Vibe

I can still remember like yesterday when I went into  Squamish to buy my new vehicle.  I had about 12K to spend. I was thinking about a truck- but then again I knew I was getting married soon and a truck was not her list.  I walked around the car lot. Sales person showed me three or four cars that he was sure I would buy. I was even handed the keys to a brand new car to go for a drive. I did but it just did not fill right. After returning from the test drive I was walking back into the office and I see a used Vibe.  I get the keys for this and start it up - go for a drive - love at first site.

Spring Blooms

19 May adventure

Now for the personal touch. What did I do with a fabulous sunny warm spring day you ask? First signs of life 5:30 am – No it is to early to get up - I am off I tell my self. 6:15 second internal alarm clock wakes me up – No still to early to get up on my day off. 8:30 I open my eyes again – OK it is time to get up. I hear a violin music penetrating the morning stillness. I go out side to find staff gathering at the picnic table near the office. Going over to see what is up – I end up deciding to join them for breakfast at a little cafe just up the road about 10 miles or so. Eating poached eggs, home fries, a piece of bacon and home made specialty sausages and a piece of toast all for the price of 41.80$, for the two of us. This is a once a time experience... The food was good but I am not willing to pay that price again for a breakfast. After – Noni and I drove to Brohm Lake Provincial Park to hike around the lake. Arrived at 11:30 and finished at 2:10. Up and down – up and down but the beauty makes it all worth while. Stopping to take pictures – stopping just to absorb the scenery – stopping to snack on cookies – stopping to gulp water from our water bottles – stopping just because our bodies say breath. So surprising how out of shape we are in..

Some people have been encouraging me to get a new camera, one that will do justice to all the pictures I take. Well this is the end of my camera – I do not know why but it is dead and no it is not the batteries – the lens is jammed open.

So the little things of life must be done too like getting gas (had a pleasant surprise at the pumps-- only 1.38 per liter. It is bad thing that I am happy to pay this high price- but I was expecting to pay 1.50 or more since it is the long weekend), picking up the mail from the condo, going to the bank machine to deposit pay checks, paying bills that never end, and picking up water for my mother who will not drink the tap water and then delivering it to her and spending a little time visiting with her before we drive back to the cabin. But first I stop at the A&W to buy our supper. And so Saturday ends.

Happy Birthday Queen Victoria

19 May – So here we are celebrating the May Long Weekend. How did this most celebrated long weekend come about? And why is this weekend any more special than another?

This is what I found out on Google!

The birthday of Queen Victoria was a day for celebration in Canada long before Confederation, with the first legislation regarding the event being in 1845 passed by the parliament of the Province of Canada to officially recognize May 24 as the Queen's birthday. It was noted that on that date in 1854, the 35th birthday of Queen Victoria, some 5,000 residents of Canada West gathered in front of Government House, in Toronto to "give cheers to their queen." On May 24, 1866, the town of Omemee, also in Canada West, mounted a day-long fête to mark the occasion, including a gun salute at midnight, pre-dawn serenades, picnics, athletic competitions, a display of illuminations, and a torch-light procession.

Following the death of Queen Victoria in 1901, May 24 was by imperial decree made Empire Day throughout the British Empire, while, in Canada, it became officially known as Victoria Day, a date to remember the late queen, who was deemed the "Mother of Confederation". Was made permanent by royal proclamation. The following year, Empire Day was renamed Commonwealth Day and in 1977 it was moved to the second Monday in March, leaving the Monday before May 25 only as both Victoria Day and the Queen's Birthday.

------- Victoria Day is a public holiday observed across Canada on the Monday before May 25th.

In 2012, Victoria Day falls on Monday, May 21.

Victoria Day celebrates Queen Victoria's birthday (May 24th). Canada is still a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, of which the Queen is head.

Victoria Day is always on a Monday, and thus the holiday is part of a long weekend, which is commonly referred to as the Victoria Day Weekend, the May Long Weekend, the May Long, or the May Two-Four (a case of beer there is called a "two-four" and many of these are consumed over the holiday). The weekend is also called the May 24th weekend, although it does not necessarily fall on May 24th.

The Victoria Day Weekend is the first popular weekend for spring / summer travel. Lots of people open up their cottages, plant gardens, or just get away. Expect crowds at resorts and hotels and busy highways. Fireworks displays are common, especially on Monday night.

Victoria Long weekend begins

18 May
Here it is again  another Friday. The week is over. It seems like yesterday I was off. You gotta love a short work week.  This weeks menu was simple -
16 May-- French toast - 150 grilled cheese sandwiches served with home made tomato soup.  Supper was roast beef, spiced potatoes and steamed cauliflower and of course home made bread.  Desert was banana muffins and for a snack banana cake.
17 May
72 waffles were devoured along with about the same amount of pancakes.  Lunch was a make your own sandwich on a hamburger bun. Meat choices were turkey, ham, salami on the table and at salad bar egg salad and tuna salad along with other regular choices.  Supper chicken la king , fried rice, Caesar salad on each table and home made bread.  Desert we made caramel custard, and their was a request for cookies so we made 120 ginger cookies.
18 May
Fried eggs over easy and baked pork link sausage and toast using home made bread.  I turned last nights chicken la king into a cream of chicken soup - it was very tasty. Chili con carney with baked potatoes with the cheese, sour cream, salsa toppings. Then our guest left, and here I am off again facing a three day weekend. I placed the food order that will be delivered on Tuesday so this has become a work day and also there will be some staff working around camp doing site maintenance so I was asked to provide lunch for them, other wise it would had been a four day weekend. Teacher strike - pain in the butt - we have lost some guest coming due to their greed of refusing to do extra activities for the children. So the children loose a once in a life time opportunity of coming to camp as a grade ?? student to experience the adventure that camp offers. High ropes - low ropes - bike trails - archery - sleeping in cabins - all camp wide games and camp fire.   But they say it is for the good of the students...

Weekend report

15 May 012

It's been a couple of days since I have wrote. Been kind of busy. Wednesday we fed over 257 people for lunch and about 192 for the remainder of the week. Noni and I had a good time kayaking at Brohm Lake. I was surprised at how long it took to get loaded to go to the provincial park. I borrowed the camp truck which made things easier – but it still took along time to leave. Loading the kayaks, life jackets, paddles – making our picnic lunch – making sure I have extra batteries for the camera, finding Dalhouise leash and taking the day pack from my car to the truck. Exhausted even before I begin. Finally we are off to Brohm Lake for the first time. All I know it is 10 -15 minutes drive from the intersection of Upper Squamish Valley Road and Highway 99. I am looking for a large sign like that of the entrance to Alice Lake – almost miss it because it is only a little wooden sign. I drive in and still a little confused. Parking lot is right there – I see the lake down the embankment – there are two trails – which one am I too take. Well when all else fails read the map that is posted . There is a short but steep hill to walk down to the lake. But worth it.. Beauty is the word, or peaceful, or tranquility could be used to describe the scene. The temperature was very comfortable, sun was shinning – just a good relaxing time spent on the water. So this was Saturday.

Sunday – First time in a couple of weeks we get to attend the morning Sunday school and church. It is good to meet with like minded believers and our friends. Since it was Mother's day we went to have a short visit with Mom. We brought her some flowers – a card and bought her a cake form Save on More Foods. Afterwards Noni and I went back to the cabin where I had a nap on the swing out side. My body is tired – it was a hard week last week, no question about that. Around 4:30 I wake up and go inside to find Noni napping on the bed – I guess we are very tired because she does not nap often. Dalhouise is napping on the steps leading into the cabin. I grab a salad or two that is left over and head to Alice Lake to join up with friends from church that are gathering for a picnic. Home just before 8 pm in time to watch the season ending of Survivor.

Monday – the long anticipated day. When Mom first planned on moving to BC I told her I would take her over to Gibson's to eat at the famous restaurant – Molly's Reach – from the TV show the Beach Combers. Well it took a little while but we finally did it. Sunny and hot, a perfect day for a day trip.

Waking up 6:15 and leaving the camp very early – stopping off to buy three French Vanilla Coffees and picking up Mom at 7:15ish. We were at the ferry by 8:30 waiting to catch the 9:20 ferry. God is good as we parked right next to the elevator. This enabled Mom to get out of the car and sit up on the passenger deck. I had actually prayed this would happen .... Then even more blessing – not really prayed for this time but I was hoping – on the return we were the first car in the lane so this enabled Mom to stay in the car and get a perfect view of the beautiful scenery of the mountains and islands returning to Horseshoe Bay. Mom was so exhausted – there would be know way she would attempt to go to the passenger deck on the way home. So God made it possible for us to have the best seat on the car deck to see his creation. When we first arrived at Langdale the ferry terminal – I stopped in to visit a camp whom I have become friends with the director. I actually applied to work there before I was hired at Camp Summit. I did not plan to stay long, wanted to show Noni the kitchen and say hi to my friend. I stayed longer than planned leaving Mom and Dalhouise in the car. I was scolded for this. Mom says it was a very long time and even a stranger had to move my car to get by it and park her in the shade. After this we drove to Molly's Reach. The food was OK – what I expected after reading the reviews on the internet. The view was very nice, and it was worth a one time experience. Pictures and more pictures, but it was nothing like the movie.

After this we went to visit my friend Paul – but he was not home. We waited for a while – took a walking tour of the nearby cemetery that I used to call the enchanted forest when I lived there. Then off we went on a driving tour of the area regardless of the 1.48 per liter gas prices. Once again this is probably a once a time experience – or at least not in the near future recurrence. BC is so beautiful – and driving along the coast – smelling the sea salted air – hearing and seeing the white capped waves crashing into the shore and the sun shinning – so awesome.

Such a deal – I stop in at a thrift shop to see if I can buy a push wheel chair for Mom. They do not have one. But what do I see a stair master steppy thing for sale for 5 dollars. I have 5 dollars in my pocket so I buy it. Mom and Noni asks who is this for ........?

Then Mom is saying she wants to eat steak – so I get directions to a restaurant that has steak on the menu. The Waterfront. Noni orders fish and chips and Mom and I order NY sirloin steaks – I want rare but Mom wants boot leather. It was good – Noni said her's were a little greasy. Then off to the ferry terminal again to go home. Arriving at the cabin again around 8:30pm

Tuesday - last day off and it is still hot and sunny. Noni and I go for a bike ride. Oh the scenery and beauty around Camp Summit. No words can really describe it – you must experience it your self.

Brohm Lake

Cooking Shepperd Pie

Bacon Cooking 15 kg

9 May feeding 257 people +