A Flying Trip

 Things have been a bit crazy around here for the last little while.  Trying to get the market garden all planted and weeded .  Getting ready for the markets etc.  My sister is visiting for ten days or so.  On Tuesday morning we made a flying trip to Oliver. We stopped at one thrift store on the way, and tried for another, but it was in Princeton and isn't open Monday or Tuesday.  We had a great time yesterday morning though at the thrift store in Oliver.  They had a bag sale, which means that for $5 you get everything that will fit in a paper grocery bag.  They work hard to roll things up tight and stuff them in there.  Between us we filled two paper bags, and that included fitting in a small box fan/heater.  After we had hauled that back to the house on our bikes, we set off again and visited a garden center along the river.  I chose a route that took us down a steep rocky trail from the upper bench to river level.  A bit more than Cathy bargained for!  I bought a few heat loving, drought resistant flowers, stuck them in the ground, and I hope they will survive until it rains again or someone arrives to water them.  I've pretty happy though, it's rained an inch and a half at Oliver this month, which is as much as the previous four months combined. We always have to water and mow and weedeat and weed when we are there, and this time was no different.

Here's my new skinny sister.  She joined in with us on the Whole 30 style eating when she visited in February, and then continued on when she went back home.  Between the two of us we have lost 50 lbs.  It's a lifestyle now.  Yes we have the occasional treat/cheat.  The first night we went for a walk, ended up at the drugstore, and found a deal on good dark chocolate (85%) for $1 a bar.  We may have eaten a bar.

Here's my squash plants that are planted along the fence line in the back yard.  There they catch a bit of water from the neighbour's lawn irrigation, and obviously it is agreeing with them just fine, as they have grown quite a bit in three weeks.  

We always turn our water off when we leave, then we don't have to worry about a leak and us not being there for weeks.  Timers to water the plants would be nice, but we just worry about something going wrong and no-one noticing.

The rose along the west side of the house is in full bloom.  Just beautiful!

And conveniently covering/perfuming the bathroom window.

The snapdragons come back every year, and they self seed too...bonus!

I planted the gaillardia, and they are doing well this year.

   

Last time we were there, it was the smell of lilacs filling the air.  This time it was honeysuckle.  

I have planted more squash in the vegetable garden.  A few different clumps.  The grapes along the back fence are loaded with baby bunches.  The sage bush is in full bloom.  With enough water, things grow amazingly well in Oliver.

Mt. Cheam on the drive home Wednesday evening.  About 45 minutes from home.  There is a  4x4 road and then a hiking trail that takes you to the top, from the other side.  I want to try that one year.  David has been to the top twice.

We had some bizarre weather on the way back.  We went from sun at the start and finish, with a wild thunder, lightening, pounding rainstorm through Manning Park.  It was coming down so hard that at one point we had to pull over as we couldn't see.

Back here in Abbotsford, we are smelling cow manure.  This morning they are spreading liquid cow manure on the field next door.  Thankfully the wind tends to blow the smell away from us.