Cheese, YVR, the wetland, the hot tub,

Tis winter! It was -19 C. this morning. Sunflowers continue to grow in the repotted palm. Those funny squirrels and chipmunks.

JB went shopping. This wasn't quite what I wanted. (I really don't like processed cheese!) Not only that, but it was past its best before date! This was Friday, Feb., 19. The Best Before date read Nov. 2020.

I went online, and couldn't find email contact info for Metro. Somebody should know about this. Instead, I had JB fish the receipt out of the burn bag, and did an online survey. I heard nothing back. I found Metro on Facebook, and posted a message to them, with the photos. I seriously don't want the $4.49 back. I worry about shelves with old food, and those with health issues. They responded with this:

Chris, a manager, phoned me Saturday morning. He was quite cheerful. I didn't want anything, just wanted them to know about the stale date! He couldn't understand how it happened, as they've sold a lot of cheese during the pandemic. He offered us a gift certificate, and I declined. He said he would do it anyway, and leave it in the office. We've noticed that... OK, not "WE" as I don't shop, if I can help it. My much older husband is the shopper. JB noticed that some shelves are empty-ish in some stores. 

YVR

We walked with Jesse and Cluny to school on Friday morning! It was so much fun! They are in Vancouver. Jess phoned and invited us, so we did Facetime while they walked the two minutes to school! It was fun. I asked Cluny if she was going to do art, or read, or puzzles. She wasn't sure, she told me. I took screen captures for fun!

Friday, Nutmeg continues to chew on the box. She goes right in, head first. It keeps her busy! Daisy used to chew branches on our forest walks.

Cinnamon takes like a little easier than that.

SCRABBLE

I continue to play Scrabble with Caitlin. We never get a word this good, though!!!  QUIZZERS for 365 points.

Weather BINGO

The hosts were playing weather BINGO on Your Morning. It was funny! 

They posted a video of Kelsey jumping after Lindsey yelling out BINGO during her forecast. It's lovely to have some fun in the morning. They laughed so hard tears were falling. If you have a moment...

Bingo! We have a winner! Congrats to @LindseyDeluce for winning Weather Bingo today. This is the moment when @KelseyMcEwen and the team found out. 🤣 pic.twitter.com/jP2dwpAiEi

— Your Morning (@YourMorning) February 19, 2021

WINTER WALKIES

I went snowshoeing. I left at 10:36, and arrived home at 11:05. It wasn't long, but in knee-deep snow.... 

it's hard going, and good exercise. It's not so bad on the deer trails, but on the wetland the bulrushes lean over, and collect snow, and your foot sinks.

The forest trailcam shows my trekking. You'll note my duck cane. In the wetland, the snow was so deep I'd place it in the snow, and had to bend over pull it out. It was pretty useless! snowshoeing 

 

The poor young buck. He's had this one antler for more than a week. Perhaps two! You can see, like a loose tooth, that it is bothering him!

Notice my behind. I didn't fall. The snow was flying up, from the snowshoes behind me, as I trudged! My pant legs were soaked, too. I have to strip my pants off in the foyer, so as not to get snow everywhere.

The kids went sledding in Ottawa, and had a grand time! They are so good with the kids, getting them out and about. Finding activities. They are still enjoying the hot tub they rented for February!

YOW => YVR; YTO and back to YOW

It was a direct flight from Ottawa (YOW)  to Vancouver (YVR). It takes five hours, but since Vancouver is three hours behind Ontario, we were pretty good. We left at dinner time and arrived at 11:30!
Flying standby is not for chumps. There were some grumpy people in YVR, they landed and missed their flights back east. No sense being grumpy. I'd rather they did some things for safety, rather than dumping us in the drink. Just sayin'!
We had some hours to fill, but you're never bored, people watching!
I was watching hubby, and planes, however!


And we taxi to the take off!



This is the best flight attendant I've ever met. She was very warm and welcoming to us on the way there. Much confidence, she was in charge of the other attendants. She served us, and asked what we were up to, as she wanted to go with the guys on our left, who were going salmon fishing. We told here we were visiting the new grandbabe! Lots of little kids on the flight. Look at the socks!

 

She asked when we were returning, and I said Thursday. She said she'd be on the flight, and would look forward to seeing us. There she was!

The ticket agents weren't there yet. People were asking the flight crew questions, since they were in uniform and had arrived in good time and sat. Our favourite flight attendant first went over to the gentleman in the wheelchair, chatted, and told him he would be looked after. He needed help getting from his chair to the seat, and she assured him that they would get two rampies to assist him, and not to worry. He was hard of hearing, with a hearing aid in one ear. I would be afraid traveling in this situation. He didn't have anyone with him.



She asked if we had seats, and I said no. And it didn't look good. She jokingly offered to put us to work on the plane for a seat.
To hubby: "You be in the galley."
To me: You can work the back!"
Hubby does have safety training, as even management had to have it when he worked for them. Our Kathleen would have known that! It was filled to the gills, however.

Ticket agent arrived. This flight was late in, people were getting antsy to have the rampies do their work, and catering to refill the food, turn around and leave!


We were right. There was some waiting to be done, with baited breath, after a good lunch! Hooray for WiFi, as I posted our updates to family. We tried for the 10:30. Nope. The 11:30, delayed to 12:30, proved to be the magic one.


Big, black boots on the seat. What? Were you raised in a barn? We are conscious of being former employees, and even have a dress code.


Made it to Toronto at dusk.  We were getting closer. Hubby lined up to get seats from YTO to YOW!


Several planes we did 't manage to catch!


I didn't get a window seat, but beggars cannot be choosers! It was a 777 with nine seats across in the back. We weren't together, either, but we were both pretty tired! We were over the wing, I was in the middle, on the aisle. The flight attendant gave the safety spiel about opening the door, to the people on my right. I always take that stuff seriously.


It was good to be home. An hour drive, in the dark, through Ottawa streets, across rural roads. It was quiet and peaceful. Home by midnight!

FINAL: Be it ever so humble...there's no place like home!

What a wonderful, spur-of-the-moment Vancouver tour! We drove in to the Ottawa airport (an hour's drive) and flew 4364 km west across four provinces. It sure was good to get away from appointments, and routines.

I had hundreds of photos to sort through (800+). I think I have carpel tunnel syndrome from doing this!!! I've organised my postings, links below, as I'm not posting in order of our itinerary! They are much fun for us to look back at, and review the photos. Our Ottawa kids have been camping in Algonquin Park for 4 days, too. They've missed my posts this past week! Here is the summary.

 Aug. 8, Saturday afternoon: On the spur-of-the-moment, we checked flights and decided to fly that evening to Vancouver. We arrived at 00:45 a.m. and found a hotel. Not so easy.

Love that furrowed brow!

Aug. 9, Sunday morning: Up at the crack of dawn, we didn't have too much jet lag. Jess picked us up at the first hotel in Richmond, Sunday morning. Then he took us to his place downtown. He had to leave for a gig: a matinee for Les Mis. They had great reviews, and they finish tomorrow. Laureen, his MIL, turned up for a visit. It was good to see her.

In Vancouver...
The kids loaned us their 2nd car, a convertible Cabriolet, since Jess rides his bike to the theatre, and that was a great treat. It's a classic car, 25 years old, and he's earned himself a classic licence plate.
It was especially wonderful seeing Our newest granddaughter, Cluny. (That makes three granddaughters!)

Selfie, or Ussie, in Jess' car!

Sunday afternoon: We took a nice long walk up Commercial. Fun being in the city. After a lovely visit, we decided to hoof it to our hotel in Steveston. It was fun driving the kid's car!
Checked in to our reserved hotel, all was well. Lights out pretty early! I like Vancouver and Richmond city streets. The cedars are amazing.

Aug. 10, Monday morning: We let the kids have a mid-morning brunch, while we toured around a bit. JB tried to find a book. Shopping,  Steveston, the Richmond ...

Monday afternoon:  Off to Bloedel Conservatory, VanDusen Gardens
Bloedel Conservatory Birds the photos were much fun. People taking pictures, too!

Fun making her giggle!

Aug. 11, Tuesday morning: We tootled around and visited Steveston Dyke (same photo post as above!).

Tuesday afternoon: Our trip down on the docks, we met there, and another terrific lunch with the kids!

We ambled down to another spot, a new development The Village at Imperial Landing, that looked a bit underdeveloped. The birds were amazing.


Aug. 12, Wednesday morning: The park: Everett Crowley Park in Vancouver.

Wed. afternoon: the show, dinner with Jess, who was between shows. Into Vancouver to see Les Mis

our newest girl!

Aug. 13, Thursday morning: Back to the airport. Missed the 9:00 a.m., 10:30 (they were full!) and caught the 12:30 flight to Toronto. That got us going in the right direction. Then, we made the 10:30 p.m. flight back to Ottawa. After arrival, an hour drive home!

When we arrived at YOW airport, the cabbies were protesting the higher fees for the privilege of picking up passengers at the airport. The noise was bizarre, at midnight. You can listen here!

It's a busy time of year for travel. These folks were waiting for a flight in a Richmond hotel, to get to their cruise. There were a lot of Americans here doing just that! But we are home. And resting up!