Last Day in BC

Today we relaxed with the family, went for a drive, and just enjoyed our time together.

Their bull mastiff, Maisie, loved all the attention she was getting.  She enjoys company as much as her family does.

She likes to challenge Mary for the role of alpha female, but Mary knows how to handle her.  Maisie is just a pup after all - barely a year old - and she's still learning her place in the pack.

I wanted a picture of silly Baron wearing his new glasses, but every time I went to press the shutter button on the camera, he moved.  I got some cute expressions though.

This stance and expression is just like his dad.

And this was his 'this is as good as it gets' expression.  He really does look handsome in his glasses.

Layla and I were drawing on her white board when Maisie decided she wasn't getting enough attention.

Then we went for a drive from Oliver to Penticton, stopping for a look around Kaleden on Skaha Lake.

This shell is all that remains of an historic old hotel on the shores of the lake.  It has no roof, windows or floors and you can look in the front window holes right out through the back ones and onto the lake.  You can see vines growing through one of the windows from the inside.  The back yard is well kept with picnic tables for a nice recreational area on the shore of the lake.

It was a cold windy day at the beach at Skaha Lake.  Just look at those waves rolling in.

We spotted a brave and lonely para-surfer out there in the cold.  He looked like he was really enjoying himself as he skimmed along the waves.  We couldn't understand why he didn't freeze out there.  My hands got numb just holding my camera.

Can you spot him out there on the water just to the left of his para-sail?

 Meanwhile, a bundled up Baron runs along the beach to try to keep warm.

 When the para-surfer came close enough to us so we could see him better, we noticed that he was bundled up against the cold too. What fun he was having!

In the evening, back at Mary and Greg's house, we had a belated birthday celebration for Lloyd, whose birthday was last month.

Layla and Baron had painted pictures on canvas for him - very colorful.  I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of Baron's, but it was very colorful too.

And now we need to get a good night's rest for our 12 hour drive home tomorrow.  We're concerned that all the rain we've had here in the valley has translated to snow in the mountains so we want to be well rested for what could be a trying drive home.  It was worth it though to be able to visit these kids of ours who live farther from us than any of the others.