So much for the best laid plans....

We came back from California happy to be home and looking forward to spring that seemed to take forever to arrive. In fact, we might have skipped spring, and jumped right into summer.

Everyone knows I'm a vocal vaccine supporter, and sickened by the vitriol of anti-vaxxers and the abuse hurled at health care workers.  A group was started in the Oceanside area where weekly care packages were delivered to the Nanaimo Regional Hospital and other healthcare facilities.  My cohort in crime and dear friend, Bev Shaw, teamed up with me to show the staff of the Palliative Care unit how much we are grateful for all that they do.  They were so touched by it, and we left feeling that while we couldn't undo some of the horrible stress they've experienced over the past two years, they would have at least known there are those who care.

April brought Roger's cousin Pat and her husband Roy for a quick visit.  They enjoyed seeing the cherry blossoms in full bloom, and we had a great day visiting the Comox area.  We also went camping with Barb and Rob Perry and enjoyed sitting around the campfire.

We also had a great trip to Campbell River with friends, Conni and Ed Lewis.  We shared delicious meals, walked over the suspension bridge at Elk Falls, had lots of laughs, and played cards and a favourite outdoor game called Molkky.

Elk Falls Provincial Park

In early June we visited Brad, Anette and Magnus to celebrate three of our milestone birthdays, and Magnus's 9th.  Roger and I turned 65, and Brad was about to turn 40.  Brad and Anette treated the family to an amazing tasting menu at Cafe Juanita in Kirkland (foodies - check out the website!).  Without a doubt, it was one of the best meals of our lives, made even better by the five of us experiencing it together.

We always encourage Brad and Anette to have a night out while we're there so we can have Magnus to ourselves.  It was fun to have a couple of his friends over for pizza and we had a campfire complete with a bag of peanuts (one of Roger and Magnus's traditions).  

We also went mini golfing, and we took Magnus to launch the sailboat we got him for his birthday.  A friend told us about these neat model sailboats that you can't capsize and it turned out to be a terrific present with Magnus catching on to how to handle it right away.  

There is a fishing line and reel that is attached to the sailboat, and after it sails away, a quick tug has it tacking back to shore.  It will be fun to take Magnus out again on another visit.

Magnus's many faces crack me up!

In June, we attended our 47th high school reunion.  Covid delayed the 45th by two years, and I enjoyed being on the organizing committee.  All the hard work paid off, and 100+ students and two teachers had a great time catching up.  We all had a hard time believing that most of us were celebrating our 65th birthdays -- but reminiscing with old friends made us feel like high school was just like yesterday - but without the flared jeans and "streakers" running by!

It's a good thing we went to Great Central Lake with Bev and Stu Shaw when we did, because the summer went sideways on us. It's always a good day when we're on the boat with them.

Just before going to Calgary, our landlord dropped a bombshell.  After three years of renting a house and repeatedly being told we had nothing to worry about and they had no plans to sell, we were told it was going up for sale.  Because good rentals are few and far between in the area, my immediate reaction was feeling just sick and to panic envisioning us ending up in an apartment with Canadian flags being used as drapes!  

When we decided to rent the house 3 years ago, house prices were going down so we thought we'd rent.  Then Covid hit, and the prices went crazy.  In the last few months, the prices have started going down again with banks forecasting continued softening of the housing market, so we felt it was not the time to jump back into buying. 

Fortunately, a brand new apartment building was opening up in the summer, and we were able to get a unit with two bedrooms, den and two bathrooms on the top floor.  One of the biggest challenges was to downsize from 1700 sq feet to 900 sq feet, but fortunately we've done it before and knew we could do it again.  Not having a garage impacted Roger a lot because he's still working, but between selling/donating and tossing things, and a kind neighbour letting us store some of his tools, we are making it work.

While I was busy selling and packing, Roger had to make a few trips to Calgary to work on his dad's house.  Roger and his friend Dwayne spent several weeks doing everything from replacing the deck, to landscaping, installing a dishwasher, building a fence, etc.  The home is safer now and will hopefully help keep his dad in his home for longer.

In mid-July, Roger came home for a few days and we went to Victoria to meet up with Dwayne and Annette for Deuce Days which is a famous car show.  I'm not much of a car buff, but this was impressive. And being with Dwayne and Annette is always fun.

About 1400 cars were on display throughout Victoria Harbour.  

On the hottest day in July - we moved.  Thank God we had movers!

Once the masks are hung, I know we're home.  Wherever that may be.

The apartment reminds us of the one we had in Medellin, Colombia except we don't hear nightly gunfire!

Four days after moving, we went to our "happy place" in northern Idaho near Sandpoint.  We had planned on Roger taking our RV there first and then bringing the boat, but with Roger having to be in Calgary and the move, we decided to stay in a motel in Priest River and just bring the boat.  It wasn't ideal, but it all worked out.  

We love going to the Sandpoint Festival, and this year we saw the Beach Boys.  With beautiful weather, it was fun hearing the songs of our youth.

Fun times with Paddy and Dave Carlson!

While Mike Love was the only original Beach Boys at the concert, their songs were the perfect music for such an amazing venue.

We were so happy to have Brad, Anette and Magnus join us for a few days. We had a barbeque on the boat, hit our favourite restaurants, tubed, kneeboarded, fished and Brad and Anette took their e-foil out on the river --- much to the interest of those who saw them "fly" by!  For 27 years, summertime in Idaho has been special for our family.  And this summer was no exception.

So fun being able to bbq on the boat then go for a swim!

Roger got a chance to tube - a rare treat - when Brad took the wheel.

Magnus has the boating gene that Roger and Brad have.  He is careful, aware of boats around him, where the ropes are and gives instructions to make sure the ladder is up!  It is a great source of pride seeing Magnus driving the boat and know it will be a lifetime joy for him.

Brad, Anette and Magnus having a water fight in the water!

Cheers!

As the week went on, Magnus got more confident (and silly) on the tube.

Captain Magnus

Brad on the e-foil.  It is so neat seeing the board raise up out of the water, and the quiet sound it makes as they glide by.  Brad took Magnus out on it and Magnus sat cross legged as they buzzed around. Such a cool sport to watch, and to see how much fun they had doing it.

Randy did a valiant job of keeping up with Magnus!

Kathy and Randy stayed at the Eagles Nest Motel along with all of us
- it is known for the wood carvings of bears.

One of the best parts of the trip was seeing Magnus get "hooked" on fishing!  Even when he wasn't catching fish, he said he enjoyed the quiet, rhythmic motion of casting.  While fishing from the docks, two fishermen went into the their tackle boxes and gave Magnus lures to help him catch small mouth bass.  Their kindness was rewarded when he landed the first of two fish he caught.  What a triumph!

An old timer giving Magnus some tips.

Magnus and RaRa doing things together melts my heart

Such joy to see Magnus and his first fish!

While the boys fished, Anette and I had a wonderful evening drinking wine and talking at 74 Main -- a favourite spot in Priest River.  I'm so lucky to have a daughter-in-law that is also a treasured friend.

After Brad, Anette and Magnus left, good friends, Shelagh and John Slater from Alberta came as well and stayed with Shelagh's cousin  (Paddy and her husband David) . We spent a couple of days having a great time with everyone at Paddy and Dave's who have a gorgeous house on Lake Pend O'Reille.  The four of them came and spent a day on our boat where we had a BBQ and Roger made margaritas with the blender powered by an inverter that Roger installed in the boat (doesn't every ski boat have one?)

L to R:  me, Roger, Paddy, Dave and John

Paddy and Shelagh cooling off

Roger brings new meaning to taking people on a "Booze Cruise". 

For the record, this video was taken before any margaritas had been consumed.  The good news is I got up on the kneeboard, and more importantly, the meds for my osteoporosis are definitely effective.  How do I know this....watch and see.  The wipeout was a water up my nose, "tumble dry" kind of end to a good ride!

For the last few days, we were on our own.  One of the people we wanted to see was Dan Burkey - the officer that helped us on the night that Roger had his heart attack in 2016.  Dan is on the Priest River Police Force when he isn't in the Army Reserve, but wasn't on duty when we popped into the office.  

Later that day, we were having a pizza and who walked in but Dan and his family.  We had a wonderful visit with Dan, Ashley and two of their kids: Cohen and their daughter.....wait for it.....Kinley.  Yes - their 9 year old's name is Kinley. Enough to give a person goosebumps. Such a special family and the bond we have with them hasn't lessened in the years since that scary night.  

A very special family 💓
Not all heroes wear capes -- Dan wears a uniform, and he's definitely our hero.

Roger and I took one last boat ride before heading home.

Shortly after getting back to Parksville, Roger returned to Calgary for another trip to finish up some projects for his dad.  It will be good to have him back home and hopefully there will be some more boating and camping trips before the rain starts.

The last three months have been stressful but with enough fun and support from friends and family to smooth out the bumps. And isn't that what change is all about?

"All great changes are preceded by chaos."

Deepak Chopra