Sunday morning, almost afternoon now.

Grandchildren talk today, our granddaughter Taylor, she's in Grande Prairie Alberta, miss her, but a video call does help. She's always gives a Snapchat, so often get some kind of message daily. Was really nice to chat with her. 

A message to our other granddaughter Shayla, was good, a message from my daughter Penny was nice this morning early too. Most every day we message. 

Polly talked with her sister Lyn, she mostly does every other day, they are very close. 

Later we talked with our good friends in Ontario, Mike & Linda, was really nice to catch up, as we haven't seen each other for a couple years now. 

A message with our good friends Americo & Claudette was nice too, always keeping in touch with them. 

So much good communication today, is a really good Sunday so far. 

Sun's out now, so we went for a drive out towards China Creek, I've been wanting to see where the fire was this past summer. WOW, was much different that I'd imagined. More small trees burned than I thought would be. Whole mountains burned up, what a shame it is.

 Power lines are replaced temporarily with lines buried on the edge of the road, poles to be replaced in the future, and lines rehung on them. I hear the power lines are what started the fire, a transformer blowing up. 

On our way back I turned down the Franklin River road, that led to the sawmill at the mouth of the river. Had a look around there, I'd never driven there before, just saw it from the water as we drove by in the boat for many years on our way to our cabin. Lots of hemlock being cut there, I thought filling the orders that the APD might have had before it was shut down. 

Change happens, sometimes like a fire, quick and extreme. Other times like our mills shutting down, that takes a little longer, but here we are almost no sawmills left in Port Alberni, just small mills, and our papermill. What a change, all I've seen in my lifetime. 

I wonder what's yet to come? 

Love our life changing life ❤️ 

Watching "A complete unknown"

Thinking of our transition's in somewhat recent history as I watch and think how has our society got to here after such thoughtful music of days gone by. Folk songs we were raised on, seem to be forgotten now. In the midst of this new world order as I've been hearing said, the lessons that the music brought seems to have not just faded, but has been covered over with the BS of this hmm, new Wave. 

Do we have to renew our way's every few generations? Is this what's happening now? It feels like the New is covering over the past lessons, like when a wall is plastered over, except when ya plaster a wall, you going for smooth, what I see is a mess, bumpy, craggy, looking, ruff, crack's all over. 

I just saw the door 🚪 of the apartment that Bob and his girlfriend lived in, was all full of crack's, as the show goes to the revolution in Cuba, along with the News about this event. Amazing we hear of this again, Cuba changing again. 

I'm thinking that as with fashion, and clothes changing, that our society is the same, out with the Old, in with the New! 

As I listen to him then Joan Biaz join in, sing "Blowing in the wind" the line I always pick up on is "Yes, and how many times must the cannonballs fly

Before they're forever banned?"

I'm not sure we have learned about this, as daily we see more bomb's fly, now with drone's, we, (the instigator of the action) are, further away from where the bombs hit than ever before. Actually I'm sure we have not learned this lesson, and looking at how the way things are going we may never learn. 

Bob Dylan is like a poet singing through his poems that tell a lesson each one. Too bad we the people of the world listen, yet continue to battle for what we consider the freedom we desire. Folk songs are great, yet the world seems to be headed for that smashing crashing of the heavy Rock, without the roll! 

Appropriately, the next song is "The time's they are a changing" yep they sure are, again and again. That's my lesson for today, for me, change is one thing that continues, regardless what I, or any of us  think it should be, could be, or wish it to be. 

Who decides the direction change will be? Hmm, I'm not privy to that information, mostly I think "whatever", as I can make my mind up what I believe moral, and others do the same. What comes we judge, but it'll come anyway, no matter our beliefs or thoughts. 

Deep thoughts today, as the rains pound down, changing our landscape I see from the news on my phone, flooding here and there, roads closed, community's cutoff, landslides, tree's falling, yep change is one thing we can count on. 

Good day to watch this movie for a second time, Polly says "Boy is it Ever Raining out there!" Yeppers a good day to stay in. 

Love our life ❤️ even with the rainy days 

Sunday morning calm here.

I woke this morning still a little tired, 5:20am, still a pretty good sleep. Thinking of our evening, dinner with friends was great. So much fun, meeting each other after many moons of time passed. Two couples we had visited with in the last couple months, but one couple we hadn't seen for awhile. 

Remembering the time's we had spent at Cluxewe camping in the late summer end of August early September we've had wonderful time's with these friends. We changed our travel plans a few years ago, so no September in Cluxewe, that made for much different times. The question came up last night, "Will you be going to Cluxewe this fall?" "I'm not sure" was my answer, as we have been going to Grande Prairie in the late summer early fall for the last few years, visiting our grandchildren there. 

I do think we would like to, but arranging this, I'm just not sure right now, Polly and I have to talk about it, how we'd still get our visit in with our grandkids and camp at Cluxewe too. Someone mentioned we could book a cabin there at that time,? Hmm, not the experience I'd be looking for, but hmm, a thought. 

That conversation disappeared quickly, as with 8 of us all shooting off thoughts during the evening, we had lots of catching up to do, and discovering more about each other during our evening. 

Dinner was great, Polly made a really good spaghetti sauce, and some had seconds, wine flowed well, and ceaser salad was great along with cheeseee garlic bread, such a wonderful dinner. Conversation slowed, but not too much, joke's were told, and funny stories, can't say enough about just how much fun the evening was. 

8 people, all from different walks of life getting together, as we would camping, without the smoke from the fire 🔥 this time. Fireplace was on, but with all the yak, we really didn't notice it too much. 

I didn't take any photos, but as I tried this morning to take a picture of the fireplace I realized photos won't save to my phone? Bugger, now got to figure this out? Oh well, just another bit of mystery to my day😆

Polly's up now, after 8, so time for me to get busy doin something. Off goes the fireplace, and up I get. 

Sure do love our Life ♥️ in one place 👍

Everybody wants to rule the world 🌎

Rule? 

Thinking about this line "Everybody wants to rule the world" as I listen to the music 🎶 singing this song Saturday afternoon, after reading about another person with his daughter being taken from their home to Texas for and held till March when a judge will hear their case. Wondering how that will go? 

Our prime minister is taking a lead in decisions to make sure Canada continues to move ahead, but in a different direction. I'm not sure if this will be our best bet, but I do believe that status quo is not going to be our future, change is happening whether we like it or not. 

I have read much lately that gives me thought of who's in charge? Who does rule the world? 🌎.  I know there are mighty superpowers that believe "might is right" another saying I've heard before, kinda like the bully in the playground. I never thought that was how our world would operate, I always believed that law and order was the way. These days I'm not so sure anymore. 

I've read about people quoting how people should behave, while people are breaking the rules of their own country, and people are breaking the rules of war! I really don't understand that there are rules of anything anymore, seems like people, many people are doing whatever they want now, rules don't apply, at least to them, as the expect others to operate within the rules. 

I'm quite confused, yet at the same time I'm also quite content with my life. Should I do something to change things? I'm not likely to do much, just watching and listening to what's going on! LoL now this song words are "Hey hey hey hey, What's going on" so appropriate. I think this radio station is following my mind 😂.

We have company for dinner tonight, friends we camped with 8 of us be here, that we would have not been able to do in our fifth wheel, at least not all at the same table. Will be a fun I'm sure. I listen as Polly gives the tour, our friends the first couple have arrived, our new home is giving us much pleasure. 

Fortunate us to have found this new to us home at this time in our lives ❤️ 

Sure do love our life ❤️ 

Sunday again! Day's and weeks flying by.

Foggy start to another beauty day 🌞😎

Being north this winter is a change from our usual winter, although it's really been nice catching up with family and friends that we just didn't get to see over the last many years. When we moved out of town to Ladysmith for work, then in retirement we only had a half year in BC, and even that is cut to visit in Grande Prairie, or other parts of Canada as we traveled. 

So being here in Port Alberni has been a really great time again, seeing people that we haven't seen for many years. I'm thinking it's kinda like a reunion every time we go to town 🤣, really. 

Today we are going to Courtenay for a visit with a friend that we met when we were in Newfoundland a few years ago. Winston helped us see that city of Saint John's just a little better than the tourists we were. During our time there we looked him up as his sister Cindy said he'd love to give us a tour of his hometown. He's come to the Island for a visit and looking after Cindy and Ray's house as they holiday south. 

Polly often talks of just how wonderful Winston was showing us around his home town, giving us a look at places that we would likely have never thought to go see. It will be nice to see Winston again, we got to know him quite well during our stay in Saint John's, I'm thinking we were there a month that time we visited. 

Our friends Americo and Claudette will join us, lunch at a pub with good friends, what better way to spend a Sunday afternoon. I hear the weather be sunny 😎 too, that'll be nice, Port Alberni has been basted in fog the last few days, be nice to see the sun 🌞 again. 

I woke this morning thinking of my little shop that I need to organize so I can start making things again. I have everything in it, and can move around, but it's really tight, I need to develop a good plan for where everything will be setup. Once I got up I started thinking how it will be, I'm soon to go out and move a few things around to begin with, just get an idea of how my work flow will work. 

When I had my tent setup at our campsite, I often used my mitre saw outside, with a cover on it so it didn't get wet when it rained, but here I'm trying to have it inside, ? Not sure that's going to work. I attached it to a plywood box I'd picked up last year when I bought a stand for the saw, but the stand that I thought would work out, was cumbersum, and heavy, so not really portable as I'd thought it would be. So now I'm experimenting with the idea of a stand on wheels, that I can expand as needed, and tucked away when not in use. 

I went to a site called SketchUp, going to try it, they have a Free tryout, but I feel like too much learning to get that right, I'm thinking paper, and pencil ✏️ be my best opinion, or just get in the shop and start moving stuff around. That's most likely what's going to happen. 

Anyway, I'm looking forward to building stuff again, that's my goal, not the planning, but the building. Planters again for spring, and I'm sure a few more things that I'm thinking of, benches, I have a few really big pieces of cedar that I've been hanging onto for 3 or more years, I'd really like to make something really nice out of them, as really clear red cedar, 2" thick, 7' long, and about 18" wide. I'm hoping this be the year I create something from these 3 pieces. 

When I started doing the woodworking I just had minimal access to wood, often using pallets to build, I still really like working with them too, but I have acquired many other pieces that I need to put to use, so I can collect something else. Sounds funny, but I do find myself looking at wood wherever I go, the kind, the grain, the beauty. Is it an obsession? I snicker, I'm thinking is LoL 🤣 

Anyway, here I sit early morning again, 7 am now, going to get my ass outta this seat, and go stand in my little shop and see what comes of my thoughts in there. Easier to imagine where what will go standing there. We leave at 10am, so not too much will get done, but I'm hoping I'll get the idea I've been searching for. 

Another great Sunday.

Sure do love our life ❤️ 

Sunday always a special day to me.

   Water was everywhere yesterday WOW 

I remember for many years as a young boy that Sunday was a special dinner, a roast usually, my Mom would make, sometimes with Yorkshire pudding 🍮, which really isn't pudding. Was a special time, a time we would be a family, and often friends be with us too.

At Christmas my mom when we were older had two men that we felt a part of our family come and stay with us during Christmas, one was Arnie, he was a guy from Naniamo, a Norwegian man, he was a typesetter for the naniamo free press that had no one to be with at Christmas, the other man was Mom's cousin Doug, and old fisherman from Ucluelet that also had no place at Christmas. Mom somehow took them in, and for the Christmas season we were all family. 

I don't think of them often now, but I do remember that feeling of family at Christmas and how it felt all being together. I also remember the feeling after Christmas, like now, how it felt when everyone left, a kinda sad feeling. 

This year I'm not really feeling that way, as we have lots to do in our new to us place, although I do miss the people we got to know in Florida at the Crooked Hook, along with the people we got to know in Yuma at both Fortuna and Sundance, the card room, many great laughs there. 

Funny, looking back the things ya remember, on a Sunday many times I'd stay at our friends overnight, a party of some kind with Americo & Claudette in Courtenay, I'd get up early, and off I'd go with my camera, a walk about to town, or to the park, always something to see. Having the camera gave me optunity to see it even better. 

Today I'm going for a walk about too, I'm not sure where yet, but it's Sunday, and so far it's not raining. But I'll likely bring an umbrella just in case lol. We have a dinner planned, some of our family, be nice to yak it up, maybe play cards, for sure be some goffing off. Just enjoying each other, on a Sunday 🤗.

Once in awhile I listen to a song by Kris Kristopherson, "Sunday morning coming down"  it's sad but comforting somehow. 

I think I'll listen to that today, just once! 

Maybe even on the TV, YouTube has most anything we can imagine available. 

Yep, another Sunday, love our life ❤️ 

A Waste of good material!

My thoughts as I flicked through my Pinterest page that comes up regularly saying "things you might like", well even though the sight caught my eye, I really dislike seeing wood wasted. A huge block of wood, with a major part cut out, to make a void for a light. 

I'm not sure why this project was sent as something I'd like, but yesterday I saw something on marketplace that really caught my eye, a lamp that can use pieces of what is call waste wood, as sometimes I have strips of cedar left over, always thinking what can I use it for? Well this I believe will be a project I can create. 

Using waste is not my only goal in creating a project, whatever it might be, but using something that otherwise would be discarded as waste, along with using something that doesn't cost anything to begin with, so many pieces of wood are real beautiful, yet discarded as too small, has knots, or some rot. 

So much can be created with leftovers pieces. Anyone can go to the lumber store, buy products that are complete shaped exactly, and new, straight, rot free, perfect. But I believe taking something that's inferior to many and creating, seeing the beauty in it as it is, is my talent. I can see the beauty in a less that perfect piece of wood. 

I'm no building carpenter, I'm not trained, except for my own life lessons, and of course YouTube instructions 🤫 of course we all have that on our side now. Mostly I get an idea, then I work to create it, in my fumbling way. This week it was a sliding garbage bin that fits under our sink. 

There were limitations under the sink that gave to me making it, rather than buying one. See the plumbing is ready low, and centered under the two sinks, so my limitations were 12"deep, cupboard width and 3" under the bottom of drain pipe. 

This is the side I choose to make it for, as the other side already has Polly's cleaning and dish washing stuff. Looks bigger than it is, only 12" deep, just big enough for our garbage container we already had. 

Seems like an easy job, but fitting it in was a trial and error thing, that caused many up and down stairs to my little unorganized shop. Still, it's done now, not perfect, but it works, and Polly is happy with it, shelf behind to contain the bags for the bin. 

I had the drawer slides, and all the bits of wood I had as well, and the tools to build it. I really like building with wood, but until my shop's setup properly, I'll be just doing the stuff here that needs to be done. 

As I go I'll continue to take screenshots of possible projects, knowing a time will come that I can and will be building more pleasing things, and most be with beautiful discarded pieces of wood 🪵.

We have friends coming for dinner tonight, Polly is in her element now, roast chicken, and I see chocolate pie with raspberries on top coming to our table 😋

Sure do love our mobile home life ❤️

Look what just was placed in my lap Mmm 😋 tastes just like chocolate pudding Mmm. More waste 😂