COUNTING DOWN THE DAYS TIL WE HEAD SOUTH

So what do you think this is? The leg of a departing leopard?

Chicory flower

A little aster like wildflower along the roadside

Thimbleberry leaf

Closer shot of Thimbleberry leaf

Calla Lily leaves

Calla Lily leaves

Not a leopard leg, its a yellow leaf with a water droplet hanging off the end

All today's images are HDR creations with the exception of the asters which are a straight shot

It was Jacquie’s 65^th birthday on Friday. Her next older sister, June, and Eric arrived about 11 from Hope bringing the cake and birthday greetings. I spent the morning rearranging all the motor home basement compartments and only managed to get a little bit for storage. I did get Aileen’s scooter loaded in the CRV including the seat. I was worried about the seat but it fit in with no problem. I still have the left rear seat usable for Mitzy or another person. Aileen cooked turnips and stove top dressing for Jacquie’s lunch. Jacquie and Jim are living in their motor home right behind us so they also have limited resources. The six of us had a nice lunch and the cake June brought was excellent. No candles but we sang happy birthday. After lunch we all went to Jacquie and Jim’s church to get a few pears then to their new house for a tour and a few big plums. It began raining just as we left here and got harder as the afternoon progressed. June and Eric headed home about 2 or just after and we came home. Aileen had a much needed nap and I puttered on the computer which was tiring as the signal kept fading in and out. After taking Mitzy for a stroll, I took my macro lens and did some HDR macro. Some turned out well when I processed them after supper. I read during and after the processing.

We went off to town Saturday morning. Stopped at storage first to put some stuff in and grab out the stuff to take south as I wanted to get it packed rather than waiting for the last minute. Dropped off a bit of recycling then went to Canadian Tire where I bought an outside temperature gauge for the Terra. They had a mini weather station for $8 that included an altimeter. Ken from Grand Junction was really looking for one last winter so thought we’d take this and see if he had one yet. After lunch while Aileen slept, I rearranged the basement storage again and got everything in. I also installed the thermometer. Aileen went down the road aways when she got up and called her friend in Victoria, Bev for a chat. Our Daughter Bev came to supper and brought her newest ward, Frosty, a week and a half old male kitten who has frost bite like damage to his feet and will probably have no claws on his front and likely no toes either. My Aunt Eleanor called inviting us for supper Saturday night then Sunday night but Aileen had a meeting at 7 so now we are going Monday night. Such a busy schedule! Today was a pretty pleasant day here. I read that Port Hardy (where we lived a few lives ago) had been declared a disaster area. They had high winds and 200 mm (that’s 8 inches!) of rain Friday and overnight. It sounds like quite a mess. We’ve had no word yet from Aileen’s sister Anne who lives near there, but there isn’t usually on the weekend. It looks like we’re in for a wet day today.

We’re thinking of leaving Thursday but no later than Friday morning and heading to Penticton to visit our friends Carole and Bev for a couple of days. We will be having a regional photo club meeting while there to decide whether to remain operating on an occasional basis or wrap things up. Our appointment for the remaining work on the motor home has been put off to Tuesday now as the wrong parts came in.