Tag Archives: Wenatchee WA

Aug15

It’s Smokey Here

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It’s Smokey Here

Washington state is on fire. Oregon is on fire. California is on fire. British Columbia is on fire. The smoke was really bad in Wenatchee this week. Here in Dryden the smoke has started to blow away.

It’s summer and we all want to be outdoors. But when the smoke is so bad we’re back to hibernating indoors. And we find other things to do.

It’s hard to believe that my post earlier in the week had pics of clear skies with no smoke in Lake Chelan. The smoke rolled in the day after.

Fitness classes I teach are indoors. However the windows were closed as there was no fresh air to ventilate the room.

Movies. Yes it’s been a good time to catch up on Netflix. And I’ve also been watching season two of The Chosen.

Going out for lunch with friends in air-conditioned restaurants. No outdoor patios in the past few days.

We saw a production of Shakespeare’s As You Like It at Riverside Playhouse in Wenatchee. Excellent show featuring very talented kids and teens.

I’ve been reading quite a bit as well. Always looking for new authors and have found some great books this summer.

And then there’s researching future travel plans………

Aug11

Lake Chelan

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Lake Chelan

On Monday Joyce and I went out to Lake Chelan for the day. Located about 30 miles out of Wenatchee, we enjoyed a scenic drive with beautiful views of the river and the mountains.

I’ve taken numerous photos of the town in the past, so I didn’t take many on this trip. I really love the grounds of this quaint church with these colorful flowers.

These guys always amuse me.

The water is what I find so calming and peaceful.

On past trips I’ve been out on a boat, basked on the beach and taken a ferry out to Stehekin. I also prefer the quieter weekdays as opposed to the weekends crowded with tourist traffic, although quite a few people were out on the water on Monday.

Aug4

Maybe I’ll Paint Today

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Maybe I’ll Paint Today

I’ve been running around a lot in the past few days so I thought I’d just take a day and stay at home. It’s a much needed day of catching up on emails, phone calls and even laundry. But as I sit here sipping my coffee I’m seriously considering getting out my acrylics and playing with colors.

I spoke to Juan in Mexico last night and my family are all on the mend. Thank you everyone for your messages and prayers. Your thoughtfulness is very comforting.

Wildfires are burning like crazy everywhere. The smoke was so thick in Wenatchee the other day that we couldn’t even see the mountains.

I recall a time when we would all don masks when the smoke got bad. Not this year!!!

I finally did it. The heat got to me and when I was at the hair stylist’s yesterday I told her the short bob I’ve been wearing was just too long. So off came the hair.

    We had an incredible storm last night. It finally rained. It didn’t last long but people were concerned that lightning may have sparked more fires. The wind was pretty wicked too. But it sure didn’t phase these guys who sat placidly out on the lawn.

    Oh oh. Canadian Border Patrol are threatening to strike later this week. Will they?

    Happy Wednesday!

    Jul11

    Wildfires and Crashes

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    Wildfires and Crashes

    It’s been a hot and dry July so far. Wildfire season is upon us here in Washington state. There isn’t much smoke blowing in to Leavenworth, but a fire near the airport in Wenatchee caused some people to be evacuated.

    In Manitoba I enjoyed the thunderstorms at night after the heat during the day. But here the lightning is often responsible for sparking fires. Thunderstorms are dreaded.

    Chelan County has a fireworks ban in place. Over in Wenatchee fireworks were set off on the 4th but no-one was allowed into the park. Watching from a distance was the norm this year.

    Two car crashes in the news this weekend. One near Tumwater resulted in a fatality. The other near Stevens Pass tied up traffic for hours. Too many reckless drivers out there in a hurry to get through the mountain passes.

    On the prairies in Canada it’s a different story. A flat terrain and straight roads often lull drivers to sleep. Of course speed and intoxicated drivers just add to the mix, regardless of where you live.

    Wildfire and crash season is well underway.

    May23

    Reflections

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    Reflections

    July marks five years since I retired from teaching ESL in Mexico and first came to Leavenworth. The routine of six months in Mexico and six months in Leavenworth with side trips to Canada to see my kids was comfortable. Until the advent of Covid. Eleven months in Mexico has been followed by eight months in Leavenworth with no side trips to Canada.

    When I first arrived in Washington State, I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the mountains. I still am. Names such as Peshastin and Wenatchee roll off my tongue easily now, as do expressions such as “the other side” and “up the Icicle.” Maifest, Apple Blossom, Autumn Leaf and Octoberfest are just a few of the many festivals I’ve celebrated here when there is no Covid.

    I have memories of attending a homecoming football game and racing at the oval track. Events at Snowy Owl Theater as well as Leavenworth Summer Theater productions were most enjoyable. I dressed up in pioneer costume to volunteer at Apple Days in Cashmere. And the 9/11 memorial services at Spirit of America always bring tears to my eyes.

    I have memories of volunteering at the senior center, having lunch with friends, craft afternoons and music nights. I miss the entertainment at the gazebo on the weekends. While I did enjoy seeing the colorful trees this year, there was no tree lighting ceremony or ice festival.

    While the library has reopened, book club has not yet resumed and neither have the craft activities. There is still some speculation as to whether the pool will open. And just this past week we were given the go ahead to start teaching fitness classes again.

    It’s Faith Promise weekend at Leavenworth Church of the Nazarene (LCN). On Friday night we headed out to the orchards at McDivitt’s and had dinner with some eighty other people. I remember the first time I went out there almost five years ago for another church barbecue. I didn’t know a soul back then. And now I know so many people.

    Five years ago today, May 23rd, I was living and teaching ESL in Mazatlan. Retiring and becoming a snowbird were never on the radar. Yet now I can’t imagine any other way of life.

    May4

    My Long Range Plans

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    My Long Range Plans

    I have no long range plans. My short range plans never seem to work out. So why bother with long range plans? I can’t even blame it on Covid either. If anything, I can thank Covid because these days I don’t think any of us can really make long range plans. So my friends have stopped bugging me about what comes next in my life.

    I actually do have a few things in mind of what I’d like to have happen. Whether these will come to fruition or not is up in the air. Just for fun, I’ll share them with you. If nothing else, this post will be amusing when I look back at it some time in the future.

    It’s a given that I’m not ready to settle down yet. Since I arrived back in Washington state in September I’ve lived in Peshastin, two different homes in Leavenworth, Wenatchee and I’m now in Dryden. I have done some traveling but before I leave the state in about a month, I hope to go on a couple of short train trips.

    Then my travels get longer. I have friends in other states that I’d like to visit. In all likelihood, I’ll be returning to Mexico sooner than later unless things change drastically in Canada. I want to see my kids and my granddaughter. But right now that seems like an impossibility.

    My friends marvel at how I thrive so well in a continual state of limbo. In the beginning, it was more an issue of survival. But as time goes on it has just become one great adventure after another, and has given me more of an appreciation for wherever I may find myself living or whatever I may find myself doing. And isn’t that what life is all about?

    Perhaps I should change the term “long range plans’” to “long range dreams.” But I don’t even think that’s an appropriate expression. Somehow the word “ideas” may be a better word. It offers far more flexibility.

    Mar31

    Really Mother Nature???

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    Really Mother Nature???

    My last post was about how gorgeous the weather is here in Washington state. Of course the day after I published that post I awoke to a winter wonderland out there.

    The snow didn’t last, not here in Leavenworth. The mountain passes were a different story, covered in snow and ice.

    That afternoon I ventured into Wenatchee where there was no snow at all. Thankfully the wind warnings didn’t materialize into much and the sun shone in all its glory.

    On my way back home I stopped in Cashmere to go for a walk. I was delighted to capture these shots of spring flowers.

    Even my favorite tree, a red maple, was beginning to bud.

    Although it was cool yesterday, today we’re back up into the 60s. I guess Mother Nature was just toying with us on Monday. After all, spring has sprung.

    Feb17

    One Down One To Go

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    One Down One To Go

    I was vaccinated yesterday. The first shot went well and I will have the second shot in three weeks. I thank God that I am in a country where the vaccine is available now and that I don’t have to wait several months. God Bless The USA!

    Wind back the clock to September 2020. It was now possible to leave Mexico and head up north. The pandemic was raging throughout the world and travel was greatly discouraged.

    I’m Canadian. Returning to Winnipeg from where I was in Mexico involved three flights on three different airlines and a minimum of two days of travel through four airports.

    My other option was to come to Leavenworth. Only three airports. A flight to Dallas with a connecting flight to Seattle. I left Mexico in the morning and arrived in Seattle in the afternoon. Only about a two and a half hour drive to Leavenworth. Definitely a better option.

    Leavenworth is home to me. I may only be here a few months a year but this is where my friends and my support system are. This is where my life is. I usually spend the summer and fall doing volunteer work so my time this year has been spent very differently. It’s winter and Covid is still around.

    In Washington state the vaccine distribution program is working well. Appointments are made on the internet. I made mine on Sunday. Yesterday, Tuesday, my friend Linda drove me to Town Toyota Center in Wenatchee, a designated mass vaccination site. I didn’t even have to get out of the car. A symptom check and the actual vaccination took under five minutes. I did have to wait thirty minutes after instead of fifteen as I have a shellfish allergy.

    I was given a card with my appointment for the second shot. I had received an email reminder yesterday about today’s appointment. By the time I got back to Leavenworth I had received another email congratulating me on being vaccinated and it also included my patient record.

    I also registered for the follow-up program. I receive a text daily inquiring about my health and any symptoms I might be experiencing. Very reassuring.

    Thank you Washington state for your efficient handling of the vaccination process.

    Feb7

    Sunday

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    Sunday

    It’s Sunday again. If I were in Aguascalientes I’d be going to the small church around the corner. But that was a year ago, before Covid. This year I do church online. And that’s okay too. Yesterday’s rain has now turned to snow.

    I think back to Sundays of other years. I spent a fair amount of time in bowling alleys with my kids. When the kids were grown my ex and I often went out for brunch with friends. When my marriage ended I taught aquatic classes on Sunday mornings.

    And then I moved to Culiacan. Sundays were non- teaching days so parks and museums were on the agenda. When I lived in Irapuato I went to church with friends. When I lived in Guadalajara Isaias and I traveled to numerous small towns in Jalisco on the weekends. When I lived in Mazatlan I went to church and out for brunch with friends. Then I often walked along the malecon. In San Ciro there was only a Catholic church so I did more touristy things.

    For the past few months I’ve added a blog post on Sundays. I write about my life, my thoughts and feelings. I often include photos. And I never really have an agenda of what I should write about next.

    I’ve taken a break from working on my book. My imaginary friends aren’t speaking to me very much. When they do, it’s just nothing I want to run with. Instead I have found other things to occupy my time. There has to be more to life than Netflix.

    A 500 piece puzzle dominates the dining room table, a Christmas gift from my friend Joyce. It’s been years since I’ve done a puzzle. This one is a scene from England complete with double decker buses.

    I learned how to bait rodent traps this week. My friend Steve has a pest control business and I helped him out one afternoon. Apparently rats, mice and voles are quite active in Washington state.

    I had my hair cut the other day. No more long hair. It’s now in a short bob. Thank you to Lisa at Shears here in Leavenworth. No need to travel to Wenatchee for a style anymore.

    I actually did go into Wenatchee yesterday with Ann. Walmart and Macy’s. I also had a lovely long walk. 50 degrees and sunshine in February. Very different from the brutal winters on the Canadian prairies.

    Yes. I still play Candy Crush. But I play Candy Crush Friends now, not Candy Crush saga. I also play word games.

    I still color. I’m enjoying the Thomas Kinkade coloring book. I’m learning how to blend colors with pencils and water now, although I still adore my gel pens.

    Google Duo has become a good friend. Video calls with my grandkids are treasures, although I hope that someday virtual hugs and kisses will be replaced by in-person ones.

    I read a lot too. It’s nice to have a library close by with books written in  English. Although the library is closed, curbside pickup is available for books reserved on-line.

    Another good friend is Duolingo. I don’t want to forget my Spanish as I do intend to return to Mexico when it is safe to travel again. Oh how I miss traveling!

    Time to tune in to Church of the Rock in Winnipeg.

    Happy Sunday!

    Jan17

    Things Look So Different Now

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    Things Look So Different Now

    I’m usually here in the summer, not in the winter. I haven’t spent a winter in snow since 2009, and even that year I escaped to Cuba for a while.

    On Friday I went to my friend Ann’s home in Leavenworth. When I first got back in September I stayed in a cabin on her property. It sure looks different in the winter.

    The view from the deck has changed as well. Too cold for rafting on the river although it has not frozen over.

    Less than a half hour away I’m still walking around in track shoes, not boots. There is no snow on the ground yet.

    I took a walk through downtown the other day and decided to take photos of sculptures rather than buildings.

    I also got a shot of an old bridge I’ve walked across that connects the downtown area with the Walla Walla Point Park loop trail and the miniature railroad.

    Winter has always been my least favorite season of the year. My memories of winter on the Canadian prairies are of getting up in the dark in the morning and returning home from school or work in the dark. And then there were the freezing temperatures and bitter windchills.

    Although I much prefer my winters in Mexico, I really can’t complain too loudly about the weather in Wenatchee. I just pray that the mild temperatures continue and that there isn’t too much snow in the near future.