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Painter's Lodge, Campbell River, BC

Minnesota and British Colombia

Wednesday, September 03, 2008 We got home last night from a five night whirlwind visit of Minneapolis, Minnesota and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. o The Minneapolis part was planned months in advance. It was for our nephew Mathew Dean’s Wedding and reception dinner. The Canadian part was last minute. Last Wednesday Robert Wilson in our ward called and asked if we were free to go to Campbell River, BC in a couple of days. They had a pre-paid vacation planned and couldn’t afford the airfare, gas, food etc to get away. It was for two nights at Painter’s Lodge and another two nights at Qualicum Beach on Vancouver Island. It included a wilderness excursion at Painter’s Lodge. They said they would give it to us for free, which still cost us around $1000.00 as they warned us. We couldn’t be there for the Qualicum Beach part and there was a conflict for one night on the Painter’s Lodge part, so we asked if that part could be moved one day which, after a phone call we were told it could. Of course we said yes. As it turned out when they changed it the one day, instead of changing it, they added another day and didn’t charge us for it. Darn! We didn’t say no to that! When we arrived at the Vancouver airport from Minneapolis Saturday we rented a black Ford Edge SUV from Budget Rent-a-car, plugged in our Tom Tom and headed for Horseshoe Bay to take the ferry across to Nanaimo on Vancouver Island. At Horseshoe we paid $75.95 for the ferry ride then qued up and sat in the car for an hour and a half or so to board the boat. The boat ride itself took an hour and forty minutes. There is a nice gift shop and three or four places to dine and comfortable seats by large windows. We ate on the ferries in both directions. The drive from Nanaimo to Campbell River is on a four lane divided highway; two lanes in each direction and took an hour and a half to two hours. It is 97 miles through beautiful scenery. We checked in at Painter’s Lodge and went to our room. When we checked in we asked when the wildlife tour was. We were told it was at eleven. I wonder if the girl thought we were asking when it was over because at eight the next morning we got a call telling us that it was at eight. We threw ourselves together in about two minutes and ran for the marine center and hopped in the Hurricane Zodiac with another couple and roared across Discovery Passage to April Point Resort on Quadra Island, where we picked up two other couples and off we tore again to see the wild life. April Point Resort is their sister lodge. We were back and forth between Vancouver Island and Quadra Island pulling in near the shore and stopping when Jeff our guide and driver spotted animals. We saw a large Cinnamon bear on the rocky shore overturning rocks looking for grubs, and watched him/her for ten minutes or so then we were off again. We saw several black bears, three seals, deer and bald eagles. Finally, Jeff heard on the radio that a pod of Orcas had been spotted and off we raced, I think, as fast as the boat could go which had me hanging on to the hand rail until we reached where they were, then we cut the throttle and slowly moved in to within a hundred meters of them which is considered the best distance for viewing without disturbing their activities. They were beautiful to watch, their black and white backs and tails rising up out of the water then diving back down again. We stayed with them mesmerized for quite a while. The pod consisted of a sixty-seven year-old female and seven of her grandsons. Both resorts have excellent restaurants, coffee shops and bars. We ate in three different restaurants and bars, twice outdoors on the veranda. The food was fabulous including the best sashimi I have ever eaten in the dining room at April Point. Monday we drove to Victoria on the south tip of Vancouver Island to visit The Butchart Gardens, I have wanted to go there for twenty or more years and it lived up to every expectation except I envisioned it to be larger than it is. Still I was not disappointed. It cost $26.50 a person admission. We bought a DVD of the gardens to take home. The trip was about 170 miles each way so it took up most of the day. Unfortunately Tuesday morning bright and early we were up and on our way home reversing the route we came. It was enjoyable but uneventful.

STONE SOUP

Monday, March 25, 2002 The cupboard is full of nothing to eat The fridge in stocked with condiments. If I had some bacon I’d have bacon and eggs, —if I had some eggs. My father used to speak of hoboing during the great depression. He would jokingly tell of going to a farmhouse and asking the lady in charge If he could use her stove and a pot to make himself some Stone Soup. He would take a stone out of the yard, wash it clean, and put it in the pot. “Could I ‘borrow’ a carrot to give it a little flavor?” The woman is really curious by now. “How about a potato” “Some salt?” The list went on and on... “Maybe a small piece of meat?” When he was finished he would throw away the stone and eat the soup. He would offer some to the kind woman, Tip his hat in ‘thanks’ and be on his way.

LYNN IS IN TOWN

Saturday, August 23, 2008 Last night we finally got to meet Chris’ girlfriend Lynn Shoemaker. She flew in, Chris picked her up and they drove to Snow Bird. She wanted to see the mountains. Later she and Judy and Chris and Sierra and I had a good visit. This morning the three of them; including Sierra drove the Alpine Loop and were going to have brunch at Sundance Ski Resort but that didn’t work out so they waited for lunch. They had problems in the kitchen and lunch got delayed. I asked Sierra when Lynn and Chris were going to get married. She said after the court stuff is over in Houston. I asked her when that would be and she said October. Sunday, August 24, 2008 This morning in church as well as singing the prelude, our choir which Judy leads, sang Consider the Lilies as a rest hymn. Chris, Lynn and Sierra were there. Diane, Austin and Molly as well as Corey and his family came over for dinner tonight and of course to meet Lynn. Jim is in Baltimore working. I think all are favorably impressed with Lynn and she is already acting like one of the family. She acted quite apprehensive when Judy and I first met her. I think she wanted to make a good first impression. Little did she know that she just has to act herself around the Jepsons.

Hot Rod Driver Angie

Friday, August 22, 2008 Last night after dark, Judy and I were putzing around upstairs when the doorbell rang. It was my cousin Sherilyn. I invited her in but she seemed quite frustrated. She asked very strongly if I would go out to her car with her. Her youngest, sixteen year old Angie was behind the wheel. Sherilyn said that Angie “has her driving test tomorrow and is afraid she won’t pass the parallel parking portion.” They had been in the parking lot of the church, behind our house practicing parallel parking between two cones they had taken with them, and had finally given up in frustration. That’s where I came in. Sherilyn asked if I would teach Angie how to parallel park. I reluctantly agreed. I have never been the type to tell others what to do or how to do it. Sherilyn got in the back seat of their huge-mongous White Ford Taurus and I got in the front next to Angie. Poor little Angie, as cute as she is, is not the tallest girl in the world and could hardly see over the steering wheel. I could hardly see over the steering wheel! We set up the cones; too close together at first, and I stood outside next to the front cone because it was so small she couldn't see it. She drove around and approached them from the rear and I gave her instructions and encouragement through the open windows and she tried over and over, some times sort of good and other times not so good, but eventually after enough tries she got pretty good at it. To show how hard it was in the huge car, I even tried it once and did a poor job. After a half hour or so of her getting bitten by mosquitoes, we quit. I told her that she should be fine in the smaller car she would be taking the test in. After getting her e-mail address from her I sent her the following. So Angie, how did the driving test go today? I hope you passed with flying colors! Crazy Cousin Fred She answered with: Hey!! You were able to read my hand writting. I am very impressed!!!! My test was good. I passed!! Thank you so much for your help!!!!!

You've got to be kidding!!!!!

Thursday, August 21, 2008 Now remember, I jotter-wog (water jog-I made up the term jotter-wog) on a regular basis and twist and turn and try to stay loosened up, and I even push it pretty hard, but this is nuts. Tuesday at a little after seven in the morning, I happened onto Wendy Granata’s water aerobics class at our community pool. Big mistake and even stupider, this morning at seven I forced myself out of my comfortable bed and went over and did it voluntarily. That woman is trying to kill us. I explained to her that she is not in my will and would gain nothing materialistically out my death but she just laughed and pushed us on. I can’t believe that anything that looks so mild mannered can be so exhausting. Even the warming up at the beginning and the cooling off at the end hurt. Oof. After stretching and pulling and walking fast against resistance and every other known legal form of torture, I dragged myself out of the pool, didn’t even do a decent job of toweling myself off; went home acted macho long enough for Judy to tottle off to work then plopped myself onto the bed and fell unconscious for two hours. We have been instructed to bring our “noodles” to class next time; next Tuesday. My mind is imagining what she intends to do to us with noodles. I do remember the phrase: whipping you with a wet noodle. I am afraid; very afraid!