We've returned from 5 days in British Columbia, where we attended a family reunion. George's brother Dick stayed with us for a few days before we headed up to Vancouver.
George has posted over 300 photos of the trip in our Flickr account, and about 25 videos.
I'll just list the highlights here:
Our day at the Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver, featuring native Haida totems. 
The paddle-boat cruise, with lunch, on the Frasier River. 
Watching the mountain- bikers at Whistler, where the 2010 winter Olympics will be held. 
A local fish hatchery, with the salmon run.
Hiking up to a waterfall, and of course, all the great food of the Pacific Northwest.At the Museum I bought "Campfire Cuisine ` gourmet recipes for the great outdoors" by Robin Donovan...this book features many of the types of meals we prefer when we camp! It even has the same spices, oils, and...polenta! There are directions for cooking, whether over a grill or fire, and how to pack the coolers for optimum cooling.
I took along several books to read in the car, since I can't visually 'track' moving images anymore: "Breadline USA - the hidden scandal of American hunger and how to fix it" by Sasha Abramsky; and "Wild ~ stories of survival from the world's most dangerous places" by Clint Willis, editor. It features the writing of a variety of authors, including Barry Lopez, Wilfred Thesiger, Bill Bryson, Jack London, etc.
When we got home George told me that he had to cancel the repairs to his old Dodge Caravan, necessary emission repairs. It would have been about $3,000 to upgrade that old 1993 motor (once rebuilt). Just not worth it, for a car that isn't even worth $300.
My car is a 96 Pontiac, with bungee cords holding the trunk down and clear plastic packing tape holding the glove compartment door shut. George taped it closed, making an enormous mistake - he taped the airbag compartment too! I could just see the whole unit, airbag and glove compartment, flying into someone's face if it all went off. So, he found a ragged tool to cut the airbag compartment loose...and, bygolly, now my car looks just like something George would drive.
I left the van in the parking lot at Precision Automotive, with all of the motor parts in boxes in the back seat. What a horrible last image, of a van that we loved so much! It was towed away today by Paralyzed Veterans of America, Northwest Chapter. I told them, "You can't miss it - it has about 25 wildlife stickers on it."
That van spent many a night under the stars in the deserts of eastern Washington. When I cleaned out the drawer under the passenger seat I found an old espresso cup, one of Taraz's cereal bowls (he'd been looking for it), and plum pits. A most revolting reminder that 'out of sight, out of mind'...
Speaking of driving, I bumped into a car as I was pulling out of the parking lot over at the Franklin Park Community Gardens. The owner, Lily, a pediatrition here in town, had parked her old garden van perpendicular to mine. I figured if I inched around I could wiesel my car out. I closed one eye and tried to figure it out. It is moments like this where double vision is just horrible - I have no depth perception. So I drove very slow.
I heard a thud and a scrape, and darn if I didn't bump into her. Well, I was just devastated! I ran back into the garden where Lily was working and told her I'd rammed into her car. She said, "Oh don't worry about it, Bonita. That is just an old van I use for gardening."
But, I needed to show her the big 4 inch dent along a wheel rim, so we walked out to the parking lot. We walked over to her van, and I pointed to a huge dent along the wheel rim. Lily laughed and gave me a hug. "Bonita! That dent has been there for four years. YOU didn't do THAT!" She laughed, and indicated that no damage had been done.
Well, I've forfeited my driving for awhile. I've started a walking route, to the garden, the grocery store, the dentist and doctor. By combining errands, I can get my cauliflower at Fred Meyers and walk up 19th street to my garden to pick kale and onions. Not bad, about an hour's excursion, a perfect daily walk with some of it on a steep hill... just what I'd been looking for.
I'm still canning produce, about 15 more jars of spaghetti sauce, green beans and pickled beets. I'll be making a zucchini cake today and some Portuguese kale soup.
