Well here I go!!!!!!

Just about to board the overnight flight from Vancouver to 🇲🇽 Mexico City........all went well with the ferry, getting to the airport Alex was there waiting for me......my slightly overweight suitcase was not an issue......and about to board.

None of this has sunk in that I am leaving and going home...

Heather and Kirby....I don’t even know how to thank you!!!

Boomer where is he!!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Tuesday 29 th September 2020..Day 226!!!!

Just a beautiful day at least 24 degrees and perfect for my last day of tennis....the same foursome that played yesterday played for an hour before the others came.

I told them I would bring beer and donuts and it was so special to see that every member of the group showed up...sometimes we only get 8 or 9 players.

We had great fun and they were so nice to me and presented me with this T shirt with this on the front...

And this on the back...

And another member wrote and read out this poem..

...

It has been a wonderful experience to meet these people and play tennis as often as it wanted!!!

This afternoon was all about doing chores and getting Blaze ready for her winter hibernation.....here she is all settled in!!!!!

Heather cooked a special and wonderful turkey dinner and afterwards we watched more of our show....we still have three episodes to watch so we will have to watch those on our own.

So six months and eighteen days later I get ready to leave this amazing family tomorrow.......of course Boomer has been the icing on the cake!!!

I leave Vancouver Airport at 11.30 pm tomorrow evening..stay tuned!!

stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Monday 28 th September 2020...Day 225!!

Another beautiful sunny day and it is supposed to be here for the next few days....

Yesterday I arranged with three of the tennis guys to go to the courts early today so we could play for a couple of hours uninterrupted ...we are a great foursome and it was the best tennis I have played all summer, such a treat!!

Last night Heather and Kirby gifted me with this..

It is a Fit Bit 3 and last night Heather set it up for me and I wore it all day.....it is very light and records steps, distance, heart rate...I really like it but I have to get used to all the features......I did over 10000 steps at tennis and then this after I took Boomer walking to go pick up Blaze from my mechanics....I did not realize how far it is....12 km.....it was a great walk and Boomer loved....

The Fit Bit is paired to my IPad and this is the reading I received tonight...

Not bad for my first day and for an old man!!!

Tonight Neather and I are continuing with our Netflix show....

I like both these shirts...

two more sleeps before I leave...sometimes I cannot believe I am actually heading back!!!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Sunday 27th September 2020..Day 223!!!!

Well now it is sort of registering in my mind that I am leaving on Wednesday .......

No rain so I was back on the courts after almost a week of rain..it was good to see my friends and to play for almost three hours.

This afternoon was the start of the French Open Tennis in Paris....this is the event that I was planning to go to in May before Covid changed everyone’s plans..

..the organization decided to move the Open back and today was the first round and they were allowing 1000 spectators but already the complaints from the players are starting saying it is too cold!!

I am taking Blaze to my mechanic tonight and leave her there so he can give her the first service and pick it up tomorrow afternoon...

Heather and I are trying to finish off our Nextflix show, Homeland before l leave, we are on the last season with about six episodes to go.....

Stay  and healthy!! 

Yashi Kochi!!

Saturday 26th September 2020..Day 222!!!

Totally different day today...Boomer and I took off just before 9am heading for the west coast town and beaches of Tofino......

It is a lovely drive and the weather was changeable with some great views....

We stopped here to stretch our legs......

This is all the rage in Europe but not so much here...people just leave locks in public places..

Arrived in Tofino ...

The main reason to come here was to walk the wild and sometimes wet and windy beaches....

We chose Chesterman beach which is 3 km long...we walked up and down and it was a great time for Boomer even though he had to stay on the leash..

many surfers enjoying the waves...

Look somebody knows I am going to Mexico..

Really enjoyed this walk and especially because as soon as we got to the car the rains started.

I drove through the small busy town but did not stop except to go down to the local dock and parked and had some lunch.....

The drive back was typical west coast, heavy rain, sunshine, fog......

Now something happened to me on the drive back that I have never experienced before and know I never will and perhaps none of you will ever either.....

Part of the section of the road is under heavy construction and they have closed one lane....so the wait to pass along this section can be long but we got lucky and it was only a few minutes.....

So I was driving very slowly on this narrow section with absolutely no where to stop or pull over and vehicles behind me......I came around a bend and right there in front of me on the road was the end of a 🌈 rainbow.......I could not believe it and I drove right through it....totally amazing...who can say they have touched by a rain bow???

We arrived home at 6 pm and it was a really lovely  day!!!

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Friday 25 th September 2020..Day 221!!

Rained  heavy all night long, so no tennis again today!!

Instead Boomer and I went in search of the elusive running salmon....I know I am a couple of weeks early but you have to have faith...

We went out to the Qualicum  River and here is Boomer on  the look out....

No salmon...so we went to the fish ladders...

And even though I was not quick enough to catch it on camera I did see one salmon jump up here..

But the day was not a total write off we may not have seen salmon but Boomer found what could have been his younger sister, Jenny, nine months old!!!!

Hard to get a decent picture they were running around and having so much fun!!!

It was fun seeing them play together!!

These photos were taken from the balcony in the back yard last night...what a beautiful guy!!!

Stay safe and healthy !!!

Yashi Kochi!!!

Thursday 24 th September 2020...Day 220!!

The storms continue and woke up to heavy rain again.......I spent the morning sorting my stuff, decided what I am going to put in what case and doing laundry.

In order to try to be extra careful on the flight from Vancouver to Mexico City, almost six hours in duration, I paid an extra 60 dollars to get the aisle seat in the exit row, which affords me extra leg room.

This morning I received an email from the airlines Aeromexico asking my if I wanted to upgrade my seat to Premier ...all I had to do was make an offer!!

They will let me know before I check in if the offer I make has been accepted and if it is I will be charged on my credit card, if it is not accepted, no charges.....be interesting to see what happens, I offered twenty five dollars!!

This afternoon was poker and this is the last time seeing the guys......I have been in this group almost twenty years and really enjoy the guys we have a great time.....I finished the final time winning again, this time twelve dollars!!!

I did manage to get some shorter walks in with Boomer in between the heavy showers and tonight is going to be a movie night!!

I like this...

WHY MEN DON’T WRITE ADVICE COLUMNS!!!!!

> Dear Walter,  
> I hope you can help me here. The other day, I set off for work leaving  
> my  
> husband in the house watching the TV as usual. I hadn't driven more than  
> a  
> mile down the road when the engine conked out and the car shuddered to a  
> halt. I walked back home to get my husband's help. When I got home I  
> couldn't believe my eyes. He was in our bedroom with the neighbours  
> daughter. I am 32, my husband is 34, and the neighbours daughter is 22.  
> We  
> have been married for ten years.  
> When I confronted him, he broke down and admitted that they had been  
> having  
>  
> an affair for the past six months. I told him to stop or I would leave  
> him.  
>  
> He was let go from his job six months ago and he says he has been  
> feeling  
> increasingly depressed and worthless. I love him very much, but ever  
> since  
> I  
> gave him the ultimatum he has become increasingly distant. He won't go  
> to  
> counselling and I'm afraid I can't get through to him anymore.  
> Can you please help?  
> Sincerely, Sheila  
> ******************************  
> Dear Sheila:  
> A car stalling after being driven a short distance can be caused by a  
> variety of faults with the engine. Start by checking that there is no  
> debris in the fuel line. If it is clear, check the vacuum pipes and  
> hoses  
> on  
> the intake manifold and also check all grounding wires. If none of these  
> approaches solves the problem, it could be that the fuel pump itself is  
> faulty, causing low delivery pressure to the injectors.  
> I hope this helps,  
> Walter

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!

Wednesday 23 rd September 2020..Day 218!!

Well is started to rain last night and still raining now 24 hours later, so obviously  it was an indoor day...spent getting all my stuff out on the bed in the spare bedroom......I did not intend to fly back so I had to get a suitcase from Goodwill and found a nice one for nine dollars which will fit my tennis racket.

This afternoon and went and did my final Meals on wheels delivery and I have enjoyed this little task.....

Tonight is the third game of the Stanley cup hockey play offs...

So in one week I shall be leaving these scenes behind...

And exchange them for these sort of scenes...

Stay safe and healthy!!

Yashi Kochi!!