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11.8.10

Ratings for the Private B&B's on my trip to Bull River...

These are the ratings for the wonderful establishments on my visit to Nelson, Bull River and Mayook.

Since my visit to see the 3 "C's".." Cindy, Caroline and Christa,"
much has been written between the
" Sisterhood of the Chambermaids"
about my requests.
We have had so much fun bantering back and forth.
The rating are as follows (0ut of a possible 5 Stars) Michelin status

As is my custom when I drive to back to Bull River where I grew up, I enjoy the hospitality of these wonderful, private B&B's.
Reservations are made well in advance to give the hostess's time to shine and see to my every comfort.
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IMG_2277
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Cindy's bunkie in Nelson:
My late arrival posed no problem with my dear friend Cindy.
"The Queen of Everything."
In her recently built and exquisitely furnished "Copa Bunkie"' she provided for all my creature comforts. Pleasing me to no end, my Cindy had landjager sausages in the fridge,cold beer, wine,humus,crackers,fruit and everything ready for my breakfast in the morning. She came for a welcome visit at 7:00 bringing a freshly brewed pot of coffee, a hug and plenty of news. Our only problem was my short stay. Normally we would of taken off for the day to go thrift shopping, lunch and generally having fun! Alas, not enough time was planned for.
The view over looking the lake, the sailboats gently bobbing in the water and the lovely friendship we have shared for so many years,Cindy has earned and is awarded the coveted
4 1/2 star rating.

family
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Caroline's Log Cabin Studio in Bull River....
The drive from Nelson to "The Countess Caroline's" was warm and filled with wonderful scenery. I was able to have the top down in the convertible the entire way. With tunes blaring and my hair safely under a hat, the 4 hour trip sped by.
 As I drove into the yard, 2 SPCA rescued dogs (Panda and Hope) and one gifted dog, Cody, announced my arrival in a very excited fashion, as if to say
" your favorite sister from Westbank has arrived."
Hugs and kisses all around were given and into the beautiful Log Cabin Studio I was welcomed. Equipped with excellent indoor facilities as well as a fridge stocked for my pleasure, I unpacked and headed back outside to the big house.
Knowing that she needed to share me with the rest of my family, she let Evelyne invite the others for dinner so I could visit with them all.
Such a sweet deal!
Caroline cooked up great meals for the 3 nights that I stayed with her and Larry.
In the early morning light she give me some photography lessons in her garden.
It was filled with a blaze of colors, set out just like her painting, stylish and very artistic.
 For outstanding friendship and love for one of her favorite sisters, Caroline has earned and is awarded the coveted 4 1/2 star rating.

Christa and Dagmar
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Heading off to Christa's place where she resides as the "Marquisa of Mayook",
I travelled at slower sped, mostly on a gravel road, winding thru the valley, past several small lakes, old farms and farmhouses.
Heading up the mountain, I came to her beautiful log home surrounded by 50 acres. The swimming pool was warmed to the perfect temperature for my swimming pleasure.
The house is situated on the property giving you a full view of the field slightly below and the mountains directly in front. A breathtaking panoramic view.
There were lots of hugs and a lot of joy and happiness to be able to see each other again.
Off to Kimberley we travelled in the mustang and had a true Bavarian lunch.
The highlight of the day ended by swimming in the pool after such a very hot day.
Dinner that night at my request was Grilled Kokanee Trout, veges, salad and fresh fruit for dessert. It  was delicous!
Sitting outside in the warm evening twilight was the perfect end to a wonderful day.
The next day we fly fished the Bull River. This had been on our bucket list for many years and as you know, no fish were captured that day, only a lasting memory.
For the love of a long lasting friendship, the wonderful times shared, and new memories made, my friend Christa has earned and is awarded the coveted 4 1/2 star rating.
********
Finishing off the trip was a fantastic overnight with my friend Shannon.
More on her lovely place tomorrow.
Finishing

10.8.10

Grizzly Bears

These 3 bears came to visit Christa in her field last weekend. Talk about wildlife viewing close up. She thought the sow was hurt and with her 2 cubs were probably about 2 years old. I am sure they were coming for the cinnamon buns she was baking!




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grizzly



8.8.10

United Church Thrift Shop..

What a delightful haul I found last Wednesday. My car just turned in automatically and my basket filled up with these wonderful treasures.
Cindy thought that I might have "Pack Rat" tendencies!!!
Imagine that!
The tablecloths are in perfect condition.
The little salt shaker will make a great place to hold the jewelery flowers
I am working on.
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Thirft shope finds 4th

What's in your bag?

I saw this idea on Geninne's blog on July 17th.
 and I wanted to do it as well.
Here is what is in my bag most of the time.
This is the bag I bought at Walmart in the US for $5.00, then spent a couple of days stitching on the design.
My fingers got sore going thru the canvas, but it was fun and a great summer bag.
Embroirdered bag
                                                                     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ipad, phone and reading glasses
                                               
Reading glasses, Ipod/Touch and Cell                
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journal and stuff for purse

                                     Lipstick, gloss, SPF 50, journal/calender, Mt. Blanc Pen,
Case for my Ipod headphones.
johnmetbetty.etsy.com
                       
etsy find
                                                               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
glasses case finished
Case I made covering a plastic one, making it look better.
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Night time is really the best time to work. All the ideas are there to be yours because everyone else is asleep.
Catherine O'Hara


7.8.10

Lost and Found...

Just a few of the things I found along the river bank while we were fishing.

heart rock
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found itmes

6.8.10

Messing around in Boats...

There is nothing--absolutely nothing--half so much worth doing--as simply messing about in boats.....
The Wind in the Willows
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Thanks, Cindy for sending on this wonderful photo of Tim in the boat and Emmy swimmimg in the water.
This is what summer is all about.
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tim in water with emmy

5.8.10

Flowers...From Caroline's Garden

lilies
        Lilies
                                  
IMG_2859-1
Snapdragon and Spider Web.
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IMG_2841
Yellow Clematis
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IMG_2844

Seed Pod from Yellow Clematis
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4.8.10

Fly Fishing

Christa and I have talked about this moment for years.
We could have a couple of days together and go fly fishing.
Well, we did it!
I hadn't fly fished for a long time but Christa is a pro.
Got my license for restricted water on-line and here we are fishing the Bull River.
 It looks cold, but it was surprising warm.
We fished for about 3 hours, sadly no  fish was caught or harmed on this river that day.
We did have a wonderful dinner of fish that night.  Kokanee that Christa and Mike caught a few days before I got there.
Thank you Christa, it was a wonderful memory filled day!
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dagmar fly fishing
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christa flyfishing
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christa
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There will be days when the fishing is better than one's most optimistic forecast, others when it is far worse. Either is a gain over just staying home.
Roderick Haig-Brown, Fisherman's Spring, 1951

3.8.10

Bubbler Fountain...

This beautiful bubbler fountain was made by Evelyne for our sister Caroline's birthday July 25 as a gift from Larry and herself.
Caroline was delighted, and surrounded it with her flowers. Her garden is just like her paintings! She has such an eye for color, form and texture.


bubbler fountain
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caroline's garden

2.8.10

Family, Log Cabin Studio and Dogs..

There are 7 of us kids, and we were all having a great dinner at my sister Evelyne and her husband Richard's place.
The only 2 missing were Steven and Werner.
Staying at Caroline and Larry's Log Cabin Studio was one of the highlights of my visit.
This is a wonderful 4 Star resort. The best thing about it is that the greeting committee is made up of several SPCA rescue dogs, such as  Panda and Hope. Cody is the official greeter.
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family
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Left to Right;
Evelyne, Harry and I in the back,
Center: Caroline
Front: Heinz
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log cabin Studio
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Home away from Home!
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Panda, Cody and Hope
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Top photo: Panda
Middle Photo: Cody
Bottom Photo: Hope

1.8.10

Memories from the road trip..

Last week I took a week off and travelled to see my family and friends in Bull River, BC. where I grew up.
I had a wonderful overnight stop with Cindy's in
 Nelson.
I was able to enjoy sleeping in her wonderful "Bunkie" right on the edge of the water.
On to Bull Ruver the next day where I spent a week having fun, taking pictures, flyfishing and having more fun.
Here are some of the photos I took.
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fence post
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nails

31.7.10

Summer Postcard No.14

river glass
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Glass, Water, Currents and Sand
Strong forces to change something that was rough into smooth lake glass.

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Happy Birthday, Layne, enjoying the California sunshine.

30.7.10

Summer Postcard No.13

locker swim pins
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Reminders of a gentler time...school swim locker keyes

29.7.10

Summer Postcard No.12

typewriter keyes
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Truth is rarely written in ink; it lives in nature.
Martin H. Fischer

28.7.10

Summer Postcard No.11

Cindy's brooch
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A girl can never have enough jewelery.
I really think that American gentlemen are the best after all, because kissing your hand may make you feel very very good but a diamond and a sapphire bracelet lasts forever.
~Anita Loos

27.7.10

Summer Postcard No.10

A Great Summer Time Read.
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The blood of flowers.
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In Iranian-American Amirrezvani's lushly orchestrated debut, a comet signals misfortune to the remote 17th-century Persian village where the nameless narrator lives modestly but happily with her parents, both of whom expect to see the 14-year-old married within the year. Her fascination with rug making is a pastime they indulge only for the interim, but her father's untimely death prompts the girl to travel with her mother to the city of Isfahan, where the two live as servants in the opulent home of an uncle—a wealthy rug maker to the Shah. The only marriage proposal now in the offing is a three-month renewable contract with the son of a horse trader. Teetering on poverty and shame, the girl weaves fantasies for her temporary husband's pleasure and exchanges tales with her beleaguered mother until, having mastered the art of making and selling carpets under her uncle's tutelage, she undertakes to free her mother and herself. With journalistic clarity, Amirrezvani describes how to make a carpet knot by knot, and then sell it negotiation by negotiation, guiding readers through workshops and bazaars. Sumptuous imagery and a modern sensibility (despite a preponderance of flowery language and schematic female bonding and male bullying) make this a winning debut.

26.7.10

Summer Postcard No.9

IMG_2787
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Deep summer is when laziness finds respectability.
Sam Keen

25.7.10

Summer Postcard No.8

Happy Birthday, Caroline, thanks for the wonderful weekend hospitality!

                                                        Alexander sitting at 6 months.

                    What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance.
They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And most importantly of all
                                                                                    cookies. 

              

24.7.10

Summer Postcard No.7

Hydrangea
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Can we conceive what humanity would be if it did not know the flowers?
Maurice Maeterlinck

22.7.10

Summer Postcard No.5

Maldives
We will be stopping here in the Maldives for 7 days before heading on to Sri Lanka in November.
We have a beach bungalow on the right hand side of the island.
I am really excited about the pictures that I will be able to take and the new experiences we will share.

20.7.10

Summer Postcard No.3


Werner gave us this plaque when we moved here nearly 5 years ago.
He bought in Cabo San Lucas where he lives. Every time I water these plants and see the lovely gift, I think of him.

19.7.10

Summer Postcard No.2



I am the happy owner of this new Ipad. 
Jim said I needed this to take control of my huge crafting corporation, or at least my craft room.
I quilted the cover with fabric I bought in Hawaii in 1994..you never know when you will need to make an Ipad carrying case. 
When I get my back ordered camera kit attachment, I will be able to upload my photos directly to the Ipad.

18.7.10

Summer Postcard No.1


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There are so many pictures to take in the summer.
These are but a few of them that I have taken to capture the moment.

17.7.10

Cindy's Market Bag..

Cindy lent me this bag on one of our thrift store adventures. I brought it back to her on her birthday filled with her gifts.
She looked quite surprised when I had returned it without a liner.
She gave me the most questioning look that said.."what's up with this naked basket?"
I took it home and made her this liner from a sheet and an April Cornell tablecloth she gave me.
She said she approved!!
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16.7.10

Water babies.....

This baby duck had a  fun day at the beach especially when the wind picked up.
The mother was always swimming on the outside to guard the last one she had.
It is not an easy life being a little duck in the great big lake.
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Mom and duckling

15.7.10

All the pleasures of Summer


These are a few of my summer pleasures.
I think there might be a few more coming as summer really gets here.
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