Monday 30th April 2012……Driving Miss. Annie!!!!!

This morning was spent driving my good friend Annie around to some stores…she does not drive and is recovering from knee surgery so I was happy to help and we did get lots done.

I was home in time to watch probably the most important live soccer game from England that has been televised in years!!!!  I really enjoyed the game!!

This afternoon I picked up another friend, Chris and he and I went for coffee and a chat to catch up with our news….then I came home and I became Pearson the chef!!!

I told Heather I would cook supper tonight and all I will say is that cooking for 6 healthy growing people is a lot different to cooking for one…BUT….all the plates came back empty and nobody complained!!!

I bet you thought you would read a post without me watching a hockey game!!!!  Wrong!!!!!

Watched my Los Angeles Kings win their second game of the series!!!

I remember this photo

Danie on the left and Susana in my tennis gear!!!   Too funny!!!

 

Yashi Kochi!!!!!

Sunday 29th April 2012…..a bit of everything!!!

Woke up to grey skies again getting used to this …took Boomer up to the dog leash free park for a run then back home for breakfast then it was shopping for runners…..my favorite runners had to be abandoned after my last hike in Oregon they were just done!!!!

Went to a couple of places and will continue my search tomorrow.

I passed by my old condo building today!!

My unit was on the third floor by the tree…I bought the unit in 2000 for $65000 and sold it 6 years later for $165000…not bad eh??  I also enjoyed living there but feel I did sell at the right time!!

I then went to the sports complex building where there was a huge seminar being put on for seniors….I know I know….I am not there yet!!  It was OK but really didn’t learn anything unless I win a couple of the door entry prizes I signed!!

Then went shopping and bought a few things including a nice crock pot that I will need for San Miguel!!

Home by 5pm and in time for yet another hockey game and my other favorite team the Coyotes won…so all is well in the hockey world.

Heather cooked a lovely meal and a quiet evening… sorted out my travel brochures!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Saturday 28th April 2012……Do you detect a pattern here??

Saturday morning so that means tea in bed whilst watching a live soccer game from England!!!!

Then it was breakfast and some computer work then time for my walk..this time it was a 13 km hike on the main street to

This is really a beautiful park sit back and enjoy!!!

I really enjoy the walks I do not only for the health reasons but also because it is a great time for me to do some thinking and planning.

Tonight it was another great hockey game and my Kings won the first game..Go KINGS!!!

I have just about settled back from almost 11 months of being on the road…it was a wonderful journey with memories to last me a life time and I am so glad I took the time and did the whole eastern Provinces and States!!

I also think about the next few months when I shall be with my family in England and Europe and then of course the big move to SMA…so there is lots to plan for and now I am just enjoying my time here and the beauty of this Island and the kindness of my family and friends here.

 

Yashi Kochi!!!

Friday 27th April 2012….Wow my first week home just flew by!!!

Where did the days go hard to believe it is a week since I was getting off the ferry in Victoria!!!

The early part of my morning was spent again sorting some things out in my closet and drawers and this is the view from my bedroom..

 

and then I went to visit my good friend Annie.

Annie gave me this photo that she printed out for me!!

Remember last week when I was writing about the times I spent with Roy and Ken  well here we are Ken on the left and Roy on the right!!!!

 

 

Then it was off into town to do some errands and then I went and got Ramona and took her to the car wash and now she is back at Eric’s house where she stays when I am not using her!!!

My next stop was to pick up another dear old friend, Irene and take her shopping…we had a lot of fun and I even put her groceries away when we got back to her house….

Back to the home on the Bank and I finally was able to get the hummingbird at the feeder!!!!

Boomer and I went for a long walk and back in time for…wait for it…… yet another hockey game…this was an exciting game that went to overtime!!!

Later in the evening Kirby discovered that a squirrel had somehow got into the attic he went on the roof but was unable to catch him…but later on Kirby went out to the front door and there was the squirrel….he managed to pick him up and put him back on another tree!!!

This is Linda and Guy’s family Daughter Teri and her husband Jason and little Muri

on the beach in Mexico!!!

I remember the night back in San Miguel when I babysat Muri we had fun and here is a photo from that night to prove it!!!!

What a cutie!!!

I have started planning my Europe trip and the last couple of days done research on one of the countries I will be visiting, Slovenia!!!

Wishing all my readers a great weekend!!!

Thursday 26th April 2012………at last a sunny day!!!

Woke up to sunny skies and after we took Boomer to the off leash park came home and I did some paper work, sorted out some clothes and some of my stuff that I am going to take to England and then met Karen and we went off in search of the waterfalls called Ammonite Falls….Kirby gave me some directions and we found the trail head.

It was a lovely afternoon and the trail was easy at first

 

then the first problem showed up…which way shall we go!!!!

Karen and I agreed to take the left fork and we hiked in on a rough trail and after about a couple of miles we both agreed that this was not right so we turned around and then met a guy on a motor bike and I asked him and he told me we should have taken the right fork….so we got back to where we started and took the other fork….

Brennan lake in the distance!!!

After about 30 minutes we heard the falls and then up a hill our first sighting!!!!

About 60 feet high and really flowing fast..I took this scramble down the ropes

The waterfall was really neat and the whole hike including the wrong turn was fun!!!

Came home to find Heather having her hair done in time for when Heather and Kirby go on their Alaska cruise next week!!!

It would not be right if a day went by without me watching a hockey game so I watched the last Canadian team get knocked out of the Stanley cup playoffs!!!

So another great day hard to believe I have been back almost one week!!!!!!

Wednesday 25th April 2012……rain. rain go away!!!!

The heading says it all!!!

 

This morning was a morning of sorting out my clothes and books and getting everything I needed out of Ramona..I worked fairly hard because I knew at 11.30am it was time for the live soccer game from Europe…a semi final game that was an excellent match to watch.

I then decided even though it was raining it was time to take Ramona to the farm where she stays when I am not using her…my good friend Eric lets me park at his place which is very safe and so Ramona is plugged in and well deserving of a long rest after the last 10 months.

I walked back to the house about a 4 mile walk I took my I pod and enjoyed the walk and it is all starting to come together for my big 56 km walk in September you will hear more about that in weeks to come!!!

4.30pm and time to watch another great hockey game and now both Boston and Vancouver the top two teams last year have been eliminated.

After supper I went to meet my friend Mel and we talked about taxes and finances.  Mel is an incredible man who is married to another Heather and it was good to catch up with him.  As we were talking Mel was taking notes……..he is blind and the brail notes he was taking was just so fascinating to watch.  I admire him so much he is a lawyer who works for the government and is an astounding musician…..

Back home this evening I got out my Lonely Planet Europe books and started taking notes for my trip this summer!!!

Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania. Greece and Turkey are some of the places on my list!!!!

The photo of the girls on the header is one I took this Winter but before I took that one and gave them the sunglasses I told them to close their eyes!!!!!

Cute eh?????

Have a great evening!!!!

Tuesday 24th April 2012…. a wet day trip!!!

One big issue is that my passport expires in June so I need to get a new one before I leave on 1st June and as I mentioned yesterday I could have sent the application forms from here but could not be guaranteed to get it back in time so this morning around 8.30 am I left for Victoria which is about a 90 minute drive south down the Island and the weather was like this!!!

I did stop here on the way down…

and walked no more than 100 yards from the busy highway to this lovely waterfall!!!

I had the fall all to myself and it was beautiful.

 

I soon arrived in Victoria where parking is at a premium but found a place and then went here

and it only took about ten minutes to have my application checked out and sent and I was told I should receive it by mail at home by 15th May…so that is perfect!!!!!

It would not be a proper day if I do not watch a hockey or a soccer game…so after the passport office I found a great sports bar where I watched a live and important European soccer game on the big screen

and befitting of being in an Irish pub I ate a bowl of wonderful Irish stew and dumplings!!!!

Just a little story of one of the reasons why I love Mexico……..here I was at lunch time in this bar with lots of other men and women my age and because of one man;s enthusiastic actions another man got really upset and extremely rude and there was almost a fight..go figure!!!  they need to learn about family value from the Mexicans!!!

Anyway I enjoyed the game and the food.

I then went to this great sporting goods store as Heather and Kirby have so kindly offered to buy me a Back pack for my Birthday…I spent about 45 minutes in the store, the staff were very helpful and I did find a pack that I like so I bought it and when I got home Heather and Kirby were so happy that I found one and they will wrap it for my Birthday and I have to act surprised!!!!

I got home at 5.30pm and Heather game me a message that my poker buddies had called and there was a game on tonight.

As in SMA I really enjoy my poker nights my buddies here are all great guys and we have a wonderful time…

This is the slot in front of me where my 20 dollars used to be!!!!!!!!!!

Say no more!!!!!

I am getting asked in e mails what the meaning of Yashi Kochi is…when I was with Paula and Jerry in Michoacán and the lovely little beach town of Maruta…where we were parked was owned by a local indigenous family and in their native tongue Yashi kochi means …sweet dreams!!!

Monday 23rd April 2012…doing stuff!!!!

Today was a day of appointments and getting paper work type stuff done…..I spent a while here this morning!!

This is my Bank for the the last 20 years and I have Sonya who helps me with all my banking needs so my appointment with her this morning went well and she helped me sort out the issues that I had with good results.

Next it was trying to find out the best way to get my passport renewed before I go away June 1st…I tried the local passport office and they could not guarantee that I would get it back in time so it means a trip to Victoria to the passport office there!!

Next on the agenda was the Government offices to try to find an answer to the question about me being out of the county and my coverage for medical insurance.that also was a positive result…so everything went very smoothly…..

Then a stop at my local insurance office to check out vehicle insurance and I was batting 100 because that was a good response also!!!

So a very productive but long day….home in time to watch yet part of another hockey game before I went off to Inga’s house for supper.  It was nice to see her again…a lovely meal and a game of crib….suffice it to say she owes me a loonie!!!!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Sunday 22nd April 2012…..a full day!!!

Today is Alex’s 18th Birthday so we all watched him open his gifts this morning and he was thrilled with his new skim board his Mum and Dad had given him…..9am and it was time for me to find my way to the couch for the first hockey game of the day and it was a great game and saw the Penguins eliminated!!!

I then decided it was time for my walk so off I went on a two hour tour of the neighborhood and I think you will agree this is a very beautiful part of the world!!!

As I mentioned the other day this area around here is deer habitat and on my walk I counted 24 of these….

I walked down to the beach below the house where Alex was trying out his new board!!!

Lots of sand dollars on the beach!!

Bring back the Mexico price of gas 83 cents a litre!!!!

 

 

It is hard to see but the price is $1.359 a litre!!!

The welcome sign at the north end of the city!!!

I really enjoyed the walk and came home and the sun was shining so I got the lounge chair out and Boomer and I sat and read, well actually Boomer was more interested in my shoe!!!

This is taken from the bottom of the yard looking back and you can see my room!!

I put up this Hummingbird feeder yesterday and I did see one bird today come to it so I will have to keep an eye out and try and get a photo…

Tonight Alex had a few of his fiends around and here he is with his Mum and the cake!!!

Well I think that is it nothing else happened today…

 

Let me think….

 

something else happened….

 

what was it now….

 

 

oh yes I remember!!!!!

My mighty Kings sent the Canucks to the golf course!!!!!!!!

I can tell you I was not a popular guy at the house tonight!!!!!!

 

PURA VIDA!!!