Oct 02, 2019

Sudden change in the weather

We woke up to a surprise Saturday morning.  Snow up there on September 28th, certainly a rarity and likely a first for the time of year.

The cool weather stayed with us all weekend. Then the night of the 30th, it went down to -3C/26F!

We had our final salmon BBQ this year in those temperatures. It was the only night that Colin wasn’t working. Yes that is a huge piece of fish but it was the smallest that we could find.

We picked these tomatoes two days before it got so cold.  We picked up that colourful glass in Morano ( Venice ), Italy just two years ago.

Monday, September 30th, a new park home was delivered to friends on our street. The home had to make two turns. This was the first and we had to move our cars and the golf cart. Someone else ended up parking their cart on our lot as they got caught on the street.

The last turn was the tightest.  That white open area will have an add a room added to it on site.

That night before the frost we went and picked a bag of beets tops, the rest of the Swiss chard and the kale.  This is an entire new batch of tomatoes separate from the ones in the photo above.  We left many many more tomatoes on the vines.  I can’t believe how well our tomatoes have been doing.  I still have dozens of new bight yellow flowers on the plants.  Hopefully some of these greens ones will ripen.  We haven’t been back to the garden since Monday night so I have no idea if anything survived the frost.  We still have beets and carrots in the ground.

Colin is working towards his final deadline with photography but the weather is not cooperating.  Meanwhile I sit at my desk working on my Mexico lists as well as trying to wrap up the business as best I can until April.

Oops!! I must have bumped the small server table that we have our wine glasses on and this glass ( just a cheap one ) fell off. Had it been one of our better glasses there would have been hundreds of shattered pieces.

The next morning, October 1st and -3C.  Not a pretty sight.  Glad that we did not have to be out there scrapping our car windows.

There was a mist on the lake.  Can you see the bit of colour from the sunrise.

We had to go into Kelowna for a meeting. Such a change in the colour of the trees.  I wore my open toe shoes but with a pair of socks as well as a fleece shawl over my sweater.

We are ever so slowly starting to load things into the RV.  Looks like at least four guitars will be making the trip to Mexico.  Just the cases have made it to the RV thus far.  Colin is still playing at the end of every workday, which is why we often don’t eat until 9PM or later. However I am also working late. Tonight I am writing this post at 8:15PM.

We were very surprised to see this fellow out on the lake just before sunset, about 6:15PM.  It was 50F/10C with a breeze as you can see.  Very cool but he appeared to be dressed for the weather complete with a toque over his ears and gloves on his hands.

Our local online news station does a poll every now and then.  I was very surprised to see the results.  Only 27 have voted thus far.  Looking forward to seeing the results when we get into the thousands.  Do you get a flu shot?  We never have.

Up to 821 so very quickly.  This will be interesting.  I have always been against inoculating a bad substance into your body.

Thanks for sticking with me so far.  So happy to have you along reading my blog

Comments(14)

Sep 27, 2019

I killed my iPhone

What a week it has been!  Colin had been working as fast as he could and then the weather shifted back to rain showers. This past Tuesday after as 12 hour day at my desk, I am still trying to catch up, I decided to have a long soak in the bathtub with a book and a glass of wine. Colin was working until who knew when and as it was critical sunset timing I could not call him to ask what time he was coming home for dinner ( late in the evening as usual ).  I had no idea if he was going to call me on my cell phone or the landline so I brought both of them into the bathroom with me.  They were on a higher counter for me to easily pick up which ever rang.  After about 45 minutes my iPhone rang.  It was some guy named Steve giving me a hard time.  I got rid of him and carefully put the phone back.  Not two minutes later it rang again.  I answered it quickly thinking that it was Steve again but it was Colin and in my haste the phone slipped into the tub. I quickly jumped up and wrapped it in a towel.  I dried my feet and flew to get rice and a ziplock bag.

Once I did that I got online and it appeared that that was all that was needed and a good deal of luck.  Such a waste of jasmine rice.  Would you later cook the rice or trash it?

The next morning I read that it was extremely important to shut the phone down.  I had not done that.  I pulled it out of the bag and tried to shut it down.  It would not.  Another article explained how to check if there was water damage but I had to take the SIM card out which I did.  So much rice dust in the bag.

A bit later I read another article stating that putting a phone in rice was the worst thing to do 😯  What to do?  Meanwhile I was trying to figure out what flight my friend was coming back from Ottawa on.  I was to pick her up at the airport around noon on Wednesday but all the information was now in the dead cell phone.  I knew she had left on Air Canada as we had driven her to the airport and I spent over an hour trying to find out what flight she was arriving on.  Whether her connection was through Toronto, Calgary or Vancouver, none of them arrived near noon.  I even spent 40 minutes on hold to talk to Air Canada.  They were of no help.  Colin sent her a text for me from his job site in the hope that she would see it. She did and then she texted  🙄 me but that was useless as my phone was dead.  Meanwhile I had sent her an email and she sent me her flight number and arrival time. I later found out that she was returning on WestJet!  Looking back, none of her texts mentioned WestJet.

Meanwhile I suddenly 💡 recalled a card that our battery place had given us for replacing cell phone batteries.  I called and the guy freaked out and started calling out directions.  I had done it all wrong but he said to bring the phone in immediately which I did.  Gosh what a morning and it was only 10:30AM.  Colin wasn’t having such a great day.  The home that he was photographing had no light switches at all. Everything was turned on by a smart phone.  The clients were in Calgary.  He did get that sorted out eventually.  They turned on what he needed when he needed it remotely from 252 miles away.

So I managed to get my phone to the repair shop, got a lecture and paid $35.00.  As I left he wished me luck that he could fix it.  I had an extra bit of time so decided to treat myself to a decaf Starbucks ( which happens maybe 3 -4 times per year ). Somehow the lid was not secured and I manged to drip coffee all over me. The stains did come out later in the day after six hours of soaking. I made it to the airport and of course had no phone to connect with my friend as to time and pick once she got her bag.  I guesstimated and arrived about thirty seconds before she did to the pre arranged pick up area 😉

I sat on pins and needles until noon yesterday, Thursday, when I got the call that my phone was ready to pick up.  I cautiously asked if it was fixed and he said yes that it as working.  So Colin and I went out later in the afternoon to pick it up.  It only cost an additional $30.00 but of course comes with no guarantee. He suggested backing it up often.  I had in fact just backed it up about a week earlier. He was most impressed.  Thanks to my computer guru who has trained me well.  Apparently the phone did need some soldering here and there once it was aired out and there is no guarantee if some areas have been missed.  I don’t use it a lot so I guess time will tell but you can be sure that it will be backed up at least monthly. Likely it may not last too long.  You have no idea how happy I was to have my phone back.  I am not certain that I could have coped with buying a new one and starting over with setting it up.

In other news, did you read about the woman locked in the toilet on a United Airlines flight.   They had to do an emergency landing to get her out of the toilet.  As many of you know, I have been locked in a toilet three times now, all in Mazatlan.  There is no way I would have survived what this woman endured.

Since we have been back from Edmonton I have observed that the geese are all gone.  Yes, already 🙁   Most unusual.  The forecasts say that we will have an early winter. In fact there is a possibility of snow flurries tonight and tomorrow in Edmonton.  Thank goodness that we were there last weekend.

Our garden continues to produce. Someone helped themselves to two of our last cucumbers.  We got the last one and some more tomatoes as well as the Swiss chard that I added to my fish chowder yesterday.  I love how the Swiss chard did not fall apart thanks to the crockpot.  The chowder was great.

Taken a day or two after our return from Edmonton. Now we have rain showers and very low dark clouds.  We have been using our fireplace and furnace in the morning to take the chill off.

We leave four weeks from today for Mexico.  Yes I am counting the days. Just in now, a new forecast with a frost warning for this area.  We will have to pick some produce in the garden tomorrow.  The farmers are saying that it feels like November out there 🙁

 

Comments(6)

Sep 24, 2019

My final Edmonton notes…

I have to mention how shocked I am that gas prices are so very different just one province over.  We are paying 139.9 per litre, while in Edmonton I saw prices as low as 88.5 per litre and prices as high as 105.9 per litre.  At least there you have the opportunity to shop around.

We were not as impressed with our hotel, the Varscona on Whyte, this time around. We have been going there for several years now on an annual basis.  One issue was that they have changed the included wine and cheese from a small and intimate affair with a wonderful selection of cheeses and fruits to inside the attached restaurant.  There it is the same wine choice of white or red for the entire month as opposed to a new selection every day.  Plus we used to get a good half glass pour, now there is a very stingy 2 -3 ounce pour that varies from glass to glass as I observed.  The main fellow in the restaurant was rather rude and arrogant.  Then of course the presentation of the two dull cheeses cubed and thrown on a plate, left much to be desired not to mention the cheap crackers.  The wine and cheese used to be over 100% and now is down to 15% or less.  It was cool while we were in Edmonton, both inside and outside.  I never warmed up the entire 3.5 days that we were there.  Surprisingly the heat in the hotel was not yet turned on. The desk staff appeared busy and distracted.  We did not feel welcome, nor did anyone appear to care if we had a problem. Well not quite true, the few older staff members that I have come to know over the years were friendly.  Fortunately after complaining a few times we were able to get an electric heater brought to our room.  I am seriously contemplating an Airbnb for the next visit.

I will say that the included breakfast remains 100% wonderful.  After breakfast Saturday morning we headed up the street for our second and final chiropractic treatment of this trip. Dr. McKenna is so very professional and on point with what he does.  We did a bit of a walk after our treatment before stopping to shop.

Many of you who have heard over and over about my abhorrence of closed toe shoes will be happy.  After 90 minutes of TLC from the manager of Sole Experience I was fitted with the perfect pair of running shoes.  Not that I plan to do any running but walking will be just fine.  They fit, I have room for my toes and know how to lace them up for the ultimate comfort so that my feet do not feel claustrophobic.  No one else has ever spent so much time with me nor explained the proper fitting of runners.  Tammy was an angel and my feet are so very happy.  It might take a year to break them in but so far so good.  I wore them here in the house for three hours yesterday and am doing the same today.  If I find that they don’t work out I can return them along with the very special ‘Sole’ orthotics that they sell as an insert.  It molds to your foot over time.  Suddenly my future looks much brighter.  I’m certain that I will be walking that new ‘Rail Trail’ one day soon. Worth every penny.  Plus I really need these for my October 2020 trip.  Nothing like planning ahead.

We dropped off the runners along with another bottle of water at the hotel and then just headed back out for a walk with no direction or destination in mind.  I love the building art in this city.

Eventually we ended up at the Farmers Market.  Earlier in the morning someone had stopped us and asked us the directions to this market.  I was only able to wave in the general direction and later we just happened upon it.  Wow, this place is huge and so very perfect in every way.  We tasted salsa, pesto, cheeses, shrimp, peanut brittle, a new variety of pear and something else really yummy that I can’t remember and even some berry wine. The latter was not a favourite.  Truly a delightful place with lots of light, energy and a few musicians. If we had our RV there I would have filled the fridge.

First time that I have seen Brussel sprouts sold by the stick.

How fun.  All grown naturally.  I wonder if they all taste the same or ?

This city is alive with electric scooters.  They are everywhere, the other brand is called Lime and are that bright colour. It was the perfect sunny fall day for walking and exploring.  Sadly we had to head back and get ready to meet friends for dinner.

You might remember Jan & Paul, they visited us mid July in their RV.  Paul is one of the top, if not the top, photographer in Edmonton, so he and Colin always have lots to talk about.  Jan and I are on the same page with wine and travel.  We have so much fun with these two.

We dined at Cafe Amore Bistro, a lovely Italian place.  Our waiter was hilarious and somehow the four of us and he hit it off and it was literally a ‘ barrel of laughs ‘. We were served our meals and Colin got just the one ravioli  in reference to some joke he had made.  I can’t remember ever having so much fun with a waiter.

I love cheese but this four cheese penne was over the top. Beyond delicious. I plan on going back.  That blue colour is from the overhead lights.

The evening ended too soon but we did have to go back to our hotel and pack.  Sunday morning came early enough and after another wonderful breakfast at the hotel we caught the Sky Shuttle to the airport.  It was wonderful to watch the golden leaves as we drove.  Fall is later here so I get to see it all again.

The shuttle only goes once per hour so we checked in rather early for our flight but because of our free priority passes through our Visa card we passed two very pleasant hours in the lounge.  In fact we were two of the last six people to board the flight and as we had aisle seats across from each other we did not disturb anyone.

We had a good flight home and had a friend pick us up.  Sadly we came home to cool weather and heavy rain.  Fall is most definitely here.  The good news is that today and tomorrow are sunny ( more or less ) and Colin is getting the last of his jobs completed.  I am feeing better, I only had one incident while in Edmonton and was able to stop a second, so I consider that progress.  I believe that my supplements are helping.  Now do I start to decrease them or wait a full month before I start to do so?  No matter I plan to being the full amount with me to Mexico as I can’t get them there.  I am starting to feel confident that I might have a hold of this situation.

 

 

 

Comments(16)

Sep 23, 2019

Back home but oh so much more to share from our trip

We returned home Sunday afternoon but I was too weary to complete my Edmonton post.  So here goes.

I had a bit of a rest after my luncheon with my school friends. Colin and I then went down to the wine & cheese included with our hotel stay. We sat in the breakfast room away from the crush of people.  That is how this photo came to be.  A lovely piece of glass set atop this lovely piece of wood.

As we had the evening to ourselves we decided to head over to a 7 PM movie at the old Princess Theatre. Where we were located we could walk to everywhere we wanted to including the chiropractor.

The theatre was constructed in 1914 and more details can be found here. I took the photo above the next day as it was dusk when we arrived Friday evening.

Such a neat building. There is even a balcony. That is me on the left.  Not too many people attending the show.  Cost for seniors was a mere $8.00 each.  Even the popcorn was a bargain.

Does anyone remember these rooms?  A viewing room for parents with infants.

A lovely foyer. The movie we saw was Official Secrets based on a true story. Most interesting with a surprise twist at the end.

Some funky photos as we walked Whyte avenue after the show.

As you can see Mist is all about hookah pipes.

We think that this was a souped up barracuda.

I wonder if this is the last Army and Navy store in Canada.

So many street musicians and some are very good.

Some excellent wall art in this area.

A long line to get into the Beercade.

Next stop was where else but back to Chianti for another pasta meal.  We have been here before ( not just last night ) but in past visits and this is a special place as it’s in the old post office building ( built between 1911 & 1913 ) which makes it distinctive and interesting, with very high ceilings and a good deal of character.  There are years and years of  past Fringe Festival posters strewn all over the place. We only had half portions of pasta as we had enjoyed popcorn with the movie.  Colin had the Fettuccine Du Chef ( prepared with spinach noodles, smoked salmon, mushroom, cream and pesto ) while I indulged in Ravioli Alla Gorgonzola. It was smothered in blue cheese sauce, fortunately there were only eight ravioli.

So much life and light to enjoy on our walk back to the hotel.

Looks like I will have to complete my post on our trip to Edmonton tomorrow.  Stay tuned.

 

Comments(10)

Sep 21, 2019

Our first 24 hours here in Edmonton

The only view I could get of the flight as we were boarding.  A regular 737 but an older plane. The flight was non eventful but there was no service, not even water. Apparently they do sell some things but they were not serviced prior to departure so there was nothing. I always pack an empty water bottle in my small personal time and then fill up at the water fountain before boarding.  We landed at 4:15PM local time Thursday afternoon.

We took the shuttle from the airport to the hotel. We saw this bird and his owner in the next lane. Originally the bird was on the steering wheel and was being petted as the car moved down the highway. Later we saw it on his shoulder. You could see bird poop all down his back, on the steering wheel and the dash. By the way this was how the driver was positioned as he drove.

Got checked into our room but had to go back down to the desk and change rooms.  Long story, but the only other available room in the entire hotel was fine. We got unpacked, went out and bought water as the water in Edmonton has fluoride which we avoid.  You can Google the negative effects of fluoride if you are interested. We make a point to buy toothpaste without it and when we get our teeth cleaned we turn down the fluoride paste. There was just enough time for us to stop in at the hotel’s complimentary wine and cheese for a small glass of wine.

An unimpressive sunset from our window.

We met our friends Jannose and Colin ( they came to visit us in Kelowna just a few weeks ago ) at Chianti’s for an excellent pasta dinner.  The food is so very good there.

The city has put strings of tiny lights in all of the trees along Whyte Avenue.  Very pretty at night.

Neither of us slept well that first night as we had a queen instead of a king bed and the mattress is extremely high and when one moves it rocks the mattress.  We are spoiled at home and in the RV  (also a queen ) as our mattress is made so that if one turns over the other is not disturbed.  However I have to say that those six weeks in Europe with all the different beds we were in, we slept well.  They were all good mattresses and pillows.

Our room also includes a full breakfast everyday, we started Friday morning there.  So many choices from homemade porridge to cold cereals and granola, yogurts, fresh fruits, home baked pastries and croissants warm from the oven, egg, bacon, sausage, toast, juices and many types of coffee including lattes and expressos.

Next stop was to see our chiropractor, Dr McKenna. We both needed to be adjusted. He is a wonderful practitioner considering I only need to see him once per year.  I image if I lived here I might see him 2 or 3 times per year.  He spotted  a weakness in my right leg which was turning outward to the right and would be a tripping hazard when I became fatigued.  He fine tuned several other areas.

We went for a walk afterward and managed to check out two music stores. It was cool and we were wearing our jackets.

One of the stores has a showcase full of vintage and extra special guitars. This a 1995 custom mother of pearl Fender guitar.

I was meeting some of my class mates for lunch. When I am in town we try and get as many of us who are available to meet. We went from grade 7 to grade 12 together and attended Academie de l’Assomption, a French based school for girls here in Edmonton. Colin wanted to take my photo before I left.

The Greek restaurant was just a few blocks from here.

We spent close to three hours chattering away and reliving some memories. Besides great food there was a special and wine was half price be it a glass, a carafe or a bottle. Wonderful afternoon.

So ended my first 24 hours in Edmonton.  Fortunately the sun came out and it was a pleasant Friday afternoon.

Comments(14)

« Prev - Next »