I miss the mountains. I lived my whole life in British Columbia Canada up until 2012 when I moved to Manitoba Canada. Where the land is flat. Not perfectly flat but much flatter than I was used to. I miss them everyday.
That’s why I like to follow a YouTube channel I discovered close to 2 years ago when they had major flooding in BC. There is a major highway running north and south through the rugged mountains and the damage was severe. The highway follows the river running through the tight valley and the overflow took huge chunks of the highway and some of the bridges along with it.
I’ve travel this highway many times over the years and the scenery is amazing. Flying over the area gives a whole different perspective, one I’d never had until now.
This is an update video showing us how the highway has been repaired and traffic is flowing again. If you check out their channel there are lots of videos showing the original damage and subsequent efforts to get traffic moving again.It’s amazing the way they’ve managed to get it done so quickly. Many predicted it would be many years, construction in the mountains is no small feat.
The truckers are pretty happy to have it fully open, a least parts of it anyway since it is a major truck route. They did manage to have one half of the highway open to two way traffic fairly early on but two separate parts is so much better with the heavy traffic this route experiences.
Enjoy this update on the newly opened portion. Be sure to check out their other videos as well. They are an adventuresome bunch and they are entertaining to listen to. They live in the area so they are familiar with the good sights and can show us things we would never experience without them.
I’m still not sure what an atmospheric river is but I gather it’s a big storm that could bring flooding with it. Parts of the highway are about down at river height and flooding could be an issue with more damage. Fingers crossed.
This is a just a start talking kind of day. With no book suggestions and no hot topics rolling around in my head I’ve got nothing.
Well, there is one topic consuming many of my thoughts the last few months. It centers around a few possible ideas for the rest of my life, or at least a good chunk of it.
The favorite idea at the moment involves selling my house and buying an RV, one that is big but not too big and insulated well enough to be an all season recreational vehicle. It could be my home as I travel the country visiting friends and family. Have house – will travel.
It’s not an idea unique to me, it seems to be a new trend in a certain segment of the population. The beginning of this whole idea for me was prompted by a decision to leave my solitude behind and be out and about, among people. I was thinking a year of travelling maybe. The plan has grown far beyond that now.
To move forward with this idea I need to investigate a big vehicle like this to see if I even feel comfortable driving it. A test drive has to be on hold for now though because this is the summer all my kids are in town. We have plans. Next weekend we are heading out camping. In tents. It will be fun.
I was looking forward to a ladies kayaking afternoon but it might not be a good idea for me to go with them. My tail bone is still sore from the two hours spent with one of my grandsons last weekend. I noticed the seat had no padding but like the novice that I am it didn’t occur to me until it was much too late to be concerned. We had a good time and I wouldn’t change a thing. I loved the experience and he was happy just to be on the water.
Most of my activities this week involved sitting, aggravating the sore bone even more. I need a stand up desk. Hmmm. I don’t think that would work well in an RV.
The picture above is along the lines of what I’m thinking of only a little bigger.
But, back to the present…
I had a good time tonight pulling overgrown weeds in my front flower bed. With all the rain and then heat we’ve had this summer everything has grown like a jungle. I’d swear you could watch them grow. It’s a good thing it’s the weekend, I hope to get lots cleaned up and looking pretty over the next two days.
I’m planning to enjoy the weekend. Wishing you a great weekend too.
I had beginners luck (not knowing what I was doing) and my jeans were soaked from water falling off the paddles. Who knew they shouldn’t be raised so high.
Live streaming is as real as it gets, no editing or rearranging happening. What you see is what you get.
One of the best, most encouraging things to see coming out of the truckers Freedom Convoy 2022 has been unity.
Up until now Canada has been as fractured as every other modern day country. Discord and harsh words over differing opinions has become rampant everywhere.
It’s been amazing to see unity arising out of a common cause.
Many hours of my weekend were spent watching live stream videos. The beauty of this format has been authenticity. The other treasure out of these walkabouts, comments restricted to simple location information and clarification on sights encountered. There was a deliberate absence of opinions one way or the other.
It was beautiful to see laughter, cooperation, kindness and caring toward everyone crossing paths with each of them. Many nationalities and languages were represented. One of the live streamers spent time in trucks hanging out with the drivers. One driver, who as well as English spoke a language I didn’t recognize, had little time to eat because people kept appearing at his window to say thank you. There were constant references to his hero status and it was unclear to me what that was about, having not heard the story behind the comment. It had to be true, though, seeing the fondness in the eyes of people greeting him expressing appreciation for all he’s done.
This was the last video for me tonight and I’m looking forward to seeing tomorrow’s video from this young man.
There are many guys walking about doing this so there is good coverage day and night.
It has been great to see the way they keep track of each other. It was something, the way the stream I was watching ended at the War Memorial and one minute (or less) later the notification came through for this next one starting. It was a little freaky to see we were starting from the War Memorial. Obviously the new guy checked to see what was happening and where his friend was before starting his own live stream.
Through the evening viewers were along for the ride to see the camaraderie whenever they crossed paths. That’s how I found out who else I should be watching.
Batteries die faster in the cold, people change places often and we go with them.
Anyway, it was inspiring to see goodwill happening all over the place.
There are many out there recording life on the ground, I have taken note of only a few.
Ottawalks
Zot
Kotab 123
MACHINES EVERYWHERE
Zoke
Ottawa is beautiful, at least the part I’ve seen, it has been a treat to spend so much time walking around enjoying the sights.
Things were very quiet tonight, nothing like the huge crowds of last night, but it was still nice.
These guys and their videos are getting attention from all over the world. Amazing.
I love the sights on this video. I’m a sucker for city lights. So pretty.
What a surprise. After logging into Facebook tonight I discovered a treasure waiting for me. A friend in Norway, someone I’ve known for decades, sent another video of his country. (he sends them often, he’s very proud of where he lives.)
You would never know his birthplace is Canada. Several years after marrying he followed his new wife to her home across the sea and he has lived there all these years. When you hear how passionately proud he is of Norway you would think he was born there too.
It is a beautiful place and this video is even more spectacular than any of the others he’s sent me.
I’m six minutes in and had to stop and share with you.
Mission accomplished, now that I can go back to enjoying the rest.
A week ago or so I mentioned a noise, sounded like something fell over. I searched the house over, couldn’t see anything and decided it must have been the wind outside pushing things around.
Boy was I wrong.
Last night I noticed water on the floor in front of the kitchen sink. It has happened a time or two and I thought it was resolved. Guess not.
This time when I checked it out it was dripping faster than I had ever seen it. Hmmmmmm.
I couldn’t see where the leak was and so by process of elimination turned off every valve available. When that didn’t solve the problem I decided to close the main shut-off in the basement.
Shocker.
At the bottom of the stairs dry wall debris was spread far and wide.
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Down, sitting on the floor
Planning to come down
2022 is getting off to a fabulous start.
I was hoping my son-in-law could bail me out.
Their house is in quarantine with covid.
Life is definitely not boring at this particular moment.
I’m told that if I cut the heavy sheet up into smaller pieces it will be easy to carry out.
I don’t know about you but I love looking at mountains. I like travelling through them even better but pictures are good in the meantime.
So many great videos were just waiting to be discovered after the massive flooding the province of British Columbia, Canada survived several weeks ago and I couldn’t be happier.
BC is covered with both high and low mountain ranges. Today’s discovered videos were shot in high heavily treed areas. The flood damage is great and it’s taking heavy equipment to deal with the cleanup. It’s fascinating, catching a glimpse of the action.
The first video shows some of the cleanup. They also have footage of logging companies moving some of their heavy equipment out of the forest. The push is to get them out before they are trapped for the winter by heavy snow. The logging roads they had to use for evacuation look pretty challenging, especially with the lengthy distance it took to get out. Usually equipment like this would be transported on the back of big trucks not driven on the road.
The second video was interesting too, mainly because of the challenge. They had to find a safe way to remove a fallen tree threatening to take out their bridge, the only access to their home.
Taking down a tree can be dangerous, mainly because of the spring in them. You never know for sure how they will react to pressure. They can move in unexpected ways and cause serious damage. Think of walking through a forest with small branches springing back to whap you in the face. Now think of that on a much grander scale. Ouch! They were successful.
Anyway, I enjoyed these videos and thought you might too.
Today is a slow book day so there is nothing to report on that front.
Let me know if you liked these videos and I will share more of my favorites. It helps if I know you enjoyed them too.
If you live in snowless countries you can tell it’s a little chillier over here and the snow is beautiful.
The area is south western British Columbia, Canada. They had unprecedented rainfall last week and the damage is crazy. The number of people stranded is staggering too.
I thoroughly enjoyed the helicopter ride. Maybe you will too. The first town is Abbotsford, I’ve lived there twice. East of the flooding is Chilliwack. I was born and raised there. Further east is a small town of Hope. It is the junction town between three highways. One travels east and two travel north. I’ve spent many hours driving all of them. I love the mountains. That’s what I miss the most where I live now. On the prairies of southern Manitoba province. Flat, flat, flat.
I’m happy to be living anywhere. And I have family here. I do love seeing home though, I have to say.
There is a second video of other parts of BC, I haven’t watched it yet but if it’s as good as the first one it will be well worth the watch.
Enjoy.
They will travel where there is snow on the mountains. It will be beautiful.
The Sunday Scribblings story prompt today was milkshakes. I think it was chocolate milkshake day but I could be wrong about that. I don’t dislike milkshakes but rarely order one. My drink of choice usually is coffee, second choice would be iced tea. But not sweet tea. I tried it once when travelling in the south, couldn’t do it. I would pick salty over sweet any day of the week.
On the other hand, I do enjoy some desserts, especially if they lean toward the semi sweet side. Cheese cakes, tiramisu, tuxedo cake. I’m drooling already just thinking about them. Best change the subject.
I still don’t have a big appetite after the reaction to my second shot. My energy levels have not recovered either. I’m a little discouraged over that. Winter will soon be here and I need to get outside to do winter clean-up before the snow flies. One good thing about the snow – at least I don’t have to feel guilty about neglecting the yard.
Staying inside today produced a good chance to pay bills and respond to messages. That brightened my day considerably. The sad side of it, though, is knowing what my son and his wife and daughter are going through today. They will be putting their two oldest on a plane in a few hours to fly home to Canada. This isn’t a visit, they are moving home to see what comes next for them now that high school is nearly finished. I remember what it was like the first time my son flew off to a foreign country for who-knows how long. It was tough.
At the same time, I can relate to both sides. I have been the leaver and the left. It is much easier to be the one striking out on a new adventure. So many new things to experience. The left get to look at an emptier house every day and keenly feel the loss.
The adventurer doesn’t miss out on sadness though. Unfamiliar culture and languages can magnify homesickness. Even just a new and unfamiliar city brings it’s share of homesickness. No one gets away pain free.
On the other hand, sadness and homesickness means we loved. We can’t miss what we have never loved. What a blessing to have loved and been loved.
The three boys living here are excited to welcome their cousins. My daughter is left wondering how she is going to survive as the only woman with six guys. It will be an adventure, for sure. I tell her be glad it’s not girls, they would have to install another bathroom or two. Although if the girls were anything like the two of us, hogging shower and bathroom time would not be a big issue.
All that said, I enjoyed my kids when they were teens and I think she will enjoy these boys too. They are all loving kids.
Well, word is just in, the first leg of the flight was cancelled which means they will miss the connecting flight. At least they have a travel agent to take off some of the pressure. Arrival time will be affected, although this is not a total surprise.
This is another one of those days when I’ve got nothing. Nothing to write that is. Most of the stuff on my mind isn’t appropriate for this post.
I’ve been closely following the debacle that has stunned the world. It seems we have been content to close our eyes to things and just coast along hoping someone else would take care of us. It will take some major courage to get the world out of the tough spot we find ourselves in. Our guys had the courage in WWII, I’m not sure how it could happen exactly but I’m sure our guys and gals could successfully rise to the challenge this time too.
The other news type thing on my mind is the whole covid situation. A fourth wave seems to be showing up in the last few days. Just when restrictions loosen up the infection rate starts rising again.
Along with that concern, we have a family situation where we need to find a isolation spot for teenage boys coming home after a lifetime overseas. I want to have them with me but there is one difficult hurdle to overcome. Other options may work out but if they don’t I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make it work out well for them. We will have to wait and see how it all turns out.
In regard to books, I can’t find it again but I was reading a book collection that was a retelling of fairy tales. Red RidingHood and Cinderella were the first two. From my point of view they were really bad. I couldn’t bring myself to even read them. I removed the book from my device without taking note of the title. I wanted to share it with you and thought I could easily find it again but … no such luck. Maybe it’s better that I couldn’t find it. Kinder.
The sky is a heavy grey all of a sudden, I think another storm is supposed to roll through tonight, dropping some more rain. It’s funny, we had been having drought conditions and they were predicting a long hot summer. The prediction has changed, we are supposed to have more rain with cooler temps for the rest of the season. Winter shows up here the end of October/early November usually.
It will be interesting for our newly home teenagers, they have not experienced real winter before. It will be all new. They are excited and looking forward to it, I do know that. I don’t think they have seen snow and if they have it would have been a brief thing. Both of their parents have experienced full on Canadian winters and the kids have grown up with the stories wishing they could visit us in the winter. Their time has come!
1531 Entertainment has suggestions for us. This first one is FREE. I remember reading this a year ago and it is definitely worth looking at again.
Looking for Justice: Christian Contemporary Romance with Suspense
Amazon quote:
Can a former attorney and a war veteran keep an assaulted student safe and heal their own troubled pasts?“Edgy, gutsy, real” says Varina Denman, Author of the Mended Hearts Series “
Attorney Alexis Jergenson leaves her law firm and the pain of her clients’ abuse cases and decides to start over in a small Tennessee town. The Christian college there is desperate for a law professor, and she is desperate for a new career. The problem is she’s not a Christian, and to add to this, a student has been assaulted and comes to her for help.
Luke Stephens is recovering from the effects of the Afghanistan war. He’s settled down to teach and work his ranch. His only problem is with the new law professor—she looks too much like his unfaithful ex-wife, and Luke will do anything to avoid her. But Luke and Alexis are forced to team up to find the student’s attacker, and they put not only their lives but also their hearts in danger.… a book that will linger in your mind long after you read the last page…” Debby Mayne, author of the Belles in the City series Book 4 of the Dangerous series, but also a stand alone. A Christian book that contains sensitive subject matter.
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Another free book showed up, one more that I’ve read, enjoyed, and still remember.
An Awakened Heart (Orphan Train): An Orphan Train Novella
Amazon quote:
Trying to heal the ache she feels in her empty life, wealthy Christine Pendleton decides to volunteer at Centre Street Chapel. Ministering to one of the most deprived parts of New York City, the chapel aims at making a difference in the lives of the impoverished immigrants flooding the city. After seeing firsthand the hopelessness of the poor women and orphans, Christine is convinced more can be done to help them.
Guy Bedell has been serving at the chapel and pouring his heart out for the people he’s grown to care about. When Christine begins to challenge his methods and offers a new vision for reaching out to the community, can he trust that perhaps God has bigger plans in store for him–plans that may include this feisty socialite?
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Currently, I’ve started a book that has captured my attention. I’m only on chapter two but still, it should be good all the way through. It’s at a low bargain price too.
This is about a race car driver who crashed and burned, literally. Only he wasn’t on the track, and it may not be an accident.
He’s also inherited a baby but we don’t know yet how that all came about. He’s hired a high school friend, turned private investigator, to figure out what happened. He also wants her to find the baby’s mother.
Show Me Best Friends: Small-Town Single-Father Cowboy Romance (Cowboy Crossing Romances Book 4)
Amazon quote:
A “steel cowboy” with a wounded spirit, an ex-cop who’s never forgotten him, and a baby in need of love… Can these childhood best friends become more? A sweet, clean, wholesome romance with a happily-ever-after!
Damaged and scarred after an accident that ended his racing career, Maverick Clark returns to his family ranch to find a new purpose. When he starts caring for his buddy’s baby, Maverick turns for help to his childhood friend whom he’d had a crush on, Vera. Soon he wants more than friendship. But what does he have to offer her now?
At thirty-seven, jobless, husbandless, and childless,Vera Tsareva feels like she took a wrong turn somewhere. But oncethe road takes her back to her hometown to help her grandmother, she begins working with Maverick, the guy she’s tried to forget for many years. They even go on a trip to the other side of the world together, but he’s closed off his heart to her.
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It has been a warm one today and judging by the orange moon we are still bothered by smoke from nearby forest fires. When I say nearby, they are in the same province but miles away.
My son and his family live in the province of British Columbia, Canada. Yesterday they were driving home from holidays and the mountain highway (Coquihalla) had fire burning on both sides of the road. We were shocked it was still open when they went through.
(we affectionately call it The Coke)
When it is not burning this is an amazingly beautiful drive.
I’m sharing this for the pictures. I love this trip and I’ve driven it many times with some great memories. It’s about 2 hours long. Someone should film the whole highway then we could travel it vicariously. A friend in Norway send me a video like that once, it was a train trip. Norway has high mountains too. Watching something in real time seems like it would be boring but they did a good job with their camera work and it was enjoyable.
For the Love of Books 