Progress....

With a few days dedicated to working on the deck works in our back yard, last week, much progress was made.  The composite skirting was completed.  There is no exposed wood on the deck.  Maintenance, from this day forward, will be minimal.  Yeah to that!

Completing the pergola on the side of the new deck.

Other than the continuation of the deck/pergola project, our other activities pale in comparison.  The deck and pergola were completed this Friday past.  Other than a few touch ups with colour matched stain, the pergola is finished.

This (Monday) morning's project - once this blog is posted - is to clean up the tools and material cut offs before washing the deck down with soap and water.

Jeanette is holding a nurses 'games night' at our home, this evening, and the clean up is in order.  Although we do have a couple of other back yard build projects, they are small jobs by comparison to the deck build. We are quite thrilled to have completed this large project.  And we are quite thrilled with the final result too!

Adding on to the previously existing pergola

With the add on...

We took a motorcycle ride in the area this past Saturday and the hot weather drew us to the Fraser River to see what, if any, activities could be of interest.  The First Nations' fishers were busy with drift nets.  The Fraser River Sockeye run is well under way and the native fishery is allowed before a planned three hour commercial opening this (Monday) afternoon.  It is reported that each commercial fish boat will net between 300-500 Sockeye salmon in that three hour window.  That is a lot of fish.  I may motorcycle down to the river before the 3:00 pm opening, this afternoon,  to catch a glimpse of the hundreds of fish boats fighting for space on the river.

Fraser River....gearing up for a sockeye salmon fisheries opening today (Monday)

Driving onto a small Government of Canada wharf, we were afforded a decent view of the activities on the river.

First Nations fish boat working its way up river.

A half hour of observing the action on the Fraser was long enough.  We left there and worked our way back to Fort Langley where we found a shaded spot along an estuary of the Fraser where we could sit and enjoy some reading and observing kayakers, boaters and swimmers.

A shaded spot along the Fraser River.....

Sunday morning drew me to White Rock where only three of us 'Open Mic' attendees showed up to bring solution to world events.  We are often 6 to 8 to 10 attendees but, with summer holidays, several guys were away.

Only three attendees at 'Open Mic', Sunday morning  L-R Denis, Mike and Me

Our son Deni texted and included a couple of photos of their drive out to visit his maternal grandmother at her long term care facility, about 90 minutes east of the city of Edmonton, Alberta.  They enjoyed a nice Sunday drive into the countryside.  Jeanette's mom, Mary, benefits from these visits and it keeps her so well connected to her grandchildren and  great grandchildren.

Denis, Owen and Owen's great grand mother, Mary.

L-R   Courtney, Deni, Owen and Mary

While I was at 'Open Mic', Jeanette and a couple of friends got together and drove out to the little town of Ladner to attend a popular Sunday outdoor market.  She returned with some fresh vegetables.

This will be a week to complete some less demanding projects on the home front. Although not a lot of preparation is required, we do have a planned Vancouver Island motorcycle trip planned for three days, with another RV couple we know,  beginning Monday of next week.  We are looking forward to that.

And that covers things from here, for now.

Thanks for dropping by

Wonderful Lakeside Family Fun...

Our previous blog made clear that we would be off the grid, so to speak, from internet and cell phones services.  That was till last evening's return from Barriere Lake - north and east from the city of Kamloops, in British Columbia's north Okanagan Valley.  

East Barriere Lake

We were here with our kids and their kids from Friday, August 1st  to Tuesday, August 5th.

Jeanette and I motored out of our driveway early last Friday, on our five hour journey north to the cabin on the lake.  Our son in law's family cabin was our destination.  Ginette, Trevor, Easton and Brie would be joined by our son Deni, wife Courtney and little son Owen. 

Heading north on the Coquihalla Highway

Ginette, Trevor and the kids stopped by our home on the way to the cabin to load up our coolers of food stuff.  We met up again at the Kamloops Costco where we completed our collective food purchases for the duration of our stay at the cabin.

Following Trevor and family, towing two quads to the cabin.

Dawdling for a bit behind Trevor, north from Kamloops, we chose to pass when a passing lane was offered up. We arrived at the cabin several minutes before anyone else.  Trevor needed to make one extra stop to fill several gas canisters to fuel the boat.

The last 15 minute drive is on a vegetable oil soaked gravel road.

The final few minutes to the cabin are on a well oiled gravel road.  Two wheel riding was easy but we did take our time to avoid some washboard areas and some potholed spots. The weather and road conditions were great.

Jeanette is keeping Brie and Easton busy while Ginette and Trevor get their cooler stuff moved to refrigerators and set up their sleeping facilities.

It was a hot, hot day upon arrival and what's not to like when one is along side a crystal clear lake high up in the mountains.  The lake surface was surprisingly warm and it was not long before everyone had changed into bathing suits and dove in to cool down.

Easton got to feel weightlessness with his dad's high up throws.

Easton quickly grasped the concept of floating and had a lot of fun swimming around.

Brie got to spend some time cooling off too.  She is carefully handled by her Nana....!

The family was busy on the cabin beachfront when another voice led us to look up.  It was Deni, our Edmonton, Alberta based son, who had just arrived with his family.  I got out of the water and headed up the long driveway to guide Deni as he backed his little rig into its rightful camping spot.

Deni is backing down the fairly steep and long driveway to the cabin.

Everyone exchanged 'hello hugs' before we settled in for an afternoon of beach-side relaxation and some boating.

Easton is eager to get back to the lake side.

We enjoyed fantastic BC weather, typical of what one can expect during the summer months.  We  visited, played in the water, introduced the grand-kids to lake swimming and generally enjoyed the family fun together.

Brie is taking a shade break with dad, Trevor.

We had all been looking forward to this get together.  Trevor's mom, Sandi, and some of Trevor's siblings and their friends were visiting at the cabin too.  There is plenty of accommodation for everyone. With two travel trailers on site, Jeanette and I shared one while Ginette, Trevor, Brie and Easton shared the other.  Deni and Courtney had  towed their own accommodations along.  Their trailer was very well appointed too.

Owen is ready for his first night's sleep at the cabin.

Owen and Courtney in their trailer.

With today's technology, once the kids are down for the night, their parents (or grandparents) hang on to baby monitors for signs that the kids are awake or unhappy.  In our day, we had to get up and take a look to appease ourselves. I really like technology!!!!

Courtney and Trevor chat away while Jeanette gives Brie her first morning feed.

I was up early with Owen.  He loved that beach side swing.

Trevor and Easton are out on the canoe.

As the dinner bell was ringing, we all gathered for some great cabin foods.

We had enough food to feed a sizable army. So....we enjoyed so many nice breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks.  No one went hungry! We all took turns at barbecue and kitchen duties and also contributed to the clean up.  It worked out so well.

Courtney, Owen and Deni enjoying a speed boat ride.

Our kids, and theirs (with the exception of Brie) took a fun first evening speed boat ride around the lake.  This was but one of the many boating activities to occur.

Easton is at the controls with dad Trevor while mom Ginette looks on.

This Barriere Lake is beautiful and clean.  Swimming, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, water-boarding and tubing are just some of the activities we all participated in.

Dockside at the lake.

Jeanette enjoys kayaking and she did take several jaunts out on the lake.  I joined her for one longer afternoon paddle.  On departure day morning - Tuesday - Jeanette took a better than one hour solo kayak trip around 1/3rd of the entire lake.

Early morning coffee enjoyed on the lower deck

Even a portable hot tub made early mornings a treat for me and Easton.

I am an early riser.  To enjoy solitary lake views, with a morning coffee, is hard to beat.  Hearing the loons piercing call echo off the lake and mountainsides is something to enjoy.  Watching the mirror like surface change with jumping fish and watching the ducks meander while the sun makes its appearance are sights not easily forgotten. The topography is simply stunning!

While Easton and I enjoyed some very early morning hot tub time, Trevor got some alone time to study one of his manuals.

Ginette and Trevor will take on any water sport.  Here they are on paddle boards.

To scoot on a large tube at high speed is a fun activity for young and old.  We did get to enjoy some of that too.  It's a nice way to cool off on a hot afternoon.

Ginette and Trevor take Easton on his very first tubing ride.  What a little trooper.  Although expressing a bit of early trepidation, he quickly grew to enjoy tubing.  Faster......faster.....faster.....!

Not having wake boarded for over two years (due to pregnancies), Ginette got up on the wake-board on her very first try.  Yeah!!

Trevor is no slouch when it comes to water sports.  He wake-boarded too!  And he easily got air switching from side to side off the wakes created by the boat. He chose to try slalom skiing and made that look easy too.  I was a very good slalom skier, in my younger days, but a high speed collision with a water soaked log put me in hospital, in traction,  for two solid summer months, with a dislocated hip, when our son Deni was only two years old.  That ended my skiing career! 

Trevor at the helm

Ginette getting even more comfortable with a wake board.

When it was our turn, I chose to tube with Ginette and Easton (below).  By now, Easton was a seasoned pro who was quite comfortable with the fun.

I am driving the boat for Trevor's slalom ski.... Little Easton marveled at his dad's abilities.

I grew up - with my siblings - spending our two summer months at our central Alberta lake cabin.  Most of my brothers and sisters were quite proficient with water borne sports such as skiing. To now get to spend time with family at a lake is a nice change from the routine.

At the helm, I am approaching the cabin dock where Trevor drops the rope and glides in.

It was not all boating and water fun.  To cut our kids a holiday break, we often took care of Easton, Brie and  Owen.  The parents could get out and have all kinds of fun.  Quading was also a big draw. The little four wheelers were well exercised.

I got to spend several hours - daily - with a good book or simply gazing out over the lake.

When Deni, Courtney and Owen left back for Edmonton, I got to do a bit of quading and one trip took us better than 19 kilometers into some very high mountain country.  Trevor's brother, Wes had found a lake that he named 'Secret Lake'. It offered some awesome trout fishing.  A couple of casts and the fish were biting.  All were released back. We had to trek through some thick forest to find the lake.  I could quite likely find that lake again....but it could also prove difficult.  That was some tough terrain we had to ride in to find the lake.  What a sight when one is at the top of these mountains though!  It's basically top of the world views!

Heading out with two quads and one side by side.  I am in the white shirt in the passenger seat of the white side by side.

Early morning get together at Trevor and Ginette's sleeping quarters.

Deni, me and Courtney hanging out.

Jeanette is kayaking along side Easton and Trevor in the canoe.

Saying good bye to Owen who was soon to head back for Edmonton with his folks.

All too soon, it was time to say bye bye to Deni, Courtney and Owen as they were set to head back towards Edmonton, Alberta.  Easton is sitting on one of his favourite spots.

Although Jeanette and I returned early last evening (Tuesday) Trevor, Ginette, Brie and Easton are staying at the cabin for a few more days with Trevor's mom, Sandi.

A view of the cabin from below.  Nice facility!

We sure had a good, relaxing time.  It was nice to share the time with Deni, Courtney, Owen, Ginette, Trevor, Brie and Easton.  But, like all good fun things, they have an end date when everyone has to return to their work world and their routines.  Us too!

Today (Wednesday) was a day for Jeanette and I to catch up on stuff.  I washed the motorcycle and the Nissan truck while Jeanette attended to laundry and pruning.  Tomorrow returns me to our back yard improvement projects.  More on that in blogs to follow.

Thanks for dropping by.

Nearing Completion and Busy, Busy, Busy!!!!

The back yard renewal is progressing well.  When I last blogged about the deck project, the framing was completed and I had taken delivery of the composite decking material.  I could only dedicate a couple of days to the deck project, this past week, and that was sufficient to complete the entire surface.

Easton is checking out the progress.

Our daughter Ginette was away in Edmonton, on a very quick business trip, for a couple of days and Jeanette and I looked after Easton and Brie during her absence.  Dad, Trevor, would collect the two kids early in the evening and take them home for the night. Easton did opt for a sleepover at our home on the second night.

Brie was so taken with seeing her mom on the iPad, calling from Edmonton, this past Tuesday.

Even little five month old babies can benefit from modern technology.  Brie's Facetime  with mom proved to be a sweet event.  I was quite thrilled to watch Brie react with her mom.

Easton trying out our nearby bicycle obstacle course.

I quit working on the deck early to take Easton on some fun activities while Jeanette would look after Brie.  It worked out well to split the tasks.  Watching Easton ride up and down the obstacle course was fun.

It took little time before he felt confident to tackle the long and arduous bicycle boardwalk.

Easton only fell off the boardwalk once.  He face planted in the soft wood chips but got quickly up, dusted off, and back he went for another round or two on the course.

Sitting by the pond on the finished deck surface.

With the deck surface completed, we did get to spend a bit of time enjoying it.  I plan to install all of the composite skirting material mid-next week.

Although ready to work, it is tough to get anything accomplished when a five  month old and a two year old call out for some one on one time.

One angle of the completed deck surface.

I had not worked with composite material till we undertook this project.  I found working with it was easy enough; no different that working with wood.  It cuts well.  When properly stacked, the boards do not warp. The clip system we chose to use made the surface look so good.....and without flaws.  The wood grain style is most appealing. A 25 year warranty from fading, scratching and damage - combined with never having to sand and stain the deck surface - was all the convincing we needed to opt for composite over wood decking.

Although we thought the surface would be hot when exposed to strong sun rays, it proves to be quite easy to walk on while bare footed.  Great!

The surface has not been washed but, once that happens, the dust covered boards will brighten up considerably.

The picture frame look we wanted is also quite appealing.  The deck looks so well finished. The contrast from brown to reddish colour is appealing too.

All exposed pressure treated wood skirting will be covered with 1/2" X 12" composite boards.  The entire deck and skirting will be completely maintenance free, other than the occasional wash with a brush and water hose.

The privacy pergolas will be built and the final step will be to plant a complete cedar hedge behind the pergola and  also on the opposite side of the yard where I previously built a large cedar hedge planter.

Our objective to completely privatize our yard is very, very close to completion.  Yeah to that!

Arriving at the Sandpiper Golf Resort - Rowena's Inn - Harrison Mills.

Jeanette and I did take last Sunday off and rode off to the Harrison Mills area.  Lunch was enjoyed at Rowena's Inn, along the Harrison River, while enjoying the golf course view at Sandpiper Golf Resort.

We enjoyed lunch at the famous Rowena's Inn on the Harrison River.

With being so busy, this past month and more, to get away from it all to enjoy a nice lunch at Rowena's Inn was a treat.  We enjoyed some very nice seafood along with a couple of iced teas. 

Rowena's Inn on the River

About a one hour motorcycle ride from our home, a lovely Sunday was enjoyed riding to and from Rowena's Inn and the hours we enjoyed over lunch and walking the lovely grounds that skirt the Harrison River in the eastern Fraser Valley.  

The view from our outdoor courtyard lunch table.

Looking out towards the Harrison River - while watching golfers tee off - is about as perfect a setting as one could ask for.  Our golf group gets to play this Sandpiper Golf Course a couple of times every season.

We took a long walk around the Rowena's Inn grounds

Mom is getting some special time with her two kids following two nights away in Edmonton, Alberta.

Brie was enamored to see her mom.....!

Easton and I were at the Abbotsford Airport at 10:00 am this (Thursday) morning to meet Ginette who had flown back from a few days away in Edmonton.  It's nice to witness the excitement for both mom and her little boy.  What a thrill!  Back at our home, Brie was still enjoying a nap but once awake, she just melted when he mom picked her up.  Beautiful moments!

A couple of hours following pick up at the airport, Ginette and her two kids left for their Langley City home.  They have to prepare for a one week trip at the family cottage at Barriere Lake - north of Kamloops, BC.  We are joining them there (for about four days or so).  Jeanette and I plan to motorcycle up there; a five hour ride; leaving tomorrow morning.  A nice surprise will be waiting for us when we arrive.  Our son Deni, his wife Courtney and their seven month old baby boy, Owen, will be joining us there too.  We are looking forward to that family time together.

With no internet service and no cell phone service, we will be out of touch till we return home.

And that has been our canvas these past several days.  Life is good!

Thanks for dropping by.