August 4 to 10, 2019

Sunday ; Sunny and hot. Joanne cooked a Peach Morning Glory cake, followed by a sausage and beans casserole, in the Sun Oven today.

I did some maintenance on our bedroom evaporative ( swamp ) cooler. Did some online investment analysis work, and posted my weekly blog entry. Joanne had a long phone chat with her sister.

At 6 PM we went to the swimming pool to do our cardiac exercises ( me ) and sore shoulder exercises ( Joanne ).

Monday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature around 100º F / 38º C. Joanne cooked a Sloppy Joe’s meat sauce in the Sun Oven today.

Late yesterday I discovered a long weekend seat sale at Swoop Air, with an excellent deal on flights from Kelowna to Winnipeg. Had a late evening discussion with Joanne, sent an e-mail to her sister in Winnipeg, and this morning after receiving a response from her sister, I booked flights for Joanne to Winnipeg and back in early September.

This afternoon I reviewed the biographies of all the performers appearing at the upcoming Princeton Traditional Music Festival, and planned our attendance. Late in the afternoon we went to the swimming pool and exercised. It was refreshing to be in the pool on such a hot day.

Tuesday ; Sunny and very hot, temperature over 100 degrees F. Joanne cooked a potato au gratin dish in the Sun Oven today to accompany the chicken sausages I barbecued.

This morning we went into town to run some errands. I went to the hardware store. They didn’t have what I needed. Joanne went to the grocery store to buy milk. And bought over fifty bucks worth of meat and Sockeye Salmon on sale.

I went fishing this afternoon. I fished for about an hour and a half. I caught one Rainbow Trout. But … I had many, many “bites”. I could see the fish dart up from underneath and “swipe” at my fly, without taking it in their mouth, sometimes leaping right out of the water, but still “missing” the fly. Sometimes, they would suck the fly into their mouth, then immediately spit it out. HMPH ! The bright sunlight, very hot temperature, and warm water makes the fish … sort of “lazy”, 

I guess. I look forward to mid-September, when the trout get really “hungry”.

Wednesday ; Penticton

Sunny and very hot, temperature over 100º F again.

This morning we headed to Penticton for another day of running errands, a physiotherapy appointment for Joanne, and to attend the opening shows of PeachFest late in the afternoon. Things did not work out quite as planned.

We left home around 11:30 AM. We arrived in Penticton about half an hour before Joanne’s physiotherapy appointment at 1 PM, so we went shopping at Canadian Tire. At Joanne’s physiotherapy appointment she had physiotherapy, and acupuncture, as before, but today the therapist added electrotherapy. Her treatments took fifty minutes. I read a newspaper, and … fell asleep in our minivan. HA HA HA !

We spent from 2 PM until 5 PM running shopping errands. At 5 PM we headed downtown to attend the first of two opening attractions of PeachFest ; the Canadian Forces Skyhawks Parachute Team’s show from 5 to 5:30 PM, and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds Air Demonstration Squadron … ( YAAAAAYYYYY ) … from 6 to 6:30 PM. The traffic into downtown was so congested that we watched the parachutists perform as we crawled along in gridlock traffic, everybody unsuccessfully trying to find a parking spot near Okanagan Lake Park.

As the Skyhawks Parachute Team’s show ended around 5:30 PM … we gave 
up !  I wanted to just drive home and have supper. Joanne wanted to go to Dairy Queen to have ice cream treats … and maybe hamburgers for supper. So … you know … < sigh > … we went to Dairy Queen. As we ate our hamburgers and ice cream treats we occasionally saw Snowbirds flying by, so we got to see a bit of their performance. We left Dairy Queen around 6:30 PM and as we drove by Penticton Airport a few minutes later I pulled over and we watched all nine Snowbirds’ approaches over Skaha Lake and landings on runway 34. Some waggled their wings at all the people on Skaha Lake Beach that were watching. Some “blew smoke” as they passed over the beach.

As we drove away from Penticton, towards Kaleden we could see a huge “mushroom cloud” of thick wildfire smoke over Oliver. We stopped in Keremeos to make a purchase on our way home. We arrived home just in time to watch the series finale of Love Island. HA HA HA !

It was somewhat disappointing to learn that McLeod’s and Shmegelsky’s bodies had been found near Gillam, Manitoba this morning. It was obvious why our neighbour’s son-in-law was killed by them near Dease Lake / Stikine River Bridge, but … what the hell was the reason why they killed the young couple near Liard River Hot Springs ? ! ?

Thursday ; Sunny and very hot, probably the last day of the current heat wave.

Spent a long time on the phone … AGAIN … trying to get a credit card “points” problem resolved. We recently got new MasterCards and Joanne’s is not earning “points” as it should. And every time I phone them … I speak to people who speak English with a heavy African accent. I can’t understand their English, and they can’t understand mine ! ! !

Wrote yesterday’s journal entry. Did yesterday’s credit card accounting. YIKES ! Went to the swimming pool and did exercises. Did some fly fishing gear maintenance. Did some meal planning. Specifically … our weekly fish meal planning. Fish meals are my responsibility. I catch them … or buy them … and once per week I prepare them.

Friday ; Cloudy and hot.

This morning I did some planning work for Joanne’s upcoming trip to Winnipeg, making arrangements for her to visit and tour the seniors’ condominium development in Dugald that we wish to move to in a couple of years.

In the afternoon we went to the swimming pool and did cardiac exercises … at the same time as Joanne did laundry. I cooked Cutthroat Trout caught by me at Crooked River in June, pan fried and butter basted for dinner tonight. Very nice ! After supper we watched Downton Abbey.

Saturday ; Cloudy, very warm, intermittent thunderstorms.

This afternoon we attended a “Celebration of Life” for our neighbour / friend Bob, who died almost two months ago. His widow Christine and their two sons hosted this memorial. Their grandchildren, Bob’s siblings, many other family members, and a large contingent of friends and neighbours attended. A large luncheon was prepared by women in our community, including Joanne.

Bob died of a heart valve malfunction. He had a malfunctioning heart valve replaced seven years ago, but … something went wrong a couple of months ago, and deteriorated rapidly. Coupled with medical community uncertainty and “buck passing” … the result was today’s “Celebration of Life”

You were a good man, Bob. And you are missed. Rest in peace !

Late this afternoon I made “campfire starters” using a cardboard egg crate, dryer lint, and melted paraffin wax, a technique I learned as a Boy Scout about fifty years ago or so. I downloaded and reconciled some monthly investment statements. We went for a long walk with Ozzie, who is relieved that the heat wave is over. During the latest heat wave he has been unwilling to go for walks. We’ve been limiting his walks to fairly short distances.

DSK