Vict0riann

Good morning, Dailyites! We have snow on the ground so did not go to church, listening to Father David's sermon will do instead! Thank you, Graham. The sun is shining now, so I hope the snow is going to melt during the day, and we will be able to go to the church festivities this evening (a 40th anniversary of our parish dinner). Then tomorrow, we hope to make a little trip down to Bellingham for a few days of eating out and shopping. We have had "dry February" so far, and also have been dieting, so it will be a treat, before Pat's surgery on the 9th. DD emailed a few days ago from Gander to say her BF had called from work and said he had talked to Air Force One. She had talked to AF1 a few years ago, too, and said the pilot sounded like he was 17 years old!

I got one, too. Just got back from our morning out.

I got a pretty good one, just got here in time!

Good morning, Dailyites, thanks to everyone for the morning news. We didn't get a paper yesterday because of the snow and cold, so got three today! The puzzles will keep us busy over the weekend. I was sure I had posted pictures from our visit to Rejykjavik on the Daily before, but I didn't see them when I checked. But we did everything that you've seen, and then a bit more, as my cousin with the State Department took us around for two days. She had diplomatic plates so people looked at us! Her previous cat had died during her posting in Bangkok, so she had adopted an Icelandic kitten. He is going to be a very large cat, I'm not sure how she is going to get him back home (Seattle), but very handsome. She took us to the tomato farm for lunch one day, and it is really amazing! The plants must be ten years old, or more, and they are pollinated by imported bumble bees, who live in cardboard boxes. Pat got a little too up close and personal with one and it stung him over his eye. He is allergic to stings, so of course blew up like a balloon, and even with multiple doses of Benadryl, he eventually had to go to the medical room and get antibiotics and a stronger antihistamine, which knocked him out for a day or two. We also ate Icelandic hot dogs with my cousin, who lives near the hot dog stand in downtown Reykjavik. IMG_0843.MOV At the tomato farm For lunch there was tomato soup, wonderful breads, pasta with tomato sauce, and tomato salads.... Box of bumble bees Sindri, "he who sparkles" Icelandic hot dog

Good morning, Dailyites, and thanks to everyone for the news. I'm sorry about Neko. It's a hard decision to make, and hard to go through with, too. One cruise story I will always remember was in the Lido one day, we were near two ladies, one was in a foul mood and was very rude to a waiter who was trying to help. Her friend said to her "You forgot to pack your manners"! I make an effort now to always leave a little space in my suitcase for my manners.... yesterday Pat spent about 5 hours at the hospital waiting for pre-op tests, and today he has two pre-op phone interviews. He may not finish in time to take my neighbour and me to our stamp club meeting so I may have to drive and it is not easy to find a parking space near the senior centre. Pat usually drops us and then goes off to the grocery store to pick up anything I need and have a coffee at Timmie's. So I'm hoping the phone call is on time and short! I think we will go to church tonight at 7. We are going to be busy today. Or, who knows, perhaps we will be too tired. I did some gardening yesterday, so I'm sore - and of course now the temperature has dropped and everything will freeze! The reservoir has got to 96.8%, still we need to get to 100% and overflowing. It may snow today.

We’ll, they are certainly working at Holland America today-I emailed my proof of stock ownership and got the OBC credit back in 10 minutes!

We've been worried about you, and were sorry to hear yesterday of all the loss and damage from Gabrielle.

My aunt also had a fracture on Fosamax, it took a special x-ray to find it, in the meantime her doctor told her it was all in her mind! I took Fosamax for 3 x 5 years, so about 18 years in all, and then 5 years of Prolia, 2 years off and now 3 1/2 years of the shots. I'm fed up with the whole thing! I do want the doctor to approve of my decision, though, so I've been going through my records and will try to confound him with logic!

Good morning, Dailyites, and a big thank you to all who post with interesting tidbits, recipes, etc. Here in BC it is also Family Day, but there has been some discussion about making it First Nations' Day. I'm not sure if/when that will happen. At the moment we have a small box shaped like a bear that has been in the California family for a long time, it was given to my mother's cousin's father when he had a cannery somewhere in BC. It is now in Pat's study and waiting to be taken to UBC for their indigenous museum. DD will be taking it over one of these days. It is a "well-loved" box, played with by many generations, I'm not sure what the museum will do with it, but they keep sending little messages reminding us that it was promised to them! About hoodie-hoo day - here on the island we have 3 types of owls, I believe. A birder friend explained to me that they have different calls. We have two nearby that we hear many nights if the windows are open, one says "Hoodie-hoo....who?" and the other says "Hoo-hoo.......who?" but I can't remember which is which. So it must be Owl Day here. Pat has his pre-op tests and consultations this week, they are going to interfere with my stamp club meetings, 🙁 - I will have to see if I can get a ride with a neighbour. We also have phone appointments with our family doctor. I am going to try to persuade him that I should go off Prolia for a while, as, although he scoffs at the pain I have in my leg for the past year, there are reports that it can be a side effect, even when it's not connected with an atypical femoral fracture. As the Prolia is wearing off this time, my thigh pain is actually lessening, and I would like to see if it continues to get better. My last bone density study in November had me back to being osteopenic, so I should be able to manage for a while without the shots.

Good morning, Dailyites. I think I am a grumpus today, too. My plan was to do some gardening, and Pat has changed that to going to the wine shop. Then I imagine it will be a coffee somewhere. Oh, well, maybe gardening through the next week. Pat has to have some surgery next month, and then the decision will be made as to whether we can travel towards the end of the March. He will not be allowed to lift or carry, or even drink, so I will be doing the heavy lifting, and I'll have to drink for both of us, as we have the HIA. I have a feeling we won't be going but he is determined. I must read up on the standard insurance, which is what we have. Thanks for the morning news, everyone. Did we ever hear from @erewhon? Hope they are safe in NZ. Prayers for all that need them, especially Tana. I was happy to hear that Sarah is feeling better, and hope that continues. Kind of a dreary day here today, but the nights have been going down and there has been frost on the roofs, so winter is not quite over. There are lots of things blooming though, and the owls are beginning to hunt for places to nest. Every once in a while there is a story in the paper about people coming home and finding an owl roosting on their sofa. They are hunting for cavities to nest in, and often fall down chimneys, if they are not meshed over. As they are at the top of their food chain, they are not afraid, and quite curious.

Hope @erewhonis alright.

Sorry, I got a few mixed up in the last post.. then couldn't edit properly. A few street scenes in Georgetown, Penang, Malaysia. And the Chew Jetty

Good afternoon, Dailyites, sorry to hear the sad news today, not much good news here, either, but happy to hear that Jacqui is progressing in her recovery, also Graham's Sarah, and that all of Graham's skin cancer was removed. In 2014 we had a wonderful 28 days on the Volendam in the Far East. Younger DD was with us, also Pat's sister and her hubby, and I organized 8 of the tours, just about killed me! We also did a few ports DIY, and a few ship's tours, too, so a nice mixture. In Georgetown, we went ashore on our own and walked for miles, or so it seemed in the steaming hot sunshine. It is an amazing mix of cultures, and rich and poor. There is a community called Chew Jetty where the structures are built over the water and you wander on boardwalks built over the water. I have tons of pictures, I'll post a few. British and Portuguese - St. George's Church Very much a jungle, where allowed! Other religions!

Everyone on board has an opportunity to have the "free" jewelry cleaning - it is a selling opportunity for Effy. With CO you get to "jump the queue" and go in any time you like. The first few times we had CO we received coupons for $50 in the spa, another time DH got a coupon for $75, and another we both got $50 coupons, but only for port days. As usual, HAL is consistently inconsistent.

+1. I couldn't say it better myself! The sun is shining here today, it rained all day yesterday, and the reservoir is up to 91.6%. It had started going down again, and anyway, we still need it to get up to 100%!

Couple of nice toots from Captain Timmers. I took a lot of screen shots - now I have to figure out exactly which will be our verandah.

Is Harmony OTS ever going to stop backing up? Hope she doesn't run into anything! Okay! Finally she decided to go forward.. Must have heard me.

Good afternoon, Dailyites! And much as I would love to help out, I am a late riser at the best of times, and often don't get down to my computer until after lunch. Today we had errands to run, and spent some time organizing our week in Ireland after the cruise in April. We will be having lunch with @VMax1700 in Kinsale! And booking hotels all over County Cork - things book up fast, even in April. @ottahand7, the amazing thing about Deception Island is that the sand is warm, if you dig down, even hot, and the warmer water kills the krill, which the birds think is wonderful - all that pink stuff along the shore. Penguin footprints in the warm snow... And the birds enjoying the krill, with the abandoned whaling stuff in the background.

We were on Koningsdam in SD over New Year's Eve. No Verifly.

Debbie, you did a great job on the bedroom, and so quickly and cleanly, too! Beautiful quilt, I like treasury green, too. On the subject of winter, our Vancouver Island Marmot, Violet, was rudely disturbed this morning and saw her shadow, mainly because someone was aiming his phone light at her. But -

I've read today, but not joined in until now. Trying to get the next cruise organized, too, and playing with stamps. Roy, I'm glad you are home, hope you sleep better tonight, like the others I add "Don't overdo it!" Jacqui, that's too bad about the elbow, but I imagine it will make it easier for exams, X-rays, etc., if you have it in a splint. Don't want that pin moving around! Graham, that's too bad your Sarah is not doing as well as you had hoped. Our DD is like that, too, we don't trust her when she says all is fine - I want to see for myself! Of course she's on the other side of the country.... Prayers today for all the needy Dailyites! Covid is still rearing its ugly head, it seems. Boo. I'm still huffing and coughing from my "cold". But at least the gut has settled down and now on this diet I'm enjoying the food porn. Fish and salad tonight.

The biggest building was the base for the funicular, there were a few little souvenir shops, I think, maybe a coffee shop. Fishing boats... We were last there October 27, 2016. Tony, @sailingdutchy, organized a great tour to Akrotirii and a bunch of small towns, including Oia, we also went to the black sand beach and had a look at the red sand beach. I don't know how you get down to that beach, though! DD dabbled her toes in the water and Pat took a nap. At the base of the zigzag road Black sand beach Red sand beach

🐇 🐰! Good morning, Dailyites. I had no idea I became a SOB at 50! That was a long time ago... Congratulations to those celebrating, and prayers for those who aren't. Just wish we lived closer to those who might be needing a bit of extra help these days. We need rain! The reservoir is only at 91.5% now, and January only had 46% of our normal rainfall. I can see severe water rationing ahead for us this summer, and perhaps Victoria will not be the city of gardens that it used to be. Butchart's uses well water, so perhaps they won't have the same problems, but as the water table drops that becomes more difficult, too. (Hope my comments are not considered political, Mother Nature does her own thing...) I did post pictures the last time we had this port of the day, and I was going to add a whole bunch more, because it was a fascinating stop, but I think just one of the port - showing how it is on the edge of the desert.

How nice to get some good news today, about Sarah, the donation from HAL for the Ukraine, and various travels. Hope Jacqui will also have some good news today.. And I hope Roy improves quickly and is allowed to go home. I imagine that will help the bowels. Drugs can do so much harm... I don't seep much, I seem to be alright most of the time, sometimes I need a nap. Now Pat can sleep standing up, I don't know how he does it! Men seem to have completely different sleep mechanisms. We are planning to start our diet and also "Dry February" tomorrow , as we missed doing it in January, our usual routine. And at least February will be a little bit shorter! I spent over $250 at the grocery store today, getting ready.