Thank you so very much Dallas Autery for allowing me to use three of your remarkable sunset shots. Dallas climbed up a bit on Cerro los Chivos to get these spectacular sunset views. As we are moving locations on the Isla this fall, we will now be able to see a different sunset. Sadly we have had a lack of local sunsets thus far this summer.
Taken with his iPhone X and shown exactly how they were photographed. Thank you Dallas for allowing me to share these stunning photos.
Wishing all of my readers and friends a very special day.
July 1st was a perfect day and the shade from the casino parking lot was welcome.
Putting on their Canada Day shirts for the Parade.
At the start line. These were all puppies. Colin took the next photo of them running.
Another heat taken by Colin.
The rest of these shots were taken by me on my iPhone. The fellow in the red hat is a wrangler. He volunteered to help ‘launch’ dogs off the finish line.
Our sweet Ciela, she ran in the heat before Carlie’s first heat. I took this photo from someone else on the KDC facebook page. Colin was certain that she had come in first ( we have had our dogs in training for over a week ) and they knew the drill. Instead of running straight ahead Ciela diverted to the extreme left of the field and came into the finish line at an angle which the judges did not see.
The finish line was a wee problem. The dog owners were supposed to be back five feet from the finish line. However because of something being on the ground behind them they could only back up three feet. I noticed that many of the racing pups would slow down right before the finish line. Also someone was spotted reaching over the finish line grabbing their dog by the collar. Its a first time event and mistakes were made but this is how one learns. It was a great day and next time will be even greater. We found out that it takes two to run a doxie and that one needs a special photographer to concentrate on us and also the finish line.
Our friend Heather and her pup Shawney are on the far left.
And they are off.
Great view from the top of the parkade.
There were several heats and then semifinals and then the finals. Shawney came in second overall. It was a photo finish. Her Mom, Heather, was the one who organized and created this Wienerama. I can’t imagine the hundreds of hours she put in. Fortunately many others volunteered to help.
Here I am at the start line holding Carlie. She won her first heat and I believe this was the semifinals. She did get a break between these two heats.
You need two people to race a doxie. One at the start line ( me ) holding them back and the other at the finish line, Colin. Here he is enticing her with an extra special treat. Then Colin backs up to the finish line calling to her to come and get more cookies. My job was to hold her securely until the “go” was heard.
Everyone had their lures to get their dog to the finish line. Our plan was was working, sort of. Colin had Carlie all worked up and she could see him at the finish line. However it seemed to take forever ( maybe 5 minutes ) of standing there. Carlie burst out of my hands and made a mad solo dash to the finish line.
Colin brought her back to me. He also was carrying her twin sister as an incentive. By now I was hot and had shed my hat – which you know is so important for me to wear but at this point I was worn out.
Special thank you to the lady who was standing behind our chairs, I simply handed her my cell phone and asked if she could take a few photos. Fortunately she did a great job. You can just see Ciela’s butt and tail under Colin’s left arm. Poor dog on the extreme bottom right, looking for a cookie hand out from us. So sorry puppy.
Ready to race once again but dang another wait. Carlie wanted to run but more announcements were being made behind us. You can see that all three doxies were ready to run. So we waited.
Oh another dachshund coming to race and putting herself between us and the gentleman on the right.
Carlie lost her focus and became distracted. At this point she had been ready to race at least 7 minutes ago.
And they are off and running. Great start to the long haired on my right ( your left ).
Mom we want to go home.
Colin and I both were certain that Carlie had place first in her semi final heat. But according to the judges she did not. Don’t know who Stella was in the finals as she was not listed in the semi finals.
It was a wonderful event and I believe much more popular than expected. There were judges everywhere and photo finishes. It wasn’t important to us, the girls raced and had a good time, we hope. But they were very worn out. I heard that there were over 125 dachshunds either participating or watching the races 😀
Ciela was giving us a clear signal.
As we left for home we could see the fire burning on Knox Mountain. Many had been evacuated.
As we unloaded the car this dog bed was left just inside the front door. Ciela immediately climbed in and fell asleep.
Carlie went into the very back of their shared dog crate to rest. They slept for hours.
Just after dinner they came and sat on my lap all wrapped up – security blanket.
Colin and I had planned to attend the dance at the rec enter but we as well as the girls were exhausted. We picked up a tuna foot long at Subway on the way home. Great dinner with some good wine.
Ciela when younger had chewed a few holes in her favourite blanket. It was so cute to see her paw sticking out through one of them.
At about 8:30PM we looked up from the movie we were watching to see a bear on our patio just walking along. The girls spotted him and burst out barking at the top of their vocal range. Colin was on his feet in a moment trying to get the girls inside and closing the screen door. The bear obviously bothered by the girls jumped into the lake.
Click on the link below and then click again on the tiny image. It shows how fast the bear was swimming.
We were surprised at how fast the bear was swimming.
July 1st has been a very loooonnnngg day for us. The fire is contained, the girls are still tired and the bear is long gone. Really hoping for a quiet night tonight July 3rd. We all need the rest. Hope that you enjoyed my July1st trio of posts.
Thanks for checking in.
In case you missed yesterdays post ( July 2, published very late in the day ) click here. It contained photos of the July 1st parade and the start of the wiener races.
It was a perfect day for the parade, not too hot and just a bit windy. I started this blog in 2010 which is the first documentation of the parade that I have. We moved here in 2003 and the parade that stands out in my mind was the year we had a Royal Canadian Mounted Policeman complete in red serge riding his horse. So that had to be in those first seven years. I believe that the this years Canada Parade was the next best parade. So much imagination and effort put into all the entries.
Cute ride.
The back of this cart was filled with dozens of bouquets of fresh flowers.
A drive by violin and guitar concert.
This is Holiday Parks 40th anniversary.
Back in the good old days.
This float took a good deal of energy and imagination. The chair in the back has a hole in the seat….
The mermaid float. The ladies all had the same elaborate costume and red hair.
So much detail in every angle of each photo. All manner of underwater creatures and plants. The beautiful mermaids sort of floated down the street.
Can you see the tiny real bubbles floating behind the cart? So much imagination and creativity. I’m sure that the group had a fun time decorating. It is my understanding that this float won first prize. Well done folks? Hope to see you next year 😉
Before the parade, breakfast was served at the rec centre for those interested. After the parade it was time for a BBQ lunch. My bean burger last year ( had to miss it this year ) was the best ever. Various activities were held throughout the park for kids and adults during the day. At 7PM the rec centre door was thrown open to all who were in the park for a fabulous rock band Rann Berry. Colin and I were looking forward to attending but by the time we got home from the girls races we were ‘done’ 🙄 We have heard him before and he is fabulous. No charge as it was a Canada Day gift to us from the Park management 😀 Apparently it was a great success. I read that one fellow danced the night away, more than he had in several years 😎 Good for him.
Once the Holiday Park Parade was complete we headed back home and loaded the rest of the Jeep. The dachshund races were taking place in downtown Kelowna between the casino parking lot ( which gave us shade and was a prime location ) and the dolphin statue. It was the first annual Wienerama doxies races to be held in Kelowna and the City of Kelowna welcomed our group with open arms. It was estimated that over 80,000 people would attend and with perfect weather, why not? Traffic was not too bad and we had done our homework on parking. It was a bit shocking to find that the cost was $30.00 for the day but we were right next to our event. And we didn’t have to pack our stuff too far. I was surprised that we were there by 11:30 but it gave us time to set up, relax and watch the other dachshunds come in and in and in. I have no idea how many there were but certainly over 100 plus. 60 dogs were registered to race. So much excitement and dare I say barking in the air.
Our girls were somewhat overwhelmed with the cacophony ( a loud band – not too far away ), other noises, many other doxies and their families, lots of movement and sounds. As long as they had each other they were good.
It was quiet before folks started to gather. It was suggested that we bring chairs, less than ten of us did.
Some ran their dogs from one end to the other getting them familiar with the course. Others walked their fur kids around talking to the slowly growing crowd.
Slowly the crowd began to arrive for the main event of the day. Even the balcony seats ( standing room only ) were filling up.
I was so happy that we had been able to secure our seating/breathing area. There were water bowls everywhere for the pups to quench their thirst. Small pools had been supplied by a local pet store so the dogs could get inside and cool down. So much support from the pet stores, above and beyond and many thanks.
The doxies came in all sizes and weights ( up to 26 lbs I was told ). And some were dressed to the nines! All our girls got was a cheap dollar store T-shirt but I saw them eyeing the tutus.
This pup does not appear to be too enthusiastic.
Some owners went to great lengths/expense to dress their pets. Perhaps hoping to win the costume prize. I never heard which dog won. A wizard???
Fireman/Rescue Team!
We were all well entertained. It was just I:00PM and there was a parade of the doxies. There were between 100 and 150 of them as there was barely room on the field to parade them all.
This post is getting too long. Tomorrow ( day 3 of our personal July 1st ) will start with some wiener racing. Hope you enjoyed what you have seen thus far.
In addition to the annual Canada Day Parade here in the park we have another new to become annual event to attend today. Kelowna Dachshund Club is organizing a wiener race.
Our girls will be racing in separate heats to start with. If they win their heats they will race together in the semifinal and then the finals. There are 60 registered doxies for the race, from puppies to oldsters.
Carlie and Ciela have been in training.
Enjoy today however you choose. Be proud to be Canadian. Needless to say there will be many photos in the days to come.
Off to the races…..
Thank you for all your comments and get well wishes on feeling better. I continue to feel 99% positive. My neck muscles have to stretch a bit to fit in with my moved C2. Almost there. I continue to do my kinesiology but will admit to slacking on walking everyday. At least its in my thinking and I know that will improve as well.
The golf cart needed repainting due to cracks in the fiber glass and old age. Colin had taken all the little pieces off including the roof to making it easier to paint and also to decrease the labour cost. We had to wait a few days for the paint to harden and then Colin put it back together. Happy Anniversary to us ( July 18th ).
Mother Nature has put a halt to the rain and we are heading into some very hot days in the 93F range. We are back to blocking off the hot patio so the girls don’t burn their paws.
Our kitchen lights went out literally a few days after my 70th. Much back and forth with the lighting store and the manufacturer.
Jordan has been here three times thus far trying to trace where the problem is. He had another idea and is coming tomorrow to test out his new theories.
We won’t be here most of the day but trust him with the key. We are having to start dinner earlier than normal so the we can see in the kitchen. We have just under 50% of our normal lighting. The problem started with the breaker panel tripping over and over. It wasn’t the breaker panel. And as of Saturday we know that it isn’t the transformer which has two legs. That is a huge relief as a replacement starts at $1000.00 which is special order and must be pre payed. and can’t be returned. However there was no guarantee that the existing remotes would work with the new transformer. We can only turn on the 9 lights and 3 spotlights with one of the two remotes which are also dimmers. So very very happy it wasn’t the transformer. But we are still on the dark as to the problem 😳
Once or twice per year we have what is called ‘dancing in the streets’. It is a parade of golf carts winding through our streets. This was the largest group I have seen.
Loud rock and roll music emanating from the speaker in the lead cart. If there are people outside or come out of their homes, who want to dance or sing along then the cart parade stops and everyone jumps out and so begins the dancing in the street. Obviously folks at our end of the street were happy to dance.
The geese and ducks share our beach and don’t bother each other.
This is the same duck family we have had for a few weeks now and they still have ten duckings. The one family of geese are down to three goslings. Many geese on the lake but almost no families. The powers that be do egg addling in the spring.
Ciela has changed a bit in the past few weeks and now likes to lay in my arms like a baby when I sit and read. Very very seldom do I have only the one dog on my lap.
Ciela has also started laying next to Colin while he plays. Today she even came in from outside to do so.
Does anyone know if this is true? I certainly hope so.
Colin put the hammock in the shade earlier this afternoon. He hadn’t even had a chance to take his gloves off.
They enjoy anything that is different and love to be mentally stimulated.
Interesting. It could’ve been an RV but I think it was a bus.
Can you believe that I spent $31.00 for this aisle seat – no window!!!!
One of my friends ( since grade 7 ) picked me up at the airport as there is no longer a shuttle service to town. And I wasn’t going to spend $60.00 on a cab/uber.
I was dropped off at my airbnb. so that I could unpack and get ready for my appointment. It is for one night plus was half the price of the hotel I usually stay at. Not only has the hotel raised it price it has also discontinued the free afternoon wine and cheese and the wonderful full breakfast so it was a no brainer to find other accommodation.
This is the view from the front door, the private patio was enticing. However it was literally pouring rain.
I no longer own closed toe shoes so instead I wore my oldest pair of Mephisto’s and brought along four pair of socks to keep changing as my feet got wet. It worked. It was also great that the rain stopped closer to 7PM.
I was wet by the time I got to the chiropractors office. But once I stripped off all the wet layers I was fine. I can’t say enough about Dr. McKenna. Within 15 minutes he ‘fixed ‘ me. I was out of the constant pain that I have had since April 27th. My C2 was stuck on my C3 which was restricting my neck movement. So why did none of the other three chiropractors help me? They seem to do the same things over and over for almost every patient. Dr. McKenna listened to what I was saying. He then did a very few muscles/nerve tests. My right side from the neck down was out. He then held the C2 in place with one hand and tested me with his other hand. My body responded positively. He was showing and proving to me what area needed adjusting. He did so and there was none of the head wrenching that two of the others did. Now that had been painful. His adjustment was painless. So I was back to normal. Of course I was somewhat sore as my body had become use to being in the wrong position. I was rather emotional to be free of the pain and obviously relieved.
So back out into the monsoon. Directly to the airbnb to change socks and get ready to meet friends for dinner at Chianti. Everyone complained about the weather but we were happy that it was helping with the forest fires.
There were five of us Denise, Carol, myself and Danielle and Renee (photographer).
This is the only photo I have Renee who took the previous photo.
I ordered two of the best chocolate mousse ever made and brought the 70 candles. Four of us had already turned 70 except Renee who gets to wait until December.
Denise got to wear the 70th birthday crown. I think she could almost see herself sitting on a throne.
We talked and laughed and never ran out of conversation. So many smiles. We graduated 52 years ago and we feel as close as we always did. It seemed that 3.5 hours had passed in ten minutes. Fortunately I got a ride back to my loft. I was worn out, it had been a very long day for me. I ended up walking close to 9000 steps which was a lot as I have not been out and about very much.
Sadly I did not sleep well at all, I think I was missing my family. The bed and pillows were super comfortable. The next morning I was up bright and early. Made myself a coffee and packed up. Instead of checking out I left everything tidy and my suitcase at the door ( with permission of course ) and headed off in the sunshine ( twas lovely ) and back to see Dr. Mckenna for a tune up if needed. I just looked it up on my original blog, the one I started in May of 2010 and discovered that my first treatment with Dr. Mckenna was in 2015. A few times over the years I have seen him twice. Sometimes we drove the RV to Edmonton and other times I flew. In 2017 we both flew and had a mini vacation.
As I sat waiting to see Dr Mckenna in walked a very dear friend. Neither of us could believe our eyes. We both have tears in our eyes.
Mary whom we met many many years ago on the Isla was the one who originally told me about Dr. Mckenna. She is a very gifted professionally registered masseuse. She was wintering in Mexico and started doing massages which is how we connected. But she lived in Edmonton the rest of the time and saw Dr Mckenna on occasion. She was the first person who was truly able to help me. I saw her for many many winters until she left Mazatlan and moved to another lovely city in Mexico. Maria suggested to me that I see Dr. Mckenna if at all possible as she knew he could help me. I also saw her a few times in Edmonton.
The last time I saw Casa Maria ( she has many names 😉 was in July 2018. It was sad as we no longer saw her after that. She has always had a special place in our hearts. So I really had to look twice at her as she did me. We had our mouthes open and tears in our eyes. She now lives in Ontario. It turns out that the same day I flew from home to Edmonton she flew to Edmonton from Toronto. We had both booked to see Dr. McKenna for the same day, one after the other 😯 What are the odds of that happening. The doctor was running late and that is how we came to be in the waiting room at the same time. We just stood and hugged and hugged and finally started to catch up. Obviously the Universe planned for us to be there at the same time. It was very difficult for me to leave but she had plans and I was about to be picked up for a ride to the airport.
We also had a small together visit with Dr. Mckenna. He has to be an excellent chiropractor to have patients flying in to see him. We love him and we love each other. What can I say? There is nothing more special than to have seen Mary and thanks to her to be relieved of my horrific neck pain 🙂
A few less tears here.
My visit to Edmonton was beyond wonderful, dining with my wonderful friends from school, getting “fixed” and seeing my dear friend Mary. What else can I say. Best visit ever!!
Meanwhile back home Colin took the girls along on some errands.
He had no choice but to stay with the girls, they were lonely and wanting attention. Here Carlie has her paw on his knee.
Colin was watching a movie with both girls on his lap and they kept taking turns to watch for me.
Colin left the girls at home when he came to pick me up from the airport. The were like tiny ballistic missiles bouncing off of me once I got home. They never let me out of their site.
Most afternoons I try and sit and relax with a book, a glass of wine and of course the girls. Yesterday at 5PM they were waiting at my chair for me to sit down.
Yes just a few days away and so many changes.
First time writing the blog on my iPad Not so easy I tried to write this post last night but had yet another glitch with the blog so here I am Tuesday morning sitting in the preboarding area Yes I am going away Guess where.
Carlie giving her sister some love. I think that she is licking Ciela as well as touching her with her paw
Left my list of blog things to mention at home I got to the accompanied by the girls and chauffeur Colin He had the heater on in the car as well as my seat heater on Lucky me
It has been raining so much that the tomato plant leaves are getting yellow Also our lovely tasty lettuce ( five varieties) are turning brown and soft The rest of the garden is doing well
It was so cold yesterday that the girls didn’t want to go out. We tried several times but the most they would do is to stick their noses part way out run back inside. At one point I heard the frantic ringing at the front door. It was Ciela. I opened the door and she barely made it out to the lawn. It was rather funny. She just couldn’t hold it anymore.
Big learning curve. I didn’t know that passwords don’t carry any from device to device. I had never put my password into the iPad and of course didn’t know how to get into my dashboard in order to write this post I used a phone a friend to get that sorted out.I started working on this when my flight was called I quickly ate my banana and used the washroom By then I was at the end of the boarding line In fact they were paging me to please board Of course the gate was at the far end of the terminal and I was the only one walking in that long corridor I finally came to the gate where the plane was boarding out on the tarmac ~ in the rain I was dressed for rain but my raincoat and umbrella were at the bottom of my carry on Dang….at this point I became aware that the plane was waiting for me Yikes
PS you may have figured out by now that I have no idea how to get punctuation to work Where is the shift key
So I had no choice but to rush out to the plane and get a bit wet Of course not everyone was seated yet Took a few moments to realize that the row I was seated in, on my tiny tiny plane had no window in my aisle Most of you know that I am claustrophobic which is why I sit on the aisle I really was feeling the mental pressure So I basically have been sitting with my head down writing this post
For those who want to know this aircraft is a Bombardier Q400 Only two small seats a narrow aisle and two more small seats
So have you guessed where I,m off to
To Edmonton of course Having seen three chiropractors in Kelowna with no pain relief I decided to get my self to the doctor who always has helped me in the past It will be a very quick trip I will be back home by 5pm tomorrow
I know many of you will want to have dinner with me tonight but my plan is to dine with some of the ladies I graduated high school with We were born in 1953 and will all turn 70 this this year
In case you forgot I crashed my neck into a window the end of April trying to help the window washer move my desk Despite my knee problem in Mexico I came home the best I have felt in years and now this I am very hopeful that he can help me Tonight I am staying in an
Airbnb to save a few pesos I hope to come home in perfect condition Definitely not perfect shape but without pain
If you are reading this then all went well with the post I forgot that I have to be online to save this Fingers crossed what a very long ninety minute flight Wish I had a window as I can glimpse that we are above the clouds and are in the sun I will be arriving to much more rain in Edmonton
This would be fun
I am here now. Got wet feet on the tarmac here. Small planes don’t rate a gate and ramp.
Dont forget to read my post from the day before yesterday “Quiet Week “. It is certainly better written than this mess But you have to give me an A for effort.
I found a few more photos of “the party ( May 21 ), our private party”, before my actual birthday ( May 22 ) with all of our guests. Kisses from Carlie while Ciela goes for the chocolate. I was surprised when I saw this.
The girls were very much included in opening of my gifts from Colin.
New glasses ( which actually fit over my eye glasses ) and beads for Carnival.
Yes that many clues for the treasure hunt which led to a gift plus more from Colin.
All from mi amore. Hard to see but the yellow orchid is exquisite.
Last Monday was a hot hot day. 92F/33C. Colin put some chairs out for us to relax in the shade. There is a dog fence across the lawn so that the girls could not go onto the patio. The concrete tiles are much too hot and could burn their feet.
So wonderful sitting under the tree. Fun to watch the various activities out on the lake.
I was able to zoom in on Mom and her ten duckings coming to relax on our beach.
Two days later we actually put the electric heater on behind me where I sit at my desk. Ciela would only eat if we gave her the kibble in front of her in the bed next to the heat!! Unlike Carlie she is not a food dog. Colin actually lit the pilot light on the large fireplace, it was that cold.
Today – Sunday was again cool, windy with rain off and on ( we all wish for last Monday ). I took this because her legs were so sweetly crossed.
Not more than two minutes later she reached up and started to scrape her paw directly on her teeth. For some reason they both do this every day. Yes they do get their teeth brushed.
Perhaps thirty minutes later Carlie was in the bed by the heater. She likes to put her foot in her mouth and delicately nibble.
Once she is done with her foot in her mouth she then rolls vigorously on her back from side to side – slithering like a snake. Ciela does the same back wriggling once she is done rubbing her teeth with her paw.
BREAKING NEWS
…..as I was writing this post Colin and the girls were sitting together on the white sectional. I heard a distress cry from one of the girls at the same time that Colin yelled eagle 😯 I quickly looked up and there was indeed a male ( white head ) bald headed eagle with outstretched wings diving down to our beach.
Not much earlier Mom and her kids had come to the beach to rest. Only nine duckings in this shot!!!
I ran outside in my bare feet to try and send the eagle away. It seemed to work. But then the girls came outside. They were barking up a storm, likely upset by the big bird. They ran to the beach and then the eagle turned back towards us. I flapped my arms and the girls barked at full volume. The duckings went towards the lake into deeper water and dived straight down 🙁 The eagle left, the babies were okay and we coaxed our girls inside with the promise of a treat. Thank goodness they moved quickly.
Earlier in the day Colin saw an osprey dive into the lake. Its wings were mostly submerged. It worked very hard at getting up out of the water. Finally it did and it had a large fish in its beak, at least 14 inches long 😮 That was a first for us. I missed it. So much happens in a day on our lake that we just have to live in the moment.
Monday we had temperatures of 91F/33C. It was extremely hot and dry. We started a walk with the girls in the morning, but it was sweltering and turned back home shortly thereafter. Yesterday, Tuesday it was overcast with a threat of thundershowers and winds. Then suddenly the sun popped out from the gloomy clouds.
The clouds were still dark and a very few raindrops were falling.
One minute later, the second rainbow appeared. Look at those colours.
And two minutes later on the other side of our home the rainbow emerged over the lake. These photos are all in the east.
Colin was able to put this panorama shot together. We were too close to the rainbow to get the double arch.
Someone else just a bit more west of us was able to capture this photo.
And even further up the hill from us to the west, someone captured this image.
From the local online news……
Mother Nature did a first class presentation.
