Friday, June 12 to Tuesday, June 23, 2020 (Peace Arch RV Park, Surrey, BC)

OMG...so many days have just slipped by! Although we are stationary, and not doing much (other than daily walks and bike rides)...it's still time to do an update. 

Friday was a rainy, rainy day. I took advantage of still having Chris's car to go grocery shopping and then we headed into Vancouver to pick up the inverter at Pacific Yacht Systems. Apparently the inverter tested out fine other than it was stuck in standby mode.  

Saturday (June 13) was a dry day, thank goodness...we got out for our morning power walk and then Steve washed and vacuumed Chris's car. While he was doing that, I made muffins.
Voila...all spic and span! This is one of the cars on our shortlist...a 2012 or newer Mazda 3 GS Sky hatchback. The other is a 2013 or newer Honda Civic coupe. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to talk Chris into selling it to us LOL! Very low mileage with only 60,000 kms (or just over 37,000 miles)
Sadly, we had to return it today. I took off about 20 minutes before Steve did, so that I could get fuel and be at Chris and Angela's...and parked in the garage...before Steve got there with Buster (which takes up the whole driveway!).

We had a fun afternoon playing with Isaac (and visiting Chris and Angela)...
Smile for Gramma...

Isaac thought this basket was a fun hat after Grampa placed it there...
We ordered in...and enjoyed a great feast of Chinese food! We don't have it very often but always enjoy it. Before we knew it, it was time to head home. Thanks for a great afternoon...and the use of your car, Chris and Angela!

Sunday and Monday (June 13 and 14) were cloudy, cool days for the most part, especially Monday. It started raining just after we got up and rained all day...an inside day, for sure!  So we didn't do much other than watch TV, research cars and read.

We were greeted with sunshine Tuesday (June 16) morning...still some cloud hanging around but it was great to see the sun!

Steve remounted the inverter in the trailer so it's ready for Paul's Mobile RV Service to hook it back up.
We decided to drive out to Langley to look at a car...a Mazda 3. We took it for a test drive...it ran fine but it was the first car that we looked at, so we weren't going to jump into anything right away. Cosmetically it had no dents but lots of scratches and marks in the paint so neither one of us were particularly enthused with it.

Before heading home, we decided to stop at Krank'd Car Audio. Our stereo stopped working a few  weeks ago so Steve wanted to get it looked at. I guess he is tired of listening to me sing...LOL! He didn't expect to have it looked at right away but next thing we knew, the fellow determined that our 9 year old Kenwood Stereo had bit the biscuit...and was installing a new one. Yay...tunes again!

Wednesday and Thursday (June 17 and 18) were beautiful warm sunny days. We found a car that was just listed online that interested us but when we contacted the dealer, someone else was out on a test drive. She ended up putting an offer on it but had trouble with the financing...so a few days were spent with a lot of text messages going back and forth between us and the dealer. Basically "the auto financing didn't go through, so it may be available...we'll know tomorrow". To make a long story short, after finally getting more info to the bank, she was approved...then, she decided the interest rate was too high and wanted to have the weekend to think about it. She was told by the manager that she had one hour...end result, she took it.

Friday (June 19) was another beautiful day...with quite a bit of high cloud. We thought we'd go back for a walk we did a few weeks ago at Blackie's Spit...a nice change from just walking around the campground.

Lots of beautiful wild flowers along the path...
Boundary Bay mudflats...


Another fabulous walk in a gorgeous area!

The rain started just after dinner but it was so warm out that we had all of the windows and the door open. I even sat outside under the awning listening to the rain for awhile just before going to bed.

It rained on and off all day Saturday (June 20), but it was still really warm. During a brief break in the rain, we thought we'd get out for a walk. We didn't make it back before the rain started again...luckily (for me) Steve had taken his umbrella and shared it with me.

Chris, Angela and Isaac arrived just after 3:30...for a pre-Father's Day visit. Steve's eyes lit up when he saw the chocolate cake Angela had made him!

It was too wet to go outside, so we had an inside visit...again, all of the windows and door were wide open! 
Gramma brought out some "toys" for Isaac to play with. He knows his colours...handing Grampa the purple one!
Isaac having his dinner just before the rest of us...
After a great visit, we walked them back to their car...it was just before 8:00 and a good way to put Isaac to sleep for the night!

Sunday (June 21)...and Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful Dads out there! We had a cloudy start to the day, so Steve finished up his "song" project...he whittled the 5,000 +/- songs on our old laptop down to 1766! I transferred them all over to a memory stick to play in the truck (the new stereo has  USB port) but the stick is obviously the wrong type to play music, so I will have to get one that will.

We got out for our usual walk around the campground in the morning...and then about 2:00 the clouds parted giving way for some sunshine. We finished the afternoon off with a bike ride.

Monday (June 22) was another beautiful day. Again, rather than walking around the campground, we decided to drive to Blackie Spit and this time walk Crescent Beach. I took a few pictures to show what a beautiful day it was and how far the tide had gone out but for some reason they disappeared off my phone...don't know what happened but they were taking a long time to "process" so I thought it would be a good idea to restart my phone. Bad idea...poof! they were gone!

Other than that, we had a pretty chill day...a lot of car research! There's not much out there in our price range right now. Maybe COVID-19 has slowed down car sales and trade ins. We really don't require a car until the fall but it would sure be nice to get something sooner. With the 2021 model year coming out in the fall there should be more people selling or trading in.

Tuesday (June 23) morning we had a rental car to pick up, so we headed off at about 9:00. We managed to rent a car for 2 weeks for only $257...a pretty good deal, I thought! We seem to get the best deals going through Costco.

We ended up with a cute little Kia Rio...a small car but with plenty of get up and go! Back home, we chilled for a bit and then I headed off to a medical clinic at UBC (University of BC) where my orthopaedic surgeon holds an injection clinic every other Tuesday. I hadn't been able to get an appointment over in Victoria so this worked out great! It has been years since I have been to UBC and OMG...has it ever grown!

I got the injection (Cingal) in my right knee (it should be good for 6 months, I hope!), picked up a couple of things as the Save-on-Food adjacent to the clinic and headed home. A great few hours out by myself!

Shortly after 4 pm Paul's Mobile RV showed up to rewire our inverter. It powered up and seems to be functioning just fine. He was dumbfounded to as to why we couldn't get it working before.  

Tomorrow we head back over to Vancouver Island for more appointments and visits! 

COVID-19 Update:
BC:
Confirmed cases: 2,869
Recovered: 2,516
Deaths: 171
CANADA:
Confirmed Cases: 103,000
Recovered: 65,425
Deaths: 8,504
This week BC went into Phase 3. Phase 4 will not happen until a vaccine is available.

Stay safe and healthy everyone!


Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 11, 2020 (Trip to North Saanich, BC)

The ferry service over to Vancouver Island has been severely impacted by Covid-19 with reduced sailings and essential travel only. So with Chris's car all packed up, we were off early...just before 9:00 a.m. for the 11:00 a.m. sailing. You are able to make reservations but did not feel paying the extra $17.00 for an already expensive trip was warranted. 
The market...where all of the food kiosks and small retailers sell their wares...was closed. Thankfully, the separate building housing washrooms was open. Usually able to kill time by wandering around the market and grab a coffee, we sat in the car reading/playing games on our devices. And once on the ferry, that continued. With Covid-19, Transport Canada is allowing passengers to remain in their vehicles during the sailing rather than having to go upstairs to the passenger area.

We arrived at Rob and Angie's house just before 1:00 and were warmly greeted...especially by our grandsons, Conner and Bryce! So heartwarming!

"Spiderman" Bryce...
Grampa and Conner...
Wednesday (June 3) was Rob's birthday...so Bryce made dad a birthday cake (with just a little help) first thing in the morning. Rob and Angie are starting some renovations to their house, starting with all new kitchen appliances, so the cake had to be baked in the old oven. The new oven and refrigerator were arriving later this morning. 

Ready to go in the oven!
I had to be at Saanich Peninsula Hospital at 10:00 a.m. for my cataract surgery. The Covid-19 protocols were in full force upon my arrival...no one can enter the hospital unless they have an appointment. The first screening starts at the entrance where an "ambassador" asks all the usual questions regarding symptoms of Covid-19. Once past that, I am directed to wait for the day-care nurse to come get me...she takes my temperature and asks me basically the same questions as the ambassador. Then I am taken down to the daycare area and checked-in by another nurse...and a repeat of the questions. Once all that is done, I am escorted to the surgical waiting room and another nurse takes over...I received 3 different drops in my eye then prepped for the surgery.

After dropping me off, Steve took a walk along the Sidney waterfront and then went home to help Rob prepare for the new appliances arriving today.

Angie came and picked me up just before 11:30. The actual surgery only takes about 20 minutes...and yes, I was awake. Of course, I couldn't feel anything but it was most unpleasant and I am definitely happy that it is all over with!! It was pretty swollen and sore for the rest of the day but after a good night's sleep it felt 100% better.

The new oven and fridge arrived...Rob and Steve had removed the old one, so in goes the new one (the new fridge is waiting in the kitchen, behind Rob)...
With the oven in, it was time for the refrigerator. When we built the house 30 years ago, all of the cabinets were made for the appliances...styles and sizes have changed a lot, so I guess Rob had a heck of a time finding new appliances that would fit. The fridge was particularly troublesome. He ended up getting a counter-depth one because the regular one would stick out about another 6 - 8 inches. He also had to raise the cabinets above to accommodate the taller fridge. 

New oven and refrigerator (microwave yet to come)!
The old fridge goes down to the basement for use when they finish off the basement...
Conner making the icing for dad's birthday cake...
And after dinner...birthday cake time! Happy Birthday, Rob!💓
Thursday (June 4) I had an eye check up at 8:00 a.m.! I gave my doctor a bad time about that! All looks fine...see you in 3 weeks...and I was done.

We decided to go for a walk along the Sidney waterfront...our favourite walk and the first time in 2 years that I have been able to walk it. But now with my new knee, all is good and I can join Steve.
To help with social distancing when walking south you have to use the upper path. We are now walking north on the lower path...
Kayakers heading out...
After our walk, we went back to the house and chilled for awhile before heading into Victoria for Steve's dentist appointment. He has been experiencing a bit of tingling and numbness off and on in the same area as a year ago when antibiotics were given for the infection. X rays were taken and it was a repeat of last years visit...a suspected failed root canal with bone loss endangering the implant next to it. To confirm failure of the root canal an appointment with an Endodontist was made for next Thursday, June 11, consequently, we will be staying longer than originally planned.

Conner spent a lot of time with Grampa talking planes, playing games with planes...he is obsessed with planes! It's amazing how much he knows and is able to identify so many planes...he's sure takes after his Grandpa!
Meanwhile, Bryce and I went on a walk around the yard (they have 1.21 acres)...this is their fort...
Conner and Bryce sitting on the sofa playing games on their devices...
Friday (June 5) Steve and I left Rob, Angie and the boys working/school work and headed into Sidney for another walk on the waterfront. This time we walked in the other direction, parking at Tulista Park and walking north...
Sidney Pier...we'll walk it on our way back....

He doesn't say much...LOL!

Beach to the right of the diver...band shell in the middle, blue Fish Market and a small restaurant at the end of the pier...

Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea...whale bones in front and outdoor aquarium behind...
Outdoor aquarium...
No fish included because of sea birds we suspect...

Our favourite place to dine...The Rumrunner Pub and Restaurant overlooking the ocean and marina...
Port Sidney Marina...
The pathway continues to just beyond the grey condos...
Time to head back...and the tides out!

We walked the Sidney Pier...

Above and below views from the pier...
The view when exiting the Washington State Ferry Terminal to/from Anacortes 
I moved with my family to the Sidney area back in 1968, so I have seen a lot of change to this community. It has turned into a cute, touristy little town...they've done a great job!

The afternoon's activity was a family walk on the trails in the neighbourhood...starting on the one that runs behind the property. It was one of a number of walks we did daily...
Angie, Rob and me..
Grampa and Conner...
The hike we did was about 2 kms/1.25 miles but there was a lot of hill climbing, up and down...up and down! So it felt a lot longer.

Grampa and his boys...
Saturday (June 6) was a big day for Steve...after 3 months, he finally had his hair cut! Last one was in Quartzsite. I took pictures...
Before...
And after...all those waves are gone!
That's better! I told him that I was going to have to lend him my hair elastics for a ponytail...he said he thought about holding out for pigtails like Willie Nelson!😆

Another walk on the trails behind the house and that was pretty much our day.

Sunday (June 7) was a stay at home day for us. Steve captured this picture of deer having breakfast in the yard...it's taken from the family room window...
The new dishwasher and stove top arrived yesterday. This morning Rob and Steve tried to install the stove top but there seems to be an extra wire, so Rob decided to leave it until after the new countertop has been put in and then get an appliance electrician in to do it. Good plan, Rob...don't want to mess with electrical stuff that's not straight forward!

So they removed the old dishwasher and installed the new one...that seemed to go fairly well...eventually. The old one went downstairs to join the fridge for future use. 
Monday (June 8)...Rob has to go into work this week (both he and Angie have been working from home since mid-March). They are working out a schedule having 2 teams alternate weeks going into work...that eliminates the close quarters of all staff being there at once. So he headed off just after 7:00.

Steve did some picture editing while I went into Sidney to pick up a few groceries for dinner. I'm making chicken fajitas...Steve's favourite!

Angie had an appointment in town this afternoon and then had to go into work for a meeting, so we looked after the boys. After a hike on the trails in the neighbourhood, we all played Snakes and Ladders. Conner won the first game and retreated to play on his tablet while the rest of us had another game...Bryce won that one! (and no, we didn't "let" either win)
As predicted, we woke to rain Tuesday (June 9) morning. It started during the night and continued basically all day.  So it was pretty much an inside day.

Me and my Brycie...Every morning he'd come down and sit with me for a bit while he woke up...💓 
It's a little rough on Angie with Rob not home...she has to juggle Conner's school work as well as her own. I guess Rob was basically playing Conner's teacher, ensuring he watched his school lesson and did the work. We thought it might be easier if we were gone for a while...less of a distraction for Conner. So Steve and I decided to get out for a bit of a drive...it was just socked in, very foggy and cloudy! We made a pit stop at Durrance Lake. It used to be quite the party lake when Steve was a young lad. That trail used to be the road to get here...
Other than that little outing, I worked on a blog update and Steve continued researching cars. Have I mentioned we're going to buy a used car? Yeah, we figured since we are going to be spending the winter up here, it makes sense to get a small car to boogie around in. Yes!! We basically have it narrowed down to a 2012 or newer  Mazda 3 hatchback...exactly like Chris's car! We've been trying to convince him he needs a new car...no luck though. So if anyone out there locally knows of one for sale let us know.

Wednesday (June 10)...the rain has stopped, thank goodness, but it's still fairly cloudy. Extraordinarily warm out though, which surprised us.

Steve and I headed into Victoria about 11:00. We are meeting Nadine and Mike (Steve's sister and her husband) at Ogden Point at 12:30 for a walk on the breakwater. But first, we're going to Beacon Drive In to pick up some take-out for lunch. (The last time we ate out was at Silly Al's in Quartzsite!)
The Beacon Drive In is a classic 50’s style diner serving up Burgers, Fries, Shakes, & Soft serve ice cream in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Located at 126 Douglas Street, we are directly across from the 75-hectare Beacon Hill Park — making the Beacon a perfect destination for picnickers and park-goers. Our most popular menu item is the ice cream, which comes in a variety of dips and flavours, and has held the title of Victoria’s Best Ice Cream for 25 years running!

Our plan was to take our lunch up to the Beacon Hill Park lookout but unfortunately, the road is closed to vehicles. Next plan was Clover Point, along Dallas Road, a great spot to park and enjoy the waterfront of Victoria...but it, too, was closed to vehicles due to the pump station there being upgraded. So we ended up driving just a little further along the waterfront and just pulling over...still able to enjoy the waterfront view.

We met Mike and Nadine just after 12:30 at Ogden Point for a walk on the breakwater...
The Ogden Point Breakwater is a popular walk near downtown Victoria that follows the cement structure from Dallas Road out towards on the Juan de Fuca Strait to a lighthouse on its furthest end. The area gives people an opportunity to see Victoria's busy harbour traffic as cruise ships, ferries, sailboats, float planes, helicopters and more all pass through the area to reach Victoria. Wildlife is also commonly spotted along the breakwater, from seagulls playfully gliding through the harbour winds to seals hanging around as fishermen cast their lines from the edges of the breakwater.

Looking back from the start of Ogden Point Breakwater...
Breakwater Bistro and Bar before the entrance to breakwater...
Pilot boats...
(Click to enlarge)
Steve's sister Nadine and brother in-law Mike...
The DOLFIJNGRACHT...now there's a mouthful. Home port is Amsterdam, just came from Ensenada Mexico and has since departed for Yokohama Japan. Quite the cargo! 


You can go down the stairs and walk along the huge rock blocks, go fishing or scuba diving...
Kayakers...
About to anchor near the breakwater to fish off the kelp beds...
Pilot boat heading out to meet a freighter...
We really enjoyed the walk and it was so great catching up with them! They are quite the cruisers and had to cancel their trip to New Zealand and Australia due to COVID-19.

I had an appointment at a lab to have some blood-work done so after saying goodbye to Nadine and Mike, we headed there. We were a little early, so we took a drive up Mt. Tolmie for a great view of Victoria...
Thursday (June 11) morning we headed into Victoria for Steve's endodontist appointment. I sat in the car waiting and when he returned, I could tell he wasn't happy. He needs an implant. This is the second year in a row that this has happened when we are nowhere near our dentist in Los Algodones, Mexico! Last year, Steve had to have a root canal and I needed an implant. At least after having the tooth extracted, I was able to have the post put in while down south last January. The only problem I have now is that I was scheduled to have the tooth put in when we went back down this fall...but that's not happening. So I guess I will be waiting another year (hopefully we will be able to go down south in the fall of 2021!). Steve will have the tooth extracted here and hopefully can wait until Mexico to have the rest done.

We were hoping that our dentist would be able to pull Steve's tooth this afternoon or tomorrow, but no such luck. So he has an appointment for June 25. We hadn't planned on going home today but since it was just going on 11:00, we decided to try catching the 3:00 ferry sailing. So we rushed back to the house, packed all our stuff (forgetting a few things...good thing we are returning on the 24th) and managed to catch the 1:00 sailing! Bonus! That got us home just after 3:00.

After unloading the car, I went to pick up a few groceries for dinner and breakfast and then we sat outside...it was a beautiful warm afternoon! Friends that we met down in Quartzsite a couple of years ago, and who happen to stay here, joined us for a drink. We had a great visit with Jack and Fay!

Ahhhh...it's good to be home! We love visiting Rob, Angie and the boys, but there's nothing better than being home and sleeping in your own bed!

COVID-19 Update:
BC:
Confirmed cases: 2,709
Recovered: 2,354
Deaths: 168
CANADA:
Confirmed Cases: 98,787
Recovered: 60,272
Deaths: 8,146

Stay safe and healthy everyone!