Sunday ; 13th anniversary of retirement
WOW ... what a great thirteen year ride ! We feel very privileged to have achieved thirteen years of happy, healthy retirement, filled with adventure.
Today was cloudy and cool, with a bit of light rain in the morning. Not exactly the perfect "June 18 day" that was our first day of retirement in 2004. HA HA HA !
This afternoon we visited our friend Jeanine, then old friends Dorothy and Mike.
I brushed Emma, something I had not done before. She liked it ! I programmed the brand new Star Choice / Shaw Direct remote control I bought yesterday at the SunKatchers yard sale. Best fifty cents I've ever spent ! HA HA HA !
Monday ; Cloudy, warm, humid.
Had a pretty lazy day. Spent much of the day lying in bed reading a book. And occasionally falling asleep for a few minutes. HA HA HA ! Mini-naps, over and over. Visited briefly with Jeanine who came over with a form that she needed some help with. Had to turn away a trailer towing quote request for a significant trailer towing job to take place while we're away on our upcoming trip to the Northwest Territories.
Tuesday ; Mix of sun and clouds, warm and humid again.
Had another lazy day, filled with reading and snoozing. Returned a form to Jeanine, and picked some of her rhubarb for us. Joanne baked an apple and rhubarb dessert this afternoon. Filled out passport renewal forms this afternoon, buy won't submit them until late August.
Wednesday ; Mix of sun and clouds, warm, windy.
This morning we drove into Keremeos to run some errands. I dropped Joanne off at Sanderson Farms to buy some produce while I went to Autumn Rain Hair Design to make an appointment for a haircut and beard trim. I returned to Sanderson Farms and assisted Joanne with the produce shopping. Finally ! Local cherries are ready ! We bought some large Santini cherries as they were being brought into the fruit stand by one of the farm workers. Then while I refilled a five gallon water jug Joanne went to the grocery store to buy some steaks.
This afternoon we cleaned ... and cleaned out ... our shed. Joanne wanted to
remove / relocate everything in the shed so that she could clean the floor. Doing that was an opportunity to purge. Stuff went to the garbage, to the burn pile, to our firewood inventory, and into the minivan to be taken to the Salvation Army in Penticton tomorrow.
Before supper we went for a long walk around the RV park. Because ... I need more exercise.
Thursday ; Sunny and very warm. The weather is turning very nice again.
I am suffering with a flare up of gout in my left foot, around the ankle mostly. It made for a painful day, with impaired mobility. We spent the day in Penticton running errands, including meeting a couple who drove down from Sorrento to buy one of our neighbour's shed items that we have advertised for sale on Kijiji.
Friday ; Sunny and very warm. Joanne cooked a wonderful Lazy Cabbage Rolls dish in the Sun Oven today.
This morning I awoke with the continued agony of a gout flare-up. It persisted until late afternoon when the pain began to slowly subside. By bedtime it was about 80% relieved. < deep sigh > Good living through powerful drugs !
At noon I drove into Keremeos to get a haircut and beard trim. While in town I went to the pharmacy to order some prescription refills and consult with the pharmacist on some gout related questions. The excruciating pain again kept me from accomplishing much today. Yesterday Joanne bought quite a bit of ground beef. This afternoon
I portioned and packaged it with her, and made homemade burger patties. I gave our barbecue its annual "deep cleaning" while Joanne vacuumed in the house.
In the evening I did some monthly computer file maintenance. It went poorly. There was an insurmountable problem with my virus scanning software. So ... after many unsuccessful attempts to resolve the unidentifiable problem ... out with the old and in with the new ! I uninstalled the old software and will use a new program.
Saturday ; Sunny and very hot.
This morning I awoke with almost no gout pain. WOO-HOO ! However ... after being up and about for a few hours that changed. The more I was on my feet, the more the gout pain resumed. At lunch time I took more drugs, and the pain subsided again. Around supper time we took Bo for a walk and ... the pain increased again. < sigh >
I took more drugs.
I retrieved, printed, reconciled, and paid our monthly MasterCard bill. I did monthly computer file backup and maintenance. I barbecued Dan-O-Cheeseburgers for supper, accompanied by Joanne's wonderful potato salad.
DSK
Sunday, June 25, 2017
Sunday, June 18, 2017
June 11 to 17, 2017
Sunday ; Mostly sunny, warm, humid.
At 11 AM we departed in the truck for Penticton where I ( Similkameen Trailer Towing ) had a job to relocate a large fifth wheel trailer within the Barefoot Beach Resort. This job was for a repeat client, and was the third time I have moved their trailer. And in three weeks I will be moving it for a fourth time.
On the way to Penticton we were "first responders" at a tragic highway mishap. Pickup truck and travel trailer versus ... Jesse the Pomeranian. < sigh > Jesse did not survive. We stopped, I moved Jesse off the highway, and we consoled the distraught driver and passenger of the pickup truck. Jesse was wearing a collar and name tag with phone number. We offered to phone Jesse's owners, but the sobbing woman passenger of the pickup truck wanted to do it. What a very difficult, but very responsible thing to do. Godspeed, Jesse !
From noon to 1 PM we moved the trailer from one site to another within Barefoot Beach Resort. When we were finished, we refilled Lanoire with diesel at Real Canadian Fuel Bar, then ran her through the car wash at Great Canadian Oil Change. We had a late picnic lunch at Skaha Lake Beach Park, then left Penticton around 2:30 PM. We arrived back home about 3:30 PM.
Around 4 PM our American visitors arrived. Yuma winter neighbours Linda and David
( along with their little dog Chanel ), and their friend Jackie arrived for a two day visit on their way to Alaska from their summer home in southwest Oregon. We got both their rigs parked on a neighbour's long driveway, then spent a couple of hours visiting in our gazebo. We prepared a special supper for them ... but it wasn't my finest hour. The very special "dry rub" barbecued salmon recipe that I prepared to be cooked on their expected date of arrival two days ago, did not tolerate the two day delay very well. Oh, well ... it's just one meal. Life goes on !
Monday ; Sunny, warm, windy.
This morning we left with our three American visitor friends in our minivan for a day of winery and fruit stand exploring. First stop in Keremeos was the credit union ( for
David ) and bank ( for Jackie ) for conversion of U.S. funds to Canadian funds. Then we stopped at the grocery store to buy a baguette to add to our winery picnic lunch preparations. We drove east on Hwy. 3 to the next village over, Cawston, to stop, taste, and buy at St. Laszlo Winery. We spent quite awhile there. Our visitors bought a bottle of St. Laszlo Interlaken in a decorative "THANK YOU" bottle and presented it to us as a gift. Well ... thank you very much !
From St. Laszlo in Cawston we continued east on Hwy. 3 about three quarters of the way to Osoyoos, to our next stop, Forbidden Fruit Winery. AHHHHH ... my favourite. With not so gentle persuasion by me, our guests bought a bottle of chilled Pomme Désirée, Forbidden Fruit's signature product, and winner of "Best Canadian Wine" in 2009. Sitting at a picnic table beside the Similkameen River in Forbidden Fruit's yard we had a picnic lunch of cheese and crackers and Ambrosia apples and Pomme Désirée. With pleasant weather, and astounding scenery, and even better ice wine, it was a superb picnic lunch !
On our way back towards Keremeos we made our third and final winery stop at Seven Stones Winery. It was a disappointment, and we will not return there in the future with our visitors / guests.
Back in Keremeos we made a stop again at the grocery store, this time to buy thick, juicy steaks to barbecue for supper, again a treat paid for by our guests. Thank you again. Final stop of the day was Sanderson Farms where David and Linda bought quite a bit of fresh fruit and vegetables. David had an opportunity to try his very first Pakora, with Tamarind dipping sauce.
We barbecued the steaks for dinner, accompanied by a garden salad and smashed potatoes. Joanne's apple cake for dessert. Very nice ! After dinner we sat in the living room and helped David with detailed trip planning, from here to Prince George. And less detailed planning from Prince George to the start of the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek. I also gave David some fishing lures that may be useful to him on their trip through British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska.
Tuesday ; Mostly cloudy, warm.
This morning I spent a couple of hours doing repairs on Jackie's camper van. She had a list of minor repairs required and asked me for a referral to an RV maintenance facility that could deal with all the minor problems. Sure ! Pull your van into our driveway, and let Dan the mobile RV repairman deal with it ! She was very pleased to have all her maintenance issues dealt with ; promptly, competently and ... at no charge ! HA HA
HA !
This afternoon the five of us climbed into our truck and we set off for a few hours of wilderness exploring. We drove to Hedley and I showed our visitors the Mascot Gold Mine high up on the top edge of Nickel Plate Mountain. Then ... back on the highway for a short distance, and onto a rough, gravel trail ... up Nickel Plate Mountain. Up and up and up ! To the viewpoint area that we have taken many visitors to over the last ten years. We viewed the Similkameen Valley in both directions from many thousands of feet of elevation.
We drove back down the mountain and east on Hwy. 3 back to Riverside RV Park Resort. And decided to keep exploring. We drove almost to Keremeos, crossed the Similkameen River on Red Bridge, and followed the Ashnola River up into the Ashnola Valley wilderness area. We stopped at a couple of places along the Ashnola River just to give our visitors a glimpse into rugged, rustic, Canadian wilderness. We returned home about 4:30 PM.
At 6:30 PM we left again, this time in the minivan. We drove to Keremeos, refilled our five gallon water jug, and drove to the Thai restaurant in town to have dinner.
< sigh > Closed on Tuesdays. Plan B was ... Samosa Garden, the East Indian restaurant adjacent to Sanderson Farms, our favourite fruit / produce stand in town. Each of the five of us ordered a dish, then we shared the five dishes. STUPENDOUS !
Thank you very much for the wonderful dinner, David, Linda, and Jackie.
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny, warm.
This morning our three guests ... in their two RV's ... dumped their waste holding tanks at our RV park's sani-dump station, said their goodbyes, and headed off to continue their three month adventure to Alaska and back. We might see them again in early September as they are on their way back home to southern Oregon.
This afternoon Joanne helped me inspect and clean Bo's and Emma's ears. All seemed well. I sharpened knives. Joanne did some weeding on our rock slope "front yard". I did a teensy bit of maintenance on our little generator. I watered all our plants and gardens. I paid our annual property tax bill.
I was expecting to be hired today for a trailer towing job based on a bid I had placed late last night on a U-Ship listing, but as of now ( 9:15 PM ) that has not happened. HMPH ! Another tire kicker ? It seems to me that that is what most U-Ship listings are !
Thursday ; Mostly sunny, warm.
We spent the day in Penticton, running shopping errands and doing a minor repair on a Similkameen Trailer Towing repeat client's fifth wheel trailer. We bumped into neighbours Colleen and Jeanine having lunch at the food court in Cherry Lane Mall when we went there to have lunch and get passport photos at London Drugs.
Friday ; Sunny, warm, windy.
Today was an emotionally exhausting day. Joanne and I started the day grinding through the remnants of a squabble that started last night. This afternoon Joanne did laundry and we visited with our friend Jeanine until it was time for me to go and help our next door neighbour Marcie load junk into their truck to be hauled to the dump on Sunday. < sigh > Not surprisingly ... her hoarder husband Gord was not on board, and the process involved a lot of hollering and screaming going back and forth between me and Gord. < sigh > Perhaps Joanne is correct. She thinks we should just leave the mess alone unto Gord dies, which won't be too much longer, and deal with it after his death. However ... Marcie, me, and the entire rest of this community wants it dealt with sooner rather than later ! ! !
Saturday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning our friend Jeanine came over and headed in our minivan to the next RV property to the east, Sun Katchers Park, an RV park started by a group of BC Escapees about thirty or more years ago. Today was their annual yard sale. Every year we attend their yard sale and ... seem to buy a lot of stuff. This year was no exception. After our shopping we returned home and invited Jeanine to join us for lunch on our deck.
This afternoon we weeded lot 79 ... again ! We had just finished weeding it eight days ago and ... today there were plenty of new weeds to be pulled.
I cooked a couple of great omelettes for supper !
DSK
At 11 AM we departed in the truck for Penticton where I ( Similkameen Trailer Towing ) had a job to relocate a large fifth wheel trailer within the Barefoot Beach Resort. This job was for a repeat client, and was the third time I have moved their trailer. And in three weeks I will be moving it for a fourth time.
On the way to Penticton we were "first responders" at a tragic highway mishap. Pickup truck and travel trailer versus ... Jesse the Pomeranian. < sigh > Jesse did not survive. We stopped, I moved Jesse off the highway, and we consoled the distraught driver and passenger of the pickup truck. Jesse was wearing a collar and name tag with phone number. We offered to phone Jesse's owners, but the sobbing woman passenger of the pickup truck wanted to do it. What a very difficult, but very responsible thing to do. Godspeed, Jesse !
From noon to 1 PM we moved the trailer from one site to another within Barefoot Beach Resort. When we were finished, we refilled Lanoire with diesel at Real Canadian Fuel Bar, then ran her through the car wash at Great Canadian Oil Change. We had a late picnic lunch at Skaha Lake Beach Park, then left Penticton around 2:30 PM. We arrived back home about 3:30 PM.
Around 4 PM our American visitors arrived. Yuma winter neighbours Linda and David
( along with their little dog Chanel ), and their friend Jackie arrived for a two day visit on their way to Alaska from their summer home in southwest Oregon. We got both their rigs parked on a neighbour's long driveway, then spent a couple of hours visiting in our gazebo. We prepared a special supper for them ... but it wasn't my finest hour. The very special "dry rub" barbecued salmon recipe that I prepared to be cooked on their expected date of arrival two days ago, did not tolerate the two day delay very well. Oh, well ... it's just one meal. Life goes on !
Monday ; Sunny, warm, windy.
This morning we left with our three American visitor friends in our minivan for a day of winery and fruit stand exploring. First stop in Keremeos was the credit union ( for
David ) and bank ( for Jackie ) for conversion of U.S. funds to Canadian funds. Then we stopped at the grocery store to buy a baguette to add to our winery picnic lunch preparations. We drove east on Hwy. 3 to the next village over, Cawston, to stop, taste, and buy at St. Laszlo Winery. We spent quite awhile there. Our visitors bought a bottle of St. Laszlo Interlaken in a decorative "THANK YOU" bottle and presented it to us as a gift. Well ... thank you very much !
From St. Laszlo in Cawston we continued east on Hwy. 3 about three quarters of the way to Osoyoos, to our next stop, Forbidden Fruit Winery. AHHHHH ... my favourite. With not so gentle persuasion by me, our guests bought a bottle of chilled Pomme Désirée, Forbidden Fruit's signature product, and winner of "Best Canadian Wine" in 2009. Sitting at a picnic table beside the Similkameen River in Forbidden Fruit's yard we had a picnic lunch of cheese and crackers and Ambrosia apples and Pomme Désirée. With pleasant weather, and astounding scenery, and even better ice wine, it was a superb picnic lunch !
On our way back towards Keremeos we made our third and final winery stop at Seven Stones Winery. It was a disappointment, and we will not return there in the future with our visitors / guests.
Back in Keremeos we made a stop again at the grocery store, this time to buy thick, juicy steaks to barbecue for supper, again a treat paid for by our guests. Thank you again. Final stop of the day was Sanderson Farms where David and Linda bought quite a bit of fresh fruit and vegetables. David had an opportunity to try his very first Pakora, with Tamarind dipping sauce.
We barbecued the steaks for dinner, accompanied by a garden salad and smashed potatoes. Joanne's apple cake for dessert. Very nice ! After dinner we sat in the living room and helped David with detailed trip planning, from here to Prince George. And less detailed planning from Prince George to the start of the Alaska Highway at Dawson Creek. I also gave David some fishing lures that may be useful to him on their trip through British Columbia, Yukon, and Alaska.
Tuesday ; Mostly cloudy, warm.
This morning I spent a couple of hours doing repairs on Jackie's camper van. She had a list of minor repairs required and asked me for a referral to an RV maintenance facility that could deal with all the minor problems. Sure ! Pull your van into our driveway, and let Dan the mobile RV repairman deal with it ! She was very pleased to have all her maintenance issues dealt with ; promptly, competently and ... at no charge ! HA HA
HA !
This afternoon the five of us climbed into our truck and we set off for a few hours of wilderness exploring. We drove to Hedley and I showed our visitors the Mascot Gold Mine high up on the top edge of Nickel Plate Mountain. Then ... back on the highway for a short distance, and onto a rough, gravel trail ... up Nickel Plate Mountain. Up and up and up ! To the viewpoint area that we have taken many visitors to over the last ten years. We viewed the Similkameen Valley in both directions from many thousands of feet of elevation.
We drove back down the mountain and east on Hwy. 3 back to Riverside RV Park Resort. And decided to keep exploring. We drove almost to Keremeos, crossed the Similkameen River on Red Bridge, and followed the Ashnola River up into the Ashnola Valley wilderness area. We stopped at a couple of places along the Ashnola River just to give our visitors a glimpse into rugged, rustic, Canadian wilderness. We returned home about 4:30 PM.
At 6:30 PM we left again, this time in the minivan. We drove to Keremeos, refilled our five gallon water jug, and drove to the Thai restaurant in town to have dinner.
< sigh > Closed on Tuesdays. Plan B was ... Samosa Garden, the East Indian restaurant adjacent to Sanderson Farms, our favourite fruit / produce stand in town. Each of the five of us ordered a dish, then we shared the five dishes. STUPENDOUS !
Thank you very much for the wonderful dinner, David, Linda, and Jackie.
Wednesday ; Mostly sunny, warm.
This morning our three guests ... in their two RV's ... dumped their waste holding tanks at our RV park's sani-dump station, said their goodbyes, and headed off to continue their three month adventure to Alaska and back. We might see them again in early September as they are on their way back home to southern Oregon.
This afternoon Joanne helped me inspect and clean Bo's and Emma's ears. All seemed well. I sharpened knives. Joanne did some weeding on our rock slope "front yard". I did a teensy bit of maintenance on our little generator. I watered all our plants and gardens. I paid our annual property tax bill.
I was expecting to be hired today for a trailer towing job based on a bid I had placed late last night on a U-Ship listing, but as of now ( 9:15 PM ) that has not happened. HMPH ! Another tire kicker ? It seems to me that that is what most U-Ship listings are !
Thursday ; Mostly sunny, warm.
We spent the day in Penticton, running shopping errands and doing a minor repair on a Similkameen Trailer Towing repeat client's fifth wheel trailer. We bumped into neighbours Colleen and Jeanine having lunch at the food court in Cherry Lane Mall when we went there to have lunch and get passport photos at London Drugs.
Friday ; Sunny, warm, windy.
Today was an emotionally exhausting day. Joanne and I started the day grinding through the remnants of a squabble that started last night. This afternoon Joanne did laundry and we visited with our friend Jeanine until it was time for me to go and help our next door neighbour Marcie load junk into their truck to be hauled to the dump on Sunday. < sigh > Not surprisingly ... her hoarder husband Gord was not on board, and the process involved a lot of hollering and screaming going back and forth between me and Gord. < sigh > Perhaps Joanne is correct. She thinks we should just leave the mess alone unto Gord dies, which won't be too much longer, and deal with it after his death. However ... Marcie, me, and the entire rest of this community wants it dealt with sooner rather than later ! ! !
Saturday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning our friend Jeanine came over and headed in our minivan to the next RV property to the east, Sun Katchers Park, an RV park started by a group of BC Escapees about thirty or more years ago. Today was their annual yard sale. Every year we attend their yard sale and ... seem to buy a lot of stuff. This year was no exception. After our shopping we returned home and invited Jeanine to join us for lunch on our deck.
This afternoon we weeded lot 79 ... again ! We had just finished weeding it eight days ago and ... today there were plenty of new weeds to be pulled.
I cooked a couple of great omelettes for supper !
DSK
Saturday, June 10, 2017
June 4 to 10, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and warm, cold wind in the evening.
I inspected yesterday's application of self levelling lap sealant on the roof of the camper. After twenty-four hours the sealant has "self levelled" and dried. Looks good ! Joanne and I worked on cleaning my work bench, then she worked on cleaning the shed floor. I did a teensy bit of gardening. At my desk and computer I worked on reviewing passport renewal requirements. I fail to see what has been "simplified" in the new simplified passport renewal procedures !
I read quite a bit of a book today. I uploaded my weekly journal to my blog. I did a teensy bit of investment analysis. MMMMM ... nice liver dish Joanne prepared for supper tonight. Methinks we don't have liver often enough. Yes, yes, I know that flies in the face of convention.
Monday ; Sunny and warm, windy. Joanne cooked Chicken Parmagiana in the Sun Oven today.
I watered all our plants and gardens. I watered and turned our composter. I checked the truck tire pressures. I adjusted my bicycle tire pressures. I returned a book to the library in our RV park’s clubhouse and picked up some new books to read. I did some review and rearrangement of spare parts / repair parts stored in the camper.
We took Bo for a walk. After lunch Joanne did laundry. I napped. Then I remounted some shelving in the hallway closet, installing anchors in the walls and screws in the mounting brackets. I went bicycling. We took Bo for another walk, and picked up the mail. Oh, boy ... a couple of items I had recently ordered arrived today ; a Canada National Parks pass, and a “150th Birthday” Canadian coin mint set. With the “glow in the dark” Aurora Borealis on the two dollar / “toonie” coin. First “glow in the dark” coin in the world !
Tuesday ; Sunny, very warm, a bit windy.
Joanne went to Penticton on her own today, for a day of running errands by herself. That gave me a chance to have a pretty lazy day, with a lot of reading and napping with the animals.
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I was hired to transport a fifth wheel trailer from Osoyoos to Winfield tomorrow, a distance of about 160 km./100 miles. Right up my alley, so to speak ! Also ... I was contacted by e-mail and phone by a couple in Ottawa whom we met last fall while they were in the process of buying a lot in this RV park. They asked for our assistance in getting their lot cleared of weeds, after getting a generic "warning" from the RV park.
So ... this afternoon we worked on weeding their lot. Joanne did most of the work. Bending over and pulling weeds in the hot sun causes me angina discomfort. I'm not kidding ! We also prepared the truck for trailer towing tomorrow. I pulled the truck out from underneath the camper, we unloaded the rubber mat and plywood sections from the bed of the truck, we carried the fifth wheel hitch from the shed to the truck (angina !) and I loaded and installed the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck (more angina !). And I loaded all the rest of the supplies and tools / equipment needed for trailer towing jobs, including our little generator and air compressor.
We visited with our neighbour and friend Jeanine. I had a play session with her dog Charlie. Poor Charlie ... nobody plays with Charlie except me. I went over to see a neighbour whose wife died six days ago, and expressed my condolences. His wife had advanced Alzheimer's and has been in a care facility in Penticton for the last few years. We've known both of them for about ten years, long before she began to deteriorate. Rest in peace, Hazel !
Thursday ; Overcast, warm, humid, rain late in the afternoon.
This morning we left home at 10 AM in the truck, prepared and equipped for a trailer towing job. East on Hwy. 3, through Keremeos and Cawston, we arrived in Osoyoos right on time at 11 AM. The fifth wheel trailer we were transporting had been used for the last three years as an office for a helicopter tour operator located at the Nk'Mip Resort. So ... it was parked with the front / king pin very close to the helicopter landing zone fence. It was a very difficult hitch up, having to back up the truck underneath the front end of the trailer at a ninety degree angle, with the hip of the truck a fraction of an inch from the fence, and the bed rail of the truck a fraction of an inch from the king pin hitch box. BUT ... that's why I get paid the big bucks ! HA HA HA ! Seriously, though ... that's why I get hired ! I'm extremely good at what I do !
Once we had the trailer hitched up ... and all four tires reinflated ... good thing I always bring along both a generator and an air compressor ... we were on our way about noon, back through Osoyoos and headed north on Hwy. 97. To and through Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Penticton, and Summerland. Between Summerland and Peachland the wind became strong. So strong that the large waves forming on the very high waters of Okanagan Lake began to crash over what little remains of the beach and onto the highway. SHEESH ! Water and debris splashing over the highway ! Recently installed concrete barriers placed on the shoulder of the highway as a dike were being knocked over and into the lake by the waves.
To and through Peachland and Kelowna, with its twenty-four hour per day traffic congestion, and up into the "high rent district" in the hills of Winfield, high above Okanagan Lake, we arrived at the cherry orchard where we were delivering the trailer shortly after 3 PM. We got the trailer carefully positioned and unhitched, and were leaving the client's orchard property at 4 PM. It began to rain moments after we had finished the job. It took us two hours to get back to and through Kelowna in rush hour traffic ! At 6 PM we stopped in Westbank to buy Swiss Chalet take-out for supper, and refill with diesel at Superstore Fuel Bar.
There was a traffic jam at Peachland where Okanagan Lake had been flooding over the highway all day. There were workmen at the site of the problem, but nothing seemed to be getting accomplished. Some sort of a Public Works cluster**** ! From Peachland, to and through Summerland and Penticton, then onto Hwy. 3A at Kaleden to Hwy. 3 at Keremeos, home at 8 PM. Long day, ten hours, 400 km. / 250 miles.
The Swiss Chalet chicken dinner was a great treat.
Friday ; Mostly sunny and warm.
Yesterday, with Bo in the truck with us all day, we discovered that he had a severe earache. Last night and again this morning I administered strong anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal ear drops. Hopefully the problem will be resolved within a few days.
This afternoon I filleted a couple of salmon Joanne bought in Penticton a few days ago. Then we prepared them for barbecuing tomorrow, using a very special "secret" recipe that we have had for many years. The special barbecued salmon dinner is for American visitors we are expecting to arrive tomorrow. AND ... we discovered ... ... guess which recently immigrated cat LOOOOOVES raw salmon ? HA HA HA !
Joanne went into town to run some errands. I worked on cleaning and sorting the trailer towing equipment and supplies in the truck. I left it all in the truck because we have another trailer towing job to do in a couple of days. Our next door neighbours asked for my help late this afternoon, to assist the buyer of their decrepit, old Mercedes Benz get it loaded onto a flat bed trailer. Good riddance to that piece of junk that was nothing but an eyesore in their yard for many years now ! It's too bad that Gord has waited until he is at death's door before getting rid of unwanted and unneeded "stuff". < shaking head in despair >
This afternoon we continued, and finished, weeding lot 79, as we had been recently asked / "hired" to do by the new owners whom we met last year when they were buying their lot. Joanne hand picked all the weeds on the lot, a very difficult job to do.
I sprayed strong herbicide on all the weeds and vines growing in the rock wall at the rear of the lot.
Saturday ; Cloudy, chilly, intermittent light rain. BRRRRR !
We were expecting our American friends David and Linda to arrive yesterday. They didn't ! So we were expecting them to arrive today. They didn't ! Hopefully tomorrow !
DSK
I inspected yesterday's application of self levelling lap sealant on the roof of the camper. After twenty-four hours the sealant has "self levelled" and dried. Looks good ! Joanne and I worked on cleaning my work bench, then she worked on cleaning the shed floor. I did a teensy bit of gardening. At my desk and computer I worked on reviewing passport renewal requirements. I fail to see what has been "simplified" in the new simplified passport renewal procedures !
I read quite a bit of a book today. I uploaded my weekly journal to my blog. I did a teensy bit of investment analysis. MMMMM ... nice liver dish Joanne prepared for supper tonight. Methinks we don't have liver often enough. Yes, yes, I know that flies in the face of convention.
Monday ; Sunny and warm, windy. Joanne cooked Chicken Parmagiana in the Sun Oven today.
I watered all our plants and gardens. I watered and turned our composter. I checked the truck tire pressures. I adjusted my bicycle tire pressures. I returned a book to the library in our RV park’s clubhouse and picked up some new books to read. I did some review and rearrangement of spare parts / repair parts stored in the camper.
We took Bo for a walk. After lunch Joanne did laundry. I napped. Then I remounted some shelving in the hallway closet, installing anchors in the walls and screws in the mounting brackets. I went bicycling. We took Bo for another walk, and picked up the mail. Oh, boy ... a couple of items I had recently ordered arrived today ; a Canada National Parks pass, and a “150th Birthday” Canadian coin mint set. With the “glow in the dark” Aurora Borealis on the two dollar / “toonie” coin. First “glow in the dark” coin in the world !
Tuesday ; Sunny, very warm, a bit windy.
Joanne went to Penticton on her own today, for a day of running errands by herself. That gave me a chance to have a pretty lazy day, with a lot of reading and napping with the animals.
Wednesday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I was hired to transport a fifth wheel trailer from Osoyoos to Winfield tomorrow, a distance of about 160 km./100 miles. Right up my alley, so to speak ! Also ... I was contacted by e-mail and phone by a couple in Ottawa whom we met last fall while they were in the process of buying a lot in this RV park. They asked for our assistance in getting their lot cleared of weeds, after getting a generic "warning" from the RV park.
So ... this afternoon we worked on weeding their lot. Joanne did most of the work. Bending over and pulling weeds in the hot sun causes me angina discomfort. I'm not kidding ! We also prepared the truck for trailer towing tomorrow. I pulled the truck out from underneath the camper, we unloaded the rubber mat and plywood sections from the bed of the truck, we carried the fifth wheel hitch from the shed to the truck (angina !) and I loaded and installed the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck (more angina !). And I loaded all the rest of the supplies and tools / equipment needed for trailer towing jobs, including our little generator and air compressor.
We visited with our neighbour and friend Jeanine. I had a play session with her dog Charlie. Poor Charlie ... nobody plays with Charlie except me. I went over to see a neighbour whose wife died six days ago, and expressed my condolences. His wife had advanced Alzheimer's and has been in a care facility in Penticton for the last few years. We've known both of them for about ten years, long before she began to deteriorate. Rest in peace, Hazel !
Thursday ; Overcast, warm, humid, rain late in the afternoon.
This morning we left home at 10 AM in the truck, prepared and equipped for a trailer towing job. East on Hwy. 3, through Keremeos and Cawston, we arrived in Osoyoos right on time at 11 AM. The fifth wheel trailer we were transporting had been used for the last three years as an office for a helicopter tour operator located at the Nk'Mip Resort. So ... it was parked with the front / king pin very close to the helicopter landing zone fence. It was a very difficult hitch up, having to back up the truck underneath the front end of the trailer at a ninety degree angle, with the hip of the truck a fraction of an inch from the fence, and the bed rail of the truck a fraction of an inch from the king pin hitch box. BUT ... that's why I get paid the big bucks ! HA HA HA ! Seriously, though ... that's why I get hired ! I'm extremely good at what I do !
Once we had the trailer hitched up ... and all four tires reinflated ... good thing I always bring along both a generator and an air compressor ... we were on our way about noon, back through Osoyoos and headed north on Hwy. 97. To and through Oliver, Okanagan Falls, Penticton, and Summerland. Between Summerland and Peachland the wind became strong. So strong that the large waves forming on the very high waters of Okanagan Lake began to crash over what little remains of the beach and onto the highway. SHEESH ! Water and debris splashing over the highway ! Recently installed concrete barriers placed on the shoulder of the highway as a dike were being knocked over and into the lake by the waves.
To and through Peachland and Kelowna, with its twenty-four hour per day traffic congestion, and up into the "high rent district" in the hills of Winfield, high above Okanagan Lake, we arrived at the cherry orchard where we were delivering the trailer shortly after 3 PM. We got the trailer carefully positioned and unhitched, and were leaving the client's orchard property at 4 PM. It began to rain moments after we had finished the job. It took us two hours to get back to and through Kelowna in rush hour traffic ! At 6 PM we stopped in Westbank to buy Swiss Chalet take-out for supper, and refill with diesel at Superstore Fuel Bar.
There was a traffic jam at Peachland where Okanagan Lake had been flooding over the highway all day. There were workmen at the site of the problem, but nothing seemed to be getting accomplished. Some sort of a Public Works cluster**** ! From Peachland, to and through Summerland and Penticton, then onto Hwy. 3A at Kaleden to Hwy. 3 at Keremeos, home at 8 PM. Long day, ten hours, 400 km. / 250 miles.
The Swiss Chalet chicken dinner was a great treat.
Friday ; Mostly sunny and warm.
Yesterday, with Bo in the truck with us all day, we discovered that he had a severe earache. Last night and again this morning I administered strong anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal ear drops. Hopefully the problem will be resolved within a few days.
This afternoon I filleted a couple of salmon Joanne bought in Penticton a few days ago. Then we prepared them for barbecuing tomorrow, using a very special "secret" recipe that we have had for many years. The special barbecued salmon dinner is for American visitors we are expecting to arrive tomorrow. AND ... we discovered ...
Joanne went into town to run some errands. I worked on cleaning and sorting the trailer towing equipment and supplies in the truck. I left it all in the truck because we have another trailer towing job to do in a couple of days. Our next door neighbours asked for my help late this afternoon, to assist the buyer of their decrepit, old Mercedes Benz get it loaded onto a flat bed trailer. Good riddance to that piece of junk that was nothing but an eyesore in their yard for many years now ! It's too bad that Gord has waited until he is at death's door before getting rid of unwanted and unneeded "stuff". < shaking head in despair >
This afternoon we continued, and finished, weeding lot 79, as we had been recently asked / "hired" to do by the new owners whom we met last year when they were buying their lot. Joanne hand picked all the weeds on the lot, a very difficult job to do.
I sprayed strong herbicide on all the weeds and vines growing in the rock wall at the rear of the lot.
Saturday ; Cloudy, chilly, intermittent light rain. BRRRRR !
We were expecting our American friends David and Linda to arrive yesterday. They didn't ! So we were expecting them to arrive today. They didn't ! Hopefully tomorrow !
DSK
Sunday, June 4, 2017
May 28 to June 3, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked an amazing chicken and wild rice dish in the Sun Oven today.
I worked on the roof of the camper today, scraping old caulking off from around the bedroom roof vent / escape hatch frame. I had planned to do one quarter each day, after starting yesterday, but today I did the remaining three quarters.
Bo ripped a claw off on the living room carpet today. It snagged on the carpet and pulled right out of his toe. I was stunned. And it was my fault. It happened as a result of me handling him roughly. I'm very sorry, Bo.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked an excellent pot of chili in the Sun Oven today.
This morning I checked and adjusted the air pressure in all of the truck's and minivan's tires. Then I cleaned dirt and caulking residue from around the frame of the camper bedroom roof vent / escape hatch. WHEW ! Hot ! We trimmed Bo's claws, being very careful around the sore toe where the nail tore out yesterday.
This afternoon I installed a new door lock actuator on the passenger side sliding door of the minivan. It broke exactly one year ago. And I refused to buy a new one last summer. The cost here in Canada was about $168. During the winter I bought one at Pep Boys in Yuma for U.S.$53, about $71 Canadian.
I also installed a new drive belt in our portable, evaporative "swamp" cooler. I bought the drive belt in Yuma because I could not find a replacement in Penticton. After installing the new drive belt I set up the cooler in our bedroom. Emma was very pleased. HA HA HA !
At 6 PM we went to the swimming pool building. While Joanne floated around the pool cooling off I did pool walking exercise. When we returned home close to 7 PM I took Bo for a walk while Joanne prepared a salad and garlic toast to accompany the Sun Oven cooked chili for supper.
Tuesday ; SEVEN YEARS AS A NON-SMOKER
Thin hazy cloud cover, hot, humid, windy.
Late this morning we headed into town ( Keremeos ) to run a few errands. First stop was Sanderson Farms to buy some fresh produce. Then Similkameen Agencies to renew the truck's annual registration and insurance, and the camper's insurance. We stopped at Valu-Plus, the local grocery store, but their prices have become so outrageous we did not buy any groceries. Last stop was Similkameen Pharmacy where I picked up a prescription refill.
I received my Elections BC paycheque a week ago. Joanne did not receive hers. Today she phoned Elections BC in Victoria to find out where her paycheque is.
< sigh > It was sent, but there was a typographical error in the address, so it is somewhere in Post Office limbo. Eventually it will get back to Elections BC and they will correct the address and send it again.
I received a notice from Arizona's Motor Vehicle Department about the cancellation of the insurance policy on Obie, our SUV in Yuma. The notice threatens to cancel the registration / license plate on Obie due to the vehicle being without insurance. I sorted out the problem online ... I hope. I wasn't aware that there was a requirement to advise the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department when we Snowbirds cancel our vehicle insurance, and put our vehicles into storage until we return the following winter season.
Wednesday ; Cloudy, warm, humid, intermittent rain.
This afternoon I tackled ( pun intended ) a job that I have procrastinated doing. I sorted and purged all my regular ( not fly ) fishing tackle. I have had too much redundant fishing tackle, acquired over a lifetime, housed in a decrepit, large fishing tackle box that I won in a fishing derby about thirty-five to forty years ago. I sorted, purged, and rearranged the remaining fishing tackle into a much smaller, lighter tackle box that I recently acquired. Soon I should do something similar with my fly fishing tackle.
When we walked Bo this afternoon we took Ozzie with us. The neighbours were in Penticton all day, and asked us to care for Ozzie. Joanne brushed Emma this afternoon, then weighed her. WOO-HOO ! Emma has reached ten pounds ! ! ! When we got her in early January, dehydrated and emaciated, she weighed seven and a half pounds.
This evening I downloaded, printed, and reconciled our bank statements and investment updates.
Thursday ; Cloudy, warm, humid, intermittent rain ... again.
We left home this morning around 11 am for a long and tiring day of running errands in Penticton. We did not get back home until shortly after 7 PM.
Joanne prepared Daniel's Hamburgesa y Frijoles Mexicano for supper tonight. It's a seasoned ground beef and refried beans casserole recipe I created while travelling in Mexico many years ago. HA HA HA ... and it's still very good ! Over supper and afterwards we watched the season finales of MasterChef Canada and Amazing Race.
Friday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
This morning I played telephone tag with an art gallery owner in Penticton. We finally connected and had a chat about the sale of a few pieces of art of ours on a consignment basis. I returned a book to the library. I fertilized our vegetable garden. We gave Bo a bath. I visited a neighbour to make arrangements for the use of their driveway to accommodate some RV visitors that are coming to visit us in about a week.
This afternoon I worked on sorting and preparing my fly fishing gear, then loaded all my fly fishing gear and regular fishing gear into the camper in preparation for our upcoming trip to the Northwest Territories. Then I cleaned and refurbished a used vacuum cleaner that Joanne purchased yesterday at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Penticton. I'm very good at that sort of refurbishment work, and now the vacuum cleaner is as good as new.
I contributed to supper preparation by cooking fiddleheads, purchased yesterday in Penticton. Fiddleheads are an Eastern Canada spring time delicacy, and are only available this far west about once per year for a very brief time, when a mushroom farm in the Lower Mainland succeeds in their once per year growing of fiddleheads.
Saturday ; Sunny and warm, a very nice day.
Today I resealed around the camper's bedroom escape hatch / roof vent with self levelling lap sealant. THEN ... I scraped off all the old sealant from around the TV antenna base and the radio antenna base, and replaced all of that with self levelling lap sealant as well. Everything on the camper roof now looks to be in excellent condition.
I have done an excellent job of maintenance and refurbishment on this camper which is now twenty years old and is, in my humble opinion, in as good condition as the day it left the factory. Maybe better ! Ready for the Northwest Territories !
Joanne helped me to review, purge, and rearrange the contents of the two hallway closets in our home. Well done ! It's essential to occasionally purge surplus / worthless stuff, especially stuff buried deep at the back of, or at the top of closets.
DSK
I worked on the roof of the camper today, scraping old caulking off from around the bedroom roof vent / escape hatch frame. I had planned to do one quarter each day, after starting yesterday, but today I did the remaining three quarters.
Bo ripped a claw off on the living room carpet today. It snagged on the carpet and pulled right out of his toe. I was stunned. And it was my fault. It happened as a result of me handling him roughly. I'm very sorry, Bo.
Monday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked an excellent pot of chili in the Sun Oven today.
This morning I checked and adjusted the air pressure in all of the truck's and minivan's tires. Then I cleaned dirt and caulking residue from around the frame of the camper bedroom roof vent / escape hatch. WHEW ! Hot ! We trimmed Bo's claws, being very careful around the sore toe where the nail tore out yesterday.
This afternoon I installed a new door lock actuator on the passenger side sliding door of the minivan. It broke exactly one year ago. And I refused to buy a new one last summer. The cost here in Canada was about $168. During the winter I bought one at Pep Boys in Yuma for U.S.$53, about $71 Canadian.
I also installed a new drive belt in our portable, evaporative "swamp" cooler. I bought the drive belt in Yuma because I could not find a replacement in Penticton. After installing the new drive belt I set up the cooler in our bedroom. Emma was very pleased. HA HA HA !
At 6 PM we went to the swimming pool building. While Joanne floated around the pool cooling off I did pool walking exercise. When we returned home close to 7 PM I took Bo for a walk while Joanne prepared a salad and garlic toast to accompany the Sun Oven cooked chili for supper.
Tuesday ; SEVEN YEARS AS A NON-SMOKER
Thin hazy cloud cover, hot, humid, windy.
Late this morning we headed into town ( Keremeos ) to run a few errands. First stop was Sanderson Farms to buy some fresh produce. Then Similkameen Agencies to renew the truck's annual registration and insurance, and the camper's insurance. We stopped at Valu-Plus, the local grocery store, but their prices have become so outrageous we did not buy any groceries. Last stop was Similkameen Pharmacy where I picked up a prescription refill.
I received my Elections BC paycheque a week ago. Joanne did not receive hers. Today she phoned Elections BC in Victoria to find out where her paycheque is.
< sigh > It was sent, but there was a typographical error in the address, so it is somewhere in Post Office limbo. Eventually it will get back to Elections BC and they will correct the address and send it again.
I received a notice from Arizona's Motor Vehicle Department about the cancellation of the insurance policy on Obie, our SUV in Yuma. The notice threatens to cancel the registration / license plate on Obie due to the vehicle being without insurance. I sorted out the problem online ... I hope. I wasn't aware that there was a requirement to advise the Arizona Motor Vehicle Department when we Snowbirds cancel our vehicle insurance, and put our vehicles into storage until we return the following winter season.
Wednesday ; Cloudy, warm, humid, intermittent rain.
This afternoon I tackled ( pun intended ) a job that I have procrastinated doing. I sorted and purged all my regular ( not fly ) fishing tackle. I have had too much redundant fishing tackle, acquired over a lifetime, housed in a decrepit, large fishing tackle box that I won in a fishing derby about thirty-five to forty years ago. I sorted, purged, and rearranged the remaining fishing tackle into a much smaller, lighter tackle box that I recently acquired. Soon I should do something similar with my fly fishing tackle.
When we walked Bo this afternoon we took Ozzie with us. The neighbours were in Penticton all day, and asked us to care for Ozzie. Joanne brushed Emma this afternoon, then weighed her. WOO-HOO ! Emma has reached ten pounds ! ! ! When we got her in early January, dehydrated and emaciated, she weighed seven and a half pounds.
This evening I downloaded, printed, and reconciled our bank statements and investment updates.
Thursday ; Cloudy, warm, humid, intermittent rain ... again.
We left home this morning around 11 am for a long and tiring day of running errands in Penticton. We did not get back home until shortly after 7 PM.
Joanne prepared Daniel's Hamburgesa y Frijoles Mexicano for supper tonight. It's a seasoned ground beef and refried beans casserole recipe I created while travelling in Mexico many years ago. HA HA HA ... and it's still very good ! Over supper and afterwards we watched the season finales of MasterChef Canada and Amazing Race.
Friday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
This morning I played telephone tag with an art gallery owner in Penticton. We finally connected and had a chat about the sale of a few pieces of art of ours on a consignment basis. I returned a book to the library. I fertilized our vegetable garden. We gave Bo a bath. I visited a neighbour to make arrangements for the use of their driveway to accommodate some RV visitors that are coming to visit us in about a week.
This afternoon I worked on sorting and preparing my fly fishing gear, then loaded all my fly fishing gear and regular fishing gear into the camper in preparation for our upcoming trip to the Northwest Territories. Then I cleaned and refurbished a used vacuum cleaner that Joanne purchased yesterday at the Salvation Army Thrift Store in Penticton. I'm very good at that sort of refurbishment work, and now the vacuum cleaner is as good as new.
I contributed to supper preparation by cooking fiddleheads, purchased yesterday in Penticton. Fiddleheads are an Eastern Canada spring time delicacy, and are only available this far west about once per year for a very brief time, when a mushroom farm in the Lower Mainland succeeds in their once per year growing of fiddleheads.
Saturday ; Sunny and warm, a very nice day.
Today I resealed around the camper's bedroom escape hatch / roof vent with self levelling lap sealant. THEN ... I scraped off all the old sealant from around the TV antenna base and the radio antenna base, and replaced all of that with self levelling lap sealant as well. Everything on the camper roof now looks to be in excellent condition.
I have done an excellent job of maintenance and refurbishment on this camper which is now twenty years old and is, in my humble opinion, in as good condition as the day it left the factory. Maybe better ! Ready for the Northwest Territories !
Joanne helped me to review, purge, and rearrange the contents of the two hallway closets in our home. Well done ! It's essential to occasionally purge surplus / worthless stuff, especially stuff buried deep at the back of, or at the top of closets.
DSK
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