Back To Mexico ...

March 19, 2016

We ventured to Mexico this morning ... for the visitor appreciation day celebrations ...

touring around the town ...

and visiting a lot of the booths along the streets ...

While Dave was having dental work done ...

Mike ... Linda and I went to the little Mexican restaurant ...

across the street from the Dental Office ...

We had a great time and the food was delicious ...

With the weather hitting 97 F ... Mike and Linda enjoyed their Mexican beers ...

while I sipped on a large glass of fresh lemonade ...

We were grateful to have had air conditioning in the SUV ...

as we made our way back to Glendale, AZ.

We were back in time to head to the Westgate Entertainment Community again ...

to go watch the hockey game with a few of our friends from Ontario ...

who were also vacationing in Arizona ...

It was wonderful to meet up with them and enjoy the game ...

It was a busy day for all of us ... !!!

 

Easter Celebrations ...

We celebrated with Oma and everyone at the Easter Buffet ...

at

Joseph Creek Village ...

Nathan had decided to drive here on Easter Sunday ...

the eggs had to be decorated for the Easter Bunny to hide ...

around the house and property ...

The Easter baskets were filled with goodies ... and ready for the Easter Bunny ...

Mike and I had gone outdoors and saw where some of the eggs were hidden ...

The grandchildren will be so excited when they arrive ...

The kids arrived around 6:30 ... in plenty of time to go on their Easter egg hunt ...

They were worried they might have to use flashlights to find all the eggs ...

It was a great workout for them ...

after being in the truck for a few hours ...

to go running around gathering the eggs ...

 

It's Easter Time ...

Wishing all our family and friends ...

a day filled with happiness ... love ... and laughter ...

Have an Eggcellent day ... !!!

 

 

Off To Yuma ...

March 18, 2016

We were up very early this morning ...

heading to Yuma, California and then to Los Algodones, Mexico ...

It took us about 3 ½ hours to our destination ...

We parked in Yuma and then walked across the border into Mexico ...

It felt weird not being stopped and checked for entry into the country ...

We toured the area and went with Linda and Dave ...

to a consultation at a dental office ...

Once they were done with their appointment ...

we walked back into the USA ...

The Mexican border was about 8km from the hotel where we were staying at ...

This hotel was beautiful ...

it is the Quechan Casino and Resort ...

We got settled in and loved the view from our room ...

The pool and Lazy River looked so inviting ... especially with the 93F weather ...

We decided to go and enjoy the water ...

Ooooooohhhhh ... it was heavenly ...

floating along the Lazy River on our tubes ...

Mike ... Linda ... and Dave ...

floated thru the caves and waterfall ...

After cooling off ...

we headed out for dinner and then spent some time in the casino ...

We did not stay out too late ...

as we had a busy day ahead of us going back to Mexico ...

 

Heading to Arizona ...

March 16, 2016

We left around 2:00 pm to head down to Kalispel, Montana ...

for a flight to Phoenix, Arizona to visit with Mike's sister Linda ...

and brother-in-law Dave ...

They met us at the airport after 9:00 ... and then we travelled to their condo ...

in Glendale ...

Waking up the next morning to a beautiful sunny day ...

which was perfect for leisure time at the pool ...

We decided to go for a hike after breakfast, while it was still cool ...

before the temperature became "HOT" ... 92F (34C) ... in the afternoon ...

We had a lovely homemade dinner ...

BBQ'd ribs ... fresh Asiago baguette ... and a Greek Salad ...

before travelling to the Westgate Entertainment District ... for the evening ...

to check out the area and St. Patrick's Day activities ...

It was an amazing place ... !!!

 

Lunch Time ...

March, 13, 2016

It was close to lunchtime...

and James just loves to help out getting the fire pit ready ...

to cook up some hotdogs ...

Grandpa chopped up some kindling and James gathered some dry twigs ...

to get the fire started ...

The gang came down to the camping area ...

to enjoy their lunch by the fire ...

Ella taking a few minutes to sit and relax on the swing ...

then it was time to roast some marshmallow ... the kids like theirs blackened ...

and I love mine lightly toasted ...

Once the kids were done playing and riding their dirt bikes ...

they wanted to jump into the hot tub ...

before they had to pack up and travel home ...

 

Still Working ...

March 13, 2016

It's Sunday morning and the gang wanted homemade waffles and eggs ...

before they headed outside to ride their dirt bikes ...

Nathan helped Mike insert the panes of glass ...

that were pushed out from the snow off the roof ...

that had crashed into them early this year ...

Nathan brought his Compound bow to get some practice ...

shooting the arrows into the target bag ...

and setting the sights ...

James went out to the shop to help out with tightening bolts on the VW ...

Ella continued working on her walking stick ...

and

Craig continued to tear apart an old cassette deck ... to gather wires and electrical gear ...

Oma and Joe came out to visit ...

they were brought into the shop to see the work that was being done ...

Ella demonstrating how her walking stick works ...

and then we all went outside to watch the kids ride their dirt bikes ...

Something that Oma just loves to watch ... !!!

 

 

Out To The Shop ...

March 12, 2016

After we finished our dinner ... the gang went out to the shop to work on the Volkswagon...

The plan was to put the transmission in ...

Craig was working on some electronics ... more like tearing it apart ...

while Nathan and Mike lifted the transmission into place ...

Craig helped out with tightening up the bolts ...

Ella also took a turn at using the wrenches ...

The decided to work with wood and create a new style of a walking stick ...

The kids love working out in the shop with grandpa ...!!!

 

 

Grandchildren Arrived ...

March 12, 2016

Waiting for the family to arrive later in the afternoon ...

I decided to do some baking ... 2 pie crusts for Chocolate Pudding Pie ...

and while the crusts were cooling ...

a batch of shortbread cookies were made ...

Then made up the pie filling ...

one pie Sugar-free and the other with Jello Chocolate Pudding ...

The grandchildren were so excited when they arrived ...

they wanted Nathan to get the dirt bikes off the truck ...

so they could go riding ...

Craig with his new dirt bike, James with his new dirt bike (Craig's originally)

and Ella with her first dirt bike (James originally) ...

Today was the day that Ella was going to learn how to ride ...

She did amazingly well ...

for someone that was a little hesitant at first ... it was hard to get her off the bike afterwards ...

It was great to watch all three riding together ... !!!

We played a few games ... a few card games of Uno ... a game of Trouble ...

and a few games of Foosball ...

waiting for Grandpa to get home from his course he was taking in town ...

We had a delicious dinner of Halibut ... caesar salad ...

gnocchi dish with Parmigiano/Reggiano cheese ...

and a baked dish of cheddar/mozzarella cheese gnocchi for the kids ...

(they did try the other dish as well)

Now for dessert ...

before serving individual pieces of pie ...

I had them do a taste test ... "which pie was Grandpas?"

I sliced a piece of each pie ... gave them all forks ... and they tasted one ...

then cleansed their pallet ...

and took a bite out of the other one ...

Nathan was the only one that knew for sure which one was Grandpas ... !!!

The light coloured Chocolate Pudding Pie was Mike's ...

my homemade Sugar-free filling ...

Mike was thrilled to be able to enjoy his favourite pie ... !!!

After our dessert ...

the kids wanted daddy to show Grandpa ...

his new Elk Bugle ...

Demonstrating loudly ... I'm sure the whole neighbourhood heard him bugling ...

but not one elk was in sight ... !!!

(I believe he needs a little more practise)

 

Painting the Pan ...

March 11, 2016

Mike took advantage once again with the nice weather to work on the VW ...

He had sanded the bottom of the VW earlier ...

He wanted to get this done before Craig, James and Ella arrived ...

The kids really wanted to help out and work on it ...

Since I was the only person around at the time ...

I ended up helping carry out the "pan" to the stands for Mike to paint it ...

Once it was painted and set to dry out in the sunshine ...

it was time to pack it back into the shop to finish drying ...

Ready for the next stage of rebuilding ...

 

Both Families ...

At the park with Nixon ... playing on the slide ...

Kendall wrote saying ... "It's Halloween on March 1st ... I have ironman/wolverine and 2 ghosts"

So cute the three of them ... !!!

Daigen and Kendall enjoying Texan Day !!!

Nixon hanging out at the pool ...

Daigen was up bright and early to ride his skateboard to the park ...

It was amazing to watch the video of Daigen learning how to ride the long board ...

 

It was great to get the pictures of Ella and of the tooth she pulled out ...

Loving James new haircut ... sure looks like his daddy ...

And ...

Look at Craig with his new dirt bike ...

Excited to see him riding it when the kids come here for the weekend ...

hmmmmm

Guess James will get Craigs' old bike ...

and Ella will get James' ...

Hope the weather co-operates for all of us to go riding ...

 

VW Transmission ...

While I was out working in the garden ...

Mike was outside sandblasting the transmission and differential ...

and then covered it with a coat of POR15 ...

(an extra durable undercoating paint)

to protect it from rust, stones, and abrasions ...

Slowly but surely the VW restoration is starting to come together ...

 

 

Snow and Sunshine ...

March 4, 2016

It had been so nice the last few days ...

so it was quite a surprise to see the snow falling in the evening ...

but it sure was a beautiful sight in the morning though ...

I decided to spend some time outside ... and chop away at the snow piles in front of the house ...

These piles of snow that slide off the roof take a long time to melt ...

plus it is very compact ...

It was great that Mike helped break it up with a large rock bar ...

I then proceeded to toss the chunks out on the lawn into the sunshine ...

and it didn't take long to melt after that ...

Now I will be able to clean up the flower beds and rake up the lawn ...

After working on the snow piles ...

I went down to the garden to check it out ...

I was so delighted to see some of the produce already growing ...

The spinach and parsley is ready to be picked ... and while cleaning up some of the squares ...

I found a few carrots ... that had wintered and were still good to eat ...

they were crisp and sweet ... !!!

I enjoyed digging around in the garden ...

removing some of the debris of fir cones and decayed leaves ...

along with pulling out the old kale stalks ...

and happened to notice that they were already sprouting ...

I am totally aware it's a little early to get excited about planting yet ...

but ... it won't be long now ... !!!

 

 

In The Paper ...

This was the article written in the Golden Star newspaper ...

prior to our concert ...

For easier reading ... I have copied the text ...

Joel Tansey

reporter@thegoldenstar.net "The Cranbrook based Bisset Singers formed with a handful of singing hopefuls and one voice teacher with an extensive performance history. “They came to me in a group and said...’we’re all afraid to sing by ourselves, so would you teach a vocal class’, so that was the beginning ,” Bisset said. He taught them for two or three years, and the group began to grow and evolve. “We began with easier music to sing...now we do a whole variety of music and we do a lot of stuff that's very challenging,” he said. “I’m really pleased to see how they've done.” The group’s members have changed over the years as folks have come and gone, but their director has remained a constant. The ensemble is just a small part of what Bisset does, as he spends much of his time teaching voice classes around the Kootenays in Cranbrook, Invermere and Creston, travelling in excess of 400 kilo-metres on a given week. He’s also open to the idea of bringing his talents to Golden if he feels there is some local interest. “If there’s enough interest I have another day where I could come to another place,” Bisset said. Currently, the choir comprises members of all ages, from pre-teen sopranos to senior citizen baritones, making this a group with a truly diverse age range. Rather than pianoor other instrumental accompaniments,the Bisset Singers work off sound-tracks, performing a selection of songs that is every bit as diverse as the group itself, from James Bond Soundtracks to jazz numbers. The Singers will be performing in Golden on Feb. 27 at the Civic Centre. The show will begin at 7:00 p.m. and tickets will be sold at the door."

 

Our Concert in Golden ...

February 27, 2016

We arrived in Golden, BC ... for a two hour rehearsal for our concert ...

A few of us made our way to the Greek Restaurant ...

just down the road from the Civic Centre ...

for a break to relax and enjoy a delicious Greek dinner ...

Friends from Sarnia, Ontario ... moved out West around the same time we did ...

met us at the Civic Centre for the concert ...

The Bisset Singers had a great time ... performing for the audience ...

After the concert we headed back to Brenda and John's ...

enjoying an afterglow get together ...

with wine ... nachos and other snacks ...

Reminiscing about old times spent together during our time in Sarnia ...

Brenda was Mike's next door neighbour thru their childhood ...

until Mike moved away from home ... in 1972 ...

they have been friends for over 60 years ...

We were grateful to be able to spend the night with them ...

Tammy ... Barb ... and myself decided that we would supply breakfast ...

Barb making a "Wife Saver French Toasts" dish ...

Tammy cooking up sausages and I brought an assortment of fruit ...

Brenda also cooked up some scrambled eggs to add to the feast ...

We had a beautiful mountain view all around us ...

sitting at the table ...

enjoying our delicious breakfast ...

Once we had finished breakfast ... we packed up and headed for home ...

It was wonderful that Brenda was joining us for this trip ...

as she was going to travel to the coast ... to visit her daughter ...

getting a fight from the Cranbrook airport ...