Everybody wants to rule the world!

Amazing how a song can come on with a catchy beat, yet be talking about something really dastadrly as we are watching from a distance now. Wars that we all through our government participate in, yet they are fought over there 👉, just thinking about how wars are fought now, drone's, missile's, long range, in a comfortable room, with a screen in front of the person that follows the orders, boom 💥 and is done. 

We here in our part of the world watch as the grueling fighting continues, over there👈👉, anywhere but here. 

Reminds me of the many people here we see fighting the drug battle, as they continue to waste away infront of us, yet we avoid looking, pass by without wanting to really see it, yet there it is right in front of us, in most every town now. 

Just thinking about how many are getting Rich in Both cases, the war, as well as our friends and families here in their battles with drugs and mental health issues. 

Someone is reaping the $$💵💸$$💴$$ from both.

Helpless, that's how I feel thinking about it, helpless. I had to laugh a few weeks ago when the city council in Naniamo tried to get the ok to fence around their building, keeping the employees safe from all the druggies that are now close to them. Isn't it ironic how we are, from a distance we talk about it, even feel bad about it, but when it comes right to our door, we just want to avoid it at all costs. 

I know,  not a travel kinda topic, but today Polly and I have had the best of days, we talked so much, and traveled early to Qualicum, then Parksville, then Naniamo, looking at furniture I'm laughing now thinking of the fun we had. Here we are now, sitting close, on our new couch, having just finished a really nice dinner. Polly liking the decorations that shine on the ceiling,

as she prepares fo a dinner we are having with friends on Tuesday. 

Yep, Thanksgiving in the States this weekend, so much to be thankful for, yet many still haven't got a chance, I'm shaking my head right now. 

"Play the funky music white boy" the song that's on now 🤣, such great music 🎶 🎶 tonight. "Play the funky music till you die"

I'm not ready for that yet, I think I'll keep living, the best life I can, not perfect, just the best I can. 

I'm listening to Polly, she's so into it, talking to her phone, planning what she loves, a great meal with friends!

We sure are fortunate ❤️ 

Love our life ❤️ 

Doing what I enjoy feels great 👍

   I'm thinking snowman needs attention 

Everyone has something they really enjoy doing, me it's building something from wood that is discarded. Wood that would otherwise be thrown away. I've been doing this for awhile now, started when I was at Chemainus sawmill, I'd see the stuff that was thrown to the chipper, it really irked me to see beautiful pieces of wood throw away, chipped to go to pulp, or worse to go to burn as fuel. 

I trained to be a lumber grader while in Chemainus, something I had an appreciation for already, clear straight grained lumber, something that Chemainus mill employees prided themselves on getting the highest grade out of each log. 

I know I can't save every piece, but while I was at the mill I did ask and take home a few pieces that I made something out of, but of course when we moved into our trailer, I had to give all that I'd accumulated away to a friend, that gave it to his daughter. Still it was used, at least I hope so. 

Moving forward while covid was a thing we had to stay put awhile, so I got my table saw back from my friend's shed, and a few more tools that I setup in a tent beside our trailer, and went to work doing what I loved. Pallets were  easily accessible, and ideas were many, so I started making things people wanted. Funny how it went looking back now, I'm not sure what exactly I was making that I posted on FB, then a woman that I've known a long time asked, could you make me a wheelbarrow, one as a planter. Sure I said, and after a little looking around at what others had made, I came up with my version. 

That was my start to making things for others that they wanted, and using pieces that would be thrown out to create these beautiful things. I'm not sure now how many things I've created, but every year I have a chance to create something new wherever I go, have tool's and love to travel! 

This past year I created in Florida when asked to build a sign or two, when we moved on to Yuma I didn't create anything there this year, was a short time, but I had created a few signs and a bench there the year before, out of pallets. When we moved home, to Arrowvale I got into making planters right away, once I had my little shop setup, was a very productive spring, most all of this came from waste pieces from the sawmill down the road, some really nice pieces I saved from the firewood pile. 

Moving here to our new home, we have been busy settling in, so haven't made much, but the other day I decided I wanted to, so off to Beaver Creek hardware and got two pallets on Sunday. I asked the yard guy where they stored them now, he said there are 3 right over there you can have. I took 2, the kind that had the boards I was looking for, knowing exactly what my plan was. 

Into the back of my truck, and after a few visits on my way home I took them out and started disassembly. I see many that ask about the best way to do this on the Internet, using different tools, and saws, to get them apart, I've developed a very simple way, and baring getting a nail in the arm, or wrist, they come apart fairly easy. 

       My blank Canvas as artists say 😀

The wood was all wet, which is better for taking them apart, but not so much for building something with, but luckily I have a shed now, and a heater to dry my pieces, so that made it better. After some drawing, and thinking, as I was following a picture I'd taken off of a pallet building site I'm subscribed to, I slowly got the Santa just the way I wanted. 

     Oh, soup, in the middle Polly created 

Have some soup Polly said forcefully 

This is my fun, just created something from what would have been thrown away, yet here it is now displayed in front of our house. Not Earth shattering, but it makes me feel good, and that's what I believe this life is about at this time in my life, doing something that you enjoy, and if it's something that others want, even better, and if I can do it with what would otherwise be thrown away, bonus I say. 

                 Ta-da Santa created 

Oh, and Writing, I really like that too, I'm guessing I'm creative when I'm doing this too. My thoughts pecked away here, that's also a favorite of mine. No cost, and helps me think of what's next in life, today shopping for a new couch I've just been told is my next adventure. How does that saying go? "Better have a plan, or you'll become part of anothers plan!" LoL 😂 

Love our life ❤️ 

Sunday's are different.

     Maybe I'll make a snowman today 🤔

For me Sunday morning is slower that the rest of the week, unless there is something that has to be done. Most times we would travel on Sunday morning, as was just a little quieter that the rest of the week. That is unless its the last day of a long weekend, then everyone is getting home. 

Living in a more permanent home now that's all changed, no moving to another town, or packing up. I do miss some of it, mostly the freeing feeling as we started traveling down the road. Polly would be looking for what I was doing wrong, big huge breath in told me she was concerned about something she saw, but not enough to say "Brent!" Still, it was a warning to me to look, even if what Polly was seeing as a hazard wasn't. 

We sure did talk alot as we first pulled out, did ya do this? Where are? Whatever, what's the name of? Question's were fielded as we drove, just getting our bearings as we travelled. We will be doing this again in Portugal, I'm sure that'll be interesting, as we don't speak Portuguese, most times we do manage, this will be different though. 

Today, this Sunday I'm not sure we'll do anything too earth shattering, we have Harley coming to stay a couple days, so maybe have someone over for dinner? I never really know what Polly will think of, but for me today I'm just chill, no plan, a short walk around the neighborhood, I did that yesterday, but giving me a sore knee, going to have to keep trying, at least that's what my thoughts are looking at the scale. 

I'm up early today again, probably back to bed sometime, can't get the full night in anymore, just the way it is. Something's ya just have to accept, and do yer best with, I believe this is another one. 

I see in the forecast we might get a little snow, I'm kinda looking forward to it, not shoveling, but a walk in fresh snow, that's always great, well until the mess comes in a few hours. West Coast snow gets messy quickly, then the rain comes and washes it away. Yep I remember, so many great snowfalls, I hope to miss the 2-3' snow falls, that is not in my cards.

     cold and damp, fogs up the windows 

      

       Polly got the tree up on the Deck 

Hockey game tonight, football this afternoon, I'm wondering if I'll even get outta this chair LoL 🤣 

Oh well, I guess this is my sedintary life.

Love our life ❤️ 

I usually wait till Sunday for a blog post, but!

"Rainy days and Sundays always get me down" came to mind, it's a song by the Carpenter's, a band that was popular years ago. I had to look it up, Karen Carpenter the singer was also the drummer, I didn't remember that. I listened and watched the video, but I don't feel down. My thoughts were, if I was to be down every Monday & every time it rains I'd be down most the time here in Port Alberni. 🤣

We had a really good family visit yesterday, with the siblings of Polly's family and the outlaws, myself included. 😄 Was really nice to get together, yak it up, kinda like a Christmas visit early. Heb & Val live in Vernon, so we don't see them often, but the rest live here, as we do now. Most of our family are on the island, biggest group here in Port Alberni, so making easier to see each other. Yesterday was just the best visit, at times in our place we had 3-4 conversations going at the same time, loud it was, sill, felt nice to be together 🤗

Polly said it's like a test Christmas Eve for us in our new place, I'm sure that'll be really good too with everyone that's planning to come on Christmas Eve. On a rainy Saturday I have to say, this has been the best November I've had in Port Alberni, a little rain, but mostly been really nice.

Looking forward, I'm thinking be really nice weather up to the time we fly away to the East, Toronto, then Lisbon, we are both excited for Christmas, and soon after our winter trip ✈️. A visit with friends before we fly to Portugal will be great. Really nice to have so much to look forward to, we are fortunate ❤️ 

Today will be a quiet day here at our place, I'm thinking I'll go for a walk between the rains, if it doesn't stop I'll take my umbrella ☔, be nice to get out. 

Sunday tomorrow, we have our little friend Harley coming for a couple days, Danny has to go back to Vancouver to get his sending unit to match up with what they installed in his head so he can hear again out of that ear. I'm very hopeful that this turns out good, I can't imagine not being able to hear, as I said before, we are fortunate ❤️.

Sure do love our life ❤️ 

Biggest fan, I'm my wife's biggest fan ❤️

    Pork chop, rice and cabbage creation.

This one called monkey bread, ya tear piece's off, was like pizza.

   This one not pretty, but Mmm 😋 good 

          These for the Ball ⚾ game 

Just so u know, I post much less of what my wife cook's and bakes than she does. If I was to post all she created, my finger 🤞 be callaused from pecking on this screen. Saying in this blog this morning that I'm my wife's biggest fan came to me this morning as I scrolled through the Instagram posts of music, a woman was singing of her boyfriend was her biggest fan. Made me think, I think I'm Polly's biggest fan. I think she's my biggest fan too❤️ 

Funny how that works for us, seeing all that we do of each other, knowing each other as we do, we truly are our own biggest fans. 🪭🪭

Just now I had the thought, will I post this? Hmm, I'm not sure as I write now, but I like the thoughts I'm having. 

The song that inspired it came after watching a few videos of singers giving really good performances, with really good messages. Sometimes I like to listen a little before I go on to reading, or writing, this morning I'm thinking it was just a little bit of melancolly that inspired me. 

Words with music 🎶 can really give me strength when I'm feeling low, today I'm feeling good, but the music helps me, why? I'm not sure, but was a really nice way to start my day. 

Polly got up early, 6am, unusual, but a kiss 💋 😘 or 4 then she's got her coffee ☕, and I play her a couple of tunes I liked, then we both go about our own way, beside each other, quietly enjoying our coffee ☕, and doing what interests us, each in our own way. 

We had a good Friday night, a couple movies, nothing stellar, some we turn off before too long, not great. 

Today I'm going to work towards getting the sunroom completed. I will need the glass guys to come this coming week to alter some panels, but after that, be all complete. Then house warming be next, then Christmas. Man the day's are rolling by fast. November 15th now, WOW. 

Looking forward to having Christmas here this year ⛄🎄🥳🤗❤️

Love our life ❤️ 

Sunday morning again 😀

Amazing how fast a week goes hey! Polly and I watched a few videos last night at the end of our night, funny ones, best was Bob & Doug McKenzie. I'm smiling right now again as when I started looking at my phone this morning, guess what comes up, another video of these two spoofing together again. Nice way to enjoy my coffee ☕ and another great Sunday morning. 

The story of how the show got going, and what spured them on is good, the show was a success in USA & Canada, they laughed at it as did we in Canada. Imagine, people in both countries enjoying a laugh at "The Great White North" I truly think we could all use more laughter right now, as watching what's really happening in our world is just too painful, at least that's what I think. 

I've been working to get this sunroom up lately, dealing with a bit of frustration, Polly has been helping when I need a hand, still getting things to fit, I'm not sure if I can endure long enough to get it all together. Each morning I start again with fresh attitude, and fresh eyes, hopefully this week I'll have it done, and looking just right 👍 

Frustration hit me hard on Friday, I got a call at noon while I was putting things together, the check is ready to be picked up from the sale of our trailer. Cheryl was so happy, and cheerful, I was frustrated. "Great, thanks, I'll be there after I'm done getting this sunroom pieces to fit". I got a window in, and secured after much mucking around, so I quit at around 2:30 to go get the check, and the license plate, so I could turn that in. We were waiting for Joy and Dan to come back and pick up Harley, so Polly said "You don't need me do ya?" "Nope, I'll be ok will just deposit, and be right back!"

My thinking was incorrect, after getting the check, and going to the bank to deposit as I thought is a big check, better take to the bank. Then waiting in line watching one teller at a bank of many teller booths. They have now decided to put chairs in the line to wait, instead of having a few more teller's available. "Rock steady thinking!" I'm thinking as I wait, frustrated at the thought of waiting, thinking maybe I should just sign it and go to the bank machine and deposit it. 

Well it's good I didn't, as when my turn to go to the teller, I happily get up from the chair 🪑 and walk over, "I'd like to deposit this check". Teller gets my card information, I sign the check, then after she looks she says "I'm sorry but you have to have two signatures on this check 😲 I'm sure she caught the look on my face. "Really" I said, "I'm depositing in our joint account"  "It has both names on it Brent & Paulette so both have to be here"

I'm sure I had the crappy customer face as I left saying I thought this was BS, I was really pissed, stomping out I was just undone now. 

Burning up inside I drove home, once inside I said to Polly, "gotta come to the bank, won't let me deposit it!" 

I laugh now at how burned up I was, just the last straw I'd say, I was already frustrated from the sunroom fitting, so this just did it. 

I thanked Polly the next day, as she just did what was needed, no complaints, and tried to have me understand the process. Me I just wanted it done. We went back to the bank, Polly stood in line this time, I'd already signed it, besides I was still smoking hot! LoL 😂 

I can laugh now, but in the moment I wasn't. 

Yep, not every day goes smoothly, and realizing this, looking back it's good to see that I was pushing too hard to just get it done, not trying to understand it, just get it done. One of my bad traits, but also good at the same time. Getting it done is not as desirable as getting it done properly. I'm a good enough kinda guy sometimes, well most the time. In the case of the sunroom, good enough isn't working, it's like putting a puzzle together trying to push the pieces into the wrong place. 

Yesterday continuing on with the sunroom I realized after I'd installed the sliding door frame that the door would be closed by the trailer wall, not where I had planned, but after a bunch of tries, and Polly helping, we did manage to get it together. Installed but I'm not happy with where the door is, yet I did know when to quit, go inside have a beer, and some soup and quit for the day. 

Today I'm not sure I'll attempt to do anything on it, but writing here helps me see what I'm doing, pushing to get it done, not enjoying the process, which when I have lots of time to get it right, I should be doing. Standing back and taking a second look will help I'm sure, so that's my learning today, give it a little time, and take another look at how I'm going to tackle this. 

Watching Bob & Doug McKenzie this morning is what I need, a little laughter to start the day. Along with writing, this always helps me throw it behind me and move on. 

Our grandson Jet is coming over today, I asked if he'd come look at our furnace ducts, as they are banging on start and stop, he's been working as a sheet metal worker for the last couple years, so I hoped he'd be able to figure it out, he's already got an idea what it is. I'm looking forward to seeing him today. Jesse might stop in too, another grandson. He's working at Canadian Tire now, along with going to school, I gave him a ride to work and home yesterday, always nice to see him too. 

We are enjoying being close to our grandchildren now, looking forward to Christmas celebration with family & friends here in Port Alberni. Funny how fast things have changed, from travel in our trailer to being home in our town again. Feeling quite comfortable here again, we have been gone for over 20 years now, 2003 when Sproat lake division of MB was shuttered. We have traveled back and forth from Ladysmith, then every spring coming home, but this is just so much more permanent. 

Love our life ❤️ 

Many hands make light work!

Watching a video of a couple that we have been following on YouTube building their off grid cabin just made me think of this saying. "Many hands make light work" We have watched them as they built this past summer and fall, and just now I thought how difficult it is doing the jobs they did by themselves. 

I've been doing this most my life, getting things done by myself, or with little help, but now later in life I find myself asking for the help I need now. Stubborn, that's how I'd call myself, just "I can do it myself" kinda thinking. I really can't do it all by myself now, really I never could, just thought I could. 

So, thinking of this saying gives to the idea that having a work party as many farmers do makes so much sense, rather that pushing to get it all done by yourself. 

I realize now as I age so many things that are just too frickin difficult now, just getting down to the ground, that's difficult, getting up I have to have a plan! LoL I laugh, but it's true, I'm not as able as I used to be, yet I still have that thought, "I can do it!" I remember when we built our float cabin, how able I was then, get down to the floor, get up on the roof, do just about anything. 

I can still do a lot, just have to pace myself, get ready, ok here I go lol. 

Well this past year we changed over from a fifthwheel travel kinda lifestyle to a mobile home, something that came as a surprise to us both as we really weren't looking formally, yet when the opportunity came, we jumped. Now looking back, we had all our ducks 🦆 🦆 🦆 in a row for this move, our age is one thing that pushed me to change. Looking forward I could see the setup of camp when we returned to the island was getting to be just more that I could handle every year, so I had been thinking of making a more permanent place to call home, where we could return with our trailer after traveling and be setup, the site would have my shop, and all our stuff there ready to just hookup again. 

Well after trying that out Beaver Creek on someone's property, we had this mobile home opportunity, and was a very good move. Hospital close, walk to the grocery store if we want, all services here, makes life so much easier. Still I had to improve, LoL, what a goof hey. We bought a sunroom that I saw in marketplace, was what I thought a "really good deal" and Polly likes the idea of having a closed in deck. 

So here is where I asked for help, I'm really not sure how to go about starting on the glass install, how to make the base level, how to put the glass wall up, how the end sliding glass doors will fit, how to lift them into place. I called Ted and Steve, friends that have skills I'm lacking.

 They came, pondered, each had ideas, lots of thinking 🤔 as the deck was not level on the edge that the big windows were to go on. I left to search for some brackets, on return Ted had gotten to the table saw, and made shims that would hold the bottom rails up level. That's what I needed to carry on, a level base he said, Steve came back, checked it out, and yep that'll do it. 

I bought some metal for flashing, my brother in law Ted made up the flashing, another ask a friend when ya need a hand. Next day I laid the bottom track for the windows, flashing over the wood strips Ted cut out, then gooped on the silicone and screwd it down good. 

A few days to dry then I asked my other brother in law Danny to help lift the glass panels in, he knew how heavy they were, as he helped lift them out of the trailer when I brought them home. Well that was a lot of work, but thanks to Dan and his experience in how to do stuff, we managed with Pollys help steadying them to get all 3 panels in that day. Then I had to go up and down the ladder screwing in the slot above that holds the panels in place. Felt like a long day, I was beat. No cleaning up, just shut the shed door, and do the rest tomorrow. 

Soon I'll have the rest of the glass and sliding glass doors installed, I work slowly now, but it'll get done, thanks to the help of friends. 

Going back to the couple that are doing it all by themselves, they do ask if they need help, but so far in the videos we have watched, it has been very limited asking. They're young and no problem getting under, or on top of the cabin, I remember when I was like that, but no more. I'll just take it a little at a time, no rush. 

Soon our deck will be closed in, giving us our covered, glassed in patio Polly wants.

 

Thanks for all the help y'all 👍

Sure do love our life ❤️