A quiet two weeks, Ray's friends come for lunch and Steve and Dianne come for a visit. August 12 - 25

This week is much cooler and cloudy. Not much happening at the lake, unless it's your summer vacation and you have no choice. lol

Saturday, some aquaintances of Ray's came to the lake for a kayak ride and lunch. Fortunately the weather cooperated and is sunny and warm at 26C.  Karen and John arrived at 10am and we served them coffee and pastries down on the dock. 

By 11:30 we had them "kitted out" for their kayak adventure towards town and back.

The lake is starting to go down and our beach is starting to appear.

While they were busy doing that, I put the finishing touches on lunch. Grilled Pork Souvlaki skewers on the BBQ, fresh tzatziki sauce, pita bread and a greek salad using my tasty home grown cherry tomatoes. For desser,t it's fresh local strawberries made into tarts. Yummm.

After a lovely short visit, they left about 1:30 as they have a puppy at home. They're concerned their beagle might have an accident in the house if left too long.

The rest of the afternoon we spent down on the dock until the predicted clouds came in and the winds came up. Fortunately, it's cool enough now to sit on our sundeck with a fan going. After dinner we went back onto the deck to see a beautiful sunset.

The sunset is definitely a precursor to what is to come. Temperatures are certainly cooler. Sunday is mostly cloudy and we did have thunder and rain overnight. Monday another spectacular sunrise before the clouds came in and it rained on and off all day. Ray took me for lunch at Jake's for Seniors Day. lol

Tuesday rinse and repeat other than a few errands in Lake Cowichan. We did have the Telus Security guy come and update our security system since Price Alarms is now Telus. This was an unexpected $900 charge as our old system is based on 3G and not compatible with Telus. We need to have coverage when we travel, so no choice.

Wednesday, another grey day with a bunch of rain to come in the afternoon. This weather certainly is not like summer weather we usually receive in August. Summer finally came around the second week of July and seems to have left the second week of August. Today, Ray headed into Duncan to pick up some rigid styrofoam for his Christmas Village project and also pick up his e-bike. We took them in to adjust the rear derailers. We seemed to miss most of the rain until dinner time, then it came down in buckets.

Tomorrow Steve and Dianne come down for a couple of nights, unfortunately the weather is going to be wet and grey. Ray's surgery is moved up to next Wednesday, August 28th, so we are scurrying around getting the last things on his to do list before being laid up.

Thursday, Steve and Dianne arrived at 1:30 or so. Ray spent the morning in Duncan at the hospital getting his ECG, XRay and bloodwork ready for next Wednesday. 

We were able to sit out on the deck as it's only sprinkling with no wind. Quite cool though, so we turned on the heaters and fireplace. In the meantime I'm busy cooking a bacon wrapped pork loin roast on my Traeger smoker.

Picture by Steve

Picture by Steve

My awesome Kitchen Cleanup Crew!

We managed to sit outside for a bit after dinner before coming in and watching a movie on Netflix.

Friday morning is wet, but we decided to go out for lunch at the Youbou Bar and Grill. It just sprinkled on the way. We took them for a drive up into the new subdivision across from us on the lake and then drove through Youbou a bit before stopping for lunch. Here is a funky fence from old water skis that I thought looked cool.

When we left, it's pouring outside so headed straight back home and were able to sit on the sundeck with the heaters on again. Ray needed to move an umbrella to protect Steve's back. lol

Picture by Dianne

Picture by Dianne

Dianne's favourite spot. Cozied up on the sundeck looking at the lake, even if it is raining!

All of us gave up about 3 pm, the rain is relentless and the wind came up. Inside we went to watch some more TV. Dinner tonight is leftovers for Ray and Dianne. Both Steve and I were still too full from lunch, we did have dessert though. lol

After watching another episode of "Wednesday", we called it a night at 9:30 pm. It sure rained hard overnight but ended in the morning. Still grey and blustery outside though. 

By 10, they were all packed up and ready to head down to Victoria. They'll be looking after their grandsons for the week, while Mom and Dad work. Great seeing them, our last time before they head to the USA for the winter.

Ray has a few more things to get done before Wednesday's surgery, so that will keep us busy for the next few days. Fortunately the weather cooperated for us to get some pruning done in the gardens and planters. The big rain event decimated my petunias and now they are all slimey. We just had a small window Sunday to get it done before the rains begin again on Monday.

These 2 weeks seem to have flown by!

Quiet week and ending with the final flight of the Mars Hawaii Water Bomber. August 8 - 11th

This week is much quieter with all our company going home. The daytime temperature spiked starting Wednesday through the weekend. We definitely spent more time down on the dock as it's too hot outside on the deck.

Our flowers in the front garden are looking fabulous.

Saturday our neighbour parked his boat at our dock, while he and a bunch of friends pulled a dock section to the beach to replace the floatation under it. It's quite a synchronized system with using his quads as the "puller". They finished by 3 pm and Mike's boat back at his dock. Luckily it's a much cooler day with a breeze for all the "muscle work".

Sunday is the last flight of Coulson's Hawaii Mars from Port Alberni to Victoria where it will go to the museum. We invited ourselves to Ray's cousin Brian's in Ladysmith to view the flight. The huge water bomber has been a staple in fire protection here in BC for many years. 

In December 1941, two days before Pearl Harbor, the Glenn L. Martin Company had rolled out a new flying boat, the largest of its kind in the world.

The Martin Mars, a huge propeller powered seaplane the size of a Boeing 747 jumbo jet was decades ahead of its time. Remarkably preserved and still flying more than half a century after they were built in Middle River, Maryland between 1941 and 1945.

Between 1945 and 1956 the Mars fleet traversed the wide Pacific. Like ships, each had been named: Philippines, Hawaii, Marianas, Caroline, and Marshall Mars. The Navy Mars carried cargoes of blood plasma and spare parts to Pacific bases, and flew back with litters of wounded soldiers from Korea.

In April 1946, Hawaii Mars carried a record 35,000 pounds of cargo to Honolulu and on the return flight carried a record 100 litter patient and 20 medical personnel to Alameda. On 4 March 1949, the Caroline Mars set a world record by carrying 269 people from San Diego to Alameda, California. On May 19, 1949, Marshall Mars broke that record by carrying 301 seamen and 7 crewmen from Alameda to San Diego.

The story of the mighty Mars, the largest operational seaplane manufactured in the United States goes back to the glamorous days of the 1930’s Pan American Airlines' "China Clippers", a seaplane built by the Glenn L. Martin Company carrying rich and famous passengers to the Orient. After building the first three China Clippers, Glenn L. Martin looked to bigger and better long-range flying boats. In 1938, the U.S. Navy ordered a prototype seaplane as a patrol bomber, naming it Mars. The Mars was originally designed as an "aerial battleship" carrying ten tons of bombs and bristling with four powered machine-gun turrets. With a wingspan of 200 feet and a two-story hull 120 feet long, the Mars seemed more like a ship than an airplane. Like a ship, it was built from the keel up and launched backwards into the water after being christened by the obligatory bottle of champagne. The spacious interior included a galley, showers, and sleeping rooms for a crew of 13. The aircraft carried 301 passengers plus crew on one recording breaking flight.

The Mars began flight trials in 1941, just before Pearl Harbor. Early combat experience proved to the Navy that the lumbering aerial battleship with a slow cruising speed of only 140-185 miles per hour, would be fatally vulnerable to aircraft fighters. But the war furnished another urgent mission for long-range aircraft - flying cargo across the submarine-infested Atlantic. As losses of merchant ships mounted, transatlantic airfreight looked like an attractive alternative to the vulnerable Liberty Ships. The original Mars, shorn of her warlike turrets and bomb-bays, was then converted into a transport. It ferried tons of rare ores from Africa and priority cargo to Hawaii.

Between 1945 and 1956 the Mars fleet traversed the wide Pacific. Like ships, each had been named: Philippines, Hawaii, Marianas, Caroline, and Marshall Mars. The Navy Mars carried cargoes of blood plasma and spare parts to Pacific bases, and flew back with litters of wounded soldiers from Korea.

In April 1946, Hawaii Mars carried a record 35,000 pounds of cargo to Honolulu and on the return flight carried a record 100 litter patient and 20 medical personnel to Alameda. On 4 March 1949, the Caroline Mars set a world record by carrying 269 people from San Diego to Alameda, California. On May 19, 1949, Marshall Mars broke that record by carrying 301 seamen and 7 crewmen from Alameda to San Diego.

In 1956, newer and faster land-planes made the Mars obsolete. The Navy sold the four remaining planes to Forest Industries Flying Tankers, Limited, a Canadian company. Based at Sproat Lake in British Columbia, these Mars were converted from long-range cargo planes into short-range water bombers. Special scoops were mounted, enabling the planes to take on 7200 gallons of water during a 20-second water run - then rain it down on a forest fire nearby.

Hawaii Mars and Philippine Mars continued to safely serve the industry for the next 45 years when the remaining owner, Forest Industries, decided to relinquish its tanker operations to the Coulson Group in 2007, which continues to locate them on Sproat Lake near Port Alberni, BC. Hawaii Mars is the remaining serviceable tanker but because of operational costs and minimal contracts the Mars saga is coming to a close.

Ray managed to get a good shot from Brian's sundeck. Years ago when we lived in Port Alberni this plane would give a water display on the Alberni Inlet at the company picnic.

Ray's video:

Here is a video of its final flight in Victoria with the Canadian Snowbirds.

We had a lovely visit on Brian's deck and then a delicious dinner of ribs, corn and salads. Did I mention dessert is a choice of five different flavours of homemade ice cream? Ray's in ice cream heaven!

Brian, Sandy and Sandy's mom, Irma

They have a fabulous view.

This cactus is as old as Brian (over 70 years old) and was his late uncles. lol

We were back home by 8:30 pm after a great afternoon. Sure gets dark much earlier now. 

August Long Weekend - Company Arrives! July 31 - Aug 7th

Company is a comin! So glad the weather is fabulous. We spent Wednesday and Thursday gettng ready. 

Kristi and Amelia arrived around 3 pm and my cousin Gordie and his wife Susana arrived at 5:30pm after experiencing heavy traffic from Victoria. Of course there's an accident just before the Malahat! Jason stayed home as he's suffering with a migraine headache and will come tomorrow morning.

Picture from Susana

I made Beef Rib Fingers and Pork ribs on the Traeger for dinner. Sides are a Mexican Corn Salad and Kristi's green beans from her garden. I also made Blueberry Mousse Cheesecake in advance with some help from Amelia decorating. 

Kristi, Amelia, Ray, Susana and Gordie

The whipping cream is melting as she is being so careful to place all the blueberries. lol

Kristi, Amelia, Ray and I were up at 6:30am, while the rest of the bunch stayed in bed until 7:30am.

Saturday morning Jason arrived at 9 and shortly after, we all piled into our new car and headed into Duncan for the Farmer's Market. All 7 of us fit! We'd decided coffee and pastries will be our breakfast.

Ray took Gordie and Susana for a quick walk to see some totems. It's pretty hot outside already and Amelia is done, so the rest of us waited in the shade.

Back home everyone headed down to the dock, while Jason and I made burgers for lunch. It's a really warm afternoon, so we spent the rest of the day down at the dock. Both Gordie and Susana opted not to swim. Susana is from Mexico and she loves the heat and finds the water way too cold. 

Jason probably wouldn't swim either, but with Amelia, he braves the water lol. Both Jason and Kristi wear lifejackets as it's easier holding Amelia up.

Look at that silly dog crawling up onto me! Amelia's swimming on her own. Thanks to Darryl and Pat, we have skinsuits for her to wear so she can stay in the water much longer. She is wearing Papa's fishing hat. lol

Ray made margarita's :)

Time to go back up to the deck. Instead of me cooking another big dinner, we all decided to have the leftovers as there's lots. Definitely easier for me :)

Kristi and Susana

Family walk. Amelia zooming off in front of us on her scooter.

After Amelia went to bed we visited with Gord and Susana on the deck.

All of us were in bed around 9 pm.

 

Once everyone was up we all went out for breakfast and then Gordie and Susana left they left for the ferry in Victoria. We sure enjoyed their visit. They were supposed to come last year at this time but for one reason or another had to give it a pass. The rest of us spent the afternoon down on the dock again. 

We borrowed the little kayak from our neighbours for Amelia to try. She did pretty good.

I barbecued two chickens for Sunday dinner. More than we need, so I sent one home with the kids on Monday.

Monday morning Amelia and I made blueberry pancakes with sausages for breakfast. We did a bunch of relaxing, or at least the Perry Clan did. :)

Pretending to nap lol

Amelia says not enough pillows or blankets lol Everything's piled onto Daddy

Stealing Papa's chair! A new game.

This morning, the lake's calm and pretty clear. We asked Kristi to check if she could see our missing chair under the water. She was unsuccessful.

While Jason's occupying Amelia in the house, Kristi finally got a few minutes to herself.

We played bean bag in the back yard for a bit before they all headed home. Amelia did not want to swim today.

Tuesday and Wednesday was catching up on laundry from 4 beds worth. lol The weather is still really warm so afternoons are spent swimming down on the dock.