WELL, BY GOLLY, WE’RE BACK IN THE SHUSWAP AGAIN!

Aileen got checking the weather forecast and decided she’d like to head back to Jacquie and Jim’s for a couple days before we wander northward.   I think every day in Penticton there was a thunderstorm which always upsets Mitzy.  We had a fairly loud one here this evening so once again Mitzy wasn’t very happy.  Actually she’s hyperventilating on the seat beside me as I write.

We enjoyed more time on the KVR Trail which is where I met a couple young ladies, one from Toronto and the other from Vancouver, who were celebrating the lovely Okanagan summer.  One was trying to photograph the other jumping for joy but I think there was too much shutter lag on the smart phone so I offered to take a few shots with my camera.  I have included one of the shots below.

We had a picnic lunch out at one of the lakeside pullouts yesterday with friend Bev and her Mom, Pearl.  We sat and watched all the different ways of enjoying summer on Okanagan Lake.   A few of the pictures are below.

Looking across Okanagan Lake to Summerland

Freedom Okanagan! was the cry I heard

Storm approaching 

You just never know what you'll see hanging off the back of a boat

Lots of jet skis on the lake

Several waterskiers roared past us

Very popular are any type of inflatable being towed, usually with happy youngsters on board

Kissing clouds

THE MOVE WASN’T SO STEALTHY AFTER ALL!

Aileen and friend Karen in Penticton were trying to plan a surprise 65^th birthday party for our mutual friend Bev.  It was decided I could do my post the other day as long as I didn’t jeopardize the plan, hence the title of my last post.  However, when Bev went to take her Mom for a ride Friday morning, Pearl asked to go see Karen’s grand dogs.  Well, as soon as they turned in the driveway, there’s our motor home front and center!  Game over!  Everyone had a good laugh and we did have a nice birthday supper here at Karen and George’s Saturday evening.  Aileen marinated a couple of pork loins supplied by Karen and George; I grilled them.  Karen did the veggies while Aileen made the dessert.  The wines were a joint effort of Karen, George, Bev and Pearl.

The old Kettle Valley Railroad tracks make for great walking and cycling and the trail crosses just down the block from here so we have used it a bit.  Most of it is away from traffic so rather peaceful.  After breakfast yesterday we headed down Eastside Rd to a farm market we’d been told about.  We checked out a few side roads along the way.  Crossing the highway at Okanagan Falls, we took the Green Lake Rd which was a new one for us.  What a pretty little valley it took us through.  We followed it through to White Lake Rd which brought us back to the highway above OK Falls and not far back to the motor home.

We had thunder and lightning Friday and Saturday so Mitzy has not been a happy camper.  It rained with both as well as some in between so the air is a little fresher after the long dry spell.  The forecast shows another dry spell coming on.  We’re hoping for some clear weather when we head over to the Rockies shortly. 

The bottom end of Okanagan Lake and Penticton waterfront from the KVR Trail

The KVR wanders through vineyards for miles

Looks like a good crop coming on

Looking up Skaha Lake to Penticton which is located on the flat between Skaha and Okanagan Lakes

One of the local marmots we saw in a new subdivision above Skaha Lake

A small vineyard at the end of Green Lake

Green Lake

Flower bed

Artfully arranged old vehicles out in the middle of nowhere

A STEALTH MOVE AWAY FROM THE SHUSWAP

We hit the road yesterday late in the morning.  Our destination?  Well you’ll have to wait til next time to find out.  Not a lot has happened since the last post.  After my big hike up Eagle Pass Mtn., then helping our daughter Bev with some heavy lifting and a couple other things, my back decided to act up which put the damper on a lot of things.  We did end up going to town most days.  July is insurance time for both the car and motor home so I got that taken care of for another year.

We took Aileen’s sewing machine to Vernon last week then went back on Tuesday to retrieve it.  We’d taken our lunch along so took the long way home and found a shady spot near Charcoal Creek to eat.  From there we went down Chase Creek and through Turtle Valley, where we used to live, and out to the highway at Squilax.  I picked up seven geocaches along the way.

 I had some anxious moments one morning when I went to empty the black tank.  When I pulled the valve, nothing happened.  I puzzled over it for quite a while and finally went and found a rubber mallet which I used to create some vibration on the pipe at the valve.  Eventually it worked and there was a great deluge.   Whew!!!!  Who knew a rubber mallet was required dumping equipment?

One day last week we were invited to friends Martin and Myrtle for lunch.   We had a great visit with them.  Martin and Myrtle are still quite involved in my old camera club and Martin still spends lots of time hiking with the outdoor club.  They both square dance regularly so are keeping fit and active.  This benefits them when they go travelling somewhere around the world almost every year.

Another day I went to town by myself to do a bunch of errands.  I went to Bastion Mtn Farm and picked a bucket full of cherries for us to eat.  $1.50 per pound and tastier than buying from the store.  Aileen went to town on her own a few times visiting her friends Donna and Edna and to church.  One Saturday there was a surprise 70^th birthday party for Ted P who I worked with at the mill for years.  He’d had a stroke eight or ten years ago and had to leave work.  He is able to walk at times now but still not too mobile.   It was good to see him again.  His wife has had a quite a time with MS and doesn’t walk at all.  She goes to the same church as Jacquie and Jim which is how I got the invitation.   I got to meet a couple other guys I used to work with as well.  I met all the daughters and the one I knew best, married years ago and lives near Ottawa.  I had a long chat with her husband and a couple days later met them in the mall in town and we had another nice chat.

Tansy is an imported weed but it does put on a nice show.  Many years ago, this was a thriving strawberry farm!

Bastion Mtn and Shuswap Lake

Tappen Valley Farms, Balmoral just west of Salmon Arm

Along Notch Hill Road, Balmoral

EAGLE PASS MOUNTAIN HIKE

We got our new CPAP machines and so far we are very pleased with them.  I went with a different nose pillow system and it is far superior to the last one I suffered with for five years.  We’re getting temperatures in the 30s C so are having to put the air conditioning on part of the afternoons.  I haven’t been doing much geocaching but Jim and I went out close by the other night and Jim added six to his total while I picked up one new one.

I had to get up earlier than usual yesterday as I was going hiking with some of my old hiking friends from before we started full timing.  Aileen gave me a ride out to the highway to meet Joe for a ride to Martin’s.   After getting into Martin’s vehicle, we picked up Keith and headed for Eagle Pass Mtn.  It was a mostly sunny day and the black flies and horse flies were pretty bad except when the wind was quite strong up near the top.  I didn’t want to put on the bug dope I had, but I was displaying quite a bit of skin so I suffered a lot of bites.

Another group of three caught up to us before we reached the top which isn’t surprising since two of our group were mid 70s plus and this was my first hike like this in a long while.  When I was told later that one was John D from a local consulting company, when we next met them up top, I mentioned Mike F was my nephew so that got us talking.   Mike worked for John and now is partner in a company spun off from the original.  Then John’s wife noticed my Interfor hat and asked if I’d worked there.  Turns out her brother is Jack B who I knew and worked with for years.   I’d worked with her Dad before he was killed in an accident too.  Then she asked my last name and when I mentioned it she knew instantly who I was remembering my photo displays and fall fair entries.  Another small world moment.

We are headed for the top of that peak

Eagle Pass, West Peak; we are going to the East Peak which is higher

Keith with some of the snow still hanging around

There is some very steep country here.  Two hikers and two snowmobilers died in this area in 2011

Looking to the east

An alpine Columbine which is only a few inches tall

Joe got off the vague trail and got into a little steeper going

The last push to the top

The base of the old lookout tower.  This is the opening visible in the previous picture 

One of many beautiful lakes visible from the summit

Looking down the valley we came up.  That straight line way in the distance is the Trans Canada Highway.  It was very smokey from fires somewhere. 

An alpine Sedum

BACK TO HOME BASE IN THE SHUSWAP

A couple of us went up Mt Prevost the night before we left Duncan and the view was pretty good

Yesterday was a long day.  We were up shortly after 5:30 am.  Aileen went for her usual morning walk while Mitzy and I took camera and tripod and walked up the road to a neighbour’s beautiful lavender garden.   I needed to shoot when it was in shade as there would be too much contrast in sunlight. 

We bid Neil and Carol farewell after many thanks for a great moochdocking spot and were on the road about 8 am.  After taking on $200 in gas at the Chemainus Co-op (more refund Chas), we headed for the Duke Point ferry.  By unhooking the car again, we saved at least $50.10 even though I got measured and feel I was overcharged.  $50 tax free is pretty good for ten minutes effort, don’t you think?

It was 12:45 by the time we were rolling after the ferry and re-hooking the car and it took us an hour to get through all the traffic chaos of Surrey, Cloverdale and Langley; what a pain!  The highest temperature of the day was just past Chilliwack where we noticed our thermometer reading 35.8C.  We had planned on overnighting on top of the Coquihalla but it was about 27C up there so after a rest break, we continued on.   We had a short break near Merritt where Aileen made us a shrimp salad for supper and then in two hours (at 8 pm) we pulled in to Jacquie and Jim’s guest RV pad.  Yep, it was long day for us.

We went to Salmon Arm this morning to restock the larder and pickup over two month’s worth of mail.   While we were in town it started to rain and it rained hard off and on the rest of the day.  Tomorrow we get our new CPAP machines as our current ones are long overdue for replacement.   It’s hard to believe we’ve been using them for that long already.   Aileen has a friend visit lined up for Friday morning and I have an appointment at the bank.  Our days seem to magically fill whenever we’re here.

The weather forecast claims today’s rain will just be a memory by tomorrow with the next five days forecast to be pure sunshine and 30C (86F) or higher.  Aileen and Mitzy are hoping not too much higher!  

These pictures were taken yesterday morning before most sane people were out of bed

 The little lavender farm

This was our parking spot at Cousin Neil's

LEAVING VANCOUVER ISLAND

What are you looking at?

We’ve had a very busy week since arriving here at Cousin Neil’s and Carol’s.   We attended a belated birthday party in Victoria for Georgia on the 10^th of July.  Her other grandparents were there as were Robin’s sister and husband.  Richard and Georgia came partway out of Victoria and joined us for a very good supper at the Olive Grove. 

James Bay area of Victoria

Harbour at Oak Bay, Victoria

On the way home, Mt Baker in Washington State was visible across the Saanich Peninsula north of Victoria and the American Gulf Islands.  It isn't all that often that one gets to see Mt Baker anymore

On July 11^th, Aileen and I drove out to Port Renfrew and walked down to Botany Bay and Botanical Beach.  We sat on the beach with our lunch and the weather was gorgeous.  A highlight on the drive home was discovering a set of waterfalls alongside the road that we didn’t know existed.  We’d caught a glimpse while driving so turned around and looked over the bank.   I was able to crawl down and get a partial view of the pools and falls.

The Friday of that week was a catch up day doing laundry and shopping.   Saturday saw us once again on the road to Victoria where we attended a 65^th wedding anniversary for Aileen’s Cousin Pat and Irene, which was the reason we stayed a couple weeks longer than planned on the island.  Aileen got to meet several relatives she didn’t know she had.  Again, the weather was beautiful and the view from the deck of the house where the party was held was exceptional.

The patio view where the 65th anniversary party was held

Aileen in the purple with some newly found relatives.  Pat and Irene, the two in front celebrating their 65th, were the only two we'd met before and that was only about four years ago.

We had dropped Mitzy at Richard’s so she had a cool house to spend the afternoon in.  After the party was over, we went into downtown Victoria and picked up Aileen’s school friend Bev.  Bev brought along a flash drive with a batch of photos she wanted to share with Aileen so I downloaded them onto Aileen’s laptop before we went to supper.   Since we’d had such a good meal at the Olive Grove Wednesday evening, that’s where we went.  Supper was very good again.

Sunday was a day of recuperation then we joined the party going on here.  Carol had her Dad, two sisters and a brother, two spouses of them plus a couple other relatives over for supper.  Neil did ribs on the grill while others prepared potatoes and a couple different salads and deserts.  A visiting good time was had then most of us gathered around the fire pit for a couple more hours.

Tomorrow, our stay on Vancouver Island comes to an end.  We are heading back to home base near Salmon Arm for a couple weeks or so to take care of some business and visiting.  Sorry if we missed you and at this time we have no idea when we will return for another lengthy stay on the island.

Trees grow a little crooked along the west coast.  Aileen and Mitzy posing for me

Aileen, Mitzy and me on Botanical Beach

The Olympic Peninsula in Washington State is just visible in the distance

More scenes from Botanical Beach

Some of the pools and waterfalls along the road from Lake Cowichan to Port Renfrew