GOODBYE AND LET’S GET MOVING
Goodbyes are always hard, and today was just that. We left Kathleen and Glenn’s home in Vancouver. Over the last 30 years Kathleen and I have said goodbye nine times and each time we believed we probably wouldn’t see each other again. But that prediction has never come true and so today, though tinged with sadness, had us in fact planning another get together. In France maybe? Hawaii? Who knows were, but you certainly can’t put down a great thirty year friendship. So as I said goodbye, I also added that probably we’d be getting together when we’re both using zimmer frames!
But leave Vancouver we did, and earlier than expected. We left at 8 a.m. driving through busy rush-hour traffic, heading east along highway 1 as far as Hope. It was an easy drive, as some of it we had experienced the other day when driving to Langley.
Then came the drive through the mountains. Oh what a journey. The mountains soared hundreds if not thousands of feet skyward. They were not just snow capped, but the snow came down to ground level in places. It was so exciting. All along the roadside was a fast flowing river, with great white water rafting /rapids potential. Then we came to a road workers place where the snow had been piled high. We pulled in there and couldn’t resist a snow fight and of course Mumkey (i.e Monkey) had his photo taken with the snow. Unfortunately Pinkie missed the photo opportunity.
Back on the road we soared up and down the hills, and then it began to SNOW! Very exciting. It was only like that for a few minutes, but flurries definitely landed on our windscreen. Then came the rain.
Actually we have experienced temperatures of 39deg F to 59 deg F today.
We stopped at Princeton, which seemed to be mostly inhabited by retirees. A sad little town with a lot of closed shops, but a young man in the supermarket said that there were entrepreneurs coming to town trying to start up new businesses, so maybe there is life for Princeton yet.
Next we passed Hedley – unfortunately we didn’t stop – which was a shame as this old mining town is full of interesting exhibitions. But most interesting were the mining holes/caves that we could see still open half way up the mountainside.
And mountainsides...oh what mountains. Once over the snowy mountain range, the landscape changed. The land became arid and there didn’t seem to be much soil. What there was, was huge mountainsides of loose rock/rubble. Just everywhere. But still the ever present Fir trees still managed to grow in the stony surface.
In several places along the roadside, we saw piles and i mean piles of vintage wrecked cars parked . Made you want to cry.
We’ve arrived in Osoyoos, which is a lakeside tourist town at the bottom of the Okanagan (British Columbia).
We could either go over the border here...just a few minutes up the road, or drive further east and go over by either Lethbridge or Midway. So gotta do a bit of research on distances. Whatever we do, it’ll be mountains and more mountains. They’re truly beautiful.
Goodbyes are always hard, and today was just that. We left Kathleen and Glenn’s home in Vancouver. Over the last 30 years Kathleen and I have said goodbye nine times and each time we believed we probably wouldn’t see each other again. But that prediction has never come true and so today, though tinged with sadness, had us in fact planning another get together. In France maybe? Hawaii? Who knows were, but you certainly can’t put down a great thirty year friendship. So as I said goodbye, I also added that probably we’d be getting together when we’re both using zimmer frames!
But leave Vancouver we did, and earlier than expected. We left at 8 a.m. driving through busy rush-hour traffic, heading east along highway 1 as far as Hope. It was an easy drive, as some of it we had experienced the other day when driving to Langley.
Then came the drive through the mountains. Oh what a journey. The mountains soared hundreds if not thousands of feet skyward. They were not just snow capped, but the snow came down to ground level in places. It was so exciting. All along the roadside was a fast flowing river, with great white water rafting /rapids potential. Then we came to a road workers place where the snow had been piled high. We pulled in there and couldn’t resist a snow fight and of course Mumkey (i.e Monkey) had his photo taken with the snow. Unfortunately Pinkie missed the photo opportunity.
Back on the road we soared up and down the hills, and then it began to SNOW! Very exciting. It was only like that for a few minutes, but flurries definitely landed on our windscreen. Then came the rain.
Actually we have experienced temperatures of 39deg F to 59 deg F today.
We stopped at Princeton, which seemed to be mostly inhabited by retirees. A sad little town with a lot of closed shops, but a young man in the supermarket said that there were entrepreneurs coming to town trying to start up new businesses, so maybe there is life for Princeton yet.
Next we passed Hedley – unfortunately we didn’t stop – which was a shame as this old mining town is full of interesting exhibitions. But most interesting were the mining holes/caves that we could see still open half way up the mountainside.
And mountainsides...oh what mountains. Once over the snowy mountain range, the landscape changed. The land became arid and there didn’t seem to be much soil. What there was, was huge mountainsides of loose rock/rubble. Just everywhere. But still the ever present Fir trees still managed to grow in the stony surface.
In several places along the roadside, we saw piles and i mean piles of vintage wrecked cars parked . Made you want to cry.
We’ve arrived in Osoyoos, which is a lakeside tourist town at the bottom of the Okanagan (British Columbia).
We could either go over the border here...just a few minutes up the road, or drive further east and go over by either Lethbridge or Midway. So gotta do a bit of research on distances. Whatever we do, it’ll be mountains and more mountains. They’re truly beautiful.
Dinner is brought and we're in a motel with a kitchen this time, so it's nice to go for fresh for a change.
Happy days everyone
Jane and gang
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