July 1st Canada Day

“Mercury Forecast HEAVENLY”

Yes we finally have achieved summer weather. I am putting the last of June here in July.

Jackie and I had a wonderful last days of June.

We had a very relaxing day out at the lot. Fixed a few things, organized and just enjoyed the down time.

Cassie, our niece from Penticton, was in Calgary with her sons for a Lacrosse tournament. Jackie & I met up with them. It has been a long time since we have seen them. Cassie’s Mother & Father in law came also.

First, Lacrosse is a violent tough sport. These kids are tough no other word of it with the slashing, hitting, elbowing etc. Lacrosse has a lot more roughness compared to hockey, but it is at a lower pace. It was interesting to see the game and figure out the rules. The goalie has a safe zone. There is a shot clock. There are very specific things you can do to take a penalty. The net is so tiny and the pads on the goalie so large it is difficult to score.

Daxton our nephew is 6’4″ so is a big guy and great player. Lots of fun to watch and very nice to Cassie, Benson and Daxton. Very polite nice kids.

Then off to a golf game with Jeff & Wendy. It was the best day of the year to golf. It was 28 degrees, no wind and beautiful.

There was a mixture of good and bad golf. I had 13 pars. I had many shorter birdie tries but didn’t get a single one. I lost a ball on two holes, which killed the score. One was a lateral so not bad but still taking a double or triple kills the scoring. My team mates all had great, good and some horrible shots but each of them having a decent game.

Jackie wins the best dressed today wearing her new Mothers day clothes I bought her. I thought she looks wonderful.

A gathering after on the patio ended a perfect day. My steak sandwich was awesome as was the home made Italian dressing. I ordered a Caesar and out came a can, They did bring a ringed glass but that is just wrong. I will know for next time but to have a restaurant/clubhouse do this is just poor quality service. Cheap on their part and the can was $7.85 were I can get a great REAL one for $6 at a lot of places. I have found McKenzie lacking in a few things which is unfortunate as the food itself is great. They are also weak in staff training. Their choice of staff is poor, as there is only one lady server that is any good. A couple of guys are extremely weak in customer service and “slow minded”.

Overall I have been very pleased with most companies service levels other than auto shops. Today on the course, Costco phones me. They ask me to cancel my appointment. The tires I ordered were not in yet. I had earlier phoned Costco and Day & Ross to track the tires all ending in a dead end. With today’s technology, Costco should be able to locate my tires easily. They should not have to tell a customer, “We don’t know where your tires are.” Tires that I have paid for 8 days ago already !! I will have a talk when they arrive and I am at the store. LOL

Proud to be Canadian. I think we all take Canada for granted. We have a wonderful unique place in the world. I love it when I see immigrant families embrace Canada. Today, being Canada day, it was wonderful seeing red & white and Canada paraphernalia everywhere.

I find it very interesting how we, as a country, perceive our flag. This is a significant aspect of spending time in the States and Canada. America views it as military wave it in your face. They are extremely patriotic, proud and protective of their flag but with a aggressive undertone. Canadians embrace love and peace. They are proud to be a welcoming place where many different cultures all get along. There is profound difference in the feelings toward patriotism and presenting it. What I can say is I LOVE CANADA.

So we decided a road trip was in order today for Canada Day. We loaded up and picked up Audrey and headed to the mountains. For sure we take these majestic mountains for granted only 1 hr out of town. I was surprised the snow caps are all gone for the season already.

We arrive at the gates and get a free ticket for entrance. This is where Mark Carney is missing a marketing and political win. He has given everyone until Sept of this year a free pass to Federal Parks and exhibits. We should have been handed a colorful piece of paper all done up with the slogan ” Enjoy the Park , Free by Mark”

It will be interesting if we ever found out the results of this gesture but I will take it. How much money did it cost us, what increase in business did the business within the park achieve etc.

We decided on Cascade Pond just outside of Banff. On arrival, the rangers sent people up the road. The parking lot and sides of the roads were jammed with cars. So on we go on the road to Minnewanka Lake. We get about half way and see an exit to Johnson Lake. Great find as we arrive at a nice mountain lake with a beach. Cars parked miles up the road. The parking lot was full. As I circled around, we got lucky. I found a spot.

It turned out to be a wonderful spot. Loads of people kayaking, floating, sun tanning and string bikini larger women bending over all day. Great body image and rightly so.

I found a spot just across from the beach in the shade under the trees close to the parking lot. Great as Audrey has real trouble walking even the shortest of distances.

Audrey stayed all day at the beach. I was impressed. She didn’t need to go to the washroom, which would mean climbing up a hill.

As I said there were many many different shapes and sizes of people on the beach.

Even Daisy enjoyed the day.

On the way home I thought we would stop in Canmore at Tim’s as the highway was busy. Turns out a broken machine and they did not provide what we wanted. So off to the Kananaskis turnoff.

I said the highway was busy, i meant BUSY. We were down to 20 km per hour. We stopped the odd time all of the way from Canmore to the Bragg Creek turnoff.

I had to use the washroom so went in to Tim’s at the Casino. I was in there for about 15 min when Jackie came in. It turns out I had 15 people ahead of me in line. She mentioned very few were in the drive-thru. So I stepped out and used the car.

We were at a crawl all of the way home. We saw accidents. A guy ran out of gas. The front wheel fell off a car. A truck pulling a trailer overheated. There was a tow truck there plus many odd cars just left on the side of the road.

I turned down Highway 22 to Bragg and had no traffic and a wonderful easy drive home.

A fun day and an enjoyable Canada Day

Thought of the Day

On this Canada Day, let us raise a toast to the true north, strong and free. Let us celebrate the beauty of our land. From the rugged coastlines of Newfoundland to the lush rain forests of British Columbia, there is so much to admire. Let us honor the rich cultural tapestry of our nation, from the vibrant Indigenous traditions to the diverse immigrant communities. Let us embrace the spirit of innovation and creativity that has made Canada a global leader. Happy Canada Day, with pride and optimism.

July 2nd–3rd

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 30 degrees, Calgary 33 degrees, Mesa 41 degrees”

You have to love the summer temperatures. Hitting that sweet spot of not being hot but on the warmer side. Lots of sunburned people. Better than some of the WHITE people out there, And this is not the case of being scared to get into the sun but a case of not seeing it for 8 months over winter,

I won’t go into my sun spiel but as with everything we are being tricked by marketing. Deaths from skin cancer are .53 %. In reality, less than 1% worldwide are affected. Surprisingly, the countries where the sun is the hottest don’t even make the list of most deaths.

An odd day trying to figure out what to do. Jackie has some heavy workload with the BNS right now. So between us, we thought we would squeeze a few things in. For instance, we need to prepare for the get together at the Waldies.

Off to Costco. I have said it before, I will pay double rather than regular shop there. People are nuts, pushing, budding in line, stopped in the middle of the aisle etc.

We have a new law for 70 plus and 75 plus drivers in Alberta. Costco needs a new law also. First I like the new drivers law and believe they did not go far enough. I think they should do a road test every two or three years. This would help get incompetent drivers off the streets. The Costco rule should be no kids allowed. Anyone older than 75 years old should not drive a cart. You get these old farts staring into space with the mouth wide open and not moving for minutes. It is like the walking dead. I see NO VALUE in buying a 10 yrs supply to save $10. Meat has a 2 or three day expiry date. They eliminate a risk factor by doing this.

So we got that all done and loaded and unloaded. The cart looks empty and the till keeps ringing. I ran into no one in the store, some close calls, and no one hit me. It seems a certain race of our population loves to push and move to the front. They do not care if they are stopped or if they block others. They also do not care about impeding anyone’s travel.

We do not shop often at Costco. Today’s buy of a pull wagon was a good deal though.

Jackie off helping her Mom this afternoon and then we may sneak out and buy something to wear. I said no. I am not buying something I don’t need or want for a picture taking session. However, Jackie has convinced me that I can wear it sometime after. Not often as I hate tee shirts as they do not breathe like golf shirts.

Bit what a deal. Two tee shirts for $20 and Denver Hayes which is a great band. Still may become works shirts after the event quickly.

You know how all of the car colors and home colors etc are all muted and dull. We are supposed to wear bland clothing. I hate bland, anything white or beige. I still may be the black sheep as I an wearing shorts, It is summer !!

Turner Valley with a 7 am leave time. It is a wonderful morning, so high expectations. This course is HARD and I struggle on it like no other but LOVE the course.

All four of us ONCE again failed to meet our expectation. It is just the blow up holes due to heavy bush on the side of the fairways. I took three 8’s , did not finish top 5 and made no money. It would have been a good game if I would have even taken a bogie.

A very wonderful day of golf and fun so no complaints.

After golf we were talking care of the grandkids as the girls were heading out.

It is unbelievable to me how kids love the water even when it is colder. We had such a wonderful day then a storm blew in. Wind and rain for about an hour and then cleared up. I didn’t bring a jacket but wished I had as it got cool. Audrey came which was great. She has such a wonderful lake so close to her that she doesn’t use. If I were her, I would walk down to the lake, which is maybe a 5-minute walk. I would just sit there during the day. It would be an outing to see things and talk to people at a wonderful location. Lake Chaparral be all accounts is one of the nicer lakes. We have Midnapore an old lake, Sundance Lake, Mckenzie Lake, Lake Bonvista whihc is the oldest and Arbor Lake in the south also. I especially like the roped off section to swim in Chaparral.

We had a good night with pizza from Caesars. We enjoyed a wonderful time at the lake. We also had ice cream cones from Dairy Queen. I great day.

Thought of the Day

Time at a lake is heaven where you are away from the hustle and bustle of city life.

July 4th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 20 degrees, Calgary 20 degrees, Mesa 39 degrees”

Big USA holiday but we won’t talk about that.

I took Daisy and picked her up from her salon today. She came home smelling so good and looking awesome. Bet she is feeling good with the warmth.

My GPS for finding the salon was a way off. It just did not find the location.

Then off to golf with Jeff. It was just like old times golfing with just Jeff and I. I will state we didn’t have the best round of golf but we had fun. There was a threesome ahead of us that was ridiculously slow. I don’t care what anyone says slow play does affect your game. We had to wait on every hole as the course was packed. I had three holes again where I screwed up on. Darn !!!

Just a fun day.

I couldn’t forget it was the start of Stampede.

A 20% increase in STD’s happen during Stampede. Drinks and partying lower inhibitions and the result is such. I couldn’t find the increase in booze but am sure it is high.

We are going to the grounds on Monday night.

Thought of the Day

Hold on tight and enjoy the ride as Stampede is here.

July 5th-6th

“Mercury Forecast it is summer so a cold day, a hot day then rain , throw in some hail and wind and call it it Calgary weather”

First thing today was getting ready for our photo shoot and birthday party for Erin and Audrey at Victoria’s.

Everything was delivered, food, drinks, chairs etc and set up. We used our large gazebo in case of poorer weather or shade if hot. Luckily after the fact our day turned out wonderfully with no wind, and lots of sunshine.

Our niece who is a professional photographer and excellent at her job organized a Huggett family shoot for Audrey’s birthday. She picked a wonderful studio just off 114 Ave so very close for everyone. Arriving there though we find out that it is the 2nd level with 2 flights of stairs. Now Audrey is in great shape physically for her age at 87 years old compared to a lot of people but can shy away from attempting things. Kristen felt bad. BUT it all worked out perfect and I was very impressed with Audrey’s will to try and conquer the stairs. I knew she can do it, but never expected her to do so well without numerous rest breaks etc. She did remarkable.

It was nice as Kristen made an excellent gesture. She made sure Audrey was first plus front and centre of the pictures.

After all of the grandkids, kids, and family pictures were taken, we headed to Victoria’s. We gathered there to celebrate the birthdays.

Once again as far as i know everything turned out perfect. Corey did a fabulous job of cooking smash burgers chicken burgers and dogs on the Blackstone.

I think I (we) have finally learned our lesson. We have held many birthdays, Thanksgivings, and Christmas gatherings over the years. Once again, no one ate the quantity of food expected or planned as we follow “normal” usage levels per person. Some of the issue is girls. So many and they do not eat! Not only very expensive but wasteful also. We followed normal “qty per person rules.” We were left with 6 pounds of hamburger, one unopened container of coleslaw, 3/4 of a tub of potato salad, buns, buns, and extra everything.

I HATE going to anyone’s house and i will say I have been to many where you have to cut back on your plate portion to save some for others. I hate that. My family whether it was grandparents, parents, siblings always made more than enough. Jackie & I have always done the same. BUT costs, amount of work, etc I think next time we will try to scale back. The turkey will be on the small side and I will calculate at half portions etc. I will see how I handle it. LOL

People not coming to the food when it is warm and ready and people not eating on a special occasion are two things that bother me. I don’t know why but it does. I do know why. lol

The weather turned out fantastic and it was a nice gathering. We had close to 20 people and the yard and seating worked out perfect.

Audrey and Erin have the same birthday date.

I’m telling secrets now. Audrey turned 87 years old. I believe Erin is 47 years old. However, I may be off by a year.

With every party there is a “crasher” . At our party we had Zelenskyy show up unexpected.

It was a fun gathering both at the photo shoot and the birthday gathering.

Below is Jackie & I ‘s off spring. Some may say we are biased. However, I believe it is the absolute truth that our three grandsons are the best-looking kids out there. Sometimes there is that awkward kid in the family but not here as these three shout out MODEL.

I knew I should have worn RED to stand out in the sea of beige. We are not this boring. LOL

Just a few random pics from the shoot.

Take down and a little organizing plus a trip out to the lot to put stuff away. With Corey’s help the gazebo and stuff was loaded up pretty fast.

I even managed to fit in a Chess game with Atti which is pretty good at it for his age.

Jackie & I sat on the deck in the sun at the lot and said another one done.

Thought of the Day

Family: where life begins and your bank account ends

July 7th-9th

“Mercury Forecast-summer weather with 30 degrees, storm and then cool all mixed up”

I left early this morning. I went to the Depot for two flowers and an artist brush. I also needed a small container. Additionally, I picked up a red reflector for our neighbor’s spigot. I had by accident broke his original one with my weed eater.

Plan today was to jump up on the roof and fine detail paint my Saloon sign. I got a surprise when I jumped on the ladder and smashed my head into my set of moose antlers. Good thing I had my hat on but a large bump and cut still happened.

I cleaned out the eves of the Gazebo on my way up and then worked on the sign. I sanded it all and then did the black paint. Next time I will stain the lettering. I can’t sand it until the black is dry. Small detail strokes and it turned out wonderful.

I also stained the window bars and the cafe doors.

I planted my new flowers as I had a weird purple leaf flower that just didn’t do well.

I managed to finish this in relatively good time. I did it without too much paint on myself. Then I headed home to clean up.

Ouch my head hurts. The only time I felt something like this was when Jackie dropped a full bottle of wine. It fell from the top cupboard right onto my head.

We got all ready and headed to Tor’s place. We picked up Corey, Jackson, and two friends. Then we headed to Stampede.

Oh to be young again. I love the Stampede look and the cowboy look on men is awesome the cowgirl look of women is perfect. To be 16 to 18 yrs old it would be the time of your life. The problem would be telling the difference between a 14 yr old and 20 yr old is hard. The grounds were packed which makes it even more fun to wander around. Pricing as expected is high but these Carnivals always have been.

This was the first year where Jackson was able to wander the grounds with his friends on his own. I am sure they had a blast.

We had to have a Jumbo Corndog. You can not go to the grounds and NOT have Mini Doughnuts. Cold beer and popcorn made up our food intake.

The Grandstand show was amazing again this year. Chuckwagons are always fun to watch and the Native Relay Races are my favorite, The Young Canadians always are entertaining. We had all of these. There was motor bike jumping. A naked man performed pole dancing (I thought I was at a bachelorette party). There were gymnasts, singers, and balance acts. The main act was Carolyn Dawn Johnson. Carolyn is a little older now. Her voice is a little sketchy. However, it was still an okay performance. She is a star from Alberta so nice that happened. Add in an amazing drone show and spectacular fireworks it was a great show. It ended with a very patriotic rendition of Oh Canada. I thought it was a little over the top, but it was still very nice.

The boys were ready to head home. They might have run out of money. We left and got home about 11:40 or so.

Another fun night at the Calgary Stampede. It is a place where you could go at 9 am and stay until midnight easily with so many things to do. Indigenous Village. market place, agricultural center, rides, games, rodeo, free concerts, exhibits, etc.

Jackson and his buds had fun.

This morning was our appointment for our shots and medicine for our cruise. Typhoid shots and travelers diarrhea pills and an antibiotic in case of. $300 bucks worth that I am not sure is worth it. And we will never know.

Our appointment didn’t start off well. Once again the customer service level due to poor training and poor attitudes is rampant nowadays. We checked in and were told to take a seat. 20 minutes later and after our appointment time I checked again and was told we did not have an appointment. I phoned and made the appointment myself. The staff member did have an attitude. Didn’t help matters as Jackie did also today. Long story short we got in after being ignored and 40 minutes after our appointment time.

All done now. We just need to take some pills 3 weeks prior to leaving. Then we are all set.

I think today I will just have a catch up day in getting a few computer things done. Fairly warm out , shot in the arm and nice to take a day off.

I took the Jeep for a car wash and interior shampoo. Unfortunately, the car wash vacuums no longer have the suds working. I went to Canadian Tire for an interior shampoo the manual way.

Unbelievable. My wax on, wax off movement for carpet and seat cleaning did not work well. For the first time I can remember, my arm at the injection site is sore. I felt it when she shot me as she hit the muscle but now I am surprised with the sore spot. Mr Miyagi would not have liked my performance.

Washed, seats and carpet shampooed, windows cleaned, interior Armorall, and tire dressing on all fenders and wheels. Looks great except for my mistake that haunts me scratching the hood trying to get off poplar buds.

At the car wash my Jeep read 35 degrees, Who can complain about that. It is spectacular summer weather.

Got home drank water and thinking what should I BBQ tonight.

Turns out pork chops, potatoes and carrots make an awesome meal. It was just wonderful sitting on the deck with the breeze blowing in the warmth. If it would stay this temperature until November 1st it would be perfect.

I see a rainy day on Thursday for golf but a fantastic day for it on Friday. I am already looking forward to Friday for the great food. I will be sitting on the sunny patio with the majestic mountains in the background with Jackie. Love it !

August’s birthday and Jess & Pens anniversary this weekend and next weekend Jackie & I’s first engagement party. In today’s world, it is now expected that the Mother of the Bride hold a gathering. This gathering allows everyone to get to know one another after a couple is engaged. Hence the name Engagement Party. This is for our niece and beau Danielle & Justin. I sure hope there is Grey Poupon with Caviar and a King Crab leg tower. It will be an interesting get together.

Amazing how fads change over the years. Stag Parties have drastically changed. Bachorlette parties massively changed, and now new replacement parties happen. Years ago a few people used to secretly elope but today it is fashionable. I bet the parents are happy saving a 30K bill + on a formal wedding.

I am all for young people eloping as I hate destination weddings. It is the dumbest thing ever to have a guest buy a gift. Then, they are forced to spend a fortune to go somewhere they really may not want to go. I hope this fad has passed.

Daisy did a slow walk tonight with the warmth and that is even waiting until the sun went down. Once past 9 pm she loves sitting on the deck staring as people, bikes and cars go by.

Just a few more Stampede pictures.

Taking in the Calgary Stampede is a one of a kind experience that everyone should see. So much to do one could spend if not a full day, two full days to take in everything.

We set a record on Tuesday with 193,000 in attendance.

GMC has always had a big presence at the rodeo. They had a full booth with interactive screens and loads of trucks on display.

Wow is all I can say. GMC trucks are so far superior to the competition it is insane. Beautiful vehicles but EXPENSIVE, A Tahoe over 140K and a truck over 150K. Great looking though.

Today I spent the whole day at the lot. Accomplished a lot. I cut down a lot of the trees beside the motorhome, cut the grass, plucked weeds and suckers, burned all of the leaves and twigs, and trimmed the bushes. I dumped the tanks as the grey water if it sits too long can get pretty stinky.

Took me 5 in Wordle.

We had to revisit a couple of holes on the course to protect the trailers. One would think it was the end of the world. Whine and complain is what is in for 2025 I guess. You buy a lot on a golf course a ball is coming your way.

Thought of the Day

What is Karen’s favorite drink? Whine

July 10th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 22 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 44 degrees,”

A couple of things.

The weather people do NOT have a clue what they are doing. Forecast 17 so, ok I can wear shorts. I checked the Doppler and no way 17 and lots of rain showing. What I would give for a 44 degree day like Mesa.

It was my golf league today. People were canceling like mad but my group made a commitment and we followed thru. It rained and drizzled. It was windy, with only 8 degrees feeling like 5. We could see our breath the entire 18 holes. Rain gear on we still were soaked. Shoes, gloves hat everything. Besides the spots on my glasses when I bent down to putt the large drops affected my putts. I was not alone as not one of us broke 90. It was a hard day at golf. LOL

We had another tournament with the Alberta Juniors. I felt sorry for them because they were in shorts and did not have proper equipment. i forgot to mention I trusted my Doppler and wore pants with a rain jacket.

A fun day golfing as we all sucked with wet grips, wet gloves and cold. White fingers even with my winter gloves on.

Climate warming my ass. You should NOT have to dress like this July. Darn cold and wet.

It is one thing to be cold and wet but to have to hand money to your playing partners hurts.

Ok we all know how road crews work. Since they are unionized, there are lots of breaks. It takes 20 people to do a 4-man job. There are also many safety meetings to appease the union. But this takes the cake. Lets wait until 4pm right at rush hour to start a job and block the road. The traffic was backed up from our windmill 4 way stop to the 201 freeway. Nuts and for sweeping and painting the crosswalk. Took them 1 hour and 5 guys, with 4 supervisors. Not a care as they saw the traffic back up. The Supervisor should be fired.

And we wonder why our taxes go up and road quality goes down.

Back to the weather for second. At 10 am it was 8 degrees, feels like 5 with seeing your breath. At 6 pm it was 21 degrees and sunny. Crazy.

A wet day. A fun day as know one really cared about the scoring but enjoyable golfing adventure. Everything is going to stink tomorrow.

July 11th to 17th

Off to Lethbridge.

I had booked a tee time for Jeff & Wendy out at Turner Valley for Friday. The weather is supposed to be wonderful, if we can trust it. I wanted them to see how this course for the money it is probably the best in Calgary. Not only the scenic views that are unmatched, but the course layout and the quality of the course. Jeff & I played it weekly for years but it has changed drastically since then. Hole #2 a complete new green and traps, Hole #3 bushes removed, new green and bunkers, Hole # 7 complete new green and bunkers, Hole # 9 new bunkers, Hole #10 brand new green and bunkers and bush removed, Hole # 12 new fairway bunkers, new green and traps, Hole # 13 new bunkers and green, Hole #14 new green and bunkers. Plus loads of bushes removed. It is a completely different course than just a few years ago.

I bought a membership in 2010 and have enjoyed it ever since.

I had to cancel the tee time as the Graces have their daughter in town from BC and are heading to Medicine Hat. Luckily lots of notice to cancel but I hate to cancel anything.

We will wait until Taylor is gone before golfing. Having said that there might not be many times left in July to golf. They are leaving for Tie Lake for a week. Additionally, the last week of July is booked. I know all of September will have no golfing. But, I have golfed 87 times so far this year. With Aug, Oct, Nov, and Dec still left, I will easily make my 100. You would think I would get real good. LOL

Looking forward to camping at Perrott Lake and enjoying the Street Machine events this weekend in Lethbridge. And the big event is August’s birthday hitting double digits.

I always say to Jackie it is like taking an alcoholic to a liquor store. I love muscle cars and have owned and worked on many in my life. When I say worked on them I mean worked on them. I have pulled many engines and transmissions. I spent hours and hours on modifications. I added headers, intakes, carbs, distributors, tachs, and air shocks and enjoyed it. Not so much today and even less as Dad can’t help answer my questions. He would work alongside you. You would do the work, and he would help and guide. Unless it was technical like gapping, cam timing etc.

Jackie always says go buy one. Twice I almost did. Reality is I can’t drive it enough to enjoy it anymore and make it worth it. I struggle even to use my boat enough. Twice though I almost went over the edge.

The first time was a trip to Great Falls with the trailer. I researched and found a wonderful deal on a C6 LS2 Corvette. Great looking and low mileage. We went to take it for a test drive and it would not start. I asked them to charge the battery and i would be back. On the test drive when I stepped on the gas, two things happened. I had a huge smile and I was a little surprised as the rear end did not slide out. We took off like a bat out of hell. Big smile. SOLD and we sat down with the dealer. I had noticed a yellow sticker on it. The sneaky sale rep did not tell us it was a returned to factory car under the USA Lemon Law. It had a power drain that no mechanic could find. I backed out of the deal and a little perturbed on his omission right off the bat. Nice car though.

The second time after finding the car I wanted I flew down to Phoenix to buy it in the summer. It was a gorgeous yellow 3 window 32 Ford Coupe with a 350 Chevy and with a 471 blower on it. Inspecting it and checking everything I was disappointed. The body work was not the best. It had no a/c and no seat belts. There were no windshield wipers. It also had no rear fenders as it was a “hot rod” style. So with regret I had to say no.

Very close two times. LOL

A nice drive to Lethbridge. Hwy 2 south of Calgary typically is a calm highway with very little traffic. Not today. I have NEVER seen the highway this busy before. As I have said before, the busier the highway, the safer it is. There are no speeders doing 140. Normally, there are no slow pokes either. It’s just a calm and steady stream of cars and trucks.

We arrive at Perrott Lake and our spot is ready for us with a tag already on the post. It is a nice small campground just outside of Raymond. Now, there is a huge water park in the centre of it but is right at the entrance of it. Odd the campsites were not all booked up.

We got all set up and headed to Jess & Pen’s place. It was a beautiful day. The kids were playing in the yard, parents relaxing and just a nice gathering.

We headed to the Street Wheelers Car show and the girls had a special VIP invite from their mortgage broker. This young lady was extremely helpful to Jessica and Victoria. She assisted them in obtaining and managing their financing. Both had unique circumstances to overcome. If anyone is looking for a mortgage broker I would highly recommend her and will provide all of the details. There is good and there is great and this young lady is excellent.

She rented an empty lot right on the strip for the event. Her husband, who owns a building company, assisted with the arrangements and was involved in the process. They had tables, chairs, tents, great music and free burgers, beef on a bun and free beer and drinks. Amazing event and much appreciated.

The car run was fantastic. Incredible amount of vehicles and so many different kinds. Even a British Army tank. So many Internationals, loads of square bodies and everything else thrown in. One thing I didn’t care for they let about three newer Mustangs in and one C8 Corvette. When that flat plane crank C8 took off quickly it sounds sad. Not a muscle car at all. Some would like it because it is similar to a European sportscar whine. However, it doesn’t belong in a muscle car show. In my opinion, it sounds horrible. Give me a big block Chevy with a Titty bouncing cam. Add a loud Magnaflow exhaust, and then you have a real car.

11.6 sec in 2025 C8 at a cost of $120 K and only seats two versus a 1970 Chevelle at $3500 cost and seats up to 6 and at 13.1 sec. A difference of 1.5 seconds. Most don’t realize the 60 and 70 muscle was real. That is 50 years ago.

Loved the run with plenty of cool cars, Camaros, Cudas, Vettes, Blazer and Broncos. A huge mix and lots of fun to watch and hear. We were right at the turnaround so the cars were ” giving her” without being dumb so it was awesome. The cops were smart. They rode pedal bikes down the center of the road. If anyone got carried away, they would just walkie talkie ahead for a stunting ticket. But I believe ir it looked like it they let most go which is the proper thing to do.

Favorite for me were the Camaro’s and the Blazers but some odd ducks sure looked great.

Free food, free beer and the run with beautiful weather make for a great night.

We headed home and stopped at DQ for a treat.

From Lethbridge to the house in Raymond, Penny provided commentary on most things. She is a fun person and with a little help is hilarious. She also shared her perspective on the world. It was quite entertaining. Free drinks can do that. LOL

Next morning Cory, Jackson, and Tor were all there. We had a great day for August’s birthday. I drove over, but Jackie wanted steps in, so she walked over. It did result in Auggie having to wait to open his presents though.

It was priceless to see his face when he opened his first gift. A Meta Quest VR headset. These things are awesome and he was very excited. Jessica made some of the best eggs ever for breakfast.

We sat around, watched the kids play and played Cornhole in the backyard. It was so nice out and a fun day spent.

In the early afternoon it was a rock climbing adventure. These three kids are good. Every one of them made it to the top easily with any injuries. They had a very fun afternoon with this event.

Then off to Moxies. Augusts choice. I love Moxies. We had our entire immediate family here along with Margy for Augusts birthday supper. It is one of Jackie and I’s favorite things to do. These kids have exotic tastes now. They don’t eat from the kids menu anymore. Meals are a little expensive now, but we love the gathering. Whose kids are these that they like California rolls and Sushi. What is wrong with a mashed potato’s and meat be it chicken, pork or beef. Things change. LOL

I had a Caesar. Moxie’s are not near as good as the Keg’s. I switched to real beer. I avoided the fancy IPA stuff. It takes an acquired taste or no taste. LOL It is like Scotch.

Needless to say the girls drove home.

We got all packed up, readied the motor home and stopped to pick the boys.

Another big event happening with Jess & Pen celebrating their 12th wedding anniversary. Crazy as it only seems just a short time ago. I remember the wedding with very fond memories. Their wedding was very unique. The venue was perfect, the wedding ceremony perfect and meal delicious. The m/c was awesome and the entire event turned out perfect. I do remember the amount of work involved. We did just about every thing ourselves. Thank goodness Derrick a friend of the girls helped. We had a rental truck, picked up all of the tables and chairs. I can’t remember the number of guests but I would say close to 100. Hay bales, lights and decorations all had to be placed and hung. We even managed the liquor ourselves with permits, picking it up and arranging a bar tender. It was a hot. Victoria’s bridesmaid speech was exceptional. I bet you laugh if not smile at least.

A fun wedding occurred. It went off without any hitches. (Odd liquor bottle leaving the premise not intended.) The meal was amazing.

As a brides parent the cost of a weddings is huge. We got very lucky with this well planned wedding. Lots of personal work and a great contribution to the meal was a huge help.

We headed with the boys to Oasis for a few days. They loved the ride in a large motor home. Both fell asleep on the way. The weather isn’t looking great at all. We will need to be creative.

We decided to change out vehicles. I had to drive Tor’s Buick first thing in the morning. I didn’t want to get up at 6 am.

We had promised August a special birthday gift. It was something he really wanted. It was only available at a small store in China Town downtown Calgary. I won’t pretend to know much about it. It’s called Gangdum, maybe right, LOL. It’s a toy that requires a lot of attention to detail to assemble. And pricey but he was helped by this old Chinese lady in the store and was so happy. He got a huge one and Atti picked out a small piece,

We drove the Jeep to Victoria’s and was surprised Tor has a 8ft tall garage door. Perfect the Jeep fits in and I had previously checked her work parking place and it accepts 8 ft vehicles also

We picked up Jackson and headed back to the lot. These three kids get along so well it is perfect.

All of sudden Atti comes running saying “bees swarmed him” I thought large mosquito’s. Then we saw his bite. I went outside to see what was happening. I have not seen any wasps this year at all. I see one fly under the deck. I jump on the deck and swarms of them come out. Atti took one bite I took two maybe three. Mean nasty little guys and they were not wasps, but hornets. Now that I think about it, it is possible they were Chinese Murder Hornets so Atti and I got off lucky. We both swelled fast. Huge swelling which has never happened to me before. Perhaps, the Covid shot has weakened my immune system. It took three days for the swelling and pain to reside.

I was at war. I stopped and picked up a wasp trap and two cans of wasp kill. I sprayed between the deck boards and under the deck at least 6 times. I have to admit a little tentative with the pain in my crankle. Lo & behold after one day no more wasps. I first sprayed Dawn and water over the area and then sprayed and sprayed the foam wasp kill.

We played Asian Checkers with Larry KIM being the winner. We played chess, we played UNO with everyone have wins but little Atti I believe had the most.

The three boys played for hours in the swimming pool. The water was at 81 degrees today so the perfect temperature. With only limited people booked in the pool August was allowed to use his swimming fins. I don’t fully understand the logic of this. Yes, you could hurt somebody if the fin hit them. Just be aware.

More games and lots of movies.

Jessica arrived. We had a full house for sleeping arrangements. Jackson was staying in the Saloon. August and Atti were on thick cushions on the floor. Jessica was on the bed/couch. It all worked out great.

More games, some playground time, movie and then embarking on our ways home.

Quite an adventure the last 6 were. Loads of fun. Interesting things and great gatherings.

Thought of the Day

Grandkids have the power to turn a boring day into an adventure. They can transform a tantrum into a comedy act. A simple meal becomes a food fight. A full wallet into a debt.

July 17th–18th

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 25 degrees, Calgary 15 RAIN, Mesa 37 degrees”

I think the picture above says it all. I canceled my tee time in my men’s league. This is at the course right now with a tournament on. Notice the water sitting on the practice greens and in the 9th hole sand bunkers. Miserable. I will check later this afternoon to see if any crazies went out. The course should be be shut down to protect the fairways !!!

One point – My experience with Costco this time on tires was not perfect. However, it still ended to be an overall good experience. The check in and the service was great. I also would like to say that their customer service agents stepped up after the initial interactions. They did very well dealing with something out of their control.

What I liked was the install and then driving to the Buffalo Run location for a re-torque. Some people do not follow up with this. It is a huge mistake not to get it done. It is also dangerous. The tire companies are covering their butts as law suits having a wheel fall off can be expensive.

Victoria and i did price checks at a lot of places and the Costco deal was excellent. What I really liked was they were less expensive than “Chinese Bomb” tires that places like Tire Pirates sell. Chinese tires have been nicknamed this. This is due to the large quantity of tire fails. These fails often result in a total destruction of the tire. Brakes and tires are two things that people need to remember it is your life you are dealing with.

This brings to mind that so many people do not rotate their tires causing them to wear out unnecessarily quick. Rotate your tires at every oil change. Doing so will ensure they last the expected lifetime if you keep them inflated correctly.

Driving back into town with the Buick I was impressed. It is such a quiet nice riding car with a luxurious interior. Rode like a brand new car.

The weather was so much better today and warm enough by far to wear shorts. We were golfing today, for the first time at Apple Creek Golf in Airdre. Ok here is my comments on it. It has some amazingly unique holes. The layout is very well planned. Loads of trees planted and about 15 yrs old and lots of water. Condition of the course is fair and it has a feel of a small town country course. Spectacular clubhouse and half way shack. Priced right ! Would I go back. NO. I did not enjoy the course. Some of that though is I played so poorly. There are holes I loved and ones that are just weird. No i wont be back.

Having said all of that we had a lot of fun today playing. Jackie had a wonderful birdie and saw Pars coming from the girls. Mulligans kept me low 80’s but I am not a fan of the course.

A carry over the water hole that is wonderful.

We decided to drive into Calgary to grab a bite and ended up at J Grill & Bar Mackenzie. Nice place and we all had great meals. My Chicken Parmesan Linguine was spectacular. Jackie was very brave and had a Special Chicken Sandwich rather than her usual and it also was wonderful. I would for sure go back here. Mule pricing at $13 is dumb and a way too high.

Another fun outing where we were lucky not to get wet. Right after picking up Daisy it poured. Another nice storm cell with rain, heavy rain and even lightning.

Thought of the Day

The only good thing about golfing in the rain is no one can see you are crying

July 19th-20th

” Mercury Forecast Rain with sunny breaks”

The weather this year can only be described by me as “Horrible.” I don’t know about everyone else. The whole of April was winter. May had 50% wet or cold weather, June was a mixed bag and the bulk of July horrible. I sure hope we get a wonderful August and October. September we are gone so I am ok with what ever. LOL

Jackie spent the day taking care of Audrey and i went grocery shopping and joy riding with Daisy. Got caught up on a lot of bills and computer stuff. Daisy and I did enjoy a Dairy Queen ice cream cone.

July 20th turned out much different than thought. We were attending our FIRST EVER engagement party for Justin & Danielle. I did not know what to expect. What is the tradition, customs or plan for such a gathering. A new event for everyone.

First of all as expected the food and decor were exceptional. Justin’s step Mom is well versed in high end foods, presentation, delivery and decor. Add in Alan & MaryAnn’s help it could only be described as spectacular. The charcuterie board, three tier plates, bowls and the variety of food was unbelievable. When you see the layout you can only say wow !

Having said that I laughed when Justin’s best friend said he was happy there was chicken nuggets included. I was with him. Sushi, salmon, and many unknown dishes are not my favorite. They were not his favorites either.

Having said for “fancy exotic” food people: it was a dream setting.

I would say about 25 people attended and it was a nice group of people. Justin’s parents are very nice and social beings. Danielle’s & Justin’s friends are all great people.

Engagement party twist. Turns out unbeknownst to the bulk of the people, the two of them were married in the morning. The only guests for the wedding were the parents.

1. Elope:
   1. to run off secretly to be married, usually without the consent or knowledge of one’s parents or family.
   2. to get married in a small ceremony with few or no guests and often without a reception.
2. to run away with a lover.
3. to leave without permission or notification; escape

#2 fits. LOL

It was a cool surprise for everyone as everyone was coming with a complete different idea of why were going. Pretty sneaky to keep it under wraps so tight as the planning had to be at least a month ago.

Just like Big Brother who can you trust ?

It is a little unsettling.

Justin & Danielle seem very happy with their decision. There is part of me that understands but a bigger part of me that wonders why.

Most would agree spending a huge amount of money on a wedding is a waste. Any gifted money could be used for a payment on debt. Or, it could be used for a down payment or other expenses.

Spending a “responsible” amount on a wedding though, creates a lifelong memory for the couple. It also creates lasting memories for family and guests. In most cases, this becomes one of the best memories in your life.

As a parent, a child’s wedding is one of the best memories ever. It ranks up there alongside your own wedding and your child’s births. The feeling of a proud parent walking their child down the aisle , or the parents first dance is unmatched.

I know for Jackie & I our kids weddings are two of our favorite life events. Yes lots of work, money and time spent but unmatched in joy.

A small intimate wedding has certain benefits. How small is the question. They can still be memorable. However, I feel it robs your memories, and that of family and friends. They miss celebrating that one super special moment in the life of someone close to them.

It is an age-old celebratory gathering to be enjoyed. It makes everyone feel good. It is a celebration of the next journey in a couple’s life and having a super small event misses that mark in that passage of a life event.

Our regret, mine in particular, is we did not have a traditional or even a memory of a proposal. We joke frequently and pretend, but it is a special moment for us that we missed. It passed us by and we regret not having it.

I will say this type of wedding though is 100% better than a destination wedding.

Danielle & Justin are two very nice humans that should have a long happy marriage. The two of them were so happy all day. We are all happy they found each other and are off to a very good start making a life together.

SURPRISE, exceptional food, decor, and the gathering was very nice.

Thought of the Day

In the words of Mr Focker- The Family Circle of Trust has been broken

July 21st

“Mercury Forecast Edmonton 17 degrees, Calgary 19 degrees, Mesa 37 degrees”

More rain. Watching the news tonight we are close to 50% more rain this month than normal. Sucks and good. Farmers say yes, golfers and campers so NOOOOO.

I headed out to the lot today to get a few things done.

Picked and deadheaded all of the plants. Cut the grass. cleaned up , drained the pails and trimmed the bush.

On our last trip I had a baggage door latch break. I checked Amazon and there are similar ones but I needed precise measurements.

I worked on it for about 15 minutes but no way to make it work

I started to remove it and disassemble it. I discovered that when it was all apart, the tongue to move the latch was dislodged. The spring was not working to protract the latch. Full disassemble and re assembly after cleaning and wiping with WD40.

Re installed it and amazing. Works like brand new. Surprised myself with that one after working on it for so long and annoyed it broke. Happy Camper now as driving down the road with a potential door opening is not good. Saved a good $100 bucks.

Charged all of batteries up for my tools and organized things in the shed.

I then cut off a bunch of spinach and lettuce from the garden. I also pulled any radish that was poking out of the earth.

Fast forward to supper tonight. It is amazing how fresh radishes, lettuce, and spinach right out of the garden taste in a salad. Amazing. I think next year I will double the size of my garden beds.

The garden produce tasted wonderful.

A good day. I’m getting a few things ready as we leave Monday am for BC.

I completed Wordle in 5 tries.

The neighbor girls bought a neat wind sail type shade. However, it is not a good design. It holds water, and the bars might break or bend. I did not want to attempt to push the water out. I remember very well how Fred’s awning snapped when he attempted the exact same thing.

More rain coming up to 30 mm in the next couple of days. Nice for us on Wednesday hitting 22 degrees, and 27 on Thursday. Friday I will close up and bring the motorhome into town. I do not like moving in and out Friday evening or the weekend as it gets pretty busy out there. I know HOA boards and a new rule will be coming if they see something they don’t like.

Received our air flight tickets for Fiji and only a 2 hour delay at LAX which is great. Long flight so if not sleeping will need to remember to get up and walk. The International Date line crossing is cool. Calgary to LAX and two airports on the island to get to our spot. Our luggage will go right thru. We are supposed to have a luggage porter. A ride arranged by our hotel is also planned. I am sure when we land that following night we will sleep well.

Thought of the Day

Ever notice how pilots don’t gossip. Rumors just don’t fly !

July 22-23rd

“Mercury Forecast RAIN”

Over double the amount of rain of last year already. The ground is saturated. Flooding in a lot of areas is probable. Daisy walks cut short or not happening. Dull, dreary and cold with a high today of 11 degrees. Turns out to be a record for the coldest day in history on July 22nd in Calgary. Golf course getting killed with no golfers. Courses making people walk. Outside workers not happy.

To many drownings happening in the news. Even Hollywood stars. Kids and young adults. Rip currents in vacation spots are dangerous and any one swimming in the ocean has to be careful. Mexico and the Caribbean always being the most dangerous.

Lots of media focus on letters of memorandum between the provinces. Why the hype as they are not binding, are not contractual or even a legal document. Just a media prop to hype up a possibility. Time is running out and we need action now not hype. I do not believe it is possible to negotiate zero tariffs. Let’s figure out how to support our businesses with new markets. A BIG hit is coming to the stock market if not done soon. The LNG deal is great. We just need more quickly.

I have mixed feelings with Carney. He is doing a lot right but I still believe his environmentalist green agenda is holding us back. I do not trust him looking after the oil industry and Alberta. He is 100 percent better than Trudeau. Having said that I believe it may have been more chaotic had Pierre Poilievre won, but he would be much better for us.

That brings up the intent again to undermine our election system by having over 100 candidates on the ballot again in Pierre’s riding. Nuts !

Slow day today and then golfing on Wed & Thursday. Friday I will bring the motor home into town to ready it for our BC trip to Fairmount. The Graces have booked Eagle Ranch and Copper Point for us. I have booked Spruce Grove Campground right beside the Riverside Golf course. The weather looks great. I do know that Jackie has work a bit so she will squeeze that in while camping. I am hoping the wifi signal is strong enough otherwise she will use her phone as a hot spot.

Daisy will golf with us. We sneak her into the cart in her bag until we are past the first hole. She has golfed a lot of courses but there is always that one ANAL power tripping marshal. On Riverside Golf years ago a marshal would not allow Victoria to golf in sandals. Fortunately, she had a pair of runners in the car. We have encountered too many power tripping marshals. One time they did not allow us to have a rider (Jackson). Due to that, we canceled a tee fee. Common sense in today’s world is utterly lacking.

I understand rules. I understand the need for them but as with any rule, justification, common sense and logic has to be practiced. As far as golf goes THERE ARE TOO MANY RULES never mind the individual course local rules. Liability fear is always the most common rationalization. All caused by lawsuit happy idiots.

Random Thoughts

1. Quit saying you have ADHD or you are anxious. It then defines you. State you are feeling anxious if you are but that is a moment of time. You can easily overcome a moment versus being defined as anxious all of the time.
2. Stop with “not bad for a old guy or girl” As soon as you say that you have limited yourself. If you are happy with something you accomplished relish it and don’t put a caveat on it
3. Stop saying you are fat or overweight. Firstly, genetics or organ issues could be at play here. However, for the vast majority of people, it is simply eating too much. They say they don’t but they are. The level of energy spent is less than the calorie intake. It is simple math and will power. No one dies fat if they had no food leading up the time.
4. Your life is now. It is short. Yes complicated. Don’t keep waiting for that big event to make you happy. Happy is yours. You choose it. No one makes it for you.
5. Fear is an illusion. (mostly) If you are scared of heights, scared of the dark, or scared of the busy freeway, realize that most fears never ever happen. Fear does not mean reality. Jackie was afraid of heights but conquered them by walking on a glass floor 500 ft above the canyon.
6. The Jones may not be as rich as you think. One family has a 100k car and 1 million dollar house and no money in the bank we think they are rich. Another has a 25k car and 500K house and a half million in the bank and we think of them having less or poor. Perception
7. Wake up with a pain. Be happy you are alive. Motion is lotion so get moving. Ignore the pain. Thinketh not of ill and disease and thou shall defeat the foe within. Pain sensory is mind over matter.
8. Food issues ! Gluten free, allergies, celiac, food sensitivity, Why so prevalent ? Yes our food today is poisonous compared to prior years but we are also being heavily marketed to. Look at Beyond Meat and people believing a super processed food is better for you than real meat. Without going overboard 75% of the issues would disappear if the individual would just be cautious and wean their body into the issue. Every notice how a doctor doesn’t tell you how to fix but just that you are. Take Gluten, is it a fad or a real issue. Some of both as our wheat processing, types of wheat, chemicals added etc have changed the gluten levels but most young kids and girls in particular are following a trend. Give it 5 yrs and it will be gone.
9. Doctors- pill prescription writers. No matter what is wrong 90% of the time there is a pill to help. Never cure just cover it up. Big Money ! A alternative natural method is never discussed. This brings me back to food. Fasting is a trend but it is natures way to rebalance our body. It is the make up of how we ate years ago and were designed.
10. Why are men today becoming more feminine ? The shift towards femininity among men can be attributed to a combination of cultural, social, and psychological factors. Here are some key points that contribute to this : Fashion and style -the term “metrosexual” have allowed men to express their individually through fashion. I fell for this trap years ago with a leather jacket, wide collar and buffy sleeves. The term emotional intelligence was created encouraging expression of feelings and allowing men to wallow. The media began portrayals of weak men and a diverse expression of masculinity. What affect has growth hormones had on men thru our food chain, what about birth control residue in our drinking water. Fertility in men is at a all time low. It is a 50% lower sperm count than in the last 50 years. Low testosterone has a huge impact.
    Soon you will see men ( term used loosely) going for manicures and pedicures. Unbelievable.! Some even body wax !

Given a choice between a strong masculine male and a soft urban metro male, I am sure most women would choose the strong masculine male.

We are living in a generation of emotionally weak people. Everything has to be watered down because it may be offensive including the truth.

I will say retirement has been wonderful experience. Any outside pressure to gather material assets is gone. Thoughts like needing what everyone else has diminish. Also, the absence of work or society pressures is refreshing.

I do miss the daily joking and teasing of employees and customers though.

The only thoughts I have about winning money now is to dish it out to friends and family. I would buy a modified 1967 Camaro though for myself first. I have had dreams at night about the feeling of buying everyone a vehicle and paying off their house. Jackie says I am weird. I alone would choose the vehicle for the person. This choice is based on my perception of them and their needs. I will say this. There will be NO vehicle bought as a NO COLOR car which some refer to as a white car. The least desirable and unflattering color choice out there. White is not a color. Is white a color or a shade — or something else entirely? This age-old question has sparked a debate among color theory enthusiasts — mainly artists and designers with expertise in the color spectrum. Some agree that white is a shade, while others disagree and say it is an absence of color. But what’s the truth?

FYI, white vehicles were created for businesses to use as company vehicles. They could be signed or have labels added to them.

The car below is what a CAR is supposed to look like. A 1967 RS Camaro.

Try seeing a white car in a snow blizzard.

I thought I would be smart and show stats that backed that statement up but I couldn’t. Turns out the white car has less accidents due to the drivers having boring personalities and are less likely to take risks than red or black car drivers. You see a lot of white cars driving secondary highways, not going the speed limit, staying in the fast lane while under the speed limit and never on the road during rush hour.

Here some of my first thoughts : Audrey – Mini Cooper, Jessica- Jaguar F-type, Corey- Denali, Victoria- Escalade, Penny- F150 Shelby, Alan- Maverick, David- GTR, Alfred- Silverado, Darlene- Navigator, Jim- Lucid

I had fun in my dreams doing this. And who knows maybe in the future it will happen.

Yes I had too much time on my hands today LOL

Having said that i feel exhausted trying to get organized for Fiji. Yes we have a good travel agent but they are like real estate agents and basically do nothing.

Having to get Westjet, Tahiti Air and Fiji Airline accounts set up. Trying to select seats and book baggage for each. Airlines with the nickel and diming for everything are crazy. All companies have become this way. A ticket is $1000, seats another $75, baggage another $200. I do not understand why it all can’t all be included. I have three of the legs done then Westjet experienced a technical error so I will need to wait. Funny thing is I have great seats booked on both 3 hour flights but there was no “extra room” seats left on one 10 hour flight. The other 12 hour flight was pre-booked by the line but I haven’t seen the selection as of yet.

I will say this. Multiple city stops with three different airlines is a convoluted process to manage luggage, seats etc. I thought a travel agent would have made this easier. They do the ticketing. However, everything is an “add-on” that requires airline account setups to manage and get notifications yourself.

Ozzy dies. One of my favorite bands when in high school. I had an 8 track and wore it out listening to Warpigs, Ironmand or Paranoid. Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. He was an icon famous for biting the head off a bat. BUT great music.

Finally a day of SUN. Hitting 24 degrees today, no rain and sunny.

First thing was taking Jackson to his boxing lessons. He loves it. The shop even posted a video of him doing head popping, ducking and leg movement. His first sparing lesson is on Friday. The first punch to the kidneys or to the face and we will see how deep the love goes.

I had to drop him off and then rush home for our tee time at Mckenzie Meadows. Jeff phoned to tell me that Wendy and him were not golfing today. The course decided to have the front nine as a walk only due to laying water. As you know I hate canceling after committing as in most cases things are scheduled around the time doing something. The laying water was minimal.

Both Jeff & Wendy have major mobility issues so understandable. I talked to Jackie to understand her perspective. She thought she was ok with getting her feet a little wet. There were wet spots all over the course but mostly near water ponds and in the rough. But not near as bad as I thought there would be. Having said that after the round my feet were nice and dry while Jackie’s were soaked.

We were hooked up with two young 16 yr old boys. I was impressed with these guys golfing skills. I was only 10 to 20 yards past them on the drives. Fun guys to play with.

It ended up with the one kid beating me scoring an 80 and myself at 82. I played very well except for putting. At least 7 holes where I had 3 putts. On the greens in regulation and then putting for birdie ending with a bogie. Lucky for the birdies I did get to help on the others.

With no roll due to wet fairways Jackie still scored a legit 105. She did quite well.

Between the walking and humidity i actual broke a sweat today. Very unusual for me.

It annoys me to have the stamina, strength and never getting tired. Yet, to walk a golf course is not easy with the back pain. I can easily override the pain if given the opportunity. I need to sit or bend down when needed. However, walking seems rushed to keep up with no time to stretch my back out. A trip to Sebastian coming up.

I can say I was glad we only had to walk 9 holes as it was hot out and the push carts they have are not the best.

I will say walking a game does allow more focus on the game.

We had a wonderful supper on the deck as a “date night.” I will say our waitress was a little weird. She disses her chef with us. She was very good at looking after us with everything we needed though. Wings for $12 is a deal along with large glasses of Miller Lite. Sitting on a patio when it is 24 degrees with cold beer is heaven. Too bad Jeff & Wendy weren’t there.

Another perfect ending to a wonderful day. And tomorrow is supposed to be 28 degrees for my men’s league.

Thought of Day

The patio is where every seat feels like a throne

July 24th

“ Mercury Forecast Edmonton 28 degrees, Calgary 28 degrees, Mesa 40 degrees”

I can say it was a perfect summer day. A little hiccup this weekend and then glorious weather in Invermere BC hitting 30 degrees everyday for us.

I will pick up the motor home tomorrow morning after getting it all ready. I like to get it out before the resort gets to busy. Lots to do to get it ready as I have a full checklist, coolant, tire pressure, fluid levels etc to run thru. Plus cut the grass etc in the yard.

Ok what happened today. My love hate relationship with golf and Turner Valley continues. I scored an 82 yesterday and today in my men’s league a 105. NUTS !

I golf with three guys I consider to be good golfers. Each week this year we scored horrible and are raising our handicaps. They are getting high enough they are getting embarrassing to show on our card. Two of us over 100 and two of us at the 90 mark. Normal scores low 80’s maximum high 80’s but not happening lately.

I will not make excuses like soft fairways, wet rough or sore back just lack of talent comes to mind. I hate and detest scoring like this. I do find it annoying and frustrating. I lost one ball but had 2-4 putts and two many three putts. The funny thing is the annoyance and frustration of it only keeps me coming back. I believe I can do better. I know I can.

A super fun day that was tarnished by poor scoring.

Then after golf, I order the Wor Won Ton soup with a cheese sandwich. The soup was served in a cup with only 3 Wontons in it. I came home hungry. LOL

Thought of the Day

Need to go and see the Happy Gilmore movie to get my swing back,

July 25th – 31st

” Mercury Forecast Edmonton 21 degrees, Calgary 17 degrees, Mesa 41 degrees”

On our way to BC. I will bring my laptop and hopefully have access to the internet.

Out the door at 9:30 am and headed out to the lot to ready the motor home. It is funny how long everything takes. Full check of all fluid levels. Put away wheel covers, window covers, and slide protector. Disconnect the electrical and water connections. Raise the left levelers and put away level blocks. Pull in slides and place slide locks. Finally, dump sewer and grey water tanks.

I cleaned up the plants and cut the grass. I cut more lettuce, spinach and radishes and bagged them to bring home.

Hooked up the Jeep and headed into town.

On the exit road due to the excessive rain it had huge pot holes. Even at the 5 or 10 mph they hit hard and made the motor home sway back and forth. Hit hard enough I broke a hinge on the granite counter stove corner.

I headed to the Depot to get epoxy glue and a catch for the sliding mirror doors as the magnetics are just not strong enough.

I thought I would start with the doors. Wow are real oak styles tough. I predrilled and the lousy Chinese screws with Philips heads are just cheap. One the head broke off, others stripped the head and just tough to get in. And working in a small closet not easy. Worked up a sweat. I will redo at Oasis when we get back.

Mixed up my Epoxy and glued the hinge. Triple E is a way above average quality compared to other coaches but I don’t care for the windshield wiper system and the system they chose to attach the granite to the hinge with glue for a stove top cover.

All done and we will see if successful in the morning.

I can’t believe it but again today the best level spot to park my motorhome was right in front of our neighbor’s place. Karma or coincidence ?

Chicken with garlic toast and salad made with fresh lettuce/spinach/onions/ and radishes from our garden . Awesome.

Jackie and I both lost today at Wordle. Dumb word

I still am annoyed I misplaced my FOB so today I was surprised when Jackie misplaced a document. She phoned me to look for it as she was getting her CPP fixed up. I searched and back tracked everywhere she thought she had been but to no avail. Looking forward she found it later this evening fallen between the seat and console of the car.

Clothes are all packed. Just groceries and Jackie and we will be set to go. Jackie had a few errands to run today so was gone most of the day. I took a couple of loads out to the motorhome. Her golf clubs are in the Flex so I better not forget them.

We talked to Jessica & Penny today and they want to go ahead with an outdoor kitchen shack. Corey & I hopefully can get it done or the bulk of it done in 2 days. The costs today from Home Depot are insane so I had to scale it back, but it will still look awesome and work out great for the BBQ and smoker. Here is my idea to copy.

I went from Cedar to Pressure Treated due to cost then went with 4 x 4 instead of 6 x 6 or 6 x 4 but the look will be just as good and it will still be very sturdy. I hurts me to not to over build but it will be a lot less costly and still be perfect. 4 x 4 posts, 2 x 6 floor joist, 5/4 x 6 deck boards, 2 x 4 rafters (12 in on center) strapped roof, black metal roofing and galvanized metal 3 sides.

Daisy asking ” Do I get to go? “

And we are off to the Rockies !

Pouring rain. Got a little wet hooking up. Very cloudy and misty. The traffic was light which was nice as we took Hwy 8. A stop at the Nakoda Casino for gas and Tim’s. I had enough gas to make it but climbing hills eats gas fast.

On #93 it is not too bad but does have a few 6 percent a couple of 8 % and one 11 % grade hills. Using my tranny brake going down a hill is as hard on the transmission as going up building heat.The 8.1 Vortec has awesome torque but still pulling a Jeep and equipment makes it work.

Halfway there the sun pops out and it is wonderful. Temperature from 7 degrees in Calgary to 27 degrees here.

You cant beat the views of the Rockies. The drive is always spectacular.

Funniest but maybe saddest thing happened on our way. A crow flew right in front of us. He dodged when he should have weaved missed our front window but got nailed by the side mirror. I do not know if he survived but I don’t think so. A direct hit would have been $4k front windshield replacement. Other than a bit of bird shit and a couple of feathers the mirror did well.

Place- Hwy 93 Time of death – 1:05pm

Daisy wondering what adventure she is on now.

Arriving right on time at Spruce Grove Campsite in Fairmount I checked with the desk. First time I have seen where online a campground states a length of unit of for a site but is doing a calculation considering the tow unit to fit. So every site is no issue. I think they will lose a bit of business doing it that way.

Love the place but the pool is broke and they ran out of firewood. Not good. We have camped here over the years numerous times. It was bought by the new company that owns Fairmount Hot Springs Resort plus numerous other facilities. I do know I love the campsite but it is in dire need of updating. It is one thing to buy something and not invest in it and a complete other thing to by something, invest and make it worth a lot more. All the building need shingles, extreme need for new paint and stain on all buildings, the swimming pool was shut down, washrooms need update ( in fact the urinals had plastic bags over them as they were out of order) and cleanliness of the entire park needs to be done. This is the second season of new ownership so you would think you would see something done. If I had to give a review it would be ” nice campground if you don’t use the amenities ”

We got all set up leveled. parked at ready. HOT outside so I put up my sun screen which blocks 80 percent of the rays. Just makes the sun not feel so hot.

The river beach was packed. Jackie and I laughed as when we walked down two young ladies with an abundance of cheek showing were jumping in and two old guys sitting across the road intently watching them. The beach was full with swimmers sun tanners fishing people and floaters.

As i sit outside someone is wrecking the fresh mountain air by cooking a salmon. Perhaps the showers are closed.

Then someone gets onions and red meat cooking and it smells wonderful. Yes that is what a camping smell should be like.

Just a light supper tonight as lunch was late. My Clamato is so good but I forgot ice or my ice machine. It has to be cold.

It is just so relaxing to sit in the sun and not have anything really to do. This sunshade below attaches to the awning and stops 85% of the UV rays and helps keep the unit and ourselves cool.

Such a nice day that we have not seen for so long.

Tonight we started to play a few games sitting and enjoying ourselves outside. I will say this. Look at that smug face , hitting her forehead in disbelief as -5 cards and -10 cards just kept coming her way. Yes she killed. She is so competitive. I just wanted a nice card game and she just kept smiling.

Everyone has heard of the Blackstone craze. Corey and Stewart are just two of the newest to get one. They are awesome but a lot of work to maintain. They make a portable one 22″ that I could get put I don’t like to fall for trends. Blackstone’s are also expensive running from $299 to $600 depending on the model.

Below picture, being A WAY before my time in meeting trends is my Blackstone imitation from 1976. It is a Coleman.

I used to work for Sterling Dist who wholesaled sporting goods so my friend Keith Harry and I when we started camping in 1976 together had EVERYTHING possible in camping equipment. We had stoves, lanterns, sleeping bags, tents, BBQ’s, and everything camping. My favorite was a portable sink. It had a pump, and was about 3 gallons of water. With long hair and oily I washed it everyday camping. The life of luxury.

You HAVE to have a normal camping breakfast when out travelling. Unfortunately, Jackie doesn’t like this so I make my own. I like when there are others to cook for. But once again it was an awesome breakfast. Hashbrowns, bacon, eggs and toast is good for you even though over the years people have been wrongly scared away from it.

Today it is warm hitting 27 degrees which is just about perfect for golfing. We were golfing with Jeff & Wendy today at Copper Point. I have golfed here a few times but today my memories and reality seemed different. It is a gorgeous course with a wonderful set up. A mountain course but friendly enough. First drive , no warm up, screwed up, but after that the front nine was wonderful. 7 Pars and two bogies was a great start. I was driving well today. The back nine a complete different story. Still played well but would hit a 250 yard drive and run into the bush. Lost ball. Not knowing the course doesn’t help. Double bogie heaven happened on the back nine with mistakes, weird lost balls and bad luck. On one Par 5 a great drive and I was down in a gulley with 220 yards left to the green. The group in front of us was slower all day. I dropped into the valley and thought by now they should be gone. I hit the ball perfect. I drove up to the top of hill. No ! My ball landed 5 ft from the hole and they were still on the green close to the hole. Jeff and the group had a bit of conversation which I didn’t here as we were a way back. I am sure neither party could hear one another. I don’t like to do that and shouted sorry but no reaction from them. Good thing no hockey players involved.

Daisy was perfect sitting in her bag as we checked in and the Marshall didn’t even know we had her.

On one hole near the end he was coming down the path as Jackie was in the cart. I expected her to cover Daisy up but Jackie didn’t see the guy. No real negative comments about the situation which is good but as he was leaving and did not pet her, Daisy barked a bit. I don’t like that.

Everyone I believe had a fun time. I really really enjoyed it. Jeff did quite well. Jackie had some awesome holes and Wendy had a mixed bag. Her hip is getting worse. It is a shame we make this type of operation so far away for people to have to wait.

I really don’t know the pain experienced by this but have seen the difficulty in walking by numerous people. I think I would spend the 20 K or so and get it done privately. If the wait period is 2 years and you are say 65 yrs old that is 2 yrs plus prior of enjoyable time you are giving up. You only have about 10 years of real active life left after 65. I would give up a few trips, to make my pain go away and my activity level to be easier and do more things. I count myself as lucky.

They have a beautiful patio overlooking the course. I checked and stated Daisy would be in her bag, outside on the deck, no issue and the young girl said she had to check with her boss. It came back “Not Pet Friendly” . I did not get my chance to talk directly to the boss. Oh well plan B. We got a table and I started the Jeep up with the a/c on and left it running with my locking bar on the steering wheel. Everything worked out ok.

I can’t speak for everyone else but my meal was awesome. Everyone seemed to enjoy theirs. Decent Caesar drink. NO normal beer on tap. These young kids with their craft beer are wrecking bars. Hence the Caesar.

I smiled as Jeff & Wendy “shared” a meal. I just can’t do that.

It makes me think of the old couple that goes out, orders a meal to share, and waitress comes up to them to ask why the man isn’t eating anything concerned something was wrong. His answer ” I have to wait as we share our teeth and my wife is still eating”.

I will split a Caesar salad . Spit not share but that is it. To have the exact same inclination to a certain food at the exact same time, what is the odds ?

The Graces came over after having supper and we talked and played games which was a lot of fun. It stays so warm out for so long but still gets dark and I didn’t load my light for outside. Hard to see the cards.

Fun maybe not the right word. I made an incorrect statement. It was nice, enjoyable but not fun. Out of 12 rounds of play i only lost 2 rounds YET, Wendy beat everyone and was the big winner. Robbed !! She had some pretty good luck. While fun to see the expression of joy on another’s face it is just so much more FUN to experience it yourself.

Fun day and evening.

This morning was wonderful again. Sitting outside in the heat (30 degrees) I had to put up a sunshade. I even was able to fit in a tanning session as it is not often I do not wear a shirt. The one thing I dislike about getting older. One broken bicep, another arm where the muscle has shrank, the chest has fallen and the love handles exposed. I look in the mirror and it is not a great experience. I shake my head, laugh, and think to myself I am in pretty good shape just not the shape my mind thinks is proper.

I have just short of 1 month before we leave on the cruise so I think I will go downstairs to the gym each day just to scalp the underlying muscle.

Jeff & Wendy stopped by and picked us up to go for a drive about. It is beautiful country. We drove south around the lake and looked at the many new homes and cabins being built and drove amongst some pretty fancy shacks. The lake had a lot of boats on it but not packed as it was midweek.

They found a road that goes around the backside of Invermere Lake which was excellent. A pathed bike path the entire distance supposedly 52 kms right along the road. The route we took brought us right into downtown.

Invermere is a nice quaint yet decent sized town. The must have spent a fortune on flowers.

We parked and walked down town. I was impressed with Wendy’s resolve to walk even with her hip. Some cool stores with Jackie even buying a pair of shorts. I thought it was a dress so will need to wait and see what the end product is when she tries it on.

Jeff & I took the shaded men’s bench to sit on.

Next stop was the ice cream store. Jackie had chocolate peanut butter and I had tiger tail. Jeff & Wendy knew of a different spot a block away so chose to go there as they wanted gelato instead.

Gelato, Ice Cream, Frozen Yogurt, Sherbet why so many choices. A quick difference.

Gelato is Italian and is a new “modern” word for diet ice cream. It contains a lot less fat ( 6% compared to 10%) and more air plus is fluffier than traditional ice cream. It is a cool fad. A diet fad .It typically comes in a cup not a cone. It removes all of the fun out of licking a cone. Similar to Frozen Yogurt in fact but made with yogurt. Sorbet is a fruit based slushy.

Ok so order a sorbet if you have a dairy allergy. Yogurt is probably the best for you. Order Gelato if you want a diet ice cream. And ORDER ICE CREAM if you want a traditional great tasting experience. It is a treat, like a cone, eat a cone. and ENJOY !

We get inundated with new choices when in most cases the traditional product tastes the best and is not bad for you. It is like going to a bar and them not having traditional beer on tap. IF they only knew the dollars of lost business.

A very nice afternoon checking out the scenery and our surroundings.

We came back to our campsite and we had made supper for everyone. Roast potatoes, carrots and 1 inch thick porkchops. I just missed having the gravy !! Everything turned out good. I like the potatoes to be a little more crusty but by adding olive oil with butter on them it is much harder to achieve. I normally just use butter and stick free aluminum. The meal was good.

Jeff brought a bottle of his own wine he made and it is great. Tastes as good as any store bought stuff. Very good tasting. Except he likes it warm.

I will reiterate one more time how we are fooled by the term” serve at room temperature”. Today that is 68 degrees. When wine was made years ago it was stored in a cellar and served at 55 degrees. Makes a huge difference. Chill your wine.

We then played games for quite a while. Always an enjoyable time. I came close to being skunked at one crib game but just made it over. Jackie’s luck with -5 cards continued with Play NIne.

The mosquitoes were out a little bit last night. It is odd as Jeff is a magnet to these. They will be biting him right beside me and never come over to me. If they do bite me it doesn’t bother me and I in most cases don’t even notice. Swamp raised with millions of them I guess hardens you.

I think Jackie and Jeff emit some kind of body odor that attracts bugs.

The bugs got to the Graces and they left for home. A wonderful warm night

Up at 8am again as Jackie had work and calls to get done. Daisy and i went for a long walk around the park. In the seasonal section I ran into a nice guy from Colorado. They have wonderful mountains there but he comes here every year. He has a friend couple coming in the weekend to babysit his dog as he is going away on a vacation.

Got all ready and headed to Eagle Ranch golf course. This is a high end fancy place.Black Ferrari parked right across from me. We successfully snuck Daisy on again. The had no starter or marshal on the course. That is just odd. Once again all 18 holes with no issue what so ever. And it was a warm one today for her as it hit 34 degrees. At every green I would park in the shade. The golf club cover on the rear helped and we poured water on her to cool down. What a good girl. I will say it was warm at 34 degrees but it was not unbearable. A slightly more moist brow from perspiration but not sweating ie shirt sticking to back or anything.

As you know I loved Copper Point but I can not use that word for Eagle Ranch. Fancier club house, amenities, beautifully groomed course, better views etc but the course overall plays tougher and its layout is not to my preference. I might call it dumb.There are at least 4 BLIND holes on it. No marshal and with blind spots is asking for trouble and people to get hit. You want to back a golf course up, or have slow play put these one blind hole I will forgive but four is just silly. The greens were a lot trickier here also. New course, a mountain course and scoring a 42 on the front I could live with. The back nine again killed me. The blind holes, the quirky holes, the signature hole and the only water all were on the back nine. Taking a 6 on a Par 3 signature hole was not good. A couple of lost balls.

The heat must have gotten to my playing partners. Wendy & Jeff both shot my ball in error.

$ 6.25 for a diet Pepsi and $14 for a beer from the cart girl is robbery.

Jackie overall played very well. I was semi pleased, Jeff had too many way ward shots and Wendy just didn’t have a good game. Take pain and it has a huge affect on ones movement. You need good hips as it is the connection between the upper body and lower body and with the turn of them they create the power to hit the ball. If you have a very pronounced limp you know you will not have a good hip turn. Tough girl actually to keep going. I would buy a hip !

A very nice course, a very fun day.

We ate at the clubhouse. Beautiful first class facility. Good menu with some unique options with a emphasis on seafood, but if I had my choice I like a menu like Smitty’s. Ricky’s, Denny’s or any family style restaurant better for supper. I am not a fancy food person. I am a meat and potato guy. My favorites at a restaurant if not wings or steak, would be a Salisbury steak, hot hamburger, hot turkey, or veal cutlets. To me that is worth paying for.

A fun fun day, great golf course and another day ends as does our trip to BC.

Tariffs- I think it is time we bite the bullet and even if tariffs are increased to 100 % and we make them reciprocal we should cut off the electricity, cut off the oil, cut off the lumber and let things fall as they may. A recession will happen but at some time you have to defend yourself and if history has taught anything a bully needs to be confronted. Sell product at a discount to any other country we can find. Never have your eggs in one basket again. Diversity is needed.

Up this morning at 8am as Jackie had a few meeting to attend. I started to pack up everything. The neighbors little girl 3 yrs old spent a good hour talking to me and asking more questions than anyone in recent history. Her verbiage was like that of a old person that has been trapped in their house for a long time and wants to just keep talking. Cute, funny and interesting.

All packed and ready to head about 11 am.

I pull out and head to the sewer dump station and there were 3 units lined up. I knew it maybe an interesting day after what I saw. Their are inexperienced campers that require patience with and their are just not other word for it but DUMB people.

The first unit finishes in regular time. I would say 5 to 7 minutes. Then two buddies following one another. It was like a Abbott and Costello show. I have never seen such slow sloth like movements in my life. Rubber gloves up to their elbows, backing up three times to try to line up the drain, and in and out of the camper three times. These two units took at least 1/2 hour. No sense of urgency at all. Who cares about others in line behind you. LOL I finished in maybe 3 minutes dumping black and grey.

We headed out and had a quick stop at Tim’s for lunch. Jackie ordered on line as it was busy and i had a new type of Ice Capp that I Liked but will go back to my normal.

It started to heat up as the day and drive went on. Some due to the 11, 8 and 7 degrees hills to climb and decent.

We were whipping along then we come up behind a Fraserway motorhome. Most likely a rental but the worse driver ever. They were scared to drive in the mountains. A cliff is only a few hundred feet down step on the gas. We were down to 30 and 40 kms per hour on some descents and corners. On the straight aways a few cars could pass but Highway 93/95 has very short sections of straight before a corner. Plus every one was coming to Invermere BC this long weekend so the highway was jammed. I do not have enough power to pass on a incline with 20 cars behind us wanting to go so had to wait for a passing lane. Finally. Unbelievable, the guy stays in the left lane. No driver that I know of doesn’t know ( and the sign states) slower vehicles stay right. I gunned it and passed on the right along with 20 cars behind us. That was just one poor driver.

The highway was literally packed with cars and trucks along with campers all heading west. East was pretty good until the Casino. Hence the reason we never camp on weekends other than the May Long. It is the same with golfing. I never golf on weekends.

Driving along we see a boat inspection stop. No more than 5 minutes later a Toyota truck cuts me off, following closely by a cop with his light flashing and the stop on the shoulder. Somebody forgot to stop with a kayak on the roof. It would be interesting if that resulted in a fine.

A wonderful drive home looking at the mountains and beautiful lakes.

It got hot enough I had to start the genset and turn on the roof air. Then watch the gas gauge lower right in front of your eyes when climbing a long 11 percent grade hill plus with the generator on. LOL One tank there and back wasn’t bad as it was only 600 kms using less than 275 liters (75 gal) of fuel. I have about 1/4 tank left so around the 8 mpg. Pretty respectable with full load and Jeep thru the mountains.

I SHOUT out to Allison Transmission. I put that thing in hill descent mode and I can hold back the complete unit using very little braking power. It works unbelievably well. I believe the “jake” brake though will heat up the tranny as much as a long hill climb so trying using it sparingly. The 8.1 Vortec is all torque so pulls hill very well. Rarely does it shift down low enough to raise the rpms too much but on a slow heavy climb it can 4000 rpm. I usually back off a bit to protect and cool everything.

We decided to drive out to Oasis and stay the night as I do not like to enter the busy resort on a long weekend with the large unit.

Loved the week, loved the warmth , had a blast at golf, great meals with friends and fun game nights.

Life is good.

Thought of the Day

I don’t care how hot it gets it is still better than winter !