Thanksgiving October 2020

Posted on October 11, 2020 by dfolstad58

Welcome to Life and Random Thinking, I appreciate your interest in my blog. – David

Canadian Thanksgiving is always the beginning of October, and it’s a colourful time of year in Canada. Tomorrow October 12 is the official Thanksgiving day.

Happy Thanksgiving Weekend to you !

In the Okanagan valley of British Columbia, where I live, we don’t have the really bold colours like our fellow Canadians in Ontario but the colours are still tremendous.

Of course, along with the beautiful leaves usually means less daylight, cooler weather, and inevitably snow.

The seasons are part of life in Canada, as they are part of life for people.

Neither the seasons of our lives or the seasons of Canada can be avoided so we by necessity, embrace them as inevitable.

Denial is not a river in Egypt.

Bike Ride October 11

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Today despite a cool wind I went for a longish bike ride, I should have dressed more warmly but the ride ended up to be 18 kilometres and had a fabulous time with my son. At the end heading back home against the wind, I tied my handkerchief over my face to stay warm – I must have looked like an old-timer train robber.

Today I would like to share some good news, and some bad news and wind up with a few photographs from the last week.

The bad news is that I was careless today and lost my wallet, my ID, credit cards and cash. I normally zip my wallet into my pocket but today I didn’t, it must have spilled out when I tried a u-turn on loose gravel and fell nearly entirely over.

The good news is shortly after I arrived at home, and before I discovered my wallet was missing, there was a knock on the door. My wife answered it and a young couple had driven over to return my wallet. My wife thanked them, gave them a bag of fresh picked apples and gave me my wallet.

Isn’t that a wonderful refreshing story, and it’s all true. ♥

  • October, and the lake and sky so blue along Okanagan lake
  • if you look closely you can see the Sicamous paddlewheeler at the far shore
  • north end of town along Okanagan lake, October scenery
  • zoom from a picture posted on a local pathway. It’s from a local tree planting day sponsored by TD Bank. My son and I and our students and lots of locals, bank employees all volunteer every year for planting. Must be from years ago.
  • The paddleboat “Sicamous” was lit up with a heart on the side the other night, couldn’t resist a picture.
  • some visiting deer on a neighbours yard, they seem to love hedges !
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Brand New Season

Posted on October 7, 2020 by dfolstad58

I lay awake this morning

and realized that today I embark on a new season of my lifelong production, my 62nd season. I am glad I was renewed for another year. There have been changes of course, the theme song needs to be played louder, and I like closed captioning, but hey, the show is still on the air.

There have been times when I was unsure if there would new episodes, but that changed April 24, 2019 with my kidney transplant.

Most of the episodes last year in my 61st season were filmed on location here in Penticton, but some in early 2020 were done in Maui, the entire cast had a wonderful time there.

January 2020 in Maui – the main cast

All the episodes filmed locally are sublime year-round, regardless of snow, wind or sunshine. It’s a lovely location, the Okanagan, with lakes, blue skies, and all the regulars and guest stars love it here.

Over the seasons, it has become a theme of my show to celebrate the ordinary, and really my ordinary seems pretty extraordinary to me.

I love homemade, I enjoy fresh air, and walks and fresh air here strike me as dazzling no matter how easily obtained.

The doctors, friends, neighbours, family and city are all appreciated sincerely by myself.

Florida, Europe, the Cook Islands are all wonderful but I am not waiting until I am far away at a distant location to celebrate the simple.

The local wind, bird sounds, quail, deer and the lapping of lake waves and small city living are all pretty glorious to me.

Another bonfire tonight – toasting my toes and marshmallows too !

One day, you’ll look
To see I’ve gone
For tomorrow may rain, so
I’ll follow the sun – click to hear and see the song

The next season of David Folstad, will likely be more of the same, which is better than “fine” to me. I hope you will “stay tuned“.

Big thanks to everyone – the steady cast, the guest stars, and to everyone that helps the show to continue. Tonight the cast party will include homemade carrot birthday cake from my lovely wife Susan.

Celebrating 62 today, and thanks everyone for your kind wishes as I kick off next year. – Thanks for your interest in my blog.

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Sun and Smoke

Posted on October 1, 2020 by dfolstad58

The Okanagan valley

has a little bit of high smoke blowing from the south today, but during the last few days, we have enjoyed some lovely blue days; blue skies and blue water.

When out cycling along one of our two lakes on those days, the peace and calm of the scenery are nature’s gifts unwrapped for anyone to enjoy.

I thought today I would share some photos, and add captions to them. A simple post, not to take too much of your time and I hope you enjoy looking and reading the captions.

I am behind on reading so many blogs right now, please forgive me. – David ♥

  • Looking north to my city about 16 kilometres south on last Saturday. This is a nice spot, I was hoping to spot some bats coming out at dusk, but no luck.
  • Same Saturday as the bbq picture, see how peaceful and quiet the beach was?
  • Last Saturday we drove up north about 16 kilometres (9.4 miles) to Sunoka beach. We had a hot dog bbq, and my son dared a dip in the lake!
  • Africa has taken the tv remote again – my daughter says she is a control freak. ♥♥♥
  • Different lake, Skaha lake, also close to home – nature is sweet isn’t she? Camera doesn’t share the feeling, sorry.
  • I was heading down the street by my house and these two young deer were enjoying a snack – probably the same ones that demolished my azaleas. I asked their Momma dear to exit my back yard later in the day. ♥
  • One of the blue-tiful days this week I was telling you about. This is my son in the blue, the blue skies and the blue Okanagan lake.
  • Out for a walk along one of the pathways I spotted this coyote. He was just watching people go by, of course he was safe and “outstanding in his field”
  • close up of a kokanee salmon, the camera doesn’t see as well as you could in person.
  • My son David, and part of the creek that is enhanced with boulders and pools to help the Kokanee spawning success. Years ago I planted trees along both shores in this section to give more shade, looks good now.
  • Hard to see in these photos of a creek in town but the Kokanee are running. They are salmon, bright red and are laying their eggs and then dying. Sad and yet optimistic to see all the fish.
  • It’s GoByBike week here in British Columbia. I have been riding 20 or so kilometres daily and keeping track of each ride for the website of GoByBike. Usually two rides a day and sometimes after dark, I have lights !

Tonight at my Toastmaster’s club my speech project is to tell a story – 5 to 7 minutes long. I try to be original in my speeches and the inspiration for my speech entitled “Skunked” came from playing “crib” with my son.

If you don’t know what Crib is; Crib is a card game, and you keep score on a board. I created for tonight’s speech at Penticton Toasties a short story about a young man named Claudio, who plays crib with his Papa after a family meal. After just avoiding being skunked (losing by 30 points) Claudio shares two life lessons he has learned from playing cards with his Papa. Of course, the story made me exercise my cheek muscles and I look forward to hearing my audience response and feedback (gifts).

Thanks for visiting and look forward to hearing your thoughts, I appreciate your visit. – Take care, David

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Looking Ahead

Posted on September 24, 2020 by dfolstad58

My dear wife, Susan, has been with me in my health battles all the way through. Two years ago, when I was too sick to continue without dialysis, she was there to help me resume dialysis after 31 years without further delay.

I had been delaying, and to the risk of my life, nearly too long.

I stalled because once I succumbed to beginning dialysis – my transplant function would further collapse, however at that point in 2018 it made no difference – it was almost nothing already and the plus 15 pounds of fluid in my lungs and tissue were at risk of causing a heart event of some type. I had been sleeping sitting up for months because breathing was a problem.

This is what my wife posted in September 2018 on her Facebook page:

Today was a difficult day as Dave started hemodialysis. It wasn’t planned for today but was planned soon.

It became necessary as his GFR was at 6 and his body was failing him. Normal GFR is above 60.

Although we’ve been through this a long time ago, it was still heart wrenching.

The two hour dialysis took 2.3 litres of fluid off his body today. Tomorrow he will be there three hours and they will take 3 litres off.

Then on Saturday four hours of dialysis. Four hours of dialysis three times a week will be his new normal. In all 10 litres of fluid needs to come off his body.

We are hoping and praying he gets on the transplant list in October. From August on Dave has been struggling to live as his body has been failing him.

It occurred to me that his body was killing him a little more every day. We also hold on to the hope of better days ahead. There were tears today of letting go and giving in but not giving up.

We’re both just tired today. Dialysis will keep Dave alive while we wait for a transplant to go ahead. Please keep Dave in your prayers.

Canada has a low rate of organ donation and I hope by sharing this that it raises awareness. Dave has lived over 30 years on one kidney.

If a living donor donates a kidney in a paired exchange and they ever get sick they immediately rise to the top of the transplant list because of their donation.

You are welcome to please share this post to raise awareness.–

The two year anniversary of my first dialysis treatment in 30 plus years was a few days ago,

but I struggled deciding on whether I should write a post. I decided to post this remembrance because I wanted to recognize what happened after she posted.

Amazingly to me – my wife’s social media post resulted in more than a hundred messages of encouragement -that was super inspiring.

Secondly, it lead to us deciding to have party inviting friends for my birthday. We needed to celebrate something positive.

I could not eat or drink hardly anything at the party because of my dialysis, but I was stuffed by the warmth of the love in action. Friends I hadn’t seen in person in years came to celebrate, travelling hundreds of miles. They shared kind memories, they came to look me in the eyes.

That is the reason for the post today.

I want to emphasize how my friends gave me strength and hope a few weeks after return to dialysis three days a week. Letting go of a kidney transplant after 31 years and a prospect of a diminished life span was all I had to look forward to along with the daily challenges of life of dialysis.

But they came and we celebrated my birthday together, and it helped me to be positive.

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It strikes me that in the lives of people who read this that everyone has trials, rough road to travel in their lives.

It could be health related, relationship related, it could be work or zillion other things.

What is important is that how I react when I see someone hurting.

My friends responded wonderfully. They responded in action, a special few of them took the effort to learn what dialysis meant. Some came to the hospital and sat with me for one of my thrice weekly four hour treatments. They watched the needles being inserted and taped up for the duration. We visited while my blood was pumped around and around through the filters and the toxins were pulled out.

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I hope that when I see my friends, cousins, nieces, nephews, in need of support that I will be there. It makes a difference to act.

Two years ago October 2018 when family and friends rallied with love

It made a difference to me two years ago and now looking back, I see it helped me to look ahead.

Two years ago, my wife wrote and my friends acted, and I am still grateful.

Thanks for reading – David

PS – I was able to get a new kidney transplant, April 24, 2019. It’s a miraculous story – I write about it in the Health category here. I am still celebrating ! ♥♥♥

https://dfolstad58.wordpress.com/2019/08/17/how-has-my-life-changed/

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Stuck Inside or Who’s Cheating? – Part Dos

Posted on September 15, 2020 by dfolstad58

Welcome to Life and Random Thinking, Part Two of “Stuck Inside or Who’s Cheating” post.

– David

Africa on guard

I enjoy riding my ebike.

I have had one for a few years now and it still amazes me when someone says to me (and usually when I am pedalling up a steep hill) – “that’s cheating you know”

I have never, never ever, waived a passing car down when I am walking; then when it comes to a stop beside me – Hey you know that’s cheating“

It’s still exercise – I am pedaling ♥, not a motorcycle.

Looking down from the tunnel – way down there at the far end is Penticton, this is from Naramata and opposite from Summerland. Downhill basically all the way home, wahoo

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At least half the bikes out there have 18 gears,

no one seemed to think that was cheating, or the bikes the expensive bikes that are made helium and titanium.

Haven’t bikes always been just an improvement on walking?

It seems to me that the huge increase of e-bikes means a number of positive things. Cars are being replaced by bikes, and hills that used to be an obstacle are now eliminated!

Transportation is all about moving, and cyclists look happier than the people I see bumper to bumper. Just sayin’

A dozen bikes can be parked in one car spot! Plus the health benefits !

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In my Opinion

I think Cities would be wise to act now to motivate riders by providing bike lanes and safe bike parking.

Bikes and cycling are a solution.

From DC to Chicago to Portland, the story is the same: people go out of their
way to use protected bike lanes.

By creating clear delineation between auto and bike traffic, protected bike lanes get more people in the saddle — burning calories, clearing minds, and strengthening hearts and lungs.

As companies scramble to lower health care costs, employees who benefit from the gentle exercise of pedaling to work help boost overall
hourly productivity and cut bills.

How 21st Century Transportation Networks Help New Urban Economies Boom

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Afew days ago I rode a bit longer and farther than I usually do. It was almost 48 kilometre ride. Wow, and it was beautiful.

This little youtube shows the location, the Little Tunnel in Naramata. I chose this video because it is short and of course, the view. -it’s 1:40 in length.

Fun times at the Little Tunnel in Naramata

I will add some pictures below in case you don’t like youtube. ♥ – David

I rode from home in Penticton up to the little tunnel in Naramata; about 25 km each way. It is on the old Kettle Valley Railway (KVR) line which is now a walking/cycling path.

What was so cool to me that ride was to see all the people with big smiles on their faces. Some walking, but most on bikes. I was one of those people, a beatific smile on my grizzled features – looking down on Okanagan lake from a view like an airplane.

♥ I saw this wonderful “seasoned in life” lady with a huge grin on her ebike on that ride – she clearly loved “cheating!”

She was loving her day, the wide-open skies and the long uphill ride to the tunnel was clearly not an obstacle to her. ♥

Thank you for showing an interest in my post today, your comments are welcome, suggestions also😊 . – Take care my friends. – David.

Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash
As we fell into the sun,
And the first one said to the second one there
I hope you're having fun.

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Stuck Inside or Who’s Cheating? – Part 1

Posted on September 14, 2020 by dfolstad58

Welcome to my blog, Life and Random Thinking.

I truly appreciate your visit, Thank You ! – David

Africa is keeping an eye on me!

Who will know the name of the song and band from today’s lyrics?

The air quality in the Okanagan Valley where I live “sucks“! It is 11+ on the air quality index and when you check what that means all the instructions translate to mean “Don’t !”

Don’t breathe, don’t go outside, don’t open your windows, and don’t inhale.

My thoughts are with the people in Washington, Oregon and California and many other border states who are dealing with this fire emergency. Fires are raging out of control in numerous locations.

I am proud of the firefighters from Canada, from as far away as Quebec, who have gone down to support our American friends.

Be safe ♥

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Stuck inside these four walls,
Sent inside forever,
Never seeing no one
Nice again like you,
Mama you, mama you.

If I ever get out of here,
Thought of giving it all away
To a registered charity.
All I need is a pint a day
If I ever get outta here
If we ever get outta of here

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End of Part 1 –

I decided to shorten this post and make it two parts, I hope you come back for part dos ! – David 👍

Posted in okanagan related, Thinking Out loud, travel | Tagged , , , , , , | 10 Comments