Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Vacation

Well our journey this month, July, is somewhat different from the regular journey Bob takes each month dealing with cancer------oh, of course I am along for the trip as well!!!   This month we took a vacation.  We left the city and went on a road trip.  What made this journey so very special  was the travelling companions that came along.  Our three AB grandkids came with us:  Colton, Ashton and Emily chose to "hang" with us and go along with the plans that we made---no complaints that we were made aware of either!!!!  


Choosing a cheap hotel, online, in a small town, can be well------cheap!!!  In the end the continental breakfast with only the two chairs and the mouldy bread moved us out to a restaurant that proved to have a great breakfast.           
Fortunately, we could all chuckle and make jokes as we drove away from what had once been a great hotel.


The drive through the mountains that have the valleys and meadows among them always remind me of the story of Heidi.  I always really liked the story and can imagine grandpa an Heidi heading up the slope with the goats. Does anyone's kids still read Heidi?  I suppose today kids read more "modern" stories but I love to get lost in the stories that I read and Heidi did that for me as a child.


Having been raised in a different time and a different economic situation than what we see looking at all these recreational properties makes Bob and I wonder.  My goodness such amazing beautiful places but so far from any major centers.  How do folks use these homes?  I am sure you can't come out just for weekends!!!    So high up in the mountains.  Much different from Clear Lake and Oak Lake where our friends had cottages. 


Loved coming into the Osoyoos area and seeing the acres and acres of fruit trees.  Yum fresh peaches right from the tree-----we followed the tractor that brought them to the fruit stand.  I haven't bought a peach back here at home yet, they just seem so hard and have lost the "blush".  So exciting to see all the fresh fruit and veggies and oh my so "cheap"!!!!  An amazing place to do weight watchers.  ;-}.  The rain really came down in Osoyoos and the rivers and streams were really high.  This is where the area had flooded earlier in spring.   We also saw signs that said gleaners were welcome.  We thought that was very neat.  Made me think of the book of Ruth in the Bible.  One never knows what may happen when we are generous like these farmers.


Also lots of history!!!!  The kids didn't groan so you can't either.  Greenwood BC is where a large number of Japanese-Canadians were moved to when Canada went to war with Japan in 1941.  Surprised to see a Sihk temple in Oliver BC--such a small community, but as we travelled north we realized that the signs on many of the farms had changed and I am sure reflect why the temple in Oliver. 


 Onward to our next hotel in Kelowna--also one of the more affordable places.  What will it be like?  Will it have wi fi? Will the breakfast be good?       Wait for the next installment.