June ~ one for the record books!

As the sunsets on the month of June...

let me share a few snapshots of 'the month that was'.

Despite having a very dry spring...

the fields looked green earlier this month.

We were praying for rain...

for more than the wee drizzle that we encountered on a Sunday afternoon walk at Cheam Wetlands Park.

On the night that I caught this blue heron at the end of the rainbow...

we actually had a downpour over the farm.

Short and sweet but it helped the crops.

Before school ended for the year, I picked Ranen up after school on a very hot day.

A DQ 'chocolate cherry love blizzard' hit the spot...

and a walk along the beach at Cultus Lake was a good way to spend our time together.

Ranen found a cottage that she loved...

and thought maybe it was actually meant to be hers since it had her initials.

Emme arrived back home from her missions trip to Uganda...

but not without a lot of drama. 

She could not board her original flight home as she tested positive for Covid.

Her and three teammates were left behind...

to fend for themselves in a strange place that never felt real safe.

A few days later, the Ugandan president announced a 42 day lockdown for the nation. 

Unless they had a negative Covid test within days, they would be in Uganda until the end of July.

A lot of prayers went up on her behalf...

and it was nothing short of a miracle that they passed the Covid test last minute and left Uganda just before all travel halted.

Emme, along with two YWAM friends, isolated at home for 14 days...

as required by Canadian regulations.

They had permission to get fresh air and exercise in the back yard of the farmhouse.

The backyard soon expanded to include the entire acreage...

and exercise involved an ATV.

Spencer joined their trio, 

since she had just recovered from Covid herself...

and the foursome came across 'the backyard' for a patio visit.

Their isolation is now over...

the friends have travelled on to their homes in Alberta...

and life continues closer to home for Emme.

The experiences of the past six months will not soon be forgotten!

Once the travel restrictions eased in B.C., we booked a campsite in Midway...

on the recommendation of friends.

We packed up the RV and left mid-morning for a trip to 'Boundary Country'...

with plans to be there by dinnertime. 

We had a leisurely drive...

stopping for groceries along the way, 

passing by a new wildfire just east of Hope, 

lunch in Manning Park, 

cherries in Keremeos,

checking out the business ventures of former neighbours in Cawston.

Just east of Osoyoos we discovered that the highway east was closed until further notice due to an accident.

We were advised to find shade and wait.

Once it became clear that the highway wouldn't likely be opening before midnight...

I turned to Google to see what the options might be.  

I learned there was route north to Oliver...

then east over the mountains which would eventually get us to our destination.

It all looked very simple on Google maps.

And for the first while...

we were thrilled with our scenic detour.

But before long the road turned to bumpy and dusty gravel...

and we yielded frequently to cattle.

This was not the type of road we would have chosen to travel with our motorhome!

We passed by Mt. Baldy ski resort...

one of BC's highest elevation ski resorts. 

With no cell service and no 'old fashioned maps'...

we certainly hoped that we were on the right trail!

How thankful we were to reach paved roads once again...

and arrived at our destination well before dark.

We set up camp along the Kettle River in Midway.

The closed highway never re-opened until the following day...

which made us thankful for our bumpy detour of the previous day.

Midway was once a bustling rail hub in the West Kootenay region of our province.

It is now a sleepy little village...

but a beautiful one!

Midway is Mile 0 of the Kettle River Railway and to the east lies another rail trail...

the Columbia and Western Rail trail.

We cycled east to Greenwood one day...

and west to Rock Creek the next. 

We opened and closed gates...

...lifted our bikes over fallen logs 

...cycled through a logging operation and past farmer's fields

...swerved to miss marmots and rabbits

...while deer grazed peacefully beside the trail.

Of all the paths you take in life,

make sure a few of them are dirt.

~John Muir

I couldn't agree more.

We explored abandoned cabins and outhouses.

And we got very hot!

It was extremely warm to be cycling last week.

I found a way to cool off.

Temporarily!

Once again we enjoyed cycling a few pieces of the rail trails of British Columbia.

There are many more waiting for us to explore.

Another time...

when it is a little cooler!

We circled around to Kelowna on our way home...

spending a night camped on the shores of Okanagan Lake.

It was nice to visit with family there that we hadn't seen in a long time due to travel restrictions.

We made it home before the extreme heat event of 2021.

I guess it would qualify as the extreme heat event of the last century.

For several days running we broke all-time high temperature records here in British Columbia.

We are not used to temperatures of 43C (110 F)! 

We are thankful for a cool house when being outdoors is unbearable.

Tomorrow is Canada Day.

And yes, we are flying our flag!

I am thankful to live in this great country...

even if there is much in our history that I am not proud of.

God bless this nation evermore

And help that it may stay

A land of right for all mankind...

This may we ever pray!

Those were the last few lines of a poem I wrote for Canada Day 1967.

Canada's Centennial year.

I will say 'amen' to that prayer again this year...

54 years years later.

Happy Canada Day...

and thanks for stopping by.