You know that when you kinda-sorta-maybe miss lockdown a wee bit, your summer is in full, hectic swing! Definitely all good, but it has made me wonder about my planning skills. So what have I been doing? When I scrolled through my camera roll, I realized things were so full-on that I didn’t always stop to snap photos. (I know, who am I and what has happened to Donna?) Here’s what I managed to capture.
Family
Creighton (son #4) flew in from Hong Kong. Shaun (son #3) came to the island to help us paint. We met Cory (son #2) & family at a campground in Oysoyoos. Shea (son #1) came overnight with our grandson to join in the fun (Uncle Creighton taught Charlie to play Pokémon GO). And we made not one but TWO trips to Kelowna to hang out with my parents as well as with Richard’s siblings.
Friends
Here, my camera neglect definitely let me down. There were regular Muttley-Crew dog walks, online meetups with friends near and far, a local baseball game, a major league baseball game (see below), birthday celebrations and a visit with Richard’s best friend (and awesome wife) from high school.
Special Events
The big event of July was our weekend away to Seattle with friends to watch the Toronto Blue Jays play the Seattle Mariners (in a nail-biting game, the Mariners finally beat the Jays by one). After the game, we drove from Victoria to Cranbrook (12 hours), then to Kelowna (6 hours), then back home (7 hours). No wonder we’re tired! With all this travel, we were away for my good friend (and #WOYP cohost) Deb’s birthday. Thus, CATDD took place before we left.
Moose Sightings
In 2017, I had a flash glimpse of a moose on the side of the road (Canadian Rockies). Since then, I have longed to have a close-up view of a moose in the wild. This past week, I not only had ample views of the Mariners’ Moose, I also saw a mother moose and her baby. Sheer delight!
Travel
The BC Ferries sign was a familiar sight as we made numerous trips back and forth from the island. Two trips to Kelowna, too many trips to Vancouver to count, and a trip to Cranbrook provided much car time. We also travelled to Victoria to take the 2.5-hour Clipper Ferry to Seattle.
Hiking
I had initially planned for my June, July, August and September #WBOYC posts to focus on hiking. Due to July’s non-stop pace, my hikes were few. But I did sneak in Heritage Walk on the Nanaimo Harbourfront, Protection Island, several 5 km hikes from my home to our beachfront, Muttley Crew walks, as well as a hike with our friends in Cranbrook. Richard and I vow to hit the trails hard in August to prepare for our autumn Camino.
So that’s a brief snapshot of my July 2023. How was yours? I’d love for you to share in the comments or through InLinkz below. I look forward to seeing you there!
Upcoming #WBOYC Posting Dates:
- July 27/28
- Aug 31/Sept 1*
- Sept. 28/29
- Oct 26/27
- Nov. 30/Dec 1*
- Dec.28/29
* The August and November Linkups will take place on the 1st of the following month for the Southern Hemisphere.
All #WBOYC linkups remain open for a full week.
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