July/August 2010

Despite what seemed to be a summer that came as fast as it went, we still managed to find time to get out and enjoy ourselves. Both as a family and individuals.

Rich Deans turned 50 this year. Personally I thought it happened a long time ago, but I guess he just looks a lot older than he really is. Nah, just kidding Rich, I would never have guessed your age had we not been able to figure out the age of that despicable scent you regularly inflict on those around you. Anyways, we took off to Merritt/Nicola Lake for the weekend. Dee and I brought our Mt. Bikes and visited the Info Centre, a regular haunt of ours. Despite the incredible heat we had two days of great riding with Mike and the next day with Irene. Irene was keen to try her new/used Mt. Bike that dad and I picked up for her. Friends of ours offered a deal that was hard to refuse on a Kona Four Lisa. Finally mom has been upgraded to a real bike…I think she kind of feels like Pinocchio did when he became a real boy. Her riding improved exponentially over night.

Shaun spent some time in Kelowna early in August, and our paths crossed a couple time, once in the u-pick raspberry patch. It wasn’t pretty, especially when I accidentally threw a couple raspberries at him…totally by accident, I swear.

We have also spent a lot of time wallowing in Okanagan Lake. Simon loves the water, so we were down there at least once a day during the heat of summer, usually twice. His favourite trick is to wade into the water holding our hand until he is literally submersed. He doesn’t freak out or throw a hissy fit when he falls and goes totally weightless in the water either. What a trooper.

I have been managing to get out on the occasional ride, both road and mountain. Despite having lived here in the Okanagan for so long, and been riding extensively for years, I am still finding new trails. The McKinley Loop is one that I did years ago, however development has changed the trail route. It is a great after work spin that takes about an hour. Another area that I have found is in Penticton, and it is called Rock Ovens. It leaves from the new Skaha Bluffs parking lot and is one of the most interesting trails I have come across. If you have ever climbed the Bluffs, imagine riding the hiking trails as they bob and weave through the slick rock, steep walled canyons and you pass the rattle snakes in the grasses. We saw a beauty rattler on our ride, he stretched about 3 feet long and 2 inches thick. He was totally aware that we were there, however he was uninterested in what 2 mountain bikers were doing.

Simon has stated linking words together, and we can have conversations with him now that he is understanding what we are saying. He continues to grow and is wearing 4 year old clothes at just 18 months. With the clothing and height comes new challenges, including his reach onto the counter and pulling everything off, computer included, and his new found ability to open the front door and take off down the street towards the playground.