TWO TRIPS TO VICTORIA IN THREE DAYS

A morning shot at our Ida Lake camp last week

A shot inside the marble quarry

Aileen took Mitzy for her 8:30 appointment Wednesday morning then stopped at Buckerfield’s for cat food. I washed some trailer windows then did some organizing in the trailer and truck box. Packed several loads into the garage so in theory, we have room for Richard and Georgia to come traveling with us next week. I am tired of the stiff ride in the truck so I dropped the pressures all down to 55 psi tonight.

We got Mitzy from the groomer late morning then Aileen picked up her book she’s ordered at Mulberry Book Store before we left for up Island. From there we picked up her friend Bev and Bev’s mother. They enjoyed the scenic drive through Errington when we brought Mitzy home. We then wandered over to Deez’ restaurant in Qualicum Beach for a leisurely lunch, in fact nearly two hours. After dropping the ladies at home it was time for Aileen to catch her nap. We went for supper at Roong’s Westhill Restaurant with Chas and Sheila and their son Wayne and his fiancé Sandy. As usual, the food was excellent. We were pretty leisurely there too.

On Thursday morning we were up in good time and on the road just after 8:15. Aileen drove to Mill Bay. We’d picked up her friend Bev D for the trip to Victoria. We dropped her at her apartment then on to Richard & Robin’s, getting there just before noon. We arrived before all the little kids for Georgia’s eighth birthday party. There must have been ten or twelve of them eventually. They had some games then hotdogs for lunch. After that, they hit the pool. After awhile I went in too and it was quite nice. Aileen would have loved to have gone in but it is impossible for her to get out of that pool. I had lots of fun with some of the kids. Little Robbie thanked me for playing with him when he left.

Robin’s father Alan and Barbara came later and we had a nice supper with them, R,R &G, Robin’s sister Nancy and Brian and niece from Yellowknife, Kayla. It started to cool off after supper so got more pleasant for sitting around outside. It was 32C or higher all afternoon. It was 30C when we arrived in Victoria about 11 AM. They broke the daily record Wednesday by 3C at 31.9C.

We headed home about 7:45 and got here at 10:30. Aileen stood in line quite awhile at the DQ in Duncan as she had her heart set on some ice cream. I shared my cone with Mitzy who really liked it. Not that it was good for her.

Aileen was talking to Chas Friday morning and things really went to hell around here Thursday. Sheila’s youngest brother, Terry, managed to get run over by his own tractor and is in the spinal unit in Vancouver. Sheila had gone over to be with him. Charlie’s baler wouldn’t work properly as one of the knotters wouldn’t release. Then he went to cut someone’s hay and the tall orchard grass just kept wrapping around the drum instead of being cut. It was over 5 feet high and had fallen down.

I drove tractor while Chas loaded and we picked up the 48 bales he’d managed to do yesterday. Later friend Andy came and baled the rest. Chas and I started hauling again then he got his worker, Chris to come help and still later, friend Dave. I managed to drive tractor the whole time but helped unload and did some loading in the field, too. There turned out to be over 700 bales, way more than expected. We got them all in the barn before supper. Aileen had made potato salad and cole slaw so supper was very tasty.

Sheila came home Friday night late. Terry seems to have been really lucky in that they don’t have to operate as the stuff around the discs didn’t get damaged. He will be fitted for a back brace before being sent home. They are also draining water from one knee which was injured as well.

Since Sheila had arrived home after 11 last night it was a little slow around here Saturday morning. It was about 8:15 when we hit the road heading to Victoria for my Aunt Tillie’s funeral. John R had dropped my sister Susan off to come with us. We stopped at Home Depot in Nanaimo for Chas to return a book then stopped at Sheila’s cousin Bill’s near Chemainus. We also had to stop for gas at Mill Bay and ended up being a few minutes late for the service. I hope Tillie wasn’t keeping track but I did notice someone else came in after us.

They provided a nice lunch and we had some good visiting take place. I had mentioned in my cards to both Judith and Carole that my favourite remembrance of Tillie was her leaning on the bottom door of their Alaskan Camper at one of the family reunions and I had also mentioned it to Sue, Chas and Sheila on the way down. I was flabbergasted to see that picture projected on the screen as the key photo when I entered the chapel! I had given Tillie the picture back in the 80’s and Carole took it off the wall saying it was the best picture they had of Tillie. You just never know when you take someone’s picture what will happen with it years later.

Aileen stayed home as she hadn’t recharged enough yet from our long hot day on Thursday. She made us pasta and bean salads for supper which went down well. Chas and Sheila both had naps before supper. Aileen and I took the dogs for a walk out to the back bush later in the evening when it cooled down.