What's next for this World/Planet we live on?

I'm thinking we are on our way to a new society on our planet. 

After Covid most all of us hope we go back to the way it was! I for one think that most countries have indebted them selves to the point of no return. People have jobs taken from them, companies have business lost, so much drastic change that just going back to where we were I think is not going to happen. 

Despondent thought on bathroom wall 😳

"I will never financially recover from this"

I wonder if this is true for many, how will we go on? What's next? Traveling the world has changed, and economies of many countries that depend on travel to support there country. If no travel, no jobs, no taxes = Broke! 

What's next then? 

History has proven that after disaster, we can and do pickup our socks and move on. Some won't have socks to pull up! 

Not being bleak here, I'm just wondering what's next. So much of what we all percive as freedom has been given up to government and now being directed by health science to the point of all asking what we are allowed to do. 

     Covid sign I made up for this winter

Here where we live we can still go to a restaurant, pub, shopping in some places, and most places without a mask. This is changing by the day, and pushed by many as the best way to prevent covid from spreading. 

We can't go over the boarder to USA by driving, but we can fly into the state's. Hmm I think, who makes the rules? I say this as there are so many that make no sense. I know I don't make the rules, I just make sure I go where there are less rules, and do what I have to when entering a place that has rules. 

I joke about having to move further north to get some freedom back, just not sure how far north we would have to go 🎅🤶

We have been asked by many "Where will you go next?" I keep answering "Not sure, see what changes as time goes on."

And that's it in a nutshell, plans many had are postponed or cancelled, stay put is our next move. Now I say break out the woodworking tools, I'm going to get busy having fun. And the hiking boots, as there are many places here in Port Alberni I have yet to hike. Netflix, that might get good use too. And Friend's and Family who are close will be in our circle to spend time with. Oh yeah, writing, I'm sure I will do more of that during the winter 😉

   Our camp is setup, rains about to come

What more can we ask for? Surprise to come around the corner 🤣😃☺️ 

Life has a way of sending us just what we need to brighten our lives, just when we need it! Arrowvale Campground is purfect for our winter of rest from traveling 🤗♥️

Loving this life, Covid restrictions and all😀

          Garden and view are still intact

Pictures I didn't get stay in my mind.

I have thought this on and off many times as I see that beautiful sight. Most pictures I like I take, and more. There have been a few steller (in my opinion) shots I couldn't take for different reasons. Sometimes I stop and freeze the beauty in the moment in my phone camera, and sometimes I just have to remember what that beauty was.

During our trip this summer I had many of these beauty's I missed, and a few I hold in my mind. Here are a few I'll try to describe. Might not be near what the picture would have been, but here goes. 

Dawson Creek, was after dinner with Uncle Doug driving around the roundabout I looked west as the sun was setting, the paving crew were still working, and all the busyness going on with paver, trucks, people, flags, and smoke and steam, with the huge sun behind them. I like to keep this beauty thought. I could have pulled over, I could have stopped. Then right after between the huge grain elevator's I see the huge sun going down, same feeling, I just didn't have the heart to stop. Uncle Doug might of understood, but no I let this one or 2 go. 

Driving and seeing a sight I want to capture is tough enough, but when we are driving with trailer on, almost impossible. 

So many times during our trip I wanted to stop, but just not a place to pull over. When we went up to Rainbow 🌈 lake the farming and animals! Just couldn't stop. 

These pictures I had to stop & take last night after the game, so beautiful at night

Today at 5am I wake and think of this again as yesterday as we drove from Terace to Prince Rupert the mountains were different than any I've seen before, like wet black slate, and rounded formations, one like a huge horseshoe, clouds swirling around them, sure was beautiful. Could not stop, I'll keep this in my mind too.

About 1/2 way along the fog and rain started, and the mountain view disappeared, sad, surprised, not really I read the forcast yesterday. Polly was surprised, she had not read about it. 

I pull over about 15 mins away from our Campground at a huge pullout for trucks, and ask Polly to take Bosco out, as he was being just a pain making lots of little doggy noises, mmkk, eww, argh, I'm not sure how to spell dog whine. Polly looks at me 😳 and says "It's raining" lol, I say "not much", hmm, well my little honey, wonderful wife, sweetie gets out with our Son as we call him often, and takes him for a pee. It doesn't take long, but if course he only takes one pee Polly tells me. I'm satisfied he will be quieter now till we get to our site, Polly shivers a little, I turn on the heat. 

The pictures I wanted are way back in my mind now, I have job to do now, find our Campground, and get there safe. We did, and got parked, (not a great place, but all hillls and rock here) and had lunch a snooze, then next on the docket was a pub to watch the game, as no satellite signal in this spot!

 Polly informs me, "Only two more chapters and I'm done this book!"

Darn Life is rough on the road,🤣🤣🤣

We sat about 5 ft from the screen 😳

Was a very good game 😃😃👍👍👍

Realisation, as we go we have many more close times.

Polly and I have much time together, so much that you might think it might be too much. As I write this we are side by side in our attached recliners. Polly reading her book, now finished perusing the internet on her phone. I finished my FB post, and look around FB.

 I just said, "I'm going to have some cereal, you want something?" "No" she said, "Just a kiss" I give her a kiss or 6 and go get my cereal. 

We often sit in the morning with few words to start, but have our own time to get going. We usually have a plan made the day before what we will do that day, sometimes I have a different plan than Polly🤣🤣🤣 

Upon the completion "Almost" of this summers travels we are just a little closer as every lump thrown in our path has been alright. We manage so well together to not just make it through, but shine on the other side of whatever comes our way. 

Rains, winds, breakdowns, bugs🤣🤣, heat, cold, even a Canuck loss ☹️ and just some uncomfortable stuff 😃 🤣 we just keep truckin and loving every, well almost every minute of this lovely life. 

What more can I say, broke glasses now,

going to have to remedy this today, one arm glasses are no fun. Terrace, another look around today. Always heading out for a look around, sure is a nice way to spend our retirement. 🤗♥️ 

ps, our little buddy Bosco is having a rough time lately. Old dog he is, still kicking though. 

Broke down in Rainbow 🌈 Lake Alberta

Came to camp and visit with our son Chris and his girlfriend Ciara for a week or so. Also reconnect with Polly's Cousin Juliette Moore & met her husband Gerome Lanou.

All went good, many good dinner's and much to yak about, even the bugs are well fed lol. The sights are interesting here, with many a road to go down. Lakes and beaver ponds abound here. 

One day I took a good look at our tires, and after the wheel bearing fail roadside I thought, I'm going to see if I can get the trailer in for new tires and repack the wheel bearings. 

I went to a shop here that had very good recommendations on the internet and asked the owner Don if he could get tires and repack the wheel bearings. He had time and was able to get the tires by Friday. So yes it's a go so we packed up Friday morning and brought the trailer in and left it. Later I get a call, come look at this. 

      One half of the bracket left attached

            Both broken at the weld here

Ahh crap was my response, then I ask how long to fix? Ordering parts, should be here for Monday install. Then next Tuesday, now today it's "the parts place didn't order the parts." So now to another supplier. Still no sure date fixed. Small Town, away from city makes for difficulty in getting what we need. I shake my head many times. 

Patience is not my strong point now, I feel like getting a welder and going to work on this. 😡 But I hold my patience and wait for information as Don changes the tires and repacks the wheel bearings and readys the axel for the welder. 

I'm sure he will get something to work soon. He is a busy guy, and has put us up here at the shop with power and water making it best he can. 

Polly makes cookies and gives a plate to Don and the guys in the shop, she knows how to get positive attention 🤣🤣🤣

She also stuffs a moose roast Juliette gave us yesterday with garlic, and marinades it ready for dinner tonight 😄

Life is still good, even if broke down🤗♥️

Blog, short for "Web Log" from my laptop today

                Mount Athabasca

Has been a long time since I wrote on this cumbersum piece of equipment. Using the cell phone is just so much easier as I now take most photos with the phone too. I took some pictures with my Nikon camera in the last few days, so I download them off the SD card onto my laptop, and now this is how I'll produce todays blog.

One thing I notice right away is no prompts for words, or emoticons, or emoji's 👦 If I want them here I have to prompt myself.

Like much we get used to as our technical advancments change how we operate, we just don't know how we have changed how we do things, until we take a step back. Is a good education doing this, almost feels like going to a rotary dial phone after using a push button one for a long time.

I'll move on.

Going on our trip this time I said to Polly I wanted to take the camera out of hiding and keep it close, as there will be times I will use it. That didn't happen untill we got to Jasper.

We pulled into Wilcox Creek Campsite after a somewhat long day traveling, and picked our site and setup. After a short time I took a walk with Bosco as per usual. I met the neighbours, and had a yak with them, then the next neighbour, who I had met while filling out our slip for paying for the campsite. Then a little further down the road I met a couple guys that tell me the beautiful mountian I had stopped to admire was what they were going to climb, starting out at 1:30am.

Well that kinda set me back, just the thought of starting out then makes me thing, holly crap, I would not be up for that. They told me they have 2 guides, and they told them that they expect to make the sumit at about 7am. Was hard for me to believe they would start then, dark and just not my cup of tea. I love early mornings, but at 10pm I'm not to good for much anymore LOL.

After a little more talk I tell them I'll photograph them as they walk across the ridge, and see what I can get. I have a 300mm lens so should be able to get some kind of image that we could make out of them on top. They like the idea of this and tell me they expect to be back by noon or so, and I let them know we will be outta here by then, so I give them my cell# and ask them to send a text then we would be connected. We part company as they have to go to sleep. Just as we are saying bye, a girl pops outta the tent, I say Hi, and I walk away. As I do I hear them telling her that I will be taking the pictures in the morning. They all sound happy at this thought.

I tell Polly when I get home, and she is also surprised at 1:30am start hike time. I now have a project.

I get the Tripod out from under the back seat and dust it off, haven't used this in like, gee 3 years I guess. I get the camera out of the cupboard and make sure its working ok. Setting up the tripod, I remember much of my training from the days in the camera club in Ladysmith. I notice the dust is thick on the tripod. After I extend it, and level it I attach the tripod connector to the camera, and make sure it's tight. Then I snap the camera on the tripod, and set it up to shoot the exact spot on the mountian where he told me they would walk. I try the remote but dead battery, darn it'll be hard to get a clear steady shot now. 

I take a few shots, and see how it might look, not sure how much detail I will get, but will get up and try. I leave the tripod setup for the morning, and we have another good dinner. I'm such a lucky man, Polly's always got a plan for dinner. Polly asks if I'm leaving it outside set up, "Yep I am" going to be ready. We play cards and then we're tired from the drive, we get to sleep early.

6am Polly wakes and says, Hey Brent I think its 7am. Up I get not wanting to miss them, and look at the time as I get coffee on, I have some time before they will be there. I feel kinda tired still, but ok.

I start taking a few pictures between 6:30 and 7, making sure I get them as they start the ridge. By 7:15 I think I might not be able to see them, 7:27 I caught my first sight of them. I was happy I didn't miss them, they were about 1/2 way along the ridge.

Now I snap offten, and try to keep it still as I shoot. I shoot about 200 photos, and try to keep shooting a little each time as they progress up the ridge to the top. When they stop it looks like its not the top, but must have been the highest point.

They now stay in one place for just about 1/2 hour, then the assend along the ridge, and I take shots again as the hike down.

Was fun to do, and didn't know till I loaded to the laptop how the pics turned out. Not as good as I hoped, but not bad. I looked close, and some I'm sure they could tell who was who, and what was going on in each photo. One photo a couple jumped up and hugged, I thought that was very cool to capture, as I really couldn't tell untill I saw the photos on the laptop.

I left a note on the table at there campsite as we left, and gave my e-mail and name as we had no service on our phone. Andrew sent an email that day saying he got my note, and was happy I didn't get up for nothing. He said "Was it ever a beauty day out there. He would love to see the photos."

So I edited the best I had, by croping, and hoped I got the best. Was a fun project I didn't know I would be doing. Using my camera again, and setting up the tripod, and just pulling together all I knew to achieve something nice. Was fun.

I sent the photos, and one special one where  two were jumping up for a hug, that was so unexpected. Was nice to get an emotional photo from such a distance, even if not clear.



I asked Andrew if they could send a couple of there shots from on top to me, and he said when he got home he would. He asked for a full size Hug Photo. Made me happy to know I caught something special. What a sap hey, well thats me 😊

Jasper was really Awsome, and Wilcox Creek campsite was a great place to stay. Playing cards with Polly that night was great too, she won once in rummy and I beat her next game, we have yet to play the rubber. Polly finnished her book, I took some pictures. We both are doing just what we want as we travel through this life together.

Love this life we chose more every day.

Yesterday

When I'm 64 applies to me now, thanks for the birthday wishes everyone 🤗♥️

Today I can sing another Beatles song.             🤔 Yesterday 😁

We had a heck of a day yesterday, huge hill coming down from Rossland to Trail that Polly and I were a little concerned about. All went well though, Polly gave me koodos when we made it without the brakes heating up and smelling. Then a beauty drive up past Nelson to the Kokanee lake ferry, that we got on almost right away. 

Waiting for the ferry

Off the ferry on our way down the other side of the lake. The campsite we picked didn't work out so south we go merrily along our way. We pull over for a quick lunch by the lake, left over Pizza.

    Our view as we ate lunch

On or way again, then I see smoke coming from the left rear wheel. Luck will have it a huge pullout was right there ahead.

Looking at the smoke coming I think might need a fire extinguisher, but nope, just a brake that's tight I think. So I back up and drive ahead to the shade as this might take awhile. All tools out, jack up the trailer axel and go to loosen the wheel nuts and the tire falls to the ground.

Notice no outer bearing here, completely disingrated 🤔😳

    Spindle heated up a little, but okay.

Holly crap I think, we are so darn Lucky!
Having that all happen right at a pullout made me think dam we are Lucky.

Polly reads her Mom's Diary and Bosco sleeps as I fuss around getting things in order again. 

So no now put the trailer Jack's down, this will take longer than I thought. Called ahead to the NAPA parts store and Mike answers, I explain and he says I'll be right back. He checks at the automotive shop next door Integra tire and yes they can help, take things apart once I get there. 

So load up the parts, Polly and I had a very tough lift, tire, wheel and brake drum, ugh!

Off I go and get parts, some back and forth between the parts place and the garage but all worked out just before there close. Sure was lucky this happened when and where it did. Thanks to the people in parts & the man that runs Integra tire, his crew had gone home, he doesn't usually do the work anymore, but he cleaned the hub, packed the bearings with grease, put back it all together. I was so thankful.

No more pictures as I'm all gitter done now. The drive back was better than there, now put it all together. 

I was pretty exhausted when finished, Polly says, well no rib birthday dinner now, 6pm and still have to find a campsite. 

We drive to town, and find a site, back in like a pro, sun just going down as we setup, a shower, a sandwich and a beer. 

All good now 👍 

Never again will I let this happen. I'm usually good about maintenance, but this was an overlook this time, never again.

I have written about our Luck before, this is one more time I think how darn Lucky we are. What could have been catastrophy turned out to be a very good lesson. Chalk this up to I don't know, I shake my head as I tap here, darn Lucky we are.

A little tired, but still loving our life 😃

Summer road trip during covid.

Leaving the Island was exciting after 4 months in our home town. Polly's eye surgery went well, and check-up was good, had some good family and friends time well in Port Alberni, so on the road again. 

The ferry was ok, some evidence of covid with some wearing masks, even ferry workers, some on some half mast, some not at all. I used a mask going to get us a sandwich, but noticed many without. 

Camped at Harison springs campsite, not a mask to see. Our tours around this area was very laid back, and except for the shields as you came in the liquor store, and pub, and a few people with a mask going grocery shopping, there was no sign of covid. 

Off to Princeton and campsite same, no sign of people being overly concerned. The restaurant had a glass window hung at the till, and wiping down tables with disinfectant spray, but otherwise felt like normal. Gas station had plexiglass in front of the payment area. 

I'm noticing people are not so concerned as they are away. We are still cautious, distance is easier. Hand washing always keep doing. Other than this, we are feeling very good about our trip so far. 

Today we travel to Osoyoos, no reservations so hope a site available, Sunday so thinking will be ok. 

Life is good on the road with sun and warm ahead. 

Love our life🤗♥️