5C's Que Pasa

Last Friday we had tickets for the performance of Carmen here in Kelowna.  We saw it last November in Mazatlan, you can read about that here.  I called that performance magical, not so much the one we just saw.  Opera has changed, now they are modernizing the performance, perhaps to entice more ticket buyers.  The first time I saw Carmen I was a child and my mother was in the chorus.  It was a huge set with lovely costumes.  I have lost track of how many times I have seen this particular opera but my favorite was the first time and the performance I saw at the Met in New York, over 22 years ago.  The sets and costumes in Mazatlan were superior to this production although the cast were better here.

The change of guard with the children’s chorus running past.  They were dressed in black and greys and wore toques and scarves.  The guards were merely wearing regular dress pants with a camouflage shirt.  The corporals ( Don Jose ) were wearing the full camouflage outfit.

A very modern Carmen in leather with a pink bustier.  I have yet to figure why there is a line of laundry outside the cigarette factory.

I needed that expensive $8.00 glass of wine at intermission.

The smuggler’s mountain hideaway which looked like steps that a children’s choir would stand on to perform.  Micaela on the left and Don Jose on the right.  Al the voices including the chorus were great, thank goodness.

Heading into the bullfight.

Of course we know that Carmen hangs back as she needs to meet Don Jose.   In the end he kills her, usually with a knife.  But in this performance he strangles her and we watch her shuddering as the breathe leaves her body and she finally falls to the ground.  It was a horrific death.

Opera Kelowna is only a few years old and they are doing a great job.  They only do one fully staged and orchestrated performance per year, the rest of the time there are small concerts in the park, in the vineyard and under the stars and a few theater galas.

I did not enjoy this performance of Carmen, however the music as always stirs me.  I will go back next August to see their production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.   Can’t help it, I love opera.  So if I have to close my eyes and just listen to the music, so be it.

They say it might be weeks before we are free of the smoke.

This is the 3rd worst fire season ever here in BC, the first two were in 1950 and 1958.  What does the future hold?  Is this the “new norm” as they are saying?

We went into Kelowna for a function last night and as we got closer the smoke got thicker.  This was taken at a traffic light about 7PM.

We ran the A/C all night. This morning I could barely see the lake and I am standing at the lake edge.

I also could hardly see the sun this morning.  See that tiny white dot up there.

Tonight the smoke is so thick that you can’t even see the sun or the pink/red colour of the sun.

I am almost claustrophobic from being inside with nothing to see.  Very depressing.  I am staring to get upset at being stuck inside.  Each time I go outside to take a photo it smells like a dirty ashtray.  Colin was out doing some errands and watering the garden, when he came back inside his clothes smelt like smoke. Each time I go outside I start to cough.  Colin says that a few of our tomato plants are starting to pack it in, the smoke?

The good news is that our beets are doing very well. Beets tops are so tasty.

We continue to spend long periods of time on the computer.  I am happy to say that I am 75% done with my research.  However this is the year that we are redoing our will and that takes a good deal of time as well.  There are only four weeks left in which Colin can work.  So he has started to tell his clients that it is now or wait until we get back in April.  Smoke or no smoke.  He can colour some of the sky but if a home requires view photos it can’t be done.

They tell us that the smoke is going to be here for a long while.  We woke up to ash on our vehicles this morning.  Unless we really have to we use the A/C  at night we don’t.  We love to sleep with our windows wide open.  So in addition to ash on the cars we had it on our dresser, night tables and Colin’s desk.  It appears that the breeze last night was from the North and hence the mess inside.

This photo was taken at 9:30 this morning.  We have nothing to complain about compared to these poor folks.

Somehow I lost some photos.  Knowing my mind these days I likely deleted them from my camera.  It was not serious as it was only photos of a part that we need for the RV which has been discontinued.  So I need to find it somewhere.  It is for our Dometic fridge.  Eventually I retook the photos.  I  had also checked my iPhone just in case and found some photos from a month or so ago.

I was at the mall and saw this temporary sale of these incredible lamps.  I loved the colors and the shapes.  Fortunately I had my phone with me.

The prices were high or I would have picked up a few.  Perhaps for outside at the Isla.  At least I have photos to remind me of these wonderful lamps.

I never ever go to downtown Kelowna on my own but I had to just the other day.  Finding parking on Bernard is impossible.  Not to worry, I parked 3 blocks away and as I was only going to be 20 minutes I only put three quarters in the meter, good for one hour.  Once again I was taking my closed toe Mephisto runners in to be stretched for the third time.  Colin did it for me the first few times.  This time I was wearing them so the fellow could see where the shoe was cutting into my toes.  He said that he would stretch them upward from my toes.  He told me they would be ready the next day.  I asked him to please leave the shoes on the stretcher for a week 😕

As I left the store I meandered back to the car, simply enjoying window shopping which I seldom have time to do.  About three or four doors down I saw a ladies clothing store.  Something compelled me to go in.  OMG.  Clothes in my style and colors and not expensive at all.  I  started wandering around.  I checked every rack in the very crowded store.  Soon I had close to two dozen items to try on.  I am not a shopper but when I see something I like, watch out. When I got to the till to pay, I asked the clerk to not tell me the total 😯 .  As I handed over my credit card a light bulb went off in my mind.  The parking meter 😥

Sure enough I had a ticket. In fact I missed the parking gal by about 4 minutes.  I called the number on the back and said that I was only four minutes lake.  Sob!!  They looked it up and as I have never ever had a ticket before,  they cancelled this one.  Phew.  Lucky break.

Thanks for stopping in to read this post.  I hope you have some wonderful plans for your weekend.  Enjoy.

Jan and Paul are in the area in their RV for a few weeks. They dropped by Tuesday evening.  So smoky out there.

When my Dad passed away in February of  2015 he donated his body to science, to the Department of Anatomy at the University of Alberta.  My Mom had done the same thing and they kept her for close to two years.   Every year the University has a memorial service for all the families whose loved ones had made the very special donation of their bodies so that futures doctors could learn about the human body and all of its complications.  For whatever reason they were including my Dad in that years memorial service even though they were not quite done with him.  Unfortunately it worked out to be the time that we would be traveling back to Canada from Mexico.

What to do?  It just did not make sense to spend thousands of dollars to travel to the service for the one day and it was not a good idea for Colin to be driving the RV back on his own with two dogs.  So we thought about it and with the input of a very special friend, we decided to hire a videographer to tape the entire ceremony so that when I viewed it, it would be just as if I was sitting there in the audience.  So we called many photographers in Edmonton and did phone interviews and Paul was our choice.  Having been at my Mom’s memorial service I was able to direct Paul as to where to sit and what I wanted him to focus on, the music, the speeches, my Dad’s name on the big screen and so on.  Paul did a fabulous job, I actually cried watching the video and am so very happy that we hired him.  I felt like I had been right there.  He did a perfect job.

Once home Colin was able to explain to Paul what we wanted as the end product.  There was a good deal of back and forth for a few months and we explained why were not going to be there.  Eventually it came up about our travels and this blog.  Paul started to read the blog.  He and Jan also have a large rig and plan to travel as we have in a few years.  We had become friends via emails.  So this summer they were RVing in Vernon and here in Kelowna and the stars aligned for us to meet.

Paul set his iPhone up on the back of one of the teal recliners to get a photo of the four of us.   Paul was so helpful to me when I got my iPhone last fall sending me all kinds of tips.

After some wine and chit chat we headed over to the local Greek restaurant.  We enjoyed each others company and the discussion revolved around photography and RVing.

We chatted until almost dark.  We were too involved to get photos of our delicious meals.

Thank you for stopping by  and we hope to get in yet another quick visit before you have to head back to Edmonton.  So much to talk about and so little time 😥

Taken a few days earlier.

I put both shots in as I could not decide which I preferred.  Hate the smoke but love the special effect photography.

How fun!  I just realized that four different people were involved in taking photos for this post.

Very well indeed.   Almost like a weed.

Colin can barely get between the Swiss chard and the kale to weed.  Just two weeks ago we did a severe cut back and already it is looking like this.  All natural, we do not use any fertilizer.

I planted three tiny mini tomato plants and we can’t eat them fast enough.

Every day we pick quite a few.  So sweet and tasty.

I only planted two of the larger tomato plants and one is doing very well.

Yummy tomato sandwiches on fresh toasted bread.

Every other day we are picking a full bowl of the minis.

While we were in Europe folks used our hose set up.  It is a community garden but they never shut off the water and the hose blew up.  It was one of those hoses that fill with the water pressure.  Now we have been dealing with someone using our new set up but not shutting off the valves.  Whoever it is, is still using it but now shuts 2 of the 3 valves.  Two days ago our Y connection at the hose bib that allows two hoses to be attached at the same time was broken!  Not a big deal but really!

Due to the abundance of our produce our meals are being planned according to what needs to be eaten.  Here we have beets and beet tops.  The zucchini was gifted to us.  We have also been given broccoli and both yellow and green beans.  Somehow I can’t give away enough of my leafy greens.

Looking better after a severe culling.

Someone is growing Brussels sprouts.  Cute little buttons growing next to the stalk but such a large plant for so few veggies.

This person is growing peppers.

And here someone is growing sunflowers.

We are having a good time with our first ever garden.