Sunday ; Sunny, mild, windy.
We did a difficult cleaning job this afternoon, cleaning the walls above the shower stall. We walked around the RV park with Bo, enjoying the sunshine, returning a book to the library, spending some time in the dog park, harvesting some Shaggy Mane mushrooms as we found them. Joanne cleaned the interior of the truck. My role in that endeavour was ... take a nap. HA HA HA !
I did some financial analysis work. I posted my blog entry. I worked on monthly computer maintenance that took much longer than usual. I worked on reactivating our U.S. cell phone. I hate that annual chore ! It never goes well for me. Today it went as well as possible, I suppose.
Tonight we stumbled across a new television show that really tickles our funny bone. Son of Zorn. HA HA HA ! For supper Joanne cooked Maple Syrup glazed Cutthroat Trout fillets. MMMMM ... they were good !
Monday ; Sunny, cool, a bit windy.
We enjoy sunny fall days. So we have taken to going on two long walks per day around the RV park with Bo. We all benefit. Once again today we discovered a fresh batch of Shaggy Mane mushrooms. We picked a lot, and tonight Joanne and I made a large batch of turkey, potato, and Shaggy Mane mushroom soup to freeze and take with us when we leave in a week. Nothing like a hot bowl of soup for lunch on long driving days. Additionally, Joanne made a Shaggy Mane mushroom quiche for supper tonight.
This morning I downloaded, printed, reconciled, and paid our October MasterCard billing. This afternoon I worked on some new computer file backup protocols. Since
I have started using WINDOWS 10 I have decided to change the way I do monthly backups.
Tuesday ; Sunny and cool.
We spent most of the day in Penticton running errands. We left home about 11 AM and returned back home about 6 PM. Of the three pet beds Joanne bought at Value Village today for Bo ( don't even ask ! ), he only likes one of them ! < sigh >
Wednesday ; Gloomy, raining, chilly.
Marcie and Gord were at Penticton Hospital all day. Gord was receiving another chemotherapy treatment. So ... we took Ozzie for a couple of walks with Bo. And Ozzie spent most of the day at our home.
This afternoon I went into town ( Keremeos ) to get a flu shot at the pharmacy. Back at home I ( finally ) bought travel medical insurance. I have been working intermittently on obtaining quotes, and procrastinating purchasing, for a few weeks already. I am more than a little dismayed at the astounding increase in our premiums this year, especially mine ( increase by 4½ times ! ). And I wanted to ensure that my pre-existing conditions met the 180 day stability requirements before purchasing. Since I had received an angina diagnosis in late April, I waited until today to purchase the insurance, and now could truthfully claim 180 day stability.
Around ( other people's ) supper time we went to the pool for exercising. As usual, Joanne on a treadmill in the fitness room, me doing pool walking. Our evening was spent watching TV. Wednesday evening is our TV night ; Code Black, Survivor, Chicago Med.
Thursday ; Gloomy and chilly.
We have begun work in earnest preparing for departure next Tuesday. Joanne is moving things into the camper. ( How many pairs of shoes are you taking ? ? ? ! ! ! ) Today I worked on "paperwork", getting documents in order to facilitate border crossing, printing travel medical insurance documents, etc. I cleaned and polished shoes. HMPH ! I need some new shoes. Maybe I can get some new SAS shoes on sale on Black Friday ? Around supper time our neighbour / friend Jeanine and her little dog Charlie came over for a visit.
Friday ; Sunny, chilly, a bit windy.
We continued to slowly prepare for departure on Tuesday. Joanne continued to move things to the camper. I did more "records keeping" and updating on the computer. Medical files, financial files, etc. You know ... OCD stuff. HA HA HA ! We took Bo for a long walk around the RV park, enjoying the sunny weather. Although ... it was colder than we had anticipated. We met Gord's daughter from Saskatoon, who is here visiting for ... < raising eyebrows > ... less than one day !
Saturday ; Cloudy and cold.
Joanne continued "moving" from the house to the camper, mostly kitchen and freezer stuff. I did some home maintenance work. I did some truck maintenance work.
I trimmed Bo's dew claws. We took Bo for a long walk ... twice.
DSK
Sunday, October 30, 2016
Sunday, October 23, 2016
October 16 to 22, 2016
Sunday ; Cloudy, windy, cold.
This morning Joanne left, in our minivan, with Marcie, for a day of running errands in Penticton. She dropped Marcie off at Penticton Hospital to visit Gord while she ran errands. They returned home around 5 PM.
I did more preventive maintenance on the truck in preparation for travel south in a couple of weeks. I checked the fluid levels in both batteries. I drained the fuel / water separator. And I did a 6000 km. inspection. HMMM ... after 318,000 km. ( almost 200,000 miles ) the muffler looks like it might need replacing soon. I walked Bo. Then
I walked Ozzie.
After lunch I read for awhile, then napped. I got online, paid some bills, did some accounting and investments analysis. I did some travel research, checking on what entertainment was taking place at the casinos along our route south. After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a walk around the RV park. BRRRRR ... windy and
cold !
Joanne burned supper. She was upset. I reassured her that I love her even if supper was burned. She wasn't convinced. HA HA HA ! We ate supper while watching Downton Abbey.
Monday ; Cloudy, chilly, a few drops of rain early in the day.
This morning Joanne went into Keremeos with Marcie, to provide guidance and moral support while Marcie met with some home health care nurses. Gord was discharged from Penticton Hospital this afternoon. Joanne declined to accompany Marcie to Penticton to pick him up.
This afternoon we cleaned and stored summer furniture and ... yard stuff. Barbecue, Sun Oven, bicycle, etc. At 6 PM we headed to the pool building. Joanne did exercise on a treadmill in the fitness room. I did pool walking for exercise. We finished with a hot tub soak.
Tuesday ; Cloudy, mild, intermittent light rain. The rain prevented us from doing as much outdoor work as we would have liked to do today.
This afternoon I did some fall pre-departure work around the yard, in the shed, on the camper. We visited with our neighbour / friend Jeanine. In the evening I did an annual review and purge of the contents of my desk "junk" drawer and the kitchen "junk" drawer. I certainly wish I could remember what those two brand new, large, screw on plastic lids are for ! ? ! They're not for the five gallon water jug. And I obviously bought them for some reason. They're in a bag in the kitchen junk drawer, and I'm reluctant to throw them out, despite not knowing what they're for ! HMPH ! Senior moment ! No doubt I'll remember what they're for a week after I discard them.
Wednesday ; Sunny and mild. Finally ! A fairly nice weather day that allowed us to almost complete our garden and yard clean up work.
After completing today's yard work we took Bo for a walk to the dog park, detouring on the way to our mailbox. While walking home we discovered a fresh batch of Shaggy Mane mushrooms, just barely pushing up out of the ground. Joanne got a knife from home and went back to harvest them. There were a lot more than had initially been apparent. She came home with a large batch of lovely, small Shaggy Mane mushrooms. She turned them into a wonderful turkey and mushroom soup for supper. It was excellent !
We had supper while watching the third and final U.S. Presidential debate. < rolling eyes and shaking head in despair > What a doofus he is ! ! ! ! ! Afterwards we watched Survivor.
Thursday ; Cloudy. Intermittent cold rain.
This morning we hauled the last of our garden and yard waste to the burn pile. And that ended our yard and garden clean up for this fall. Joanne went into town ( Keremeos ) to buy some groceries. When she returned home we gave Bo a teensy bit of a hair trim on the face and ... < ahem >.
I worked on taking an inventory of all my current medications, and where they are ; Keremeos home, camper, Yuma home. I phoned the pharmacy and ordered six months of my medications for the winter. At 6 PM we went to the pool building. Joanne exercised on a treadmill in the fitness room, while I did pool walking exercise.
Friday ; Sunny and chilly.
Early this afternoon Gord came over to our home. He wanted to "clear the air" and apologize. Joanne and I spoke with him for quite awhile about his short term future options. ( He doesn't have a long term future ! ! ! ) We told him things, and tried to discuss with him, things he doesn't want to hear. Yeah ... we get it ! These are difficult topics. After awhile, Marcie came over looking for him. He hadn't told her where he was going. She joined into the difficult discussions. Tears were shed. Yeah ... we get it ! We hope our discussion was a wake up call. For both of them, but particularly for Gord. That's what we hope. But not what we expect !
Late in the afternoon we went into town to run some errands. First stop was to meet a Penticton based fire safety business owner at the local high school. Over the last ten years I have purchased four refurbished industrial fire extinguishers from her. One that I bought from her four years ago recently lost its pressure, so I needed to replace it. She arranged to meet me at the local high school ( where she was doing some work ) to sell me another refurbished industrial fire extinguisher. < sigh > She is SO difficult to do business with !
Joanne went to buy some groceries at Valu-Plus while I went to pick up my prescriptions at Similkameen Pharmacy. On the way out of town we stopped at Sanderson Farms to buy some lettuce. HMPH ! I already miss my own garden !
Saturday ; Sunny and cool.
This morning we put the camper back onto the truck. And began loading a few things into the camper. While Joanne prepared lunch I did some preventive maintenance on the truck and the minivan.
After lunch Joanne did laundry. I napped briefly then worked on my prescriptions that
I picked up yesterday. Sorting what stays here, what goes to the camper, doing the accounting for the costs, doing the medical expense accounting for tax purposes, etc.
We took Bo for long walks ... twice. He was ill last night and this morning, so we thought some long walks and fresh air might help him recover. It did. At 6:30 PM we went to the pool building to exercise ; Joanne on a treadmill, me in the pool.
LIVE ! FROM NEW YORK ! IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT ! ! ! HA HA HA ! That Alec Baldwin is so... on fleek, n'est-ce pas ? HA HA HA HA HA !
DSK
This morning Joanne left, in our minivan, with Marcie, for a day of running errands in Penticton. She dropped Marcie off at Penticton Hospital to visit Gord while she ran errands. They returned home around 5 PM.
I did more preventive maintenance on the truck in preparation for travel south in a couple of weeks. I checked the fluid levels in both batteries. I drained the fuel / water separator. And I did a 6000 km. inspection. HMMM ... after 318,000 km. ( almost 200,000 miles ) the muffler looks like it might need replacing soon. I walked Bo. Then
I walked Ozzie.
After lunch I read for awhile, then napped. I got online, paid some bills, did some accounting and investments analysis. I did some travel research, checking on what entertainment was taking place at the casinos along our route south. After Joanne returned home we took Bo for a walk around the RV park. BRRRRR ... windy and
cold !
Joanne burned supper. She was upset. I reassured her that I love her even if supper was burned. She wasn't convinced. HA HA HA ! We ate supper while watching Downton Abbey.
Monday ; Cloudy, chilly, a few drops of rain early in the day.
This morning Joanne went into Keremeos with Marcie, to provide guidance and moral support while Marcie met with some home health care nurses. Gord was discharged from Penticton Hospital this afternoon. Joanne declined to accompany Marcie to Penticton to pick him up.
This afternoon we cleaned and stored summer furniture and ... yard stuff. Barbecue, Sun Oven, bicycle, etc. At 6 PM we headed to the pool building. Joanne did exercise on a treadmill in the fitness room. I did pool walking for exercise. We finished with a hot tub soak.
Tuesday ; Cloudy, mild, intermittent light rain. The rain prevented us from doing as much outdoor work as we would have liked to do today.
This afternoon I did some fall pre-departure work around the yard, in the shed, on the camper. We visited with our neighbour / friend Jeanine. In the evening I did an annual review and purge of the contents of my desk "junk" drawer and the kitchen "junk" drawer. I certainly wish I could remember what those two brand new, large, screw on plastic lids are for ! ? ! They're not for the five gallon water jug. And I obviously bought them for some reason. They're in a bag in the kitchen junk drawer, and I'm reluctant to throw them out, despite not knowing what they're for ! HMPH ! Senior moment ! No doubt I'll remember what they're for a week after I discard them.
Wednesday ; Sunny and mild. Finally ! A fairly nice weather day that allowed us to almost complete our garden and yard clean up work.
After completing today's yard work we took Bo for a walk to the dog park, detouring on the way to our mailbox. While walking home we discovered a fresh batch of Shaggy Mane mushrooms, just barely pushing up out of the ground. Joanne got a knife from home and went back to harvest them. There were a lot more than had initially been apparent. She came home with a large batch of lovely, small Shaggy Mane mushrooms. She turned them into a wonderful turkey and mushroom soup for supper. It was excellent !
We had supper while watching the third and final U.S. Presidential debate. < rolling eyes and shaking head in despair > What a doofus he is ! ! ! ! ! Afterwards we watched Survivor.
Thursday ; Cloudy. Intermittent cold rain.
This morning we hauled the last of our garden and yard waste to the burn pile. And that ended our yard and garden clean up for this fall. Joanne went into town ( Keremeos ) to buy some groceries. When she returned home we gave Bo a teensy bit of a hair trim on the face and ... < ahem >.
I worked on taking an inventory of all my current medications, and where they are ; Keremeos home, camper, Yuma home. I phoned the pharmacy and ordered six months of my medications for the winter. At 6 PM we went to the pool building. Joanne exercised on a treadmill in the fitness room, while I did pool walking exercise.
Friday ; Sunny and chilly.
Early this afternoon Gord came over to our home. He wanted to "clear the air" and apologize. Joanne and I spoke with him for quite awhile about his short term future options. ( He doesn't have a long term future ! ! ! ) We told him things, and tried to discuss with him, things he doesn't want to hear. Yeah ... we get it ! These are difficult topics. After awhile, Marcie came over looking for him. He hadn't told her where he was going. She joined into the difficult discussions. Tears were shed. Yeah ... we get it ! We hope our discussion was a wake up call. For both of them, but particularly for Gord. That's what we hope. But not what we expect !
Late in the afternoon we went into town to run some errands. First stop was to meet a Penticton based fire safety business owner at the local high school. Over the last ten years I have purchased four refurbished industrial fire extinguishers from her. One that I bought from her four years ago recently lost its pressure, so I needed to replace it. She arranged to meet me at the local high school ( where she was doing some work ) to sell me another refurbished industrial fire extinguisher. < sigh > She is SO difficult to do business with !
Joanne went to buy some groceries at Valu-Plus while I went to pick up my prescriptions at Similkameen Pharmacy. On the way out of town we stopped at Sanderson Farms to buy some lettuce. HMPH ! I already miss my own garden !
Saturday ; Sunny and cool.
This morning we put the camper back onto the truck. And began loading a few things into the camper. While Joanne prepared lunch I did some preventive maintenance on the truck and the minivan.
After lunch Joanne did laundry. I napped briefly then worked on my prescriptions that
I picked up yesterday. Sorting what stays here, what goes to the camper, doing the accounting for the costs, doing the medical expense accounting for tax purposes, etc.
We took Bo for long walks ... twice. He was ill last night and this morning, so we thought some long walks and fresh air might help him recover. It did. At 6:30 PM we went to the pool building to exercise ; Joanne on a treadmill, me in the pool.
LIVE ! FROM NEW YORK ! IT'S SATURDAY NIGHT ! ! ! HA HA HA ! That Alec Baldwin is so... on fleek, n'est-ce pas ? HA HA HA HA HA !
DSK
Sunday, October 16, 2016
October 9 to 15, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny and mild, a lovely fall day.
I unloaded trailer towing supplies from the truck, removed the fifth wheel hitch, then parked the truck back underneath the camper. After lunch and a nap I did some gardening. We went for a long walk around the RV park with Bo, enjoying the fine weather. I downloaded and processed photos. I did some online work, including posting my weekly bog entry.
We ate supper watching the American Presidential debate. HA HA HA HA HA !
Monday ; Canadian Thanksgiving and Daniel's 62nd birthday
Happy Birthday to me ! Cloudy, windy, and cold. We made waffles as a special birthday brunch. Bo really enjoys waffles with maple syrup. HA HA HA ! Joanne presented me with a birthday card and gifts over brunch. My sister phoned me this morning and we had a long chat.
I watered our composters this morning, perhaps for the last time this year. This afternoon I did maintenance on the truck. I adjusted the air pressure in all seven tires.
I worked on replacing a battery cable terminal clamp. It did not go well. I certainly am glad I didn't start this job the day before we left to do the recent trailer delivery job, as
I had considered doing. If I had ... and it went as it did today ... the truck would have been incapacitated when we needed to leave for the trailer delivery job. The replacement battery cable terminal clamp that I was installing broke as I was working on it < sigh >. I will go into Keremeos tomorrow to see if Napa Auto Parts has what
I need. Otherwise I'll have to go to Penticton to look for it.
Joanne cooked a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and ... a birthday cake. Thank you for a wonderful birthday and Thanksgiving dinner, my love. In the evening I worked on my annual birthday investment update and analysis. We're doing well ! Good Job, Daniel !
Tuesday ; Sunny and chilly.
This morning we were awakened by Marcie. She came over to advise us that she was taking Gord to the clinic in town. He was ill. A few hours later we went into town to check on them, but they had just left the clinic to return home. I bought some automotive repair parts at Napa Auto Parts. This afternoon I repaired the truck, replacing the broken battery cable terminal clamp. And I did a bit of season end gardening.
Around supper time Marcie came over in a panic. Gord had fallen in the kitchen. Joanne and I rushed over and helped pick him up, and get him seated in a chair.
I called an ambulance ! He was sick and disoriented. He had been ill all day. The ambulance came, loaded him up, and took him to Penticton Hospital. < sigh >
Joanne had a few bites of food then left with Marcie headed to Penticton Hospital. They returned home about 10:45 PM. Gord will have to remain in the hospital for a few days.
Wednesday ; our 42nd anniversary
Sunny, windy, chilly.
This morning I made some phone calls. This afternoon I did some yard and gardening work. We went out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We went to the swimming pool building and while Joanne did some exercises in the fitness room I did some exercises in the swimming pool. Joanne has been trying to convince me to exercise more.
For our anniversary dinner we went to Benja Thai in Keremeos. We usually have a meal there once per year. And we are never disappointed ! Although ... as good as their Thai food is ... it's not quite as good as the Thai food prepared by our Yuma neighbour, Beebee, Miss Thailand of ... 1976, I think.
Have I mentioned lately ... < whispering to Joanne > ... how much I love you ?
Thursday ; Cloudy and chilly.
This morning I left in the truck for a day of running errands in Penticton. I took our next door neighbour Marcie. Joanne stayed home. First stop in Penticton was the hospital where I dropped Marcie off for a few hours of visiting Gord. He's still pretty ill. The hospital is the best place for him to be right now. Marcie can not provide him at home with the level of care he needs.
I took the truck for service, getting the oil and filter changed, and a lubrication service, followed by a wash. Next I went to Peach City Medical Clinic, the walk-in clinic that
I have chosen as my new "family doctor" service. It was my first visit there to see a doctor. My waiting time was very reasonable, shorter than any wait time I've ever had in ten years at the Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. The doctor I saw today was personable, professional, and efficient. He acted like both his time and mine were valuable, and not to be wasted. What a pleasant change from Keremeos ! ! ! I was in, registered as a new patient, saw a doctor, and was out within forty-five minutes !
I ran a few more errands, then refilled Lanoire with diesel before returning to Penticton Hospital to pick up Marcie. I took her to Total Pet to buy some dog food for Ozzie, then we returned home, arriving back home about 3:30 PM. I spent a couple of hours helping Joanne with some gardening she had been working on today. Mostly I used the truck to haul gardening refuse to the burn pile / compost pile area of our RV park.
Friday ; Sunny and chilly.
This morning I installed a new fuel filter in the truck. Lanoire is now ready for travel to the south. This afternoon Joanne did a lot of gardening on our rock slope, mostly a lot of cutting down of Russian Sage which grew really large this year. I helped with clean up and disposal. I also did tomato garden removal and other winter preparation yard work. Marcie came over and I taught her how to clean and treat Ozzie's ears. I have been cleaning and treating Ozzie's ears since May when I discovered that he had severe ear infections. It has taken me five months to get the infections completely cleared up, and I hope Marcie will continue cleaning and treating his ears over the winter to prevent recurrence.
Saturday ; Cloudy and cold.
WOO-HOO ! Our ( 1850 AirMiles points ) $300 toaster has arrived. HA HA HA ! Pretty spiffy looking for a toaster ! Pretty high tech for a toaster !
We had a lazy day today. We slept late this morning. And I napped this afternoon.
HA HA HA ! I did some fall pre-departure preparations. We visited briefly with our neighbour / friend Jeanine. In the evening I worked on financial planning for this winter's budget.
DSK
I unloaded trailer towing supplies from the truck, removed the fifth wheel hitch, then parked the truck back underneath the camper. After lunch and a nap I did some gardening. We went for a long walk around the RV park with Bo, enjoying the fine weather. I downloaded and processed photos. I did some online work, including posting my weekly bog entry.
We ate supper watching the American Presidential debate. HA HA HA HA HA !
Monday ; Canadian Thanksgiving and Daniel's 62nd birthday
Happy Birthday to me ! Cloudy, windy, and cold. We made waffles as a special birthday brunch. Bo really enjoys waffles with maple syrup. HA HA HA ! Joanne presented me with a birthday card and gifts over brunch. My sister phoned me this morning and we had a long chat.
I watered our composters this morning, perhaps for the last time this year. This afternoon I did maintenance on the truck. I adjusted the air pressure in all seven tires.
I worked on replacing a battery cable terminal clamp. It did not go well. I certainly am glad I didn't start this job the day before we left to do the recent trailer delivery job, as
I had considered doing. If I had ... and it went as it did today ... the truck would have been incapacitated when we needed to leave for the trailer delivery job. The replacement battery cable terminal clamp that I was installing broke as I was working on it < sigh >. I will go into Keremeos tomorrow to see if Napa Auto Parts has what
I need. Otherwise I'll have to go to Penticton to look for it.
Joanne cooked a Thanksgiving turkey dinner, and ... a birthday cake. Thank you for a wonderful birthday and Thanksgiving dinner, my love. In the evening I worked on my annual birthday investment update and analysis. We're doing well ! Good Job, Daniel !
Tuesday ; Sunny and chilly.
This morning we were awakened by Marcie. She came over to advise us that she was taking Gord to the clinic in town. He was ill. A few hours later we went into town to check on them, but they had just left the clinic to return home. I bought some automotive repair parts at Napa Auto Parts. This afternoon I repaired the truck, replacing the broken battery cable terminal clamp. And I did a bit of season end gardening.
Around supper time Marcie came over in a panic. Gord had fallen in the kitchen. Joanne and I rushed over and helped pick him up, and get him seated in a chair.
I called an ambulance ! He was sick and disoriented. He had been ill all day. The ambulance came, loaded him up, and took him to Penticton Hospital. < sigh >
Joanne had a few bites of food then left with Marcie headed to Penticton Hospital. They returned home about 10:45 PM. Gord will have to remain in the hospital for a few days.
Wednesday ; our 42nd anniversary
Sunny, windy, chilly.
This morning I made some phone calls. This afternoon I did some yard and gardening work. We went out for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We went to the swimming pool building and while Joanne did some exercises in the fitness room I did some exercises in the swimming pool. Joanne has been trying to convince me to exercise more.
For our anniversary dinner we went to Benja Thai in Keremeos. We usually have a meal there once per year. And we are never disappointed ! Although ... as good as their Thai food is ... it's not quite as good as the Thai food prepared by our Yuma neighbour, Beebee, Miss Thailand of ... 1976, I think.
Have I mentioned lately ... < whispering to Joanne > ... how much I love you ?
Thursday ; Cloudy and chilly.
This morning I left in the truck for a day of running errands in Penticton. I took our next door neighbour Marcie. Joanne stayed home. First stop in Penticton was the hospital where I dropped Marcie off for a few hours of visiting Gord. He's still pretty ill. The hospital is the best place for him to be right now. Marcie can not provide him at home with the level of care he needs.
I took the truck for service, getting the oil and filter changed, and a lubrication service, followed by a wash. Next I went to Peach City Medical Clinic, the walk-in clinic that
I have chosen as my new "family doctor" service. It was my first visit there to see a doctor. My waiting time was very reasonable, shorter than any wait time I've ever had in ten years at the Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. The doctor I saw today was personable, professional, and efficient. He acted like both his time and mine were valuable, and not to be wasted. What a pleasant change from Keremeos ! ! ! I was in, registered as a new patient, saw a doctor, and was out within forty-five minutes !
I ran a few more errands, then refilled Lanoire with diesel before returning to Penticton Hospital to pick up Marcie. I took her to Total Pet to buy some dog food for Ozzie, then we returned home, arriving back home about 3:30 PM. I spent a couple of hours helping Joanne with some gardening she had been working on today. Mostly I used the truck to haul gardening refuse to the burn pile / compost pile area of our RV park.
Friday ; Sunny and chilly.
This morning I installed a new fuel filter in the truck. Lanoire is now ready for travel to the south. This afternoon Joanne did a lot of gardening on our rock slope, mostly a lot of cutting down of Russian Sage which grew really large this year. I helped with clean up and disposal. I also did tomato garden removal and other winter preparation yard work. Marcie came over and I taught her how to clean and treat Ozzie's ears. I have been cleaning and treating Ozzie's ears since May when I discovered that he had severe ear infections. It has taken me five months to get the infections completely cleared up, and I hope Marcie will continue cleaning and treating his ears over the winter to prevent recurrence.
Saturday ; Cloudy and cold.
WOO-HOO ! Our ( 1850 AirMiles points ) $300 toaster has arrived. HA HA HA ! Pretty spiffy looking for a toaster ! Pretty high tech for a toaster !
We had a lazy day today. We slept late this morning. And I napped this afternoon.
HA HA HA ! I did some fall pre-departure preparations. We visited briefly with our neighbour / friend Jeanine. In the evening I worked on financial planning for this winter's budget.
DSK
Sunday, October 9, 2016
October 2 to 8, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny and mild.
This morning I did some routine home and yard and vehicle preventive maintenance. Then I went next door to see Marcie and discuss with her the work I had done yesterday on her "classic" Mercedes-Benz. That resulted in some heated words being exchanged. Later in the day I exchanged some heated words with Gord over his new television set which I installed, and he now wants repackaged so that he can return it for a refund in order to buy a larger screen TV. I'm feeling that our generosity is being taken advantage of.
Yesterday in Penticton, while waiting for Gord's blood transfusion to be completed, Joanne bought me a birthday gift that she decided to give to me today. It's a lovely
fall / winter jacket that she thinks I might need to use on our upcoming trailer delivery job which will take us quite far north in BC. A few years ago we did a couple of trailer delivery jobs to Edmonton in early October. On the first of two back to back trips to Edmonton we left home wearing short sleeved shirts, and no socks, as was appropriate for the weather here. When we arrived in Edmonton ... there was an early winter blizzard. We were very unprepared ! So ... this time ... we'll be better prepared for cold weather. Thank you very much, my love.
By the way ... for those of you who remembered that I said "stay tuned" last Wednesday ... yes, yes ... Superstore refunded the cost of that "fresh" Coho Salmon, without any argument or questions. And yes, yes ... the rest of those Coho Salmon fillets were thrown in the garbage by us. And yes, yes ... the fillet that I ate for supper last Wednesday was, indeed, "bad". Just ask my now colitis flared colon !
Monday ; Sunny and cool.
We spent much of today preparing for our upcoming five day trailer delivery trip.
I worked on installing the fifth wheel hitch into the truck, and all the trailer towing supplies and materials. Joanne worked on clothing and bedding and food, etc. We took Bo for a long walk around the RV park, and visited with Jeanine as we passed by her place. I went bicycling. I watered our composter, and while doing that, made a "sales pitch" to a potential purchaser of Joe's and Lynn's lot next door to us. I trimmed my beard.
Tuesday ; home to Kamloops to Blind Bay to Kamloops
Sunny and cool. We were up early this morning and left home at 10 AM to begin our five day trailer delivery job. West on Hwy. 3 to Princeton, north on Hwy. 5 to Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla / Okanagan Connector, west to Merritt where we refilled Lanoire with diesel. North on the Coquihalla / "Highway Thru Hell" to Kamloops where we stopped shortly after 1 PM to have a late picnic lunch at the Visitor Information Centre. We were back on the road by 2 PM heading east on Trans-Canada Highway 1 to Blind Bay where we arrived about 3 PM.
We were picking up a large fifth wheel trailer to be delivered to the buyer, our client. We were picking it up in Blind Bay from the seller ... not our client. Or more specifically, we were picking it up from the seller's wife. Suffice to say that the pick up went poorly ! We left Blind Bay, with the trailer in tow, about 5:30 PM, heading west on TCH 1 back to Kamloops. At Kamloops we turned north on Hwy. 5 and refilled with diesel again just as it got dark about 6:45 PM. We found our way in the dark to a shopping mall near the home of our friends Laszlo and Gail and Bo's buddy, their Pit Bull DeeOJee. We parked the truck and trailer at the shopping mall, Laszlo picked us up in their car, and we went to their nearby home for dinner and an overnight stay.
Gail had prepared a lovely supper for us ... thank you very much Gail ... and we enjoyed an evening of visiting.
Wednesday ; Kamloops to Hixon
Mix of sun and clouds, cool. After we showered etc. this morning Laszlo drove us back to the nearby shopping mall where we had left the truck and trailer parked overnight. We left the shopping mall about 9:30 AM heading back through Kamloops to Hwy. 5. We missed a crucial turn and got briefly lost in the city.
Once back on Hwy. 5 we headed north to Little Fort, then turned west on Hwy. 24. We reached Hwy. 97 at 100 Mile House and turned north. We stopped to have lunch at 108 Mile House. We refilled with diesel at Williams Lake. We stopped for the night at Hixon, staying in a small "Mom & Pop" motel with a parking lot large enough to accommodate our almost sixty foot long truck and fifth wheel trailer combination.
We ate our "picnic supper" in our motel room while watching Survivor. I spoke to our client on the telephone and made arrangements to meet tomorrow morning in Prince George, less than an hour north of here.
Thursday ; Hixon to Prince George to Francois Lake & return to Hixon
Cloudy and cool on the way out to Francois Lake, raining heavily on our way back.
This morning I slipped and fell in the motel's bathtub, injuring two toes on my left foot that had been broken before and are somewhat vulnerable to re-injury.
We were up early and left our motel room in Hixon at 9 AM, heading north on Hwy. 97 to Prince George, about forty-five minutes away. We refilled with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar and at 10 AM our trailer delivery client and his wife met us in the Superstore parking lot. Following them in their car we headed west on Yellowhead Hwy. 16 for about two hours to Fraser Lake, then turned onto Francois Lake Road for the final half hour or so to Birch Bay Resort on Francois Lake, our clients' trailer's new home.
It was an easy job for us to park their new ( to them ) large fifth wheel trailer. The client paid my bill, we all chatted for awhile, then Joanne and I left about 1:30 PM. We drove back to Yellowhead Hwy. 16 and stopped at a rest area to eat a late picnic lunch. We drove east back to Prince George where we refilled with diesel at Superstore Fuel Bar again, and bought some dog food at PetsMart. We left Prince George heading south on Hwy. 97 and arrived back at our motel about 6 PM. It was still daylight, and the rain had stopped, so we took Bo for a leisurely walk along the banks of Canyon Creek to relax and stretch our legs, tired and cramped from so much time in the truck over the last few days.
We ate our spaghetti dinner in our motel room while watching TV. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, and I worked on my laptop doing trip accounting.
Friday ; Hixon to Kamloops
Gloomy, cold, raining.
This morning our trailer delivery client phoned with some questions regarding their new fifth wheel trailer which we delivered yesterday. I hope I answered his questions satisfactorily. We left the motel in Hixon this morning at 10:30 AM and continued heading south on Hwy. 97. We stopped in Quesnel to look for an advertised dog food special at Total Pet. They did not have what we were looking for. We stopped in Williams Lake to have lunch while parked at the Visitor Information Centre which is housed in a Pioneer Log Homes building that is ... incredible ! I always enjoy visiting the Williams Lake Visitor Information Centre just to marvel at the Pioneer Log Homes building. Pioneer Log Homes is a local Williams Lake business that is the featured subject of a television show called Timber Kings on one of the "educational" channels ; TLC or A&E or one of those similar channels. We stopped in 100 Mile House to look for the same advertised dog food special at PET VALU. Again ... they didn't have what we were looking for. Joanne saw a Bank Of Montreal, so we stopped to deposit the cash payment received from our trailer delivery client yesterday.
Just south of 100 Mile House we turned east on Hwy. 24, and an hour or so later we turned south again, this time on Hwy. 5. We stopped for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs at a rest area near McLure. Forty-five minutes later we arrived in Kamloops and found our way to Laszlo's and Gail's home, arriving at 6 PM. Gail had prepared a lovely supper for us ... again. Thank you ! The four of us chatted until late in the evening.
Saturday ; Kamloops to home
Gloomy, cold, raining heavily ... OR ... blizzard !
We left Laszlo's and Gail's home this morning about 10:30 AM. Thank you, Laszlo and Gail, for having us as dinner guests and overnight house guests ... twice this week. We drove to Superstore and did our weekly grocery shopping in Kamloops, to avoid needing to make a trip into Penticton for groceries soon after our return home. We also refilled Lanoire with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar, then headed out of Kamloops heading west on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 for a few miles, then south on
Hwy. 5 / the Coquihalla / "Highway Thru Hell". Within moments, as the Coquihalla rose in elevation the heavy rain turned into a snow blizzard. WOW ! Finally ... I get to drive the "Highway Thru Hell" in whiteout conditions. HA HA HA !
It was brutal ! The temperature dropped to -1ºC / 30ºF. The slushy snow was accumulating on the road making it extremely slippery. The fog was thick. Cars were sliding off the road and into the ditch. And yet ... every few minutes some idiot would zip by in the passing lane, slipping and sliding as they passed the slowly moving line of traffic. And sometimes ... the idiot would be driving a fully loaded tractor-trailer unit ! ! ! As we descended into the Nicola Valley at Merritt, the temperature rose a bit, and the snow became rain again.
We turned east on Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla / Okanagan Connector, heading towards Peachland. When we reached Hwy. 5A we turned south again heading to Princeton. We stopped at Gulliford Lake Rest Area to have lunch. When we reached Princeton we turned east on Crowsnest Hwy. 3 for the final leg to home. We reached Riverside RV Park Resort around 3:30 PM, safe and sound after a trailer delivery job round trip of 2152 km. / 1345 miles.
I had a well deserved short nap. Joanne unloaded food and our personal items from the truck. I spent much of the evening working on the computer, doing accounting and getting caught up on e-mail, etc.
This trailer delivery job made 2016 the highest earning year for Similkameen Trailer Towing in the seven years we've been doing this. Congratulations, Daniel ! Well done !
DSK
This morning I did some routine home and yard and vehicle preventive maintenance. Then I went next door to see Marcie and discuss with her the work I had done yesterday on her "classic" Mercedes-Benz. That resulted in some heated words being exchanged. Later in the day I exchanged some heated words with Gord over his new television set which I installed, and he now wants repackaged so that he can return it for a refund in order to buy a larger screen TV. I'm feeling that our generosity is being taken advantage of.
Yesterday in Penticton, while waiting for Gord's blood transfusion to be completed, Joanne bought me a birthday gift that she decided to give to me today. It's a lovely
fall / winter jacket that she thinks I might need to use on our upcoming trailer delivery job which will take us quite far north in BC. A few years ago we did a couple of trailer delivery jobs to Edmonton in early October. On the first of two back to back trips to Edmonton we left home wearing short sleeved shirts, and no socks, as was appropriate for the weather here. When we arrived in Edmonton ... there was an early winter blizzard. We were very unprepared ! So ... this time ... we'll be better prepared for cold weather. Thank you very much, my love.
By the way ... for those of you who remembered that I said "stay tuned" last Wednesday ... yes, yes ... Superstore refunded the cost of that "fresh" Coho Salmon, without any argument or questions. And yes, yes ... the rest of those Coho Salmon fillets were thrown in the garbage by us. And yes, yes ... the fillet that I ate for supper last Wednesday was, indeed, "bad". Just ask my now colitis flared colon !
Monday ; Sunny and cool.
We spent much of today preparing for our upcoming five day trailer delivery trip.
I worked on installing the fifth wheel hitch into the truck, and all the trailer towing supplies and materials. Joanne worked on clothing and bedding and food, etc. We took Bo for a long walk around the RV park, and visited with Jeanine as we passed by her place. I went bicycling. I watered our composter, and while doing that, made a "sales pitch" to a potential purchaser of Joe's and Lynn's lot next door to us. I trimmed my beard.
Tuesday ; home to Kamloops to Blind Bay to Kamloops
Sunny and cool. We were up early this morning and left home at 10 AM to begin our five day trailer delivery job. West on Hwy. 3 to Princeton, north on Hwy. 5 to Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla / Okanagan Connector, west to Merritt where we refilled Lanoire with diesel. North on the Coquihalla / "Highway Thru Hell" to Kamloops where we stopped shortly after 1 PM to have a late picnic lunch at the Visitor Information Centre. We were back on the road by 2 PM heading east on Trans-Canada Highway 1 to Blind Bay where we arrived about 3 PM.
We were picking up a large fifth wheel trailer to be delivered to the buyer, our client. We were picking it up in Blind Bay from the seller ... not our client. Or more specifically, we were picking it up from the seller's wife. Suffice to say that the pick up went poorly ! We left Blind Bay, with the trailer in tow, about 5:30 PM, heading west on TCH 1 back to Kamloops. At Kamloops we turned north on Hwy. 5 and refilled with diesel again just as it got dark about 6:45 PM. We found our way in the dark to a shopping mall near the home of our friends Laszlo and Gail and Bo's buddy, their Pit Bull DeeOJee. We parked the truck and trailer at the shopping mall, Laszlo picked us up in their car, and we went to their nearby home for dinner and an overnight stay.
Gail had prepared a lovely supper for us ... thank you very much Gail ... and we enjoyed an evening of visiting.
Wednesday ; Kamloops to Hixon
Mix of sun and clouds, cool. After we showered etc. this morning Laszlo drove us back to the nearby shopping mall where we had left the truck and trailer parked overnight. We left the shopping mall about 9:30 AM heading back through Kamloops to Hwy. 5. We missed a crucial turn and got briefly lost in the city.
Once back on Hwy. 5 we headed north to Little Fort, then turned west on Hwy. 24. We reached Hwy. 97 at 100 Mile House and turned north. We stopped to have lunch at 108 Mile House. We refilled with diesel at Williams Lake. We stopped for the night at Hixon, staying in a small "Mom & Pop" motel with a parking lot large enough to accommodate our almost sixty foot long truck and fifth wheel trailer combination.
We ate our "picnic supper" in our motel room while watching Survivor. I spoke to our client on the telephone and made arrangements to meet tomorrow morning in Prince George, less than an hour north of here.
Thursday ; Hixon to Prince George to Francois Lake & return to Hixon
Cloudy and cool on the way out to Francois Lake, raining heavily on our way back.
This morning I slipped and fell in the motel's bathtub, injuring two toes on my left foot that had been broken before and are somewhat vulnerable to re-injury.
We were up early and left our motel room in Hixon at 9 AM, heading north on Hwy. 97 to Prince George, about forty-five minutes away. We refilled with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar and at 10 AM our trailer delivery client and his wife met us in the Superstore parking lot. Following them in their car we headed west on Yellowhead Hwy. 16 for about two hours to Fraser Lake, then turned onto Francois Lake Road for the final half hour or so to Birch Bay Resort on Francois Lake, our clients' trailer's new home.
It was an easy job for us to park their new ( to them ) large fifth wheel trailer. The client paid my bill, we all chatted for awhile, then Joanne and I left about 1:30 PM. We drove back to Yellowhead Hwy. 16 and stopped at a rest area to eat a late picnic lunch. We drove east back to Prince George where we refilled with diesel at Superstore Fuel Bar again, and bought some dog food at PetsMart. We left Prince George heading south on Hwy. 97 and arrived back at our motel about 6 PM. It was still daylight, and the rain had stopped, so we took Bo for a leisurely walk along the banks of Canyon Creek to relax and stretch our legs, tired and cramped from so much time in the truck over the last few days.
We ate our spaghetti dinner in our motel room while watching TV. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV, and I worked on my laptop doing trip accounting.
Friday ; Hixon to Kamloops
Gloomy, cold, raining.
This morning our trailer delivery client phoned with some questions regarding their new fifth wheel trailer which we delivered yesterday. I hope I answered his questions satisfactorily. We left the motel in Hixon this morning at 10:30 AM and continued heading south on Hwy. 97. We stopped in Quesnel to look for an advertised dog food special at Total Pet. They did not have what we were looking for. We stopped in Williams Lake to have lunch while parked at the Visitor Information Centre which is housed in a Pioneer Log Homes building that is ... incredible ! I always enjoy visiting the Williams Lake Visitor Information Centre just to marvel at the Pioneer Log Homes building. Pioneer Log Homes is a local Williams Lake business that is the featured subject of a television show called Timber Kings on one of the "educational" channels ; TLC or A&E or one of those similar channels. We stopped in 100 Mile House to look for the same advertised dog food special at PET VALU. Again ... they didn't have what we were looking for. Joanne saw a Bank Of Montreal, so we stopped to deposit the cash payment received from our trailer delivery client yesterday.
Just south of 100 Mile House we turned east on Hwy. 24, and an hour or so later we turned south again, this time on Hwy. 5. We stopped for a bathroom break and to stretch our legs at a rest area near McLure. Forty-five minutes later we arrived in Kamloops and found our way to Laszlo's and Gail's home, arriving at 6 PM. Gail had prepared a lovely supper for us ... again. Thank you ! The four of us chatted until late in the evening.
Saturday ; Kamloops to home
Gloomy, cold, raining heavily ... OR ... blizzard !
We left Laszlo's and Gail's home this morning about 10:30 AM. Thank you, Laszlo and Gail, for having us as dinner guests and overnight house guests ... twice this week. We drove to Superstore and did our weekly grocery shopping in Kamloops, to avoid needing to make a trip into Penticton for groceries soon after our return home. We also refilled Lanoire with diesel at the Superstore Fuel Bar, then headed out of Kamloops heading west on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 for a few miles, then south on
Hwy. 5 / the Coquihalla / "Highway Thru Hell". Within moments, as the Coquihalla rose in elevation the heavy rain turned into a snow blizzard. WOW ! Finally ... I get to drive the "Highway Thru Hell" in whiteout conditions. HA HA HA !
It was brutal ! The temperature dropped to -1ºC / 30ºF. The slushy snow was accumulating on the road making it extremely slippery. The fog was thick. Cars were sliding off the road and into the ditch. And yet ... every few minutes some idiot would zip by in the passing lane, slipping and sliding as they passed the slowly moving line of traffic. And sometimes ... the idiot would be driving a fully loaded tractor-trailer unit ! ! ! As we descended into the Nicola Valley at Merritt, the temperature rose a bit, and the snow became rain again.
We turned east on Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla / Okanagan Connector, heading towards Peachland. When we reached Hwy. 5A we turned south again heading to Princeton. We stopped at Gulliford Lake Rest Area to have lunch. When we reached Princeton we turned east on Crowsnest Hwy. 3 for the final leg to home. We reached Riverside RV Park Resort around 3:30 PM, safe and sound after a trailer delivery job round trip of 2152 km. / 1345 miles.
I had a well deserved short nap. Joanne unloaded food and our personal items from the truck. I spent much of the evening working on the computer, doing accounting and getting caught up on e-mail, etc.
This trailer delivery job made 2016 the highest earning year for Similkameen Trailer Towing in the seven years we've been doing this. Congratulations, Daniel ! Well done !
DSK
Sunday, October 2, 2016
September 25 to October 1, 2016
Sunday ; Sunny and mild.
Today I "dedicated" our RV park's dog park as the "Gordon ****** Memorial Dog Park". I had two plaques made, and mounted them on both sides of the entrance gate to the dog park. I invited Gord and Marcie to the dog park, and surprised them with this "dedication" ceremony. I mistakenly believed that today was Gord's 75th birthday. It wasn't ! Joanne had provided me with erroneous information. His birthday is on Friday, the 30th.
Gord was responsible for the creation of our RV park's dog park. He championed the idea, and when he finally got our homeowner's society to buy on, he made the project happen, including supervising the contractor who built it. I wanted this community to remember him for that. I was uncertain whether or not it made sense to create a "memorial" in his honour while he was still alive, but ... I didn't see any value for him if
I had waited until he was deceased. So ... protocol be damned !
This afternoon I removed, repaired, and reinstalled the check valve plumbing underneath our home, to correct my assembly / installation errors of last week. < sigh >
Monday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy. Joanne made sun dried tomatoes in the Sun Oven today.
I had a phone meeting with my investment advisor this morning. I made some phone calls to get quotes for travel medical insurance. I made phone calls and exchanged e-mails regarding a complete Shaw Direct satellite TV system I am selling ; satellite dish, receiver and remote control, etc. I made phone calls and exchanged e-mails with a potential trailer towing client, then spent quite a bit of time this afternoon working on details of the potential job. I initially provided the potential client with an inaccurate
( low ) estimate. DUH ! Bit of a brain fart ! I think I should refrain from making estimates, and just take whatever time is necessary to prepare a reasonable and accurate quote. And even when I took the time to prepare what I thought was an accurate quote ... I discovered later that I had prepared a quote based on a Google Maps routing and mileage that took me on a gravel forest service road up and over a mountain, then down the ski resort access road on the other side of that mountain. WELL ! I don't think so ! Not with a very heavy thirty-eight foot fifth wheel trailer ... that doesn't belong to me ! ! ! When I recalculated the routing to stay on "civilized" paved roads, even the "accurate" quote I provided turned out to be ... well ... less than it should have been ! And that "under charged" quote was way more than my initial estimate. What a doofus ! < shaking my head in despair >
This afternoon when we took Bo to the dog park, an impromptu dog party developed. Great ! Bo hasn't had a "dog party" in a long time. He had fun ( and made a lot of noise ) with new friends Candy, Tika, and Sammy, all recent arrivals / new residents in our community.
I did some watering and gardening and harvesting. Just about time to pull out our plants and gardens, I think.
Tuesday ; Sunny, mild, windy.
This morning we headed to Penticton for a long, hard day of running errands. And DanAir flight 430. Joanne dropped me off at BP Aviation at the airport and she went shopping. I prepared Cessna 172 C-GHBM and departed into winds that were at the limit of the aircraft. < whispering > And perhaps a bit beyond when gusting. I flew south over Skaha Lake, then followed Hwy. 3A to Keremeos, and the Similkameen River Valley to Riverside RV Park Resort where I did a very low pass, about 600 feet above the river, to view the park. I climbed back up as I returned towards Keremeos, and flew back to Penticton. It was a bumpy, turbulent flight through the valleys and over the mountains because of the winds.
DanAir flight 430 was my last flight of this year. Perhaps ... my last flight ever.
< shrug > With my 62nd birthday less than two weeks away ... I am seriously considering "retiring" my private pilot's wings.
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.
I've been hired to do a long distance trailer tow job next week. I spent much of today planning and preparing for that trip / job.
Yesterday I bought a fresh ( ? ) Coho Salmon at Superstore in Penticton. This morning I filleted it, and cooked one fillet for supper tonight. I think it was ... uhhhhh ... not fresh enough ! ! ! Joanne needs to go back to Penticton tomorrow to buy dog food that we should have bought yesterday. I have asked her to see the Superstore manager tomorrow and request a refund. Stay tuned !
Thursday ; Sunny and mild. Joanne left this morning for a day of shopping and errands in Penticton by herself.
I trimmed Bo's claws. I took him for a walk, and returned some books to the library in our clubhouse. After lunch I napped briefly then went fishing. In the first hour of fishing I caught three Rainbow Trout and two Cutthroat Trout. I released the smallest of the Rainbows. In the second hour of fishing I caught ... absolutely nothing ! HMPH !
I think my fishing for this summer season is now finished.
I returned home about 5:30 PM, just as Joanne was also returning home. She helped me clean and fillet the fish, then helped me do a job for the next door neighbours. They bought a new television and asked me to remove their old TV and set up the new one.
Friday ; Sunny and mild. Happy 75th birthday to our ill next door neighbour Gord.
This morning our neighbour / friend Jeanine came over for a visit. We sat outside at our picnic table and visited while enjoying the fine fall weather. This afternoon Joanne did a lot of laundry. I sharpened knives. I polished shoes. I did some indoor maintenance and cleaning work. Joanne and I went for a long walk ( without Bo ) through the RV park, down by the river, through the park's burn pit and compost area, and out into the woods that are ( probably ) part of the large ranch next door.
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
Early this morning Marcie knocked on our door to advise us that she was taking Gord to the emergency department of Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. He had been suffering with a persistent nosebleed during the night. When they had not returned by noon we decided to check on them at the clinic as we ran some errands in town.
< sigh > Gord needed to go to Penticton Hospital for ( another ) blood transfusion. I left Joanne at the clinic to drive them to Penticton Hospital and back. As I type this at 10:30 PM Saturday night they have not yet returned home.
This morning I made some telephone calls then we went into town. We bought some apples, and some wine for Thanksgiving. Back at home I walked Bo and Ozzie, a couple of times throughout the afternoon, and worked on the neighbours' "classic" Mercedes-Benz convertible. It has not been used for ten years or more, and has deteriorated into ... a near worthless piece of junk, in my opinion.
After supper I worked on month end banking statement reconciliations and investment updates and analysis.
DSK
Today I "dedicated" our RV park's dog park as the "Gordon ****** Memorial Dog Park". I had two plaques made, and mounted them on both sides of the entrance gate to the dog park. I invited Gord and Marcie to the dog park, and surprised them with this "dedication" ceremony. I mistakenly believed that today was Gord's 75th birthday. It wasn't ! Joanne had provided me with erroneous information. His birthday is on Friday, the 30th.
Gord was responsible for the creation of our RV park's dog park. He championed the idea, and when he finally got our homeowner's society to buy on, he made the project happen, including supervising the contractor who built it. I wanted this community to remember him for that. I was uncertain whether or not it made sense to create a "memorial" in his honour while he was still alive, but ... I didn't see any value for him if
I had waited until he was deceased. So ... protocol be damned !
This afternoon I removed, repaired, and reinstalled the check valve plumbing underneath our home, to correct my assembly / installation errors of last week. < sigh >
Monday ; Sunny and warm, a bit windy. Joanne made sun dried tomatoes in the Sun Oven today.
I had a phone meeting with my investment advisor this morning. I made some phone calls to get quotes for travel medical insurance. I made phone calls and exchanged e-mails regarding a complete Shaw Direct satellite TV system I am selling ; satellite dish, receiver and remote control, etc. I made phone calls and exchanged e-mails with a potential trailer towing client, then spent quite a bit of time this afternoon working on details of the potential job. I initially provided the potential client with an inaccurate
( low ) estimate. DUH ! Bit of a brain fart ! I think I should refrain from making estimates, and just take whatever time is necessary to prepare a reasonable and accurate quote. And even when I took the time to prepare what I thought was an accurate quote ... I discovered later that I had prepared a quote based on a Google Maps routing and mileage that took me on a gravel forest service road up and over a mountain, then down the ski resort access road on the other side of that mountain. WELL ! I don't think so ! Not with a very heavy thirty-eight foot fifth wheel trailer ... that doesn't belong to me ! ! ! When I recalculated the routing to stay on "civilized" paved roads, even the "accurate" quote I provided turned out to be ... well ... less than it should have been ! And that "under charged" quote was way more than my initial estimate. What a doofus ! < shaking my head in despair >
This afternoon when we took Bo to the dog park, an impromptu dog party developed. Great ! Bo hasn't had a "dog party" in a long time. He had fun ( and made a lot of noise ) with new friends Candy, Tika, and Sammy, all recent arrivals / new residents in our community.
I did some watering and gardening and harvesting. Just about time to pull out our plants and gardens, I think.
Tuesday ; Sunny, mild, windy.
This morning we headed to Penticton for a long, hard day of running errands. And DanAir flight 430. Joanne dropped me off at BP Aviation at the airport and she went shopping. I prepared Cessna 172 C-GHBM and departed into winds that were at the limit of the aircraft. < whispering > And perhaps a bit beyond when gusting. I flew south over Skaha Lake, then followed Hwy. 3A to Keremeos, and the Similkameen River Valley to Riverside RV Park Resort where I did a very low pass, about 600 feet above the river, to view the park. I climbed back up as I returned towards Keremeos, and flew back to Penticton. It was a bumpy, turbulent flight through the valleys and over the mountains because of the winds.
DanAir flight 430 was my last flight of this year. Perhaps ... my last flight ever.
< shrug > With my 62nd birthday less than two weeks away ... I am seriously considering "retiring" my private pilot's wings.
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.
I've been hired to do a long distance trailer tow job next week. I spent much of today planning and preparing for that trip / job.
Yesterday I bought a fresh ( ? ) Coho Salmon at Superstore in Penticton. This morning I filleted it, and cooked one fillet for supper tonight. I think it was ... uhhhhh ... not fresh enough ! ! ! Joanne needs to go back to Penticton tomorrow to buy dog food that we should have bought yesterday. I have asked her to see the Superstore manager tomorrow and request a refund. Stay tuned !
Thursday ; Sunny and mild. Joanne left this morning for a day of shopping and errands in Penticton by herself.
I trimmed Bo's claws. I took him for a walk, and returned some books to the library in our clubhouse. After lunch I napped briefly then went fishing. In the first hour of fishing I caught three Rainbow Trout and two Cutthroat Trout. I released the smallest of the Rainbows. In the second hour of fishing I caught ... absolutely nothing ! HMPH !
I think my fishing for this summer season is now finished.
I returned home about 5:30 PM, just as Joanne was also returning home. She helped me clean and fillet the fish, then helped me do a job for the next door neighbours. They bought a new television and asked me to remove their old TV and set up the new one.
Friday ; Sunny and mild. Happy 75th birthday to our ill next door neighbour Gord.
This morning our neighbour / friend Jeanine came over for a visit. We sat outside at our picnic table and visited while enjoying the fine fall weather. This afternoon Joanne did a lot of laundry. I sharpened knives. I polished shoes. I did some indoor maintenance and cleaning work. Joanne and I went for a long walk ( without Bo ) through the RV park, down by the river, through the park's burn pit and compost area, and out into the woods that are ( probably ) part of the large ranch next door.
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
Early this morning Marcie knocked on our door to advise us that she was taking Gord to the emergency department of Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. He had been suffering with a persistent nosebleed during the night. When they had not returned by noon we decided to check on them at the clinic as we ran some errands in town.
< sigh > Gord needed to go to Penticton Hospital for ( another ) blood transfusion. I left Joanne at the clinic to drive them to Penticton Hospital and back. As I type this at 10:30 PM Saturday night they have not yet returned home.
This morning I made some telephone calls then we went into town. We bought some apples, and some wine for Thanksgiving. Back at home I walked Bo and Ozzie, a couple of times throughout the afternoon, and worked on the neighbours' "classic" Mercedes-Benz convertible. It has not been used for ten years or more, and has deteriorated into ... a near worthless piece of junk, in my opinion.
After supper I worked on month end banking statement reconciliations and investment updates and analysis.
DSK
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