Sunday, April 23 to Saturday, May 6, 2023 (Puntledge RV Campground, Courtenay, BC)

Wow, another couple of weeks have flown by...and it's been pretty busy! Our mission the first week was to get a shed for our lot. Steve has a lot of stuff to empty out of the truck! 

So on Sunday (Apr. 23) morning we met Earl and Allison at Costco...with their truck. We had selected the one we wanted...an 8 x 10 Lifetime Storage Shed. The shed came in 2 very heavy boxes (totaling 560 lbs.) so it was nice to have help from the Costco workers loading it into the truck. Unfortunately, they wouldn't come home with us, so it was up to the four of us to off-load the boxes from the truck. 

Ta Da!...

Thanks so much for your help Earl and Allison! We needed a load of gravel to use as a base for the shed, so they left saying they would return after lunch with a load. Fortunately the maintenance manager, Terry was driving by on a tractor, so Steve asked him if he had an 8' board that he could borrow to level off the gravel when it arrived. He said he had some gravel he could drop off and would look for a board...great! That saved us money...and Earl and Allison having to pick some up and drop it off.

Steve is outlining where the shed is going to go...

Terry dropping off the first load of gravel after delivering a 6' board...

Steve gets to work raking it...

Terry brought another few loads over and Steve continued raking. Then he had a fun time leveling it off. I went out for an hour or so and when I got back, it was all done...no picture though. No more work on the shed until Tuesday as we, as well as Earl, were busy tomorrow.

My brother and sister-in-law, Dennis and Suzanne, from Kelowna are visiting another brother and sister-in-law, Don and Rhonda, in Bowser, about 40 minutes south of us, so on Monday (Apr. 24) they all came for a visit. We chatted over coffee for over an hour and then we all headed out for lunch. Left to right...Suzanne, Don, Rhonda, Dennis and Steve...

Lunch was at Roy's Towne Pub in Royston, about 15 minutes away on the south side of Courtenay. A couple of selfies with my bros...Dennis and I...

Don and I...

Enjoying a brew as we wait for our meals...

Our meals were delicious and we had a great visit! Dennis and Suzanne are heading down to Victoria tomorrow to visit more family...and as it turns out, I have another appointment on Friday, so we too, will be there. It's going to be a full house at Rob and Angie's! Wonderful seeing Don and Rhonda too...living so close now, we expect to see lots more them. 

Tuesday (Apr. 25) morning Earl arrived just before 10:00 and the shed build started!

Steve found a YouTube video on how to construct it. They are watching it on the iPad...

Floor is done and parts are everywhere!

Installing one of the windows...

The walls are going up...

Securing the shelf to the wall...

This shed has a million screws!

They had lots of grief installing the doors...

By this point, after 7.5 hours, it was now 5 pm...the majority of it was done and the rest can be done tomorrow! The door on the right wasn't lining up properly so Steve will watch the YouTube video on how to fix it...

Wednesday (Apr. 26) morning...it rained all night! Steve was out wiping up some of the water in the shed before Earl arrived and he managed to get a big gash on the top of his head from the end of a bolt when he stood up on the step ladder without looking up first. Nothing bleeds like a head wound! It took a while but he finally got the bleeding stopped...and was able to get working once Earl arrived.

I took a mountain of laundry (4 big loads) into the local laundromat. There is a laundry room here but it is small with only 2 washers/dryers, so I thought I'd take it into town.

When I got home at about 12:30, the shed was all finished...

It looks like a little house. To align the door on the right they had to raise the back left corner of the shed with a 2 x 4...

A big job putting it together but so glad we have it now. Thanks so much for all your help Earl! Unfortunately, it's going to be a while before Steve can start filling it up.

Thursday (Apr. 27) morning...and a sunny start with temperatures forecast to warm up over the next few days. Yay! It's about time!

We packed our suitcase, loaded into the car and headed to Steve's physio appointment. Unfortunately, his ankle is still giving him grief, so don't really know what the answer is. Right after his appointment, we hit the road to Victoria. View of the Comox Glacier...

The snow covered mountains are beautiful against the blue sky...

We decided to leave the Inland Island Highway and go over to the coast and the (old) Island Highway that passes through all the small communities. We figured it would be easier to find a spot to stop for lunch...and we weren't wrong! The Shady Rest Restaurant and Pub is right on the waterfront in Qualicum Beach and we were lucky enough to score a table right at the window. Unfortunately in this picture, the background is blurred...grrr, we didn't want it to do that!

After a delicious lunch enjoying the view, it was time to continue south. Steve took some pictures from the parking lot before we left...

We arrived at Rob and Angie's late afternoon...really didn't think we'd be here 2 weeks after our last visit! But I have an appointment tomorrow morning at Saanich Peninsula Hospital in the x-ray department. My orthopedic surgeon is injecting cortisone into my foot to "fix" the Morton's Neuroma and needs to do it via the x-ray to hit the right spot.

Rob and the kids playing catch in the yard...

My appointment at the hospital was at 9:00 Friday (Apr. 28) morning. I was taken right into the x-ray department where my doctor was very mean to me...injecting 2 shots into my foot and 1 into my middle finger (easing a trigger finger)...and OMG, did it hurt! I told him that the injections he puts in my knee don't hurt nearly as much. Well, of course, there are a lot more nerves in your hands and feet! 

It didn't really take long and I was back in the car where Steve was waiting for me. We decided to drive into Sidney and take a short walk along the waterfront...such a beautiful day!

Our favourite waterfront pub, The Rum Runner is closing due to the owner retiring after this weekend...

After that we drove into Victoria in search of new runners for me...I came home with a new pair of New Balance ones.

Angie had been away at a conference in Alberta and unfortunately, tested positive for Covid this morning. She is basically holed up in her bedroom, only coming out to join us outside in the sunshine...keeping her distance. She didn't want to be in a picture...but I got a bit of her behind a book, along with Dennis, Suzanne, Steve and Rob...

Cool Conner with his Dad...

Bryce kicking a ball and trying not to let it roll down the driveway...he never stops moving!

We ordered in a feast of Chinese food for dinner...no cooking required!

Saturday (Apr. 29) we all went to watch Bryce's ball game. So fun watching all the 7/8 year old's playing...some are right into it, some couldn't care less, having a very short attention span.

Bryce started off as pitcher...well, standing in that place as they have an automatic ball thrower. His jersey is #1...he's throwing the ball to first base...

Now he's playing backstop and did a fabulous job at it...

They are given 5 chances to hit the ball. If they keep missing after the third or fourth try they bring out the T ball post. Bryce finally got a hit...

And a home run! At a boy Bryce!

After the game, Steve and I headed into Sidney for a walk along the waterfront (you'll know from previous blogs that this is our favourite walk)...

Such beautiful trees!

We had to stop for a final visit to the Rumrunner Pub and Restaurant...tomorrow is it's last day before permanently closing after 32 years. Nobody seems to know what's next for the building...

Mount Baker in Washington State in the distance...

Lots of people were out and about on such a beautiful day...

Back home, we all sat outside in the sunshine again. Bryce chillin with (Great) Uncle Dennis...

Sunday (Apr. 30) we said goodbye to Dennis and Suzanne as they headed to the ferry to catch the 9:00 a.m. sailing. Upon arriving on the mainland, they have about a 4 to 5 hour drive home to West Kelowna. Wonderful being able to spend so much time with you both!

We were packed up and ready to leave at about 9:30...we're all leaving today to give Rob and Angie their house back! Thanks for your hospitality...hope Angie feels better soon!

On the way up-island, we decided to stop at the Shady Rest Restaurant and Pub for lunch again. Unfortunately, the weather wasn't nearly as nice as it had been when we were there last Thursday...still a wonderful view, even with a cloudy sky! 

We got home at about 2:30 and immediately unpacked our suitcase and then decided to get out for a walk around the campground. For the first time we took a path that lead to the Puntledge River. It's flowing fast!

There is a lovely crop of dandelions in the campground, LOL! 

Shaw Direct, our satellite provider, has decided to upgrade their hardware which means we needed 2 new receivers. At least one was given to us complimentary but we had to purchase the second one. We'd had the new receivers for a number of days now, so Monday (May 1) was the day to install the new ones. However, first of all Steve had to go through all of the TV shows he has set to PVR automatically. That took awhile but by the time I got home from the chiropractor appointment and shopping, he was pretty much ready to activate the new ones. Of course all cannot go smoothly...the first one activated as it was supposed to following the directions given, but the bedroom one would not connect to the satellite dish. That required calling Shaw Direct...but after trying both the phone and "chat" on-line, the wait times were horrendous, so we decided to wait until tomorrow morning to take care of it.

Tuesday (May 2) we were back to clear blue sky and sunshine! We spent a good part of the morning on "chat" with Shaw Direct getting our bedroom receiver working. With that done, we headed out to run a few errands. After a stop at the recycling centre and Costco for propane, we went to Home Depot and Steve got himself a new toy...a battery operated weed-eater. It's a Ryobi, same as his leaf-blower, so the battery will work in it too...which is good because the battery in the leaf-blower died while we were in Quartzsite.

After a bite to eat for lunch, we went to the Air Park for a walk...a gorgeous day at 23C/74F!

Back home, we put up the sunscreen and Steve washed all of the Arizona dust out of it...

Don't know when they'll be cutting the grass so Steve tried out his new weed-eater. (Of course they cut it the following day!)

That looks better!

Wednesday (May 3) was another beautiful day...however the forecast is for a big change come Friday. Steve spent most of the morning moving all of the stuff from the truck and finding a new home for it in the shed...amazing how much stuff was packed into that truck! 

While he was busy with that, I was inside washing floors and vacuuming. By noon, we were both finished and ready to head out for our COVID boosters (shot #5) at a local pharmacy.

On the way home we stopped at Home Depot and picked up some shelving for the shed, along with some motion lights...one for the inside and one for the outside...

Our visitors behind our rig that evening...

Thursday (May 4) was our last nice day, so Steve washed the truck. He is looking forward to having a pick-up truck to wash rather that that brute!

I decided to try out the laundry facilities here in the campground. Not having let it "build up" too much, I managed to get all done in just 2 loads. I also cleaned out and organized some more cupboards in-between trips back and forth to the laundry room. All in all...not a very exciting day!

What a difference in weather Friday (May 5)! The rain started through the night and it pretty much rained all day. It was also much much cooler...we've gone from shorts and flip-flops to shoes and jeans!

Consequently, it was pretty much an inside day...Steve edited pictures and then I got started on this blog update.

Just after 5:00 we headed off to Earl and Allison's for dinner and an evening of Rummikub. Another delicious meal...

Followed by 6 games of Rummikub! The Colibaba's were big winners for a change! Steve and I both won 2 games and Earl and Allison, 1 each. They are the Rummikub experts, so we were both quite proud of our accomplishments...hmmm...maybe they were just being nice to their guests? LOL

Saturday (May 6) and more clouds and light rain. But by mid-morning we decided it had pretty much stopped, so we went out for a walk. We thought we would go to a park we have not explored yet...Simms Millennium Park. It's a municipally-owned 9 acre park set between the Courtenay River to the south, and the Courtenay River Slough to the east and north. The park consists of a combination of open fields and forested areas and features lookouts, trails, gardens, pavilion, gazebo, pond, and numerous indigenous plantings and trees.

Simms Millennium Park is valued for its role played in the defense of the West Coast of Vancouver Island and in training for the D-Day landings on the beaches in Europe during World War Two. From 1942 to 1944, the Courtenay River Slough was used to moor the several assault craft used in Combined Operations training and was only one of two sites of its kind in Canada.

The pavilion...

As we started our walk, Steve noticed this plaque on a bench...I used to work for B.C. Assessment, so we thought this was pretty cool...

A nice barbecue and picnic area...

One of two large Eagle nests we saw in the area...

Flanked on two sides of water, Simms Millennium Park scientific value lies in its situation in a riparian zone. The grouping of mature trees, shrubbery, grasses and water around the park provide an immensely important habitat to a variety of wildlife, ranging from numerous species of salmon that spawn in the area, to birds and small mammals. It is significant that the park is uniquely configured to minimize the impact on this sensitive area, while enabling the public to view the wildlife that reside in their natural surroundings.

It was a fairly short walk...about a half km/third mile...but it is a beautiful park and well maintained. Before returning to the parking lot and car, we took the sidewalk that goes under the bridge towards Lewis Park, a busy recreation area.

Wanting a longer walk, we decided to go back to the Air Park. As we drove there, a heavy mist set in but we grabbed our umbrellas and headed out on our walk. The photo makes it look like the ocean in the estuary, however the tide is way out exposing the mudflats, the ocean is barely visible on the horizon... 

Courtenay Air Park runway. When Steve was still flying he landed here twice years ago when it was a dirt strip...

There's a marina at the end of the runway, the river next to it, and the ocean at the other end. So water on three sides of the airstrip which is a little intimidating when your not used to landing on what looks like a short runway from the air...

Our satellite dish lost its signal yesterday, likely because of all the leaves coming in on the trees. It's amazing how much the bushes and trees have greened up over the last few days of warm sunny weather! So, Steve went and moved the dish for the third time since we arrived here to a spot where he figured we could get a signal...a tough challenge given all of the trees behind us! But after much frustration, we latched onto a signal...it's not a super strong one but we are at least getting all of the channels (touch wood!).

And, there you go...we are caught up again!