purple room vents: CAMPING CRAZINESS

Well that week was a slice and a half! I had a good time at Kathy's on Monday and Tuesday. Monte and I whipped around and took care of a few loose ends with the townhouse. I don't miss that place even slightly, even though it was perfect for me at the time. I think my year there was just too unhappy because of things out of my control and it's full of bad memories now. I am glad to be done with the place.

On Wednesday we headed up to Tunkwa Lake. And I mean up. As we arrived at the campsite, it had just finished hailing to beat hell! There was a good one to two inches of frozenness on the ground. I was in my short shorts and got out of them really fast....it was frigging freezing! Kathy and Kerry were already beginning to set up their trailer so Monte put up his little tent in just the right spot. I didn't really need to do anything as I was sleeping in the van for the weekend.

Over the next couple of days everybody showed up. But it was cold, windy, rainy, and did I say cold? The first night in the van I almost froze to death. It was 3 degrees out according to the van thermometer. I simply got too cold and just didn't recover. Kathy, bless her, had to go to town the next day for an appointment and she took the time to bring me a delicious warm blanket that saved my butt!

A lot of fun was had! The place is absolutely beautiful! The lake isn't swimmable, but it is fishable, canoe able, kayak able, paddle board able and photographable. There weren't a lot of trees around but that kept the bugs down. One family member brought a smoker and a huge brisket. That was the best meat I have eaten in a very long long time! On the last evening we all gathered and squished in around the campfire, did a little drinking after children were in bed, and had the funniest most amazing evening. People are sooo funny! Such a good time.

Everybody left on Monday. Kathy and Emily and Kerry and Monte were the last to go and we had a lovely final visit and cleanup with them. They really are the best family. Then it was just Monte and me. We sat there for a while, rather despondently and quietly. We had planned to leave the next morning but we couldn't take the quiet and emptiness. So I suggested we leave and go down a certain road to Merritt. I hadn't been on that road before and it was beautiful! Ranches and rivers...can't beat that. My sister had generously offered to put us up overnight at her place but she had family staying there already and would be busy unpacking and cleaning up the trailer.

We stopped in Merritt for dinner and decided to just stay at the Super8 for the night. We were exhausted...don't know why but we were. We skipped dinner, showered (that was awesome) and fell into bed by eight and slept til eight in the morning! It was heavenly to be warm! Although the weather was amazing and hot the last two days, I don't think I had totally recovered from the first freezing night!

And now we are home! It was so exciting to come back to our little home on the Island! That is the true test of how happy you are in your place, how you feel upon returning after an absence! And it was wonderful!!! My plants all survived healthily, nothing was stolen, the house was clean, my bed was waiting...what more can one want? And Monte walked in the front door, yelled, ohhh my room! and tore downstairs to his room and I didn't see him again for a couple of hours! Needless to say he was feeling the same.

Now I need to go get the house ready for the housekeeper coming at noon today. She isn't Alice, but she is good! TTYL

A DISTANT SHOT OF THE GROUP

MY SISTER AND MY GRAND DAUGHTER

MY GORGEOUS GRANDSON

MONTE ROOTING ABOUT IN OUR VAN

MY BRO AND HIS DAUGHTER...SMOKE DOES GET IN YOUR EYES

MY NEICE JOCELYN AND HER AWESOME LITTLE GUY STIRLING

IT WAS MY SON KEVIN'S BIRTHDAY...SO WE MADE HIS FAVE VEGAN Rice Krispie SQUARES OVER THE FIRE

THE MESS...THE ONLY THING ABOUT CAMPING I DON'T REALLY LIKE...THE MESS ON ALL THE TABLES, DRIVES ME NUTS

MY BROOD....WE ARE NEVER ALL TOGETHER AT ONCE SO EVEN THOUGH WE LOOK TERRIBLE, AS CAMPING GOES, I WANTED OUR PICTURE...NOT AN EASY FEAT I MUST SAY.THAT BIG KID RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE WITH THE GREY SHIRT IS NOT MINE...HE IS MY BROTHER'S GRANDSON AND HOW AND WHY HE GOT IN THERE IS BEYOND ME. BUT JUDGING BY THE LOOK ON HIS FACE HE KNEW WHAT HE WAS DOING...THE STINKER!