June 5 to 11, 2016

Sunday ; Sunny and hot, 35º C / 94º C. A bit hotter than usual for this time of year. Joanne cooked an excellent chicken stew in the Sun Oven today, using fresh whole garlics ... including the garlic scapes ( greens ) ... she bought the other day.

Another busy day. This morning Marcie headed to Kelowna to visit Gord in the hospital, driven by Sylvia, another neighbour, giving Joanne a "day off" from the daily drive to Kelowna chores. We started the day by heading to nearby Cawston, to Bushy's Greenhouses, to replenish some of our gardening failures. I bought some cucumber plantings, Joanne bought some basil plants. On the way back into our RV park we stopped at Jeanine's for a short visit. I wanted to give her new camera to her. I had kept it to adjust all the internal settings that I could to "automatic".

Back at home Joanne planted our gardening purchases, then harvested some of our lettuce and radishes. First produce harvested this year. I changed a tire on the next door neighbour's golf cart, then used my small compressor to adjust the air in all four of the golf cart tires. Ozzie was inside their house howling, expressing his displeasure at being left alone in the house. I brought him over to our place. He was happier to be with us and Bo. His "kidnap" anxiety has disappeared.

After lunch I napped. It was too hot to continue working outdoors. Later in the afternoon I adjusted the air in my bicycle's tires. I did more "spring cleaning" in the neighbours' yard < raising eyebrows, rolling eyes >. I did a small "home repair" on their manufactured home. Joanne did laundry. We took Bo and Ozzie on a long, slow walk around the RV Park. We set up our portable, "swamp" / evaporative cooler in our bedroom.

Before supper I did some online work, including posting my weekly blog entry. We watched Downton Abbey. We ate supper ... WONDERUL ... while watching MasterChef Canada.

Monday ; Sunny and hot, 36º C / 96º F.

We waited until 10 AM this morning to see if Kelowna Hospital was going to phone Marcie to advise her that Gord might be released today. When she hadn't heard anything by 10 AM Joanne and I left for a day of shopping and running errands in Penticton.

Mark's Work Wearhouse, Dollarama, Great Canadian Oil Change, JC Bottle Depot ( recycling ), Rona, Cherry Lane Mall food court for lunch, Real Canadian Fuel Bar, Canadian Tire, Van's Auto Wrecking, Parker Chrysler, Wal-Mart, Superstore ! Back home about 5:30 PM. WHEW !

As soon as we arrived back home we took Bo and Ozzie to the dog park. Marcie came over to discuss with Joanne some phone calls she had today with medical people regarding Gord. They will head to Kelowna first thing in the morning with the hope that by day's end Gord will be released from the hospital. I returned a phone call requesting a quote on a trailer towing job. I was hired to tow a large fifth wheel trailer from near Penticton to near Vernon on Wednesday.

While barbecuing a late supper I watered our composters, plants and gardens. As we were finishing supper Marcie came over again. Ozzie was lonely and wanted to visit. HA HA HA ! Apparently he's no longer worried that we're going to "kidnap" him overnight. What I think it really means is ... he misses Gord who has been in the hospital for almost a week.

Tuesday ; Sunny and hot.

Joanne left this morning ( in our minivan ) with Marcie, headed for the hospital in Kelowna. They were back home by suppertime. Gord will be in the hospital at least a few more days. Joanne took Marcie across the street from the hospital, to the cancer clinic, and sorted out some oncologist appointment issues / problems.

I drove ( in our truck ) to Osoyoos, to an auto wrecker / junk yard to get some seat track caps for the minivan. I drove all the way to Osoyoos only to discover ... the junk yard fellow that I spoke to a week ago who told me they had what I needed ... misunderstood what I needed ... < sigh > !

I installed the fifth wheel hitch into the truck, as well as the rest of the supplies I need to do a trailer tow job tomorrow. I napped with Bo ... and Ozzie. Ozzie now expects an afternoon nap with me and Bo. HA HA HA !  I also administered antibiotic, antibacterial, antifungal, anti-inflammatory ear drops to Ozzie. Over the last few days, and especially while we bathed him, it became obvious to me that Ozzie has infected ears.

I watered our plants and gardens. And I installed a fifty foot long soaker / weeper hose to irrigate our vegetable gardens while we are gone for a month on our Haida Gwaii adventure. I barbecued burgers for supper. In the evening I bought my 2016 fishing license online.

Wednesday ; home to Penticton to Vernon to home

Cloudy, humid, warm, light rain late in the afternoon and early evening as we were driving home. < sigh > Today was the second in a row trailer towing job that was soured by a mechanical breakdown on the truck. What's going on with my wonderful truck ? ! ?

This morning we left home at 9:45 AM heading for Penticton. Once in Penticton we refilled Lanoire the truck with diesel fuel, then headed up Munson Mountain to pick up a large fifth wheel trailer. We met the client, hooked up his trailer, and off we went, leaving at 11:30 AM, heading through Penticton and north on Hwy. 97. Through Summerland and Peachland, and at West Kelowna / Westbank, we turned onto Westside Road which follows the western shoreline of Okanagan Lake while Hwy. 97 remains on the east side of Okanagan Lake.

At 12:33 PM we arrived at the 12:30 PM to 2:30 PM roadblock on Westside Road.
< sigh > There is road construction taking place on Westside Road that requires dynamite blasting. The road is closed for two hours every morning and two hours every afternoon. We were the first vehicle to arrive at the roadblock after the 12:30 PM closure. < sigh > We sat for two hours ! We ate our picnic lunch. I walked Bo. I picked Saskatoons. Joanne walked Bo. I made small talk with the flag lady. < sigh >

At 2:36 PM we continued northbound on Westside Road, arriving at the client's father's rural property about 3:15 PM. It was a difficult trailer positioning, taking much more time than most. < sigh > We tried very hard to satisfy the client's father's requests. And as
I was completing the final tricky manoeuvering ... a brake hose on the truck ruptured.
< huge sigh >

While Joanne and I unhitched the large fifth wheel trailer the client’s father went to buy me a litre of brake fluid at the nearest “General Store”. I wrapped the ruptured brake hose with a lot of duct tape, topped up the brake fluid, and with some anxiety, took off for home about 5 PM.

We drove 175 km. / 110 miles to home with a ruptured brake hose, using the brakes almost none. Lots of up and down, curving mountain roads. Three deer and one mountain goat to dodge ! Lots of stop and go rush hour traffic and traffic lights through the cities. Light rain making the roads slick and slippery. I used transmission downshifting and diesel engine braking to slow down and stop as much as was possible. I stopped twice on the way home to replenish the brake fluid in the master cylinder. Even with all the duct tape on the ruptured brake hose, it spouted brake fluid like a geyser every time I stepped on the brake pedal.

We arrived back home at 7:45 PM, frazzled, tired, and hungry. < sigh > Marcie was eagerly waiting for us. She wants Joanne to drive her to Kelowna early tomorrow morning to pick up Gord who is being released from the hospital after eight days.

< sigh >

Thursday ; Mostly cloudy, chilly, windy.

Joanne left at 8 AM with Marcie, in our minivan, headed to Kelowna to retrieve Gord. They returned home about 3 PM. Gord has lost a great deal of weight. He is on oxygen. He looks frail. < sigh > Welcome home, Gord.

I phoned an auto supply store in Penticton this morning to see if they had the brake hose I need for the truck. They did. I had them put it aside then phoned Joanne and told her to pick it up on their way back from Kelowna. She did.

I went over to see our neighbour / friend Jeanine. I reviewed the basic operation of her new camera with her. Then I downloaded from her new camera to her computer the "test" photos I asked her to shoot over the last few days. THEN ... I discovered that her deceased husband's two cameras had memory cards in them. I downloaded to her computer all the photos taken by her husband in the last few years of his life. He died two years ago. I suspect she will have some happy memories and probably shed a few tears when she reviews all those photos which are now in her computer.

I returned home and took Bo and Ozzie for a walk, then made ( a very late ) lunch for myself. Before going for a nap, I cleaned Ozzie's ears again and administered more ( antibiotic / antibacterial / antifungal / anti-inflammatory ) drops into his ears. His infected ears are considerably better than they were a few days ago. We all laid down for a nap, but less than half an hour later, Joanne, Marcie, and Gord arrived home. HMPH ! Not much of a nap !

Joanne immediately made more phone calls on Gord's behalf, setting up more medical appointments. < sigh > The BC health care system's lack of concern for the value of patient's time keeps rearing its ugly head. Good thing Joanne is acting as Gord's strong willed advocate !

We walked the dogs again. I reconciled some month end financial statements. And
I continued an ongoing dialogue by e-mail with a potential trailer towing client regarding a long distance trailer towing job in mid-July.

Friday ; Cloudy, chilly, intermittent rain all day long.

This morning Joanne headed into town in the minivan to run some errands. I worked on the truck brake hose replacement. I jacked up the passenger side front of the truck, got it onto an axle stand for safety, and removed the wheel and tire. I removed the ruptured brake hose. I was installing the new brake hose when Joanne returned home, and the rain began. I abandoned the job, and we went inside to have lunch.

After lunch it was still raining so I went to have a nap. Within a few minutes the next door neighbours ( the "weekenders" from the Lower Mainland ) arrived at our door for a brief visit. They left, the rain had stopped, so we took Bo and Ozzie for a walk. When we took Ozzie home after a walk we visited briefly with Gord and Marcie. Gord seems to be doing okay ... I guess ... but he looks frail and ill. He has lost fifty-six pounds since he first began to feel ill about two months ago.

After a brief visit we returned home and I returned to the brake hose replacement job.
I finished installing the new brake hose. Joanne assisted me in bleeding the air from the brake line. That's a two person job. I reinstalled the wheel and tire, removed the axle stand and jack, and began cleaning up. Cleaning and putting away tools and supplies, then cleaning myself, seemed almost as difficult as the brake hose replacement. Overall, the job went reasonably well. And I feel a satisfying sense of self-sufficiency.

In the evening I worked on some Similkameen Trailer Towing job planning. I calculated ferry costs and did some schedule planning for an upcoming trailer towing job to Vancouver Island.

Saturday ; Cloudy, cool, intermittent light rain

What a wasted day !  I spent more than four hours trying and failing to activate a new cell phone with new "global" SIM card. Now ... I wonder how willing the retailer ( London Drugs ) will be to provide a refund of purchase price on a phone that has been opened ? All of the indestructible packaging and plastic bags containing pieces and parts had to ripped open. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate dealing with cell phone techno-bullshit ? ! ?

DSK