Tuesday, March 1, 2016

Rain & Other Things

I've been a bit spoiled this Winter. It seems to me that we've had far less days of rain this season where I live.  I don't remember getting any snow either, though there may have been one day of light snow around Christmas.  We also seem to have had far more sunny days which was a welcome change.

As I get older, I'm finding it harder to deal with weeks on end of heavy rain and gray skies without a break of a few hours here and there.  Fortunately this year we had many breaks from the rain and I think more sunlit, bright days though I didn't research the statistics to see if my observations are real or wishful thinking, lol.  When it did rain, it rained heavily, making up for the drier days.  In fact the rain has pounding the patio both last night and tonight.  More rain is forecast all through to early next week.  Besides fewer days of rain, I think it has also been warmer than usual though my heating bill doesn't reflect that (I believe the heating rates have gone up quite a lot this year and I did not want to shiver in the cold this year so I've also used more energy than previous years though not nearly as much as many people I know).  The apple blossoms on the trees on a side street near my home are in full bloom right now and it is at least 4-5 weeks too early.  They were early last year too but about 2 weeks later than this year.  Last year the blossoms fell off in heavy rain before I could enjoy them in sunlight. I have no idea how the annual Cherry Blossom Festival made out last year because it isn't held until the 2nd week of April if I recollect and the blossoms in my neighbourhood were not so nice to look at by then.

I haven't posted to my blog in awhile and some of my regular readers may have wondered what happened to me.  I was out of town for several days. I've been back for a week but have been busy.  I've also been recovering from a very bad bout with the cold and haven't had the motivation and energy to resize all the photos I planned to share with you as a result.  All photos in this post were taken with my phone camera and most of them from a moving vehicle.  These factors affect quality but I think the pics will still give you a good sense of the weather and the locations.


These first two photos are about an hour north east of where I live. I always seem to take photos at this point in the journey because it is the first place where there is a wide open field and a clear view to something. In this case, the beautiful mountains. It is farming country as you can see from the fields, the barns and silos.


The next photo is about another 30 minutes up the highway and is the place where the highway starts it's ascent into the mountains.  You can see the  mountains loom large and are quite close to the highway at this stage of the journey.


It was quite a misty and foggy day. I thought it added to the atmosphere. At least it wasn't raining or snowing.




In the next photo we are getting close to the small City of Merritt, BC.  The city is nestled just in the valley to the left of the photo.


And in the next photo we are in the outer fringes of Merritt.  This is cattle country and you can see that the area is semi-arid.


When we get to Kamloops another hour to the north east, the gray skies are still with us.  But no matter because we spend most of our limited time indoors while we are there.


On this trip I was away a little longer than usual because I also attended my cousin, Patrick's funeral.

The next few photos show the landscape are on the way to the funeral venue located approximately one hour east of Kamloops.


The weather on the way was still very inclement.  Road crews were out widening portions of the highway so there was also a bit of traffic delay for some of the funeral attendees. Fortunately, we left early for the hour drive and got there in plenty of time.



The crowd was overflowing at both the church and reception. Many relatives made the 12-16 hour road journey to attend from the north or the 5-6 hour journey from the south. One of Patrick's sisters flew in all the way from Australia. Having made that trip several times myself, I could well imagine how tired she must have been from the journey let alone fatigue from grief and the shock of suddenly losing her younger brother.

It was easy to see how well loved Patrick was. The officiating priest made a comment at the service about how "amazing" the turnout was and how one person's life can impact so many in a positive (or negative) way. The graveside service was not so packed. It was raining and the grass was waterlogged so it was a bit tricky to figure out where to stand or walk.  I was grateful I was wearing boots to keep my feet dry.

 

My mom could not attend the service so I ordered the floral wreath on her behalf from the family. The flowers are white because other floral arrangements (not in the photo) were all in white.  The roses each of us were given to place on the casket just before the body was lowered, were also white.

After the reception and our quick goodbyes to relatives who had journeyed so far, we made the hour's drive west to see mom again.   The sun was setting nicely and I captured these colourful clouds and the pretty, pastel and yellow coloured sky.  Look how some of the colour in the sky perfectly matches the Denny's signage! I always appreciate the small moments of beauty in an otherwise dreary looking day.  It's important to look for those moments especially in trying times.
 


We had a nice visit with mom and while in town we stayed in new to us accommodation at the top of the hill. The hotel  is small and quiet. The staff were all super friendly and efficient.  Complimentary juice and coffee were on offer all day as well as a complimentary breakfast. I was feeling very tired while away so didn't take advantage of the breakfast.  I preferred to sleep in a bit and get breakfast later.  The room had comfortable beds and a small discreetly placed microwave and fridge as well as the usual complimentary in room amenities like coffee/tea/ironing board/hair dryer, toiletries, television and good Wi-Fi.  Before check out I realized there were also free newspapers in the lobby each day.

The hotel is well situated near banks, restaurants, gas station, pharmacies and coffee shops.  It also  has easy access to the highways. The only thing that wasn't appealing was all the dirt on the floor in the hot tub/exercise space.  But it is Winter and hard to keep things clean when there is outside access to the gym. I think overall, the value was excellent. If one is interested in an indoor pool and a fully fitted fitness room then this facility wouldn't be suitable (they do have an outdoor pool).  But I believe they have arrangements with the hotel across the parking  lot for use of the indoor  pool and water slide for children.

After we spent some days visiting, we made our return journey home.  The weather was still raining a bit but the highways were clear of ice and snow. While I was drafting this post tonight I heard the weather man say there would be 15-20 cm of snow tonight on the same highway through the mountains.



 

  By the time we got closer to home, it started raining heavily.


A magical rainbow came out.


Closer to home, a beautiful pastel and blue sky appeared at sunset.


As always it is good to get home.

~~~

I'm not sure when I'll post again.  This cold I have has been lingering and interfering with my motivation levels.
I'll take it as a sign to rest and catch up on a few others things.

While I've been recovering from the cold, my friends in Kenya continue in their recovery from the serious affects of the venomous snake bites the suffered in late December.  I received news that my friend Jonah, Missions of Hope Kenya  had a relapse over the weekend.  He collapsed due to heat exhaustion and dehydration while attending an outdoor event. He spent the day at the local hospital and is now on medication and bed rest.

 Just before that occurred he told me that the Pokot man was recovering well in hospital. I haven't had a further update on either of them.

It has been very concerning that these two men are struggling so much to regain equilibrium. Both of them have had a circuitous journey to healing.

They need continued support and prayers.

Joining in with a few memes this week:


Thursday, February 18, 2016

Under a Cloudy Sky




After some glorious sunny days, it started to rain again as is the norm in our Winter on the West Coast of Canada.  It rained quite heavily on Monday.  These photos were snapped earlier this week during a break from the rain.

It was nice to see the bird's nest among the bare tree branches and the bird flying against a patch of blue sky.

Joining in with Skywatch Friday and Saturday's Critters this week.

Thanks for stopping by
and
have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Eye Canada and Food for the Soul

Hello friends,

I hope you have all enjoyed your Valentine's Day and are ready to greet the week with joy.

I wanted to share some beautiful photos.  I call it eye candy because of the beautiful water and beach scenes.


When I see sailboats on the water it gives me a sense of calm.  I think they look so beautiful with their sails unfurled and the boat calmly bobbing along.


When I stroll along the beach I am always happy. I love to see the beautiful scenery and look at all the smiling people.


It was a glorious sunny day. It was a warm 18 degrees Celsius though you'd think it was colder the way some people are dressed. The temperature can drop 10 degrees once the sun goes down.


Food for the Soul


A friend shared the video I've posted.
I enjoyed the music, photos and words so much and thought it might be enjoyable to you too!


I'

I'm still reading the books I shared with you in earlier posts this month.  I'm working on another one for a book club meeting.  I hope to join a group of people over an African dinner in town to discuss it.
 
A book for book club meeting.
 I haven't started the book yet and just picked it up from the library yesterday. I don't have much time to read it as it took a awhile to get it. The library only has 2 copies and they were both out when I put it on hold.

I've got several books "on the go" at present and hope to finish a few of them in the next week or so.

Here is a summary of the book from Goodreads.

"Like very good dark chocolate this is a delicious novel, with a bitter-sweet flavour. Vimbai is a hairdresser, the best in Mrs Khumalo's salon, and she knows she is the queen on whom they all depend. Her situation is reversed when the good-looking, smooth-talking Dumisani joins them. However, his charm and desire to please slowly erode Vimbai's rancour and when he needs somewhere to live, Vimbai becomes his landlady. So, when Dumisani needs someone to accompany him to his brother's wedding to help smooth over a family upset, Vimbai obliges. Startled to find that this smart hairdresser is the scion of one of the wealthiest families in Harare, she is equally surprised by the warmth of their welcome; and it is their subsequent generosity which appears to foster the relationship between the two young people. The ambiguity of this deepening friendship - used or embraced by Dumisani and Vimbai with different futures in mind - collapses in unexpected brutality when secrets and jealousies are exposed. Written with delightful humour and a penetrating eye, The Hairdresser of Harare is a novel that you will find hard to put down."


I'm joining up with Lady Fi at Our World Tuesday this week.


Saturday, February 13, 2016

Saturday's Critters, February 13, 2016

There are usually a lot of seagulls on the beach.

On this day I only spotted one in the water and one or two flying overhead.

(Click the photos for a larger view).

I wanted to capture this piece of driftwood. While I was doing that I spotted the gull drifting along on the waves.



Too bad I didn't have the good zoom lens with me.

Happy Valentine's Day to you ♥♥♥

Joining in with our host Eileen at Saturday's Critters

Friday, February 12, 2016

Skywarch Under the Big Tree




I walk by this tree every now and then whenever I go to the Sky Train Station.  The Station is also a major bus transfer point.

The Greyhound Bus Station and the Amtrak Train to Seattle are just steps away from this tree.

I love the graceful branches and arch of this old tree.

It was such a beautiful day which only added to my enjoyment of the tree and the luscious green grass (though too bad about the litter).

I'm joining with Skywatch Friday today. 

 Have a blessed weekend.

A Few Days in March ~ Skywatch Friday

Hello friends and fellow bloggers. I hope Spring is treating you well so far. It's been roller coaster weather where I live with mostly ...