To busy to write anything!

Will keep you informed when something exciting happens. You may think everyday is exciting, well, actually it is to us, getting up in the morning to start the day is fantastic, sun is shining, golf tee time is made, winning hamburgers playing pool, swimming, hiking, bocci ball, mini golf, happy hour, meeting new people. Life is grand.

I DID IT!

Yup, that's me driving the Holiday Rambler. Drove for 50 miles, I admit it was on a straight stretch after leaving San Antonio and there wasn't even a town or gas station, just 35 dead dear, sorry. I even passed a truck and drove at 65 mph. Pulled into a rest stop and Art took MH into Fort Stockton WalMart. I think I will do it again!
After about 20 miles Art relaxed, I think said his knuckles were not white anymore.
We are in Vado, west of El Paso and across from the stock yards, nice smell. Benson tomorrow, then Winterhaven and Dec. 22 Catalina Spa. Can hardly wait to see the Happy Hour Gang, water volleyball gang, bocci ball gang, golf gang, mini golf gang and relax.

Sierra is here for the day!

Havoc and Sierra hanging out.








I just got a kiss from Havoc maybe I should get closer.






I like that ear, can you believe it, Havoc never moved or growled, just laid there.

RUFKM! -2 in San Antonio.

Yes, this is the tracker covered in frost, but the upside is, park it in the sun and 5 minutes later, melted. Only in Texas. Had put away my winter cloths so had to wear 3 jackets to take Havoc out for his morning constitutional, brrrrrrr! The Texan family had to turn on the heat which is NEVER an option. No snow for Brooke to build a snowman, she will just have to come to BC.
Please turn the heat back on. Thank you!

Visiting Santa

Where are you taking me? To see Santa? While we were driving to see Santa, Sierra's head band slipped and we didn't notice until we parked, she didn't seem to mind.






Here I am, where is Santa?












Is that beard real?







Yes, it is a real beard!









The family with Santa, Brooke would not smile, not impressed with Santa Claus, but did ask him for a fire truck (red) and a barbie.

Who turned off the heat?

It is pouring and I mean pouring rain and only 10 degrees. Kind of a stay at home day but we are still heading into Shane's for dinner and some shopping, leftover sales from Black Friday. Going to warm up tomorrow, 16 degrees but still not swimming with the granddaughter weather. Going to see Santa tomorrow, that should be fun. 30 years since our last mall Santa visit. OMG, where has the time gone. Isn't it wonderful that we have a chance to witness Brooke's visit with the jolly man. Sierra is too young but there may be pictures.
We had a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner in Laredo with Jessica's family, it was well worth the drive down.

Brooke is back.

Grampa getting Brooke ready for the pool.




Gramma giving Brooke swimming lessons in the nice warm pool, NOT warm, but oh so much fun. The arm floats saved Gramma's arms. She is a brave little girl and not afraid of the water even when she gets a mouth full.




After swimming and lunch it is nap time. Brooke is in bed, I take Havoc for a walk. Grampa had fun while I was gone, Brooke had an poop accident, and didn't make it to the toilet. Grampa was just cleaning up the mess when I got back and Brooke was back in bed sleeping. Ain't life great?
Lucky Art knows how to clean up shit.

Photo's from Cody, WY

Buffalo Bill Cody museum. They made him taller. Notice the sweaters, these pictures were taken Oct. 18, brrrrr but sunny, shorts and sandals the next day.

The safest horse to ride!

Diane just sent me the pictures.

Sleep over at Gramma and Grampa's

Where does a 2 1/2 year old nap while visiting gramma and grampa, why on the floor of course in her Cinderella sleeping bag. Her parents dropped her off and Brooke just asked where is Mom and Dad? I put on my bathing suit and off to the pool to play, apparently is cold to Texas standards but just right for this Canuck. Will see how we make out tonight when Brooke has to share her bed with Havoc, ha ha....oh oh tears, Havoc just gave Brooke a kiss on the cheek...

Rain but still hot!

Cannot believe it has been 8 days since my last posting. We are in Lake Braunig RV Park, unfortunately it is 25 minutes from our son and his family but what the heck, gas is cheap in the US of A and every gas station has a different price. Not much to do here but it takes me 1/2 hour to walk Havoc every street in the heat. There is a lake and Brooke feeds the ducks but there is no paddle boat, it leaks, might try fishing on Sunday. Outdoor shuffleboard that doesn't get used and 20 horseshoe pits, oh yes and a swimming pool that is not over crowded, Texans think it is too cold, just right for us Canadians!
$405 a month and free wifi, green grass (Texas grass), paved sites and lots of garbage cans.
We will move up to Greentree on Nov. 30, $220 a week and $18 for wifi but it is only 5 minutes from Shane's, lucky him, ha ha.
Nov. 11th is not a big deal down here, banks and post office are closed but not private offices, kind of strange and schools can do what they want.

Hallowe'en at the Powell's in San Antonio, Texas

Cute!
Scary!












The grave yard!

Adorable!

Sierra meets Gramma and Grampa,

Sierra is a real sweetheart, 5 1/2 months old and this is the first time we have seen her.

Words cannot express how much fun we are having with her, the faces keep us laughing and our arms tired because she likes to be held and of course we love to hold her.

Thackerville, OK to Whitney, TX

2 AOR parks, Thackerville $10, Whitney $8, so our average for 15 day trip to Texas was $18 a night, only had to pay full price at a few, all in all it was a good trip. We just about stayed an extra day in Thackerville, had a horrible rain and thunder and wind storm, it calmed down at 11 am so we left and it was a short trip to Whitney, should have been a short trip but we got lost and just about checked into the wrong park, Art had the sewer hose out and I told him the place didn't look right and the guy in the office was busy and told us to go find a site and come back to register, we didn't, just headed out. Surprisingly, Art was quite good natured about the whole debacle. Life's little challenges.

South Haven, Kansas tonight

Bought the margarita in a bag, can you believe, made from wine, oh well, I drank it anyway...Ian and Lucie came and took us out for dinner at a very quaint Irish Pub in Weston, fantastic meal, wish we could have spent more time in Kansas City.....well, the seniors saved $17 by avoiding the toll road from Kansas City to South Haven and taking the secondary road, hey, we saw lots of small town USA, much more interesting than speeding down the toll road...Oasis RV Park, right on the border of Kansas and Oklahoma, PA, $17 and filled with over nighters, we even had time to connect Star Choice....does anyone know why there are no new shows on TV, is there a writers strike that I don't know about, all we watch is Canadian news.....great having free wifi at most of the parks...Art in bed and the Canucks are losing 4 - 3 to Detroit, I had better join him, on the road again tomorrow....

Avoca, where is that?

Didn't want the old guy to have to drive too far in one day, so had to find a PA park, and this is it, Parkway RV Park in Avoca, Iowa...there is also a restaurant called the Feed Trough, ha ha, where we (the only customers) had breakfast the next morning and learned all about the locals..$14 to park in the field with power and water, but hey, it is a pull thru.....miles and miles and miles of dried up corn, too wet to get the crop in but they will use it for feed and fuel.....
Now we are parked at a 5 star resort, according to Woodalls and me, $15 a night, Basswood RV Campground in Kansas City/Platte, highly recommend this place if you happen to be touring Missouri, one draw back, it is in the flight path, but it is pouring rain now so it may drown, no pun intended, out the sound of the planes. This is the home of Hallmark cards and Harley Davidson....meeting my cousin, Ian Wolfe, installed the sound system in BC Place, well his company did and he owns the company, for dinner and chit chat. Going to try and get to Wichita on Tuesday without going on a toll road, would rather go 25 extra miles than pay the toll, I know, crazy old people. Our friend Murray paid $25 on a toll road going through Denver.
Bought my first package of Orbit gum, really like Orbit gum, don't have in Canada. Booze in the US, amazing....Single Shot, rum, vodka or whiskey in a kind of plastic bag for $2.45 or a complete Margarita in a bag you can put in the freezer, may have to buy one tomorrow or a 4 pack..wifi is free but not very good, can't beat free...

Getting Closer to San Antonio

Hermosa (Mount Rushmore) to Mitchell, South Dakota...the day started off perfect, sunny, a little cool, but what can we expect, it is winter...first stop, Badlands National Park, spectacular and of course would have stayed longer and seen more if it wasn't so cold and windy...the road in is another story, construction, stop and wait, then very, very narrow passage, don't know how Art pilots this MH though those tight spots, "nothing to it" says he. Really windy across the prairies of South Dakota, nothing for miles and miles and miles...some dead brown stuff growing in the fields, maybe it is supposed to be brown, but it looks dead...KOA park in Mitchell, our most expensive yet, $33, but it was the only one open, no more WalMarts for this princess, ha ha....but when we got here, slide would not go out because the wind had caused the cover to get caught and bend the arm so Art had to get up there and repair as best he could and got the slide out...cover is ripped....damn, more expenses....then to top it off Art steps in dog poop...tomorrow is another day...

Reasons for travels to Texas

Pictures of our darling granddaughters, Brooke with the heartwarming smile and a look that will have us wrapped around her little finger.....Sierra, what a sweetheart, can hardly wait to hug and squeeze her....

Wrong time of year to be in South Dakota!

We left Sundance yesterday and the plug on the water tank froze and we lost most of our water, lucky I had water stored to drink because this park in Hermosa (Rapid City) has poor water pressure, hopefully the next park will have pressure and we can make water....there are 5 units parked in Heartland RV Park, out of 275 sites, so what does that tell you....not a good time to come to South Dakota, Wyoming, Kansas, Nebraska, looking forward to the Texas heat. Heading East tomorrow and stopping at Badlands National Park, supposed to be spectacular, I am sure it will be....lots to see around here too bad it is so cold even with the sun out....we can drive around Badlands Park. Forgot to tell you, we drove over to Sturgis, you know, largest motor bike rally in the world for 10 days in August, anyway we went into the bar for a beer and look around and put a pin in Nanaimo, there was one in Victoria but that was all for Vancouver Island...

OMG

We arrived in Sundance, South Dakota after leaving Cody, Wyoming via the worst highway ever...climbed to 9033 feet from 4432, foggy, narrow, hairpins and then construction, maybe the fog was good so I could see how far down the bottom was, 15 minute wait for pilot car and then a terrible ride to the end of the construction zone and then switchbacks to the bottom and finally arriving at freeway 90 and civilization, Art mentioned after we got settle that it was too bad we couldn't enjoy the spectacular views and actually they would have been as the fog broke a couple of times and I took a peek......and it is going to be cold tonight, park shutting off water.....has been a great trip so far....Moses Lake, Wash; Turah, Montana; Livingston, Montana; Cody, Wyoming and now here...all the RV parks were closed in Cody, we just had power for $20 a night but had a good time, 5 beer for $6 and free appy's at the bar next door, and can you believe you can smoke in the bars in Wyoming, yuk, we suffered for the cheap beer, ha ha..... BLL is $10.49 for 12 bottles.. went to the museum, Buffalo Bill Cody, spent most of the day, huge display....Yellowstone Park was closed because they had a huge snowfall, guess I will have to be satisfied with pictures of Old Faithful, ain't coming back this way again...... we parted company with Robert and Diane today when we left Cody, they went to Cheyenne and we went east.....it was great traveling with them and we had a fun time....our plan is to go into Rapid City tomorrowand spend a couple of days as long as the snow holds off......called Shane in San Antonio and it is 80 degrees, 27 degrees Canadian....bring on the heat...Havoc and I have not been walking off the fat, so you can imagine the shape we are in, too much sitting and riding and watching the road...

3 days on the road.

Left Camperland at 8 am, Ziggy (park police) told us to shut off the diesel, quiet time until 8, Art started motor at 7:45..got on our way with Robert and Diane Atkins, both of us really got the once over at the border, like we are going to stay in the US and not go back back to Canada, not a chance...anyway, first night at Moses Lake, groceries, wine and BLL ($10.47 for 12 bottles)...second night in Turah, Montana and now we are in Livingston, Montana and the first for internet so catching up...Art has not set up the dish and we can't do cable, soooooooo.....no tv, no internet, reading is good...the weather is warm and we came through snow on the side of the road...off to Cody, Wyoming tomorrow for a few days, want to see "Old Faithful" in Yellowstone Park.and check out local happenings, although we may not find a park to stay in as everything closes on Oct. 15, keep your fingers crossed we don't have to spend 3 days in Wal Mart, haha...saw a momma moose and her 2 babies...

FYI

We are leaving BC on Oct. 15, via Sumas crossing and spending 1st night in Moses Lake, Wash. and on the Yellowstone to spend 3 days...will arrive in San Antonio, TX on Oct. 30 and leave Dec. 10...arrive in Pilot Knob, CA on Dec. 15 and will be in Catalina on Dec. 22 for 2 weeks, then over to DP and then back to Catalina for 2 weeks, then DP again for a week, then over to Quartzsite for a week while big tent is on, back to Catalina and then over to Hemet on Feb. 15 and then who knows where...haha....the best laid plans are subject to change without notice....see you in the sunshine...

Camperland, Rosedale

Arrived late Thurs. night and parked on the street in front of Camperland...had a one sailing wait on the ferry (11:00 instead of 9:00)...repairs at Finning blew dust all over the motor home, what a mess, Art had most of it cleaned up when I got back from getting drugs at Usana in Richmond...got the bill reduced by $120 but everything has to be washed...we are in a nice spot in Camperland, Ron and Dana are just down the hill, Robert and Diane are over in Rainbow Ranch next door....happy hour last night, got damn cold when the sun went down...Simmah misses us, she goes across the street where we were parked at Fort Victoria and sniffs around but no gramma and grampa...hated leaving them behind but I am sure Royanne will manage....I really miss them, spent 10 wonderful days...will be doing some visiting here before crossing the border on Oct. 15 and arriving in San Antonio, TX, on Oct. 30 and staying in Braunig Lake RV Park for a month...just in time for Halloween, Shane and Jessica love Halloween with lots of scary decorations....back into walking with Havoc up to the Falls hopefully both of us can shed some pounds...ain't life grand...spend half my time putting the pounds on and the other half taking the pounds off...drinking up all the booze before crossing the border, no problem....

Moving into Paris! (5th wheel has French doors)

Here we are in Fort Victoria for a week and helping Royanne set up her 5th wheel...I am working at Woofles while Royanne and Art do the heavy stuff, lucky me.... we are toasting Royanne's first night in Paris....automatic timed picture so that is why we got Havoc's best side and he was shocked to be allowed on the couch......going to hate to leave her behind but I think Art got everything working and w/d installed..

Plans have changed!

Poor Art, he does not deal well with change....travel plan is now to be in Camperland until Oct. 15 and cross the border at Sumas and head for Yellowstone.....giving Royanne a couple of days off before leaving Victoria on Oct. 6 or 7....we will be in San Antonio, TX on Oct. 30 just in time for Halloween.....very big deal in the Shane Powell family, with decorations to scare the local trick or treaters....plan on being in Catalina Spa for Xmas....stay tuned...

2 day yard sale!

Well, there goes the last of the treasure, well actually, I kept the really good treasures of course, 2 trunks and 4 totes full, my yellow, skin tight jump suit, I wore in Vegas on New Years Eve back in 1971.
The list goes on and on, lucky Royanne has room in her store or we would have to pay storage for sure....one man's treasure is another man's junk.....will update our travels plans as soon as we figure out when.....
Will leave island around Oct. 6th and spend 3 days in Camperland, Chilliwack, then make our way over to Lethbridge, have to decide if it is worth it to change our health insurance and leave earlier than Oct. 19....that is the great part about being retired, no time limits...ha ha!

Boy, did I get lost today!

Yes, I got lost big time in Seal Bay park. Headed out with Havoc to do our usual hour and decided to take a different route, let Havoc lead, big mistake, I told him we shouldn't go down this hill, well we did and ended up on a paved road, no idea where I am, been gone just about an hour already.....wave down a car and ask directions, go to end of this road and turn right and then when you get to the 'Y' keep right....the next person I ask is "how much further", "2 more straight stretches and then around the corner" (very polite teenager)....poor Havoc, had to keep drag him on leash because we were on a 80 km speed limit road, but we finally arrived at the gate to Seal Bay park and closer to home....1 hr. and 50 min. later we arrive...Art actually did miss me but he had his phone off so I couldn't have called to be rescued...I must admit that the only part of my body that hurts are the cheeks of my ass, must be from walking so fast and breaking into a jog every once in awhile hoping I would arrive home sooner....how will I ever convince Havoc to go with me again, I can always tell him I see a squirrel...haha....Marianne, you are lucky you were not with me this time.

Golfing with the girls in Arrowsmith.

Me, Adrienne, Willie, Dale, Pat. Loretta, Marj (Mustang convertible winner), Jill and Sue....fantastic day of golf and we all broke 100, some better than others...did I mention there are only 5 par 4s in 18 holes? Ha ha... The sun shone, the wind blew to keep us cool and it was a wonderful fun day.

Our darling Sierra!

Isn't she a cutie, 2 1/2 months old and it will be another 2 1/2 months before we see her in person...have the hardly waits....she looks so squeezable and huggable....did you know there is no such word as huggable?

Royanne and Simmah and their new home (Paris)!

Royanne and Simmah will be moving into their new home on Sept. 28th to Fort Victoria. We will also be staying there for 10 days before leaving the island on Oct. 8th for Texas. Art has to help set up and teach her all about RV living. The unit has 4 slides, fireplace and w/d hookup, computer desk, a few of the extras.

I'm AOK!

Had check up with cardiologist in Victoria yesterday and my pig valve should be good for another 12 years, but I did find out something a little shocking....took Art with me as two heads are better than one, don't know about these two old heads, haha.....anyway, when I had the valve replaced they kind of got the measurement wrong, so, I have a smaller valve than my original, but not to worry, everything is working fine....whew....and the difference is very small....just keep doing what I have been doing, enjoying life!

Back in Country Maples, Chemainus

Back in limited wifi...kind of a pain...Art can play poker but not listen to the radio...I can play scrabble but cannot download pictures or update my blog....at Woofles in Victoria today so taking advantage of the internet....we will be back in Seal Bay on Aug. 16 and normal wifi...

OMG

We have to leave Seal Bay on Thursday and cannot check in to Country Maples until Friday, guess what it is going to cost for one night???????...$46....I wonder what they have that is worth $46 a night, maybe I will use Passport America, what do you think, should I try? I know I can't use AOR, but nothing says no PA....too hot to park on the street, damn weather anyway..stay tuned for more drama while raising Havoc..

Raising Havoc Update!

Hi, to all my faithful and not so faithful followers, our plans have changed...probably not for the last time, who knows...we are not leaving the island until some time in October after we get Royanne settled in Fort Victoria in her new home - 35' Everest 5th wheel.....October 1, not sure how long it will take and she will have a lot to learn about living in a 5th wheel....will be going up through the Okanagan and then over to Lethbridge to cross the border and head to San Antonio, Texas, via Yellowstone park and other points of interest. Plan (I use that word loosely) to be in SA, TX Oct. 30 for a month then down to Brownsville for a week, back to SA for another week and then head west......will leave the plans there...we are having a very warm and sunny 2 weeks in Seal Bay, Courtenay...missed the Farmers Market again today, closes at 12 noon and I slept in, not until 12, ha ha but late enough not to get ready in time to go....Havoc is on a weight loss program and needs an hour walk, I just go along to supervise, right!

Royanne bought 5th wheel.

No pictures...Royanne and Simmah drove up from Victoria and we met her at Unicorn RV in Nanaimo and she made a deal on a 36' Everest with a sunken living room, fireplace and the neatest layout ever...so exciting and she will be picking it up at the end of the month....she did all the negotiating herself, way to go girl...we are proud of you. Next challenge, putting in the w/d combo, very narrow doors, but according to measurements it will fit...even Art is impressed with the deal Royanne made on her new home..

We have company

Barry and Joan dropped by for a visit all the way from Parksville, not for lunch or dinner or drinks, but fat free pretzels, fat free creamed cheese, homemade pepper jelly and iced coffee made in my Magic Bullet....see how they adore each other, must have been the coffee..

As you can see, we have the nicest site at Seal Bay RV Park, we are very happy, no speeding vehicles, no dust and the deer have not eaten my pansies...all is great, but I do miss my walking partner...

Back at Seal Bay

We arrived at noon today, nice to be back in Seal Bay RV Park....will start my walking regime in the morning but without my new friend, Marianne, had to leave her behind in Country Maples.....reports of bears being spotted but I have Havoc and a bear bell, ha ha....lots of Holiday Trails members here, so will have fun visiting tomorrow....Royanne is still shopping for a 5th wheel and has found an Everest with a sunken living room, a very nice layout, now they just have to agree on a price, so keep your fingers crossed, this is a whole new avenue for her to negotiate a price for something she really wants, good experience...at least at Seal Bay I can update my blog even if I don't have earth shattering news...

Changing Plans, Oh Boy!

Our plans have changed.....we will be leaving the island around Sept. 15, staying here to help Royanne get settled in Fort Victoria, in the 5th wheel, when she buys it....not that much out there for sale with what she wants, 35', counter space, w/d hook-up, not too much to ask, ha ha...champagne taste on a beer income or less....should be at the World's Fair (Agassiz Corn Festival) Sept. 19 unless of course there is another plan change....will write more we we get up to Seal Bay and a decent wifi connections....

Pie Iron Party on Canada Day!

Paul and Teresa, owners of Seal Bay RV Park joined us for Canada celebrations and several beer.





More of the group enjoying the fantastic weather, social chit chat and of course a drink or two.



Can you tell this is the food table, Marianne showing Art how to load up his pie iron with his favourite foods.





Pie iron cook your favourite sandwich and then for dessert is pie iron blueberry pie, fantastic, some even added a piece of apple. Can hardly wait to do this again and again.

New Friend

Marianne and I starting our hour walk in Seal Bay Park....we plan for an hour but for some reason I go left when I should go right, but we make it back having gone a little further.


Here we are back home and good friends. We are both heading back to Country Maples and will have to circle the park for an hour.

Getting lost in Seal Bay Park

Marianne, by new walking partner and I are burning up the trails in Seal Bay Park....we have been lost twice and rescued by knowledgeable hikers....have you ever asked someone how to get home when you don't know where you are and they don't know how to get there?...Marianne's first mistake was thinking I knew where I was going, ha ha!.....we do manage to get back with our trusty guide dog, Havoc...there are 16 kms of trails and not well marked....
Pie Iron party tomorrow to celebrate Canada Day, sounds like there will be about 20 of us maybe more when the word gets out....Art and I are newbies, never seen a pie iron...will remember the camera and take pictures, I hope....
Did you know there is a flag for Vancouver Island?

Correction

The deer didn't eat my daisies, he/she ate my pansies.....sorry for the confusion....ha ha...a flower is a flower by any other name....still upset that I no long have pansies to admire...

Raining in Paradise

Another week has past, oh where, oh where has the sunshine gone???? The crops needed the rain.
Hunting for the deer that ate my daisies, and they were so cute with their sunny little faces, and people think deer are cute, I don't!!!!! The weather has not deterred our walks in Seal Bay Park, it was just Havoc and I, but now Maryann has joined us, much better, somebody to talk to and tomorrow we will attempt to walk down to the ocean and you think the hill at Country Maples is steep, ha ha....watching the movie, "Canadian Bacon"...I don't think we are that polite, clean or nice, well, maybe we are!....or have you seen the movie, then you know what I am talking about? We had Lady Lu for 8 days while Maurice and Gloria were in Ottawa, she was no trouble at all, loves to eat, gets canned dog food....great walker and little poops, ha ha...bye, bye for another week.

Where are all the pictures?

Let me tell you, I keep forgetting about the camera, so you just get to read...John Gibson came over for coffee this morning....right after he left, Art left to check in with Wal Mart....when he returned Chuck and Shirley had arrived from Country Maples for a visit and check out Seal Bay RV Park....then Harvey and Jeri arrived from Campbell River...while the 6 of us were walking around the park, Bill, Vicki and her sister Doreen arrived on bicycles (Doreen lives just up the street)....all our company in one day, now we will not see anyone for the next two weeks....the dogs and I will be burning up the trails in Seal Bay Park...will be up until midnight watching "Pretty Women".
Miss Royanne and Simmah...

Seal Bay RV Park

Spent one night at Cumberland RV on Comox Lake, had fun walking the many trails with Havoc and Lady, I call her Lady Lu.....they have the best fries at the concession stand...not on my list of to eat, but I did enjoy them very much..only 15 amp and water, no sewer.......I got lost in Cumberland, not really, just didn't turn on the right street, always seeing some extra sights.....now we are in Seal Bay RV and Paul has really improved his campground, we like it here....visited my favourite food store, Quality Foods...Paul (owner) wondered where all the Holiday Trails campers were, we are here....that counts...and internet that works...
Forgot to tell you about our yard sale...comments were our stuff was TOO nice, well of course, we sold all the junk in the other yard sales back when we sold the house...anywat, antique lazy-boy chair, antique stores offering us $100, no way in hell, would give it away first....anyway, packing stuff away and Art sells the chair to a very nice lady for $340, what a guy....snow to an Eskimo, ha ha...

Garage Sale tomorrow

This is going to be a busy weekend....garage sale at Royanne's and also helping out at the store and of course some wine making to round out the activities...it is going to be difficult parting with all my treasures but I guess they have to go sometime.....found the trunk with every drawing and card, Shane and Royanne ever drew or wrote, this will be saved until we are all together...memories, WOW! Also found the kids first baby shoes, really ugly, brown and black Oxfords....poor kids...
Next report will be about all the money we made, ha ha.....

Port Refrew

Have you ever been to Port Renfrew? Do you know where Port Renfrew is? We drove over there today to visit a cousin of Art's that he has not seen for 50 years....after lunch of a $1.99 Whopper Wednesday burger at Burger King (I love hamburgers) we headed out what was to be an 1 1/2 hour drive (took 2 1/2 hours)....we turned right at Lake Cowichan (we should have turned left) and after bumping along on a gravel logging road, asked directions, turned around and got back on track...then there was a 20 min. wait for the pilot car to follow for 10 kms (road repairs)....Art forgot the address but remembered the street name, lucky there is only 100 houses in Port Renfrew, ha ha...asked at the post office and Maurice (cousin) lives across the street with a beautiful ocean view...had a very nice visit and hope to see him again, he is in excellent shape for 77..... checked out the marina and RV park....more people live there than in town... but I don't think we will take the MH over.......there are no kids left to go to school, just native indians...the older kids take a 1 hour bus ride to Sooke.... I little too isolated for me I think....not even a gas station.....only a grocery store, liquor store and hotel and the worse is dial up internet.....whatever would we do??????

Where has the time gone????

Said farewell to our friends Dale and Jeanette but will visit them in Manning Park at the end of August when we leave the island.....Havoc bit my finger while stick fetching, will have to wear a bandage (no spelling for band-aid) forever as the nail is cracked in the middle and will catch on things, damn it hurt but I am fine now....then there was the day he tripped me walking in the trails, I fell on him, he yikes and growls at me and there I am flat on my face and he is still growling, pissed off that I fell on him.....had fun working at Woofles last weekend, I meet the nicest dogs.....Art made the most delicious crab quiche.....I think I lost my cooking job...am I sad....NOT.....Art is a much better cook and he loves to shop....me, not so much.....
Shane upgraded our computer and I have had to sign up for everything again, some fun getting back into my blog but finally made.....we got kicked off our wifi connections said we were using too many MB's only allowed 160 MB in 48 hours, satelite internet does have problems.....we are having fantastic weather, hot hot hot....thank heavens for a/c......hopefully I will type something new and interesting every week, having some difficulty remembering what I did yesterday, must write it down....

Wonderful Sunny Day!

It is going to be a perfect day today....Art went to Victoria to put on wine and do some work for Royanne in her store and I have all day to do exactly what I want, I might not even get dressed, that went out the window, I have to go to the store.....making fruit crumble for desert tonight, fish chowder at Chuck and Shirley's. Shirley does make a great fish chowder. The park is quiet right now but I guess the weekend warriors will be showing up soon with all their little darlings. I will miss them as I will be working at Woofles Barking Boutique in Victoria, Sat. and Sun.....notice the little advertising plug.....Havoc is waiting to go walk the trails and chase squirrels.

Exciting times in Country Maples

Country Maples RV park where we spend our summer. This is Arizona row where we park, the best sites, except for the dust, speeders.



The corner store and the clubhouse. 100 Weekend Warriors invaded our peaceful existence and then by Monday all was back to normal.




Jeanette and I holding a jar of pepper jelly that we made this morning, ummmm good...then 6 of us watched Mama Mia on the big screen TV and ate popcorn. Does it get any better?

Proud Parents

Mom and Dad and baby Sierra. Brooke got a baby sister for her 2nd birthday....the drama of 2 birthdays on the same day...the fun has just begun....Shane and Jessica are ecstatic and so happy. I counted her toes, yup, there are 10, will check the fingers later. Isn't this technology great, we had pictures 1/2 an hour after the birth.

She arrived (Sierra Powell)

Sierra Powell was to arrive on May 20th but she was in a hurry to come into the world, 7 lbs 13 oz. mother Jessica is doing great and both her and Shane are very happy with the new arrival. A little sister for Brooke It was a whirl wind birth rush to hospital after water broke at 3 and baby Sierra arrived at 4:30. We heard her cry as Shane called while he was holding her, she was hunger, of course. I don't know if I can wait until November to see her.

Brooke is TWO today!

Brooke is two years old today and we were video chatting when her mothers water broke and she was whisked off to the hospital. The party was planned for tomorrow, oops..... Lucky her Uncle Clay was there to stay with Brooke.
Will post pictures of her birthday even if it does not occur for a couple of days.

Mother's Day

All I want for Mother's Day is to spend it with you Royanne (daughter) and she arrived from Victoria with the nicest heartwarming card and a scrabble game. We had fun playing the game without the help of the online dictionary, ha ha. The beautiful tulips are from Shane (son) in Texas, he also called and we had a chance to say hi to Brooke, granddaughter. Art cooked turkey dinner and it was a fantastic day. Oh, by the way, I won the scrabble game, just in case anyone wanted to know. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful family, have to stop now, tears are clouding my vision.