Family and Other Wildlife

Having a place to go - is a home.  Having someone to love - is a family.  Having both - is a blessing. ~Donna Hedges

We had the privilege of travelling to the Okanagan region of British Columbia last week to celebrate the 50th Birthday of The Cowboy's baby sister. The Okanagan is famous for its fruit and wine, lakes and sunshine.

Each day, we sat in the sunshine and enjoyed the view from the sundeck, visiting together for hours each day.

We were treated by the birthday girl to a dinner cruise on board the Casabella Princess. The lake was a little rough when we boarded, so we ate while moored in the marina, then set out for the cruise.

Incredible food, incredible family and friends.

On our 15 hour drive home, we stopped for a break at Jasper National Park.

Maligne Canyon

A masterpiece carved by water over thousands of years.

No journey through a Canadian National Park would be complete without seeing some wildlife.

A rare treat. A bull elk swims the river right before us.

A group of 10 or so Rocky Mountain Sheep, all ewes and lambs, gather by the road, stopping traffic.

Caribou- - north of Jasper.

We are home, back to "flat land" and ranch work, exhausted, but so blessed to have had this special time with the family in a beautiful part of God's world. An apple pie is cooling on the counter, made with freshly picked Okanagan apples. Another 45 pounds of apples are waiting to be peeled and sliced for the winter, when we'll taste summer and remember happy, warmer days.

*I'll be having a guest writer and friend visit my blog in the near future. To sample Jan's superb writing, visit One Hundred Words.