Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Today was overcast all day and about the same temperature, so not a really nice day.

We decided to go to Kelowna, it was a nice trip but if I lived in this area it would drive me crazy to have to drive the same highway any time I wanted to go someplace! With the river, lakes and rocks there is only one route between Osoyoos and points north and that is Highway 97 so it would get really boring after a while, and, it is also a very busy highway. Kelowna is a fairly large city and the waterfront area is pretty, I would hate to imagine what it would cost to buy a condo there!

Neat Rock Formation


Looking Towards Kelowna




Sculpture in Kelowna


We had picked up a real estate book the other day and I have never seen so many properties over $1M listed at one time. I would say the average price for a house is around $500,000, we certainly couldn’t afford to live in this province! When I was talking to Steve yesterday and he said the average LOT price in White Rock is $500,000 so we don’t know how people, especially young couples, can afford to buy a house. As Steve said they would be up to their ying, yang in debt all their lives!

Highway 97C goes west from Highway 97, just south of Kelowna, to Highway 5 and there was a large overhead sign on 97 today advising that 97C was slushy and snow covered in spots – not my idea of a good drive! We will take Highway 3 across as it only has one pass and that one isn’t as high as the ones on 97C. We are hoping that Thursday will be an okay day to do the drive.

We found a Super Wal Mart at Westbank so stopped to pick up a few staples, which were much cheaper than at the local grocery store. We stopped at Okanagan Falls to get something for dinner and they had brook trout on sale for $4.97/lb so guess what tonight’s dinner will be.

It hasn’t started to rain yet but the mountains around us are beginning to get shrouded in clouds so I am sure the rain isn’t far off.

Tomorrow I have to try to find some place to get my hair cut, as my mother would have said I am starting to look like a shaggy dog – LOL!

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving everyone - we hope you all have enjoyed your thanksgiving dinners with friends and families.

Today was the same weather wise as we’ve been having with a low overnight of -6C (22F) and a high today of about 10C (50F) so still not warm. Now the weather forecast is for rain the next few days, we don’t seem to be able to win with the weather this trip!

Our Spot at Desert Gem RV


We are just watching the news and this is the coldest October on record, with the below freezing temps during the night the vineyards are in a race to get the grapes picked within the next few days or they will lose their crop – not nice for them! It seems like it looked like they were going to have a bumper crop until this cold arctic air came and froze everything! We have certainly seen a lot of vineyards with the ground (and some vines) covered in ice so can see what they are dealing with. At least they are having a bumper crop for pumpkins here!!

Today we decided to drive around a bit and we ended up finding the road from Okanagan Falls along the east shore of Lake Skaha, we followed that north to Namarata which is on the east shore of Lake Okanagan. Penticton sits between the two lakes and there is a river, creek, whatever, joining the two lakes and running through Penticton.

Okanagan Lake


Talk about wineries, there are so many of them around here it would be impossible to start naming them. We stopped at one winery but found the prices out of our range – the cheapest 750 ml bottle was $20 so we passed on buying a bottle for dinner – we will just have to be content with our home made wine, which is really good and much cheaper than that!

On the way home we took a road out of Okanagan Falls looking for the falls and all we did was end up on one of my most unfavourite type of roads – lots of climbing, twists, turns and sheer drop offs – I was glad when John found a place to turn around and we got back to the main highway; and we never did see the falls!

One of the downsides of this area is that there is mainly only one road to drive – Highway 97, the rest of the roads in the area don’t go anywhere so it gets pretty boring doing the same drive to and fro from wherever you go.

John is cooking a turkey breast for our Thanksgiving dinner – we will have turkey, dressing, squash and green beans – no desert.

Yesterday I started a book that takes place in Lompoc, CA, which we went through in the spring, so I am looking forward to picking it up after dinner again. I always enjoy books that take place someplace we have been as I can then visualize the area.

We heard from our friends, Steve & Cheryl, who live in White Rock so think we will spend a few days in their area, after Chilliwack, so we can visit with them before heading to the island.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Today was another beautiful sunny day with a high of about 14C (58F). It was nice in the sun and we were even able to sit outside for a bit – a nice change from the last couple of days.

The last couple of nights the temperature has gone down to about -3C during the night so John has left the kitchen tap on a slow drip so the hose doesn’t freeze. This morning I woke up about 3 and had trouble going back to sleep and about 3:30 all of a sudden could really hear water dripping so got up to see what was happening, oh no, somehow the plug was in the sink and the sink was almost full to the top with water!! I can just imagine what kind of mess we would have woken up to if I hadn’t heard the dripping and got up to investigate (the plug is now out of the sink so it can’t happen again tonight!!).

We decided to have a very quiet day and really didn’t do a lot. John started refinishing the trim in front of the door, which badly needed to be re-stained etc. and I did a couple of loads of laundry – talk about a lazy day. I also got caught up on reading blogs and replying to e-mails. We walked around the park just as the sun was disappearing behind the mountain as we knew once the sun went away it would be cold again. Not an exciting day but an enjoyable one none the less. I expect tomorrow will be another quiet day as being a holiday it is probably a good day to stay off the road.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Today is another bright, sunny but cold day with a high of only 9C (49F) – sure would be nice to see it warm up a bit.

We drove down to Osoyoos this afternoon, it is pretty but I don’t think I would like to live in this area, just doesn’t appeal to us that much.

Coming Into Osoyoos


In checking it out on the internet I saw that temperatures here during July and August are above 30C and the fall – September and October, are supposed to be warm, so what is happening here!! We stopped at a Fruit/Vegetable stand and the lady said this is really unusual weather for here, I was going to say the cold weather seems to be following us but didn’t because she might charge me triple for bringing the cold – LOL!

From Osoyoos we took Highway 3 westbound which leads to Keremeos and the Similkameen Valley via Richter Pass, a really pretty drive. At Keremeos we picked up 3A north to just below Penticton, so while almost there went back into Penticton to get fuel. Highway 3A to Keremeos is the route we will take when we leave here, that way we cut off quite a few kilometers and don’t have to go all the way down to Osoyoos and across.

The Drive Along Highway 3 and 3A




Yellow Lake


Penticton and Lake Skaha


We stopped at Marks Work Warehouse in Penticton as I am looking for a new sweatshirt, turns out Marks only carries men’s not ladies sweatshirts – go figure! John saw a nice sweater jacket there so I bought that for him for his birthday so now he will be able to keep warm.

We got home about 6 and another quiet evening is in store. We don’t plan on doing too much the next couple of days and then maybe Tuesday we will take a drive up to Vernon and Kelowna.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Today was a nice sunny day with a high of 11C (51F) so it was cool and it was also very windy.

Janet & Dave didn’t know if they would leave today before the cold weather hit or what they were doing – they had an appointment with a real estate lady this morning so it depended on how that went but said they would let us know by early afternoon what they were doing. They arrived here shortly after 12 to say they were going to head home, we’re glad we caught up with them on Thursday; and we’re looking forward to visiting them on the island.

John and I didn’t want to go too far today as we feel trucked out but around 2 we decided to drive to Penticton – it was a pretty drive along the lake but guess who forgot their camera, so no pictures.

Penticton is quite large and very spread out with all the shopping you could wish for. We drove around town then stopped at Wal Mart to pick up a couple of things then stopped at Valu Mart in Oliver for a couple of groceries – I went into shock at the prices, sure wouldn’t want to have to buy groceries here for too long. Will have to check out a couple of other stores and see if their prices are any better – an example is a jar of PC dill stackers costs about $2.49 at home and they were $3.49 here.

We got home around 6 so I decided to see if I could get my brother in Australia on Skype, lucked out and we talked for about an hour. He and Ian are leaving next week – flying over to LA and are taking 3 cruises out of the states, they will be gone about 5 weeks so I wanted to wish them Bon Voyage.

Franneca called to thank us for the birthday card and Gift Certificate so we had a nice chat with her then with Mike. I asked if they were going to Octoberfest this year and she said they were passing – they have been Octoberfested out over the years.

John barbecued burgers for dinner and a nice quiet evening lies ahead. And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Today is our daughter-in-law’s birthday, Happy Birthday Franneca, hope you had a great day.

It was very cold this morning, just above freezing, so John wasn’t in a real rush to get out and hook the trailer up - it was about 10:30 by the time we pulled out of Birch Grove RV Park. We really enjoyed the park and it’s beautiful setting, it would be an idyllic summer spot.

The drive today was again beautiful with many ups and downs, the highest pass was 5065”, it’s not the going up that is so bad but the coming down! Again there were lots of twists and turns along the way and it was quite a long downhill run into Osoyoos but it was a pretty drive.

Coming Down Into Osoyoos




There are many, many wineries in the area and lots of fruit/vegetable stands so I am looking forward to checking out the stands and hopefully a few wineries.

We arrived at Desert Gem RV Resort in Oliver about 3:30 and have booked in for a week. It is a nice park with cement pads and currently is quite busy. They have good wi-fi so tonight is catching up, it sure doesn’t take long to get behind on my blog and pictures when I can’t post it every day.

I called Janet when we got here and they were just on the way back from a trip to Vernon so came over about 6 for a drink, then the four of us went out for dinner. The weather is supposed to turn cold and wet in the next day or two so they might head out tomorrow instead of Saturday so I’m glad we caught up with them today. It was good to see them again and get caught up on happenings since we saw them in July at Green Acres. We are looking forward to spending some time with them when we get to the island.

It’s about bed time so I am going to call it quits as it has been a long day. And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

The Selkirk Loop is an international loop with a unique scenic drive that winds through Idaho, British Columbia and Washington State. Unknowingly, we started the loop at Sandpoint, Idaho and then followed it from Creston to Balfour and then as far south as Nelson. Today we decided to follow the loop as far south as Salmo, unfortunately the rest is back in Washington State so we didn’t do it.

At Salmo we turned west and went to Trail before heading north through Castlegar and Nelson to home. Again, another beautiful drive with wonderful scenery and we felt right at home as we passed Erie Lake and drove through the Beaver Valley! We drove for quite a ways along the Columbia River, and all day we were surrounded by mountains.

Today's Scenery










The Nasookin, a sternwheeler that is now a cottage near Nelson


We stopped at the Post Office in Fruitvale as I had some stuff to mail to Kel and we were very impressed with the lady in the P.O. as she was very helpful, now I hope Kel gets her parcel quickly!

This morning was not great weather wise, it would be sunny then would cloud over and rain a bit then the sun would come out again but once we left the park it turned very sunny and warm with a high of 17C (64F) and stayed like that until we were almost back to Nelson, then it turned rainy and cold. When we got home it was cold and drizzly so not good for sitting outside. We were glad I had put chilli in the slow cooker for dinner so John didn’t have to barbecue.

Dinner is now over and John is looking forward to watching the Tudors while I will enjoy a good book.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Today was mainly overcast with just a few breaks of sunshine and a high of about 10C (50F).

Today we did the Slocan Loop – we went north to Kaslo, northwest to New Denver, then south through Slocan and South Slocan, over to Nelson & back home. What beautiful scenery – lots of snow covered mountains and beautiful views all the way.

We stopped at the Visitor’s Center in Kaslo and toured the SS Moyie. The SS Moyie was a passenger carrying steamwheeler that was built in 1898 for the Canadian Pacific Railway and steamed on Kootenay Lake until 1957. She was the last passenger carrying steamwheeler operating in Canada. Passengers would board her and take the boat to Nelson where they could catch a train to Vancouver.

SS Moyie


We were amazed at how elegant the passenger quarters were, there was a sitting room, large dining room, staterooms off the dining room and washrooms.

Passenger Dining Room & Lounge






Every third window across the top had a black and white picture in it – mainly of the mountain scenery in the area.


The lower level was the cargo level and it carried all sorts of goods, including vehicles and fresh fruit and vegetables, as I said an interesting stop.





John wanted to visit Kaslo as he had ancestors who lived here in the late 1800’s. We got the web address for their archives so as soon as we have wi-fi he will search and see if he can find any mention of his relatives.

Today's Scenery









This Was A Neat House & Cottages in New Denver




Our next stop was New Denver for lunch and I drove home from there as when it was time to pay for lunch John realized he had left his wallet at home (how convenient!).

Park in New Denver


When we got home it was quite cool but we decided to be brave and sit out and enjoy the view for a bit. A rental motor home come in beside us and we talked to the people for a bit, they are from the Netherlands and are at the end of a 3 week tour that started in Calgary and they are now on the return leg back to Calgary and home; they said they have really enjoyed our country.

We are now enjoying another quiet evening after a great day. Thanks Ginny & Gil for telling us about the Kootenay’s – we love the area.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Monday, October 5, 2009

Today was another nice sunny day, with a high of about 60F (15C) so quite pleasant. We left Creston about 11 a.m. as we only had about 80 km to drive so we took our time getting away.

The drive was beautiful, the road ran along the eastern shore of Kootenay Lake and the other side of the lake was all mountains so very scenic.

Today's Drive












The road was narrow, twisty and turney with lots of ups and downs so it took us a couple of hours to get to Crawford Bay where we had to get a ferry across to Balfour (this is the world’s longest free ferry ride and is part of the B.C. road system). When we got to the ferry landing we found we would have to wait for an hour for the next ferry and John didn’t particularly like the look of the ramp – he was worried we would bottom out on it, so he had lots of time to fret!

When the ferry came in John talked to one of the workers who said we should be okay but just to take it real slow, he also said that the other side was better to get off so that helped relieve some of the worry. Anyway, we made it on okay and it was a 35 minute ride across the lake.

We are now at Birch Grove RV Park & Marina, a couple of miles west of Balfour, and what a nice little park, it is right on the west arm of Kootenay Lake and our site overlooks the lake and marina.

Our Home & View for the Next 3 Nights










After we got set up we enjoyed sitting out on our cement patio with a cold drink and enjoying the view. The downside is there is no wi-fi, they turned it off the first of October, and there is only one TV channel – it is either watch CBC or nothing!! Oh well, I guess we will survive for a few more days without wi-fi and maybe I can pick up something somewhere so I can check my e-mail and post my blog.

When we were registering John talked to a fellow for a few minutes and it turns out he and his wife are originally from Cambridge but have been in B.C. since 1974. I went for a walk before starting dinner and ended up talking to him and his wife for a few minutes. They were just getting ready to start a fire with another couple, who are leaving tomorrow, so asked us to come up later (they are up the hill from where we are) and join them. After dinner we went up to the fire and the owner and his wife also came and joined the group so we had a pleasant evening. They were all very nice and gave us some tips on what to see and do in the area.

By the time the we left the fire for home we were quite cool so are now warming up and watching a bit of TV but I don’t think it will be long before I head for my nice warm bed.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Today was a nice sunny day, but cool, the high was only about 50F (10C), hopefully it will start warming up.

John was off right at 11 a.m. when the hardware store opened to get the bolts he needed to fix the door, thankfully they had them, so he came back and got to work. It was pretty well an all day event to get it fixed but he did a great job, and of course once it was fixed he had to put the inside of the trailer all back together as he had had to take off the wall covering beside the door, the dinette valance etc. I must say that we were both very relieved that it was fixed and appears to be good.

I called my friend Janet who lives on the island this afternoon and lo and behold they are coming to the Okanagan on Tuesday for a few days so we are meeting for dinner on Friday night. We will be visiting them on the island but were surprised that we would be able to meet before then. As a side note – Janet and I have been friends since grade 2 (I won’t say how many years that is!) – wow! We are hoping to meet up with another old high school friend when on the island – should be fun.

I went into the grocery store today and then came home and did laundry so that was the extent of my day. Had lots of vacuuming to do once John finished up and then we relaxed a bit before getting dinner ready. Tonight will be another quiet evening. We are hoping to have internet tomorrow – will be interesting to see if we do.

And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Today was pretty overcast most of the day and I saw a high of 50F (10C) on the truck thermometer, so also pretty cool.

Our Trailer at Jim & Mary's RV Park


Our Neighbours - They Were Well Decorated


The drive today through Montanna and Idaho was very pretty, lots of mountains and lakes. There was a lot of mist on the mountains and in Idaho we did see some with snow on the tops of the mountains.

Today's Drive












The border crossing at Porthill was really good, the fellow asked how long we had been in the states (18 days), if we had any liquor (yes) tobacco (no) and if we had brought the trailer in with us when we left Canada (yes). Have a good day he said and away we went. Gotta love crossings like that! He didn’t even look at our passports!

We decided to stop in Creston, B.C. for the night, the first park we checked out didn’t have any big rig sites left so we came to another park, probably about the same price but the wi-fi isn’t working and if it does it costs $2/day – welcome back to Canada!

John got us level and I went to open the door – what, it won’t open so he moved the trailer around a bit thinking it wasn’t level and the door still wouldn’t open. Open checking it out he found the top hinge was broken – not a good thing to have happen! This had happened last year and Can-Am had fixed it so why did it happen again? John took the door apart, fortunately he had watched how they did it last year and he thinks that they thightened the bolts too much and they broke off – hopefully that is what caused it. Anyways, he has the right size bolts – at home in the shed in Kincardine, so we have our fingers crossed that there is a hardware store in town that will be open tomorrow and have the needed size of bolts.

We had a bit of a late dinner and a quiet evening. And so ends another great gift of a day and we hope that tomorrow John can solve our problems (thank goodness he is really handy – as he said all of those years having to watch his father fix things has paid off over his lifetime).

Friday, October 2, 2009

Today was a pretty quiet day. The weather was nice, not real hot but not real cold either – I didn’t check the temperature on the truck so don’t know what we had for a high. Yesterday we actually had a high in the low 60’s in the mid afternoon when we were out of the high elevations.

We went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast then headed to Wal Mart as the truck was in need of an oil change. Of course, I managed to shop while the truck was being done – LOL! After we finally got done at Wal Mart (with our bank account much lighter) we went to Best Buy and I bought a new vacuum as the one I have in the trailer was on its last legs. We stopped at a RV place to get a connection for the new sewer hose John got at Wal Mart, then a stop to give the truck a drink and it was time to head home.

When we got back John hooked us up so we are ready to head out in the morning and I put groceries etc. away and tried out the new vacuum. I also put some capris and shorts into a storage box as I don’t think I will be needing them for quite a while to come, - I would be real happy to be proven wrong but somehow don’t think that will happen.

I didn’t take my camera today so there are no pictures.

We considered going to Glacier National Park, which is directly north of where we are, but it is pretty well closed for the season and the Going-to-the-Sun Road is closed at the top, which would be the nicest part to see, so we decided to forgo that also.

Looking at the weather forecast it looks like it will be a cool, wet weekend at home, so we don’t mind not being there.

John is just going to go out and barbecue burgers for dinner and we are looking forward to a quiet evening. And so ends another great gift of a day and we look forward to another nice day tomorrow.