We're a little late getting this final update done before we leave on our fall/winter travels. For the most part, we were busy getting ready to leave, especially the second week.
Tuesday (Sept. 24), we took the boat loader off the truck at Earl and Allison's...they are letting us store it there again. Thanks guys, we really appreciate it!
Wednesday (Sept. 25) and Thursday (Sept. 26)were rainy days. We took the truck into Shields Industrial Services to have the truck serviced. After dropping it off at 8 a.m., we managed to get our walk in just before the rain and wind set in for the day.
A beautiful sunrise greeted us Saturday (Sept. 28) morning...
On our morning walk at the airpark, we watched a helicopter come in, pick up some folks and take off again. Must be nice! Steve took a 1 minute video...
Sunday (Sept. 29), after a cold start to the day, it turned out quite nice. We did more chores and errands and then walked up to the Gladstone for a final visit until next spring.
Of course the day we planned to pick up the trailer from storage and bring it here so we could start getting it ready, the forecast was for rain! So Tuesday (Oct. 1) morning we picked it up in the pouring rain and took it to Kal Tire for a 9:30 appointment to have the tire valve stems changed to steel to support our tire pressure sensors and have the wheels balanced. We had the trailer parked back in our site just before 11:30. Not much else was done for the rest of the day other than a little shopping.
The rest of the week was busy getting the trailer packed and ready to leave. Steve installed a screen door cross-bar and the Maxxair II vent covers on the trailer...
We joined our neighbours, George and Sheryl for happy hour Sunday (Oct. 6)...great chatting and getting to know them better!
Another neighbour's son showing off the massive salmon he caught in the Puntledge River...wow! He was pretty proud of his catch!
Monday (Oct. 7) was our final move into the little trailer. I helped Steve winterize the 5th wheel and of course, that wasn't without some challenges but he finally got it all done.
We were both exhausted by the time we got to Earl and Allison's for dinner. We had a wonderful final visit with them and I was so thankful that I didn't have to make dinner! Thanks so much! Going to miss not travelling with you two this winter. 😞😞
Tomorrow we head off on our travels...so glad to be getting on the road again, just wish we had a pick-up truck instead of Buster. Fingers-crossed we're able to sell the monster truck somewhere along the way!
Wow, darned near 3 weeks have gone by...time for an update on what we have been up to. Most days are pretty routine...i.e. nothing particularly exciting to tell you about...but others we did do some note-worthy stuff.
Wednesday (Sept. 4) afternoon we headed down to Parksville to meet good friends from Cochrane, Alberta, Ken and Charlene. Steve and Ken have been friends since they were little kids as next door neighbours in Regina, Saskatchewan. They are spending a week on the Island seeing some of the highlights. After sitting outside at their motel room chatting with Ken while Charlene got ready, we went to Kalvas the Log House for dinner.
We spent a delightful 3 hours catching up with them over a delicious meal...
Enjoy the rest of your week and have a safe trip home next week!
Saturday (Sept. 7) was customer appreciation night at Saratoga Speedway in Black Creek, about 25 minutes north of us. The last time we were at the races was in Blythe, CA in 2013. So tonight was the night...it has been quite hot the past few days, so we made sure we had suntan lotion on and our hats. Unfortunately, we forgot the seat cushions for the bleachers...but we made due with our folded jackets.
While the time trials were happening, we went to the beer garden for a beer and a bite to eat for dinner...
Back in our seats...race time! Bomber cars...
Hornets...
We were seated mid track and it seemed to be a full house...
A 2:59 minute video...Bomber and Hornet cars as well as crash to pass cars! Steve here: Back in the day it was called hit to pass and I was part of the pit crew for my buddy Jim who had a Demo car...fun times!
A 5:26 minute video of the Della Crew and "The Vanishing Ones" Harley Davidson Motorcycle Stunt Teams. Wheelies, burnouts, so much smoke and fire!
Sunday (Sept.8) I decided to cook the last salmon Steve caught at Cluxewe. As I was figuring out the best way to take the meat off the bone, the butcher knife that happened to be on the counter beside the cutting board, slipped off and fell to the floor stabbing my foot. Thankfully, just the tip went in before it bounced onto the floor but OMG, the blood! You would have thought by the amount of blood on the floor that it had rendered a huge gash! After applying pressure and using a ton of paper towels, I finally got the bleeding stopped and found that it was only about a half inch gash but it looked like it would require stitches. So off to the emergency department of the North Island Hospital we went.
Waiting for an x-ray...
The x-ray showed no bone was damaged, I was given a tetanus shot and 2 sutures in my owie...but all of this involved a lot of waiting! Just shy of 3.5 hours we were finally on our way home.
This is the culprit that stabbed me...
Monday (Sept. 9) morning Steve walked by himself at Nymph Falls...my foot was very sore and I was extremely tired all day. Mind you, I did wash the kitchen floor...Steve had done his best to wipe up the blood before we went to the hospital but there was still a reddish tinge that required cleaning.
With the temperatures returning to more moderate seasonal values, Steve decided to start washing the trailer on Tuesday (Sept. 10). Although still tender, my foot felt a lot better so I ran some errands and picked up some groceries.
A beautiful sunrise...
Friday (Sept. 13) morning we were out by 7:40 to pick up the little trailer from storage and take it to Courtenay RV Specialists. Steve had previously purchased lithium batteries but later found out there was more involved than just swapping out our two 6 volt batteries for lithium ones. A DC to DC Charger was required to protect the tow vehicle alternator. We later learned we also needed to upgrade our power converter to a lithium capable converter! This involved replacing the lower main board assy.
Ka...Ching!!!
That afternoon we went for a walk around the campground. There is a big First Nation's wedding being held out in the field behind the campground tomorrow. Unfortunately, the weather forecast is for lots of rain. The structures are being set up...
Steve took this picture of the teepees on Sunday after the wedding...everything is now being taken down. As you can see lots of sunshine the day after the wedding!
The new long-term sites are almost ready...just waiting since August for power to be connected from BC Hydro. Instead of trees between the sites, they have put up metal fencing. They will eventually do all long-term sites, including ours...
The forecast for Saturday (Sept. 14) was for rain throughout the day but the morning wasn't too bad. Steve had an appointment for blood tests in Campbell River at 11 a.m. (Since there were none available here by appointment until October). That didn't take long so we decided to drive to Elk Falls and hike the trail to the suspension bridge.
Steve just went about half way across and took pictures...
We always enjoy that hike! And of course, going to the Riptide Pub for lunch. View of Quadra Island from our table...
We certainly lucked out with the weather because it sure poured on our way home and most of the afternoon!
Sunday (Sept. 15) evening we had Earl and Allison over for dinner. They had been away for a few weeks in their campervan so it was nice catching up with them...
After dinner, we played a bunch of games of Rummikub...Earl was the big winner. I think he won all but one game.
Monday (Sept. 16), after getting notification that my extended health benefits will cover most of the CPAP machine cost for Steve, we went to Pacific Sleep Care to give them the approval. (Our reason for lithium batteries) There was a fellow out front of the office with a ferret on a leash...a pet you don't see out being walked very often. Steve asked if he could take a picture...next thing he knew, the fellow was handing the critter to Steve and taking Steve's phone for the picture. Not something I think Steve wanted...apparently it was quite stinky!
Next on the agenda for today was to activate our Starlink account. They had the hardware on sale for $199, regular $499, so we couldn't resist...besides it will be handy having it because we have heard that our ShawDirect satellite will not work down south anymore. We will be able to stream programs and it will be a good backup in case we are in an area with no cell service. Of course, no sooner had we received the hardware when we received an email from Starlink advising the Roaming service had gone from $170/month before tax to $189. Hmmm....now we know why they were on sale for such a good price.
Once that was done, Steve took a walk down to the bridge to check out the fishing situation. Lots of fishers out but there is not the run of "Pinks" in the river that there was last year.
A 1:24 video... A double header!
Tuesday (Sept. 17) we picked up the little trailer from Courtenay RV Specialists at 12:30 and brought it here. We had rented a site across from us so that Dave and Leslie will have their own space to stay while they are here visiting. Dave had run a half marathon in Golden, BC last Sunday and they had decided to come out to the island to visit family and friends, starting with us. They were looking forward to seeing our area...and we were looking forward to showing them!
We spent the next couple of hours getting it all set up for them and had pretty much finished when they arrived just before 3:00...
We sat inside the little trailer enjoying a cold drink (thanks Dave/Leslie!) and then we left them to get settled.
Time for a little exercise...we walked down to the river. We spotted two seals quickly swim by below the surface. There was a total of five seals behind us looking for salmon but couldn't get a good enough photo...
Wednesday (Sept. 18) was a very busy day! We started off with a long hike at Nymph Falls...
And then a short walk at the Courtenay Airpark....followed by lunch at the Blackfin Pub in Comox. So glad the weather co-operated...it was a beautiful day! This was our first time sitting out on their patio...
Thanks for treating us to lunch!
After lunch we went for a walk down to the Fisherman's Wharf Boardwalk. Never seen a catamaran like this one...
It was a little breezy!
After a drive showing them more of our area....Goose Spit, Point Holmes, Kye Bay...we returned home and put our walking shoes back on. We then walked up to the Gladstone Brewery...
So we definitely got our steps in today! My FitBit said 18,484 steps! We ended the day with a light dinner followed by the season premiere of Survivor. I may or may not have actually seen it all...as it seems I was nodding off a bit, but I did see who got voted off!
Thursday (Sept. 19) morning we said goodbye to Dave and Leslie...it was a quick visit but always great seeing them! Enjoy the rest of your visit on the island before heading back home to Leduc, Alberta.
We returned the little trailer back to storage but will be bringing it back here in a couple of weeks to prepare for our trip south next month. It is certainly going to be interesting traveling in a small 23' trailer when we are used to taking our home with us! But we're up for the challenge!
The last few days were filled with appointments, shopping and the usual "stuff". As I sit here on Sunday (Sept. 22) it is a cloudy, rainy day...a good inside day to work on a blog update!
Well, it's time for another update on what we have been up to the past couple of weeks.
We had a wonderful surprise Friday (Aug. 16) when we received a phone call from our good friends, Rob and Nancy. They have been spending the week at Parksville and wondered if we were available for dinner if they drove up. Absolutely! We went to the Black Fin Pub in Comox and had a lovely dinner and visit with them. Afterwards, we sat outside at our place for a bit before they headed back down to Parksville...an hours drive south.
We had another warm day Saturday (Aug. 17) but we managed to get out for a hike at Nymph Falls...one of our favourite spots!
On our way home, we decided to check out the Saturday Farmer's Market that is held in the exhibition grounds. We've lived here for over a year and this is our first time. Typical market with all sorts of local farmers selling their fresh veggies...there were also some other kiosks, food trucks, etc.
Back home, we basically hunkered down inside with the A/C running but by happy hour time, it had cooled enough to enjoy sitting outside. We have a rain storm with a wind warning coming in tonight, so we put everything outside away before we headed inside for the evening.
Sunday (Aug. 18) morning we had some light rain but it seemed like the "big" storm skirted around us, hitting both the Victoria and Vancouver areas. It was just drizzling lightly by the time we finished our walk.
Before going home, we decided to take a drive...we stopped at Kye Bay and Steve took a short 30 second video of the low tide...
We had one of Steve's salmon for dinner...I followed a recipe that I found online and it turned out really good!
The next few days were rainy but still fairly warm. I won't bore you with the minutia of our days...just routine stuff. Oh, I did have an appointment with the 'nurse navigator' from ReBalanceMD about my knee replacement surgery. Apparently my surgery would be scheduled sometime late October/early November which really surprise me because I figured it wouldn't be until well after Christmas. Anyway, I told her we had planned on going south October through March and she immediately said that she could check with the booking department about putting my surgery on hold until April. I heard back from her later that they had no problem postponing it...didn't think there would be since the wait for knee replacement surgery is about a year. Although I know my knee is getting worse, it is no where near as bad as my left knee was when I had it replaced, so I think I'll make it through until next April. I'm also getting another injection in it Friday, so that should help. Besides, after spending the winter up here last year, we really want to go south!
Thursday (Aug. 22) morning we packed up the car and headed south (island) for 10 days. Rob and Angie have "booked" us to watch the boys again next week. Like last June when we watched them, as a teacher, Angie has to work and the boys don't return to school for another week. We are stopping at Lake Cowichan for 2 nights on the way down to visit Deb and Ray at "Kyles Kottage"...such a beautiful spot!
Unfortunately, after such a hot spell, the last week has been rainy...and the forecast is more of the same for the next few days. Oh well...always at the mercy of the weather! We arrived at Ray and Deb's at about 2:00 and after unloading the car and getting settled, we were out on the deck staying warm and dry under the gazebo.
Deb cooked a pork loin roast on her Traegar smoker...
A delicious dinner...
After dinner we resumed our positions on the deck. The rain had let up...
The sun even started peeking through...with a small rainbow...
And a beautiful sunset...
Friday (Aug. 23) was a cool, cloudy socked-in kind of day with lots of rain...it felt more like November than August!
We all had a nice soak in the hot tub and then got ready to head out for a drive to Youbou with some sightseeing along the way. We thought this was a pretty cool fence made out of old water skis.
Lunch was at the Youbou Bar and Grill... (Ray's photo)
Back to Ray and Deb's...resuming position! Thank goodness it wasn't windy...just socked right in and raining, but so nice sitting outside with my favourite view!
Saturday (Aug. 24) morning we were packed up and ready to leave at about 10:00. With big hugs, we said goodbye...thanks again for such a wonderful visit. We wish the weather had been better but it was still great seeing you both!
After a stop at Rob and Nancy's place for a short visit, we arrived at Rob and Angie's to an empty house. Even though it is Saturday, Rob had to go into work...luckily he was off earlier than anticipated and it wasn't long before he got home. Angie and the boys are flying back from Winnipeg today but unfortunately their original flight was cancelled, so instead of 7:15 tonight, it won't be until about 10:30. They also have a 2 hour time difference so they will be tired.
We celebrated Steve's 69th birthday by going out for dinner at Jacks on the Water in Sidney. Rob along with Nancy and Rob joined us and although they don't take same-day reservations, we scored a lovely table on the patio. That's Port Sidney Marina in the background...
After a great meal and visit, we wandered along the waterfront to check out the Salish Sea Lantern Festival. Lots of people enjoying the festivities...
Sunday (Aug. 25) morning we received big hugs from Angie, Conner and Bryce. They had not gotten home until after 11:00 last night...when we were fast asleep!
Steve and I decided to go into Sidney for a walk along the waterfront. We were surprised to see fog...
The Town of Sidney gardeners do a wonderful job...
Jacks on the Water where we went for dinner last night...
We got back to the house just as Rob and Angie, and Angie's Uncle Alan and Denise were leaving. They are going to a family wedding in Victoria, leaving Steve and I to have a nice chill evening with the boys.
When Rob and Angie got home, this little bat greeted them over the front door...cute, eh? Ewwww....LOL
Our week with the boys was pretty chill...they had been away for 2 weeks camping at Cluxewe, were home for only a couple of days to get ready to fly to Winnipeg for 3 weeks and just got home late Saturday, so I think they were happy to relax and spend as much time as Gramma and Grampa would let them on their computers playing video games with their friends.
Tuesday (Aug. 27) I met my (ex) sister-in-law, Linda for lunch out at Milestones in Langford. We don't see each other often (yearly, if we're lucky), so it was nice catching up!
While I was gone, Grampa was in charge...he and Bryce did some mandatory reading so Bryce could spend more time on his computer. They even got out for a walk on the neighbourhood trails.
There's always a pinecone fight!
Wednesday (Aug. 28) we took the boys on our usual hike at John Dean Provincial Park. A beautiful park and hike...but a lot of ups and downs! I'm a little "slow-going" downhill...
Down, down we go...
To Pickles Bluff...and an amazing view...
Steve took a short 25 second video...
Snack time!
As we were arriving at the bluff this Vulture was soaring below, eventually landing on this dead tree below us...
It flew up to the bluff to check us out and was soon joined by another...
Steve and the boys managed to get quite close...
Unafraid of us the one decided to spread it's wings...
Time to carry on...
We're so glad the boys enjoy hiking as much as we do.
Thursday (Aug. 29) we took the boys for a hike around Durrance Lake...an easy 2.3 km (1.5 miles) loop trail...
Bryce twerking...
Friday (Aug. 30) morning I had an appointment to have a Cingal injection in my knee. All I can say is OUCH! So I spent most of the day in the recliner with ice on my knee.
Angie was off to work so we were relieved of our "babysitting" duties. She took the boys shopping...for runners, and groceries.
Once Rob got home, we enjoyed the evening on the sundeck. Angie cooked up a storm in the kitchen...a delicious pasta dinner, so yummy!
Saturday (Aug. 31) we met a bunch of Steve's old school friends (along with a couple of wives) for lunch at the Spitfire Grill. All of the guys together at one end of the table and us "wives" at the other. Left to right around the table...Nancy, Barbara, Dan, Alec, Steve, Bruce, Jim, Rob and me...
Steve here: I see Rob and Jim frequently, Dan 5 years ago, Bruce maybe 15 years ago, and Alec 40 plus years ago! So many stories and memories restored. It's a wonder we all survived our youth...and thankfully there was no social media back in our day!
This RCAF SARS helicopter landed and the crew came in the restaurant for lunch...
We all had such a great time catching up...especially the guys. Thanks for organizing it, Rob!
Dinner tonight was a special recipe created by our son Rob...he brined and marinated chicken and then slow smoked them on his charcoal barbeque. They were delicious! I don't know where he gets his ideas and desire to cook, it certainly wasn't from me or Steve...LOL!
They paired perfectly with the delicious left over pasta from last night!
Angie and Conner quickly put together a batch of brownies (one of Steve's favs) and we celebrated Steve's belated birthday (since they weren't home on his actual birthday)...
They didn't have a "6" and a "9" candle so Conner got ingenious and put "84 -15"...to equal 69! Good job Conner!
Warm brownies right out of the oven served with ice cream...YUM!
With Steve's 2 deliveries arriving last Friday (Starlink and lithium batteries), it was time to head back home Sunday (Sept. 1) morning. We thought we might need to stay for an extra couple of days waiting for delivery but luckily both shipments arrived.
With big hugs to all, we hit the road...thanks for all your hospitality, Rob and Angie! As usual, we enjoyed our visit and of course, spending time with our grandboys!
We stopped for lunch at the Shady Rest Pub on the waterfront in Qualicum Beach...a favourite stop whether going down island or back up. Beautiful view for lunch...
We arrived home just after 2:30 and immediately emptied out the car and unpacked our suitcases...we like to get everything put away right away. With everything settled back into place, we decided to drive up to the Gladstone for a brew, listen to the local musicians playing, and people-watch...after all, it is Sunday!
We were back into our usual routine Monday (Sept. 2) and Tuesday (Sept. 3)...walking, grocery shopping, picture editing, blog-writing, etc. It's good to be back home!