ZOINKS!

Snazzy sunrise header picture by Doug. Pretty beautiful!

Yes, I am still alive. Admit it, some of you were wondering weren't you? 

Off we go... 

I left you hanging at Thanksgiving so there is a bit to catch up on. Firstly, we are all well. That is the most inportant thing. Both our Mom's are still doing well. Doug's Mom, Helen, lives in a care home in Medicine Hat AB where she receivs excellent care. She is 101 years old. Amazing. My Mom, Nadyne, still lives in her senior's active living establishment about one hour away from us. Enjoys a glass of wine almost weekly with a friend or two at the local Royal Canadian Legion next door to where she lives. 90 trips around the sun for this lady. Again, amazing.

Grandsons are growing like the proverbial "bad weeds". We love being around them. August is now 11 years old, Jasper is coming up 9 years old next month, Rudy is 7-1/2 years old and Holden is 2 years old. 

Yes, Doug and I are older too!

I am keeping busy helping out 2-3 days per week with the boys that live near us (August, Jasper and Holden). Rudy lives 8 hours away so we don't get to hang out with him this time of year. Too many snow covered mountain passes to cross. To counteract complete and utter boredom, Doug is working again 3 days per week helping his brother, Don, who works at a commercial construction company handling maintenance issues with their customers. Doug is helping with billing etc for Don. He and Don have always gotten along so well it hardly seems like work at all (shhh, don't tell the big boss). 

Yes, Eurii is sitting in the driveway....We did get another "new to us" car. A 2006 Jetta so Doug could go his way and I could transport the boys to and from school on my "work days" in the van. They love it. Well, Holden didn't "love it" at first. The first day we had him in there he yelled all the way to school (thank goodness it is only 5 minutes away) "Grandma, get me out!!!!" Over and over again. Now he can't wait to get back in. Eurii has that way with people. 

It really felt like a bit of a shock when the end of December came and we were still here. Then it SNOWED!! What the heck?? We are still getting over the culture shock of that for sure. We have started entertaining ourselves by reading the blog from last year. That's pretty desperate but that way we can see what we were doing "this time last year". I can assure you, it was WAY warmer where we were this time last year. Don't get me wrong, we are having fun and enjoying time with family and friends so that's what really matters, right?

Here are a few pictures to get me back on the right track. Hope you enjoy them (if anyone is still out there). Yes, as always, I'll try and do better.

Our local White Rock Community has 8 or 9 sculptures down on the promenade walk by the pier. Beautiul work.

Pier in the background.

Reportedly the "longest pier in Canada"

Local duck pond park just up the street from us. Beautiful walking through here. Early November.

Sunset looking across the street.

The Three Musketeers from up the street!

August, Holden & Jasper 

Our other Musketeer, Rudy!

You know these had to come, sooner or later!

This brings us up to 2024. I guess I should be wishing everyone a "Happy New Year" and I do! Let's hope for good things, great health and maybe, just maybe, some peace in this world for everyone.

Not where Eurii (or Doug) wants to be....

Hard to tell in this picture but the hill we live just off of is a 23% grade. At the first hint of a snowflake or ice they close the hill. People around here love it as it's their own private ski, tobbogan, snowboard hill. That

is the ocean out there where the pier is.

And less than a week later virtually ALL the snow is gone. Life on the West Coast of Canada. We get some snow then it disappears pretty fast with all our rain.

Doug and I have had extensive conversations about our future plans. We are HOPING that this time next year we will, once again, be in Mexico. We have dabbled with the idea of buying (again) a very small trailer but we both feel like we have another Eurii adventure in us. There is such simplicity in traveling in the van. For sure we miss the conveniences of a small trailer (bathroom comes to mind, hot water on demand too) but there is just something about Eurii....

We already have our first camping trip up on the books for mid-May. That will come up fast enough. Funny how life does that as you get "older" isn't it? There will be loads of Canada camping this year. 

Peace out friends.

Thought for the Day: Never be afraid of what you can't do. Be afraid of what you didn't try.