Okanagan Lake

Such a beautiful place. I didn't see Ogopogo. :( 
 

Do Not Press

Our rental car has an SOS button. I really want to press it, but Sylvia and Sean say "NO." Alas. 
 

Sylvia and Uncle John

Today we celebrated Aunt Jean's life at a beautiful farm north of Kelowna. This is my favourite photo from that event. Uncle John was Aunt Jean's husband for many decades, and together they lived lives full of travel, art, and adventure on several continents. Uncle John's kindness, tenacity, and talent are truly something to behold, and it's not hard to see why Aunt Jean loved him, and why he and Sylvia connected very strongly at the instant of first meeting several years back. I loved watching them interact this weekend. 

As for the celebration itself, it was a showcase for Aunt Jean's art and our shared love of her somewhat off-the-wall way of looking at the world, something I like to think we share. 
 

Woods, Langergrabers, and a Newton at Red Robin

Earlier tonight Sean, Sylvia and I met with Uncle John, his two sons, their partners, and our cousin David for a long, leisurely supper and chat at Red Robin in Kelowna. Once again, the only real upside of grieving is how it brings people together to remember better times and create some new memories. And it was great to finally meet Kevin's partner, Carol, in person. Sean and Sylvia and I are very grateful to the Langergrabers and David for a wonderful evening. 
 

Osoyoos Oasis

Sean and Sylvia and I are in the Okanagan for celebrations of life for our Aunt Marjorie and Aunt Jean. Aunt Marjorie's was earlier today, and it was a beautiful, welcoming tribute. It was great to see my cousins Diane, Darwin, and Bruce again--Aunt Marjorie's surviving children--as well as several of their children and partners. 

After the service, we took some time to travel around the region, stopping at a patio in Osoyoos for refreshments. Being in such a beautiful setting helps take the sting out of loss.           
 

Sgt. Prestown and Bark

I've been painting many minis lately, and Canada Day seems the right time to show off Sgt Prestown of the Yukon and his trusty Husky, Bark - so named for the sound and the skin of trees, of which there are many in the Yukon. It's a pun! 

This miniature set was created by Bob Murch of Pulp Figures, a Canadian company based in Kelowna, BC. Bonus points! 


 

Baked Bean Soup

While Sean, Sylvia, Mom and I were driving down to Kelowna to visit Mom's sisters, we had a discussion about the merits of beans. During that discussion, I came up with the concept of baked bean soup. Here is the recipe: 

BAKED BEAN SOUP

Ingredients
One can of baked beans
Two whole new potatoes
One rasher of bacon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 basil leaf
1 sprig dill
4 dollops sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar

Preparation
Chop new potatoes into small chunks. Chop bacon into small squares. Pour all ingredients into stewpot and boil for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool for five minutes, pour into serving bowls, and add sour cream and shredded cheese. 

Enjoy! 

More Info on the Theatre of the Exploding Sun

Last month I mentioned that my cousin Keith Langergraber has a show at the Kelowna Art Gallery. The gallery's website has been updated with more information about the show, including a short interview with Keith. It's well worth watching, especially if you're interested in art, sculpture, film making or fan culture.

Theatre of the Exploding Sun

So, this is a pretty big deal: my cousin Keith Langergraber has an exhibit at the Kelowna Art Gallery. It's called Theatre of the Exploding Sun, and runs from October 5 to December 29.This time around, Keith is exhibiting some short films and sculpture.

Some years back I wrote about another of Keith's exhibitions, The Society of Temporal Investigations at Vancouver's Western Front gallery. I was very impressed with Keith's show and his presentation back then, so I can only imagine how much his art has progressed in the intervening years. Hopefully I'll have a chance to visit the show in Kelowna before the exhibit ends! 

Father's Day Ferry Ride

Sometime in the early 1970s, before Sean was born, Mom and Dad took me on a vacation to British Columbia, probably to visit Aunt Jean and Uncle John in Kelowna. I remember this ferry crossing vividly because it was very hot, I was tired and Dad gallantly carried me around. I also remember consuming too much strawberry ice cream and vomiting pink muck everywhere shortly thereafter. Good thing Mom shot this charming father and son photo before that unhappy event. Happy Father's Day, Dad!

Back to the Bedrocks of B.C.

No sooner do I post about Kelowna's Bedrock City do I discover another set of photos from the same trip, taken by Dad. And look, I'm even carrying the camera I complained about last time.

Dad understood, as I did not back then, that photos with people tend to be far more interesting than photos of random scenery - unless, of course, you're a professional photographer, a gifted amateur, or really lucky.

They really should have cut holes in the floor so kids could exhaust themselves driving around the park.

The Bedrocks of B.C.

Sometime in the early 1980s, the Woods family travelled to Kelowna, British Columbia to visit Aunt Jean and Uncle John. While there we visited Kelowna's Bedrock City, one of two Flintstones-themed parks in British Columbia that thrived for a few years and then vanished.

A stone helicopter would require tremendous lift! These photos were taken with a pretty primitive camera, one that seems to have allowed some light to leak into the film compartment, because every photo taken with it features a reddish smear near the top of the frame.

That's Bamm-Bamm and, I guess, Dino, enjoying a bit of fishing near a volcano.

Another view of the pool.

Guests could ride the train through town.

Naturally, this station only played rock music.