A log about those Silly Folks and their Escapades

Well almost hello 202o. At the end of December on the 30th we headed to Vancouver on a Wells Gray Tour to celebrate New Years in Vancouver. We booked this trip in September when we knew that our travel would be restricted due to my heart recovery. So in addition to using this as a chance to get away for a short bit we are also testing it out to see if we are ready for this type of retirement travel.

We had a full bus load and everything was very well organized. We drove to Vancouver with a stop for lunch in Chilliwack, then out for a play that evening (Miss Bennett  – Christmas at Pemberly) at Granville Island.

New Years Eve Day we had a tour at the Vancouver Art Gallery – Emily Carr Exhibit and then out to Richmond for Joseph’s Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. After getting back to the hotel just before midnight we went to the Wedgwood Hotel to have a drink and ended up in the lounge/piano bar. The piano player was outstanding, he played a wide variety and took requests from the audience; it was a special way to bring in 2020.

On New Years Day it was off to the Orpheum Theatre for A Salute To Vienna with a guest conductor and the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – what an amazing show. Then home on January 2nd.

We were definitely the youngest couple on the tour, so I had to take my “patience pills” each morning with how people would move, block door entrances and just in general not listen or pay attention to instructions from the tour director.

Stay tuned for more updates in 2020

So, here it is the middle of January 2020 and I am just getting around to updating our web page. 2019 was a very busy, hectic, exciting year. So, here is a summary of 2019.

As you read in the last post we started by heading to Hawaii for a month. Waikiki is not for everyone, but it certainly has what we enjoy.

We got back from Hawaii in mid February and thought winter would be over, but oh no it gave us another cold blast to remind us what we missed when we were away in a warm sunny climate.

Then on March 4th, 2019 Murray passed away. It was a sad day for the family however for Murray he was finally at rest. His passing was not unexpected however it is always a shock when it happens. Murrays’ memorial was on March 23rd and he would have been smiling and laughing along with everyone else who attended. The City of Kamloops Rube Band was there to play a few numbers as people were arriving. Ken Hoshowski Band President said a few words on behalf of the band and then the Rubes played a couple tunes; it was the closest thing to a New Orleans Jazz Funeral this town has ever seen. How many people do you know have had a complete brass band play at their memorial? Murray was definitely smiling looking down. Dean, Judy, Brenda and I did the Eulogy and then there was a luncheon following where old friends reconnected and shared stories thanks to Murray.

Murray Frederick Mason
Born January 26th, 1923 in Nelson B.C. and passed away March 4th, 2019 in Kamloops, B.C.
“A Life Well Lived”.

Also in March we had our annual Family Ski Vacation. This year we were back to Sun Peaks and a stay at the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel. They have pet friendly rooms which is great for the Princeton family that has 2 dogs.

At the beginning of June we were off to Harrison Mills for our annual reunion with our good friends. Then the rest of the spring and into early summer saw us getting ready for a trip with the Rube Band to St. John’s Newfoundland for St. John’s Days. 2019 was the 70th Anniversary of the City of Kamloops Rube Band and it was also the 70th Anniversary of Newfoundland and Labrador joining Canada in Confederation. We had a blast for the week in St. John’s.

After St. John’s Brenda and I headed to Nova Scotia with the plan to drive around Cape Breton and enjoy the scenery and the culture. We had an amazing week in Cape Breton, did lots of hikes and made lots of new discoveries.

Once we returned from back east I went to the Doctor as I had been having some funny sensations around my throat. Anyways, after seeing the Doctor and getting referred for testing the Cardiologist scheduled me for a routine angiogram in Kelowna. Well my heart couldn’t wait for Interior Health or the Catheter Lab in Kelowna to have an opening so it speeded up the process and I had a myocardial infarction (heart attack) around 1:30 a.m. on July 27th. I was given the best care possible and since my heart was in good shape to start with plus our other good health/lifestyle choices I am on the road to recovery and the last Cardiology Doctor that I saw diagnosed no damage to my heart. So as you can imagine all of our activities have been focused around my recovery and so we have been staying pretty close to home. Through all this Brenda has been a “trooper” and so supportive I am so fortunate to have her as my wife.

Our regular retired life is about the same. Brenda keeps herself in amazing shape by exercising at the YWCA on regular daily basis through the week. Then on the weekend we are always doing something outdoors as a physical activity, biking, hiking, walking, gardening (I am allowed to help in the garden but only under strict adult supervision).

I still have my little Country/Bluegrass group (Kamloops City Strummers) going and in fact this year we added a couple new members so we are now a quintet.

We managed to fit in a few trips to see the grand kids and their parents, plus a trip to Vancouver to see my brother George and sister Maureen and her husband Art.

That was just a quick “flyover” of 2019, but it gives you some idea of what went on.

Well we once again headed to Hawaii early in 2019. Hawaii is so nice and handy and fairly close just in case we have to come home on short notice.

We stayed with Jeff and Lindsay in Kelowna the night before we flew out. Then very early on Jan 16th we headed to Kelowna airport for a 6:00 a.m. flight to Vancouver and then about a 2 hour layover in Vancouver before flying to Hawaii. We arrived about 2:30 p.m. and after getting to the Hotel we still had lots of time to go for a beach walk and stick our toes in the sand of Waikiki Beach.

This was a year of walking and discovering some areas around Waikiki that we had not discovered. Our average steps per day as measured by our Garmin Watches was 18,500. A couple days we surpassed 25,000 steps. We used the  hotel shuttle bus a couple times, but mostly we just walked everywhere.

Once again this year we stayed at the Pacific Monarch which is a block and a little bit the the beach. The location is excellent and it is at the quieter end of Waikiki Beach. We had a corner room on the 31st floor so a tremendous view of the beach and also the Friday night fireworks from the Hilton Hawaiian Village. Plus the staff at the Pacific Monarch are so friendly and welcoming.

Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver joined us for the 5 days of our vacation and it was great to have a few days to watch the boys enjoy the beach and sites.

I played Ukulele on Monday and Friday with a group called “On the Beach” and then occasionally with a group that did a traditional “Kanikapila” or jam session on Thursday and Sunday evenings. So, lots of fun.

So, you have probably noticed that we are really behind in posts for 2018. In fact since Hawaii in January of 2018 we have not posted a single thing.

So, without further stalling or debating here is a brief capsule of 2018.

Immediately after we got back from Hawaii we headed to Vancouver to see Jake Shimabukuro perform. Wow, what a show he puts on, so  check out his web page, a true master of the ukulele. While in Vancouver we also took in the Vancouver Home Show.

Near the end of February we moved Brenda’s dad Murray to Pine Grove Extended Care Centre. It was the first choice of care facilities and even though it is a little older, the folks that work there are excellent and plus it is reasonably handy for Brenda’s mom Joan (GGMa) who is still at The Shores. GGma rides her scooter over when the weather is good and takes the Handi-Dart Bus at other times.

In March we headed to Silver Star for our annual Ski Vacation with the family. Great time was had by all. Lots of laughs, lots of skiing and lots of love.

Then April and May arrived and with it trips to see grandkids and the time just flew by.

In June we headed to Quebec City and toured the Eastern Townships. Quebec City was beautiful and lots to see even though we have been there before. Our last few days in Quebec City we celebrated St. Jean Baptiste on the Plains of Abraham along with 50,000 other Canadians.

July we were off to Victoria and Surrey with Sage and Conrad for a summer getaway. Victoria has so much to see and do plus lots of shopping for the kids. They love shopping when they travel since they don’t have the greatest selection of stuff to buy in Princeton. From Victoria we then headed over to Surrey and had dinner at Mike and Rose’s. What a great evening having all the family from the area over for dinner.

August and the wildfire smoke was back this summer. Hard to go outside, your eyes burnt and many days we could not see across the valley and on the really bad days we could not even see 6 blocks. However, we still found time to have Namma and Pops Summer Camp with Zach and Oliver. Part of this years summer camp was in Kamloops and part of the summer camp was in Kelowna. Jeff and Lindsay were away playing Ultimate Frisbee in Vancouver.

September we were back down to Kelowna to look after the grand-kids while Jeff and Lindsay headed off to The Emmy Awards in Los Angeles.

October was when we held our annual Reunion with our very special friends. This years location was Kamloops.

November came along and we made a quick trip to Princeton to drop off some birthday presents. then over to Kelowna to drop off some birthday and Christmas presents.

Finally December was here and with it Christmas preparation. We were so lucky this year to spend Christmas with Kevin, Tamara, Sage and Conrad what a lot of fun.

With that, 2018 was over and done.

So stay tuned for 2019.

Aloha from Hawaii
On January 3rd we flew from Vancouver to Honolulu and our final destination was The Pacific Monarch Hotel in Waikiki. The flight was great we left Vancouver at 9:30 a.m. and landed in Honolulu at 2:30 p.m.
The Pacific Monarch is a block and a little bit from Waikiki Beach, so the location is perfect. We got room 3103, which is almost to the top of the building and the view is absolutely stunning.
Unfortunately Brenda was battling a late December flu and was feeling “crappy” but she is a trooper and after a few good night sleeps she was on the mend.
Early on I found a ukulele jam session right on the beach at Waikiki. In fact the groups calls itself “On the Beach” and they have been doing this for almost 50 years or 35 years depending who you talk to……………. obviously this is run by Seniors. Anyway, the gentleman (Wayne Deffenbach”) leading it this year was from The Villages in Florida. He arrives January 2nd and they “jam” every Friday and Monday until he leaves at the end of March.
After the first week we got settled into a routine. Up early watch the sunrise then go for a long walk. Back for a quick breakfast and then off for another walk or sight seeing adventure. In the afternoon we hit the beach each day and had a dip in the ocean. Then back to our room for a shower and a Mai Tai or a beer or two! In the evening most nights we would stroll Kalakaua Ave. and watch the street entertainment.
You will notice in this post there are no pictures. We brought the camera but we only packed it the day we walked around Diamond Head. I guess we have been coming to Hawaii for so long that the pictures we are taking are mental pictures and memories. We did take a few with the cellphone, but will have to wait till we get home to download them to our desk Mac and then upload to our blog.

The start of our second week on the Thursday we caught a shuttle bus to Waimea Golf Course to watch the opening round of the Hawaiian Open. We got to see a lot of the big names on the tour Jordan Speith, Justin Thomas, V.J. Singh, etc, etc. it was a great outing for the day. Then on the second Saturday we did hike around Diamond Head and ended up at the Kapiolani Community College Saturday market. It’s always interesting to see the various market items. We did change our route to get to the market this year and we arrived just before 11:00 a.m. so the merchants were already wrapping up for the day; something we didn’t anticipate when planning our walk. When we got back from the walk around Diamond Head we started to hear about the false warning regarding an imminent nuclear attack on Hawaii. I guess on the one hand it was a good thing that we had no idea about all that activity. We think your chance of survival would have been pretty slim if it would have been the real thing. Also, trust good old USA ingenuity the very next day an old guy is walking down the street with a T-shirt that said “I survived the false nuclear attack”.

One thing we did this year was that we both had our Vivosmart step counters and we kept track of the steps we did each day. We estimate that on an average day we did 16000 to 17000 steps which works out to about 14 km. Time for another Mai Tai we deserve it.
On Thursday and Sunday nights we found a traditional Kani Ka Pila on the beach behind the Waikiki police station. We never went the first week as we both were adjusting to the time difference and getting over the flu/cold. A Kani Ka Pila is like a Ukulele jam session, however the majority of the songs are Hawaiian and there are locals who join in to teach the Hula to visitors/watchers. So what happens is the leader goes around the circle and you get to play a song and everyone else joins in. If you don’t have a ukulele and are just watching then you can request a song. So, Brenda and I would plan out what song she was going to request or what song I was going to play prior to going, it made it not feel so stressful. We usually stayed about an hour or so and it made for a fun evening. I learned a few new songs and variations on some songs that we already play, so I can’t wait to get them written out so we can try them when I get home.

One other highlight was that I got to play with the ukulele performers at the Royal Grove. I was invited by the Bass player to join in with them for the evening entertainment, what a thrill to play with this group of players and hula dancers. The Royal Grove Hotel is a traditional older Waikiki hotel that is right across the street from the Pacific Monarch. They have been having these evening Hawaiian entertainment Monday night sessions since 2004. The leader (Leonard) plays the ukulele and his wife (Caroline) leads the Hula. The rest of the entertainers are made up of local ukulele or guitar players and the upright bass player; these guys are really, really good, so it was an honour to be asked to join in with them.

Our four weeks in Waikiki passed quickly and then we headed to Maui to meet up with Jeff, Lindsay, Zach and Oliver for a week in Kihei.

Yikes……… where has the year gone and why is it every time I haven’t blogged for a long time I start the post with “Yikes”!

So, since our spring getaway to the Rockies the year has flown by.

Summer came and with it the worst forest fire season in B.C.’s history. The skies in Kamloops were smoky for weeks on end. To give you some idea, the smoke index scale goes from 1 to 10. Beijing on a bad day is at 22 on the index. Kamloops’ worst day during the summer of 2017 was 48. We could just barely see 6 blocks down the hill. It was awful.

The fires really picked up momentum the weekend of July 8th and 9th. We were down in Princeton looking after Sage and Conrad while Kevin and Tamara headed to a concert in Penticton. We had a great weekend with the kids but the road north of Princeton was blocked and we had to take the long route home. It was a Luau weekend, lots of games, contest, drinks and just fun.

Well we weren’t home too long and the forest fire situation continued to worsen so we decided to pick up Sage and Conrad and give them a break from the smokey weather. We headed to Vancouver and chance to do some different activities that they just do not get in a small town. We headed off and on the way down stopped at the Othello Tunnels and our first night was at the Hampton Inn in Chilliwack, which is a beautiful hotel, the kids had lots of fun in the pool/waterslide and of course they really enjoyed the Hampton breakfast. The next day we headed to White Rock for some beach time and then over to Mike and Rose’s for a family dinner. It was so great to see everyone and the kids had so much fun hanging out, playing video games and playing with the dog. The final day was spent shopping and then a fun activity at play centre in Langley where there was video games, pinball, skee ball, tunnels and tubes to climb through, etc. etc. The kids had a great time.

While were away in Vancouver, Brenda’s Dad had a fall and ended up in the hospital with pneumonia. He spent 4 week in the hospital before being moved to Ponderosa Lodge where he remains today waiting for a transfer to a residential care home. So a lot of our time has been spent supporting her Mom and visiting her Dad.

The last week of August was Namma and Pops summer camp in Kamloops. Zach and Oliver came for a visit while their Mom and Dad worked. We did lots of activities like the Wildlife Park and Prince Charles Park and tried to keep them busy. Unfortunately the smoke persisted so we did not spend as much time outside as we would have normally. We did find time for some handicrafts, which they always enjoy.

September arrived and we were back to Kelowna to help out with getting the kids off to the first week of school. Then right after that we were off to Princeton to look after the kids while Kevin and Tamara headed to Las Vegas.

October was a breather month trying to get caught up and still lots on the go around here. On October 1st I officially resigned from being a School Bus Driver. I only drove 2 days in the whole year and kept finding reasons not to drive. So, it was time to quit. I have made a few new friends who I know will be there for years to come.

November arrived and we headed to Kelowna and Princeton for a quick visit and to drop off some birthday presents.

This was also the month when we finally were able to get our Reunion Friends together. We met in Vancouver at the Rosedale on Robson in Yaletown, it’s a great location and lots to see and do in the area. We had a great couple days visiting, going out for dinner and we even took in the musical Jersey Boys at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.  

We finally made it to December. We were so fortunate again this year as our entire family was together for Christmas. Both families arrived on Dec 23rd and it was wonderful mayhem in the house until they all left on Dec 26th and then “The Silence was Deafening”. Somewhere in the middle we celebrated Lindsay’s 38th birthday on December 24th and had a Christmas Luncheon with GGPA at Ponderosa. Unfortunately Tamara was very sick on Dec 24th and ended up in Emergency for a few hours. However, she recovered well for Christmas Day.

Now we look forward to the year ahead – 2018 !

On Friday May 26th we headed off on our Spring Getaway. We planned this trip a few months ago as a way to use our Parks Canada 100 year anniversary free pass.

First night and first stop was Revelstoke. We stayed at the new Best Western Plus which was a really nice property; one neat feature they had was 6 recharging stations for electric cars. 4 alone were dedicated for Tesla Cars, they are really thinking ahead. Revelstoke is quite beautiful surrounded by the mountains and glaciers.

Saturday morning we headed off to the Revelstoke Farmers Market, which was really interesting. Lots of local arts and crafts and one organic produce provider from the Mara Lake area. After the market we hit the road to hike in Revelstoke National Park. Since it is early in the year and the weather has been cooler we could only go up to about kilometre 12 on the road before it was blocked off. So we headed back down the road and found a hike route of about an hour which was perfect. Then we we got back on the Trans-Canada Highway headed for Golden. On the way we stopped at Craigellachie where the last spike in the C.P. rail was driven. After that we stopped for a couple hikes in Glacier Park before stopping in Golden for the evening.

In Golden we did a city hike and then headed for Emerald Lake to do a hike. Emerald Lake parking lot was jammed since there were so few hikes open due to the late spring weather. We did get to hike across the snow and debris from a winter avalanche and almost all the way around the lake before the trail got too muddy.

From here we headed to Banff AB for 4 nights. It was neat to spend a few days in Banff. Lots of tourists, lots of shops and stores and lots to see. We shopped and hiked and toured the town of Banff and saw an Elk Running down one of the main streets. The hotel we were staying at also provided fee bus passes so one day we caught the local bus up to the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel and spent a couple hours touring the hotel, the shops and the grounds before walking back to downtown Banff.

During our stay in Banff we did a day side trip to Moraine Lake and Lake Louise. We expected to see the lakes open and the glaciers feeding right into both of them.  However, since it has been such a long cool spring both lakes were still 95% frozen over. But the glaciers were still very impressive and it was a spectacular day and a fun side trip.

Finally the one real cool thing about our hotel (Fox Hotel and Suites) was that it had a cave/grotto carved out of the rock on the basement of the hotel where they piped in hot springs to the pools that they made in the rocks.

From Banff we headed up the Columbia Icefields to Jasper. We left early in the morning so we could catch one of the early tours of the icefields. The icefield tour consisted of a ride onto the glacier in one of the large bus type vehicles and also a chance to take the new “skywalk” out over a 900′ Canyon. It was all pretty impressive.We had to get our picture taken in the pair of Parks Canada Andirondack Chairs, since we have a similar picture taken at Cape Spear from last years Newfoundland trip.  Probably one of the most surprising thing about the icefields is the size of them. The glacier we were on was called the Athabasca Glacier and as large as it is, this glacier accounts for only 2% of the overall Columbia Icefields.

The first thing you notice when driving the Columbia Icefields is the size and beauty of the glaciers, especially on a clear day like we had. The second thing you see is all of a sudden vehicle brake lights coming on and people stopping cars and jumping out to see the wildlife. Early in our trip up the icefields we saw vehicles brake lights coming on and we spotted a mother Grizzly Bear and her cub just off the side of the road. It was so crazy to see stupid people jump out of their vehicle and run after the bear to get pictures with their cellphones. The closest we were and still in the car was about 150 yards away”……. that’s close enough to see a bear that size. I think in total we saw about 5 black bears and they were all just off the road or in one case a small black bear was sleeping in a tree.

Once in Jasper we toured the town saw the sights and did a day excursion to Maligne Lake, Mailgne Canyon and Falls and stoped at the Farimont Jasper Park Lodge.

From Jasper we head home to Kamloops……… it was a great short Spring Getaway!

Well, this is a little late isn’t it? Yes it is……. but go with it!

So, on the Family Day Weekend we all headed up to Sun Peaks for our somewhat annual Family Ski Vacation.
This year rather than renting a condo up the hill we decided to book everyone into the Sun Peaks Grand Hotel, which is located right in the centre of the village. The location is absolutely perfect for skiing access, proximity to the lifts and the hotel has a ski valet service in the lower area of the hotel which is so handy. Plus the Grand Hotel has a large indoor/outdoor pool and 3 separate hot tubs, so it was great for the kids and tired adult skiing muscles.

Everyone arrived on Friday night and after supper we did a treasure hunt throughout the village which included another hotel and some village landmarks. It was great for everyone to get out for an evening walk, get a little exercise, plus it was snowing pretty heavy which made the village even more wintery.

Saturday and Sunday do what you want “freestyle style days”. Some went skiing, some took lessons, some stayed with us and then went skiing later in the end everyone had a great time. As always, we had too much food, but lots of laughs and lots of hugs and love.

The pictures are random from the weekend. As always we have a family picture taken on the last day!

By week #2 we were getting very settled in at the Villa and we had a bit of a regular routine going in the morning after breakfast which was to hike to hill to the top of Grand Fond and then down towards Lorient and then back over the top again back to our Villa. The hike took 45 minutes to an hour and was a good workout. When we got back the dip in the pool felt amazing.

After that we would head into Gustavia to walk around town or sit and have a drink at Le Select and just watch the activities going on. Between cruise-ship tourists, luxury yacht owners and residents of St. Bart’s there was always lots to see. Le Select is famous and was made famous by Jimmy Buffet because it is where he got the idea for the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise”.

Parking in Gustavia is at a premium. There are a couple pay lots which are quite reasonable and if you serach around enough you can always find a spot to park on the street. It’s just that their idea of parking on the street and what we accept for parking on the street is totally different. See the vehicle is parked…….. who cares you had to climb the sidewalk to do it!

Look at some of these Super Luxury Yachts that are tied up the the main pier in Gustavia. The small ones are about 80′ long and couple of these are 200′ in length. Check out this rental link for “Excellence V” the first yacht pictured http://www.charterbrochure.com/excellencev . By the way the rental price is 650,000 USD/week + expenses!

Also in week #2 we had a couple more animal visits to the pool area. First off was an Iguana and he/she was a big one; close to three feet long tip to tail. He/she decided to come to the pool for a drink.

Then late in the week we heard a clacking sound on the deck and looked around and there was a crab scurrying across the deck. Now, Villa Apiano is at least 1/2 a kilometre from the ocean “as the crow flies” and it is forest/bush, open field and cactus between the ocean and the villa. This one was big. Take a look at the pictures, the deck board are just under 5″ in width and stretched out the crab was probably 18″ wide.

So the 2nd week flew by and before we knew it, it was time to leave. So Sunday morning we board our Winair Flight back to St. Maarten to stay overnight at The Turquoise Shell Inn. Monday afternoon we flew to Atlanta and Tuesday morning back to Vancouver.

So, that’s it for our winter vacation this year.

Well after Dean and Judy left it was very lonely and very quiet at the Villa, we missed their companionship

So, much room and such great accommodations. It is hard to explain the layout, so here are a few pictures to give some idea.

However, we still had 12 days left so we were going to make the most of it and enjoy every minute……… because who knows when we will get a chance to come back.

Near the end of the first week we were walking in downtown Gustavia and stopped to talk to a couple from Ohio. They mentioned that the Anglican Church had a Sunday service that was not to be missed.

So, on Sunday morning we headed off to Church and what an experience. Much of the service was similar to a Sunday service here in an Anglican Church in Canada. However, some of it was quite different. For example the music was provided by a group that included a guitar player, a violinist and a piano player; all were very talented. Then part way through the service a gentlemen got up and sang “Moon River” accompanied by the musicians; what a voice he had and you would never know it but he was 90 years old.

The service started with about 30 people in the congregation and by the end there was probably 50 in attendance. The Church in on one of the main streets in Gustavia.

Also in the first week we had a daily visit from a Tortoise. Judy had warned us that we would be getting a daily visit and that he/she liked strawberries. Well sure enough we are sitting by the pool in the afternoon and guess who comes along looking for a treat. So we peeled part of a mango that we were having for dinner and he ate that as his treat.Guess who returned every day right around the same time. We mixed up his/her diet by adding orange rind along with mango…….. and he/she ate every piece.