June started by me welcoming Roger's mom and sister for a visit. With the project in Costa Rica finished, Roger made it home the day before they left. It was a relief seeing him tour the house that I bought and furnished in his absence -- he gave it a two thumbs up and said it was even better than the pictures I sent him. Phew!
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| Roger and his mom down at our beach |
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| Left to right: Roger, Rob Perry, Jodi Ikert, Barb Perry, Paul Ikert, Rhonda and Madalane |
We always have fun when Dwayne and Annette Majcher come to visit so were thrilled when they popped up from Victoria where they have a condo to see our new place. The original plan was to just stay for lunch and in true Kinley/Majcher fashion - they ended up staying for breakfast.
We had a campfire by the beach, watched eagles soaring overhead, seals swimming near the shore and there was even a whale sighting.
Then in early July we headed to Calgary for a whirlwind family reunion. We had a great time and it was terrific having so many attend.
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| Roger in the background, Brad, Magnus, John and Zunny |
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| The family! Back row left to right: Cooper, Colin, Chris, Brad, Tyler, Samantha, Kathy, Roger, Jack Front row left to right: Anette, Walter, John, Heather, Rhonda, Siu |
After Calgary we brought Anette and Magnus on a road trip to Idaho where we got our new trailer set up at Rusty Tractor Springs. The Moes now own the property, but we were able to camp there this year.
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| Magnus loves anything mechanical and happily spent time with Roger as he puttered on the trailer |
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| Anette and Magnus enjoying the beach at Priest River |
Once we dropped Magnus and Anette off at home, we headed to Sidney on the island and got on Tranquillo for a couple of weeks of cruising the southern Gulf Islands. The weather was perfect as we spent a couple of days at Todd Inlet where we visited Butchart Gardens, then went to Ganges Harbour where we experienced their famous Saturday Farmers Market, and then we spent a couple of days at Montague Harbour where Roger successfully caught more crab than we could eat.
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| Tranquillo at Ganges Harbour on Saltspring Island |
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| The long awaited crab feast at Montague Harbour |
While we were cruising we talked about whether we should keep the boat or if it was time to sell it. Despite living on the coast, we haven't used it as much as we thought we would. And admittedly, I was eyeing the VHF radio with a different outlook after Roger's heart attack --- wondering if there would be a time I'd have to send an emergency call from a secluded anchorage.
At the end of the cruise we decided it was time, so took a couple of days to unload our possessions and clean it up. We have a group of people in Kelowna who just put a deposit on it, and they are very excited about having Tranquillo shipped to them. We know they'll love the boat as much as we did.
Many people are shocked that for the first time in a very long time we don't own a boat. Never say never, but for right now we're going to embrace our adage, "less is more".
After the boat we headed back to Seattle for a quick visit with the kids and then flew to Kansas City for a week. Roger had meetings with Colin and Andrew regarding a job in Arizona and I got to spend time with Karen. She has been going through a living hell after cancer surgery and I got to take her to her 11th chemotherapy treatment. Karen has soldiered through very difficult side effects with humour and strength and we're so very proud of her.
I was very happy to help with practical things to help her and by the end of the week she was fondly calling me Consuelo.
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| Dinner time! Left to right: Roger, Karen, Colin, Cooper and me |
August found us back in Idaho for a couple of weeks and having fun in our old haunts: The Beardmore Bistro Wine Bar and Tap House, Willow Bay, and the Festival at Sandpoint.
One goal Roger and I had when returning to Priest River was to meet and personally thank Officer Dan Burkey. He was our guardian angel the night Roger had his heart attack, and coming across his police car in the grocery store parking lot was truly the tipping point in getting Roger medical care quickly.
We were thrilled when Dan and his wife, Ashley, and two of their four children joined us for dinner at Willow Bay. Dan is our hero, has served his country in Afghanistan, and is a devoted husband and father. And all around great guy.
The three of us recounted August 28, 2016 and Roger and I couldn't believe how much Dan remembered despite countless other calls he would have attended in the past year. As the evening wrapped up, Roger hugged Dan and thanked him again. I told the Burkey family that (whether they liked it or not!) we will always be a part of their lives, and would love if they visited us on the island. What a wonderful evening and what a fabulous family.
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| Left to right: Cohen, Ashley, Kinley (yes! Their 4 year old daughter's name is Kinley!), Dan, me and Roger |
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| Left to right: me, Paddy, Shelagh, John, Dave and Roger |
After staying in Idaho a couple of weeks, we headed to Whitefish, Montana with Dwayne and Annette Majcher, for the wedding of a very special couple, Whitney and Ryan. Whitney's parents are good friends, Ed and Colleen Walsh from our Sunhaven Road days and we've known Whitney since she was about 4 years old. The four of us were honoured to be seated with Colleen and Ed at the reception and we had a fabulous time.
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| Dwayne and Annette brought a trailer to Whitefish so we had a great time camping amidst wedding festivities. |
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| Such a beautiful wedding at Whitefish Lodge by the lake. |
After a quick pit stop in Idaho to pick up our remaining personal effects from the property, we headed to Dash Point State Park just south of Tacoma, Washington. We got set up and the next day went to Bothell and picked Magnus up for two days of camping.
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| The beach on Puget Sound was gorgeous and provided a great place for Magnus to play in the sand at low tide. |
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| Magnus hitched a ride with RaRa until we could hose off his sandy feet! |
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| Because of campfire bans throughout the state, we bought a propane fire pit so Magnus could still make s'mores -- one of his favourite camping past times. |
We arrived back in Qualicum Beach on August 25th and it was so good to be home! Roger had only slept in the house for a few nights and he immediately launched into building shelves for the garage. I love having him home, and he's been meeting the neighbours and enjoying the community like I do.
One of the reasons we decided to sell the boat was for us to use our new trailer to explore Vancouver Island. We did just that this past week when we went to Salmon Point near Campbell River for three days. We joined Barb and Rob Perry who brought their trailer too. We lucked out and had an ocean view site and the first day and evening were spectacular. Smoke from wildfires blew in for the next two days so we were glad we got to see it in all it's glory.
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| Dinner with a view Left to right: Rob and Barb Perry, Roger and me |
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| The sunset was breathtaking which was made spectacular when someone started playing Amazing Grace on bagpipes. |
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| Smoke turned the blue skies grey and shrouded the islands so they were barely visible. |
We're back home and happy to hang out for awhile. There may be a camping trip or two this fall but in the meantime, we're just going to enjoy being together in our new home.
It was a summer of fun, friends and family. Just the way summers should be.
"Some of the best memories are made in flip flops".
Kellie Elmore
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