You may have suspected I died, but I’ve just been very busy with Nicky’s future mother-in-law’s visit from Japan. I’m also making the food for their wedding, plus want the house and yard half-decent, so right now I’m immersed in all of that.

I was fortunate to find a teenaged kid willing to clean the sunroom roof, which is a death-defying task. One must climb onto the flimsy roof and clean without stepping onto the glass panels which shatter like fake glass in old Western movies.

I can do all of the cleaning outside of that myself, and so have been doing that for several hours per day. Mrs. Sawaya arrived last Thursday afternoon, so I wanted to have the place all ready for her visit, as she’s not able to attend the wedding. I knew this was it for her, so had to pull out all stops.

She doesn’t speak any English, and I don’t speak Japanese, so we had to rely on charades and Haruka for help. I received Mrs. Sawaya’s beautiful navy blue kimono and obi which she wore when she was young, and I’ve hung the kimono on the wall.

On Friday the four of us went downtown and walked along the waterfront, had lunch at the Cactus Club right on the lake, and then went up Knox Mountain for a small hike and a view of the city and lake.

On Saturday we headed north to Vernon, looked at Kalamalka Lake and went over to Fintry Provincial Park and hiked up to Shannon Falls. That’s always hard on the old calves as it’s a mighty steep climb up hundreds of stairs to the top.

On Sunday we drove south to Osoyoos, had lunch at mom’s, went to the view point at Anarchist Mountain, and drove home on the east side of Okanagan Lake for a different vista. The weather was fantastic all three days.

Then poor Mrs. Sawaya had to fly home on Monday morning, after just three days and four nights in Canada! She has a job cooking at a school, and they only have these short breaks, unlike here where one would have a month or two off to travel.

I’m also busy re-vamping my lower garden, and dug out a lot of perennials which I hope to sell. I’m planning on having just vegetables down there as with water shortages one doesn’t need to be watering decorative plants that one doesn’t even see.

I also have a death-defying job to do with the bees. The beekeeper said I’m to reverse the two hive boxes, so I have to do that today. I know that means very angry bees, so will suit up from head to toe, with boots up to the knees after last year’s horrible incident where they swarmed my ankles and I couldn’t walk for three days.

The wedding’s in 12 days, so all I should be doing is cooking, but instead I’ve had chiropractor, dental and hair appointments, and also a lot to do with the Liberals. The defence minister arrives this week and we’re holding a social event for him on Friday.

But while Nicky’s at work I hope to put Haruka to work here to help me with some of the preparations, so it’ll all get done. Right now I’m wondering how, but I’m sure it will.