Friday, August 4, 2017

Early August

Hello friends,

It's the end of another week. Time passes so quickly.

I had great news today. My nephew has successfully completed his Master's Degree in Psychology and will commence his PhD studies in a few short weeks. I am very proud of him. We have long had a "deal" that once he has completed much of his education we will travel together to France. He reminded me of it today.



In other news the wild fires which have been burning for weeks now continue to wreck havoc several hours to the north of me. The air quality in much of the province is very bad and has now affected my city for a few days.  Have a look at the sky in the photo below.



This has been the picture for much of the past 3 days. Our province has not seen fires this bad for about 60 years or weather and we've been smashing temperature records all week. What we need is some good rainfall but there doesn't seem to be any in the forecast. The moon has turned orange. You can see it peeking out of the trees in the photo below (sorry the trees are in the way and I wasn't high enough to see over the trees). I read on line news today which said a controlled burn a few days ago is now an uncontrolled burn due to high winds (*sigh). It is threatening a power station that supplies electricity to Vancouver Island and Vancouver. Crews are working hard to make sure it isn't impacted but at this stage only God knows the outcomes.



 As of 6:23 a.m. PT Friday, 10 communities had reached a seven out of 10 on the Air Quality Health Index:
  • Central Fraser Valley.
  • Central Okanagan.
  • Eastern Fraser Valley.
  • Kamloops.
  • Metro Vancouver - NE.
  • Metro Vancouver - NW.
  • North Okanagan.
  • South Okanagan.
  • Squamish.
  • Whistler.
When the index shows a number of seven or higher, Environment Canada recommends that children, the elderly and those with respiratory conditions "take it easy" and reduce outdoor activities.
The general population should do the same if they start to cough or feel an itch in their throat.
(Source: CBC News, August 4, 2017)

Yesterday when I was out running errands I had to make a dash for the bus and I ran as fast as I could for almost 1 block.  I noticed later in the evening that my throat was very sore. I've also had an intermittent, irritating cough for a few days. I'm largely indoors but it is too hot to go without throwing open the doors and windows and running the fans so I guess I must be breathing in the small particulate matter which is in the air.

With the run of hot weather I haven't felt up to much though I am keeping very busy with the daily things of life. I've made a bit of progress with some household updates; mainly buying new accessories for the kitchen, dining and bathroom areas. This has also meant decluttering a bit in these areas and giving away things.  All the giveaways take time because one must take photos, place the advert, respond to emails and phone calls and then hope the people show up to pick up what they requested. Sometimes there isn't much interest in what is posted. It is all a matter of timing.


With the really hot weather this week I haven't done much reading. Even so it won't be difficult to meet this year's reading goal as I'm several books ahead of schedule.  Currently in my reading pile is The Legacy of Pemberley by Rebeccah Ann Collins. It is the 10th book and final book in the series. The funny thing is I didn't know that when I picked it up so I've had to try and decipher who everyone is.  If are a Jane Austen fan I'm sure you will enjoy the book just as I'm enjoying it.


There Was a Country:A Memoir  by the late Chinua Achebe is also in my current reading pile.  It is about his personal account of the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War of 1967-1970.

Besides these two books I've got several more on hold request at the library.  I've also downloaded several free ebooks this week from both Amazon Kindle and Kobo (Canada's version of Kindle).  I probably wouldn't spend money on these books but since I got them for free I will now be introduced to some "new to me" authors.

As you can see, I won't be without reading material any time soon.  The nice thing too  is that I'm already prepared with reading materials for any future travels. While I still prefer reading a paper book you can't beat the convenience of an ebook. I can carry an entire library of books in my mini Kobo.   Such wonders. My grandfather and great-grandmother would have marvelled at the thought if they had lived long enough to know about it. I think my grandfather would have especially liked an ereader. Every time I saw him he would be reading.



My niece will visit me in a few short days and  I'm looking forward to her visit. We always have fun and I do things with her that I wouldn't otherwise get to enjoy.  While she is here we will celebrate her recent birthday and her brother and I have a few surprises planned.

In coming weeks and months,  I'll be trying to solidify future travel plans with my nephew.  He is a very busy guy so it will be difficult to pin him down over a mutually workable period of time to travel. I do hope we can work it out.  I'll also be working on a few other fun plans.  More about these in future.


I've been busy helping students and widows in Kenya.  There is always great need there. Sadly the little toddler with the cancerous tumour on his eye passed on.  We were unable to save him though the doctors tried hard.  My friend Jonah worked tirelessly to get the City of Nairobi to provide land to bury the lad who died while being treated in hospital in that city.  Ordinarily one would be buried on the family compound.  However the sad fact is this young lad and his mother were turned out of their rural home due to the boy's tumour. The father thought his wife and the boy were cursed.  As a result they had been living in a shelter for some time and the boy had been many hours away in hospital for much of the time.



Last but not least, Kenya will be having it's national elections on Tuesday, August 8th, 2017.  It is a always a very tense time.  If you are a person of prayer,  please pray for peace and safety for the nation and it's people as well as fair election outcomes.

Take care until next time.

Linking up with Skywatch Friday and Friday Foto Friends.






22 comments:

Joanne Noragon said...

The wild fires are a great cause for concern. Be careful. And, be very proud of your nephew. That is quite an achievement, and more to come.

Red said...

We had the smoke 10 days ago. It was nasty. the feeling of being limited in what you see caused some anxiety. I stayed inside as it was very hot outside.

Mari said...

Hooray for your nephew! Sorry to hear of the wild fires in your area. I hope things settle down and also pray the elections go well in Kenya.

Carol @Comfort Spring Station said...

I pray the fires are extinguished soon. I have asthma and when we have fires during the dry season, I stay inside and try to not have an asthma attack.

Jeanie said...

I feel for your weather, Penny. I'm glad you can huddle inside where it might be a little cooler and get in a good lot of reading!

Now, about France! As you make your plans be sure to touch base! I love to live vicariously through my friends' trips to France!

Jan said...

I hope the weather is cooler and that the fires are soon extinguished. That is excellent news about your nephew and those travel plans sound very exciting. I love how your family are all so very close. Can't wait to hear more about your plans. Take care Penny. xxx

eileeninmd said...

Hello, Congrats to your nephew! I have been following the fire and smoke from your area, it is sad. Probably best to stay indoors if you are having problems. I hope the fire are out soon and the skies clear. Your flowers and balcony garden are very pretty. Sending Prayers for peace in Kenya. Happy weekend to you!

Kay L. Davies said...

I certainly understand how you feel about the BC wildfires. I spent all of my working life in the Vancouver area, and don't remember smoke from Interior forest fires reaching the city the way it has this year. I do, however, remember the aftermath of those long-ago fires...the only route from the Okanagan to the coast was via Highway 97, where there was a huge statue of Smokey the Bear, with a sign that said "Only YOU can prevent forest fires." That image has stayed with me for all those years. Now I am mourning the devastation in the Ashcroft/Cache Creek area where I lived after taking early retirement due to ill health. I loved living in that area, and my heart aches for the suffering there and farther north. Last month, flying from Alberta to the coast, I had planned a stop to visit my mother's cousin in Kamloops, but the plane couldn't land due to the smoke. A few days ago, I phoned Cousin Ian and his wife, and they were packing to drive to Victoria for a granddaughter's wedding. I smiled, even as I worried about them, because they are not letting old age get them down. Indomitable British Columbians. Gotta love 'em.
Kay
An Unfittie's Guide to Adventurous Travel

Joyful said...

I will keep in touch Jeanie. In fact I may have some questions for you ;-)

Joyful said...

Thank you Jan for your very kind words. It was lovely to hear from you again after so long. I'll check soon to see if you are blogging again.

Joyful said...

Thank you for your prayers Eileen and your congrats!

Joyful said...

Kay, I'm sure it has been very devastating for you to learn all about the fires in places where you have actually lived and no doubt have friends. I still have family and friends in many areas affected by fires and so it is of concern to me. I am also worried about the power station near Clinton. I hope your cousin and his wife will have a safe and smoke free journey. Hugs. xx

Joyful said...

Thank you Carol. Someone with breathing problems must be extra vigilant at times like this.

Joyful said...

Thank you Mari for your kind thoughts and prayers and for the good wishes for my nephew. We are very proud of his achievements thus far.

Joyful said...

Are you still having smoke issues? We are going on about our 5th day of smoke here. It is a strange feeling of being closed off. I cannot see the mountains. I haven't gone to the ocean to see what I can see. Am sticking close to home.

Joyful said...

Thank you Joanne for your visit. The wild fires really are a huge concern and we are being as careful as possible. It would be so relieving to have a positive end to it all. I'm sure the front liners are all exhausted after several weeks of fighting fires. We are so very proud of my nephew too. I think he has also surprised himself, lol but is very much looking forward to the next level after a very brief rest.

Rhodesia said...

The fires are bad this year as temperatures have been very high. The South of France had experienced them, also Spain and Sicily. Not good for ones health at all. Congratulations to your nephew. Take care Diane

Joyful said...

Hi Diane, I had not heard about the fire in the South of France though I did hear about them in Sicily and Portugal. They have also had massive wild fires in California. It is so terrible to lose so many homes and forests. Thank you for the congrats on my nephew's achievements. He has certainly worked hard. Take care. xx

affectioknit said...

It sounds like you've got some wonderful family time coming up...I hope the wildfires don't cause you too much distress...

~Have a lovely day!

Breathing In Grace said...

I don't know why your link didn't work. I'm so sorry.

Joyful said...

Thank you! I am looking forward to some family time. I didn't get to see my nephew much while he was studying to beat his deadline and I always love to see my niece.

jabbott said...

Hi Penny, sorry to hear about the wild fires happening in your area. I hope you are safe and that the air quality improves. Lastly you are amazing with the missionary work you do. It must be hard with the work you do regards the toddler you all tried to help. It saddens me that when he needed his father the most he cased him from the family home due to evil superstitious ideas. Least your giving people hope and dignity which is a beautiful gift in it self xxx

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