Kittens and Lightening

    The inside of this custom car I photographed at a car show this summer just needed a kitten to draw the attention of those who are not into cars. Please click on the photos to make them large. It makes a huge difference. 

    A sunset scene shot in Sorrento. The distant storm clouds needed a bit of prompting to light up the sky. 

   This was a sunny beach in Hawaii, framed by two palm trees. I prompted AI to add some drama. It is nothing like the original. 

   Photographing Mt. Baker on beautiful day. I would be heading down the mountain if those storm clouds were real. 

    This old heritage house in the southern most part of Washington State needed some drama. Why not a tornado. 

    This is shot at the old Tanglebank Farms but the day we were there there was not another soul walking in the gardens. How did she get there? 

  I walk in this park very often and see a scene like this but never have my camera with me. So I combined the scene with what I wished was in the scene. 

  An old weathered door needs an old weathered hand to open it. 
 

Old Eyes, New vision

      It was 20 years ago when I was told, at a routine eye examination, that I had the beginnings of cataracts. I was informed that it was nothing to worry about, but they would keep an eye on it. (Nice play on words). Fast forward to 5 months ago when I jumped the gun on my routine eye exams due to an inability to focus at pretty much any distance. I had just paid dearly for a new prescription for my progressive lens eye glasses. Could I need a new prescription this soon? 

     After a thorough examination, it was discovered that there was no prescription that would restore my vision because the cataracts (that they were keeping an eye on) had galloped forward and needed to be fixed. I was surprised, thinking that the inevitable progression would more sneak up on me than come almost overnight. 

     A eye surgeon recommendation was made and an appointment set up to get the procedure rolling. This was not going to happen overnight. This was all going to take place in the neighboring city and the first of 8 trips was scheduled. Trip 1 was to assess my eyes to determine if I was a candidate for ocular implants. I was and the next appointment, the purpose of which was to measure my eyes and determine what implants I wanted, was set up. Multiple days of drops in the eyes ("if you do not do all the drops and we cannot measure your eyes, you will have to start over") later, the measurements were taken. At that point a third trip was scheduled to do the actual surgery, but only on one eye. For now. 

     I was told what to expect and I had spoken to friends who had gone through this procedure, but I was still nervous. It's not everyday that you let someone anyone near your eye with a sharp knife. The assembly line of patients at the hospital moved quickly and efficiently and before I could back out, I was "next". 

    The right eye was draped and completely isolated from the rest of my body and propped open in such a manner that I could not blink to save my life. It was OK though because the freezing took hold really quicky and I could not feel a thing. The surgeon, a Dr. Lily, was great! He talked me though the procedure so at any given moment I know what was happening and what was going to happen, what I would feel and what I would hear. This becomes important as your imagination begins to kick into gear and you have visions of all sort of things going wrong, like you eyeball falling on the floor. It was all over in twenty minutes. 

      I sat in the recovery room with a semi-see through patch on my eye and waited for busylizzy to get me. She was my ride home as there was little vision in that eye and I need depth of field (two eyes) to drive. Actually, I could have driven as the vision in that eye was only blurry. 

    Two more appointments for follow-up, post surgery, and then 6 weeks later the left eye was scheduled. I was experienced now and had zero anxiety, only hopeful anticipation that I was on the verge of getting my eyesight back. Two more post-op follow-ups and I was done. Except for the eye drops. This turned out to be the most challenging aspect of cataract surgery, but we did it and now it is all over.

    This week I get a new eye exam for prescription glasses. My vision is beyond expectations for distance and mid-range but for close reading of small print in low light, I need help. But this was totally expected so I am good with it. I drove at night for the first time since my eyes fully recovered and I cannot say enough about how amazing it is to be able to do that again with such confidence. I have always loved driving at night, but last winter it was becoming quite difficult. 

     I staved off the inevitable for many years by taking copious amounts of Vit D and C. But now, at my age, I am so very grateful for fantastic vision, truly, a new lease on life. 

 

Lake House Diaries 19

      The family contacted the realtor and expressed the concerns they had about the possible intentions of the potential buyers. After speaking with them, the buyer assured the family that they would use the Lake House as a residence for at least the nest two years. Whether this was good intentions or the fact that the IRS withholding tax went down from 15% to 10%, it was welcome news and the negotiations began. 

     As in all negotiations, there was give and take and eventually an agreement for sale was reached, with reservations and stipulations of course. There was a far reaching and expensive set of hoops to jump through for the family, especially after the official inspection report was submitted. Paul and Wes became invaluable as they navigated the various tasks that needed to be undertaken. They both worked tirelessly and efficiently, together with their wives, and when Kris and Helen joined them in the last few days before the occupation date, all the loose ends were tied up and it was time to say goodbye. 

     All the documents were signed, many electronically, or with a mobile notary, and finally the funds were turned over to the Escrow company for disbursement. At the time of this writing, there is still an outstanding issue to be resolved. As Canadian citizens, the withholding taxes that went to the IRS on behalf of the owners, can only be claimed back through the IRS. Tax numbers, IRS filings, and eventually Canadian tax issues have yet to be resolved. It was a learning experience for the family and an experience not soon forgotten. Advice to others might be to think long and hard before buying and selling US property as Canadian citizens. 

     And now that the Lake House is no longer in the family, the sibling owners and their children and grandchildren will have to reinvent what it is that holds the family together, if indeed there is something. Ethel is still living, although in a diminished state. Some are investing very large amounts of time and effort to make life comfortable for her. Others not so much. When she is gone, she may prove to be the last stitch remaining in the fabric of her family. It remains to be seen. 

Lake House Diaries 18

      A local Real Estate office was contacted and an agent was tasked with the selling of the Lake House in the spring of 2026. The family was informed that sales were slow and therefore they should not expect a high sale price like they were suggesting. There had been very few lakefront properties sold in the last two years and historically, it was the Canadians who were buying them. Cross border visits by Canadians were declining monthly and there seemed to be no interest in them purchasing an American property with the $CAN so low. The family reasoned that because they were not desperate to sell, they could wait it out if the price was too high and there were no offers.

     The realtor consented to start the pricing at a figure considerably higher than what she had suggested. The family took into account that the asking price was always the starting point for offers and counter offers and where they might end up would be near the suggested price offered by the realtor. Tod and Em were at the Lake House with friends when the realtor's right hand man arrived with the "FOR SALE" signs. There was a momentary stab at their hearts when they realized that things were becoming real. There was no time left for remorse or second thoughts. 

     Activity picked up in the next few weeks as various articles and mementos were assigned and distributed. There was a certain amount of holding back as it would all be for nothing if a buyer did not show up. It was with surprise and relief when the family got a notification that there was an interested party and an offer was forthcoming. Again, that little shot of adrenaline as "Oh yes!" and "Oh no!" battled in the minds of the sellers. 

    The offer was considered very 'lowball' and after discovering that the potential buyers were owners of a company that flipped and/or developed properties, it was considered that the offer should be rejected outright. There was a strong loyalty and consideration of the neighbors and the family did not want to saddle them with the unknown for the next number of years. Would it be rented? Would it be torn down and re-built? Would it sit abandoned? Would it become a come and go party house? These were the considerations as the offer was being contemplated. 

    

Improving on Beauty

  These beautiful Dahlias were photographed in the sunshine, but didn't need to be. 

  Poppies in the misty rain. Very moody.

    If I could paint Hollyhocks. 

    I was very curious to see what would result from a request to turn this sunset Mission Bridge photo into impressionistic art. Wow! I might print this and hang it on the wall. 

    No need to wait for the moon to rise. Take the photo without the moon and then add it in. 

    A skydiver dropping in at the Regency Towers. He would be way off track if he were real. 

    This was just a pretty cow pasture until the Railroad put a track through it and sent this old steam train. 

    Painting Sunflowers with a spatula and heavy oils just got really easy. 

     I did nothing to this one, just to see who is paying attention. 

    This scene in Glenn Valley was spectacular and I have always admired it but thought how fortunate it would have been if those heavy storm clouds would spew some lightening. Well, what do you know? My wish came true. 
 

Lake House Diaries 17

     There was change coming, and it could be felt. The number of family members that were utilizing and enjoying the property began to fall. There was no appetite for going back to the 'user pay' model of covering expenses, so the 5 remaining couples who were on title as the owners of the property had to come up with funds each year. The $CAN was dropping and the expenses were going up. The hired landscapers took on more responsibility for grounds upkeep because there was not always someone there every week to do any of the yard work. They did not work for free!

   The next door neighbors, Bobby and Ellen, who were permanent residents, had always kept an eye on the property whenever it was unoccupied, were now aging and could no longer do it. Wes and Megan were there more than anyone else and kept the property up to date and viable, but also having a share in owning the property next door divided their loyalties. There was an unspoken consensus that something had to be done or something had to change. 

    The situation was beginning to make no sense from a financial point of view. Each owner was paying a substantial amount of money each year for a week or two of vacation. And not all of the owners were even using the property at all, despite the fact that they were paying. The question seemed to rise organically and a vote was taken as to whether to keep or to sell the Lake House. When the unanimous vote was "YES", it was both a relief and a bit of a shock. Was this chapter of the family story really going to come to an end?  The Lake House had been a part of their lives since a young age, for most of them, and certainly for the grandchildren. 

     Wes and Megan had a special connection to the Lake house and made an offer to buy the property from the other 4 owner couples. It was not unanimous, but their offer was rejected as being too low. It would have been ideal. They would get to have sole ownership of a place they loved and cared for, and it would stay in the family, ownership carried on by the family name. 

     There were some second thoughts and the sale date was postponed for a year. The whole family needed time to process the decision and to take stock of how the sale would proceed and how to dispose of a 45 year accumulation of 'stuff' when there were so many memories attached to everything. The extra season would also give everyone a chance to spend a last summer getaway there and say their goodbyes. The reality of putting the Lake House behind them was starting to hit home. But, not putting the cart before the horse, all bets were off unless there was actually a buyer. 

    The summer of 2026 would reveal all. 

Cowboys and Critters

    This could have been reality because there is an Air Show here every August. 

   The hills near Nighthawk in Washington State were crying out for cowboys and cattle. 

   This sunset photo of the sun reflecting on the RR tracks in Glen Valley needed a touch of wild life and what better than a Coyote family. 

   Willband Creek trail has a  cool and shady rest spot for a hot walk on a hot day. It needed someone or something to take advantage of it. 

     This Fox is not in the Henhouse, but peaking out from among some wild flowers growing beside the RR tracks beside the Abbotsford Mission Highway. 

    A family of Canada Geese filled in what was a minimalist photo. 
 

Lake House Diaries 16

     Greg and Ethel's health issues were on the rise, and the inevitable became reality when they announced that they had spent their last summer at the lake. They had made some very dear friends in the close knit community of the bay in which they lived, and that would be the most difficult aspect of staying away, perhaps never seeing their friends again. Over the last few years, they had had an abundance of time to process this eventuality and they seemed to come to terms with it graciously and without remorse. Some of the best years of their lives had been spent at the Lake and now it was time to move on. 

    It was some time during this transition that talks were underway between Greg, Wes, Paul and Helen in regards to the future of the Lake house and how it could be kept afloat financially. An exceedingly generous offer was made by Greg to finance all expenses. The money could come out of Greg and Ethel's reserves and would last until such time that they needed the money for their own care in an assisted living facility. It was decided and arranged, and a few weeks later, when Wes and Megan were sitting down to dinner with Tod and Em that the news was broken. Tod and Em were speechless. They had no idea that this was in the works and were offended and disappointed that they had no say in the matter. The rift in the sibling relationships was deeper than they had suspected. The worst thing was that Tod and Em could detect no reason for it. What was apparent, was that communications between some family members was deteriorating.

   For the next few years, the Lake House did not seem like a 'happy place'. It was a constant reminder of the alienation happening between the owners. True, there were no financial pressures to burden any family and there was cooperation in the scheduling of which family got which week, but everything there was a reminder of happier days and days when Ethel and Greg were there to anchor the family. Wes and Megan gradually became the 'caretakers' and had a handle on all systems, policies, and procedures. Megan's family owned the property immediately next door, so they were there often during the summer months, and not only kept an eye on things, but did many repairs and add-ons over the next few years. They were greatly appreciated by all and became the 'life-blood' of the Lake House. 

     When the COVID years hit, they still had access to the property and kept it running during the absence of others and during the installation of a new roof and the sweeping wild fires that came raging down the mountain just west of the property. But everything and everyone survived, except Greg. It was during this time that Greg succumbed to a deteriorating health condition. Ethel was now on her own, staying in an independent living facility. Living without Greg's income, and dipping deeply into her savings for monthly expenses, created a situation where subsidizing the Lake House became an untenable situation. 

    This put a different light on the Lake House's financial situation once again, and adjustments were going to have to made.  

 

Lake House Diaries 15

      The family dynamics took a turn after that meeting. There were changes blowing in the wind and perhaps the meeting was just the catalyst for something that may have been inevitable. The eldest son Greg Jr., had previously had a falling out with his father and then the brothers with whom he had been in business. He and his wife Lil and their girls were the family that used the Lake House the least of all of Greg and Ethel's children. His in-laws had a vacation property elsewhere and they seemed to prefer to spend time there. It did not make sense to him to pay a share of the expenses at the Lake House if he and his family were not there much. As a result, when Greg and Ethel passed on the property to all of their children, 6 couples, Greg decided to opt out soon after and insisted that his name be taken off of the title. 

      The others thought it was a rash decision, but the papers were finalized and then there were only 5 owners. The burden of responsibility was now on these 5 couples as Greg and Ethel were winding down their time there. Paul and his wife Hannah slowly took over the book-keeping and all the financial details that job entailed. All income and expenses were handled by Hannah and she did a great job. The issue of how much to charge the "campers" was often discussed as the expenses of running the property continued to climb. But discussions were no longer held at the Oroville meetings. In fact the Oroville meetings became a thing of the past when Paul declared that he was no longer calling meetings nor would he attend if there ever was one. He did not want to be "blind-sided again". 

    This left a few family members perplexed but business was still discussed via phone calls and emails. As time went by, certain topics and decision were only talked about by certain family members. For some unknown reason, Tod and Em were left out of the loop and would not be a part of the discussions, but decisions made by others were simply announced to them after the fact. Small fractures between individuals were not resolved but were left to fester and soon there were some real divisions. Of course, not knowing any of the disputes in the family, Greg would say to his children and grandchildren that he was so happy that he and Ethel had built the Lake House and that it was such a source of happiness and unity in the family. The enjoyment part was very true, but the unity was turning onto disunity, and it was mostly because of the Lake House. 

    The youngest son Rick and his wife Willa divorced themselves from the family and moved out of province. They still came for their week at the lake but would not so much as rub shoulders with any other family member. It seemed to be a continuation of the falling out he had with his brothers, similar to Greg Jr.'s. And then a decision was made that changed everything.