What a summer it has been so far!

August 26, 2006
Once we got rid of all the visitors, (er….I mean once all our guests left for the season :-) we were still kept busy with social stuff.
Bob W, who moved to New Zealand with his wife & 2 kids many years ago, stopped in to my sister’s house. Our parents & his parents were very good friends in both Saskatchewan & Vancouver. Bob & his teenage daughter Robin were travelling through the area, visiting friends & family. As it was a workday, I popped in to Joanne’s for a quick lunchtime visit to catch up with him. I was probably Robin's age when we last saw each other.
Also during the week I joined Deanna & friend Elizabeth (from Victoria) for lunch at the Old Country Market in Coombs. This is a popular grocery store/restaurant that is well known by tourists as ‘the place with the goats on the roof’. During the summer, goats graze on the sod roof of the market. We were entertained by a couple of billy goats butting heads and hissing. I think they were showing off for the crowd – it worked, they sure got everyone’s attention.
August 18th was our 33rd wedding anniversary. We celebrated by going camping (or is it called RV’ing when you have solid walls & a flush toilet?) at Little Qualicum Falls Provinical Park for a few nights. As the park is only a few minutes from my work, Wednesday night I checked the availability of a non-reserved spot on my way home. If one was available, then we would sleep at the campground & go home in the morning to get ready for work Thursday & Friday and have Saturday & Sunday to enjoy the site.
Well, I was very pleased to find the ONLY site left. Leaving a bungee cord, the dog’s dish, a jacket & a hat to mark the spot as ‘taken’ I drove back to the self-registration board to pay the fee and collect my tag. Calling Bob at home to warn him to pack up, I got only the voicemail. When I returned home I found out why. Deanna’s brother Dave & wife Norie from Abbotsford had just knocked at our door so Bob chose to ignore the phone so he could welcome them. They left long before I got home, but ironically they were camped at the same campground just 3 spots from us. We stopped in to visit that evening and had a good laugh at the irony of them being at my house while I was driving past their campsite. It has been many years since we have seen them, and it was a good visit. Friday night Joanne had us over for a wonderful dinner. It is so great to have family around with which to celebrate the milestones. I had most of my wedding party in attendence: Joanne, Sveinn, Danielle & Charlene’s daughter Sabrina was there, to represent her mom (who was about her age when we married!).

Sad to say that weekend was also the event of a memorial service for a friend. Jeanette & I had worked together for 7 years at Teldon. She was due to retire in September, but succumbed to cancer. The service was in Richmond and I did not go over, however Vanessa attended as she had also worked with Jeanette. It was a touching service with several co-workers attending. Vanessa has joined the Teldon team that is participating in the Terry Fox Run in September, in memory of Jeanette.
‘Til we meet again Jeanette’. I am glad to have known you, I have many happy memories of working together.

Friday night Vanessa arrived. She & Bob are off for a week on their ‘excellent father-daughter adventure’. They drove 4 hours to Port Alice – a village on the northwest side of Vancouver Island. They joined Sveinn and will camp (yes, V can call it that as she will use her tent…the boys will be in Sveinn’s huge motorhome) right in town, steps from the boat launch. Vanessa is looking forward to catching her supper. Bob is very happy to have a week with his girl. Chris & I are not sad to have our homes to ourselves for a week. Friday I will pick Chris up at the ferry and drive to Campbell River where we will join our RV and father-daughter. ChrisNess will tent and hike during the day, while we will be ‘base camp’. Looking forward to being outdoors with them.
Stay tuned for my next blog, which is news about a mini-reunion held at Deanna’s on August 26-27th.