Link Ups, Reflection

What’s Been On Your Calendar July 2023?

Retirement Reflections

You know that when you kinda-sorta-maybe miss lockdown a wee bit, your summer is in full, hectic swing! Definitely all good, but it has made me wonder about my planning skills. So what have I been doing? When I scrolled through my camera roll, I realized things were so full-on that I didn’t always stop to snap photos. (I know, who am I and what has happened to Donna?) Here’s what I managed to capture.

Family

Creighton (son #4) flew in from Hong Kong. Shaun (son #3) came to the island to help us paint. We met Cory (son #2) & family at a campground in Oysoyoos. Shea (son #1) came overnight with our grandson to join in the fun (Uncle Creighton taught Charlie to play Pokémon GO). And we made not one but TWO trips to Kelowna to hang out with my parents as well as with Richard’s siblings.

Friends

Here, my camera neglect definitely let me down. There were regular Muttley-Crew dog walks, online meetups with friends near and far, a local baseball game, a major league baseball game (see below), birthday celebrations and a visit with Richard’s best friend (and awesome wife) from high school.

Special Events

The big event of July was our weekend away to Seattle with friends to watch the Toronto Blue Jays play the Seattle Mariners (in a nail-biting game, the Mariners finally beat the Jays by one). After the game, we drove from Victoria to Cranbrook (12 hours), then to Kelowna (6 hours), then back home (7 hours). No wonder we’re tired! With all this travel, we were away for my good friend (and #WOYP cohost) Deb’s birthday. Thus, CATDD took place before we left.

Moose Sightings

In 2017, I had a flash glimpse of a moose on the side of the road (Canadian Rockies). Since then, I have longed to have a close-up view of a moose in the wild. This past week, I not only had ample views of the Mariners’ Moose, I also saw a mother moose and her baby. Sheer delight!

Travel

The BC Ferries sign was a familiar sight as we made numerous trips back and forth from the island. Two trips to Kelowna, too many trips to Vancouver to count, and a trip to Cranbrook provided much car time. We also travelled to Victoria to take the 2.5-hour Clipper Ferry to Seattle.

Hiking

I had initially planned for my June, July, August and September #WBOYC posts to focus on hiking. Due to July’s non-stop pace, my hikes were few. But I did sneak in Heritage Walk on the Nanaimo Harbourfront, Protection Island, several 5 km hikes from my home to our beachfront, Muttley Crew walks, as well as a hike with our friends in Cranbrook. Richard and I vow to hit the trails hard in August to prepare for our autumn Camino.


So that’s a brief snapshot of my July 2023. How was yours? I’d love for you to share in the comments or through InLinkz below. I look forward to seeing you there!

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Upcoming #WBOYC Posting Dates:

  • July 27/28
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  • Dec.28/29
    * The August and November Linkups will take place on the 1st of the following month for the Southern Hemisphere.

All #WBOYC linkups remain open for a full week.

Debbie, Jo, Sue & Donna

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Published by Retirement Reflections

Prior to retirement, I lived and worked in Beijing China for fourteen years (Middle School Principal/Deputy Director at The Western Academy of Beijing). Leaving international life behind, my husband and I retired to Vancouver Island in June 2015. To document both this transition and our new adventures, ‘Retirement Reflections’ was born. I hope that you enjoy reading these reflections, and will be willing to share your own.

85 thoughts on “What’s Been On Your Calendar July 2023?”

    1. Hi, Sue – Funny – that is what Richard said too (at least the ‘exhausted’ part), and he was there for most of it! I’d like to say that August or September will be slower but at this point it definitely does not look that way. At least there is always October! 😀

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      2. Absolutely, Sue! The weather has been glorious (although we are in desperate needs of a good rain). The Camino is getting closer and closer. I honestly vow to start planning once we return home!

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  3. I am glad you made the most of all of those wonderful and exciting catch ups and family visits and more. I was very interested in the moose photo. I think I’ve probably only seen a cartoon type image. Here’s to a wonderful slow down to allow more training for more walking that’s ahead. Honestly, I think with all those visitors and visits it’s a high emotional level that is maintained (excitement, happiness, fun) that to stop means “ahhhhh” that was amazing but I need a short rest… Denyse and thanks for the link up.

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    1. Hi, Denyse – Thank you so much for stopping by. I greatly appreciate your kind and wise words. Moose (and many common Canadian wildlife) are not indigenous to Vancouver Island. Like you, I have mostly seen Moose in cartoons. These two were beauties. I could have stopped and starred for hours!
      You are spot on about July’s excitement, happiness and fun….and me now needing a wee rest! 😀

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    1. Hi, Janis – Moose possess such a wonderful blend of looking majestic and goofy at the same time. I was quite close when I happend upon these two – but they completely ignored me before running the other way. I can have that effect on many! 😀
      I look forward to catching up soon!

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  6. Hi Donna – a very full-on July indeed for you! Glad you squeezed so many fun family and friends activities in. It’s full-on Winter here, so things feel slower – but I don’t mind because it’s given me recovery time and allowed me to pace myself around kitchen renovations, painting, visits with family etc etc. Here’s to August!

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    1. Hi, Leanne – I hope your recovery time and your kitchen renovations are both going well. I have a sneaking suspicion that our August will be full on as well — and it includes getting our roof redone. I am booking in October for a full-on rest! 😀

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  7. You did all that in one month?? Wow. I’m sure you drove more kilometers than us in July and we are living on the road! 🙂 So nice you got to see all the sons and spent so much time with friends and family. I’d say your summer is going fantastically!

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    1. Hi, Liesbet – Yup, all in one month (and the month isn’t finished yet). Family and friends have been the definite highlight. I hope all is well there. I look forward to following your continued adventures. Now I can say that I personally know someone who was at the top of the CNN news feed! 😀

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  8. What a great month you’ve had Donna, friend, family, travel – it doesn’t get any better! Thanks for taking time out to share your month with us and I love having you as a co-host for this challenge. You always inspire me with your posts 🙂

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  9. Hey Donna! WOW! I join all the others in saying you’ve had an amazing and busy month. I thought I was sort of busy myself but you definitely win! Of course you ARE a bit younger hahaha! Glad you did manage a few photos of your adventures cuz you know how much we all love them…but even without all the photos your posts always paint such a satisfying story,. Looking forward to hearing what happens in August!

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    1. Hi, Kathy – Thank you for this fun comment. Your ‘a bit younger’ saying totally cracked me up. We haven’t returned home yet (almost there), so I am definitely feeling my age. I have my fingers crossed for a slower paced August…but my calendar is already laughing at that request. I hope that all is well for you and Thom.

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  10. Oh gosh Donna – you have been busy but what a fun time it looks like you’ve had. Love the moose spottings! They are such cool but unusual creatures.

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      1. Yes I love Moose – it was the first time I had ever seen one when I was on holiday in Canada, a very long time ago now! Also saw my first black bears too

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    1. Hi, Jennifer – Thank you for your kind words. As much as I have been extremely grateful for this past month, I am desperately looking for a quieter August. Stay tuned to this site to see how that goes! 😀

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  12. Your month looks like it was filled with fun. I haven’t been to a MLB game in years so thanks for taking us along with you. The ferry looks like a good time and sure is a different way to travel. Hoping your next month is just as great as this one.

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    1. Thanks, Ally – I managed to sneak in a MLB game in Boston in 2017 and in Seattle in 2018 but I haven’t seen the Blue Jays (Canadian’s only MBA team) play for ages. It was a great time – with a sea of ‘blue’ cheering on their country’s team!

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  13. OMG I want your month! How cool was all of that? With added moose even… Except for the baseball…I don’t get baseball, but then you probably don’t get cricket.

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  14. My goodness! Your calendar certainly was full in July. Maybe to make up for the time when we just stayed home. Hope you get in some hiking time. Autumn and your big trip is just around the corner.

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    1. Hi, Laurie – I think that you may be right. Covid Revenge was alive and well for us this past month. Our baseball game is a great example. The six of us had that booked previously but sadly that game never took place. The long-anticipated game was even sweeter that way!

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  15. Hi Donna, How wonderful that you were able to spend so much time with friends and family, and were still able to travel and go hiking in July. A busy month full of great things. I added my link to #WBOYC linkup. Have an amazing August!

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    1. Hi, Natalie – Thank you for adding your linkup. l look forward to reading it. Although we did sneak in a wee bit of hiking, we never actually hiked more than 6 km at one time, and nothing steep. I truly vow to change that beginning next week. Please hold me to that! 😀

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  16. Donna, you have a full life. When do you have time to read like you do? July began with Canada Day celebrations that even my mom enjoyed. She doesn’t often leave her care facility. Neighbors grandchildren were visiting from New Zealand and attended their first parade. They were in awe that candies were thrown to the children lining the parade route. Nine of 16 maternal cousins gathered at the cousin reunion on July 7. No spouses, kids or grandkids provided an opportunity to connect 1:1 without the family cliques that usually happen at family reunions. When is the next one? was heard at the end of the gathering. The following w/e was my friends’ 50th wedding anniversary. I wouldn’t make 50 years if I added the time from 2 marriages!! Our friend Layne MacGillivray won the Calgary Stampede Chuckwagon races as well as the Guy Weadick award. We’re all so happy & proud. In between the celebrations was a lot of lawn & garden care with 120mm of rain this month. The first beans have been processed & rhubarb pies made. Happy August.

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    1. Hi, Mona – Please, please tell me that you are writing a book. When I read a paragraph like the above, I desperately want to read more!
      Your family reunion sounds wonderful. I’ve never been to one (my side of the family is so small we could honestly hold a reunion in a storage closet)! Richard and one of his sisters are hoping to plan a large family reunion for next summer. Fingers crossed that it is able to happen.
      I am the same as you when it comes to hitting that magical 50th wedding anniversary. Only 27 more years to go! 😀

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  19. OMG! I feel like a slug! I had a busy July (not quite like yours though) with houseguests and reunions and sick cats. I’m hoping for a calm August but you never know, You have to live while you’re still alive! We can rest in the grave! 🙂

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  20. What a fun and busy July filled with lots of friends and family! Hoping you get to do more hiking and conditioning next month to prepare for your long hiking trip.

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  21. What a busy month you had, Donna! Still, it sounds like you had a lot of fun. I am so disappointed that I missed you while visiting your hometown, but we did enjoy your beautiful area and I’m sure we will be back again before too long.

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  22. Donna,
    It’s morning here, and I’m already tired, LOL! July was busy indeed but fun-filled at the same time. Your sons are handsome men, and I know you’re proud. Our boys live on each coast, but we’re all meeting in Charleston next week, and I can’t wait.

    Your pictures are great, but I especially love the one with Richard and your dog (or granddog?)–what a beautiful animal. Have a great weekend, and here’s hoping that August will find you with your feet up…occasionally. Joe

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    1. Hi, Joe – I always look forward to your comments.
      The photo that caught your eye is of Richard and our first granddog, Nala.
      Nala will be staying with us for 8 days next week. We are already looking forward to that adventure.
      ‘Hope all is well with you, Helen and family!

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  23. Beautiful weather this month and great for the game in Seattle. The Victoria Clipper goes by my house every day. One of these days I’ll take a ride North. Looks like you had a very full month!

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  24. I loved your photos – brought back some memories of many years ago (when I lived in Calgary) and vacations often involved BC and sometimes Seattle. Congratulations on the moose sighting! I had a similar experience quite a few years ago – wanting nothing more than to see a moose in the wild while we were traveling and it was so exciting when I finally spotted one! Hope you’re having a great weekend!

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  27. Donna, who could remember to take photos when all that is happening? For some reason, ‘after the game we drove 12 hours’ stopped me in my tracks. You seriously drove 12 hours after sitting for hours at a baseball game? Yikes! You are a tough cookie. Training for the Camino will be a piece of cake after the events of July.

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    1. Hi, Suzanne – You have a great eye! If it helps at all, it was the morning after the baseball game that we began our travels to Cranbrook. But we did leave our hotel at 5:30 am so that in itself was painful enough! 😀 Thank you for your kind words!

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  28. That looks like a nice busy July with lots of good times enjoyed with friends and family! How cool with a moose sighting too, although he (she?) looks very skinny. Is it uncommon to see moose out and about in Canada?

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    1. Hi, Susanne – Thanks so much for dropping by. Moose sightings in Canada all depend on where you live, and how lucky you get. I believe that this moose was quite young. Typically, moose do have legs that are long and thin which help them walk through deep snow in winter, and wade in ponds and lakes. The joys of the Canadian landscape!

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    1. Hi, Lydia – Thank you for dropping by. This moose was quite slender – I believe that she was still quite young. It is more common to see thin moose in the winter as food available to them is much less plentiful. There legs are always long and skinny which helps them wade through water and deep snow. They truly are fascinating creatures.

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  32. You have been busy! It looks like you had a good time though. My July was fairly quiet apart from a trip to see Hollywood Vampires in concert a couple of weeks ago. I had a busier month in June with a trip to Finland to visit a friend.

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  35. This looks like a busy, but great way to spend the summer! It shocks me how quickly it goes as well. How I wish summer would streeeeeetch out longer. Like you, we have spent quite a bit of time with family, and I try to get out on the water whenever possible. I even love to ride on the ferries…. but then I don’t have to as my only means to go somewhere. Cheers to another month left of summer!

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  36. Hi, Donna. What a great time! I’m breathless just reading about your adventures. (Perhaps unsurprisingly) I particularly loved your account of the Blue Jays-Mariners game. My son Jeremiah has told me that Seattle home games attract a lot Blue Jays fans from all over Canada. I can’t wait to tell him that my blogger friend was one of them! Enjoy it all.

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      1. Being among a friendly crowd really is delightful, even if “our” team loses. I think that community-among-strangers is one of the things I love about attending baseball games (or hanging out at our local brewery or bookstore!).

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  37. I so enjoyed reading what you have been up to this summer, Donna. Looks like plenty of time outdoors with good company. Always lovely to catch up with others on a walk or short trip away. Very nice you got to see a Moose and her baby. That is so cute. Summer is not over yet and I am sure you have got a lot more planned, especially with your hiking 🙂

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    1. Hi, Mabel – Great to hear from you! Yes, summer has been going by in a big swoosh and continues to do so. My calendar informs me that there will be no break until late October. :0 I hope that all is well for you!

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      1. Sounds like many, many more activities for you til October, Donna. Maybe try to squeeze in a short break or two. All is well and looking forward to Spring over here 🙂 Wishing you a wonderful time!

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  38. Hi Donna – well I can concur with all those comments above me!!! Glad you’re looking to wind down a little in winter before next year comes along! But enormous fun … I hope whoever lives/camps at Oysoyoos has left now … I think there was a wildfire there … they’ve been terrible this season.

    There are moose down near Dougan Lake – the family farm … I was on the hill above it – and a moose appeared there!

    My time has been deciding to ‘moult’ some of my committees, then add a project in – now I’ve decided to switch off completely and sort me out first!! So a quieter time ahead I hope … cheers and enjoy your September walks …Hilary

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  39. Thanks, Hilary – Our pace hasn’t quit slowed down yet — but that is what Winter will be for! Our second eldest son and his family were camping in Oysoyoos but left long before the fires began. I am glad to read that you are giving yourself some quality ‘me time’. Very well deserved!

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