John meets his challenge.  Stuffed and hugely harmless.  

Harrison Hot Springs, British Columbia.

 

Our Salt Spring Island competition.  Beautiful country bouquets selling for $12.  A transplanted Healdsburg girl working here.  Notice they still have sweetpeas in mid August.  The flowers and other produce seem to come on a bit later in their bioregion.   This was the Tuesday afternoon Farmer's Market.  They have a bigger one on Saturdays.

One of many farm gate stands on Salt Spring Island.  I loved the clever flower holders.  A custom designed wooden stand holds a litre-size milk container.  Flower stems soak within until snatched by a customer.

I have no idea what this is.  It is blooming on a tree outside the entrance to the University of British Columbia's Botanical Gardens.

A roadside Inn outside of Penticton.  The hanging flower baskets are everywhere in B.C. This display was too overwhelming to just drive on by.

Hi!  John and Janet are traveling in British Columbia, Canada.  This is such an amazingly beautiful place.  The weather here is even better than Sonoma County, at least right now.   We are currently in a waterfront cottage on Salt Spring Island across the bay from Vancouver City.  Today we traversed the island and saw so many small farms, farmstands, and even enjoyed the small midweek Farmer's Market in the "heart of town" - Ganges.  We ran into vendors who hailed from the Healdsburg area, relocating here.  Why not?  Can't upload any pics yet but will when we get back home on August 28th.  In the meantime, to all our favorite Occidental Farmer's Market flower customers - check out Tierra Vegetables on Airport Drive in Windsor.  http://www.tierravegetables.com/ They might be carrying some of our garden fresh bouquets for sale.  See you soon.  Vine Hill Farm -Farmer John and Janet Maier