HOLY COW!!! SOOOO MUCH HAS HAPPENED & IS HAPPENING

Wow!!!  Where to start.  Firstly, got home last night, late.  And I can honestly say that the flight from Montreal to Toronto to Kelowna was the smoothest most awesomest flight ever.  We had a bit of a panicky start but after wheels up in Montreal it was all great from there.

We were late getting to the airport due to bus mixups etc. and the security line up was insanely long.  We had forty minutes to get through it and through a giant airport to our gate.  And, whilst that might be doable by us younguns', I can't say the same for the oldsters that hobble along with walkers and canes.  Not only do they not hurry, they all stopped in the bathroom...and that aint a fast process either.  So needless to say there were some dicey moments amongst the wrinklies.  By some miracle though we all made it!

The trip itself was pretty fantastic!  It might have been irritating and tedious with so many ancient people (because no matter how spry and sharp they were, they were still frigging ancient.  Which means slow legs, slow brains, slow bathroom stops, slow climbing bus stairs, slow getting out of bus seats, sloooooow talky talky decisions on bloody fricken EVERYTHING!!!  Should I leave my bag here or over there?  No No not here the bus driver might not see it.  Lets just leave it over there closer to the curb.  But maybe he won't be able to open the luggage door then?  Oh yes Mabel I think you are right.  Lets just keep them with us til he gets here.  But Maud! we can't take them with us if we want to go for a walk.  AHHHHHHHHHH!!!  And that was the typical discussion over frigging every single thing)  Drove me nuts a little.

We saw a lot of things that I didn't realize were on my bucket list!  Stuff you see on postcards!

We ate amazing food, stayed in the best hotels, travelled first class on via rail, saw the most beautiful and interesting sights.  I think my fave day though was in Montreal.  I absolutely love Montreal and I have been there enough times to be excited to see some things again.

We got the via rail from Quebec City to Montreal, riding first class which included a brunch.  And there were about twelve of us in the first car and we had the best time!  We laughed and laughed, in fact Sue sprayed my seat, thank God I was in the bathroom at that moment, with a mouthful of coffee!

The train ends  in a station right under the Queen Elizabeth Fairmont hotel in Montreal...where we stayed!  Our rooms weren't ready so Sue, Marion, Kathy, Kerry and Len, a retired air traffic controller who joined us on several events and meals, and myself walked Montreal.  We walked til I thought my legs would fall off!!!

The weather was fantastic, the sights were amazing, the food delicious, shopping was good...the whole day was magical.  We went to a pub Marion was familiar with for dinner.  And we happened to sit right beside a looooong table of young good looking men...on a stag.  Before you knew it we were totally involved in their antics and shenanigans  and having the time of lives.  So much fun!!!

Now its back to reality!  I have bills to pay, a retreat to shop and cook for and a unexpected seventy thousand dollar income tax charge on Bill's last years income...which I will have to pay if Aryn and I can't move a mountain and make certain things happen.  It just never ends does it?  Oh well, life is pretty fricken good in spite of all that!!!  I will post some random pics below.  TTYL

BOARDING A CABLE CAR TO THE TOP OF THE FALLS

OUR BUS DRIVER ED

THE FALLS...CAN'T SPELL OR EVEN REMEMBER THEIR NAME

A TYPICAL STOREFRONT IN MONTREAL

I THOUGHT THAT THE WINDOW BOX DESERVED A CLOSEUP

MY BEAUTIFUL YOUNG SISTER

A BEAUTIFUL FRIEND AND HER BABY...KATHY MADE THE ARRANGEMENTS TO MEET HER DURING OUR FREE TIME IN QUEBEC CITY 

TRAILING BEHIND MY CREW...I HAVE A HORRIBLE FEELING I SLOWED THEM ALL DOWN :(

THIS IS WHAT I FELT LIKE I WAS DOING TO THEM

OUR RETIRED TRAFFIC CONTROLLER NEW FRIEND, LEN

ST. CATHERINE AVE.....MY FAVE STREET...THE LOGS WERE AN ART INSTALLATION

OKAY....THESE STATUES WERE OUT ON THE STREET...SO GRAPHIC I COULDN'T TAKE A PICTURE FROM THE FRONT.  WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?  EITHER THE FRENCH ARE PRETTY HANG LOOSE OR WE WESTERNERS ARE PRETTY UPTIGHT!  SORRY IF THIS PIC OFFENDS ANY READERS!  (SORRY NOT SORRY)

OUR HAPPY BUNCH HAVING LUNCH...REALLY MY FAVE DAY,  THIS DAY IN MONTREAL 

MORE WALKIES....DOWN INTO THAT MASS OF PEEPS...CHINATOWN IN MONTREAL

MORE WALKIES

OUT MY ROOM WINDOW!

AND THIS BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL TUSCANY TYPE SHOT WAS THROUGH THE BUS WINDOW HERE ON THE WAY HOME THROUGH THE OKANOGAN!!

HEY THERE COOK!!!  THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!!

SIGNING THE GROOM'S T SHIRT.....HE HAD TO GET FIFTY SIGNITURES ON HIS SHIRT BEFORE THE END OF THE NIGHT!!!  AND ALL THOSE THINGS ON THE BACK OF HIS SHIRT ARE OTHER THINGS HE HAD TO DO....THINGS HE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT.  LIKE...SEE A WOMAN'S BREAST...AND ONE OF THE LADIES AT ANOTHER TABLE BARED ONE FOR HIM..AND US...AND A LITTLE KID SITTING OVER YONDER...HIS EYES NEARLY POPPED OUT OF HIS HEAD!!!!