In July I had a brief visit the the southern Okanagan Valley and spent one delightful afternoon in the mountains above Osoyoos. The lovely blue butterfly above is the first butterfly I have identified using my field guide. It is a Western Tailed-Blue (Cupido amyntula). And occupying the same little mountain dell was a flock of very shy Mountain Bluebirds (Sialia currucoides). I suspect this is a female of the species since the male is more brightly colored.
Here's a view from my recent holiday that never fails to please my eyes, the Richter Pass. The Similkameen Valley runs mostly east and west, roughly parallel and not very distant from the international border with the USA. The nearby Okanagan Valley runs north and south. The Richter Pass connects the two valleys. It is not often this spectacular yellow shade nor are the hills usually so green, effects of an unusually wet spring. These pastures are part of a large cattle ranch, another important agricultural aspect of this area.
Local legend has it that an invading native band who had camped on the top of this precipitous bluff were surprised at night when planning an attack on a small fishing village situated on the bank of the river below. All the invaders were forced over the edge except one who was allowed to return to his home village to warn them not to attempt such an attack again.
These tough little cactus plants are VERY well protected but it's worth risking some inevitable punctures to get close enough to smell the sweet spicy perfume these gorgeous flowers emit. These are Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia fragilis) and were photographed above the Okanagan Valley in Mount Conkle Park.
Greetings all from the wonderful southern interior of British Columbia. I know I'm a day late but I had some technical problems to overcome, not to speak of being surrounded by what has to be some of the most beautiful scenery on earth. The above is called Prairie Valley and lies just outside of Summerland, British Columbia. I spent the day in those hills with some friends looking for Bitterroot and Prickly Pear cactus in bloom. I'll be posting photos of those soon. The brightly lit mountain in the background is called Giant's Head.
