Heat Wave!!!

The only thing not suffering in the heat are these sunflowers!!!

No rain in sight. Thank goodness for air conditioning for humans and dogs!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries!

a.a.milne

"And the Thunder Roars"

These 2 photos were taken by my neice, Kari in Bull River. I can just hear that clap of thunder...thanks Kari for sending it on to me. Let's hope that none of this lighting caused any forest fires!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Firefighting - one of the few professions left that still makes house calls.

Author Unknown

At The Beach..Inukshuk

As one travels across the Canadian Arctic, one will see piles of rock slabs and stone built to resemble the shape of a person with arms stretching out. These stone structures put up by Inuit are known as inukshuk (pronounced 'in-ook-shook'). In the Inuit language Inuktitut, inukshuk means "likeness of a person" or "in the image of man". The inukshuk is a well known symbol in the Canadian north.

Picnic yesterday at the beach in Peachland. Found this Inukshuk on the beach already made up for me to take a photo.

When we got home at about 7:30 pm and it was still 89 degress!!!

This is one hot summer, so glad we live close to the water. Jim, Cookie and I all went for a swim. The water was so warm.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Journalling...

These are some of my new pages that I am doing for my personal journal. I have tried to take what I have learned from Teresa McFayden's "Journal of Interest" course that I have been taking for the last 4 week and making some of the ideas into my personal one. I am behind for our last 2 sessions and hope to catch up with them and finish my TM journal off this week.

It continues to be so very hot here, the beach and picnic time are going to happen once again today in the afternoon. More smoke in the air, no sure where it is coming from.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I question not if thrushes sing,

If roses load the air,

Beyond my heart I need not reach

When all is summer there.

~John Vance Cheney

Garden Hydrangea's

This year, some of these beauties were dark pink, light pink and deep blue on the same bush.

My very favorite flower in the garden.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"One of the greatest feelings in life is the conviction that you have lived the life you wanted to live....with the rough and the smooth, the good and the bad....but yours, shaped by your own choices, and not some one else's."

Michael Ignatieff

Happy Birthday "Gertie"

To my sweet and talented sister

"Caroline Gertrude Kelly"

Love and happiness for your special day!!!

Use what you have....

Just outside dead heading and cutting back all the flowers that had really been hit by the heat wave. For 2 days in 94 degree weather we couldn't water because the fire department needed all the water pressure. Understandly so, and now that the fires close to us are under control, we can once again water.

These were just too cheerful to throw away in to the rest of the pile.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dare to be remarkable!

Smoke...

This is the big flume of smoke that comes from the Terrace Mtn Fire, south of Vernon and north of us by about 38 miles. It looked like an explosion.
This morning the wind has shifted and it is blowing the smoke north, so we will have another record hot day.

Forest Fire Update..

The smoke has finally cleared from the valley today. 650 people have been let back into their own homes today as well. The highway re-opened yesterday and it is business as usual. It is a good day!

Campfire ban in place.

Moving!!

Flash and Gussy

(My brother Heinz and Marlene's dogs)

Heinz and Marlene sold their home in Williams Lake and since Marlene will retire as an RN at the end of the year and Heinz is retired, they will live in their Motorhome for the balance of the summer. Then they can join the ranks of the retired folks and not have to go back to work and travel back in the winter time...Yipee!!!

Marlene sent these photos after she had washed their covers...Can't you just hear those dogs saying

"Please take us with you, we promise to be good...give us back our bed covers!!!!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~

As for us here in the Okanagan fire area, we are out of the alert area for now. The Glenmore fire is only 40% contained and the Rose valley fire is not contained at all.

We still have smoke and now ash all around us. It still feels like a M.A.S.H. unit with all the helicopters and water bombers in the air, trying to get a handle on this fire. The next few days don't look great for us with high, high temps and the wind picking up.

Thanks to all of you who have written, phoned and kept us in your thoughts..we appreciate all of you!!!

Forest Fire

Smoke still pouring over West Kelowna and 10,000 people evacuated. No one has been injured and so far they have lost only a few homes, Highway 97 is closed as well as the Connector to Vancouver. They were able to save Gorman’s Mill. All you can see from our deck is smoke and dead trees looking down the lake towards Peachland.

We are all ok, did not get evacuated last night but a new fire broke out above Bear Creek called Rose Valley, they are just starting with all the water bombers and helicopters, looks like we are in a MASH unit...

I am off today, and I think we will be ok if the wind does not flare up...it was terrible yesterday. We are lucky because of where we live there aren’t many trees around the golf course.

"Journal of Interest"

Day 8 - 9

Inspired by guest artist Pam Garrison.

http://pamgarrison.typepad.com/

Day 9-10

Finding an artist that inspires us and using one of their pages as an inspiration.

Mine was Geninne D. Zlatkis

http://www.geninne.com/

Day 11-12

The object lesson here was to find and keep interesting things that either came in the mail or that you had on hand to add to your pages. I always have alot of stuff that I collect.

I love the graphic letters on a use Chapters/Indigo bookstore gift card here on the left hand side.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Arrange whatever pieces come your way"

Virginia Woolf

Feathers @ the Beach

Found these feathers today when Jim and I went on our lunch picnic in Peachland. 94 here today, great day to spend near the water. We left Cookie home in the air conditioned house and we will walk her tonight when it is cooler down @ the dog beach.

Experiment....

I am trying to learn to make my photos larger to display here on my page...Not quite there yet! It is a learning curve, but I know I will learn how to do this...stay posted.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The world is but a canvas to the imagination.

Henry David Thoreau.

New Magazines to read...

2 of my favorite magazines...lots and lots of inspirational ideas, now just finding the time to make all these wonderful things!

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I always prefer to believe the best of everybody, it saves so much trouble.

Rudyard Kipling

Colors I Love!!

These are some of the colors that I have and use in my craft rooom..

Just looking at and using them everyday makes me happy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Twirl around Piglet,

Step lightly Pooh,

This silly old dance is perfect for two.”

Goodbye, Shenia...

Cindy and Tim rescued Shenia from the Nelson SPCA when she was all ready an old girl and had lots of problems. They paid all of her outstanding Vet bills, took her in and loved her. What a life this water dog had with them for the last 4 years. She was 12 years old.

This is a note from Cinday today.

"Our big girl is now in heaven with Muggins and Lacey and Freade. There will never be a shortage of bumpers for her to swim after now. Going to miss that smiley face."

Our love and thoughts are with you Cindy for the loss of you beloved Shenia.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love.

For me they are the role model for being alive.

Gilda Radner

Japan.....

For 4 summers while working at Mission Hill Winery, I got to know this great gal named Maki. This past year she has gone back home to Japan for 8 months to visit her parents and yesterday she sent me these photos that I thought I would share.

Isn't that tree and temple amazing...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Del and Dave. Congratulations on 40 years!! I hope your surprise party by your sons was a great sucess!!

************

Happy Birthday today Jim's cousin Wayne in Victoria..

~~~~~~

That man is successful who has lived well, laughed often, and loved much, who has gained the respect of the intelligent men and the love of children; who has filled his niche and accomplished his task; who leaves the world better than he found it, whether by an improved poppy, a perfect poem, or a rescued soul; who never lacked appreciation of earth's beauty or failed to express it; who looked for the best in others and gave the best he had.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Summertime..

Summer at it's best!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

“You can't help respecting anybody who can spell TUESDAY, even if he doesn't spell it right; but spelling isn't everything. There are days when spelling Tuesday simply doesn't count.”

Winnie the Pooh

Happy Birthday, Cindy...

Happy Birthday to my dear friend Cindy!! Enjoy your time @ the Beach!!

For Cindy, a celebration of summer from Country Living, UK

Wine Barrels....

Come sit with me for a while.

Get used to it, this is my bed!

Do you want a really good beer, then have a Nelson Brewery Beer.

We live here in wine Country and just look at all these great things you can make from wine barrels.

Check out www.napastyle for these.

Off to work doing of all things...a wine tour, lunch included!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You will never find time for anything. If you want time, you must make it"

Charles Buxton

Carmen and Brad's visit....

Look at these 2 gorgeous guys and the incredibly lovely Carmen. We will be so lucky to welcome her as Brad's wife August 15 this year!

Jim, his son Brad, Carmen and I having dinner at Quail's Gate Winery.

The dinner was one of the best we ever had out, maybe it was the company and the wonderful weather. It was warm all evening and we got to eat outside. The wine wasn't too bad either I must say.

We really enjoyed out time with them, but as usual it goes much too fast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~
“If ever there is tomorrow when we're not together.. there is something you must always remember. "You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. but the most important thing is, even if we're apart.. I'll always be with you."

Winnie the Pooh

Just thoughts.

I thought this e-mail that I received from both my sisters, Evelyne and Caroline says it all...It is up to you choose any of these quotes and live them.

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio
"To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written."My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column I wrote once more"

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick.Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up thepresent.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life,don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's,we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come.

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift

Snapshot 11

This is the online journal course I am taking from Teresa Mcfayden
(http://teresamcfayden.typepad.com/)
Every M/W/F we get 2 pages of creative ideas to work on. This is the cover, inside cover and first page. 20 pages of water color paper to work with.
It is meant to challenge each one of us to get more creative in our journalling process and add more elements for just the fun of it all.
Some how, all this appeals to me on so many different levels.
Raining here today and we need it, Jim off at work, so Cookie and I are just hanging out and I get to play in my craft room.
Can a girl get any more lucky than that...I think Not!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are never to old to set another goal or dream a new dream.
C.S. Lewis

Snapshot 10

First apricots of the season. Thye are small, but sweet!!!

I have been busy doing tours and tonight Brad and Carmen leave to go back to Calgary.

They spent Saturday night with friends in Vernon. We are meeting them for a bite to eat before taking them to the airport...photos to follow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Pooh looked at his two paws. He knew that one of them was the right, and he knew that when you had decided which one of them was the right, then the other was the left, but he never could remember how to begin"

Snapshot 9

Been busy working and having fun.

Brad and Carmen where here for a couple of days and it is great to see them before they get married Aug 15.

Sunny and warm, the flowers are just blooming their little heads off and the watering continues!!!

Snapshot 8

The end of this journal.

Lino prints that Cindy photocopied for me...

The 2 ravens would be Cindy and I "chatting"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Don't underestimate the value of Doing Nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can't hear, and not bothering.”

Winnie the Pooh

700th post Canada Day

The Proud Canadian Flag!!

British Columbia's Flag

O Canada!

Our home and native land!

True patriot love in all thy sons command.

With glowing hearts we see thee rise,

The True North strong and free! From far and wide,

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

God keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Celebrating the joy of being a Canadian