Random Comments on the Week

  On Wednesday a neighbour fired up his lawnmower, signaling to the rest of us that it was time to get busy in the yard. Just over two weeks from the last snow melting away and the lawn needs mowing!
I started with the weed eater, chopping away at the fringes and then switched to planting onion sets between the rows of strawberry plants I salvaged from a sea of grass and weeds last fall.

The local deer consider anything in our yard their's to nibble as they please. After seeing how callously they destroyed my carefully planted and nourished tulip bed I did a search for 'plants that deer don't like' and onions was one of them. I don't know how well they will work because when I paused to look up from my labours there was a very pregnant doe watching my efforts from ten feet away.
I think she was making a list of what to eat in which order.

This corner of our yard is the maternity waiting room

I will be learning a lot about container gardening this year, all done on the sundecks. Fortunately this house has two of them. I even built this thing to give me more room for pots.

Note the tub on the lower right with the few tulips I was able to rescue.

Zoe the watch cat has no influence over the deer

On a slightly different topic the motor home has come out of hibernation. It now has two new deep cycle batteries and the yucchy anti-freeze has been flushed from the lines.Windows have been opened and floors washed. We are expecting friends from northern Alberta next week and the motor home will be a guest cottage on wheels while they are here.

Thursday we drove 150 km (95 miles) north to Salmon Arm to meet my brothers and sister-in-law for lunch. The weather was perfect for a scenic drive along the lakes.It was great to see my family but I couldn't help noting that we have reached the age when medical concerns are the main topic of conversation. Except of course for politics, the economy and  few jokes.

Eg: A woman in labour suddenly starts shouting, "Shouldn't. wouldn't, couldn't, won't, can't, didn't!"
"Don't worry." said the doctor. They 're just contractions." 

I did get a good picture of everybody but was cautioned by my oldest brother not to put it on the internet. I learned at a young age that doing things he told me not to do always drew consequences - so no picture.

It's been strange to spend this winter in the north and we have missed our friends but like the hummingbirds and the swallows the southern sojourners are returning. I see them standing around in the stores looking rumpled and slightly unfocused as they begin adjusting to their summer life. Welcome back!

April 4th 2019 Filling in

Hi Everybody.

I'm sure most of you ( faithful followers that you are) have noticed Toni's blog entries getting to be few and far between. Part of that is because she felt we weren't doing anything worth blogging about but the other reason is that often these days she just doesn't feel well.

She started looking for answers last autumn and finally after many doctor visits, blood tests and various scans we have a diagnosis.

It is called hydrocephalus which means too much fluid on the brain. According to the doctor it is a relatively rare condition that can affect adults usually occurring past the age of sixty. Toni was pleased to hear that if she had to be ill at least it was something unusual. I am not convinced that is in any way a plus.

Our brains produce about a pint of cerebrospinal fluid a day and and if the excess does not drain away properly it increases pressure on the brain causing difficulty with walking, dizziness, and drowsiness or fatigue.

In most cases the only cure is surgery to place a shunt in the brain to drain away the extra fluid.

Now we are waiting for appointments and no doubt further tests before the surgery can take place.

In the meantime y'all with have to put up with me filling in for her.

I will post again in a few days as soon as I can put together something more fun and interesting than our various states of health

Doug

Update to mid-February

My blog has now become more of a diary for myself than interesting travel stuff for my readers.  We are "enjoying" all that winter has to offer.  We thought we were getting off easy because winter didn't really start here until the beginning of February.  And it seems Old Man Winter has a quota of cold and snow to fill.  It has been as low as -20C overnight and it barely reaches 0*C during the day.  It snows nearly every day.  No snow today and because it is 0*C some of the snow is melting.  None of this is really a problem for us.  Being retired means not having to drive in the snow unless you want to.

You see, we got railings on our front porch.

Although the lake itself does freeze over, the marina does.

This is the pile of snow at the local Walmart.  The rest of the parking lot is on the other side of this pile.

The main highway just out of Summerland was closed due to a landslide for about 10 days.  Last week we decided to take the detour which was supposed to be about 90 minutes long.  The next town from here is Peachland which is normally about 15 minutes down the highway.  The detour was almost 2 hours.  The roads were well maintained and easy to drive but remember 2 hours over, means 2 hours back and all we wanted to do was visit Costco which is normally an hour and 15 minutes from home.  To make matters even more frustrating, we found out the highway was reopened the following day!

The short cut over the mountains.

We went out for a very nice dinner Valentine's night.  It was a small venue, about 20 tables of 2, and a set menu.  The food was delicious, the staff very efficient and the music was sensational.
Local wines were featured with each of the five courses.









As Murphy's Law rules, that night after dinner, which was two towns south of here, about 25 minutes, we drove home in the pitch dark in a horrible snow storm.  Slow and easy.

The cat and the birds keep us entertained.  It is so cold now the cat, who normally wants to hide on the deck and watch the birds, refuses to go outside.  She watches from inside.  We get many and assorted birds and lately even the ducks come from the lake to our bird feeder and the neighbour's bird feeder.

We have been heating our house with the fireplace downstairs.  The fireplace is very efficient and heats the whole house.  Each time we buy a load of firewood we think that will be the last load but the load we got yesterday should do it. Hopefully it will warm up.

Doug has started quite a garden in the games room in the basement.  We have hyacinths and tulips and loads of herbs.  He bought a grow light and the plants are doing well.





Well there's an update of what we are up to.  We watch a lot of Netflix, we play cards nearly every night and do lots of relaxing.

Mid January 2019

I am sure that many of our traveling friends are thinking that with the snow, we were wishing we were south with them.  Well, I miss them, but honestly we are enjoying the snow.  We are retired, right?, so there is no need to drive around in the snow. And just look.  Isn't it pretty?

This latest snowfall is the only significant one.  The two previous snowfalls were gone with a day or two.

We enjoy watching the birds dealing with the snow.  Doug built a bird feeder just off our deck to entertain the cat but we find it fun too.

The cat sits out on the deck staring at the birds.  I think the birds enjoy taunting the cat.

Of course there is the shoveling but Doug does a fine job and seems to enjoy it.

The only snowman in the neighbourhood, built by Doug

We took a little trip this past weekend.  We drove to Olympia, Washington to visit our son David, his wife Stefani and their dogs.  It was a long drive but worth it.

David, Stefani and dogs Molly and Sasha

Smile for the camera Sasha

I have a new project.  I am planning a class reunion at our home in Summerland.  I have stayed in contact with quite a few of the girls that I graduated with in 1969 (!!) in Prince Rupert.  We had a reunion several years ago with just 7 of us.  We have been in touch with about 15 girls.  It's not until August so I have lots of time.  Those of you who know me well know that I love this kind of challenge.

Winter and Christmas 2018

The snow is gone but the lake is very wintery.

I really don't want to give up blogging completely.  Nothing much happening around here, well except for Christmas and winter.  And they came in that order.  We did not have a white Christmas!  It snowed first thing Boxing Day morning.

I thought it looked particularly festive around the fireplace

We didn't have any trouble with the cat and the tree.  She just liked to sit under it.

Graeme and Adrienne came up for Christmas eve and Christmas day and then had to leave in the snow Boxing Day morning.

Graeme plays with Zoe

We had a scrumptious Christmas dinner.  I had help in the kitchen and so it wasn't as exhausting as usual.
 

The pretty table before we got started

Santa Doug brought me a Cuisinart.  I have used it for bread a couple of times.  No kneading is wonderful.

 

Isn't she a beauty.  Reminds me of a red Mustang.

So Boxing Day morning the snow came.  I must admit is sure was pretty.  Yes, I say "was" as it is just about gone this morning.  Made for some pretty pictures.

From our deck

|Mountain Ash berries in the snow

We know quail well but have never seen them in the snow,

Driving wasn't a problem.  It sure is nice to have a garage.

IT'S BEGINNING TO LOOK LIKE CHRISTMAS

I offer to you an update with pictures.

We have decorated the house with pretty Christmas lights.

We are working on plans for who, what and where.  Who will be coming to Christmas, what we are going to do, and where the tree will go.  There will be minimal physical Christmas shopping.  We will do it on-line or we will gift with gift cards.  I don't like to shop at the best of times and at this age, at this time of year, I will do whatever I can to avoid it.

We took a short run over to Merritt for a surprise birthday party for our sister-in-law.  We had a lot of fun, with dancing and plenty to eat and drink.

The birthday girl and her two sons

A Congo line through the kitchen

To reach Merritt, we have to travel over the pass through the mountains.  Although there was a lot of snow, the roads were quite good.  We only saw two vehicles off the road.

It's very pretty in the snow.

Soon it will be time for Christmas and another blog.

A PICTURE BLOG

I am quite certain that you wouldn't be interested in our day to day doings but Doug takes some awesome pictures and I would love to share some with you.

The point at dusk

The lonely pier

Along the beach 

I love pictures of benches

Happy duckies

Zoe is Grampa Laird's chair that Doug recently inherited

Zoe supervises the building of the puzzle

Seems suitable to end this picture blog with these.