Sunday August 2, 2015
Forgive me Father for I have sinned. It's been a freakin long time since I blogged! It's not that I haven't been busy.
That's because it's the "Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza!!" which has somehow stretched into 11 days. It starts the day before our annual pilgrimage to The Devlin place in Campbell River for the Hillbilly Ho Down with a trip to Spanish Banks with the Ratdogs and the Grandkids.
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Treats for everyone!!
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As you know it's one of our favourite Vancouver spots. I must have 10,000 pictures of this tree.
That's as close as we got to sunset this night. We frolicked on the beach until dinner time. There's a visual ! Me frolicking anywhere!
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| Squatch in full frolic! |
We left about dinner time for the ride back to Coquitlam Bella was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. Christo look Papa'd us all the way home. We were going to be up early for our trip to Vancouver Island for Hill Billy Ho Down III.
We were up early and in front of Jen and Christians at the agreed upon 0630. They weren't ready. The lovely Lisa, wether deserved or not, has a reputation for running late. In order to preserve my marriage, I will stress that Chef Boy R Lisa is amazingly Punctual! Jen wasn't counting on this and you couldn't wipe the smile off the Lovely Lisa's face with a death in the family! When we did get going we got on the 0830 ferry without having to wait too long.
This was Bella, Christo and Christians first time on the ferry.
It was very cool to see the looks on their faces as they walked through the ferry crammed full of people to enjoy a nice Wet Spot breakfast.
The weather could have been a little better when you consider it hadn't rained for 78 days!! Still as true Wet Coasters we persevered, no, enjoyed the liquid sunshine!
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| Look at the Joy on those faces! |
On the Nanaimo side, after a quick stop at Timmy Ho's, we decided to take the old highway to Campbell River. We stopped a few times on the way up. The weather held off though it was grey most of the way.
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| Qualicum Beach |
The sun broke through just as we hit Willow Point , the southern most part of Campbell River. The annual Wood carving festival had just ended .
Pretty cool stuff.
The Devlin Place is on the other side of Elk Falls past the dam. BC Hydro are doing a three year update of the dam so we had to take the long way around. At this point Bro Steve and Lyndsay joined us in the motor home and with Karen in the lead we took the back road to The Devlin Place. The lovely Lisa and I where staying in the cabin that they have on the property.
I don't do well sleeping on the ground. I'll tell you about it later.
Bro Steve and Lyndsay were set up and living the life within minutes of arrival.
There is so much to do there when you consider it's the middle of nowhere! These North Island types are real breeders. Some of these people I have never seen without a newborn or one in the oven! Subsequently there was a crap load of things for the numerous offspring of the cold North Island nights to do. Not once in the weekend did I hear any kid say "I'm bored".
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| Bouncey Castle |
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| Giant Hammock |
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| Trampoline and Pool |
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| Dogs in strollers |
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| Little Bit |
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| Cotton Candy |
And for the adults Beer
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| Jen and Christian |
Catching up
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| Stu and Squatch |
And in true Hill Billy tradition, Beer Pong!
Sitting by the propane fire
The Murray Girls
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| Allie the soon to be breeder and Karen |
A little music
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| Bro Steve and I |
Too soon we had to make our way back to Vancouver for Chef boy R Lisa's 0230 call time at work. We started back down island at about 10 am. This time on the new highway. Jen, Christian and the kids were already on their way. Lyndsay and Steve left with us. Sunday afternoon ferry Hell. Jen made the ferry with only a one sailing wait. The lovely Lisa and I, not so much. The lovely Lisa switched cars and went home with Jen and Christian and the Ratdogs. That made Bella very happy.
I sat in the ferry terminal until 6 before getting on the same ferry as Bro Steve and Lyndsay. The lovely Lisa was already asleep by the time I got home.
Continuing with "Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza!!" Chef Boy R Lisa worked her usual 3 days in which we are ships that pass in the night. I worked a couple of shifts at the convention centre on Monday and Tuesday then took the rest of "Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza!!" off.
Much to my surprise after working a 14 hour shift on Wednesday the Lovely Lisa wanted to go down to watch the fire works. I met her near the studio at 9:30 and we tried to get down to English Bay but that didn't happen. Instead we stopped in Mount Pleasant just past Oak Street and watched them through a gap in the bushes.
Yay Brazil!!! It doesn't matter much to me, the Lovely Lisa loves fireworks. What a way to continue the"Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza!!"
Thursday was a day of rest... ish. We took the Grandkids and the Ratdogs to Buntzen lake for the afternoon. I picked up a raft at Walmart for $20 bucks and it was a big hit. Unfortunately even in my new svelte shape ( Holding steady at 275) I am too much man for this raft!
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| Bella and Christo |
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| Gramma Lisa and Christo |
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| Bro Steve and Bella |
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| Elvis the cabin boy! |
Bro Steve took Bella on a tour around the lake where she got to touch a fish someone had caught. Tired out after 5 hours of fun in the sun we packed up and took the Grandkids home.
Then we went for sushi at Tentatsu
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| As much fun to play with as it is too eat! |
Then drove down to English Bay to my favourite sculpture in the whole world. It makes me smile every time I see it.
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| What me Worry?? |
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| I'll worry for both of us Honey! |
We watched the Sunset and had Ice Cream at the Marble Slab. Peanut butter with Rolo and Oreo. I don't care! It was yummy!
We meandered our way back to Coquitlam talking about our plans for the "Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza Eve!!"
Up bright and early we headed over to Deep Cove to pick up the Kayaks for the "Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve Birthday Week Extravaganza Kayak Camping trip!!" We loaded the two Kayaks onto the roof racks of the Rav 4 at Lyndsay's and headed for Whistler.
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| Stack em baby |
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Paul and the Lovely Lisa on Birthday eve
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If there is a more scenic road in the country than the Sea to Sky highway I've never been on it.
We made our way to Porteau Cove where we had a lunch of deli meat, fresh buns and fruit while we enjoyed the amazing view.
We rolled into Whistler about 2:30. Unfortunately we rolled into the wrong campground. We rolled past our camp ground 20 kilometers ago. So I said to the lovely Lisa, whose campground screwup was 100% her fault, "That's why they put steering wheels on these things honey" as we turned around in the parking lot.
The Whistler RV Resort was pretty good we had a primo spot overlooking Black Tusk and the valley.
After we got settled in I took the Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve to Alta Lake where they were going to paddle down to Green Lake on the River of Dreams.
First in daylight then by moonlight since it was a Blue Moon. It takes about 3 hours to do so I went back to the campsite.
Where Lyndsay made us tea and we ate cashews. When the lovely Lisa called 3 hours later I drove down and picked them up at Green Lake. They said there were several portages mostly around beaver dams and the water was quite low in places. "We were the only ones on the river" Bro Steve said.
We went back to the campsite where we had an excellent dinner of beef curry with Roti and papadam.
At 11:00 I drove them down to the starting point. There was a full bright moon and they were all jacked up to get started.
Paddling into the dark as the clock ticked over onto their 51st birthday. I went back to the campsite where I prepared our bed in the back of the Rav 4 and sat with Lyndsay who was doing a Mother Theresa fashion show in an effort to ward off the pigeon sized mosquitoes!
I drove down to the pickup point after Lyndsay went to bed and waited for them to emerge from the river. After loading the Kayaks in the dark we were back at the campsite by 3 am. I barely slept a wink in the back of that Rav 4. I guess a mattress topper wasn't the best idea for a mattress. It didn't matter because 3 hours later the sun came up and the Rav 4 became an easy bake oven.
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| Birthday Twins |
We headed down the hill towards Vancouver as the valley filled with smoke from one of the many fires burning right now.
We made it home in time for the Lovely Lisa to have a nap in preparation for the Fireworks that night. I can't nap. I tried but nothing! So off we went to the fireworks. I paid $25 for parking 15 blocks from the beach. The lovely Lisa really likes fireworks so it was well worth it.
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| Birthday Fireworks for us! |
The weather was so nice, there wasn't the slightest breeze. Not that good for a fireworks show. By the end we couldn't make out the fireworks for the smoke!
After the show we walked up to Denny's for the Lovely Lisa and Bro Steve's free Birthday Grand Slam. Of that we have no pictures.
That's all I've got
Till next time
Peace out Y'all
It started at 3 pm. Imagine 50 Scots people in various degrees of inebriation with a 6 hour head start. There were already a couple of people speaking in tongues. Or maybe just Glaswegian! 
