A fond farewell at the end of a rainbow

The end of our 12 day fishing trip found DH & I camped in a lovely spot called Dave's RV in Vanderhoof , BC . While out for a walk , we got caught in a brief rainstorm but the sun soon came out and the most amazing rainbow ( which actually was 3 in the making ) appeared in the sky . At the end of our walk , my cell phone rang and it was our DD telling us to contact Winnipeg as BIL was in a coma in the hospital and wasn't expected to live through the night . Within minutes our phone rang again telling us he had passed on . What a shock as he was doing so well ! After finding out DH couldn't fly out until the next evening we decided to stay put for the night and head home in the early morning . DH is now in Winnipeg and I and one DS will fly out later today for the week .

As for the rainbow .......... I wonder if it was a sign that Gary was saying good-bye to his brother They were totally different people , different personalities but they held such a bond that DH is going to feel like he is missing a part of himself . Gary is no longer in pain though and in a better place . He gave the fight of his life and the cancer finally took him .

Farewell Gary , thank you for all you have been to us , the support you gave us over the past 35 years when others made life hard , thank you for being your brother's rock and protector and know we will still be apart of your family's lives . You will be deeply missed and there will be a hole in our hearts . Rest in Peace .

Great weather , great sunsets

5 days of relaxation , beautiful sunsets , hot weather ( until the last evening ! ) , naps and weeds and few fish ! LOL ! Tachick Lake is beautiful and well worth the short trip .... under 1.5 hrs from our house to get there ! Was just the most remarkable place to get some wondeful photos ... even with my little Canon Powershot !

Too bad that Nature has let the Eurasian Milfoil weed to spread so rapidly through this wonderful little lake making fishing a real challenge . The first night we lucked out and caught 4 nice size troat ( which we released back into the lake ) ..... and they must have sent out signals not to eat our flies as we never caught another trout , just a few whitefish ! The pelicans were sure fun to watch though and the eagles plus the gulls and assorted ducks !

Just a nice , relaxing place to be !

A month of holidays !

Unfortunately they aren't all together so we headed out just south of town for 4 days last week . We had a good break and even managed to get DH to have a couple good naps ... much needed as he hasn't been well again ... or still ! As for the weather .... well it was a real mixed bag but we still managed to visit around the campfire most evenings ! One night the neighbour strung a tarp so we could enjoy the fire even though it was pouring rain . They lived in Prince Rupert on the coast of BC so know how to camp in any type of weather and go prepared ! Seemed funny to camp without our Kandi but the " boys " ended up sleeping with us most nights . Tucker did put himself to bed in his kennel one night and wouldn't come out so it was just Ryder that buried himself in our bed . At 5.5 lbs and 6 lbs they don't take up a whole lot of room ! LOL !

Dh decided he would work for the last 3 days of this week as he has been off sick so much lately and felt he needed to tie up some loose ends . Also the fact that his office is short staffed at the moment with people on holidays and didn't think it was fair to leave when they are so busy !!! That is who he is though and I will never change him ... unfortunately his health comes last with him and he pays for it ! However , on Sunday we will head out to try out a new lake ( no the lake isn't new , just new to us ! LOL ! ) and it is less then 2 hours away from us ! Plus they have cell phone coverage which is a must right now ! No , I am NOT taking my laptop though as this is going to be a holiday for sitting relaxing , napping and some fishing ! We are taking our small 12' aluminium boat and will be giving it a run before we come back for one week so DH can go to a meeting out of town ..... then we will head out again for almost 2 weeks of fishing and meet with friends ! August will be a busy month for sure !

" It never hurts your eyesight to look on the brightside of things Make each day count . "

It seems I have been amiss in updating ....

It seems I have been ignoring my blog ... not intentionally but who wants to always read about negtive things happening in our lives ! We did get away camping ( not far with the gas prices such as they are ! ) just 45 minutes south of our home . I spent 5 days just lazing around with the pups while K & Kandi came back home so he could go to work .... we also wanted to break the pups in gently for not having Kandi around as we knew the day was coming quickly . It was a welcomed break from all that has been going on here . July 1st fireworks at Canyon Creek Campground in Hixon , BC were spectacular . Thanks Merv & Kim for being such awesome campground owners ! We love it there to just kickback and enjoy the peace and quiet ! Not so peaceful this time though as we had a few campers that didn't know enough to give some relaxing time ! K had a heck of a time trying to get a nap in without being woke up ( though he and J did manage in this photo .... probably the one and only time ! We even managed to have 5 straight days of HOT weather ........................... though it definitely didn't stay around here ! The motor home is perfect for us as the layout inside is roomy enough to be comfortable for the 2 of us if we have to spend any time inside .... which we try NOT to do but sometimes it is the only way to have some quiet time ( and to get out of the rain ! LOL ) . We did find when the hide-a-bed got pulled out it definitely cramped up the space and made it almost impossible to get outside ! All the more reason not to bring family with us ! LOL ! A few gliches with the motor home though and it had it's first ( and hopefully only ) ride on the back of a tow truck ! Battery problems that hopefully are fixed ! We will find out soon enough as we leave on 2 weeks holidays .... don't know WHERE we are going but have wheels will travel ..... somewhere !

Good -Bye Kandi Girl

Kandi has gone and crossed the Rainbow Bridge as of July 14th , 2008 . She was 12.5 yrs old and the most laidback dog we have ever owned . She loved everybody and everything ..... especially food and the Yorkie pups ! The past 16 months she had defied all odds and out lived more health problems then we ever thought possible . The worst was last may when her liver shut down and we thought she wouldn't make it but she pulled out of that . Since then she had fought one infection after another , small strokes and then the last being mammery gland infections . She was even senile .... though she always thought it was time to eat !

Good-bye Kandi Girl and I hope your brother Buddy was waiting at the other side of the bridge waiting for you . Today I hope you are pain free and running through green meadows !

We will miss you girl and the boys will too ! Tigger , the cat has called for you but finally just curled up in your bed and gone to sleep !

" A dog's love is unconditional ........ R.I.P. Kandi "

Thanks Heather !

I " won " a photo contest on a message board and Heather created this cute siggy for me ! These are my dogs ... Kandi , our old cocker and Tucker and Ryder the Yorkies ............


" Love the one you are with "

Oh where , oh where is the time going ?

Just a few highlights of the past month or more :-) DH & I upgraded to a little large motor home this Spring ( not even going to talk about our wonderful gas prices ! ) . We took a quick trip to the Okanagan to pick our mansion on wheels up in April , missing all the snow and crappy roads that followed soon after we got it home ! BIG BONUS ! This baby is only 5 ft longer then our " old " one but we have gone from a Class C to Class A ..... basically meaning we sit over the fron tires and have the option of using the driver and passenger seat for living area .... plus we have 2 slides .... one where the dining area and the couch ( which we didn't have before ) and the bed actually move out about 18-24" giving us more living area ! We have been on a quick one week trip to do the loop ( Valemount , Blue River , Little Fort , Fawn Lake and Lac La Hache before heading home ) and all we can say is ...... PERFECT in every way :-) I even spent 5 days by myself in our favorite getaway while DH worked ! Tucker thought maybe he would teach himself to drive ..... when you are too short , you just stand on the pillow to drive ! LOL ! This was his favorite place so I am wondering if he was trying to tell me it was time to get moving and go home !

Unfortunately DH still isn't well and has since had a change of meds that seem to be helping . He has lost another week of work and is now stressed as this is a bad time for hime to get behind as it is number crunching time for him ..... BUDGET time ! He will be glad to be able to just sit and relax after July 1st as he has that week off for holidays and we are just going to sit and do nothing at our " camp " ! Now to just get the next couple of weeks over and done with so he can relax !!!

" Always take the scenic route ! " ~ unknown

April is moving on !

April may be almost over but winter doesn't want to leave ! We have had below 0 temperatures for the past week and as DH was away , I managed to play a bit . Some of these cards were done this past week but all were April's creations . I have to start prioritizing my spending though as I buy , buy , buy for scrapbooking and find I just am not doing any ! The stamps and cards are taking over ... probably because they are a small project and I love doing them ! Don't get me wrong , I love scrapbooking too .... just not motivated to work on anything right now in that department !

Winter has taken a tole on everybody it seems as Spring is so late in arriving . The lakes are still frozen over here and the campgrounds still have snow in them . We have finally in the past day lost the last patch of snow on the front lawn but the back will be another week or so yet ! It is still cold at night to even consider going out camping ......maybe in May ! A change of pace may help DH too as he needs to relax and get the Crohn's Disease under control . He always relaxes while camping and maybe we will be able to just go find some peaceful corner to relax in this year .......

Just when you think life is on the uphill swing , another thing smacks you to remind you that life isn't that easy . BIL was diagnosed with another brain tumor ( this one at the back of skull near the spinal cord ) . Not the kind of news we were hoping for . DH was in Montreal last week on business so swung by to his brother's for a few days as it worked right into his flight plans ! BIL is going in tomorrow for the gamma knife radiation treatment and the Dr is optomistic that this will kill the tumor . Everybody is praying that this will work and that he can get on with his life and live to a long and healthy old age . Dh was glad he did get to see him one way or another . Their Mother actually arrived the same day as DH did so he visited with her as well . Dh has been on new meds and is having some problems with them as his white cell count dropped so he has had more blood work ..... the good news is the blood has regulated itself to where it should be . He came home with a cold though so is under the weather tonight . Wouldn't stop him from going to work though .............................

" Life isn't like a box of chocolate ..... it's more like a jar of jalepenoes . What you do today , might burn your butt tomorrow ! " ------ unknown

Happy Easter !

WOW , where has the past 6 weeks gone ? Seems like it was just Valentine's day and already the Easter Bunny has been and gone ! Must be a sign of old age when time moves so quickly ! LOL !

Here is our Little Man , Aiden and what he thinks about turning 1 on March 12th ! It worked out well as DD and family came up on the 11th for an Avril Laveigne concert ( poor DD ended up sick though and couldn't go with her girls ) . We spoiled Aiden because we can being we are the grandparents !!! There are some really neat things out there for boys and a real novelty after shopping for 4 granddaughters ! He loved his cake we bought him too .... a perfect shade of blue icing coated his face ! DH & I didn't attend his big birthday paprty on the 15th at their home as we had taken a week of holidays to go visit my family . We also went to a RV show and drooled on all the new units out there ! Fun to look at ! We also spent a few days by ourselves on the way home and shopped and snooped . Did manage to hook up with my friend Lisa for supper one night too ! Thanks Lisa for joining us :-) Next time hopefully we can hook up at a campground and have a much longer visit !

Winter is finally starting to leave although we are still getting the odd snow flurry and still have a fair bit of snow in our yard ....but it is leaving too and we have seen some warmer temperatures and the SUN !!! Even some grass is starting to show where DH shovelled paths for the dogs and they are loving that !

Off to cook supper for a mob and it is a roast not turkey or ham as we had both while we were away !!!

Happy Easter everybody and Happy Spring !!!

Happy Valentine's Day

and it could be a day of good news too ! Pretty flowers delivered day from my Valentine and i gave him 2 Yorkie pups ! No not real ones but Sandicast figurines :-) .... we do NOT need any more dogs !

Good news has been the gift of the day though . DH saw a specialist out of town today and it was well worth the $500 to fly there and back again as he was told the Crohn's Disease has NOT progressed to the point where he will need surgery any time soon :-) Medication will be changed in the next week or so and the specialist feels this will do the trick and get things back to " normal " . We couldn't be happier ! It was a long day for him though and he was so tired when he got in . 2 days of meetings and late nights earlier this week always take there tole on him .... we always talk about him cutting back and he seems to just get busier !

DS also saw his specialist today and got the results of his throat scope . All is good for now but he will have to go back in a year for another . No cancer cells were detected so she must have done a tissue culture .... though Ds didn't ask how they determined that ! Aggggg ! He does have a spot somewhere ( he didn't ask ! ) but I am assuming it is on his esophogus that has a spot that has grown to 3 cm since the last scope a year ago . It will be a spot to monitor as cancer can form quickly and that is her biggest concern .But for now it is all good news .

BIL is in remission and a walking miracle . In 15 months he has beat two of the most deadly cancers , brain and stomach ! I hope he starts living his life to the fullest while he is able as his specialist told him it could be tomorrow , next week or not for 20 years before any of it surfaces again . They are awaiting the birth of a new granchild as well ( overdo so it it wouldn't be long ) and maybe this time they will get their girl . They have 4 boys of their own and 4 grandsons so maybe this time ..... it took us to #5 to get a boy !!! It is their turn !!!

Our weather has been so February ! Cold , snowy and the thought that Spring will never make an appearence .......... we saw the sun and some warmer temperatures for the first part of the week just to give us a taste of Spring ! Today we got hit with that wet , fast accumulating snow to add to the already huge pile ! It is warming up though and the weatherman is calling for RAIN !!! That aught to make everything a skating rink as the storm drains are plugged or frozen over with ice so the melting snow is creating a few huge puddles which will turn to skating rinks if we get another super cold spell !

Happy Valentine's Day and remember to say I Love You all year long and not just today :-)

Will this ever .... MELT !

Views from the backyard and I am beginning to wonder if it will ever melt and if we will ever see green grass again ...and so are the dogs ! DH is talking about having to start shoveling off the roofs if this stuff gets much deeper and hope we don't get a quick melt or a heavy rain that will add to much stress on the roof ( which could collapse under too much weight ) . I am sure this is the most snow we have ever had in this yard since moving into this house 11 years ago .... I dread to see the lake we will have coming when it does melt ! So today is the last day of January so we have at least 2 months maybe 3 of this stuff !!! Oi Yeah !

i never get good photos of my boys

So when I do , I have to scrap them ! This was a layout that just fell into place ( thanks Jenn for the progressive challenge ! LOL ) ...... the subject isn't one I would usual consider scrapping but look at those boys faces ! They are both in there element and the happiess when they are in touch with nature . This was the annual hunting trip / male bonding in November with their dad ...who didn't get his deer but not for lack of trying !

" You can take the boy out of the country , but you can't take the country out of the boy ! "

A weekend to scrap .......

This is Tucker and he was mad because I wouldn't pick him up ! Nothing but attitude ! LOL !

This was the start of our winter .............

Call us crazy .... and cold !

Are we crazy ? Probably ! The owners of our favorite quick get-away campground invited a bunch of us summer campers down for a hot dog roast and campfire last Sunday afternoon . After a week of -20+ weather and snow , none of us were too sure what Sunday would bring . Well Sunday brought SUN and warmer temperatures ( -8 C 17 F when we drove into the campground ! ) ..... and NO WIND ! A BIG bonus !!!

It was a beautiful crisp day and everybody seemed to enjoy themselves . More curious was the fact that campfire seemed to stink and cling far worse then any summer campfire we had ever had ! LOL ! Great company and other then the fact the wieners took forever to cook over the fire and the hot dog buns froze ( can't imagine why ! LOL ) it was FUN ! Merv even put a heater in the outhouse and dug a path to it so we didn't have to trudge through waist deep snow to get there ! As my feet were freezing , it wasn't a bad place to warm up ..............

Only 3 more months ( some are saying or wishing 2 ) before the camping season starts again but I sure hope the snow and cold weather leave before then as I have definitely had my fill of winter and I can't see the picnic tables so I am not camping until I can ! I don't think I am that CRAZY !!!!!

" Find fun in everything and make do with what you have ! "

Later with more snow !

The dogs don't seem to mind the snow ...as long as they have paths dug ...would hate to lose one of the little devils in a snow drift though !

The temperature is hovering around 0 so it is actually quite pleasant outside ...cooler temperatures by next week though ! YUCK !

Even the birds need to be fed ! Have to keep the snow off their hangers !

I was just playing with the "SNOW " setting on my Canon ELPH and I am quite impressed ! Sure never got these photos with the Sony Cybershot !!!

ENOUGH !!!

It seems that Mother nature has decided we need just a bit more snow ! It started early this morning and just kept coming down and down . It has stopped for now but we are supposed to get more by morning !!! I just want it to stop as winter has been far to long already and it is only the middle of January ........................................... guess we will see more of the white stuff before it ends though :-(

ICE JAM on the Nachako River

I didn't get many photos of our ice jam on the river on Sunday ( well I did but had the camera on the wrong setting ! DUH ) ...but these are the ones I did get . This is looking across the river to the businesses on the other side of it . That field of snow is the ice buildup on the river that keeps building up more and mopre because it has nowhere else to go .
Not great photos as they were taken through the truck windshield !
The old Cameron Street Bridge with the ice building up under it .

Crossing the John Hart Bridge from North to south ...that is the frozen river stretching from bank to bank !

Apparently there may be some ice movement in the next day or so as they are trying to cut the ice with a machine ( large boat I do believe ) and forcing it towards the Fraser River which the Nechako joins with ... I have no idea how they expect this to work but they say it should help ...............