Tags
Columbus Day, Diana Schwenk, friends, Kamloops, memories, Paul Lake Provincial Park, Thanksgiving
It’s been my experience that when I am thankful, I am happier.
This past weekend was Thanksgiving in Canada.
Since my family is spread out across the country and I wasn’t going to see any of them, I needed to find something to do.
So last Monday, on a whim of an idea I called my friend Sue who lives in Vancouver and said, “Hey, want to meet in Kamloops this weekend?”
And she said yes!
Sue and I have been friends since we were neighbours in Chateauguay, Quebec.
We met when I was 18 years old and we traveled out west together in 1983.
She and her boyfriend moved to the mainland and me and my boyfriend went to Kamloops, well Pinantan Lake actually, to help his sister June build a log home.
As the years went by, Sue and her husband also lived up at the lake for about a year and a half and we all lived in Calgary for a time as well.
I stayed here in Calgary and Sue moved back to BC.
We hadn’t seen each other for about 3 or 4 years and the Kamloops trip seemed like a good way to catch up.
A four-hour drive for Sue and an 8-hour drive for me!
So Friday after work I drove out to Golden, BC (about 3 hours) and stayed the night there. I planned to leave for Kamloops the next morning.
Here are some photos from my drive the next day.
I got to Kamloops first so I thought that while I waited for Sue to arrive I would go exploring.
The town had changed since I lived there 22 years ago!
The next day we drove up to Pinantan Lake, population approx. 500 including dogs and chickens.
We had the distinct pleasure of running into some folks who still lived up there and seeing the house that I helped to build.
It was great to catch up with June and her daughter Kimberly as well.
How time flies, I met Kim when she was 4!
When we left to go back to Kamloops we stopped at Paul Lake Provincial Park.
In my 20’s I practically lived here in the summer!
All in all, it was a great trip.
Thank you Sue for agreeing to meet me.
Thank you June and Kimberley for your hospitality.
If you’re Canadian, how did you spend Thanksgiving?
If you’re American, how the heck do you celebrate Columbus Day? 😉
stuffitellmysister said:
what fun! LOVE the pics!
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dianasschwenk said:
Thank you and it was fun!
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Wyrd Smythe said:
We celebrate Columbus day by setting of on a long journey to find something important, but accidentally discovering something else. And then we name anyone we find there after the thing we were looking for in the first place.
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dianasschwenk said:
(laughing) that’s hilarious!
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thoughtsfromanamericanwoman said:
I see BC is going to be on my list of travels too! Beautiful photos! What a great time you had with your friend – thanks for sharing both the story and the photos.
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dianasschwenk said:
You would love it! The drive from Alberta through Banff and the National parks into BC is a Must Do!
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thoughtsfromanamericanwoman said:
Can’t wait. So much to do and see! 😉
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Andrea Kelly said:
It looks like a great trip! How wonderful to get to catch up with old friends 🙂 What a gift.
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dianasschwenk said:
As most great trips it was too short!
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Andrea Kelly said:
I bet! I hope you’re able to do it again soon 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
Thank you – me too!
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newsofthetimes said:
Sounds so fun!!!! I love a girl adventure to a nostalgic place! Most of us work on Columbus Day, but Thanksgiving is a FEAST and four whole days off!!!! It’s my favorite holiday, by far!!
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dianasschwenk said:
Yes, it seems bigger than Christmas in the US!
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newsofthetimes said:
I LOVE both!!! But Thanksgiving is nice because it is less commercialized and focused on spending time appreciating friends and family. And FOOD! 🙂
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Susan Burford said:
I had an awesome time too. Thanks for all the laughs. Made me feel 20 again.
Man how time flies. Let’s not wait so long till we meet again. I didn’t realize how much I missed Pinantan, one of the most peaceful places on earth. And you, I missed you the most. Mon ami, tous les jour, avec tois qui fais la meme
chose que moi.
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dianasschwenk said:
haha Sue – tu es tres jollie! We have snow this morning in Calgary!
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joannerambling said:
I am neither Canadian or Americian so for me they are just normal days…….lol that said I am happy you had a good time love the pictures
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks Joanne – I did have an awesome time!
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Margot Schwenk said:
I am so happy for you that you had a good time and seeing your friends. It brings back a lot of memories for us also when we went to visit you in Kamloops and Pinatan Lake. The pictures look very nice.Canada is such a beautiful country to live in.
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dianasschwenk said:
it sure is (canada that is) I had a great time Mom, yeah I remember your trip back in ’85!
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Jennifer's Journal said:
Bitchin’ Blowout – love it! Looks like you had a great time, Diana.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend. On Saturday, husband and I enjoyed the warm sunny weather and I took some pics; have a peek at my home page. Sunday, because we had no family around, I invited a couple of bachelor neighbours for turkey dinner. 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
sounds like an awesome thanksgiving!
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artsifrtsy said:
Wow – so neat to see the house you worked on – impressive! I’m kind of jealous that you guys get your Thanksgiving at the peak of fall colors – ours is a welcome break but is pretty late in the season.
Columbus Day is a mixed bag in the states. My company doesn’t celebrate it and only certain states recognize it anymore. The federal offices and banks all close and we have big sales on coats. I celebrated by driving out to the mailbox only to find it empty:)
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dianasschwenk said:
Yeah it was fun to help build that house too. I put up the trusses, gable ends, roof, ran the electrical, built internal walls put in windows, played with chainsaws, tiger torches, radial arm saws and more!
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artsifrtsy said:
Sweet! I love that you did all the hard stuff! I have done most everything at my place except roofing and stone work.
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dianasschwenk said:
I learned a lot including pounding a spike 4 inch nail with three strikes of the hammer! (I started with about 20 hits)
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artsifrtsy said:
Awesome! I’m impressed!
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Wyrd Smythe said:
I will definitely keep you in mind if I need a house built! (“Ran the electrical”…. impressive!!)
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dianasschwenk said:
Well I had people telling me what to do, but I did do it! 🙂
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billgncs said:
happy thanksgiving! ( belated ) — thanks for sharing the pics
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dianasschwenk said:
Thanks and Happy belated Columbus Day to you!
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billgncs said:
thanks! who discovered Canada ? Leif Erickson ?( smile )
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dianasschwenk said:
probably the indiginous people who were living here before the europeans came over, just like your country. 😛
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mrs fringe said:
Great pictures, thanks for sharing your weekend with us! Looks like it was well worth the drive. 🙂 Columbus Day…I spent it wondering why it’s still a national holiday 😛
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dianasschwenk said:
Driving through the Rockies is worth it just for the scenery alone! (laughing) regarding your comment about Columbus Day)
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mrs fringe said:
😀
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Louise G. said:
What a beautiful weekend you had! I am grateful for meeting you. For sharing this path we are on together. For knowing your heart — you are awesome!
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dianasschwenk said:
Back at you Louise! We are overdue for coffee or a meal I think!
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Jennifer S said:
Diana, we actually have spent the past few weeks talking constantly about Canada! My son’s fixated on The Band and Neil Young… so he’s glamorized Canada and is very anxious to visit the homeland of his musical heroes. He seems most intrigued by Ontario. I’ll have to show him your post! Loved it.
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dianasschwenk said:
haha! Someone facinated with Canada – that’s awesome! Did you know that in his prime, Neil Young could write up to 15 songs in a day. He used mostly 3 chords, sometimes 4.
If you ever wander out west, you must let me know!
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jmgoyder said:
How wonderful!
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dianasschwenk said:
It was a good trip and a great thanksgiving!
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jmgoyder said:
You’ve made me think about catching up with old friends!
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dianasschwenk said:
They do a heart good and meeting up with Sue we just always continue where we left off. 🙂
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jmgoyder said:
That is a true friend!
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dianasschwenk said:
I am a lucky woman!
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bodhisattvaintraining said:
Thank You for showing us 🙂
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dianasschwenk said:
(smiling) Thanks for looking!
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