11th June, 2006
We Welcome Visitors
by
Every Saturday at 7:15 AM I drive Nicky to his job of construction labouring. The kid needs money for beer, and God knows we are the kind of mean parents who don’t supply the 16 year old with it. Yesterday on the way there I noticed that the cherries are starting to turn light shades of red and the U Pick signs are up on the strawberry fields.
The coming season is really what living in the Okanagan is all about. Wonderful fruit and vegetables, lovely gardens, hot and dry sunny weather, and lots and lots of visitors. The latter is only welcome by the deranged few of us who view these visits as a chance to show off our ability to out do Martha Stewart.
Denis and I were in Vancouver in April and our dear friends had arranged a reunion party for us. We had a great visit with many of the people we hung out with when we lived there. As we left, I said to everyone, “please come and visit us in the summer.” Some said that they would, to which I replied “Hurray! Then I have someone to cook for.” At least a couple of the women there said “you are nuts.”
When I know someone is coming, I’ll start to browse cookbooks, and plan the meals. I go to my favourite tiny store, Lakeview Market, where I can buy fabulous New York steaks and local produce. I go out into the garden and try to look at it as though I’ve never seen it before. Sure enough, there’s always a nasty bit of weeds, or an empty space that can’t be tolerated. No one should have to look at something like that.
Next comes the choosing of the 400 thread-count sheets for their bed. I put together a mélange of magazines that they might enjoy, then finish off with a small vase of whatever flowers are in season. As the guest room is downstairs, and because our neighbourhood is so quiet at night, many people sleep hours longer than they do in the city. Who wouldn’t sleep like a log with the summer air pouring in, along with the gentle hooting of an owl?
Now the bad news: we who live here, have realized that the Okanagan Valley is full to capacity, and so we would appreciate it if you would just remain in your current towns and cities. We only have so much water in our lake systems, and the agricultural land is not for available for building. So please don’t feel hurt as it’s nothing personal, just a simple, scientific observation.
There is a bright spot, though, in that we welcome visitors, and some of us treat them very nicely.