Baptism

Another week floats by and we were busy.  I am trying to keep the gardens meticulously free of weeds.  Then we get to eat the landlord's produce.  I also cleaned out one raised bed and replanted it with new kinds of lettuce and carrots and beets and radishes.  It was sad to see it all disappear but the lettuce was getting 'leggy'.

The Crones in town gathered on a hot evening at Rhonda's to look over on the river while chatting and noshing.  

I had to bake for the Soup's On kitchen on Friday and go to spend about 5 hours helping to prepare and serve there.  Then on Saturday it was time to make a dessert for the immersion baptism on Sunday.  I did not make these cupcakes though they were lovely.

This is not a usual thing for an Anglican/Episcopalian church.  We do infant baptisms or in church baptisms at the font in the abbey and then confirmation ceremonies later, usually in the teens but sometimes in mid-life.  So when a middle-aged man who became a committed Christian a few years ago, decided he wanted to be re-baptized by immersion we had to do some thinking and opening of our brains so new Holy Spirit winds could drift through them.  

The Bishop was all OK with the idea so we set up a day and went to the same lake above town that my grandkids catch all their fish in during May and June.  There were a lot of tears and hugs and jubilation.  

Afterwards, because we had all renewed our vows during his ceremony, the presiders started splashing water on all of us at the shore who were witnessing.  

It was a joyous and frivolous moment that united us all some more as a family in Christ.

We participated in an outdoor Eucharist later

and then feasted at a BBQ with donated salads and desserts.  Alleluia and Welcome to our Christian family, Dan.

Wellness Festival

Our village went through a process called 'branding'.  It was to help us find an identity to advertize that would attract visitors and new citizens.  After a few years and some disgruntled local people being vocallly negative, we ended up with this logo and brand for our village.  

It leaves out the Cariboo Gold Trail history an all the old cowboy stuff.  

The villages close to us can have that brand.  We have railways too that are intregal to the health of the economy here, but that was poohed as there are too many communities in Canada using the railway history theme now anyhow....  So, after many meetings (when we were in California being 'Snowbirds' ) a brand was designed for us that focussed on Wellness.  It seemed appropriate for me as we always seem so much happier back in the village than any other place.  

The village decided to have a yearly Wellness Festival to celebrate the many things the village has to offer in organic foods, spas, physical movement groups and spiritual places to connect with.  We love to camp at Barnes Lake above the village where it is cooler in the summer.  

The village has little shoppes like the new tea house that cater to the folk who like organic products.  There are zip line resorts and dude ranches and organic farms and and and....

A singer who does tributes to Elvis and likes the gospel genre, came to sing on Saturday night in the park and my church folk went over to the park on Sunday morning to enjoy his gospel music in lieu of a formal service.  He is not really an impersonator as he has his own music Cd's of famous artists he 'covers'.  He does tributes to Elvis and Roy Orbison and Neil Diamond etc.....   I enjoyed his version of Louis Armstrong's 

" What a Wonderful World ".  It became a hymn of praise, or a prayer.    We had a few spits of rain but we were praying for rain as there had been two local fires....all the fires are contained now.  \

There was a party in the park on Saturday night, but the Sunday Service of Worship was meant to be shared by any worshipping group.  So we had B'nai Brith and Hare Krishna and agnostics and atheists and Christians enjoying the music.....

  Each group was given time to say a prayer,  and then later do a reading, and later a presentation.

I really do love the diversity of folk Our Lord gave us to enjoy.

Crones' Capers Camping

It was time to leave the grandchildren and head home farther north.  We took the ferry back from Vancouver Island and drove through the Vancouver city congestion and were happy to stop 2 hours from home to just rest for the afternoon and evening at a RV park on a Native Indian Reserve north of Hope.  We were home the next day for laundry, gardening, weeding and packing up to go on Wednesday to set up a communal camp for my Crones' weekend.  I like to have extra days before and after.  I didn't get the spaces I wanted but we were happy to have sites right on the lake.  We were also close to the wharf.

Ten Crones showed up over the next few days.  Some stay 5 days and some only 2 but I like to book a full week for myself.  Old Man Watching comes to watch for a night or so at each end of the Caper.   It only costs $6 a night per RV for seniors so the price is right.   I had to nail our sign upside down to make the arrow point in the right direction at the park gate.

I used my cast iron pan to bang an axe into a tough log and broke it.  |I had that pan for over 40 years.  How can you break a cast iron frying pan?  I just claimed I hit Old Man on the side of his head, as he was being cheeky again.  I am tough.  Tough to get along with and tough to look at.

 The first arrival was Rhonda in her little van.  She made guacamole for appies time.  She also brought her American friend from Washington to spend the weekend with us.  She was a hoot too.

 The first catered meal was on Friday at noon.  Germaine treated us to an Hawaiian feast of pulled pork and papaya etc.  She showed us how to do a hula and played music and gave us all leis.  Dollar stores are great places to get props.  She even put little umbrellas in the Mai Tais she made for us.  

Janice got right into the dancing thing.

Sue from the USA and Leah couldn't resist fooling around with the leis.

Leah's husband, David, brought her and set their trailer up for our stay and then left, just like Old Man.  She and Kathy supplied the delicious chicken meat-only spaghetti sauce dinner on Friday night.  That called for red wine of course.

Brenda stole my hat as the sun was so strong and a few of the wise ones got touches of burn.  Is that wise?  The heat in the day was draining so the adventurous went for walks in the woods and kayaking trips and everybody floated in the lake many times a day.  Foam noodles are fun.

 The bravest still sleep in tents.  I caught a trout in front of the red tent.  It was good too with bright pink flesh.  I fried it in the cracked iron pan.

Saturday at noon was a Mexican meal hosted by Janice.  She made quesadillas with fancy side dishes and played Mexican music and fed us Margaritas.  She had been to the dollar store too for festive napkins and wee sombreros on headbands.

 On Saturday during Happy Hour we play some games and one is a gift exchange, where you can steal somebody else's gift, twice only.  

Kathy got to keep her sign.  It says, "Thank God for Girlfriends"

Maggie stole my present but gave it back later as a thank you gift for sleeping in our RV.  All gifts must cost less than $10.  Maggie helped with appies and breakfast on her Coleman cooker and was able to stay two nights this year.  Usually she only comes for two days and one night.

It had been hot for days and forest fires were burning further north/south/east that made the air smokey.  I stayed 2.5 more days.  All the Crones had left but this is what we woke to on the last morning before Old Man drove the RV home for me and I drove the pickup.  It was difficult to see headlights and tail-lights on the road home as it got worse the further south we drove.

Where will we have our campout next year?

Another two weeks in the RV

Our oldest son's family flew to BC from Ontario safely.  The goal was to spend some time with cousins and family as they are so far apart most of the time unless there is a wedding or a funeral.  They did the Vancouver Aquarium etc and then came over to the Island to stay at my brother Art's. Before they got to the Island we had a few days with Travis' (second son's family) and spent a day at Westwood Lake.  Nolan and Eden built an elaborate sand fortress and then we buried them in sand.

​ We were all beat that night.  Too much sun and picnic foods.  They swam a lot, played on equipment and the day was sunny.  

​We left Nanaimo to go to Qualicum Beach a little further north, set up an RV camp,  and wait for the Ontario crew to arrive.  We had a few fun days at brother Art's, as he has a huge yard for his relatives and dogs.  Wee Dana from Ontario, fell in love with the dogs who are so gentle. 

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​We looked like a bunch of gypsies had descended on brother Art's side yard by his machine shops.  It was so hot that brother put the sprinklers on and then the children would get wet and laugh at sitting on me to make me cold. 

Then the happy families all went south an hour to Parksville for Canada Day beach activities

and night-time fireworks.  

Brother Art and Ingrid belong to a local old cars club so they drove up the Island to their Canada Day festivities.Duncan and I sneaked away out to the campground at Horne Lake where it was quiet for 2 nights.  Then the gang descended for lunch but to also go spelunking at the Horne Lake Caves on a family tour.  

​Jacklyn and the others all like teddy-bear pancakes made by Grandad and Nanny.  We had 5 adults and 5 children camping with us for most of two days. The campsites at Horne Lake each have privacy hedges between them and a private beach area.  Paradise Bay at the south campground is a tranquil spot with pristine waters.  I went for two morning showers/ dips there.

 I only landed 2 fish.  

The kayaking and swimming and running around playing hiding games in the woods will be wonderful memories for all of us.  Everybody else left on Friday but we had a lot of

fun.  

The sunsets were lovely and the weather warm.

We took the ferry from Vancouver Island to the mainland and drove through the crazies of Vancouver congestion.  Now it is time to clean the RV, do laundry and get ready to go to the Cariboo for my Crone's Capers week.  Every year we go to a different lake.  This year it is Greeny Lake just east of Lac La Hache.  We pride ourselves on being wise and gentle and easy going old ladies who like to poke sticks in fires and talk a lot.