I started this blog as a place in which to think about energy in the desert landscapes of British Columbia and Washington, in a way that also included beauty as part of […]
Green and Not So Green Energy
Horses and Almond Trees and True Love
What about the horses, eh? Pretty intriguing creatures to share a planet with. You saw them yesterday, recolonizing the mistake of an orchard at Kiona, after the seduction of cheap water evaporated […]
Wine, Salmon and Whisky Trading
Here’s a story about salmon, wine, and watching the water flow. It’s about how to find a site for a vineyard. It’s about how to get the land to speak. Or how […]
The Horse Thief’s Garden
One of the most stunning headlands left along the Columbia River is Horse Thief Butte. It was a major village site for as long as there were salmon in the river. There […]
Apple Hunting with Bears
Last fall, I was driving past Ewing, on the west side of Okanagan Lake, when I slammed on the brakes. This is what caught my eye: First Growth Apple Orchard Gone to […]
Hawthorns in Danger of Extirpation
Somebody read that hawthorns grow wild here. Domestic varieties show up in low-water gardening just about everywhere, with their pretty pink flowers and their red berries for the birds. Full marks for […]
Standing Still
A long time ago, orcharding started in the Okanagan when Lord Aberdeen and Lady Aberdeen planted the Coldstream Ranch with fruit so they could make jam and compete with these folks from the old […]
The Garden and the University
Here’s one of the gardens at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus, right smack dab in the middle of the grasslands of Ellison, north of Kelowna. Given that the American half […]
Black Pine
We’re talking about Pinot Noir. Don’t google it. You’ll get thousands of variations on the title of one book, rather sloppily quoted and never questioned, so let’s just go to the source. […]
Grapes at Work
Our grapes are up to something we never suspected. You know those leaves on grape plants? Grape Leaves Waiting for the Light Assmannshausen am Rhein, late June, 6 a.m. Photosynthesis is the […]
Okanagan Okanogan 