Even with all the smoke, family had fun summer
We will remember the summer of 2018 and the extremes of weather, not to mention fires and smoke. Not since the fires of 2003 has there been a summer of too much cold (we had the fireplace on July 1), too much hot, too little rain or too much haze.
The wonderful thing about summer for seniors is their company. Have you noticed how seniors sigh and act as if they can barely change the beds and shop for groceries in time for the next batch of grandchildren to arrive?
When company is coming, seniors decline social invitations and drop off the neighbourhood radar, all the while trying their best to appear nonchalant and cool, even though trembling with anticipation at the sight of their offspring.
The following is an unedited response to my request for a quick summary from my 12-year-old Vancouver granddaughter, Charlotte, of her mid-August visit here.
“Smoky Summer 2018. First things first, Ainsley and I arrive in Kelowna seeing Grandma and Mike waiting for us. After saying hello we get in the car and drive back to Somerville. The next day we wake up and have Mike’s famous waffles for breakfast. Although it is very smoky it didn’t stop us. Ainsley had a great idea of going to play mini golf. The next days we went to the beach, went paddle boarding and kayaking. My funniest memory is when all four of us went kayaking. Mike’s chair slowly reclined so by the time we were paddling back he could not move his neck. Over all even with the smoke I had a great time.”
Not so wonderful is the fact a dear friend is dying in the hospital. She loves anything from Tim Hortons so I take her treats often. I attended the funeral of a wonderful friend who died of cancer. She was calm and serene to the end, just like in life. My Spokane daughter phoned to say she was recovering from emergency surgery for a detached retina. She is finding the recovery period hard, says she has too many floaters. I try to reassure her that time will heal and I have read the treatment has a 90 per cent success rate. Not so wonderful is the fact that, as a mother, I do tend to worry.
Summer is travel and our holiday in the Maritimes will always go down in my wonderful column. We have photos from Peggy’s Cove, The Citadel and the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick. We have enough warm memories to last all winter.
My Books and Friends Since ’77 club met at Rotary Beach for a play date. We old girls had a picnic together and, since the weather was chilly, opted out of water sports and played frisbee on the grass.† We are fortunate to still play golf, walk with groups and manage to consume lots of chocolate and red wine. I hope we can make our play date a weekly event this fall.
More wonderful is the response from my 15-year-old Vancouver granddaughter, Ainsley Rose. Here is what she wrote when I asked for a few notes regarding her time in Kelowna.
“It was so smoky that we couldn’t even see across the lake, but that did not stop us from having a great time. Mini golf, beach day, paddle boarding, kayaking and more. I drew a picture of us kayaking to Mission Creek and laughing as Mike was lying flat on the kayak not able to move (his arms look like a T-Rex). We all were laughing so hard.”
Before they departed, the girls presented a Smoky Skies 2018 production (starring Vancouver’s Super Star Sisters) that included a duet, My Favourite Things and displays of their artwork. Charlotte told cheesy jokes about a talking parrot and we had to guess the longest word in the dictionary. The answer was smiles because it has miles in the middle.
Mike did his Betty bought a bit of butter schtick and I played Brahms’ Waltz In A Flat. Ainsley did improv with a tale about her very old, very slow teacher demonstrating how to bake a muffin. She had us laughing out loud. Another duet, How Much Is That Doggie In The Window? and we all sang Happy Trails To You to finish.
It is too quiet here now. Puzzles and board games are still on the dining room table. I thought I had won the Game of Life because I retired first, but Ainsley informed me she had won because she had the most money! The girls loved our neighbourhood Block Party even though Ainsley Rose received a giant bee sting. They loved picking peaches in a neighbourhood orchard, near where their mother picked cherries when she was a girl. There are still beach towels on the floor and even Coco and Merlin are subdued. A wonderful, not so wonderful summer indeed.
Jeanette Dunagan has lived in Kelowna for more than 40 years. Email her at jd2399@telus.net.