Okanagan Dreamin
"Overcast with a chance of thundershowers, it's currently sixteen degrees" chirped the weatherman this morning. Visions of a rain-soaked bike ride to work flitted through my sleep-muddled mind. I dragged myself to the computer and, just for fun, googled the weather in Osoyoos. Sunny and 22 degrees.
I've got 'Okanagan brain' these days. The Key is marketing a new development on Osoyoos Lake and as I'm researching the region, visions of orchards and lakes dance in my head.
Real estate in the Okanagan was badly hit by the 2008 recession; properties were discounted by more than 30 percent, construction was halted and foreclosures were common. It's a buyer's market, but it won't be for long. Real estate from Shushwap Lake down through to Osoyoos is on the mend.
While researching local businesses in Osoyoos and Oliver, I suddenly find myself on the Osoyoos Gelato website, pouring over their tantalizing list of gelato and sorbetto flavours. Blackberry merlot, pistachio cardamom, sea salt caramel, honey lavender and most intriguing of all, Aztec Xocolatl (double chocolate with red chillies). I envision a plump grandmother-type, scooping generous helpings of each mouth-watering flavour onto a golden waffle cone and handing it over with a genuine smile.
Cliche? Perhaps. But there is something almost absurdly pleasant about the whole region. It radiates warmth and charm. I didn't grow up in a small town, so forgive me for romanticizing the good parts and glossing over the rest. My image of a small town is filled with friendly locals, old-fashioned shops, tidy streets and pie-eating and cherry-pit-spitting contests.
And this vision appears to be a reality in the Okanagan. The other weekend, folks were stuffing themselves with pie and spitting fruit pits great distances at Gyro Beach in Osoyoos, as part of the Canada Day celebrations.
So, as I set off for work on my bike this morning, rain pouring down, I began humming "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas & the Papas, substituting 'California' for a closer, more appealing location.
To learn more about The Cottages on Osoyoos Lake visit www.osoyooscottages.com
I've got 'Okanagan brain' these days. The Key is marketing a new development on Osoyoos Lake and as I'm researching the region, visions of orchards and lakes dance in my head.
Real estate in the Okanagan was badly hit by the 2008 recession; properties were discounted by more than 30 percent, construction was halted and foreclosures were common. It's a buyer's market, but it won't be for long. Real estate from Shushwap Lake down through to Osoyoos is on the mend.
While researching local businesses in Osoyoos and Oliver, I suddenly find myself on the Osoyoos Gelato website, pouring over their tantalizing list of gelato and sorbetto flavours. Blackberry merlot, pistachio cardamom, sea salt caramel, honey lavender and most intriguing of all, Aztec Xocolatl (double chocolate with red chillies). I envision a plump grandmother-type, scooping generous helpings of each mouth-watering flavour onto a golden waffle cone and handing it over with a genuine smile.
Cliche? Perhaps. But there is something almost absurdly pleasant about the whole region. It radiates warmth and charm. I didn't grow up in a small town, so forgive me for romanticizing the good parts and glossing over the rest. My image of a small town is filled with friendly locals, old-fashioned shops, tidy streets and pie-eating and cherry-pit-spitting contests.
And this vision appears to be a reality in the Okanagan. The other weekend, folks were stuffing themselves with pie and spitting fruit pits great distances at Gyro Beach in Osoyoos, as part of the Canada Day celebrations.
So, as I set off for work on my bike this morning, rain pouring down, I began humming "California Dreamin'" by the Mamas & the Papas, substituting 'California' for a closer, more appealing location.
To learn more about The Cottages on Osoyoos Lake visit www.osoyooscottages.com