Travel Surprises

As you may have noticed, there was no blog yesterday. That is because the day was a whirlwind of both business and adventure.

My day started at 7:30 am with watering the garden and working for the day job for a few hours, so I could knock of my must do's before heading out on my want-to-do's. Next, I drove into Vernon intending to pick up flowers for a friend's birthday... but was waylaid by the clothing store where I bought me presents instead.

Hehehehehehe

Then, off I went to buy flowers for one friend who was having a birthday, and chicken soup for another friend who was sick. Back in the car, I drove the flowers out to Salmon Arm to surprise Marijanel.

They were a total hit! She had no idea they were coming, and since her son got married this past week, I got to meet some of the family. And that is where I got my own surprise.

Setting out, I had a plan. Surprise Marijanel with her flowers, then head fifteen minutes down the street to Canoe Beach. It's a great, sandy spot, and you have to access it by walking underneath a painted drain pipe. Which is cool. Only problem with the plan, MJ and her family had exactly the same thought! I didn't want to infringe on her family time (plus, the bikini was a touch skimpy), so I altered course.

I stopped at a local store for strawberries and water, and headed out to Memorial Park in Chase -- one of BC's best kept secrets in my opinion (Shhh, don't tell). The park is absolutely gorgeous and peaceful, full of old, beautiful trees, and set against the backdrop of a mountain. A train runs past the edge of the water in the shadow of the mountain, and a long, bright red dock jets out into the lake. I hauled my guitar out of the back seat of my car and trucked it all the way out to the farthest reaches of the dock. I sat down, unlatched the guitar case... and rabbited back to my feet. Hot hot hot on my butt butt butt!

I trekked back to the car for a towel to sit on, and spent the next two hours at the end of that pier, playing guitar, tanning, kicking at the water with my dangling legs, and flirting with the idea of swimming in the still verrrrry cold water. When my shoulder blades started to feel the heat of the reflected deck surface a little too keenly, I moved myself under the shade of a tree next to the well-muscled, friendly man leaning against the trunk.

Hehehehehehehe

When I finally headed for home, I took the round robin route through Westwold and Falkland, and I stopped in Westwold to take some stunning (If I do say so myself) photos of the area. (Hint, these pics will make it into my next book). Driving home through Falkland, I passed a nasty looking accident and saw three ambulances screaming their way (hope all survived), and not ten minutes further down the road saw two fire crews working in the tree line beside the road knocking down a fresh grass fire.

"Be careful on that road," I always tell people who are driving out to Kamloops, and this evening it is reminding me why.

I made it home uneventfully with a quick stop at Dairy Queen for a burger and my new favourite -- the Churro dipped cone. I walked in the door at 8:15 pm, snagged my laundry, pet the dog, and walked back out the door again. By 8:30, my laundry was in the machine, and I was at my friend's place with soup and crackers in hand. Fortunately, he was feeling much improved, and that stay lasted the duration of laundry, then it was home again, and back at the computer for another hour of 'day' job work.

So, not a blogging day. Just a truly fantastic one!