August 5 to 11, 2018

Sunday ;  Sunny and hot.

This morning I did some budget planning.  After lunch and a nap, I went fishing in the Similkameen River.  First fishing outing to my "secret fishing hole" on the Similkameen River this summer season.  I hiked upstream to my "secret fishing hole".  < blink blink >  It's not there anymore !  The entire river has changed as a result of this spring's flooding and extremely fast flow.  I fished in a "new" set of rapids.  The first Rainbow Trout that
I caught, I attempted to handle without a net.  I pulled it up onto the rocks, unhooked it, picked it up to put it into my pail, and ... dropped the ****ing thing back into the river ...
< gritting my teeth >.  Why carry a net if you're not going to use it, Dan ? ! ?

Including the one that I dropped back into the river, I caught five Rainbow Trout today.  My daily limit of four ... into the freezer !

I shared my fishing space with a large family of ducks ... who seemed to be much more successful at catching fish than I was !  And an oriole.  And a Bald Eagle.  And a small rattlesnake !  The snake and I scared the bejesus out of one another ! ! !  HA HA HA ! 
I just about stepped on it !  It was very interesting to watch it drinking out of the river.

Monday ;  Mostly sunny and hot, lots of wildfire smoke.  Joanne baked a couple of apricot loaves in the Sun Oven today, somewhat hampered by the smoke  The apricots came from the tree we planted about ten years ago on our previous home in this park, lot #89.

This morning I bought a checked baggage allowance on Joanne's flights to Winnipeg and back in a couple of months.  Since when does a checked bag on an airline flight cost extra ? ! ?  This afternoon we attempted ( unsuccessfully ) to clean the charcoal air filter on the back of our new ( to  us ) evaporative ( swamp ) cooler.  Evidently the previous owner was a smoker !  And the cool air emitted by the room air cooler smells of cigarette smoke !  Eventually we gave up trying different methods to clean the filter, and I figured out how to remove the old filter and how to replace it with a cat litter box air filter that I will cut to the correct size.

This afternoon after a cardiac exercise session in the swimming pool I adjusted the air pressure in my bicycle's tires, then inspected the caulking / sealant around the front upper bedroom window of the camper.   Yes ... it needs to be replaced.  It's old, and cracked, and falling off, creating risk of leaks around the window.

In the evening I did some preparing for our upcoming trailer delivery job to Vancouver Island, including preparing an invoice / receipt for the client.  And doing online research to determine the exact length and weight of that model of trailer.  < sigh >  Thirty-nine feet, two inches in length, twelve feet, eight inches in height, twelve thousand four hundred pounds "dry" ( no water, propane, or anything else inside ).  < sigh >  And temperatures during our delivery trip well in excess of a hundred degrees F / reaching forty degrees C ! ! !

Tuesday ;  Sunny and very hot.

This morning Joanne went to Penticton by herself for a day of running errands.  I did pet ear and dental care, then made some appointments by phone.  I did preventive maintenance on the truck, then loaded trailer towing equipment and supplies into the truck for the trailer towing job that starts tomorrow.  I did some monthly investment statement reconciliations, and I went bicycling just before supper.  We had an interesting new Mexican recipe for supper while watching Amazing Race Canada.

While in Penticton today Joanne bought a cat litter box charcoal filter, and tonight I cut it down to size to make it fit the evaporative / swamp cooler's filter panel.  Well done !

Wednesday ;  home to Winfield and return

Sunny and extremely hot.

We drove 150 km., THROUGH WESTBANK AND KELOWNA GRIDLOCK, to pick up a trailer for delivery.  It wasn't ready !  Won't be ready until tomorrow !  Our return trip home was six hours / 434 km. of driving, due to a 284 km. detour caused by a
semi-trailer accident and fire very near to our home.  Total driving today of 584 km. ... to accomplish NOTHING !  Will write more tomorrow while on ferry to Vancouver Island.

Left home at 11 AM.  Drove to Penticton Hospital to have knee X-rayed.  X-ray department short staffed, so wait time longer than one hour.  UH-UH ... goodbye !  Drove to Westbank, refilled with diesel fuel.  Drove into Kelowna, had lunch at Old Spaghetti Factory.  Bought guy stuff at Princess Auto.  Drove to Winfield, advised by RV dealership salesperson / client that trailer would not be ready until tomorrow morning.  < sigh >  Advised client that I would be billing $1 per km. for unproductive drive.

Drove back through Kelowna and Westbank rush hour gridlock.  Decided to take "scenic route" home to buy RCMP Musical Ride tickets in Princeton.  Had planned to buy them tomorrow, on way from home with trailer through Princeton on way to Lower Mainland ferry terminal, but ... trailer pick up tomorrow will result in changed route, not through Princeton.  Bought tickets in Princeton, was not allowed to turn east on Hwy. 3 due to fiery semi-trailer crash between Hedley and Riverside RV Park Resort.  Had to drive 65 km. north back to Okanagan Coquihalla Connector, 85 km. east to Peachland, south through Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, Keremeos, west to home.  As we drove through the village of Keremeos in the dark we could see a lot of flames at the top of K Mountain, the mountain "backdrop" to the town.

Semi-trailer fire that caused our detour ignited new wildfire on each side of the
highway !  Good thing there were many nearby firefighting crews and bucket equipped helicopters that immediately responded, and had the brush fires on each side of the highway extinguished even before the semi-trailer was finished burning.

Thursday ;  home to Winfield to Vancouver Island

Sunny and extremely hot, temperature in excess of 100º F / between 38º and 40º C.

Today, and ten days ago, were the two hottest days in BC recorded history.  And on both of those days ... I was towing large and extremely heavy fifth wheel trailers on two of the most difficult roads in BC ... probably in all of Canada ; the Coquihalla Highway from Merritt to Hope, and the Coquihalla Okanagan Connector from Peachland to Merritt.

We left home this morning at 9 AM and drove 150 km. north ... ( again ! ) ... to Voyager RV in Winfield.  On the way we refilled with diesel at Superstore in Westbank.  We made good time and arrived at Voyager RV at 11:45 AM for our rescheduled noon pick up time.  I bought something I needed in their parts department, then the salesperson guided us on a short drive to the dealership's storage yard.  HOLY MACKEREL ... what a lot of inventory !  We were hitched up to the large fifth wheel trailer and on our way about 12:30 PM.

Back all the way through Kelowna, then Westbank / West Kelowna , and onto the "Connector" headed west.  About 85 km. uphill from Peachland, then about 40 km. downhill to Merritt.  I "managed" the ascent better than I did last week, and did not overheat the truck's engine and transmission ... as much !  Merritt to Hope, south on the Coquihalla for 115 km, about 65 km. uphill then 50 km. downhill.  Also managed better than last week.

We refilled with diesel at Flying J in Hope, then continued west on Trans-Canada Highway 1 to the Lower Mainland / Vancouver area.  Rush hour traffic was gridlocked through Abbotsford and Aldergrove !  We needed to be at the Tsawwassen ferry terminal by 7:30 PM for our 7:45 PM boarding time / 8:15 PM departure time.  We arrived at 7 PM, giving us enough time to walk Ozzie and eat our picnic supper in the truck.

I am typing this on the ferry, at 9:15 PM.  It arrived in Nanaimo about fifteen minutes late, at 10:30 PM.  We were at our motel by 11 PM.  BUT ... < sputter > ... despite addressing my need for a sixty foot long parking spot in my reservation, and again by phone ,,, there was nowhere for me to park the truck and trailer !  I advised the night clerk that I expected a no charge cancellation, and we left ... tired and frustrated.  We spent about another frustrating hour searching for another motel to stay at.  All we found ... with the assistance of a taxi driver ... was one motel whose rate was $175 per night, and Ozzie was not allowed !  We spent the night parked in the Nanaimo Visitor Information Centre parking lot.

I slept poorly.  Joanne slept very poorly.  Ozzie slept just fine !  And I agreed to Joanne's demand ; no more Vancouver Island trailer deliveries !

Friday ;  Vancouver Island to home

Sunny and hot.

We washed up this morning in the Visitor Information Centre's bathrooms ... like the rest of the homeless people living in their cars in the parking lot !  We drove the short distance north from Nanaimo on Island Highway 19 to Parksville, arriving about 9:30 AM for our scheduled 11 AM trailer delivery.  The clients were very eagerly awaiting the arrival of their new home, having spent the last two nights in a motel after selling their previous trailer.  Positioning the large fifth wheel trailer in their RV park lot was extremely challenging, but ... that's why I get paid the big bucks !  HA HA HA !

We got the trailer positioned, levelled, set up, and did an orientation with the customers ...  as pre-arranged ... and were finished and leaving at 11:30 AM.  We rushed back to the Nanaimo ferry terminal in an attempt to catch the 12:45 PM ferry.  When we arrived at the Duke Point ferry terminal about 12:30 PM, the 12:45 PM ferry was already full.  As were the 3:15 PM and 5:45 PM ferries ! ! !  Good thing I had reservations on both of those !

We drove back into Nanaimo to have lunch.  We refilled with diesel at a Co-op Fuel Bar, then had a very nice lunch at Smitty's.  Don't think we've ever been to a Smitty's before.  Good food, good service, how pleasant !  We finished lunch at 2 PM, and were back at the ferry terminal at 2:30 PM to check in for the 3:15 PM ferry.  It was so hot and humid on the lowest level vehicle deck of the ferry we were reluctant to leave Ozzie in the very hot, stuffy cab of the truck.  I attached a short tie-out to the fifth wheel hitch in the bed of the truck, and left Ozzie and his bed in the bed of the truck.  Just like some kind of a miniature pit bull.  HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA.

The ferry arrived in Tsawwassen ( Vancouver ) on time at 5:15 PM.  I told Joanne that if we didn't stop for supper or fuel, I could get us home in five hours.  I did it in four hours and fifty minutes, arriving home at 10:05 PM.  Of course, I had to drive like everyone else in the Lower Mainland, 30 km. / hr. over the speed limit !

As we drove through Abbotsford around 6:30 PM, 120 km. / hr., bumper to bumper congestion ... WHOA !  SNOWBIRDS ! ! !  Nine red and white, little Tutor 33 jets, Canada's military precision aerobatics team.  It's difficult to drive 120 km. / hr., bumper to bumper, and watch an air show performance at the same time.  HA HA HA !  Must be the famous Abbotsford International Air Show tonight / this weekend.

As we approached Hope, there was much wildfire.  And many helicopters with buckets on long lines, all flying around like dragonflies, in the smoke !  SHEESH !  Methinks it's just a matter of time until two of these helicopter cowboys collide in mid-air.

Saturday ;  Cloudy, warm, intermittent thunderstorms with huge drops of rain, on the verge of forming hailstones.

We slept very late.  We deserved it !  I puttered around with job accounting.  And I did some housecleaning.  It's the time of year when little bugs come in at night, through the screens, and then die around my desk lamp and bedside lamp.  I processed some photos from my camera to my computer.  I lazed around and read a book.  Too bad it's a crappy book !

DSK

July 29 to August 4, 2018

Sunday ;  Sunny and very hot, temperature around 100º F ... or perhaps a bit more. 
A fine day for our bedroom evaporative / "swamp" cooler to die !  Joanne cooked "fried" chicken in the Sun Oven today, as tomorrow's picnic supper after delivery of a trailer.  Then she cooked stromboli in the Sun Oven for tonight's supper.

A couple of weeks ago I stubbed a toe on my left foot so badly that the toe turned purple and the nail turned black.  Well ... today I did the same thing to the same toe on the other foot !  < sigh >

I finished my trip planning and motel reservations for the "maybe" trailer towing job in a couple of weeks.  I updated my investments summary, which I do as a weekly monitoring / analysis of how our investments are doing.  I posted my weekly journal entry to my blog.  We went to the swimming pool this afternoon but I didn't feel well today, so our time in the pool was just to cool down, not to exercise.

Monday ;  home to Winfield to Surrey to home

Sunny and very hot, temperature 101º F / 38º C while we were driving on the Coquihalla in the afternoon.

It was a long, hot, tiring day of trailer towing, with death and destruction all around us, it seemed at times.  We stopped around 9:15 PM in Hope to refill with diesel fuel for the second time today, and while we were getting refilled, a fiery, fatal crash took place on the Coquihalla Highway nearby.  Then we continued eastbound towards home, on the Crowsnest Highway 3 which had just been reopened after being closed for part of the evening because a wildfire had jumped over the highway and was burning on both sides of the road.  As we approached Princeton around 11 PM a double trailer semi had jackknifed, completely blocking the highway.  We were able to go around it by driving onto a gravel area adjacent to the highway.

Yes, yes ... there's no doubt ... the most dangerous thing we do is highway driving ! ! !

We left home at 7:40 AM heading for Voyager RV in Winfield, about 10 km. north of the Kelowna airport.  We made very good time, arriving just after 10 AM for our 10:30 AM trailer pick up.  However ... Voyager RV was running late, so by the time the trailer was finished being washed, then an orientation with the new owners took about an hour, it was 11:30 AM before we could hitch up and go.  Back through the traffic gridlock of Kelowna and Westbank / West Kelowna, then we turned west on the Okanagan Coquihalla Connector at Peachland headed for Merritt.

The Okanagan Coquihalla Connector is about 115 km. from Peachland to Merritt, half of it uphill, and half downhill !  With a filled freshwater tank, and two filled propane tanks, the 41 foot long fifth wheel trailer weighed about 15,000 pounds !  I set the truck's cruise control to 90 km. / hr. and up the big hill we went !  By the time we reached the Pennask Summit, the truck's engine ( coolant ) and transmission ( fluid ) were severely overheated.  I had to park at the summit for awhile and allow everything to cool down.

Downhill to Merritt helped cool the truck down, then when we went to the Extra Foods Fuel Bar in Merritt to refill with diesel ... UH-OH ... no diesel !  Next available diesel would be 115 km. away in Hope.  Wish me luck !  The Coquihalla from Merritt to Hope is half uphill, half downhill, like the Connector.  Learning from the overheating lesson of the Connector, I set the truck's cruise control to 60 km. / hr., and limped slowly up the 50 to 60 km. long hill with flashers on, joining the big semi-trailer trucks doing the same.  Lanoire handled it without overheating.  Another life lesson learned !  The shoulder of the Coquihalla was littered with overheated vehicles !

We made it to Hope without running out of fuel.  We refilled at Flying J ... their fuel pump electronics malfunctioning due to the heat ( over 100 degrees ), and an hour later we reached Chilliwack ... and Lower Mainland rush hour !  < sigh >  It took another hour and a half of fighting rush hour traffic to get to the trailer delivery location, an RV park adjacent to the Pacific Highway border crossing in Surrey.

We arrived at the RV park at 6:15 PM, got the trailer positioned and unhitched, chatted with the new trailer's new owners about full time RV'ing / travelling ... ( not particularly feasible with a 41 foot trailer weighing 15,000 pounds, pal ! ) and left at 7 PM.  About an hour later we were having a late picnic supper at a rest area near Abbotsford.  We refilled with diesel again at Hope around 9:15 PM, and were back home at five minutes after midnight.

Tuesday ;  Happy 57th Birthday to my brother Russell

Hot, thick smoke, ash falling from sky.  A nearby wildfire flared up and grew large overnight.  Keremeos and Cawston are on evacuation alert.

Joanne and Ozzie, both tired from yesterday's trailer delivery job, slept late.  I don't understand, I did about 98 % of the work, Joanne did about 2 %, Ozzie did none.  HA HA HA !  I got caught up on work not done yesterday, like writing yesterday's journal entry and doing yesterday's credit card accounting.  I unloaded trailer towing equipment and supplies from the truck.  I phoned a client to confirm whether or not they will require me to transport one of their trailers from Saskatoon to Vancouver in two weeks.  She was unable to provide me with an answer ... yet.  I did trailer towing job accounting.  We went to the swimming pool and did cardiac exercises.

Joanne did online shopping for a room evaporative ( swamp ) cooler.  Our current swamp cooler in the bedroom has given up the ghost.  She found one in Penticton that looks promising.  We'll see it tomorrow.

Wednesday ;  Penticton

Sunny, very hot, some smoke haze.

We spent the day in Penticton running errands.  That included me having an appointment with my new family doctor, and ... purchasing a near new evaporative
( swamp ) cooler for our bedroom.  Time to "retire" the old swamp cooler that we bought five years ago for twenty bucks at a yard sale.  The one we bought today is a 2017 or 2016 model with all the electronic bells and whistles.  The old one is sort of the Model T version of swamp coolers.  I'm tired of the endless quest to find replacement drive belts for it, which it consumes at the rate of about two per summer season.  The only place
I have succeeded in finding replacement drive belts for it is at an industrial supply business in Yuma, Arizona.  And since we were not there last winter ... I have run out of spare drive belts.

We left home at 11 AM and were back home at 7 PM.

Thursday ;  Sunny and hot, windy.

A somewhat lazy day of puttering around with routine household chores. 
I contemplated going fishing but ... too windy.

Friday ;  Cloudy, windy, very warm.

This morning the RV dealership that hired me to deliver a trailer earlier this week hired me again to do another delivery next week, this time to Vancouver Island.  And so the "maybe" long distance trailer delivery job next week for another client becomes the "definitely not" long distance trailer delivery job.  And so ends the short lived relationship with that client who has "ghosted" me regarding that job.

After an early ( for us ) lunch we headed into Keremeos.  While I went for a haircut and beard trim Joanne refilled our five gallon water jug and shopped for produce.  After she picked me up at the hair stylist place I went to the pharmacy and she went to the credit union to get coinage.  After we returned home I napped briefly then we went to the swimming pool and did aquatic cardiac exercises.

In the evening I cancelled the five motel reservations I had made for the "definitely not" long distance trailer delivery job, and made a motel reservation and multiple ferry reservations to and from Vancouver Island.

Saturday ;  Mostly sunny, very warm, smoky in the evening.

This morning I used my multi-meter to test the 120 volt AC to 12 volt DC converters for our two vehicle fridges, one in the truck and one in the minivan.  HA HA HA ... our third vehicle fridge is in OB, our SUV in Yuma.  One of the converters seemed to malfunction recently, and today I proved that.  One converter was producing fourteen volts DC ... correct ... and the other was producing two volts DC.  PHHHHT ... into the garbage that one went !

We did some gardening.  Joanne harvested lettuce, then culled out old, overgrown lettuce.  I culled out all the peas, no longer producing.  I replanted a variety of lettuce, and some cilantro.  We gave Ozzie a bath.  Joanne did laundry.  I contemplated going fishing in the afternoon, but it was windy at that time, and some ugly clouds were rolling in.

In the evening I purchased our winter travel medical insurance, a more complicated
( and expensive ! ) process each year, it seems.

DSK

July 22 to 28, 2018

Sunday ;  Penticton

Sunny and hot.

We left home at 1 PM heading for Penticton.  We had tickets to attend the 2 PM performance of Many Hats Theatre's production of the play "Self Help".  It was a funny play, well done.  After the play ended around 4 PM we drove to the Portuguese
Multi-Cultural Centre for their weekly 5 PM Portuguese Sunday dinner.  We were there by 4:15 PM so we parked then walked a couple of blocks to the beach on Okanagan Lake and sat for awhile.   The air was filled with so much smoke from the wildfire at nearby Peachland that my eyes were stinging.

Portuguese dinner was quite good, a spicy chicken and potato dish.  The woman in charge was welcoming and hospitable, seating us and visiting with us repeatedly throughout the evening.  We ate dinner and chatted with her, an old man, and a woman who was the cook of tonight's dinner.  We left there around 7 PM because we needed to get home and take care of Ozzie's "needs".

Monday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, hot.

At 10:30 AM we headed for Keremeos.  I had an appointment at 10:50 AM at the medical laboratory in the South Similkameen Health Centre / Keremeos Clinic to have blood drawn for tests ordered by my new family doctor.  While I was at the clinic Joanne went produce shopping.  After finishing at the clinic I went to the pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions, then to FasGas to have a propane tank refilled.

This afternoon we did some yard and gardening work.  I watered our composter. 
I picked peas from our garden.  What a poor production of peas this year.  All pods held only four peas.  I harvested tomatoes.  As always, my cherry tomato plants are producing far more than the regular tomato plants.  And ... the "golden" cherry tomato plant I bought at the nursery is inexplicably producing "golden" regular sized tomatoes.  HUH ?  The nursery must have screwed up their tomato plant labelling.  We picked two pails of Transparent Apples from our RV park's orchard.  Joanne likes to make apple sauce with the early ripening Transparent Apples.  Late in the afternoon we went to the swimming pool to do cardiac exercises.

Tuesday ;  Penticton

Sunny and hot, outdoor temperature in the shade when we returned home at 5 PM was 92º F / 33.5º C.

This morning we left home around 11 AM heading for a day of errands in Penticton.  First stop was Value Village where I bought three pairs of swimming trunks for myself, Joanne bought herself a blouse, and I bought a barbecue spatula / turner.  Tuesday is seniors' discount day at Value Village !  Next was lunch at Subway.  BUT ... before having lunch at Subway we went to have lunch at Tim Horton's.  The staff were so inept ... two of them ... at taking our rather simple lunch order, that in frustration
I walked away and we went to Subway instead.  Still hard to get good help, je suppose !

I refilled the minivan with fuel, we shopped at Wal-Mart and Superstore, and were back at home around 5 PM.  I napped, barbecued supper, and we watched Amazing Race Canada.

Wednesday ;  Sunny and very hot, hazy with wildfire smoke late in the afternoon.  Joanne cooked my favourite Sun Oven meal today, a Mexican chicken and rice dish.  As the smoke haze increased throughout the afternoon, the Sun Oven temperature slowly declined.

I reinstalled a refilled propane tank in the camper.  The camper is ready for our next adventure !  I did a very minor repair in the minivan.  I removed an access hatch to underneath our home and measured for a plumbing fitting I require for a modification project.

Late in the afternoon we attended a "farewell" in the clubhouse for a long term resident of the park who is leaving at the end of the month.  Then we had a long chat with some neighbours, standing on the road near their home.  That long chat with neighbours gobbled up our pool exercise time.  TSK TSK !

After supper I reconciled our monthly MasterCard statement.  WOW ... < blink blink > ... some months are certainly more expensive than others, aren't they ? ! ?

Thursday ;  Sunny and hot.  Some wildfire smoke haze.  Joanne baked an apple cake in the Sun Oven today.

Before using the Sun Oven today we partially dismantled it and cleaned it thoroughly. 
I also did some cleaning in the shed today.  Late in the afternoon we went to the swimming pool and did an exercise session.

Friday ;  Sunny and hot, temperature 91.5º F / 33º C at 5 PM.  I made sun dried Roma tomatoes in the Sun Oven today.

We went to town ( Keremeos ) this morning.  I refilled the truck with diesel.  We refilled our five gallon water jug at the water refill machine in town.  We bought fresh local produce at Sanderson Farms.  Watermelon !  Nectarines !  Freestone peaches !  Small cucumbers !  Patty Pan Squash !  And a couple of pakoras for lunch !  I picked up five prescriptions at Similkameen Pharmacy.

At home this afternoon I harvested tomatoes.  I returned a book to the library.  I went bicycling.  I prepared for tomorrow's park wide yard sale.  I have two items to sell.  I set up a table on the road below our rock slope "front yard", with the two items and an "honour pay" jar.

In the evening I worked on some trip planning / motel reservations for an upcoming
( possible ) very long distance trailer towing job.

Saturday ;  Sunny and very hot, temperature 96º F / 36º C at 5:30 PM when we walked Ozzie, hotter earlier in the day.  Joanne cooked zucchini lasagna in the Sun Oven today.

This morning I prepared the truck for an upcoming trailer towing job.  I installed the fifth wheel hitch, and loaded all the necessary trailer towing equipment and supplies.  Next Monday with temperature forecast to be 105º F I will be towing a 14,000 pound trailer up the extremely long and steep ascent of the Coquihalla Highway / "Highway Thru Hell" from Merritt to Hope, on my way from Winfield to Surrey.  Wish me luck !  Let's see if Lanoire the truck is still up to that kind of extreme task !

This afternoon I worked indoors, at my desk.  I did prescription accounting and records keeping.  I posted some ads on Kijiji for items for sale.  I continued work on trip planning and motel reservations for an upcoming very long distance trailer towing job in a couple of weeks.  Maybe !  The client has not been communicative so ... who knows ? ? ?

DSK

July 15 to 21, 2018

Sunday ;  Sunny and very hot.  Joanne baked a rhubarb cake in the Sun Oven today, as well as preparing the potato dish for tonight's supper in the Sun Oven.

On hot days like this it's difficult to find the motivation to do much work.  One of today's priorities was to phone our Oregon friend Eilene to congratulate her on reaching
ninety-seven years of age.  Yesterday was her birthday.  I deboned the candied Rainbow Trouts that I made in the Sun Oven yesterday.  DARN !  I left them in the Sun Oven a bit too long, they were overdone.  We went to the swimming pool, but just to cool down, not to do cardiac exercises.  I did some truck maintenance records keeping.  I made arrangements to attend the weekly dinner next Sunday at the Portuguese Multicultural Society in Penticton, after we attend a Many Hats Theatre performance.

In the evening ... after barbecuing a wonderful supper ... I posted my weekly journal entry to my blog, and did routine weekly investments summary updates. HMMM ... seem to have made a lot of money last week !

Monday ;  Sunny and very hot, temperature 99º F / 38.5º C at 5:15 PM when we walked Ozzie.  Joanne cooked beef ribs in the Sun Oven today.

Another day that was too hot to do much of anything.  I used to relish hot weather but now ... not so much.  Did my cardiac bypass surgery change something within me ?  Stamina / tolerance for heat ?  < shrug >

This morning we removed the rear seat from the minivan, then carefully loaded our four pieces of artwork for sale into the minivan.  Tomorrow we'll be taking them to Kelowna for an appraisal.  I checked the air pressure in all of the truck's and minivan's tires.  WHEW ... that's actually a pretty difficult chore in 100 degree sunshine.

Indoors, I paid some bills online, and reconciled our Bank of America statement.  We took Ozzie for a walk at 5 PM, watched the 5:30 PM news on TV, then at 6 PM went to the swimming pool to do exercises.  Somebody's two young granddaughters, about six and eight years of age, were in the pool.  They found our exercise routines amusing, so ... they joined in with us.  The older one asked why I had such a large scar on my chest.  I explained my cardiac surgery in simple terms.  Both girls screwed up their noses as if they had just smelled something distasteful.  HA HA HA !  The older girl thought my surgery was "gross, but interesting".

Tuesday ;  Kelowna

Sunny and hot with a brief but violent thunderstorm around suppertime.

We left home at 10:15 AM heading for Kelowna and a meeting with the owner of an auction house.  We brought him our four pieces of artwork for sale.  < sigh >  His appraisal / estimate of sale prices was exceptionally disheartening, but ... we ( read that as "I" ) should have never put these pieces of art into storage fourteen years ago !  Should have sold them then !  We left them to be sold at auction on Thursday evening.  Life will go on !

From the auction house we went to a pawn shop that had an ad on Castanet for a GPS unit I was interested in.  My interest disappeared immediately upon the pawn shop salesman telling me that the three year old GPS unit was no longer able to be updated.  Goodbye !  Your GPS unit is worthless !  Last stop in Kelowna was Princess Auto to buy an advertised item.

We left Kelowna and drove to West Kelowna / Westbank for a late lunch at Kekuli Café, an Indigenous restaurant that we have been to before.  But will not be returning to after today's disappointing experience.  They have "migrated" from being a café into being a coffee shop.  My venison Indian bannock taco was ... okay.  Joanne thought the venison meat tasted like rancid liver.  HA HA HA !  Joanne's chili Indian bannock taco was unsatisfactory, in her opinion.  My "custom made" ... HA HA HA ... Saskatoon milk shake was pretty darn good, although rather expensive.  Since this was an Indigenous owned and operated business, and they bake muffins and cookies with Saskatoon berries, I found it rather odd that they had never been asked for a Saskatoon milk shake before.  I guess you can take the Indian out of the city, but you can't take the city out of the Indian.  HA HA HA < SNORT > HA HA !

From Westbank through Peachland, Summerland, Penticton, and Keremeos, we were home around 5 PM.

Wednesday ;  Penticton

Sunny and hot.  We left home this morning about 10:45 AM taking both vehicles. 
I dropped the truck off in Keremeos for service, and we continued in the minivan to Penticton.  On the way we stopped at the rest area at Yellow Lake so that I could use the bathroom.  As I walked back to the car ... < sputter > ... a female Mallard duck with MANY babies was trying to cross the busy highway.  I ran over to the road, and ... "herded" the duck family to safety.  HA HA HA ... at first Joanne, who was waiting in the car, did not understand why I was hurrying over to the highway after coming out of the bathroom.  When she saw what I was doing, she laughed out loud.

In Penticton I dropped Joanne off at Value Village then went to run some errands by myself.  I refilled the minivan with fuel, then bought all the parts I need to fabricate and install a winterization bypass kit on the camper's water heater at Midtown RV, Home Hardware, and Leisureland RV.  I picked Joanne up at Value Village and we shopped at Dollarama before having lunch at Burger King.

After lunch I went for my first appointment with my new family doctor.  I was pleased and impressed.  His front office receptionist / assistant was friendly and efficient.  I was seen by the doctor a few minutes before my appointment time !  What a pleasant change ! ! !  The young doctor was friendly, and engaged, and efficient, and ... seemed quite competent.  Again ... what a pleasant change ! ! !

After my doctor's appointment we spent the rest of the afternoon shopping at Wal-Mart and Superstore.  We left Penticton around 4:30 PM.  In Keremeos we stopped to buy some fresh produce at Sanderson Farms.  We were back home around 6 PM.

As we pulled into our driveway our neighbour Betty was in the alleyway scowling at the yard of the neighbour between her and us.  He had been here yesterday for the first time in nine months.  He spent about six hours cleaning the five foot tall weeds in his yard, then left !  But ... not before disturbing a massively huge hornet's nest underneath his home's entry steps.  Many angry hornets were buzzing around, displeased that their home had been disturbed, fractured into four large segments and left on the ground. 
I hope that the asshole got stung when he discovered the nest !  Betty and I agreed to meet at 9 PM and we would both use whatever hornet eradication sprays we each could find in our sheds.

At 9 PM Betty came over for our hornet killing date.  HA HA HA !  She used all the hornet spray she had, and I used almost all of a large can that I had.  I sure hope that ends that problem !

Thursday ;  Sunny and hot, windy in the evening.

At 11:45 AM we left home heading for Keremeos, and our noon lunch date at Benja Thai Restaurant with previous neighbours / old friends Mitch and Diane.  We treated them to lunch as a gesture of appreciation for sending some trailer towing business our way recently.  Thank you, Diane.  We were finished eating lunch around 1 PM but sat in the restaurant chatting until they turned the lights off at 3:30 PM.  HA HA HA !  They close each day from 3 PM to 4:30 PM to clean up after lunch and prepare for dinner.

After taking the "lights out" hint we ran errands in town.  Joanne ran errands using the minivan.  I paid for and picked up the truck at the new auto repair facility in town.  I went to the South Similkameen Health Centre a.k.a. Keremeos Clinic and selected a laboratory appointment time for Monday for a blood test ordered yesterday by my new family doctor.  Last stop in town for me was to drop off new prescription orders at the pharmacy.

Back at home we sat at our picnic table and trimmed Emma's claws, and gave both Emma and Ozzie some hair trims.  Ozzie on the face and Emma ... uhhhhh ... not on the face.  HA HA HA !

Friday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, hot, windy.  I baked potatoes and eggs for potato salad in the Sun Oven today, challenging because the sun kept disappearing behind clouds.

This morning I phoned the auction house in Kelowna to find out how much our four pieces of artwork sold for last night at auction.  The results ... made me cry.  I'm not kidding !  < deep sigh >  You win some, you lose some, I guess.  Time to move on !

This afternoon I worked on fabricating and installing a winterization bypass kit on the water heater in the camper.  I finished the project today.  It went a bit better than expected.  We went to the swimming pool and did cardiac exercises.  We took some weeds and other yard and gardening waste down to the burn pile / compost area down by the river.  I wanted to examine the river, in anticipation of going fishing soon now that the river level has receded.  < blink blink >  Holy Mackerel ... the river has completely changed.  Deep holes are ... gone.  The river bed is completely ... changed !  My upstream "secret fishing hole" looks like ... it's not there any more ! ! !  I won't know for sure until the river flow slows enough that I can walk across the river and then walk upstream.

Saturday ;  Sunny early in the day, cloudy late in the day, very warm, windy.

This afternoon I reinstalled the sacrificial anode drain plug into the truck camper's water heater, refilled the water heater, heated the water, and checked the sacrificial anode drain plug and all the winterization bypass plumbing for leaks.  Everything's okay so far.  I will check again tomorrow.  I inspected the new U-joints in the rear driveshaft of the truck.  I went fly fishing for about half an hour but ... the water is still flowing too fast, and it was too windy.  I had a profanity laced screaming match with the moron next door neighbour who confronted me about his "few weeds".  ASSHOLE !  Most of the profanity came from me.  So ... at least now he knows what I think of him !  And his "few weeds" ! ! !

DSK

July 8 to 14, 2018

Sunday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, hot, windy.

I did a bit of gardening / landscaping today.  Trimmed my beard.  Went bicycling.  Took the dog ( and the wifey ) for a couple of long walks.  Disassembled a couple of custom commissioned oil on canvas paintings of our 80's / 90's dog and cat Nikki and Toby.  They were a cherished gift from my mother-in-law, about twenty-five years ago or so.  We'll donate the frames to the Salvation Army Thrift Store.  The oil on canvas paintings ... < sigh > ... will go to the garbage.  I did some online bill paying.  I posted my weekly journal to my blog.  I updated our investments summary file.  I ... uhhhh ... inexplicably .... browsed for condos in Steinbach, Manitoba.  HA HA HA !  Maybe we'll move there in a few years.

Monday ;  Mostly sunny, hot, humid.

Today I worked on removing the plumbing leading into and out of the water heater in the camper, the first step in my current project to fabricate and install an RV water heater winterization bypass kit.  Around suppertime we went to the swimming pool to do cardiac rehab exercises.

Tuesday ;  Mostly sunny, cool, windy.

I climbed up onto the roof of the camper to clean the inside / underside of the MaxxAir cover over the bathroom roof vent, but was unable to do so because of the manner in which I had installed the MaxxAir cover a few years ago.  Oh, well ... < shrug >. 
I removed and discarded a dead string of solar rope lights around our garden border. 
I exchanged books at the park's library in the clubhouse.  I went bicycling.  I assisted Joanne in giving Ozzie a bath.  He's partially white, with curly hair, and needs more frequent bathing than Bo did.  I assisted Joanne in cleaning the deck off the living room using compressed air.

Wednesday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, hot.  We tried cooking supper in the Sun Oven today, but no sooner had we set up the Sun Oven and put supper in, than the sun kept disappearing behind clouds.  We cooked supper indoors.

Joanne did a lot of laundry today.  We did cardiac exercises in the swimming pool.  We took the truck into town for brake service, then drove in the minivan to Hedley to check our "secret" wild apricot tree.  HMPH !  It has no fruit this year.  Like the apricot tree in our RV park's orchard.  And like the apricot tree on our previous lot 89.  HMPH !  Why are there no apricots this year ? ! ?  Did the bumblebees not do their pollination job this year ?  I harvested small “cherry” tomatoes and regular / large tomatoes from our garden today.  I downloaded and reconciled June’s investment statements.

I attempted ... and failed ... to fabricate a new exhaust duct for our portable air conditioner unit in the living room.  Isn’t it amazing how expensive pieces of equipment are brought to their demise by the cheapest and simplest of components ... that can not be replaced ? ! ?

Thursday ;  Sunny and hot.  Joanne cooked a beef pot roast in the Sun Oven today.

Did some online work researching options for consignment sale of four pieces of artwork we have for sale.  Did some research on travel medical insurance for next winter, made much more complicated ( read that as "expensive" ) by my triple bypass surgery less than a year ago.  Went bicycling.  Harvested tomatoes.  Walked the dog.  Read in bed.  Avoided working in the heat.  Discussed a trailer towing job with a potential new client, an RV dealer north of Kelowna.

Friday ;  Sunny and very hot, temperature 97º F / 36º C when I picked up the truck in Keremeos on the way home from Penticton around 5 PM.

We left home this morning at 10 AM heading for Penticton where Joanne had an 11 AM appointment for a pedicure at the cosmetology school.  I dropped her off at the cosmetology school and ran errands until it was time to pick her up about an hour and a half later.  We finished our errands about 4 PM.  It was Joanne's idea to buy milkshakes at Dairy Queen for the long, hot ride back home.  Brilliant idea, my dear !

The truck's minor repairs cost well over a thousand dollars !  And it will have to go back in again next week for a new problem discovered.

Saturday ;  Sunny and very hot, temperature around 100º F.  I made candied Rainbow Trout in the Sun Oven today.

My chores today started with taking a photo of our next door neighbour's tallest weed ; five feet four inches ! ! !  And sending the photo to our Homeowners Association's Board of Directors, with a note of ... < ahem > ... displeasure !  I repaired and replaced the minivan's parking spot's marker pole ... < scowl > ... knocked down by Joanne yesterday as she drove into our yard !  I torqued the truck's lug nuts, installed some
( but not all ... still awaiting receipt from Amazon ! ) of the new valve extenders, and reinstalled the wheel liners and hub caps.  I installed a new fuel filter in the truck.  I did some measuring and configuring of plumbing modifications required in the camper.

At 5 PM we drove into town and had an early dinner at Samosa Garden, the Indian restaurant attached to Sanderson Farms produce stand.  It was the first part of a "big surprise" date I had planned.  After supper we drove to Cawston to attend an intimate "unplugged" concert by Valdy.  Yes, yes ... Valdy ... in Cawston !  In a venue that seats only a hundred people.  And ... < sputter > ... it was not sold out !  It was a "last minute" booking arranged by the Historic Grist Mill in Keremeos.  And it was initially planned to be held at the Historic Grist Mill.  But ... some manner of scheduling conflict with a wedding resulted in Valdy being moved to the Cawston Community Hall.

WOW !  What a treat to be entertained by Valdy that "up close and personal".  We have attended Valdy performances at Winnipeg's Centennial Concert Hall and the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, venues seating thousands of people, over a period stretching more than forty years !  There was no sound system in the Cawston Community Hall.  Valdy did not want the stage lights on, he wanted the hall's main lights left on so that he could see and interact with the very small audience.  And he turned the concert into an "every song has a story" treat.

What a great "big surprise" date.  Joanne loved it as much as I did.

Well ... except for the late evening heartburn I had from Chicken Tikka Masala !

DSK

July 1 to 7, 2018

Sunday ;  CANADA DAY

HAPPY BIRTHDAY / BONNE FÊTE CANADA !

Mix of sun and clouds, warm, a bit windy.

We chose to stay at home today, and have a low key Canada Day.  Like most days, we simply puttered around with chores.  And went for walks with the dog.  Joanne cleaned the camper.  Much cleaning work to be done after our recent three week trip.  Emma makes a mess around her two litter boxes.  Yes, yes ... she has to have two litter boxes, despite how small the camper living space is.  And one of them is up in the bedroom area.  Litter gets tossed around and out of the litter box and against and under my side of the bed as we travel on rough roads.  Lots of cleaning for Joanne today.

I reinstalled the truck's rear wheel fender flap.  So the "remove / repair / reinstall" project of the rear wheel well liner and fender flap is now complete.  We mounted the ornamental windmill on our front yard rock slope.  Joanne is happy with it !  I paid some bills.  I retrieved and printed month end bank statements and investment updates.

Monday ;  Raining and chilly for most of the day.

Joanne did laundry.  We went to the swimming pool and did cardiac rehab exercises for the first time in over a month.  Most of my work plans for today were thwarted by the rain.  I paid some bills.  I did some work in the camper.  I sharpened knives.  Lots of them.  All the home knives, the camper's knives, my fish filleting knives, my fishing tackle box knives, my fly fishing bag knife, my pocket knife.  I read.  I napped.

< sigh >  I hate rainy days !

Tuesday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, warm, humid.

This morning after pet dental and ear care, I sanitized and refilled the camper's freshwater holding tank.  In the afternoon we drove into town ( Keremeos ) with both vehicles, dropping the minivan off at a new auto service facility for brake service. 
I drove Joanne to the medical clinic and left her there for a doctor's appointment while
I ran errands in town.  First I picked up my repaired bicycle at the bicycle repair shop.  Then I went to the credit union to make a change to our monthly maintenance fee automatic debit.  WHEW ... long line up of fruit pickers waiting to cash their cherry picking cheques.  Must have been a lot of cherry picking going on this past long weekend.  Last stop before returning to pick up Joanne at the medical clinic was the insurance agency to pay our annual home insurance premium.  When I returned to the medical clinic an hour after I dropped her off ... < sigh > ... Joanne was still sitting in the waiting room.  Yeah ... typical for the Keremeos Clinic.  When she finally got to see the doctor, to review the mammogram results that the front desk had told her a few days ago were available, the doctor said that the front desk had made a mistake and the mammogram results were not yet available to him.  Yeah ... < fume > ... that's ****ing typical for the Keremeos Clinic !

Back at home we went to pick Saskatoons at our RV park's front gate.  WOW ... great crop !  Best Saskatoons in twelve years of living here !  And we'll probably be able to do another picking in another few days, if we're lucky.  Ozzie injured himself ( slightly, we hope ) when he jumped off the back of the truck to visit his friend Loki the Border Collie.  Joanne and I were standing in the bed of the truck picking berries, and Ozzie was in the bed of the truck munching on whatever berries dropped into the truck.

Wednesday ;  Mostly sunny, very warm.

This afternoon we washed the camper.  And went to the swimming pool to do cardiac rehab exercises.  Walking back home from the swimming pool building we bumped into our neighbours / friends Bob and Christine, and their little Pomeranian Shelby.  We got to chatting and ended up sitting on their deck and visiting for over an hour.  By the time we got back home to prepare supper it was after 8 PM.

Thursday ;  Penticton

Sunny and very hot, temperature 95 F / 35 C while we were driving home from Penticton between 5 PM and 6 PM.

We spent the day in Penticton, running errands.  On the way to Penticton we stopped at the new auto repair facility in Keremeos, where the minivan is in for some service / repairs.  I viewed the repairs required, discussed pricing, and authorized the repairs.  In Penticton I took the truck for fluids and filter changes while Joanne was shopping at Wal-Mart. We went downtown to do some business at the Bank of Montreal.  We shopped for groceries at Superstore.  I shopped for a GPS at Staples, deciding on what I want, but not buying it yet.  We shopped at Dollar Tree and Dollarama.  I went to "All Hitches by Dr. Hook" to get some information on a "stinger" hitch extension that would allow me to tow a trailer while the camper is on the truck.  We shopped at Salvation Army Thrift Store and Value Village.  I went to the BC Liquor Store and bought a six pack of beer.  My annual allotment.  HA HA HA !  I don't drink much beer !

We were home about 6 PM.  I barbecued Rainbow Trout ( caught by me up north ) in a creamy dill sauce for supper.

Friday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, hot, humid, violent but brief thunderstorm around suppertime.

This afternoon we did an annual tedious chore, which took much longer than we had expected it would.  We cleaned all the cottonwood "fluff" and pollen and fir needles and other outdoor debris out from between the gazebo screens and wood framing using compressed air.  And a toothbrush.  And a dental tool.

Saturday ;  Mix of sun and clouds, warm.

We went into town this morning to pick up the repaired minivan.  I returned home in the truck with Ozzie, while Joanne refilled our five gallon water jug and bought fresh produce before driving back home in the minivan.

This afternoon we harvested Saskatoons.  For the last time this year.  The Saskatoons are beginning to shrivel and dry.  I did some minor work in the camper and on my bicycle.  And I removed the hub caps and wheel liners from the truck in preparation for brake service next week.  We went to the swimming pool and did cardiac rehab exercises.  I barbecued excellent Dan-O-Cheeseburgers for supper.

DSK

June 24 to 30, 2018 ; home to Calgary Stampede Park & return

Sunday ;  Sunny and hot.

Late this morning I made Saskatoon ( berry ) pancakes for brunch.  WOW ... they were good !  I set up the Sun Oven and made ( liquid ) smoked, maple syrup glazed / candied Rainbow Trout.  We'll take them ( two small fish ) with us on our trailer delivery job as "road lunch".

Joanne did a lot of gardening again today.  I washed the very filthy truck.  I did not feel comfortable showing up tomorrow for a fairly long distance, fairly expensive trailer towing job for a new client with a truck that looked like it had just done a tour of duty on the streets of Beirut !  We visited with neighbours / friends Bob and Chris, and their one year old Pomeranian Shelby, on their deck.  We prepared for our upcoming trailer delivery job to Calgary.  I prepared the truck and trailer towing equipment / supplies.  Joanne prepared food and clothing.

Monday ;  home to Penticton to Golden, BC

The day started out sunny and warm at home, rain starting while we were in Penticton from noon to 2 PM, becoming chilly and raining as we travelled.

This morning we continued to prepare for our trailer delivery trip to Calgary, and we left home for Penticton around 10:30 AM.  We made a stop at the Post Office in Keremeos to pick up a package, then ran a couple of errands in Penticton until Joanne was due at the hospital at 12:30 PM.  I dropped her off at the hospital for a mammogram, refilled the truck with diesel, ran another couple of errands, then picked Joanne up at the hospital at 1 PM.

We met our new trailer towing client at 1:15 PM at her company's storage warehouse.  We hitched up to her large travel trailer and were on our way by 1:45 PM.  By 2 PM we were at a highway rest area between Penticton and Summerland, having our picnic lunch in the truck, while heavy rain poured down.

North on Hwy. 97 through the entire Okanagan Valley, through Summerland, Peachland, Westbank, Kelowna, and Vernon.  At Sicamous we reached Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 and turned east.  Through Revelstoke, Mount Revelstoke National Park, Glacier National Park, we reached Golden and were checking into the Rondo Motel at 8:30 PM, tired and hungry.

Tuesday ;  Golden, BC to Calgary Stampede Park, Calgary, Alberta and back to Golden

Mostly sunny and warm, becoming cloudy late in the afternoon.

Last night I left a wake up call at the front desk for 8 AM.  At 7 AM the phone rang ... and a cheery voice advised me that it was 8 AM.  DARN !  We crossed a time zone late yesterday.  Oh, well ... we decided to just stay on our home time.

We left the motel around 9 AM and continued east on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1.  From Golden to Field to Lake Louise to Banff to Calgary.  We drove all the way across Calgary, including through downtown, to reach the Calgary Stampede Park where we met Mr. New Client.  Yesterday in Penticton we dealt with Mrs. New Client.  He had just arrived from Winnipeg with multiple food concession trailers and staff.  He was very busy and simply wanted us to get the trailer into its assigned parking spot, unhitch ... and leave.  We arrived at Stampede Park around 1:15 PM and were out of there in about half an hour.

We thought that there must be a better route to / from Stampede Park than through downtown as we had done ... with a large trailer ... < sigh >.  We left Stampede Park and headed north on Hwy. 2, hoping to reach Calgary's ring road, and drive around the city instead of through it.  We more or less achieved that.  But ... that route was not faster.  It was easier.  But it was also quite a bit more mileage.

We saw a large Co-op store, with a fuel bar.  It was after 2 PM.  We needed to have lunch.  We had lunch at the Subway restaurant near the Co-op store, then shopped for supper items in the Co-op store before refilling with diesel and hitting the road again around 3:30 PM.  Shortly after leaving the Co-op mall and getting back on the highway the traffic ground to a halt.  < sigh >  A serious automobile accident caused us to be stuck in gridlock for about an hour.

Back through Banff National Park in Alberta, and Yoho National Park in BC, we were back at our motel in Golden at 7:30 PM, again tired and hungry.

Wednesday ;  Golden, BC to home

Cloudy, warm, a bit humid.

We checked out of our motel in Golden at 10 AM and headed west on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1.  Through Glacier National Park and Mount Revelstoke National Park ... frequent delays due to road reconstruction.  At Sicamous we turned south on Hwy. 97A.  At Armstrong we stopped at Armstrong Cheese Factory to have lunch and buy lots of cheese and ... MMMMM ... fresh cheese curds.  For lunch we both enjoyed a steaming hot bowl of borscht with cheese curds added.  We ... mostly I ... selected quite an assortment of cheeses and ... waited just a few minutes for today's fresh cheese curds to be ready and available.  WOO-HOO ... curds so fresh they squeak. 
I persuaded Joanne to make poutine for supper using the fresh curds.

From Armstrong we continued south on Hwy. 97.  Traffic through Vernon was ... very heavy.  Through Kelowna and Westbank / West Kelowna it was ... torture !  Rush hour gridlock !  How can people endure that day after day ? ! ?  < heavy sigh >  At Penticton we stopped to deposit our trailer delivery payment funds into the BMO ATM at Safeway, refill the truck with diesel at BG Fuel Bar, then wash the truck at the Great Canadian Oil Change car wash, an automatic car wash large enough to accommodate a dually pickup truck.  We arrived back home at 7 PM, very tired and hungry for the third day in a row.  It took nine hours to get from Golden, BC to home, a distance of slightly less than five hundred kilometres / three hundred miles !

As planned, we had ( salad and ) poutine for supper.  HA ! ! !  Take THAT, you coronary artery bypass grafts ! ! !  HA HA HA HA HA !

I spent the evening getting my "to do" list reorganized.  I did the accounting for the trailer delivery job just completed.  You know ... the longer the trailer towing distance, the lower the profit margins.  I'm a bit reluctant to undertake long distance jobs.  The long distance jobs' profits may not be worth the hard, tiring work load.  And ... I sort of / maybe / probably already agreed to do a very long distance trailer towing job for this new client in a couple of months.

Thursday ;  Happy 54th Birthday to Joanne's sister Lorraine

Mix of sun and clouds, a few minutes of rain ... while we were picking Saskatoons, of course.

I have been waiting for over two months for two Amazon orders I placed for valve extender products.  One order has still not yet arrived.  The other order arrived and ...
< sputter > ... they sent the wrong item !  Tonight I demanded my money back for both orders.

We picked Saskatoons today.  WOW ... nice berries !  We hadn't been picking for long when the rain started, so we abandoned the picking.  Guess we'll pick more in a couple of days.  We went into town and while Joanne was seeing a doctor I took my bicycle to a repair shop, refilled a five gallon water jug, and made an appointment for service on the minivan at a new auto repair facility in Keremeos.  On the way out of town we stopped at Sanderson Farms to buy produce.  I unloaded trailer towing equipment and supplies out of the truck and parked it back under the camper.  I did annual maintenance on our four fire extinguishers.  In the evening I paid bills, and reconciled June's MasterCard statement.  I did credit card accounting for our recent trailer towing job.  I did some trip planning for a long distance trailer towing job in mid-August.

Friday ;  Cloudy, warm, windy.

Joanne spent the day in Penticton by herself running errands.  I stayed at home, mostly doing work on the truck.  I did preventive maintenance.  I did a 6000 km. inspection.  And I repaired the damaged rear wheel well liner.  Plan A did not work.  Plan B did.

Saturday ;  Cloudy, warm, humid, windy.

Joanne did gardening.  I reinstalled the repaired rear wheel well liner on the truck.  We picked Saskatoons.  I harvested cherry tomatoes for the first time this year. 
I assembled the 4.5 foot tall ornamental windmill I purchased in Kamloops a month or so ago.  Yes, yes ... I realize it's kitschy but ... we both want to have one on our rock slope / front yard.

We visited with our neighbour / friend Jeanine.  And we visited with our neighbours / friends Bob and Christine to lend them our Forest Service campground book for their upcoming vacation trip.

DSK