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The hills and valleys are covered with gold,
A sight to see on the winding road.
The Sunflower, gay and yellow,
Seems to say “Cheer up, old fellow,”
I send you a message of hope and cheer,
By “Shooting Star” who dwells quite near.
Then when I am gone, others are born,
To carry you on through every storm.
And as I look down on orchards so pink
With lovely blossoms it makes me think,
God is in Heaven and all is well,
With people and flowers who together do dwell.
So lift up your head like the sunflower bold,
Leave troubles to Him Who carries your load.
Leave cheer on your way like the Sunflower gay
So others may know you have passed this way.
…Sara Newton1

Sunflowers

A showing of the Okanagan’s arrow-leaved balsam root flowers, commonly known as Okanagan sunflowers2

Okanagan sunflowers

A beautiful display of arrow-leaved balsam root in Lake Country3

1 Sara Newton in Songs of Kalamalka, Collected and arranged by Dorothea Allison, Oyama, BC: Vernon News Ltd. Printers, 1944. p. 18.

2 Photograph by Duane Thomson.

3 Photograph by Sandra Harder.