RV Holiday

I am shocked that I haven't posted for so long...Blame it on the Vancouver Canucks. Ive been somewhat preoccupied with the success of our local hockey club. All the games have been televised and I have watched most of them! That's my excuse, and I'm sticking to it. Our weather has been absolutely deplorable, so I have been glad of our boys going forward into the playoffs and giving me something to focus on during those long rainy evenings!
To bring you up to date...We purchased a 17 year old motor home last November. In spite of the poor weather, we have got away on a couple of weekends. One time in April we camped with snow on the ground (just a dusting) but we loved it.
This past week we had several days away at Lake Chelan in Washington State USA. It is a six hour drive from our home. And no snow this trip! Except for going over the mountains to get there and back.

We took our bikes.

We bought badminton racquets. Or Shuttlecock, as Grandad calls it. Heidi managed to get us all taking a turn rallying the birdie. Grandma quite impressed us with her overhead swing!

We were camping with both my parents and also my Aunty Gail and Uncle Larry. Gail is actually a cousin something removed, but I have always called her Aunty. Here they are beside their lovely camper.

We all contributed to meals and clean ups. Cooking and eating every meal outdoors was marvelous! Even dishes was fun, right Heidi?

The day we arrived was cool and chilly. But the next day it was sunny and the temperature was up in the 80s, we all got a bit of a sunburn the first sunny day. We just aren't used to this kind of sun! It was lovely for the entire week!
We all took a stack of books. And we spent a few hours each day kicking back in camp chairs reading. My dad
in the shade, wearing the hat that he just got in Africa.

Where the lake narrowed to a river and the water was so gorgeous. Glacial green and clear as a bell! This shady spot was in the town of Chelan. A beautifully maintained old town, with rolling hills all the way around it. Heidi wore her Canuck T-shirt and got a lot of cheers as many of the visitors in the town were also from British Columbia. There were a couple of Canuck conference final games while we were there. We were roughing it so much that we watched it on a 10" tv screen. That's living rough!!! We were very glad of the cable hook ups. The only person on the campground who wasn't enjoying the hockey atmosphere was my Dad , who, sadly for him, is not a hockey fan! There were so many BCers there that all the cheering was for the Canucks. Sad for the Americans not to be supporting the Californian team which we have since knocked out of the playoffs!
This carving of a bear was begging to have his picture taken with my two teddy bears.

We went into the US Post Office to get stamps and noticed these marvelous old Post Office Boxes.
The drive home was good, with clear weather most of the way. The only snow was at the side of the road while going through Stephens Pass at an altitude of 4065 ft. As you can see here, the base of the snow pack here was almost as high as this car. At one point we had a seven mile steep decent, where we had the RV transmission in low gear and never touched the brake the whole 7 miles. This rig has us really well impressed. Can't wait for the next trip.

A Magical Mothers Day

I trust all my lady friends and families had a nice Mothers Day. Although for many it can be a poignant day, for those missing a mother or child who has passed on.

Hopefully you will have enough happy memories to have made the day as sweet as possible. I am thinking especially of Kayla's Mom and also of our Friend and his six children who lost their mother a few months ago.

I have seen many an elderly lady or gent moved to tears on mothers day upon hearing the Flower Talk recited by a young boy in Demolay. So it is a special day of remembrance and appreciation.

I had a lovely Mothers Day. Heidi gave me the gift of a tour in the nearby forest in all its spring time glory.

This is Harry Hooge Park, just a two minute walk from the house. It is behind the local Elementary school. It is a fair size park that is a forested ravine with a small fish bearing creek at the bottom.

The creek eventually empties into the south Alouette River. There are occasional black bears that wander up the ravine, causing the schoolchildren to have to stay in at playtime. We have also seen deer and coyotes. But they all stayed out of sight Today. The wildlife only like to show themselves when I don't have a camera handy!

It has some formal type, easy paths that are open and surrounded my lawns and other well kept paths through the trees.

Some trails though are only accessible at this time of year, especially to the less adventurous types, such as myself.

One of my favorite plants in here is the ferns. They grow here by the hundreds and are so big and lush, I almost expect to see fairies sitting upon the fronds! Just a magical place.

Oh! But what do I see here? A wee fairy perched upon the root of a cedar tree!

During the rainy weather, these steep dirt paths are treacherously slippery. In the the height of summer, the undergrowth and brambles become too dense to get through.

Heidi wanted me to see the masses of wild flowers. We saw buttercups, bleeding hearts, Lady's mantle, forget me nots, some gorgeous fungi.

She also showed be the "butterfly" leaves and several nurse trees.

Nurse trees are fallen trees or rotten stumps that support a seedling such as this baby cedar tree.

Thank you Heidi for this wonderful gift. She also made me a fabulous breakfast and gave me a beautiful peice of driftwood >sculpture" for the garden. David called from Powell River to say hello and Andrew dropped in with a coffee and a gift card for Timmies Coffee Shop!

Have a good week everyone.