Saturday, August 20, 2016

Oh, Canada!

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This is the Canada Man who is perched on the rock at the shore out from Croft and Norma’s place.  As Canada has won gold medals at the Summer Olympics the Canada Man has acquired similar ones around his neck.  I’ve been watching the Olympics with Norma and Croft and it has been exciting.  It is always entertaining to watch how another country reports on news and sports, and I’ve seen a lot I like.  I do like the spots on the Canada station that has the tag line ‘we all play for Canada’.

There is a paved walkway along the shore that I’ve taken several walks along.  This morning I took some pictures.IMG_20160820_070204  There is a coffee shop not far along and I stopped.  $2.75 Canadian for a small coffee that was good.  I tipped $1 because, hey, its not quite a US dollar, and I only had a credit card as I have no Canadian money. 

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Further along is a small park set up by the local Rotary Club.  There are a few of the chainsaw carved wooden statues.

 

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It is also a Memorial Garden, with small memorials on rocks along the sides.  I walked a bit further.  Everyone smiled really big and said hello.  I realized later that I had on long pants, a long sleeved t-shirt and a hoodie.  All the locals were in shorts and sandals.  I think they were laughing at me…  Pretty much everyone here is complaining about the heat and just how hot it is.  I’m comfortably cool.  It may be 80*.  I’m afraid if it ever got to 95* here we would lose the entire population of the Island to heat stroke.

I’m eating well.  I’ve discovered that I love smoked salmon.  Croft stopped on the way up here from Victoria at a small seafood shop and got a baggie of the stuff.  I think he may have gotten a couple of bites of it.  One taste and I’m hooked.  He took me to a dockside fish and chips for supper when I got in, and we have gone to a dockside fish and chips place here in Campbell River as well.  Turns out I do, in fact, like seafood.

This is for Al in Bayfield:

IMG_20160819_145814  I am in my first ever Tim Hortons eating a carrot muffin and drinking a coffee.  It was really good.  I can see why Al has a habit of getting them.  I had gone with Norma and we got haircuts at a local salon.  My hair is pulled back into a French braid.   I only got 6” cut off, so it is still down my back, despite how it looks in this picture.

That is what has gone on so far.  Eating, Olympics, walks, Olympics, Eating, and did I mention how well I’m being fed.  So far Canada is a hit with me.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

Wednesday, August 17, 2016

To the ferry at last

I need a luggage cart to carry the carry on pack. My shoulders and back are toast. It really was a mile so not too bad. I want to stop and look around more on the way back, though, so I need some way to move that doesn't involve me whimpering with each step.

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Light rail agogo

Continuing on my way. Hope I can carry my stuff to the dock. It is about a mile from the light rail station. I'm traveling carry on only and using a backpack style bag, as well as a backpack. Since i only have one back it is presenting a challenge...

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On the road again - destination Canada

Once it occurred to me I suddenly had a window of opportunity to travel this summer while I'm parked near enough to Mom that I can leave the cats in her care, I started making plans. I've never been to Canada. I k ow Canadians as snowbirds who arrive in AZ as the weather starts cooling down to bearable. I floated the idea to Croft and Norma that perhaps I could come up and visit them for a week, and got a friendly 'come on up' response.

This morning, after some issues from yesterday I'll talk about when I return to AZ that will require putting the car in the body shop for a bit, I woke to my 4:30 am alarm. On the road to the airport by 5am I made my flight to Seattle with no issues. I'm in the air on the way to Seattle as I type, and I'll post this once I land there. Ongoing posts as I go.

Looking forward to studying the Canadian Snowbird in its native habitat.

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Friday, August 12, 2016

Garland Prairie sunset *corrected

Garland Prairie is east* west of Flagstaff. It is approximately 4 miles wide by 6 or 8 miles long. Temperature around this time was mid 60's. Just some more of Northern Arizona.

We took a short hike near there. I'm trying to get into shape to get out to the neat areas that Mike knows about.

*whenever getting directions from me, always verify east/west, north/south, and left/right.  I tend to get them mixed up.  I'd blame old timers disease, but I've been this way all my life.

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Sunday, August 07, 2016

Left over picture from convention

As this picture shows, old cavers don't stop going to the national convention, they just dont go to the caving talks anymore.

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Friday, August 05, 2016

Pictures of Payson - Green Valley Park

Once I get live writer down loaded to something I'll post more pictures of this park. It has three ponds, a Zane Grey cabin and other things I haven't seen yet. I walked down here, and need to walk back home, so I won't explore much today. This park is where a lot of community activities happen.

Called and made doctor's appointments at Mayo Clinic for the next couple of months. Progress.

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Thursday, August 04, 2016

Mormon Lake on a monsoon afternoon

Turns out my lot flooded yesterday. I have some tubs outside on my patio that started to float away. Mom had gotten caught over here at my place when she tried to check on the cats before the storm. While it was storming she saw my tubs floating away and went out to get them. The fast water knocked her off her feet, 3 times. I told her that if the stuff had been that valuable it wouldn't be sitting outside in the first place...

I had thought that maybe I should stay here instead of going back to Mesa in September, but I think this rv needs dry, warm weather. I have water in 2 places that I can't figure out how it gets there. It is clouding up again, so I need to go stash the stuff I laid out to dry in the car.

Welcome to summer in northern Arizona.
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Wednesday, August 03, 2016

Chilly monsoon morning

I'm up at Mike's place just south of the Grand Canyon. Early morning rains dropped the temperature to 60*, a good excuse for a morning fire. I know I lived in the Valley of Fire (Phoenix) when 60* is chilly.

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