Category — General Stuff

While in Auckland we walked the waterfront, stopped in some stores for shopping and got in a harbour tour cruise? Auckland was very busy with at least 1 Cruiseship in harbour and on the last day there were 2 large Cruiseships in town.
But after a couple days to adjust our body clocks it was time to get this Campervan Adventure going.

We picked up our Campervan from Wilderness Campervan.
Here’s a picture as we were just getting ready to leave the Wilderness base.

Driving on the left hand side of the road is a bit of a challenge at the start, especially on the very narrow secondary roads we were taking out of Auckland. But in the end we made it safely to our planned camping spot in Miranda.
Tomorrow will be a whole new adventure and I am sure we will get more comfortable driving on New Zealand roads.
It was great to have such a good navigator to get us from point A to point B and I only scared her a few times with the wheels in the ditch.

By the time we got back from Las Vegas it was almost mid October

We weren’t home that long and we decided to take a trip to Prince George to visit Dean and Judy and do some face to face planning for our early in 2025 adventure to New Zealand and Australia
It was great to go spend a couple days with Dean and Judy, they are such great hosts

In late October we really started getting serious about planning for NZ and AUS
2025 calendars were printed out and dates and locations and routes started hitting the planning papers
There is so much to see and so much to do in both Countries, thank Heavens Brenda is so good at detail stuff like this, we are going to be busy

We had Kevin come for a visit for a couple days in October, he was here for his high school reunion

November arrived and the planning is going crazy
A rough agenda was drawn up We leave Kamloops for Vancouver on January 18th, fly to Auckland NZ on Jan 20th We arrive into Auckland on January 22nd and pick up our Campervan on January 24th
Dean and Judy are heading north and we are headed South and East
We meet up in Rotorua a few days later and then travel together until we take the ferry to the South island where we go our separate ways for about a week and we finally meet in Christchurch to drop off the Campervans
From Christchurch we fly to Melbourne AUS after a couple days in Melbourne we take the southern coastal route to Adelaide for a few days
After Adelaide we fly to Sydney for a week and Dean and Judy are headed North to Brisbane
After a week in Sydney seeing the sights we fly to Brisbane and drive north to Coolum for a week
Then it’s back to Auckland and the long flight home to Vancouver and eventually Kamloops?
This is a real “big picture” condensed trip itinerary there is a ton of stuff we are going to be doing

December arrived and life is somewhat back to normal with dancing, music, painting, friends, etc etc and of course Christmas planning

Just before Christmas we had an evening with 3 other families on the street It’s was called a Snow Ball Event where you start at one house with a drink and an appy then after an hour you move to the next home and every hour you move until you are at the last house
What a great way to connect with your neighbours and enjoy the Christmas Season

Then between Christmas and New Years we had an evening Music Jam Session at Tom and Paulette’s There was 3 guitars, 2 Fiddlers, 2 Ukuleles, a Banjo, an Upright Bass and a Drummer
What an evening, the music was fantastic, the spouses and guests sang along to the tunes, the buffet food and goodies at the break were tasty it was a very memorable night
A West Coast Kitchen Party

We stayed home this year for Christmas
Dean and Judy came down from Prince George and stayed with Sabrina, Mike and the grandkids
They very kindly invited us over for Christmas dinner

Final Note from 2024
Our total focus has been on trip planning for New Zealand and Australia
If we have seemed distant it’s because we are planning this once in a lifetime trip, thanks for your understanding

Happy New Year
Please stop back for a visit to this site we hope to keep it up to date as we travel around NZ and AUS in January – February – March 2025

Summer finally arrived and with it “Music in the Park” at Riverside Park.

Always lots of great and free entertainment each night from July 1st (Canada Day) to August 31st We are so fortunate to have this all summer long in Kamloops Another plus this summer was that the smoke from wildfires was not too bad this year

August arrived and our social calendar became a whole bunch busier

Dean and Judy came down from Prince George for a visit and the four of us went on a wine tour We had purchased a wine tour package for them for their 70th birthdays; and we finally got to use it? The tour was with Terri from Divine Tours, she does such a great job Our tour started at Privato Wineries, then on to Sagewood Wineries and finally we ended at Monte Creek Wineries All were different and all were great? Plus the real benefit was we didn’t have to worry about driving as we were chauffeured around by Terri

A day after the wine tour Brenda and Dean’s cousin George and his wife Eva from Gabriola Island came for a short visit It was great to catch up after not seeing them for a couple of years A real enjoyable part of their visits is that George and I have an after dinner music jam session that goes on until are fingers are tired

Not too long after all our company left we had Sage and Conrad come for a short visit? They are so much fun to have for a visit and they like shopping and going to the movies So it was off to Aberdeen Mall or Specialty Stores and then up to the Cineplex where we saw the newest movie out “DeadPool” We also found time to go on a cool hike in upper Barnhartvale

Then right after Sage and Conrad we had Zach and Oliver for a few days
Those two always come with a long list of activities that they want to do
Here is a partial list: Disc golf, Scoopz Ice Cream, Mini golf, Scoopz Ice Cream, Riverside Park Dinner, Scoopz Ice Cream, Wildlife Park, Scoopz Ice Cream, Bowling, Scoopz Ice Cream, Morning Cartoons in Bed, Scoopz Ice Cream – Kind of a reoccurring theme here

At then end of August and into early September we headed to Kelowna to drop off the guys and then look after them as their parents were off to Nashville to se the band “Green Day”

Early September was quieter with a chance to catch our breath and get back into normal routines, Music, Dancing, Walking, etc etc? It also was time to start planning for our next trip with Wells Grey Tours?

However before that there was our annual friends Reunion? Judy and Dean were the organizers this year and they found us a great house with a pool near Tappen This was first reunion since Rick passed away last year? So lots of remembering, a few tears but more important a lot of laughs and Rick was or would have been laughing with us

At the end of September we booked another Wells Grey Tours adventure which was a repositioning cruise from Vancouver to San Diego and a side visit to Las Vegas We boarded a shuttle bus in Kamloops headed to Merritt where we met up with a coach to take us to New Westminster for the night Had a great dinner at the Boathouse in New West?
Then the next morning we boarded the coach to get us to the Cruise Ship Terminal to board the Neuw Amsterdam for a 5 night repositioning Cruise to San Diego with a stop in San Francisco
We had a sea view cabin which was great to get some natural light into the room
After cruising for 3 days we arrived in San Francisco We did our own onshore excursions which basically meant we walked a lot of steps for the 16 hrs the ship was in port, I think that day we did between 26000 and 28000 steps
We saw the major attractions, Fishermans Wharf, Ghiraridelli Chocolate Factory, Golden Gate Bridge, Lombard Street and we road the longest route on the Cable Cars
After leaving San Francisco we cruised for another day and a half and arrived in San Diego
We stayed at the Embassy Suites which is a great location near the waterfront market, plus the hotel has a great evening manager reception and the breakfast in the morning is outstanding
While in San Diego we went to the San Diego Zoo, The Maritime Museum and the Birch Aquarium
Leaving San Diego on a coach we headed off on a 7 hour drive to Las Vegas across the Mohave Desert
The lunch stop was in Barstow CA and it was the best Mexican style food we have ever eaten
After the seven hour bus ride we ended up in Las Vegas We stayed on Freemont Street at The Golden Nugget The location was alright, the hotel was a little older but in the end it all worked out okay

While in Vegas we took a day trip/tour to the Hoover Dam and got to stand on the border between Nevada and Arizona

Also included in the Wells Grey trip to Vegas was a tour of Freemont St, A visit to the Mob Museum with Moonshine Tasting 3 different evening shows; Ventriloquist Terry Fator, Cirque du Soleil Mystique and Excalibur

The four days we had in Las Vegas went fast but we have no desire to go back
It’s just not our thing, we aren’t big gamblers

Early in April we made a quick couple night visit to Princeton and then over to Kelowna to see both families April was mostly a catch up month with us both getting back into life regular routines of dancing, ukulele, gardening and painting.

May arrived and the early part of the month was getting ready for an upcoming Wells Gray Tours trip to New York City

On May 25th we boarded a Wells Gray Tour bus for a drive to Kelowna and then a flight to Calgary for the night By the time we met up with everyone there was a total of 30 travellers

Our tour director was Rhonda and she was excellent, we have travelled with Rhonda in the past and she is always customer focused and shares lots of information, so you always know what’s going on and what’s going to happen Overall it was a great group and everyone showed up when requested and everyone mixed well with each other

Without giving a day to day detail review of what we saw and experienced here is a list of some of the stuff we saw in the 6 full days we were in New York City
Time Square – right outside our hotel
New Year’s Eve Ball – 12ft in diameter and it looks tiny from the street
Empire State Building
Rockefeller Centre and the Top of The Rock

Central Park – Strawberry Fields and John Lennon Imagine mosaic
The Court House where Donald Trump was on trial
The Bronx to The Battery
The Charging Bull in the financial district
Wall Street
The 911 Monument and the Oculus

Ground Zero Memorial Tower #1
Liberty Island and The Statue of Liberty

Ellis Island and the National Park Buildings
Broadway including 3 Plays “Harry Potter & The Sorcerer’s Son” “Back to the Future” “The Wiz”
Trump Tower with the golden elevator (Don’t be fooled, it’s more brass than gold
Grand Central Station
Tiffany’s
Plus some specialty dinners out and a local food tour
It was a busy few days

The month of June arrived and we were just getting back from New York City

Midway through the month went down to Kelowna for one night to attend Zach’s year end Band Concert He really did well and had fun, we are so proud of how he is progressing in music

When we got home Kevin and 3 of his buddies had arrived for an extended weekend Disc Golf Tournament They were a lot of fun to have visit and they had a lot of fun on their weekend away

Then at the end of the month Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver stayed with us for a couple of nights and stayed over for Kamloops Canada Day Celebration in Riverside Park

Stay tuned for more life adventures with SillyLog

January 2024 arrived and so did our 50th Wedding Anniversary
It’s hard to believe that 50 years have gone by since the day we got married
We both sit back and say “Where did those 50 years go”?
We also both know how lucky we are to have each other.
So, here’s to many more years ahead.

To celebrate we decided to have a month long vacation in Hawaii from mid January to end of February Plans were made earlier in the fall which included 5 nights in Vancouver prior to Hawaii and then off to Honolulu for a month in Waikiki.

The 5 nights in Vancouver flew by and before we knew it we were at the airport boarding the plane for Hawaii I should have mentioned that Vancouver was having a bit of weather and the night before we were to fly out they had had about 4″ of snow Nothing to worry about, right WRONG
We boarded the Westjet flight early and the Captain made an announcement that we would be pushing back as soon as the last of the luggage was loaded So, there we sat at the gate waiting for the baggage handling crew However we could see right outside our window on the plane and the baggage handling crew were having a “Snow Day” they were spinning the tires on the loading ramp conveyor and at times almost hitting the plane Basically they created a skating rink and no vehicle could get near the plane Meanwhile we watched as snow plows drove by not stopping to help clear a path

After about 3 hrs of sitting at the gate in the plane the Captain finally said we were ready to push back and there was a cheer from the passengers We waited another 1/2 hr and finally we started to move Yaaaaa we’re on our way; NOT SO FAST!
Now we had to line up for de-icing, so it was go, then stop, then go, then stop for another hour til we finally got to the de-icing area I could see planes on either side of us getting de-iced but none on us and after sitting here for 15 minutes the plane started to move forward and away from the take-off area Once the plane stopped the Captain made an announcement that they were now low on fuel and had to return to the gate to refuel Once at the gate gate agent came aboard and announced the the flight was cancelled as the crew would be over their safe working hours if they took off for Hawaii and that we would all be receiving revised flight times in the next short while by text message

So, it was off the plane, back through Customs and Immigration and pick up our luggage I immediately called a hotel in the area to get a room for the night Of course none of the extra expenses was covered by Westjet as they declared it was a weather related event Once back inside the terminal we waited over 1 1/2 hrs at 2 different baggage carousels for luggage and then headed to the hotel for the night.

Once at the hotel we got our revised flight times We were thinking the next day same time, but oh no! Our next available flight out to Hawaii was schedule for Saturday, 4 days later or there were other change options all of them stupid So we decide to scrap Hawaii for 2024

However, once we were at home for a couple weeks and we had time to cool off we decided to try Hawaii again and this time with Air Canada Plus we also decided to treat ourselves to an upgrade to Premium Economy and we flew directly from Kamloops This time it all worked out and we finally got to Hawaii and 3 1/2 weeks at The Pacific Monarch

However, once we were at home for a couple weeks and we had time to cool off we decided to try Hawaii again and this time with Air Canada Plus we also decided to treat ourselves to an upgrade to Premium Economy and we flew directly from Kamloops This time it all worked out and we finally got to Hawaii and 3 1/2 weeks at The Pacific Monarch

One of the casualties of the cancelled Westjet flight was a beautiful flower arrangement the Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad had sent for our January arrival; the saving grace was the hotel staff and guest all got a chance to enjoy it in the lobby entrance

When we did get to our room there was a gift basket which included champagne and macadamia nuts from the Hotel Then a day or so later a gorgeous flower basket from Jeff Lindsay Zach and Oliver arrived

Once there we settled in and had a great time and got our Hawaii groove on and into some daily routines like a morning walk, early afternoon beach time and a sunset Mai Tai

Plus the change in our travel plans allowed Brent and Karen’s travel plans to overlap with ours so we got to see them for a couple of dinners

Hawaii this year took up most of the first three months from traveling to cancelling to replanning and getting there and getting back home

The one thing is, we will always remember our 50th Wedding Anniversary trip to Hawaii

Well after all the hustle, bustle and busy around the family gathering we started to get our somewhat quiet life back on track.

November and December flew by and somewhere in there we managed a trip to Kelowna to watch Zach play the trumpet in the Dr Knox School Band Christmas Concert GGPA was smiling down that night!

While down in Kelowna we celebrated an early Christmas as Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver planned to be at Silverstar Ski Mountain for Christmas with friends

We also bought all the supplies for Zach, Oliver and their buddy Ross to build Graham Wafer and candy Christmas Villages They really loaded up their individual creations.

For Christmas we headed to Princeton to spend it with Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad What a fun couple days and it was so nice to be invited for Christmas Tamara and Kevin always prepare and serve a delicious Christmas dinner

And finally, a picture of Silly Christmas head wear

The passing of GGMA was very sad for the whole family, however we all knew that she was ready to go and to move on to the next stage of her journey. Thankfully the majority of everyone’s memories of GGMA are happy memories of a life well lived and many happy times.

But the work began while she was still in “Trinity”, as Dr. M. suggested we could clean her suite out at The Shores. Well the four of us (Dean, Judy, Brenda, Larry) started cleaning cupboards, moving out furniture, moving boxes of stuff to the thrift store, sharing treasured gifts among family members and in a few short days we had the place emptied.

Then of course after GGMA passed away the real paperwork began. Funeral home planning, death certificates, burial site planning, headstone design, funeral preparations, interment planning, tax documents, bank forms, Interior Health documents, wills and estate requirements; you get the idea. So much paperwork and so much to do that pretty well ate up the month of September and most of October.

Somewhere in all this mayhem we picked a date and location for a Celebration of Life for GGMA. We chose October 28th at Kamloops Funeral Home for the formal funeral service; which was followed by a luncheon for all.
Then later that night a Celebration with family and close friends was held at Frick & Frack Restaurant. Out of towners’ from Brenda’s family were her cousin Coleen from Ontario and her daughter Bonnie from Vancouver plus long time family friend Jayne from Calgary. From my side there was my sisters Maureen from Vancouver and Donna from Ladysmith on the Island. Tricia who was the official photographer for the evening. What a great evening to get family and extended family together for a Celebration.
One of the few times all the cousins have been together.

We have often reminisced that the ones who would have enjoyed themselves the most at this family gathering were the couple that we were holding this Celebration of Life for. Both Joan and Murray would have had the most fun of the evening watching the family and just smiling at what they were a part of creating.

At the end of July GGMA became quite sick with what we thought was a reoccurring infection. So, on July 31st Brenda took her to Emergency at the RIH. You can imagine what the emergency room was like in the middle of the summer; it was crazy to say the least.

After a few hour wait they finally found her a bed and after a bit more a Doctor came by with all the standard questions and then he started to poke and prod to the point the GGMA even complained. Let me tell you he must have really made it uncomfortable, because she never complained about aches and pains. He said she needed an x-ray because sometimes abdominal issues can have sinister things about them. That was something new we had not heard before. So, he said we may as well go home and wait for the results as it was going to take a while.

Anyway to make a long story short the x-ray showed she had a large mass growing in her abdomen and it was inoperable. After that was discovered the staff did everything required to get her assigned to another floor for more advanced care. As luck or fate would have it her regular family Doctor was away on a family vacation, however the Doctor that was covering for him (Dr. Dickinson) was outstanding. He was kind, caring, compassionate and he was forthright and honest. GGMA was in the final journey of her life and we should prepare for the end.

She was in the hospital about 4-5 days and was then moved to “Trinity Hospice” which is part of Overlanders Extended Care Facility and after about 3 weeks she peacefully passed away in her sleep. Below is her obituary which was written by Dean, Judy, Brenda and Larry.

Joan Mason of Kamloops BC, died peacefully on Sunday August 27, 2023, at Trinity Hospice Overlander Hospital.

Joan was born in Calgary on March 8, 1928, to Edward John and Alice Dean. The youngest of three children she was the last surviving member of her family. 

She married Murray Frederick Mason in 1950 and had two children, Dean (Judy) and Brenda (Larry).

Joan dedicated the first part of married life to being a great mother. She loved camping, going for picnics, spending time with family and she especially enjoyed ice cream at Riverside Park? The family can all remember her saying; “I Scream , You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream”.  She also enjoyed community get togethers, the community dances and especially the Birthday Girls luncheons.

In 1976 she and Murray became grandparents for a first time. They had four grandchildren Kevin (Tamara), Jeff (Lindsay) , Blake, and Sabrina (Mike) and seven great grandchildren, Sage, Conrad, Zachary, Amelia, Oliver, Makayla and Norah.  

Joan and Murray loved to travel, taking trips to India, Japan, across Canada, including the North all the way to Tuktoyaktuk. However, their favourite spots were in Southern California and Hawaii. Locally they became Good Sam Members and enjoyed the many campouts with the Juniper Sams RV group of friends.

They lived in Westsyde for over 50 years, moving to the Shores Retirement Residences in 2015 where she loved all the activities and was an eager participant. 

She was an active volunteer in the Anglican Community with the Church of Cleopas (Westsyde) and later at St Georges Anglican Church.

Joan was predeceased by Murray in 2019, her parents and her siblings (Alice and George).

Joan lived a full and happy life. We will all fondly remember her quick wit, her kindness, her love of family and most of all, the “Gramma Cuts” on dessert servings. 

The family would especially like to thank, Dr Montalbetti and his receptionist J.C?Doctor M. was a kind and caring advocate for Mom. We also want to thank the Shores Retirement Residences and her many, many friends.

The Celebration of Life will be held Oct 28th at 11:00 a.m. at the Kamloops Funeral Home. 

In lieu of flowers the family would suggest donations to a charity of your choice.

April arrived and weather is still unusually cool for Kamloops.

We have been out walking and getting lots of road miles as we prepare for the Camino.
Brenda continues with her Line Dancing three times per week and I have my Ukulele Jam’s and Kamloops City Strummers to keep me busy?

May arrived and with it the ongoing training and preparation for the Camino de Santiago? However, with about 2 weeks to go until we head off on the Camino, Brenda had a knee strain? We were out for one of our many walks and she all of a sudden mentioned her knee was sore, I offered some Advil and she said “No” then a few minutes later she asked for the Advil? So, it must have been really sore as she is a trooper and never complains about any aches and pains? Dr M diagnosed a MCL strain and suggested rest, ice, heat and Advil or Tylenol.

So, this little set back changed our luggage plans a bit Originally Brenda and I were both going to pack all our supplies? However with her knee strain we decided for her to use a luggage transport service offered on the Camino route? The Company is called Tui Trans and they move your luggage from town to town and accommodation to accommodation along the route and it’s pretty cheap only about $50 for the week

After this post I am going to do a special post of the Camino de Santiago

June arrived and we still had about 12 days till we arrived home from Portugal and Spain.

We were home only a few days and we headed off to Princeton to watch Sage graduate from Grade 12
The graduation ceremonies were great and the community street party afterwards was outstanding
Small town recognition celebration for the grads.

We were all so proud of her and she received 4 scholarships for continuing education

Also in June Oliver turned 11 years old???? it’s hard to believe?
Oliver is in the red shirt in the picture below

January arrived and winter got more socked in however it cleared up for a couple days and we were able to get down to Princeton to celebrate with Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad.

Early in January we met with our friends Ken and Judy who have been trying to convince us for years to walk the Camino de Santiago? They are such an amazing couple and so inspirational and after having an afternoon coffee with them we decided that we weren’t getting any younger and if we were ever going to tackle an adventure like this it was going to be now?

Then in the middle of the month we headed off to Hawaii for 5 weeks? One of the highlights of Hawaii this year was we were able to attend a Jake Shimabukuro concert on the day after we arrived? What a great evening of entertainment and I got Jake to autograph my Martin Ukulele for the 4th time?

We had a great 5 weeks in Hawaii and we walked and walked and walked pounded the pavement in training for the Camino? This year we walked around the base of Diamond Head Crater over 18 times, plus there is the distance to get from our hotel to start the hike? Oh, and we also wore our day packs with weight in them to get use to that feeling while hiking/walking?

I found some ukulele jam sessions this year, which isn’t that difficult in Hawaii and Brenda was out and about and seeing the sites? We really like this picture of the Royal Hawaiian hotel she took on one of her many walks? It is one of the original Waikiki Hotels and it is so grand?

Plus Brenda took in 4 line dancing classes at the Waikiki Community Center?

Brenda and I celebrated our 49th anniversary in January????? where did those years go?

As far as birthdays, if he was still alive Murray Frederick Mason “GGPA” would have been 100 years old?

February flew by and the 5 weeks in Hawaii were great.

March arrived and with it a bunch more preparation for the Camino? Booking flights, accommodations, purchasing some needed gear and equipment, plus walking and getting ourselves prepared?

March birthdays included “GGMA” who turned 95 years young and Conrad who turned 15 years old.

Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad visited us on the weekend of Conrad’s birthday; they went indoor rock climbing and had a great time.

The following weekend we spent up at Sun Peaks with Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver.

That’s about it for January, February and March 2023.