim) and 16,200 years (Salmon River.) That’s how far we are walking together here, who are all the land speaking.
Okanagan Okanogan 
The wild rock gardens, filled with cactus and lichens and monkey flowers and tiny rock cresses — what a thing to aspire to.
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When I was five, my mother went around to all the widowed wives of the second generation of ranchers of the Similkameen, many their daughters, the generation of the 1860s, and collected flowers from gardens like this, until modernism tilled them under and her garden went silent. It’s good to work at rebuilding these gestures.
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So true!!!!
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Gardens teach us much.
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Indeed.My lesson: if you cannot get rid of deer plant Japanese maples 😉
ps: I’ve noticed recently you have great (much better) photos – congratulations- any hint?
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I have figured out how to use this camera! It has a very fine lens that is best for close ups and short focal length work, even at a distance. Very fun, and can lock into f2.8 through its full range.
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Yes, I remember you bought a new camera, now you have mastered it indeed! I am a bit envy – a good camera is on my wish list for a while now, but the truth is I even don’t have enough time to get used to it. And on the go I too often forget my (old ) camera and just grab a phone . Which is a pity on some occasions, like the last one with the young owls 😦
Keep on taking great pics and thx for sharing them!
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Thanks!
Of course, you don’t need to worry. I take my share of lousy pictures, especially with this camera, as it can’t do everything, but what it does it sure does well!
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Well, it does absolutely well! Lousy pictures – we all need to make them, progress evolves from hard work 😦
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Nice pic of yours today!
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thx 🙂
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