Tuesday, June 30, 2020

June ~ as it happened in 2020

2020 has been a year of chaos and turmoil and uncertainty.
The month of June was no different.


But here I will focus on those things that are 'lovely and of good report' for the most part.
And the blooms of June are definitely lovely!
These were the last of my white peonies...
and now we are on to roses and lavender and hydrangeas.


Our guests have for the most part visited with us on the front porch.
I think Chester was wondering if he might be allowed in.
Or maybe he was looking for a a treat.
He has stopped by on many 'Covid walks' this spring.


After months of going 'nowhere' we packed up the RV...
and joined some friends at the lake in Summerland for a few days.
The sun was shining when we arrived...
and maybe an hour after.
Then the rains arrived and we never saw the sun again until it was time to leave.
The bikes stayed attached to the motorhome...
and we found other things to do.


Things like eat.
And play Rook...
And watch a church service together.
And hike in the mud.
And laugh a lot.
It was good to spend time with friends in the great outdoors...
even if the weather was not what we had hoped.
We think we will go back to that spot one day...
and experience those biking trails under the Okanagan sun.

Our friends headed for home and we carried on to Scotch Creek Provincial Park on Shuswap Lake for a few more days.


We were surprised to find the campground nearly empty...
since it appeared to be fully booked on-line.
The lake water was high and the beaches and benches were all under-water.


The sun was shining and we found a good biking trail.
I would not have said it was 'good' if I had my old bike...
but 8 kms up a mountain forestry road was not too bad with an e-bike!


The view at the top was amazing.
We had planned to have a leisurely picnic lunch up there...
but the mosquitoes prompted us to 'eat and run'.
It was just us two up on that mountain.

We have been to Scotch Creek many times over the years but this was the first time that we stayed at the provincial park. It really is a beautiful spot!

On Father's Day we had the whole family together for a picnic at Cheam Wetlands Park.
It was the first time we had all been together since Christmas.


The cousins compared notes...
and hair.
Don't these two look like they could be twins?
They may be a few years apart in age...
but are good buddies.
Maggie is sporting a cast this summer...
which will put a bit of a damper on her hiking and running and swimming.


Ranen is growing in leaps and bounds and is taller than Auntie Heidi now.


As for Emme and Spencer...
they are both working at the Refinery House this summer.
What will DQ do without them?


June is the month when the Fraser River always threatens to overflow its banks.
It is at its peak right now...
and some of the low-lying roads and trails are underwater.
We discovered that on Sunday's bike ride...
and had to find an alternate route.

Also in June...
my dad spent 11 days in the hospital.
Once he was 'on the mend' he could go back to his suite at Birchwood...
but was obligated to quarantine for 14 days.
Now that was not easy for him!
Today was his first day out of quarantine...
and we were also allowed our first visit with him since mid-March.


We had a one-hour visit...
outside, safely distanced and following all protocol.
He had saved up a few stories to tell...
and the hour went quickly!

This past month has seemed a little more 'normal'.
We ate at a restaurant for the first time in many months.
We visited with friends.
The grands spent some time here.


At a time when there is so much darkness and unrest in the world...

...how beautiful to see a rainbow stretched across the eastern hillsides several times this month.
It reminds me that there is hope!
There is Light in the darkness.

Wishing you all a very Happy Canada Day...
or Independence Day!



5 comments:

  1. Loved revisiting your month of June. I'm so happy to hear you got that visit in with your father. Chuckling about his stories filling up the hour. What a weird time we are living in.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I have some explaining to do! Your blog was not uploading on my sidebar and, when it did populate, no pictures! This is bad news for your beautiful corner because, come on, the pictures! Anyway, I finally arrived and you wouldn't believe it, no pictures. I sat here in dismay. Finally, there they were and well worth the wait! (I don't know if this is a Blogger problem or if it is a problem here with me.)

    So glad that you were at last able to visit your father. This is such a challenging time for so many and the older generation is really taking a hit. If I could kick covid in the ask, believe me, I would. Hope that you are able to visit with him regularly from now on.

    Wonderful to get away...hi, Lovella!

    Ranen is so beautiful. What fun for her to pass her Aunt by in height. Are the twins working at their aunt's salon? Sounds more fun than DQ.

    Enjoy your summer...grab those days all that you can. Fresh air and sunshine is so good for health.

    ReplyDelete
  3. It was so good to see your family, Judy. All of the grands are growing up so quickly. Glad you were able to get out and about some. As I've said countless times before, you live in (what must be) the most beautiful location on earth!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I'm with Ellen...it is alwasy fun to see your re-cap. I'm so happy for your dad to finally be able to get out of his room. I'm sure this is a first experience for him of this sort. Family times are more precious than ever. Not to be taken for granted.

    ReplyDelete
  5. How did I miss your June recap? Well, it was wonderful! I’m so sorry your dad was ill but happy to hear he is back to his suite! I simply love how you and yours embrace life and find the beauty and best from each day.
    I would send you 50 extra degrees in temps if I only could!!! Thinking of your sister in South Texas. And saying a prayer for her as well as for you and your family.

    ReplyDelete

'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson