This last Saturday morning. We can just see the lake.
Later in the day.
Sunday morning. There is a lake out there somewhere!
Our province ( like a US state ) sent a request to the Federal government for help. They are sending in troops and equipment including aircraft to help movethe firefighters as well as those who have been evacuated. 149 new fires have been started in the past 48 hours.
Taken this morning. If you step outside it smells like a dirty ashtray. We have been living inside for two days now. The air quality is at a 10+ with 10 being the highest.
A wee bit of light filtered through late this afternoon. My tiny green tomatoes were happy.
Late this afternoon the smoke lessened. I could see the lake again but not the hills and mountains.
Yesterday, Saturday, I got my hair done. My actual appointment was for Friday but my hairdresser was ill and changed it. That gave me more time on Friday to do research but made the first part of Saturday busier than planned. Once I got back from my hair appointment I had just thirty minutes to change and head out the door yet again.
The play Mamma Mia was being performed here in Kelowna and I was fortunate enough to score two not so great tickets at the matinee yesterday. I have been so involved in other things that I neglected to notice the happenings in our own community.
They had a photo booth in the lobby of the theater that was very well organized. The photos were in my email when I got home.
So glad we got there early so we could partake in the fun.
The production was over the top. Our seats were to the far left but still close enough. Some of my photos are stolen shots as they asked for no photography but I wanted you to see what we were seeing. The entire cast were from talent mostly here in Kelowna as well as in BC overall. Top notch. If it wasn’t 100% sold out I would have gone yet again and perhaps yet again.
Singing ” Money, Money, Money “. This was taken off Facebook. The sets were simple but enough to show changes of scene. I neglected to get photos of the painted panels along each side of the stage depicting typical Greek view scenes.
I have to say that this was even better than any of the musicals I have seen in New York and I have been seen many many plays in NYC. The song ” I DO, I DO, I DO “. The audience was clapping in time to the music at times and singing. Tons of energy.
Hmm I don’t think I told you before how much I love theater and that I once studied at the Banff School of Fine Arts for a summer and actually directed a play in Calgary. I was also heavily involved in theater in Edmonton where I used to live. Once we stop traveling I will absolutely get involved in local theater one way or the other.
I was so very happy that we saw this production. It truly was magnificent. When we came home there was no way that I was going back to researching. I eventually settled into my teal recliner with a good book and some wine and stayed there for several hours. Now that is what I call a great day off. Here is the You Tube video that Colin took with my point and shoot camera during the company bows which went on and on. Everyone was singing and dancing in the aisles along with the cast. I just stood there with tears in my eyes, well perhaps a bit of bouncing about 🙂 A very good great video considering it was hand held and it gives you a feel for the energy. The play ran for 2 1/2 hours with a 20 minute video and then the 10 minute company bows and song after song. A perfect ending. This post is a 1 compared to a plus 20 of the actual performance. However it will help me recall when I am 95 and house ridden, a perfect day of my life.
So I have seen Mamma Mia the movie as well as a traveling group singing the songs. I have to say that the play was the best of them all. Now I have to go and see Mamma Mia, Here we go Again!
Lake Lane, the street that we live on here in the Park has not had a block party for a few years. I know that I should have organized one ( I did so a while back ) but I just have not had any free time over the past few years. So someone else organized one for today between 4 and 6 PM. It was extra smokey and we were at 36F. Not everyone attended but we had a good turn out.
There were folks that we knew such as Karen whom I have not spoken to since they arrived the end of June. I am mostly inside on the computer. There were also many new arrivals to our street over the past few years. Many changes and new faces. Thanks for getting this shot of me Colin.
It was a fun getting to know new neighbors. We figured out that the oldest person on our street arrived in 1995 and the we were next arriving in 2001 or 2002. There were almost another dozen others that arrived to enjoy the happy hour after I took this shot. Nice to see Colin out socializing. He has been working hard the last two days.
The smoke and heat continue although there are showers in the forecast. Lightening also.
I liked both of these shots, so I leave it up to you to decide which you prefer.
We hit 100F today complete with more smokey skies. I image that if we didn’t have the smoke it would be even hotter. The forecast calls for thunderstorms tomorrow evening with showers both Saturday and Sunday. That will help cool things off and be a huge help for the fire situation. However we have a new fire that just started three hours ago and has already doubled in size and is currently at 200 hectares. It is only 24 km/ 15 miles away from West Kelowna.
I am happy to report that my US research is complete. We will be spending 47 nights in the US before we cross the border into Mexico mid November. The plan was to be free with no plans and just go with the flow. I very quickly discovered that almost all the campgrounds were already full. I got the very last spot in Las Vegas today at our preferred RV park, for the first few days in November. I usually only call in a few weeks ahead. Over the past few days we have had to lock in our reservations ( but I am flexible to make changes at no charge in all but one ) as so many RV parks were almost fully booked. Lake Havasu State Park had a choice of four spots for me to chose from.
I made use of our Passport America discount card and found several deals, one for as low as $12.50 per night with the highest non Passport America price per night at $39.50. We are booked into an RV park for 43 nights and we are boondocking for 4 nights at our more Northern stops. It is way too hot to be boondocking at that time of year. So for our 47 nites we are paying on average of $25.50 USD per night. I think that that is a great deal.
Tomorrow I start looking for VRBO and Airbnb bookings for our 39 nites in Europe next spring. When I started looking last September for our four weeks this past spring I found the best apartments fully booked. I don’t like having to book so far in advance but it appears I have no choice.
I just checked the news and sadly there is an evacuation alert out re this latest fire, which includes several camping locations. Can you imagine having to pack up at 9:30PM and go where at this time of night 8-O.
Today is day two of being socked in with smoke. Last night at sunset you could not see the mountains.
In the other direction, away from the lake we were unusually smoked in.
Compared to today this is an organized research desk. Today was brutal but I only have one hour left to go. Then onto Europe. The runners on the left are a reminder to take them in to be stretched yet again. I paid $200.00 for these special Mephisto closed toe shoes and they still hurt my toes. Long time readers will remember that my feet are claustrophobic. I will need more serious hiking shoes than sandals this fall.
Culled from our garden yesterday morning. So many minis every day.
Last night we decided to open a red and found this in the wine rack. 2009!!! Once it breathed it was excellent. We still have two bottles from 2013. They no longer bring this wine into BC.
Last evenings sunset, the vivid colors due to the smoke.
The view of the lake and mountains this morning remained smokey and we could smell the smoke in our home. I really dislike living in air conditioning but sometimes we just have to.
I loved how the filtered sun lit up the dining area.
…and from inside the bathroom, the colors were most interesting. The light through the stained glass has a different glow.
Colin now gets up early, often around 6AM to spend a few hours with one of his guitars. This was taken this morning and you can see how the smoke is so very close to us.
After another smoke filled day we were treated to this smokey sunset.
