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Someone drew a line in the sand of our grassland between the mountains. The line is nothing. This is our country. These are words and images for our country. Here you can catch a man from this country thinking about what it means to be home.

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  1. I have been wondering where I would find your words. Here they are. Solid. As shifting sands. Real. As blowing winds. Deep. As unknown soil ontop of bedrock. We shall dig in and find. Truth? What we are looking for? What we never expected to find? I am glad to have found you. Here’s to writing and reading and the great and terrible power of our words. And I thank you for the widsom, insight… and simply words… you share.

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    • lumix dsczx20

      Pretty silly little camera, really. I chose to have something infinitely portable and fast, so I could be there for the shots, rather than a high quality camera with set-up time.. I have learned to work with the camera’s limitations. Usually that means I have to move, shoot only in certain relationships to the sun, and so on, but that has led me to some great adventures, especially in Iceland and Palouse Falls. Putting myself in place instead of relying on a lens got me some unique shots, once-in-a-lifetime things. It’s small, light, and goes with me everywhere. I take hundreds of pics to get a good one. The good shots require quick reflexes, and I have learned over time just to react. But then, this is my fourth one of these panasonic thingies (i’ve worn out the other three), and I’m up to 100,000 pics with them, so I have a feel for how they work. But I’m looking to upgrade, as these things are just too fragile, and the zoom can’t be blown up. It could react more quickly too. It’s fast, but I’d like faster. Some of those bugs are very quick!

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  7. Hi there, As you have such an amazing blog i am wondering if you also have a list of the Okanagan native plants you so beautiful portray. I am working on a project in Kelowa to not only bring back the native bees but to do so by bringing back old and current native plants that are not invasive. Your help is invaluable to me. Thank you in advance.

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  8. I was nominated for the Dragon’s Loyalty Excellence Award last week with the invitation that I pass it on to some of my favourite blogs by the excellent Michelle Joelle. As she said when passing it to me she was not sure what dragons have to do with this but if it brings a few more visitors to your blog then I am delighted. Do check out the award at http://stephencwinter.com/category/dragons-loyalty-award-for-excellence and pass it on if you wish to do so or otherwise.

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    • No, but my guess is there are enough ruined, half-abandoned or otherwise gentrified orchards on the east side of Osoyoos Lake that you’d probably get lucky there. Everyone else has torn stuff out… you might get lucky up on Pogue Flats, though. up above Omak/Okanogan. Similar gentrification going on. But it’s a good puzzling question, for sure!

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  14. Harold – I enjoy your pieces very much. If you are ever in Vancouver with some spare time I’d like to meet up. I’m involved in a new type of radio station focussed on belonging and sense of place – Roundhouse 98.3. I’m also in Kelowna March 9 and 10th to do some speaking. I’m particpularly interested in the terroir of social change. al@impact6.ca

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  16. Harold, I just read your this-is-why-I’m-writing-this-blog piece on your home page. A strong and much needed commitment to the earth and the life on it. We need more people like you. It’s encouraging to see how many followers support your ideas. Good on ya!

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  18. Hi !Can you tell me where can I find siberian c seeds. I would like to grow it in quebec, canada. Thanks!!! Nicolas

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  19. Hello Harold. I stumbled into your wonderful blog completely by accident, and I think it is magnificent. I have lived in the northeast U.S.for 30-plus years– Boston– but grew up in central Washington–Wenatchee. I have deep family history in the Okanogan valley on the U.S. side. My father grew up on a homestead near Conconully until the family moved to Chelan so he could go to high school. I have fond growing-up memories of the Old Timers’ Picnic in Conconully and of hiking and hunting in the valley. Recently, a beautiful thing happened: My 24 year old step daughter, who grew up in Massachusetts and Connecticut, visited a college friend from Vassar who works in the Valley, and she fell in love with the place, which means that I will again have a reason to visit. Your photographs and descriptions, your deep appreciation of the land, rekindle many memories of being in that powerful landscape. Thank you.

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    • Thanks for sharing your story, Richard. It is beautiful country, as you know. How could she not fall in love with it? It’s so exciting to be a part of this land.

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  20. Hi Okanagan Okanogan Team,

    My name is Anuj Agarwal. I’m Founder of Feedspot.

    I would like to personally congratulate you as your blog Okanagan Okanogan has been selected by our panelist as one of the Top 75 Vegetable Gardening Blogs on the web.

    http://blog.feedspot.com/vegetable_gardening_blogs/

    I personally give you a high-five and want to thank you for your contribution to this world. This is the most comprehensive list of Top 75 Vegetable Gardening Blogs on the internet and I’m honored to have you as part of this!

    Also, you have the honor of displaying the badge on your blog.

    Best,
    Anuj

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    • Hi,

      no, I did not go inside the building. It’s, sadly, off-limits. I did spend some time with the caretaker, and a good deal of time at Rilke’s grave in Raron, and three days in and around Muzot and Sierre. I’m glad you liked the pics! My time with Rilke was a life highlight. I was rearranged. I have written about the experience. The manuscript is almost done.

      Best,

      Harold

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  23. Harold, for some reason after February 1st all your posts arrive with a few lines of text and then “Read more of this post” as a hot link. I admit I might be lazy, but I love reading your posts in my e-mail, and would rather not have to click on a link then switch to a browser. Is this bad of me? Is this a setting change you made, or WordPress changed something in an upgrade, or what?
    With thanks!
    Candas

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    • Hi,

      I made the change, to see if I could find a better format, as the one I had before was developing problems with age, as all the software surrounding it was changing. I had no idea, though, that it wasn’t still showing up in your email! Perhaps there’s a setting change I can make. It could be that I still need to find another format. The old one won’t do anymore, sadly, but this might not be the right new one. Still, the choice as to which new one is not easy, as most of them are not meant for being serious. I’ll see if there’s a tweak I can make, and we’ll slowly get this perfect again.

      Thanks for letting me know.

      Best

      Harold

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