The Big Smoke

Fortunately we have a hepa filter in the car and can still drive around. This picture was taken from the old Children's hospital parking lot. This smoke is coming from the fires in western BC. 

The Deck

the deck is a lot bigger than it appears. and my bank account is a lot smaller than it appears. and the deck is a lot wetter than it appears.
Today the smoky fires from BC are polluting the air so badly that I can't even open the door. The sun is somewhat obscured, otherwise we would get direct sunlight and a dry deck in no time. 

Next time Kat when you come to visit in the snow we can leap the fence a whole lot easier than last year. 

Every little detail is done, our contractor Jeff, is really a landscaper at heart and I think he would brick over everything if we let him. The flower bed is actually deeper than it appears here and we are awaiting underground sprinkler installation  for that on Monday...once again that is a 'maybe'...if it rains, well we are hooped.

ain't my patio purdy? Really well done and so precisely laid out. This one is set in concrete on the perimeter and is at the sill level of the door so that it feels like another room. I can't wait to get it decorated. Of course the post will have battens and will be really beautiful.

Okay, so the deck is up and ready to be covered in vinyl. The vinyl surfacing weasels didn't come yesterday when they were supposed to so of course it rained like a firehose this morning at 6 am and that makes covering the deck impossible until it dries out. Rain showers, with thunder and lightning and hail etc are all forecast for the weekend. D*&^$!!.

I need a caption for these pictures

and the winner is....from Bryan "Look! I said have it in my hands by Tuesday 10:00 am not 2 p.m. Friday!!"

This is my great niece Gwennyth...what big blue eyes!!

A side trip to Montana on the way home

We went with friends on a remarkably wonderful little wee holiday. This is the National Bison Reserve in Montana....my dad loved this place.

The Black Spot Reunion...50 years

August 3rd and 4th 2010 at Cravings in Vancouver

John and His Trusty Camera...Smile!

So...who's she givin' "The Finger" to?

Capon!!! Need we say more?

Uh Oh...B. Morrow has a twin!

Bob Turner and his flowery shirts...some things NEVER change!

I'm tellin' ya Gerry...it's a G Maj. 9th in the 5th bar...

"So whaddya' say...we pick up a chick singer.. "

This is Capon in "Listen" mode
Below, it's Capon in distracted mode and..the limp wristed fellow?
Don't know - I think he just wandered in off the street.

moi and Marion

It feels like Florida

When the sun shone on Ken's bass

John and Ken Capon by the infinity pool

Food and yarns

John and Bryan deep in conversation...probably one they have had many many times before.

I thought the view looked like what I imagine the yangze river looks like. I am only guessing of course. What a lovely spot. I wish I had worked up the nerve to take a dip in the pool. But, I would have been the only one to do so

What a view! The mountains to the east and the water on the west and a delightful spread for lunch. John and Ken and Bill played a few tunes in the dining room even though the bandstand was set up and mike'd and ready to go. I guess everyone was having too much fun reminiscing.

Keith and Doris Angus

They loved to tango and they danced so beautifully together. They were married in 1943 during the war. 

67 years together.We took these pictures at their 60th wedding anniversary dinner and dance on top of Burnaby Mountain where so many family and friends attended.

On Friday June 30th we are gathering to remember them.

They left the planet at the same time. 

Keith Angus

May 16, 1916 -June 23, 2010

Doris Angus nee Monck

February 20th, 1921 - June 24, 2010

Its all about Food and Family and Friends

We are going to celebrate Mum and Dad's life with a gathering of family and friends....it will be July 30th in the afternoon at my house.
In honor of Dad it will be about food and family.
In honor of Mum it will be all about family and friends.
 Dad was a man who loved his grub. He could be seen at gatherings or parties not more than a foot or so from the buffet table, circling like a shark. He was always ready to try anything I don't remember Dad turning down food except for cucumbers and always ready for second helpings if Mum wasn't watching. So often he would be reaching for just one more homemade cinnamon bun only to receive a quick slap accurately delivered by Mum on the back of his outstretched hand. He got to be quite adept at slyly snatching one more cookie or one more piece of pie if he thought Mum wasn't looking. She always was though, her goal was to keep Dad healthy inspite of himself and she did, he made it to 94. He wouldn't have made it to an age even close to that had been solely up to him.
She could never sit still for long, always moving, always with a project of some kind on the go. She was the one who got them up mountains and down rivers, on many of their adventures. She did the planning and the packing and even sewed a tent a couple of times. She never shirked her load either. The one time and last time that she let Dad do the packing was when they climbed Mt Robson and at the end of the first day of slogging up the mountain she took her back pack off only to discover that Dad had put the cast iron fry pan in her pack.
We will have so many stories to share about them on that day.