Thursday, 24 September 2015

Meo's shoe adventure

Some dozen years ago, on Jenny Chapman's advice, Janet and I each bought a pair of identical (except in size!) Finn shoes - German and expensive.  Mine never quite fit - a size too large?  Stashed away in a bin in our basement, they still looked great - hardly ever worn.  I lacked waterproof shoes, so when the September rains descended and I needed to head out, I thought, "Good. These will do just fine."

Fine to 7th Avenue in the car.  But, trudging off on foot after supper in the dark and the wet to my Celtic fiddle-and-harp "session" at Celtic Traditions, my left shoe began to flap and trip me up.  Huh?  I felt like Donald Duck??  Part of the rubber sole was falling off, pushing the cork in-sole out in front.  No time to turn back, so I removed shoe#1 and proceeded the five blocks in one-shoe-and-one-sock (a wool one).   In our break I inspected the damage - BOTH soles had split across the wide part.  Hmm.  I got electrical tape from Michael and strapped them together to get me home (walk a block, #99 bus, Canada Line, #49 bus, walk a block).  More rain.

With fiddler Sadie I made it to the first bus, but the tape was undoing.  I stood still.  On the walk to the Canada Line, half one sole fell right off.  Chucked that in the garbage on the way by.  Walked gingerly to the train and stood still.  Both shoes looked more-or-less OK from above.  Walked gingerly down the stairs at the 49th Ave station, but the insole slid out the back and remained on a stair above.   Tossed it into the next garbage and made it to the bus.  Stood still again.  Off the bus at Wiltshire Street, I figured I'd pushed my luck on staying upright, so took off both shoes and, carrying the remains, walked home in my socks.  Sopping wet and just a little cold.

Douglas says German technology was taking a hit that week - first Volkswagen-diesel and then this.
JC, what's the state of your Finns?  Beware.
uppers still perfect, but ...
… note the door-mat shining through





Thursday, 27 August 2015

what mountains?

… not to mention, what lake?
5pm today, as Doco and I headed down for our daily (3 days in a row) swim -
looking directly into the sun through the tamarack
5:30pm, at the beach - we found the water - the sun still up, but who could tell?
Looks a bit like my last-year's blood-moon eclipse post.
SPOOKY!

The smoke is predicted to be blown away south tomorrow, or maybe rained down.
No fires close. 





Wednesday, 26 August 2015

a new bedroom emerges


not quite ready for sleepers
Yesterday, Norbert and Chris were constructing a scaffold to stand on to dismantle and rebuild the hay-barn south-lean-to roof.  And voila!  A whole new sleeping spot emerged!  Apparently Tonio has some splendid, wide, 18-foot-long tamarack boards to come next, and there it is.  And, with a new shake roof on top, it will even be dry.  Place your bookings now for next summer!

Tuesday, 25 August 2015

Doco's crab apples

I have been rather scathing of Doco's crab-apple crop.  Who ever eats crab-apple jelly?  But look at these beautiful fruit!  I added some to my yellow-transparent applesauce and Doco declares it to be delicious.  Last night he picked the tree clean.  There's a bear around (at Ralph's plum tree).  Now the challenge is - crab-apple what?  Any ideas?
a pleased Doco
and even I can see why




Sunday, 2 August 2015

New Denver paddle board


Sadly, the windsurfer board that Douglas bought with his first cherry-picking money some 30 years ago disappeared from the forest above our beach on about July 1st.  My fault.  I should have checked that it had been brought up at the end of last season.  Too bad, too, because the kids (of all ages) had so much fun with it.

So, what to do?   My first day back in New Denver, Rowan and I made a trip to the dump and then poked our noses into the new "Valhalla Pure" store, just to see if they had stand-up paddle-boards.  They did!  The perfect one (according to Rowan and Colin) and at a perfect price - store-opening sale!  So, we are now one stand-up paddle-board to the good.

Here is its first Harris-family day.
On the march from 'Valhalla Pure' down the main street to launch in the lake ...
… by Teagan, Emile and Rowan (it's very light)
Preparing for the launch ...
… can it hold three? (Emile with 'the leash') ...
… apparently so, but ...
… submerged in two inches of water, progress around the mouth of Carpenter Creek to our beach was SLOW 
However,  they arrived.  I missed Griffin aboard
(it took me longer from the launch to our beach than it took the paddlers), but here come Lily and Emile
The 'yoga board' was tested by Rachel and Alice ...
… two 'downward dogs'
Next, Rachel ...
… as 'warrior'
and Rowan, vertical ...
… and in pirouette (guess what happened next?)
Finally, and maybe the best use - Emile about to dump the three damsels (Alice,  Lily and Rachel)
Fun for all!
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
P.S. Eric came back from Castlegar yesterday with a stand-up paddle from Canadian Tire (and his brother, Paul-Antoine).   Paddle yet to be tried, and all the 'young' paddlers have headed up Whitewater this morning for two days.  Maybe Doco and I … ?



Tuesday, 28 July 2015

Lily and Annaelle in Vancouver

July 24th, Lily arrived at Wiltshire Street with her Montreal friend, Annaelle, and her family.  I was here to meet them.  Rachel arrived July 26 and Emile July 27.  This morning, July 28, Rachel, Lily, Emile and I are off to New Denver.   All but Douglas and family are already there.  Looking forward to  the rest soon!

Some photos from Lily and Annaelle's first Vancouver day:
Annaelle, her stepfather Laurent, mother Noemie, and brother's friend Laurence (and Lily) at Wiltshire Street
Lily-Annaelle duet, concocted in Montreal for Meo
Note the mass of clouds over the city.  At Spanish Banks, we were in mostly sun.
first, a prowl by the ocean ...
… with crabs - lots of them ...

… and a swim in salt water, a touch warmer than Slocan Lake 
a picnic with a few blackberries for 'dessert' ...
… then back to the car by the "woodsey walk"






WELCOME HOME!

Welcome home Ellen, Molly, Thomson, Candy, Douglas!  See you soon!!

love, meo