Around and About

The days seem to be passing quickly by.  Amazing how time can truly fly when one keeps busy.  The busyness does not really translate well into blog fodder but by the time five to seven days have rolled by, there is a little bit of a story to express.  

Rain on the new deck.

We did not get any other yard works advanced this past week.  A few days of forecast drizzle mixed in with other tasks kept us away from the tools.  

Jeanette did get to enjoy a couple of hours picking wild blackberries.  When transposed into jelly and jam, this fruit is my overall favourite on toast, pancakes, waffles, etc.

Awesome blackberries that were picked across the street from our home

One pail was not enough so Jeanette got together with friend Mariette and they collectively picked a few more ice cream pails full of blackberries.  So...the jelly making process will begin once we return from a planned Vancouver Island motorcycle ride, leaving tomorrow, Monday.

Looking after the grand kids.

We did get a few visits in with Easton, Brie and their mom (our daughter) this past week.  We also kept the grand-kids for an overnight this past Friday night and through Saturday.  Trevor and Ginette then joined us for Saturday dinner before taking their little family back to their home.  Talk about total enjoyment?  It was such a pleasure to have the two grand kids for an entire 24 hour period.

Easton and Nana enjoying the pond at the edge of the new deck.

Our favourite little girl!  At 6 months of age, Brie is transforming into an engaging little girl.  What a sweetheart she is!

Now that it has been returned to the deck, our Napoleon barbecue has been brought back into heavy use.  It sat idle while the deck was under construction.  

Our Friday golf group - enjoying an early Friday morning coffee with fresh baked muffins.

We were heading further east from our home for our Friday golf round.  I invited the guys for early morning coffee and Jeanette' fresh baked muffins.  That was enjoyed before we placed our golf clubs in our truck and rolled east to the Chilliwack Golf and Country Club.  We had never played that course before and it was a treat to try it out.  

A Saturday morning hike through Aldergrove Park.

With so many choice trails through the Aldergrove Park system, we pretty well let Easton lead the way and we followed on foot.  Jeanette pushed Brie in the stroller.  It was a great day for a forest walk.

Easton, Brie and Jeanette taking a little break on the trail

Easton is growing more curious every day and he is full of questions about this, that, the other and more, while in the forest.  Great fun!

Crossing over a fish bearing stream.

We looked for some larger fish in the stream but all we could see were hundreds of minnows. Come fall time though, much larger fish will be spawning in these waters.

I mentioned a planned motorcycle ride to Vancouver Island.  We are two couples who will be heading to Quadra Island - a short ferry ride across from Campbell River where Croft's Mexico  (Croft and Norma) live.  We had planned to drop in to say hello on our return trip but regular readers of Croft's blog know that he is presently in Ontario.  We'll drop in the next time we roll up there....or perhaps meet up in the US southwest this winter.

L-R  Lucky, Trena and me:  A photo from last winter's ride from Palm Springs to Oceanside, CA

Our Island ride includes Lucky and Trena - an RV couple who winter in Palm Springs country in the winter and call Abbotsford/Chilliwack home.  With great weather in the forecast, we're looking forward to some nice Island rides.

L-R  Diane, Jeanette and Hector (Chico is under the table)  Photo taken at 7 Feathers RV Resort, Canyonville, Oregon - April, 2014

Our return ride will take us down through Victoria and to Sooke where our snow birding RV friends, Hector, Diane and Chico (the Portuguese Water Dog), have made reservations for a one night stay close to their RV campground and fishing grounds. 

Regular readers may recall our fishing adventures with Hector and Diane on the Pacific coast, a couple of years back.  When not RVing in the US southwest, Hector and Diane enjoy their summertime past-time fishing off the west coast of Vancouver Island.  We are looking forward to that ride and a visit with them. 

We'll report on our ride in the days ahead.

Well, time to upload this blog and get the Harley ready for our Island ride.  I think there is one bug on the windshield that needs attending to.  LOL

Thanks for looking in.