Sunday ; Mostly overcast, very windy, occasional light rain, chilly, except ... for a brief (less than two hours) period of sunshine, no wind, +11° C.
We had been looking forward to attending today’s Lunar New Year’s parade in Victoria’s Chinatown at noon today. But the morning was so chilly, and exceptionally windy, that we sadly decided not to go. Then ... at 11:30 AM ... the sky cleared, the wind stopped, and the temperature rose quickly. So ... <blink blink> ... we walked the dog, fed him his buttermilk and kibble lunch, and while he was scarfing that down we snuck out of our suite and headed downtown. HA HA HA ... good dog, Apollo !
Finding a parking spot near Chinatown was a bit difficult. We walked a couple of blocks to Chinatown and found a good spot to watch the parade. Some parade marshalls came along, pushing people off the edge of the roadway and back onto the curbs. One of them advised us of an alternative and superior viewing spot about a block away, so we walked there. He was right !
We waited in front of the Victoria Public Chinese School for the parade to pass. Many elders and dignitaries of the Chinese community were perched on the stairway leading up to the school’s elaborate entry doors, and by design, the dancing lions in the parade spent a long time performing in front of the school, a few feet from where we were standing.
It was a fascinating performance. We’re really glad we attended the parade, and that the weather was briefly so wonderful. We returned back to Robin Hood Inn to have lunch, and ... the weather turned to shit again !
Monday ; Overcast, +8° C.
After a late and slow start to the day we left our suite around noon and headed to Wal-Mart at Uptown Mall. On the way we stopped at a BMO to withdraw some cash.
Back at home, we had lunch, I napped with Apollo, then processed photos and videos from yesterday’s Lunar New Year Parade in Chinatown.
Tuesday ; Sunny, +9° C.
SLAVA UKRAINI
The weather was so nice this morning we decided to go and explore some local beaches, then have lunch out. We left our suite about 11:30 AM and drove to Gonzales Beach on Gonzales Bay. Gonzales Bay is a fairly small bay, surrounded by mega-million dollar monster homes, a “high rent” district, for sure. There are two public access points to Gonzales Beach. The first one was a narrow set of concrete steps down to the beach ... almost. At the base of the steps was a barricade of huge, cedar driftwood logs thrown onto the beach by winter storms (I guess). Apollo and I did not find that to be an insurmountable impediment to getting onto the beach, but Joanne did.
Apollo and I stepped carefully onto and over the driftwood logs, then went for a walk on the hard packed sand beach until we came to the second public access point a block or two from the first one where Joanne waited at the bottom of the steps for us to return. I could see that the second set of steps had a small but clear path through the driftwood logs at the bottom. And a little further past that, a concrete sloped wheelchair ramp. I was confident that Joanne could safely access the beach from either one.
Apollo and I walked back to the first staircase, we all trudged back up to the street ... OW ... hard on the knees ... and drove to the second access point, which had a small parking lot, and a washroom building. Near the first access point we had just parked on the street.
Joanne was able to step carefully around and through the driftwood logs at the bottom of the second staircase. We wandered down the beach, around the bay to the rocky area where Apollo and I stepped gingerly over the slippery, wet rocks and explored tidal pools. I’m always fascinated by tidal pools, searching for anemones and starfish and oysters and whatever. Joanne waited on the sand. She’s lost her confidence and ability to navigate challenging terrain. Apollo and I still have enough ability and stupidity to do that, but ... mountain goats we’re not ! We returned up to the parking lot using the sloped concrete wheelchair ramp. Much easier than the stairs !
We drove along Dallas Road until we reached Clover Point Park, a point of land jutting out into the ocean (Salish Sea), with a parking lot, and washrooms, and walkways, and some access stairs down to the beach. I persuaded Joanne that she could reach the beach with my assistance. And she did ! We walked along the beach, Apollo and I exploring tidal pools in the rocky areas. There were a lot of dogs playing on the beach, some even fetching large sticks thrown into the ocean for them. Getting Joanne onto and off the beach was challenging for both her and me.
We drove to a small shopping mall nearby to have lunch in a Thai restaurant Joanne had selected. HMPH ! Closed for two weeks ! So that the owners could attend a sister’s wedding ! <shrug> In Thailand, we surmised !
We decided to just return to our suite for a late lunch. As soon as we began driving, Apollo fell deeply asleep on Joanne’s nap. Then napped with me after lunch. Then spent most of the rest of the day napping on the sofa, wrapped in his blankie, occasionally opening his eyes and looking plaintively at us ... “I’m too OLD for that hiking on the beach kind of shit”. Yeah ... you and us both, pal. HA HA HA !
Late in the afternoon I worked on our 2025 income tax returns.
Wednesday ; Mix of sun and clouds, intermittent light rain, +8° C.
This afternoon Joanne went by herself to run errands, mostly grocery replenishment. I worked on income taxes. The sections dealing with renters’ tax credits (Dugald Estates condo), homeowners’ tax credits, and seniors’ school tax credits (Winslow House / Tuxedo condo) are complicated !
At Apollo’s 6:30 PM walk, while peeing against a tree with his hind leg lifted, his feet slipped on the slippery roots (due to rain) of the large tree, he lost his balance, and ... he sort of fell on his face. He came up limping ! Poor old dog ! Our family seems to do more than their fair share of “face plants”, n’est-ce pas ? <sigh>
In the evening we watched the long awaited season premiere of Survivor season 50. WOO-HOO !
Thursday ; Mix of sun and clouds, windy, +11° C.
Late this morning we went out to replenish Apollo’s dog food. We drove to Bosley’s in Esquimalt Plaza. <sputter> CLOSED ! Due to power outage ! As were all the other stores in the mall. EXCEPT ... Esquimalt Bake Shop ! Front door propped open to allow some light in. Cash only. Doughnuts galore ! ! ! Line-up of customers. HA HA HA ! You can always tell which businesses are Mom & Pop independents !
Boston Cream doughnuts today ! WOO-HOO ! Joanne was ecstatic !
I (not so) fondly remember the incidents of operating our pet food & supply stores in Ottawa during power outages, using flashlights to escort customers throughout the store to get what they needed, calculating costs and taxes using a calculator, payments by cash only. AH, yes ... those were the days. HA HA HA HA HA ! Did that for four days following the 1998 ice storm in Ottawa ! Competitors remained closed, we made a fortune ! ! !
We drove to the next nearest Bosley’s on Admirals Road and bought Apollo’s “GO Solutions” large bag of dog food. Hundred bucks ! Ten percent discount for monthly seniors’ day. Enough discount to pay for the Boston Cream doughnut for Joanne and the apple fritter for me, with two bucks still left over. Thanks, Apollo ! HA HA HA !
More income tax work this afternoon. Ran into a road block. Need some property tax data. Don’t have a copy of our Tuxedo condo’s 2025 property tax document. Not sure I ever got one in the batch of purchase documents from lawyer. Even if I did ... it would be filed in my office at home in Winnipeg. HMPH ! Will have to phone City of Winnipeg tomorrow and see if I can obtain a copy. I wonder how much phone drama that will entail ?
Friday ; Mix of sun and clouds, +9° C.
Well ! I phoned the City of Winnipeg this morning regarding my need for a copy of last year’s property tax bill for our Tuxedo condo. No drama ... just a quick and efficient bureaucracy ! What a pleasant surprise !
At noon when Housekeeping arrived to service our suite we left to run some errands and buy lunch. First stop was nearby Fairway Market to refill our five gallon water jug and buy some produce. On the way to the restaurant that Joanne had chosen I stopped at an Esso station and refilled the minivan with fuel.
Joanne’s choice for lunch was Kwao Thai Restaurant on Esquimalt Road. We ordered two lunch specials to take home. <blink blink> WOW ! Excellent Thai food !
Apollo is ill today, lethargic and won’t eat. Second time in the last few weeks ! Poor old fellow.
Saturday ; Sunny, +9° C.
Apollo was very ill overnight, with multiple bouts of vomiting, both outdoors and indoors ! Poor old fellow. However, he began to improve this morning, and continued throughout the day so that by suppertime he was once again healthy. He has a history of illness caused by pancreatic “malfunctions”. As a result of being up with him multiple times overnight, we slept very late this morning, then began the day very slowly ... and tired.
Joanne did laundry today. Lots of it ! I reconfigured the car seating this afternoon, from seating for two to seating for four, in preparation for a visit next week by Joanne’s sister and her partner. Our Chrysler minivan has three rows of seating, the middle and rear rows being “stow & go”. Yeah ... right ... a lot easier said than done ! The rear row is relatively easy to “stow & go”, the middle row two bucket seats much less so. And both rows ease of “stow & go” is significantly impacted by how much “stuff” is in the car. And in our car ... there’s a lot of “stuff” ! <shrug> We’re “on the road” for more than five and a half months, what would you expect ? !
DSK
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