92nd Birthday Party

My dear, sweet Auntie had her birthday on Tuesday!!
Can you imagine being 92?
She handles her age with grace and acceptance.

We enjoyed a nice meal together and then some cupcakes.

It was so nice of her to tell me what a wonderful thing it was for us to put on such a nice party for her, after she was resting in her bed after the party was done.

I love her.

It is her day!! We enjoyed a little party for her.
Lake Tai food and cupcakes provided by Loretta.

Bryn reading Auntie Beth Ali's email.

All of us at the party, but Loretta is taking the photo this time.

Added bonus from the surprise package.

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Lavender Farm Visit

I enjoy going to the Lavender Farm.
The first time I asked or sort of begged some family members to come along with me.
My mum and dad said they would join me and then Tyler said he would come along also. My joy was great.
We saw the soft purple bunches of lavender, walked along the grass paths and the dirt paths, smiled happily at the many bees and butterflies enjoying the farm with us and ended up by having a few refreshments on the patio.

It was a delightful time.
Now it is a very good memory as my mum is not here to enjoy that kind of outing any more.
So going to the farm is a sweet and sad time too for me.

The next time I went to the Lavender Farm was for the butterfly release last spring.  This time my girlfriend and her family were camped out in our driveway and I convinced her and her step daughter to join my friend and I at the farm.  Once again I was so happy to have Tyler say he would join us there.
It was a different occasion to be there for this butterfly release day but it was most interesting and very different from my first visit.

Yesterday, was my third visit.  Yay!! It seems like it is becoming an annual affair.
Bryn and a young friend came along and we enjoyed something a bit different again.  This time they added a scavenger hunt for children to do as they go around the property.
A wishing tree had been added and a few more items appeared on the menu up on the porch.

Have a look at the photos of the morning and enjoy the Lavender Farm with me.

Part of the hunting for the metal plates for the scavenger hunt. 

Haiku poems were written on paper butterflies and hung up in different places around the farm.  Children were invited to go on a scavenger hunt to find the metal plates with an owl, bee, dragonfly or some other flying creature and use a pencil to rub on the shape to their paper and bring it back filled, for a small prize. 

All colours of flowers, all kinds of interesting things to see and do were found all around. 

What would you chose for lunch or a snack?

It really was a very warm, but pleasant visit.

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Spring kite surfers in Kelowna

Driving home from taking some photos for a lovely bunch of ladies I drove past this scene.
I love happening upon events like this.
It is fun to stop for a short while and enjoy the sounds, sights, and feel of spring in Kelowna.

It was windy so there will be some of that for you to experience on the video and I have to learn quite a bit more on video 101 to be able to not zoom in too quickly, etc.
Still this was fun to take.
Do you see the two jumps of the wind surfer?

Coming down

The ones that were not in the water. So many surfers, such bright kites!

Every day, it seems, brings a new "friend" and this day was no exception. I was walking towards the lake from my truck when this man approached me and asked if my hands were cold? I told him no they were fine and he then asked if I could please help him zip up his wet suit vest. Of course I could help with that and, though it was tight, we managed to get the zipper started and then pulled all the way up. It reminded me of preschool teaching days when I was asked to help do up a jacket every day it seemed. Another fun memory.

Do you see him jumping?

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Power

The power went out.
First the light in my office went very nice and bright, then dimmed and the power was gone.
A power outage was not in my plans today.
The micro wave was off, as was the fridge, stove, blender, lights, computer, tablet... everything it seemed, that I wanted to use.

Did I pay the bill?
Was this effecting my dad's house too?
Maybe a car crashed into a power pole and we would be left with out power until it was fixed.

I called my dad but his power was just fine.

Waiting proved to be the best solution.
After a period of time the lights came back and the clock on the micro wave clicked.

Whew... now I could go back to listening to the workshop I was learning from.
It was such a good one.
Just before the power outage the teacher had been explaining specular highlights and I was finding it fascinatiing.
The science of photography was becoming more and more interesting and exciting to me.

Oh, yes, the power was out just after the explaination of specular reflections.

My camera has a battery and does not use electricity so I could do something with my camera.

I went to the dreary kitchen and over to the sink where a soup pot from the evening before was sitting in sudsy water soaking.
I poured it all out into the sink and there was so many lovely specular light winking at me.

Which one do you think turned out best?

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Today at the IGA parking lot...

"Do you have a dollar to give me? " she asked, her watery brown eyes looking into my truck window.

"I'd like a dollar. I have three dollars here."  She poked at her cupped hand to show me the loonie and toonie sitting there. 

I told her kindly that I did not want to give her any money but that if she was hungry I would buy her some food.  Quickly she looked up again and said she would like to go to MacDonald's.  

My plan had been to drop in at the store for some dried lentils and head home since I was not feeling the best. Call me lazy but I really did not want to run to a different place too. 

"What can I get for you in the store," I questioned her.  

"Some milk, plesae." was her quick reply. " Some Homogenized milk."

"OK, anything else," I pressed gently and she responded with, "Well, I want some smokes!". 

There she had said it straight and clear. 

She wanted me to go in and buy her some smokes. 

I am not used to buying cigarettes so I told her that I did not want to buy her that but I would be happy to pick up something else for food. 

" Well, beef," she told me, " Some lean beef."

I am not well versed in buying of meat either but I decided I could figure that out. 

She walked with me a few steps and then when I started to wonder if she was going to come in and shop with me and then she stopped and waited while I kept on. 

In the store I quickly made my slections and paid for them and left.  

I wondered if she, like others I had bought things for, would have left when I went in. 

Then I saw her sitting on the cement parking curb having a smoke. 

The curls of smoke swirling around and about her.  A motorcycle man was on his bike talking to her and having a cigarette too.   She had two extras firmly in her hand. 

The lady looked up and saw me and came to get the plastic bag that I was carrying.  I wished her a pleasant day and started back to my truck.  She came after me and softly called that she saw a few extras in the bag along with the meat and milk.  

Hopefully she will have a good meal today and enjoy the banana and bag of fresh garlic butter rolls along with the milk and meat. 

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