A Day Off

It's a cool, near dreary day here in West Kelowna. The air hangs on the trees, moist. Dampness prevails as the rains of April threaten. It is spring here in the Okanagan Valley; the green is all around and the rain is building up enough moisture to take this summer paradise through the long dry season that will follow. It is a rest day for me today, a day with nothing on my agenda although I will likely go to see the Kelowna Yacht Club Boat Show. My cousin Mike and his with Kathy have a booth for their awning business; they make boat shelters and such along with beautiful home awnings, all very high tech.

Yesterday's drive was a long one, beginning in Cranbrook and ending here. Were we to have taken the most direct route, it would have taken some 8 hours for the trip. The route we took was anything but direct, wandering as it did through mountains and up valleys, doing almost as much north to south as east to west. It was a day that started early for me, the second one in a row. It was a day that ended late, also the second one in a row. Yet I felt no more tired, no more exhausted or worn than any other day. It would appear that my level of exhaustion and tiredness remains the same regardless of how much, or how little, sleep I get.

Our travels yesterday had us making our way from Cranbrook to Creston along the winding southwest valley of the Moyie River, a snake of water leaving the small Moyie Lake and eventually joining with the Columbia somewhere further south. Near the border the road turns more westerly to Creston. From there it was up the Kootenay River to Kootenay Lake, then across the lake by ferry to Nelson.

We stopped at Nelson for a late lunch. While there I used Facebook to contact a friend who then joined us for dessert. Our short lunch turned into an hour and half chat fest. It was lovely. We talked about family and friends, about trips and travel, about yesterdays and tomorrows. I love meeting up with friends who have known me long enough to recall younger days, times when there was no disease.

From Nelson we headed south for a bit and then turned north up the Slocan Valley, ultimately headed for Nakusp, where once again we headed south, this time down the shores of Lower Arrow Lake, really more a widening of the Columbia River than a real lake. Once again, a ferry, this time across the lake to Needles from whence we headed up the Monashees, over the top to Cherryville and down the other side to Vernon.

All of this driving was through the mountains, with high snow covered slopes on either side of us. As we rose, the temperature fell, hovering on freezing as we topped the snow line and reached our way through the high country. As we returned to the valley floors, temperatures rose and snow that was once beside us was once again well above, on the mountain tops, where it belongs.

At last, after some 12 hours on the road, all of which I happily drove, we reached our destination. This will likely be our longest road day. I need a day off. Today is it.