Rain, Rain, Rain! and Remberance Day. November 2nd - November 12th

 November 2nd was the last nice day. Penny came and finished all the "mucking out" of my gardens in preparation for winter. 

Our lake is really going down, as more water is being let into the river for the salmon and we've not really had any measurable rain. This is also the final day for us to sit on the deck for a bit before the week or more of storms coming in. We actually received storm after storm (about 5 or so) with really heavy rain and wind. Lots of power outages all over the island and BC.

November 2nd ... really low

Amazing what 6 days of steady rain can do! 

November 8th

As the ground is now saturated, and all the streams are rushing water into the lake, it's now at the bottom where the steps start, 3 days later.

November 11th

One day later, November 12, the rain has finally quit but the lake came up another couple of feet. Now up 3 stairs and almost to the top of the 4th stair from the beach.

November 12th.

The next storm will roll in tonight with more rain, (Nov 12)

Monday the rain quit for a bit and it's quite warm outside, so I turned the heaters on and sat on the back deck. We needed to dry the chairs off from the damp before putting the covers on them. The firetable hadn't been covered either, so needed to dryout the rocks in it too.

Next few days was nothing but rain. We had to go up to Nanaimo on Thursday as I had a doctor's appointment. We bought buying some crafting things for Amelia, and a Costco run, but otherwise puttered in the house.

Friday, November 6th, was a stormy day. Jason came with Amelia after she got out of school. He helped bring up all the Christmas Village boxes for Ray and Amelia to work with. We have Amelia for the weekend as Jason left for Nanaimo after dinner. As usual she put all the people in this village and helped with some of the houses. Here she is figuring out what houses she wants to place. Ray had stuffed them all under the tables.

Little Miss Sassy Pants helped me bread our pork cutlets for dinner. She is very helpful, and helps Papa set the table and Daddy load and empty the dishwasher.

Good thing we had dinner early (5pm) as the storm arrived. Jason drove over a big tree branch on the highway. It hadn't started raining yet, but it's quite windy.

By 6:30 pm, our power did go out. I saw a transformer crash onto the road across the lake at the Northshore Subdivision. Amelia didn't seem to mind that the power's out. She was up the stairs in the dark to her room to get her flashlight before I could get a lantern out. Amelia did wait until I had lights going and she came back downstairs. She still played with Papa with the magnatiles. No lights didn't phase her at all.

She also brushed her teeth in the dark with her head lamp on. The power came back on about midnight. Amelia went straight to bed and asleep at 7:30. Going to full-time kindergarden and an after school program, she is pretty tired by the end of the week.

The next morning we had power but lots did not. We were lucky but we do have a gas fireplace to stay warm and I can use my propane stove to cook. We are located in the middle of all those red outages.

After our usual breakfast with Amelia and I making blueberry pancakes, it's time to go for a walk/scooter ride while it wasn't raining.

 It just started to sprinkle again when we got back.

More puzzle time with Papa.

We took her to A & W for lunch and then Amelia and I did some crafts in the afternoon. I had some beading projects for necklaces and bracelets that kept her busy upstairs for awhile. Her and I also wrapped up Ray's birthday presents.

We also made Christmas ornaments. I 'd bought tree templates from when we were Nanaimo last Thursday. She was pretty impressed with herself. lol She tells me I need to bring my crafting supplies to her house next time I come as her parents don't know how to do crafts lol I wouldn't either without "Mr. Google". :)

Now that she is older, she plays by herself in the loft with the toys and colouring supplies.

Sunday morning, a little more play time before Jason picked her up at 10 am between rain storms. Amelia packed her things, made her bed and had everything ready to go.

I noticed my throat was a little sore Saturday night and by the time she left on Sunday it was worse. I had a couple of days of cold medicine. Fortunately is wasn't lasting long. 

Monday, we went to Jake's for "seniors lunch" as we had not been for awhile. They had a few new items on their menu that are delicious. I had the mushroom and prawn gemelli and Ray the Maple Miso glazezd salmon and prawns. Of course I only ate 1/2 of mine so that was Ray's dinner too.

Wednesday, November 11th, Rememberance Day, I stayed home and watched the program from Victoria while Ray attended the service here in Lake Cowichan. I didn't want to give anyone my cold.

Here are some pictures Ray took. The parade is not very long, but we are a small town and a lot of people came to watch. Ray said even with the weather, more people were there this year than last year...

Ray's dad served in the second world war.

Here is a short video of the parade and pipers, Ray's favourite. 

Then off to the Legion for lunch and listen to the pipers.

Wednesday night I made a "Restaurant Dinner" for Ray. He's been asking me for Cacio de Pepe (pasta) for awhile now. I had taken out a sockeye fillet to thaw so Maple/Soy glazed salmon with the pasta. He was a happy camper! Thursday night left-overs :)

That was the last 10 days lol Tomorrow, Steve and Dianne arrive for Ray's birthday weekend. Pssst ... he turns 70!