Home Again

Allan Gardens Peacock 

It's always nice to travel. It's always nice to return home. We got back home Thursday night, as planned, without any last minute surprises from Air Canada.

Friday we "slept in" according to Ontario time and then took a quick run down the 401 to see Bruce's dad.

Encouraged by how well my hip fared with all the hikes on our holiday, I have re-joined the YMCA so I can start getting back to the shape I was in before all this arthritis stuff happened. 

There were many memorable, enjoyable and special moments this vacation. 

I missed only one thing from home: cooking.

Thanks for reading! 

Have a great week!

Karen

PS: this is my 300th blog post. Imagine that.

What Are You Looking At?

Big horn sheep on the tracks above Lillooet, B.C.

Mother and baby sheep, Lillooet, B.C.

Chicken waiting on table scraps at the Fort Berens Winery, Lillooet, B.C.

Osprey, atop the old suspension bridge, Lillooet B.C.

On our last full day in BC, we crossed over the summit into the rain shadow to deliver Jeff's riding mower to a repair shop in Lillooet. Then we poked around the old suspension bridge, had a delicious lunch at Fort Berens Winery and drove up to some high country to have a look at the view. By a ranch on the topmost hills, we had a truck window to truck window conversation with a local about the fire at Loon Lake. 

Some properties were fine. Some weren't. Jeff and Annikka still don't know how the fates have played for them.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

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Sunshine and Smoke

Annikka's garden: Egyptian Walking Onions

Tuesday, July 18, under heavily smoke-laden skies, we drove into Whistler to check out the always interesting Squamish Lil'Wat Cultural Centre. We'd been before, but this time we elected to take the tour with Josh, one of the centre's cultural ambassadors. 

If you ever do go, I would recommend you take the tour.

In the background of our pleasant, indolent days is the uncertainty of what is happening at Loon Lake.

What news there is still isn't good. The south side of the lake, the side accessible only by boat, the side Jeff and Annikka's cottage is on, was hard hit.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Loon Lake

Annikka's Garden

We drove to Squamish to ride the Sea to Sky Gondola.

Howe Sound from the top o' the mountain.

Wildfire smoke from the interior obscured the spectacular views.

We enjoyed the day but were preoccupied with thoughts of what was going on in Loon Lake where Jeff and Annikka's cottage sits nestled among the dry pines.

We don't know exactly how their property has fared, but the news isn't good.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Mosquito Lake

I've been suffering a bit from the bites of small blood-sucking insects. There's a healthy crop here thanks to a wet spring, lots of run off from the mountains and now a hot dry spell.

So when they told me we were going today to a place called Mosquito Lake, I hoped they were kidding.

We hiked along mountain bike trails with quirky names and steep inclines in the midst of a pristine bush. 

While my lungs, long unaccustomed to this kind of work out, were at times pushed to their limit, my hip did fine both going up and down.

Not a mosquito, but among the many winged things hanging around the screen porch.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Anderson Lake

Today we drove out to Anderson Lake.

Ponderosa pine at the lookout over Anderson Lake

At lake level: photo by Annikka Snow

From the lookout: Drive along the High Line for 40 minutes, and this is what you'll see.

Our hosts: Annikka and Jeff making googley eyes.

Thanks for reading!

Karen

Almost According to Plan

Because we're not on the mountain: skies as clear as a bell.

Our last day in Whistler dawned sunny and warm, of course. We made the most of the fine day by taking a long walk before we went to the new Audain art gallery. The gallery is nigh on perfect: great collection of Indigenous art both historic and contemporary. The building itself is a work of art. It's hard to imagine how they could have done a better job. 

Perforated totem pole outside the entrance.

Nestled in a pine grove: sweeping form balanced on three pedestals.

Around noon, Jeff and Annikka's son Oliver came to Whister to pick us up and take us further inland to Pemberton/Mount Currie. 

Last night we joined a wedding party in progress in the Pemberton valley, ate massive quantities of food and also fed the local mosquitos.

The plan had been that we would all go to the cottage on Loon Lake today. We heard last night that an evacuation order has been issued for that part of the province. We are now playing it by ear.

Thanks for reading!

Karen