Sunday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a beef pot roast in the Sun Oven. Late in the afternoon cumulonimbus thunderclouds built up and the evening was rainy with some thunder and lightning. DARN ... that's probably going to result in more forest fires nearby.
I spent much of the day disassembling the roof over our deck. It's finished. Ready for the contractor to put on a new roof in about two weeks. Actually, much of the time that
I spent on the job today was sitting at our picnic table removing brad nails from the scrapped wood so that it can be used as firewood kindling.
In the evening we watched some TV shows about Bruce Jenner becoming Caitlin Jenner. HMPH ... interesting !
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Humid ! Joanne cooked Jambalaya in the Sun Oven today.
We went into town this morning. Joanne went to Valu-Plus and bought some groceries. I went to PharmaSave and picked up a couple of prescription refills, then to Keremeos Home Building Centre to buy some soffit J-trim for the roofing replacement project.
I wanted to buy other items as well, but they didn't have what I wanted / needed.
I got two requests for trailer towing quotes today. ( RANT DELETED IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS )
Tuesday ; Mostly sunny and hot.
Joanne left fairly early this morning to take our neighbour / friend Jeanine to Penticton Hospital for her fifth weekly chemotherapy session. They returned home fairly late in the afternoon. I worked on measuring and cutting the soffit J-trim for the entry landing and deck roof replacement project.
Yesterday's first potential trailer towing client phoned this morning. ( MORE DELETION IN THE INTEREST OF GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS )
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny, hot, humid.
This morning we loaded all the old roofing material / scrap I removed from our entry landing roof and deck roof, and hauled it to the Keremeos dump. Along with a nearly new RV short queen mattress that we were unable to give away. I ran ads in the local "used / bargain" websites advertising this mattress for free if picked up at our home, or delivered in the South Okanagan ( read that ... here to Penticton ) for $20. The closest we got to giving it away was a woman who got quite snippy with me when I refused to deliver it to Kelowna ... more than two hours driving time one way ... for twenty bucks ! So ... to the dump it went today.
After dumping our mattress and roofing materials ... KA-CHING ... $12.50 please ... we went to Keremeos Home Building Centre where I bought more soffit materials. After a late lunch at home I installed the fifth wheel hitch into the truck in preparation for a trailer delivery job tomorrow. Joanne did some gardening and watering. We took Bo to the dog park. We tried ... and mostly succeeded ... putting a stop to our squabbling that began about twenty-fours earlier.
In the evening, over barbecued steaks we watched MasterChef followed by Amazing Race Canada.
Thursday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning we headed to Penticton for a trailer towing job. We arrived at the client's, used my small air compressor to adjust the air pressure in each of the fifth wheel trailer's tires, and hitched the trailer to the truck. That small air compressor I bought at Harbour Freight in Yuma last winter is proving to be a very useful piece of equipment. It was a teensy bit of a difficult hitch up, because the trailer was parked in a condominium parking lot, and I had to approach it at a ninety degree angle and hitch up at a forty-five degree angle. We towed the trailer to Summerland and delivered it to a semi-rural property, parking it in a field. Easy money !
We returned to Penticton where we spent the afternoon running errands. Home Hardware, BMO ATM, Safeway, Real Canadian Fuel Bar, Dollarama, Sally Beauty, Dollar Tree, Wal-Mart, Rona, Salvation Army Thrift Store. SHEESH ! With a picnic lunch at Skaha Lake Beach Park thrown in.
Late in the afternoon we headed south on Hwy. 97 through Okanagan Falls to Oliver. We were too early for the evening event Joanne wanted to attend so we continued on to Osoyoos. We went to Island View RV Park to view the lot of a potential trailer towing client, at his request. He's concerned about my ( or anybody's ) ability to back his newly purchased thirty-nine foot long < blink blink > fifth wheel trailer into his lot. Yes, yes ... it will be difficult !
We returned to Oliver for the Thursday evening market and Music In The Park performance. I misunderstood, expecting the evening market to be a farmer's market. It wasn't, with only one farm market stand. The band performing was called "13 Broken Bones", a group of five overweight old men from Kelowna playing classic rock. Of course ... what else would a band of fat old men perform ? HA HA HA ! Their song selections were EXCELLENT, even if their musical skills weren't. But ... you know ... that's what classic rock from the early 70's was. Three chords ... and lots of enthusiasm ! Think "ZZ Top". HA HA HA ! Somewhat amusingly ( to us ) most of what they played, our reaction was ... "yeah ... saw the original artists perform that in Laughlin, Nevada / Palm Springs, California / Yuma, Arizona". HA HA HA !
Oliver's "Music In The Park" series is in support of the "Feed The Valley" initiative, so admission was by donation of canned goods, to be forwarded to the local food bank. When we were at Wal-Mart in Penticton earlier in the day we bought some spaghetti and spaghetti sauce and soups to donate. For supper we had some not particularly good poutine from a food vendor truck.
The concert ended at 8:30 PM. On our way home we stopped in Cawston to view the potential client's new ( to him ) thirty-nine foot fifth wheel trailer, again at his request. Yes, yes ... it's huge. And it's going to be very difficult to get into his lot at Island View in Osoyoos. That's why he's going to pay me the big bucks. HA HA HA !
By the time we arrived back home at 10 PM Bo had been alone for twelve hours. No "accident" in the house. In the ten and a half years we've had him, there's never been an "accident". Good dog, Bo !
Friday ; Partially sunny, brief light rain around lunch time, hot, humid.
This morning we unloaded tools and yesterday's purchases from the truck, then removed the fifth wheel hitch, and parked the truck back underneath the truck camper.
This afternoon we picked a pail full of apricots from one of the apricot trees here in our RV park's orchard. We shared the apricots with our next door neighbour, since it was their step ladder that we had to use to get at the really nicely sun blushed / "sun kissed" apricots higher up in the tree.
At my desk / computer I did yesterday's credit card accounting, journal entry, "self-employment earnings" accounting, e-mail, etc. Joanne made apricot "compote" to mix with yoghurt, and a peach "kuchen" dessert. We had supper while watching the first episode of a new season of Doc Martin. WOO-HOO !
Late in the evening I did monthly computer maintenance ; scans and backups.
Saturday ; Partially sunny, warm, sometimes windy.
This morning we disinfected our five gallon water jug. Joanne did laundry. In the afternoon I worked on our entry landing roof and deck roof replacement project.
I removed the aluminum J-trim for the soffit on the deck roof, then measured and cut new vinyl J-trim. Then I worked on measuring and cutting fascia trim for the entry landing. I did not finish that. We visited our neighbour / friend Jeanine. In the evening we had a movie date, watching "Harold and Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay". HA HA HA !
DSK
Sunday, July 26, 2015
Sunday, July 19, 2015
July 12 to 18, 2015
Sunday ; Mostly cloudy, warm, intermittent rain, occasionally heavy.
This morning we did an obedience and agility session with Bo, then removed the camper from the truck. I did some minor maintenance and repairs on the camper.
Today was my colonoscopy preparation day. So ... I stayed pretty close to the bathroom all day. And ... felt pretty sick for much of the day. Joanne went into town to run some errands. I read and napped and ... spent time in the bathroom < sigh >. I worked on the computer. I did some minor maintenance chores inside the house. And ... < sigh > ... spent more time in the bathroom !
Monday ; Mostly sunny, warm ... I think. Hard to tell, I was doped up for much of the day.
I woke to the alarm at 5 AM, to take my final dosage of "gastro-intestinal lavage" ... a.k.a. anti-freeze. HA HA HA ... I'm not kidding. The main ingredient in the "colonoscopy preparation" is ... ethylene glycol. I forced the final large glass down ... went to sit on the toilet and wait ... didn't take long ... and went back to sleep until it was time to get up and head for the hospital.
Joanne drove me to Penticton Hospital then left to run errands for a few hours. I had my colonoscopy ... < sigh >. Joanne picked me up at the hospital, drove us home, and
I went to sleep for most of the rest of the day.
I got up to eat supper ... first meal in 48 hours ... and watch The Bachelorette.
Tuesday ; Mostly sunny, very warm.
WELL ... ***K ! ! ! I discovered very late last night, via Twitter, that due to low water levels and high water temperatures, the Similkameen River will be closed to sport fishing for two months, starting ... tomorrow ! SO ... I altered my plans for today !
Around lunch time we headed to Keremeos with both vehicles. We dropped the minivan off at K Mountain Auto Repair to have a power window motor replaced. I picked up a couple of prescriptions at PharmaSave. We washed the truck at FasGas then headed home.
After a late lunch and a nap I filleted the Pink Salmon and Sockeye Salmon Joanne purchased yesterday in Penticton. MMMMM ! Late in the afternoon I went fishing in the Similkameen River for about an hour and a half WOO-HOO ! ! ! Three Whitefish and five Rainbow Trout ! A good ( final ) day for fishing ! ! !
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny, hot, humid. I made "smoked" Whitefish in the Sun Oven today.
I spent quite a bit of time working on a truck tire leak problem today. As is almost always the case, the leak was attributable to a valve extender problem. But that's not always easy to identify and rectify ! We visited with Jeanine. I gave her a Rainbow Trout. Joanne did laundry. We did some minor maintenance on the truck camper. We did some gardening.
For supper we had a barbecued Rainbow Trout meal, with fish that had been swimming in the Similkameen River less than twenty-four hours earlier. WITH ... Swiss Chard from our own garden. Hundred mile meal ? HMPH ! How about a hundred yard meal ? HA HA HA !
Thursday ; Mostly sunny, hot, humid ... again.
This morning we drove into Keremeos to refill our five gallon water jug and pick up the minivan from K Mountain Auto Repair. Joanne took the minivan to the grocery store and I took the truck to FasGas to refill with diesel before heading home.
After lunch and a nap I trimmed my beard then did some maintenance work on my fly fishing gear. It's had quite a work out lately ! Joanne baked peach muffins and a peach pie. It's peach season !
I reserved Cessna 172 C-GHBM for a flight to Kamloops next week. THEN ... found out our friend in Kamloops was diagnosed yesterday with a malignant tumour on his lung ! < deep sigh > I cancelled our flight / airplane rental.
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I hired a Keremeos renovation contractor to supply and install metal roofing on our entry landing and deck. I will dismantle all the old roofing materials, and after he replaces the roofs I will replace / rebuild the undersides with new soffit material.
We drove west on Hwy. 3 towards Hedley to our "secret" wild apricot tree and picked a pail of lovely, sweet wild apricots. I harvested the last of our garden's lettuce, and replanted, although it's questionable whether lettuce will germinate in this hot weather.
Joanne wanted to go to Oliver tonight to see a movie. Okay ! We drove east on Hwy. 3 to Osoyoos, then north on Hwy. 97 to Oliver. We saw the animated Pixar movie "Inside Out" ... in "REAL 3D". Quite impressive technology ! After the movie we wandered up and down Oliver's main street looking for a place to have a late dinner, but ... the movie ended at 9 PM and Oliver seems to roll up the streets and go to bed at 9 PM. Even on a Friday night ! We ended up having dinner at A&W. HA HA HA ... just like when we had movie dates more than forty years ago ! On the way home we stopped at the scenic roadside viewpoint on Hwy. 3 up at Richter Pass overlooking Osoyoos. To make out ! HA HA HA ... just like the good old days. HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !
Saturday ; Sunny nad hot. ***K ! Typed "nad" again !
This morning I did some routine preventive maintenance on the truck and minivan. This afternoon I began working on disassembling / dismantling the roof over our deck. First
I removed the underside, done in aluminum soffit panels. Then I began the more difficult job of removing the corrugated polycarbonate roofing panels on top. What junk ! Those translucent corrugated polycarbonate panels were all dried out and cracked from the brutal Okanagan / Similkameen sunshine. No wonder the roof leaks so bad ! It will take me one more day to finish removing the roof panels.
In the evening we watched "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle". HA HA HA ! I can hardly wait for the sequel !
DSK
This morning we did an obedience and agility session with Bo, then removed the camper from the truck. I did some minor maintenance and repairs on the camper.
Today was my colonoscopy preparation day. So ... I stayed pretty close to the bathroom all day. And ... felt pretty sick for much of the day. Joanne went into town to run some errands. I read and napped and ... spent time in the bathroom < sigh >. I worked on the computer. I did some minor maintenance chores inside the house. And ... < sigh > ... spent more time in the bathroom !
Monday ; Mostly sunny, warm ... I think. Hard to tell, I was doped up for much of the day.
I woke to the alarm at 5 AM, to take my final dosage of "gastro-intestinal lavage" ... a.k.a. anti-freeze. HA HA HA ... I'm not kidding. The main ingredient in the "colonoscopy preparation" is ... ethylene glycol. I forced the final large glass down ... went to sit on the toilet and wait ... didn't take long ... and went back to sleep until it was time to get up and head for the hospital.
Joanne drove me to Penticton Hospital then left to run errands for a few hours. I had my colonoscopy ... < sigh >. Joanne picked me up at the hospital, drove us home, and
I went to sleep for most of the rest of the day.
I got up to eat supper ... first meal in 48 hours ... and watch The Bachelorette.
Tuesday ; Mostly sunny, very warm.
WELL ... ***K ! ! ! I discovered very late last night, via Twitter, that due to low water levels and high water temperatures, the Similkameen River will be closed to sport fishing for two months, starting ... tomorrow ! SO ... I altered my plans for today !
Around lunch time we headed to Keremeos with both vehicles. We dropped the minivan off at K Mountain Auto Repair to have a power window motor replaced. I picked up a couple of prescriptions at PharmaSave. We washed the truck at FasGas then headed home.
After a late lunch and a nap I filleted the Pink Salmon and Sockeye Salmon Joanne purchased yesterday in Penticton. MMMMM ! Late in the afternoon I went fishing in the Similkameen River for about an hour and a half WOO-HOO ! ! ! Three Whitefish and five Rainbow Trout ! A good ( final ) day for fishing ! ! !
I spent quite a bit of time working on a truck tire leak problem today. As is almost always the case, the leak was attributable to a valve extender problem. But that's not always easy to identify and rectify ! We visited with Jeanine. I gave her a Rainbow Trout. Joanne did laundry. We did some minor maintenance on the truck camper. We did some gardening.
For supper we had a barbecued Rainbow Trout meal, with fish that had been swimming in the Similkameen River less than twenty-four hours earlier. WITH ... Swiss Chard from our own garden. Hundred mile meal ? HMPH ! How about a hundred yard meal ? HA HA HA !
Thursday ; Mostly sunny, hot, humid ... again.
This morning we drove into Keremeos to refill our five gallon water jug and pick up the minivan from K Mountain Auto Repair. Joanne took the minivan to the grocery store and I took the truck to FasGas to refill with diesel before heading home.
After lunch and a nap I trimmed my beard then did some maintenance work on my fly fishing gear. It's had quite a work out lately ! Joanne baked peach muffins and a peach pie. It's peach season !
I reserved Cessna 172 C-GHBM for a flight to Kamloops next week. THEN ... found out our friend in Kamloops was diagnosed yesterday with a malignant tumour on his lung ! < deep sigh > I cancelled our flight / airplane rental.
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I hired a Keremeos renovation contractor to supply and install metal roofing on our entry landing and deck. I will dismantle all the old roofing materials, and after he replaces the roofs I will replace / rebuild the undersides with new soffit material.
We drove west on Hwy. 3 towards Hedley to our "secret" wild apricot tree and picked a pail of lovely, sweet wild apricots. I harvested the last of our garden's lettuce, and replanted, although it's questionable whether lettuce will germinate in this hot weather.
Joanne wanted to go to Oliver tonight to see a movie. Okay ! We drove east on Hwy. 3 to Osoyoos, then north on Hwy. 97 to Oliver. We saw the animated Pixar movie "Inside Out" ... in "REAL 3D". Quite impressive technology ! After the movie we wandered up and down Oliver's main street looking for a place to have a late dinner, but ... the movie ended at 9 PM and Oliver seems to roll up the streets and go to bed at 9 PM. Even on a Friday night ! We ended up having dinner at A&W. HA HA HA ... just like when we had movie dates more than forty years ago ! On the way home we stopped at the scenic roadside viewpoint on Hwy. 3 up at Richter Pass overlooking Osoyoos. To make out ! HA HA HA ... just like the good old days. HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !
Saturday ; Sunny nad hot. ***K ! Typed "nad" again !
This morning I did some routine preventive maintenance on the truck and minivan. This afternoon I began working on disassembling / dismantling the roof over our deck. First
I removed the underside, done in aluminum soffit panels. Then I began the more difficult job of removing the corrugated polycarbonate roofing panels on top. What junk ! Those translucent corrugated polycarbonate panels were all dried out and cracked from the brutal Okanagan / Similkameen sunshine. No wonder the roof leaks so bad ! It will take me one more day to finish removing the roof panels.
In the evening we watched "Harold and Kumar go to White Castle". HA HA HA ! I can hardly wait for the sequel !
DSK
Sunday, July 12, 2015
July 5 to 11, 2015 ; exploring B.C. Highway 33
Sunday ; Another sunny, very hot day. For supper Joanne cooked enchiladas in the Sun Oven. They were very good !
This morning I made sourdough pancakes for brunch. They were not as good as I had expected / hoped they would be.
We mounted Elsie ( the truck camper ) onto Lanoire ( the truck ) in preparation for an upcoming camping trip. I puttered around a bit with some yard chores, adjusting the air in my bicycle tires, watering my tomato plants ... nothing too strenuous in this heat.
I puttered around with some online computer work, including placing a bid on a trailer delivery job from Edmonton to Oliver. After the sun had disappeared behind the mountains we took Bo to the dog park.
Monday ; Hot, hazy with forest fire smoke. Lots of forest fires in B.C., and all over Western Canada. Two fires nearby !
This morning I harvested peas. Not much ! Joanne harvested lettuce. MUCH !
I watered all our plants and gardens and composters ( yes, plural ). I went to town to run a few errands.
After the sun set we took Bo to the dog park, then for a long walk. We visited Jeanine. Today was her third chemotherapy treatment. It's taking a toll.
I received a phone call from a man in Vernon who wanted a trailer delivered from Little Fort to Vernon. I researched the mileage, calculated a quote, set up a deal with the customer, and then ... HA HA HA ... "sold" the job to my friend Laszlo in Kamloops. For a tiny "finder's fee". It makes perfect sense. Kamloops is midway between the pickup location and the delivery location. Were I to do the job myself, there would be a lot of "deadhead" travel. I hope this turns out to be a "win-win-win".
Tuesday ; home to Minnow Lake
Hazy with forest fire smoke, very hot in Penticton, even hotter in Kelowna, cooler up in the mountains where we're camping.
We finished our camping trip departure preparations and left home about 11:30 AM.
We stopped in Keremeos to buy some produce at Sanderson Farms. First stop in Penticton was Wal-Mart, then a quick lunch in the camper while parked at Skaha Lake Beach Park. I dropped Joanne off at Penticton Hospital for a mammogram then went to run some errands at Leisureland RV, Home Hardware, and Dollar Dollar. An hour after dropping Joanne off at the hospital I was back there, and she was finished and waiting for me.
We headed north on Hwy. 97, stopping in Westbank / West Kelowna to buy groceries and refill with diesel at Superstore. We arrived in Kelowna right about rush hour.
< sigh > I truly dislike Kelowna. It's such a pompous little city, that takes itself way too seriously, and has grown too much, too fast. We struggled through stop and go traffic all the way across the city to PetsMart. WOO-HOO ... thought Bo. Shopping at PetsMart ! We tried many new harnesses on him until we found one that we were satisfied with. Then bought two of them. The life of a harness on Bo is shorter than you might think ! HA HA HA ... tough, little redneck terrier is "hard on clothes".
< sigh > After leaving PetsMart the traffic got even thicker and more difficult. We finally made it through the city and out to the east on Hwy. 33. We drove about 40 km. / 25 mi. east of Kelowna, then turned onto a good gravel road for 5 km . / 3 mi. to a B.C. Forest Service campground at Hydraulic Lake. There were about two dozen or so campsites, perhaps a quarter of them occupied. We continued about 1 km.. further to another B.C. Forest Service campground at Minnow Lake. Again there were about a couple of dozen campsites, with only a few occupied. We decided to spend the night at Minnow Lake.
By the time we had arrived at Minnow Lake it was about 6:30 PM, and I was tired, especially from fighting city rush hour traffic with a large truck and camper. We selected a campsite, rested briefly, then went for a long walk around the large campground. Large in area, not large in number of campsites. It didn't take long for Bo to find a muddy, swampy section of shoreline to stomp through, getting his legs ... and the chest part of his new harness ... coated in mud. Well done, Bo ! < rolling my eyes >
There is a province wide campfire ban, so no campfire tonight to cook on. I felt too tired to want to dig the barbecue out of the cupboard and use it to cook supper, so Joanne cooked supper indoors. We ate outdoors at the picnic table, and I began to work on this journal entry at the picnic table after supper, but ... at this point in time ... 8:30 PM ... I'm getting bit by mosquitoes, so will be going indoors momentarily !
BUT ... before I made it indoors, Joanne wanted to go down by the lake and watch the sunset. Okay ! We did that ! AND ... it was obvious that fish were surface feeding, so after the sun had set we walked back to our campsite, I got my fishing gear, and went back to the lake to fish for about fifteen minutes. The fish ... trout, I presume ... were hungry and feeding at dusk but I could not cast out far enough from shore to where they were feeding. < shrug >
Wednesday ; Minnow Lake to Big White Ski Resort to Arlington Lake
Sunny and hot.
This morning we had ( leftover / frozen ) sourdough pancakes for breakfast then I went fishing very briefly. We did a hide and seek obedience session in the forest with Bo before departing Minnow Lake. We "backtracked" northwest on Hwy.33 a few miles then headed up Big White Road about 24 km. to Big White Ski Resort on Big White Mountain.
I had been to Big White once before, in the winter, about twenty years ago. Joanne had never been there before today. We drove around the mostly deserted ski resort town. It seemed ... like Kelowna, the city where most of its patrons come from ... pompous. And much larger than it was twenty years ago. While driving around the village I noticed a man washing his car. I stopped and asked him if I could use his garden hose to refill our freshwater tank. He allowed that, and while I refilled our freshwater holding tank we chatted about camping and exploring local Forest Service campgrounds. Nice fellow.
On the way back down from Big White to Hwy. 33 there was a bridge over a little creek. We stopped to check out if it looked like a good potential fishing site. It did ! And oddly, there was a small evergreen tree beside the creek covered in ... Christmas decorations. HA HA HA ! I fly fished for about forty-five minutes and caught ... all in the first half hour ... five Rainbow Trout and one Cutthroat Trout ! All the fish were too small to keep and eat. I released them all. Goodbye, little fishies ... grow big ! Bo had a lot of fun "helping" me catch fish. While I was fishing, Joanne was relaxing in a folding chair beside the creek, and Bo was wandering around. Whenever I had a fish on my line, Bo would rush into the water and try to "help" me net the fish. HA HA HA ... good dog, Bo, well done !
I have just found out ( at 8:10 PM ) from the campground host who came to collect the nightly camping fee that the creek is called the West Kettle River.
We continued down Big White Road, then turned south once we were back at Hwy. 33. Half an hour or so south on Hwy. 33 we turned onto Arlington Lake Road, a one lane rough gravel road, and drove about 4 km. to the B.C. Forest Service campground on Arlington Lake. It was scenic and we decided to stay. We selected a campsite with a great view of the lake, and a path down to the shoreline where I could fish.
We had a very late lunch. I fished. I read. I napped. I repeated as necessary. HA HA HA ! We've just finished eating our barbecued supper. While I work on this journal entry, Joanne is sitting in her folding chair using our new binoculars to watch a loon family ... male, female, and youngster ... fishing on the lake.
Thursday ; Arlington Lake to Canyon Creek / Kettle River
WHEW ! Sunny and hot ... 99º F. / 37.5º C.
This morning we left Arlington Lake campground, returned to Hwy. 33 and continued heading south on Hwy. 33. We stopped at Rhone Rest Area on the West Kettle River because it looked like a good place to fly fish. It was ! I caught ... and released ... three Rainbow Trout, all within the first ten minutes of my forty minutes of fishing. My theory is ... after catching a few fish, and the commotion that goes along with that, other fish are scared away from the area for awhile. We had lunch at Rhone Rest Area then continued south on Hwy. 33. We passed through the villages of Beaverdell and Westbridge before reaching Kettle River Provincial Park where we refilled our freshwater holding tank. We drove around the provincial park campground, musing about how overpriced B.C. provincial park campgrounds are at thirty bucks a night for unserviced sites. We "backtracked" north on Hwy. 33 about 5 km. / 3 miles back to Westbridge where we got onto Christian Valley Road leading north along the Kettle River ( not to be confused with the West Kettle River ).
The first 32 km. of Christian Valley Road were paved, then it turned to gravel. We drove up to about KM.40, viewing three or four B.C. Forest Service wilderness campgrounds along the Kettle River. We liked Canyon Creek campground the most, so we returned there. When we first saw it there was one other camper in the three site campground. When we returned to it a half hour later there were two campers. We took the last site. By supper time another camper had arrived. Now there were four campers jammed into three campsites. We were surprised by that, considering how far off the beaten path we were. Maybe we should stick to our long held belief that we should stay "off the road" for July and August !
Where Canyon Creek ( currently dry ) spills into the Kettle River ... at this campground ... looked like the most promising fly fishing location I have ever seen. Gentle rapids ending in deep pools of gently swirling clear water. I fished for about an hour. Couldn't catch a fish to save my soul ! ! ! Go figure !
For supper I cooked Dan-O-Cheeseburgers and fries on the barbecue. We went for a long hike alongside the Kettle River after supper. Bo needed more exercise. While Joanne washed dishes I went fly fishing again. I fished for half an hour before it got dark. I hooked a fish, but before I could bring it to the net, the fly / lure self-destructed and I lost the fish. HMPH ! Cheap fly ! Wonder where I bought that one ?
Friday ; Canyon Creek / Kettle River to Jolly Creek / Rock Creek
Sunny and hot in the morning, thunderstorms with thunder, lightening, and rain in the afternoon, becoming sunny and mild in the evening.
This morning we left Canyon Creek campground on the Kettle River and headed south on Christian Valley Road back to Westbridge where we continued south on Hwy. 33. We went to Kettle Creek Provincial Park again to refill our freshwater tank again. When we arrived at the village of Rock Creek we went in search of the fairgrounds. Joanne wants to attend the Rock Creek Fall Fair in September, so she wanted to check out the fairground's camping area.
We left the village of Rock Creek heading west on Hwy. 3 towards Osoyoos. Just a few miles west of the village of Rock Creek we turned north towards Mt. Baldy Ski Area and found our way to another B.C. Forest Service remote wilderness campground called Jolly Creek, located on ... Rock Creek. If it's on Rock Creek, why is it called Jolly Creek campground ? ! ? It was deserted, and we liked the idea of having it all to ourselves, so we decided to stay for the night.
Rock Creek, where it passes this campground, is just a teensy little stream, perhaps twenty or thirty feet across, and not much more than ankle deep in most places. HA HA HA ... just the right size for Bo ! He wandered through the creek, drinking, exploring, chasing birds, occasionally finding a deep enough spot that he would have to swim a few feet. I fished. HA HA HA ... just to amuse myself by enjoying Bo's "help" each time
I caught a teensy little Rainbow Trout. He would charge through the creek chasing the fish on the end of my fly line as I would reel it in. HA HA HA HA HA ... get it, Bo ! He's such a funny little dog. I went fishing four times this afternoon and evening. And caught one Rainbow Trout each time. Bo learns fast ! Each time I wandered down towards the creek, he would get all excited and charge down there, expecting me to catch a fish for him to chase.
Right now ... at 9 PM ... he's fast asleep beside me on the dinette seat in the camper. He's wrapped in the towel that we used to dry him off repeatedly today. What a dog !
Joanne wanted to go for a hike late this afternoon. We followed a trail running alongside the creek. And found ... many Saskatoon bushes laden with plump, ripe berries. Must be cooler and wetter here than where we live, because the Saskatoons at home were finished before the end of June. We returned to the camper, got some containers, and picked a lot of huge, plump, sweet Saskatoons. Bo was frantic to get some so ... I lifted him up and held him near the bush while he furiously chomped away at Saskatoons. HA HA HA ... Bo LOOOOOVES harvesting his own Saskatoons !
Saturday ; Jolly Creek / Rock Creek to Oliver Sunshine Festival to home.
Started out cloudy, hot, and humid. Shortly after we arrived home it began to rain.
We left the Jolly Creek campground beside Rock Creek and headed south on Mt. Baldy Road back to Hwy. 3, then turned west heading to Osoyoos. In Osoyoos we stopped for a brief rest at the dog beach. From Osoyoos we headed north on Hwy. 97 to Oliver, to attend the Sunshine Festival.
The Sunshine Festival was ... a bit of a bust, from our perspective. We didn't stay very long, perhaps an hour or so. We watched a few of the child performers on the main stage. I wanted to get a pair of pliers from our truck. So that I could pull out my fingernails. To divert my attention from the pain of watching child performers !
We did a bit of grocery shopping in Oliver, then had a late lunch in the camper while parked in the grocery store parking lot. We drove south on Hwy. 97 back to Osoyoos, then west on Hwy. 3 to and through Keremeos to home. We arrived home around 4 PM. We had supper a earlier than usual because ... < sigh > ... my colonoscopy preparations began at 7 PM. We watched a rebroadcast of the season premiere of Amazing Race Canada which we missed on Wednesday.
Almost immediately upon our return home Bo went to sleep, and slept for most of the evening. Five days of camping ( and fishing ) exhausted him !
DSK
This morning I made sourdough pancakes for brunch. They were not as good as I had expected / hoped they would be.
We mounted Elsie ( the truck camper ) onto Lanoire ( the truck ) in preparation for an upcoming camping trip. I puttered around a bit with some yard chores, adjusting the air in my bicycle tires, watering my tomato plants ... nothing too strenuous in this heat.
I puttered around with some online computer work, including placing a bid on a trailer delivery job from Edmonton to Oliver. After the sun had disappeared behind the mountains we took Bo to the dog park.
Monday ; Hot, hazy with forest fire smoke. Lots of forest fires in B.C., and all over Western Canada. Two fires nearby !
This morning I harvested peas. Not much ! Joanne harvested lettuce. MUCH !
I watered all our plants and gardens and composters ( yes, plural ). I went to town to run a few errands.
After the sun set we took Bo to the dog park, then for a long walk. We visited Jeanine. Today was her third chemotherapy treatment. It's taking a toll.
I received a phone call from a man in Vernon who wanted a trailer delivered from Little Fort to Vernon. I researched the mileage, calculated a quote, set up a deal with the customer, and then ... HA HA HA ... "sold" the job to my friend Laszlo in Kamloops. For a tiny "finder's fee". It makes perfect sense. Kamloops is midway between the pickup location and the delivery location. Were I to do the job myself, there would be a lot of "deadhead" travel. I hope this turns out to be a "win-win-win".
Tuesday ; home to Minnow Lake
Hazy with forest fire smoke, very hot in Penticton, even hotter in Kelowna, cooler up in the mountains where we're camping.
We finished our camping trip departure preparations and left home about 11:30 AM.
We stopped in Keremeos to buy some produce at Sanderson Farms. First stop in Penticton was Wal-Mart, then a quick lunch in the camper while parked at Skaha Lake Beach Park. I dropped Joanne off at Penticton Hospital for a mammogram then went to run some errands at Leisureland RV, Home Hardware, and Dollar Dollar. An hour after dropping Joanne off at the hospital I was back there, and she was finished and waiting for me.
We headed north on Hwy. 97, stopping in Westbank / West Kelowna to buy groceries and refill with diesel at Superstore. We arrived in Kelowna right about rush hour.
< sigh > I truly dislike Kelowna. It's such a pompous little city, that takes itself way too seriously, and has grown too much, too fast. We struggled through stop and go traffic all the way across the city to PetsMart. WOO-HOO ... thought Bo. Shopping at PetsMart ! We tried many new harnesses on him until we found one that we were satisfied with. Then bought two of them. The life of a harness on Bo is shorter than you might think ! HA HA HA ... tough, little redneck terrier is "hard on clothes".
< sigh > After leaving PetsMart the traffic got even thicker and more difficult. We finally made it through the city and out to the east on Hwy. 33. We drove about 40 km. / 25 mi. east of Kelowna, then turned onto a good gravel road for 5 km . / 3 mi. to a B.C. Forest Service campground at Hydraulic Lake. There were about two dozen or so campsites, perhaps a quarter of them occupied. We continued about 1 km.. further to another B.C. Forest Service campground at Minnow Lake. Again there were about a couple of dozen campsites, with only a few occupied. We decided to spend the night at Minnow Lake.
By the time we had arrived at Minnow Lake it was about 6:30 PM, and I was tired, especially from fighting city rush hour traffic with a large truck and camper. We selected a campsite, rested briefly, then went for a long walk around the large campground. Large in area, not large in number of campsites. It didn't take long for Bo to find a muddy, swampy section of shoreline to stomp through, getting his legs ... and the chest part of his new harness ... coated in mud. Well done, Bo ! < rolling my eyes >
There is a province wide campfire ban, so no campfire tonight to cook on. I felt too tired to want to dig the barbecue out of the cupboard and use it to cook supper, so Joanne cooked supper indoors. We ate outdoors at the picnic table, and I began to work on this journal entry at the picnic table after supper, but ... at this point in time ... 8:30 PM ... I'm getting bit by mosquitoes, so will be going indoors momentarily !
BUT ... before I made it indoors, Joanne wanted to go down by the lake and watch the sunset. Okay ! We did that ! AND ... it was obvious that fish were surface feeding, so after the sun had set we walked back to our campsite, I got my fishing gear, and went back to the lake to fish for about fifteen minutes. The fish ... trout, I presume ... were hungry and feeding at dusk but I could not cast out far enough from shore to where they were feeding. < shrug >
Wednesday ; Minnow Lake to Big White Ski Resort to Arlington Lake
Sunny and hot.
This morning we had ( leftover / frozen ) sourdough pancakes for breakfast then I went fishing very briefly. We did a hide and seek obedience session in the forest with Bo before departing Minnow Lake. We "backtracked" northwest on Hwy.33 a few miles then headed up Big White Road about 24 km. to Big White Ski Resort on Big White Mountain.
I had been to Big White once before, in the winter, about twenty years ago. Joanne had never been there before today. We drove around the mostly deserted ski resort town. It seemed ... like Kelowna, the city where most of its patrons come from ... pompous. And much larger than it was twenty years ago. While driving around the village I noticed a man washing his car. I stopped and asked him if I could use his garden hose to refill our freshwater tank. He allowed that, and while I refilled our freshwater holding tank we chatted about camping and exploring local Forest Service campgrounds. Nice fellow.
On the way back down from Big White to Hwy. 33 there was a bridge over a little creek. We stopped to check out if it looked like a good potential fishing site. It did ! And oddly, there was a small evergreen tree beside the creek covered in ... Christmas decorations. HA HA HA ! I fly fished for about forty-five minutes and caught ... all in the first half hour ... five Rainbow Trout and one Cutthroat Trout ! All the fish were too small to keep and eat. I released them all. Goodbye, little fishies ... grow big ! Bo had a lot of fun "helping" me catch fish. While I was fishing, Joanne was relaxing in a folding chair beside the creek, and Bo was wandering around. Whenever I had a fish on my line, Bo would rush into the water and try to "help" me net the fish. HA HA HA ... good dog, Bo, well done !
I have just found out ( at 8:10 PM ) from the campground host who came to collect the nightly camping fee that the creek is called the West Kettle River.
We continued down Big White Road, then turned south once we were back at Hwy. 33. Half an hour or so south on Hwy. 33 we turned onto Arlington Lake Road, a one lane rough gravel road, and drove about 4 km. to the B.C. Forest Service campground on Arlington Lake. It was scenic and we decided to stay. We selected a campsite with a great view of the lake, and a path down to the shoreline where I could fish.
We had a very late lunch. I fished. I read. I napped. I repeated as necessary. HA HA HA ! We've just finished eating our barbecued supper. While I work on this journal entry, Joanne is sitting in her folding chair using our new binoculars to watch a loon family ... male, female, and youngster ... fishing on the lake.
Thursday ; Arlington Lake to Canyon Creek / Kettle River
WHEW ! Sunny and hot ... 99º F. / 37.5º C.
This morning we left Arlington Lake campground, returned to Hwy. 33 and continued heading south on Hwy. 33. We stopped at Rhone Rest Area on the West Kettle River because it looked like a good place to fly fish. It was ! I caught ... and released ... three Rainbow Trout, all within the first ten minutes of my forty minutes of fishing. My theory is ... after catching a few fish, and the commotion that goes along with that, other fish are scared away from the area for awhile. We had lunch at Rhone Rest Area then continued south on Hwy. 33. We passed through the villages of Beaverdell and Westbridge before reaching Kettle River Provincial Park where we refilled our freshwater holding tank. We drove around the provincial park campground, musing about how overpriced B.C. provincial park campgrounds are at thirty bucks a night for unserviced sites. We "backtracked" north on Hwy. 33 about 5 km. / 3 miles back to Westbridge where we got onto Christian Valley Road leading north along the Kettle River ( not to be confused with the West Kettle River ).
The first 32 km. of Christian Valley Road were paved, then it turned to gravel. We drove up to about KM.40, viewing three or four B.C. Forest Service wilderness campgrounds along the Kettle River. We liked Canyon Creek campground the most, so we returned there. When we first saw it there was one other camper in the three site campground. When we returned to it a half hour later there were two campers. We took the last site. By supper time another camper had arrived. Now there were four campers jammed into three campsites. We were surprised by that, considering how far off the beaten path we were. Maybe we should stick to our long held belief that we should stay "off the road" for July and August !
Where Canyon Creek ( currently dry ) spills into the Kettle River ... at this campground ... looked like the most promising fly fishing location I have ever seen. Gentle rapids ending in deep pools of gently swirling clear water. I fished for about an hour. Couldn't catch a fish to save my soul ! ! ! Go figure !
For supper I cooked Dan-O-Cheeseburgers and fries on the barbecue. We went for a long hike alongside the Kettle River after supper. Bo needed more exercise. While Joanne washed dishes I went fly fishing again. I fished for half an hour before it got dark. I hooked a fish, but before I could bring it to the net, the fly / lure self-destructed and I lost the fish. HMPH ! Cheap fly ! Wonder where I bought that one ?
Friday ; Canyon Creek / Kettle River to Jolly Creek / Rock Creek
Sunny and hot in the morning, thunderstorms with thunder, lightening, and rain in the afternoon, becoming sunny and mild in the evening.
This morning we left Canyon Creek campground on the Kettle River and headed south on Christian Valley Road back to Westbridge where we continued south on Hwy. 33. We went to Kettle Creek Provincial Park again to refill our freshwater tank again. When we arrived at the village of Rock Creek we went in search of the fairgrounds. Joanne wants to attend the Rock Creek Fall Fair in September, so she wanted to check out the fairground's camping area.
We left the village of Rock Creek heading west on Hwy. 3 towards Osoyoos. Just a few miles west of the village of Rock Creek we turned north towards Mt. Baldy Ski Area and found our way to another B.C. Forest Service remote wilderness campground called Jolly Creek, located on ... Rock Creek. If it's on Rock Creek, why is it called Jolly Creek campground ? ! ? It was deserted, and we liked the idea of having it all to ourselves, so we decided to stay for the night.
Rock Creek, where it passes this campground, is just a teensy little stream, perhaps twenty or thirty feet across, and not much more than ankle deep in most places. HA HA HA ... just the right size for Bo ! He wandered through the creek, drinking, exploring, chasing birds, occasionally finding a deep enough spot that he would have to swim a few feet. I fished. HA HA HA ... just to amuse myself by enjoying Bo's "help" each time
I caught a teensy little Rainbow Trout. He would charge through the creek chasing the fish on the end of my fly line as I would reel it in. HA HA HA HA HA ... get it, Bo ! He's such a funny little dog. I went fishing four times this afternoon and evening. And caught one Rainbow Trout each time. Bo learns fast ! Each time I wandered down towards the creek, he would get all excited and charge down there, expecting me to catch a fish for him to chase.
Right now ... at 9 PM ... he's fast asleep beside me on the dinette seat in the camper. He's wrapped in the towel that we used to dry him off repeatedly today. What a dog !
Joanne wanted to go for a hike late this afternoon. We followed a trail running alongside the creek. And found ... many Saskatoon bushes laden with plump, ripe berries. Must be cooler and wetter here than where we live, because the Saskatoons at home were finished before the end of June. We returned to the camper, got some containers, and picked a lot of huge, plump, sweet Saskatoons. Bo was frantic to get some so ... I lifted him up and held him near the bush while he furiously chomped away at Saskatoons. HA HA HA ... Bo LOOOOOVES harvesting his own Saskatoons !
Saturday ; Jolly Creek / Rock Creek to Oliver Sunshine Festival to home.
Started out cloudy, hot, and humid. Shortly after we arrived home it began to rain.
We left the Jolly Creek campground beside Rock Creek and headed south on Mt. Baldy Road back to Hwy. 3, then turned west heading to Osoyoos. In Osoyoos we stopped for a brief rest at the dog beach. From Osoyoos we headed north on Hwy. 97 to Oliver, to attend the Sunshine Festival.
The Sunshine Festival was ... a bit of a bust, from our perspective. We didn't stay very long, perhaps an hour or so. We watched a few of the child performers on the main stage. I wanted to get a pair of pliers from our truck. So that I could pull out my fingernails. To divert my attention from the pain of watching child performers !
We did a bit of grocery shopping in Oliver, then had a late lunch in the camper while parked in the grocery store parking lot. We drove south on Hwy. 97 back to Osoyoos, then west on Hwy. 3 to and through Keremeos to home. We arrived home around 4 PM. We had supper a earlier than usual because ... < sigh > ... my colonoscopy preparations began at 7 PM. We watched a rebroadcast of the season premiere of Amazing Race Canada which we missed on Wednesday.
Almost immediately upon our return home Bo went to sleep, and slept for most of the evening. Five days of camping ( and fishing ) exhausted him !
DSK
Sunday, July 5, 2015
June 28 to July 4, 2015
Sunday ; Happy 51st Birthday to Joanne's sister, Lorraine
Hot ! Humid ! Started out sunny. Joanne put a beef roast into the Sun Oven to cook, and by the time it was about halfway cooked ... the sun disappeared behind building cumulus clouds. Had to finish the roast in the house oven.
Had a lazy day. Did a Bo-gility session. Went into Keremeos to refill a water jug and then buy some fresh fruits and vegetables at Sanderson Farms. Read. Napped. Took Bo to the dog park. Joanne harvested lettuce from our vegetable garden. Lots of lettuce !
Monday ; Cloudy, very warm, humid, occasional heavy rain.
This morning we headed to Penticton for a day of running errands. We delayed our departure waiting for a roofing contractor who was supposed to come over at 10 AM and prepare an estimate. He didn't show !
We stopped in Keremeos so that I could request an estimate from K Mountain Auto Repair. Once in Penticton I dropped Joanne off at Value Village and went off to run some errands on my own while she shopped at Value Village's 50% off all clothing sale. I went to another auto repair shop to request another estimate, but they were closed for vacation for a couple of weeks. I shopped at Rona and at Andrew Sheret for a plumbing part I needed for the camper. I refilled the fuel in the minivan. When I returned to Value Village Joanne had selected only one article of clothing in all that time. I browsed quickly through men's clothing and selected some t-shirts and shorts. By the time I had tried them on ... Joanne had rejected the one article she had selected < rolling eyes >.
We had a late lunch at Burger King. I bought an item I needed at Staples. We shopped for ( a lot of ) groceries at Superstore. We went to Safeway for one advertised special. We went to Wal-Mart ... < sigh > ... ! We went to three different Dollar stores ... < more sighing > ... ! I would have been satisfied to call it quits after Superstore.
Once we were back at home I phoned the roofing contractor to reschedule. He offered no explanation for missing this morning's appointment. We agreed on a reschedule date and time then ... he instructed me to phone him the night before to "remind" him. WHAT ? ? ? You need the client to be your "calendar reminder". I don't ****ing think so ! ! ! As succinctly as I could I advised him ... < ahem > ... that we would not be doing business together !
After supper we watched another episode of The Bachelorette. That Canadian bimbo is certainly proving to be a bit of a slut, n'est-ca pas ?
Tuesday ; Sunny, hot, humid.
Another slightly lazy day. Joanne played "hooky" from her morning pool aerobics. We slept very late. After lunch I puttered around with some outdoor chores. We took some home made "TV dinners" over to Jeanine's and visited with her for awhile. Her second chemotherapy cycle yesterday was not as difficult for her as the first one a week ago.
Early in the evening, after it had cooled off a bit, we took Bo to the dog park. Joanne made her wonderful potato salad and I barbecued chicken burgers for supper. While we watched America's Got Talent I downloaded, printed, and reconciled our month end banking statements and investment updates. HMPH ... not a very good month in the stock market ! Lost a lot of money ! ! !
Wednesday ; CANADA DAY ; Happy 148th Birthday, Canada !
Sunny and hot. As has been the case for most of the nine Canada Days that we have spent living here, none of the local towns' / villages' / cities' Canada Day celebrations had enough to entice us to attend. So ... once again ... we just sort of ignored the fact that today was Canada Day.
We went into Keremeos this afternoon to refill our water jug and contact a local roofer to get an estimate. We drove to his home and I requested that he come out to our place and prepare an estimate, which he will ( hopefully ) do within the next week. We bought some fresh produce at Sanderson Farms on the way home. HOO-EEE ... the local "fruit stands" were all busy today.
Jeanine came over for dinner again tonight. She seems to be feeling healthier than a week ago.
Very late in the evening, just before bed time, I took Joanne out onto our deck, in the dark, lit two sparklers, and we sang O Canada while waving our burning sparklers around. Hope the neighbours didn't mind !
Thursday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a meatloaf in the Sun Oven for dinner tonight.
Another lazy day. We gave Bo a bath. I harvested a lot of lettuce. Our lettuce garden is wilting in the heat. We spent time cooling off in the swimming pool. At this hot time of the year it's wonderful to be in our pool with the huge glass doors rolled up, opening the pool to the outside. Early in the evening, as it cooled down, we took Bo to the dog park. Afterwards I sprayed a large wasp nest being built under the eave of the gazebo.
Friday ; Sunny and very hot. Joanne cooked a new recipe in the Sun Oven today ; chicken and cherries over rice. Sounded better than it tasted.
Too hot to do much of anything today. Joanne did laundry. I did minor truck maintenance, and watered plants and gardens. Late in the afternoon our next door neighbour arrived for the weekend. I invited him to go fly fishing. He taught me how to fly fish a couple of years ago and is my fly fishing mentor. He wanted to show me a "new" fishing hot spot of his. We hiked out to his "new" fishing hot spot and fished for about an hour. I caught nothing. Joe caught six Rainbow Trout. < blink blink > SHEESH ! I guess experience does count for something !
After about an hour, and six fish caught ( and released ), Joe had had enough. He returned home, and I hiked upstream to "my" fishing hot spot. I fished for about another hour, catching five fish, releasing one, and keeping four. HMPH ! So there !
After a very late supper we watched Biloxi Blues, an old movie that we've seen before, but still enjoy watching.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot. Another day too hot to do much of anything. I made candied "smoked" Whitefish and Rainbow Trout in the Sun Oven.
This afternoon we went into town to buy some fresh produce. And to dispose of a bag of fish cleaning waste. I am now under strict orders to fish only on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Because our garbage pickup is early Friday morning. And Joanne will no longer tolerate fish guts in our garbage can for more than one day in hot weather. HA HA HA ! Yes, dear !
For supper we had a wonderful fresh Rainbow Trout meal. The recipe was a collaborative invention, and it turned out very well. I want to develop and refine this recipe in the future. Hint ; freshly picked sage leaves from Joanne's herb garden ... and cream !
DSK
Hot ! Humid ! Started out sunny. Joanne put a beef roast into the Sun Oven to cook, and by the time it was about halfway cooked ... the sun disappeared behind building cumulus clouds. Had to finish the roast in the house oven.
Had a lazy day. Did a Bo-gility session. Went into Keremeos to refill a water jug and then buy some fresh fruits and vegetables at Sanderson Farms. Read. Napped. Took Bo to the dog park. Joanne harvested lettuce from our vegetable garden. Lots of lettuce !
Monday ; Cloudy, very warm, humid, occasional heavy rain.
This morning we headed to Penticton for a day of running errands. We delayed our departure waiting for a roofing contractor who was supposed to come over at 10 AM and prepare an estimate. He didn't show !
We stopped in Keremeos so that I could request an estimate from K Mountain Auto Repair. Once in Penticton I dropped Joanne off at Value Village and went off to run some errands on my own while she shopped at Value Village's 50% off all clothing sale. I went to another auto repair shop to request another estimate, but they were closed for vacation for a couple of weeks. I shopped at Rona and at Andrew Sheret for a plumbing part I needed for the camper. I refilled the fuel in the minivan. When I returned to Value Village Joanne had selected only one article of clothing in all that time. I browsed quickly through men's clothing and selected some t-shirts and shorts. By the time I had tried them on ... Joanne had rejected the one article she had selected < rolling eyes >.
We had a late lunch at Burger King. I bought an item I needed at Staples. We shopped for ( a lot of ) groceries at Superstore. We went to Safeway for one advertised special. We went to Wal-Mart ... < sigh > ... ! We went to three different Dollar stores ... < more sighing > ... ! I would have been satisfied to call it quits after Superstore.
Once we were back at home I phoned the roofing contractor to reschedule. He offered no explanation for missing this morning's appointment. We agreed on a reschedule date and time then ... he instructed me to phone him the night before to "remind" him. WHAT ? ? ? You need the client to be your "calendar reminder". I don't ****ing think so ! ! ! As succinctly as I could I advised him ... < ahem > ... that we would not be doing business together !
After supper we watched another episode of The Bachelorette. That Canadian bimbo is certainly proving to be a bit of a slut, n'est-ca pas ?
Tuesday ; Sunny, hot, humid.
Another slightly lazy day. Joanne played "hooky" from her morning pool aerobics. We slept very late. After lunch I puttered around with some outdoor chores. We took some home made "TV dinners" over to Jeanine's and visited with her for awhile. Her second chemotherapy cycle yesterday was not as difficult for her as the first one a week ago.
Early in the evening, after it had cooled off a bit, we took Bo to the dog park. Joanne made her wonderful potato salad and I barbecued chicken burgers for supper. While we watched America's Got Talent I downloaded, printed, and reconciled our month end banking statements and investment updates. HMPH ... not a very good month in the stock market ! Lost a lot of money ! ! !
Wednesday ; CANADA DAY ; Happy 148th Birthday, Canada !
Sunny and hot. As has been the case for most of the nine Canada Days that we have spent living here, none of the local towns' / villages' / cities' Canada Day celebrations had enough to entice us to attend. So ... once again ... we just sort of ignored the fact that today was Canada Day.
We went into Keremeos this afternoon to refill our water jug and contact a local roofer to get an estimate. We drove to his home and I requested that he come out to our place and prepare an estimate, which he will ( hopefully ) do within the next week. We bought some fresh produce at Sanderson Farms on the way home. HOO-EEE ... the local "fruit stands" were all busy today.
Jeanine came over for dinner again tonight. She seems to be feeling healthier than a week ago.
Very late in the evening, just before bed time, I took Joanne out onto our deck, in the dark, lit two sparklers, and we sang O Canada while waving our burning sparklers around. Hope the neighbours didn't mind !
Thursday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a meatloaf in the Sun Oven for dinner tonight.
Another lazy day. We gave Bo a bath. I harvested a lot of lettuce. Our lettuce garden is wilting in the heat. We spent time cooling off in the swimming pool. At this hot time of the year it's wonderful to be in our pool with the huge glass doors rolled up, opening the pool to the outside. Early in the evening, as it cooled down, we took Bo to the dog park. Afterwards I sprayed a large wasp nest being built under the eave of the gazebo.
Friday ; Sunny and very hot. Joanne cooked a new recipe in the Sun Oven today ; chicken and cherries over rice. Sounded better than it tasted.
Too hot to do much of anything today. Joanne did laundry. I did minor truck maintenance, and watered plants and gardens. Late in the afternoon our next door neighbour arrived for the weekend. I invited him to go fly fishing. He taught me how to fly fish a couple of years ago and is my fly fishing mentor. He wanted to show me a "new" fishing hot spot of his. We hiked out to his "new" fishing hot spot and fished for about an hour. I caught nothing. Joe caught six Rainbow Trout. < blink blink > SHEESH ! I guess experience does count for something !
After about an hour, and six fish caught ( and released ), Joe had had enough. He returned home, and I hiked upstream to "my" fishing hot spot. I fished for about another hour, catching five fish, releasing one, and keeping four. HMPH ! So there !
After a very late supper we watched Biloxi Blues, an old movie that we've seen before, but still enjoy watching.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot. Another day too hot to do much of anything. I made candied "smoked" Whitefish and Rainbow Trout in the Sun Oven.
This afternoon we went into town to buy some fresh produce. And to dispose of a bag of fish cleaning waste. I am now under strict orders to fish only on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Because our garbage pickup is early Friday morning. And Joanne will no longer tolerate fish guts in our garbage can for more than one day in hot weather. HA HA HA ! Yes, dear !
For supper we had a wonderful fresh Rainbow Trout meal. The recipe was a collaborative invention, and it turned out very well. I want to develop and refine this recipe in the future. Hint ; freshly picked sage leaves from Joanne's herb garden ... and cream !
DSK
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