First stop - Vancouver

We just arrived in a hot and dry Fraser Valley with some lingering smoke in the sky from all the forest fires in the province. We are here primarily to visit my family and do some sight seeing around Vancouver island. Besides me breaking a luggage handle en route, the flights here were uneventful. Last time we were in town a couple of years ago our car rental was upgraded to a muscle car, unbeknownst to me. The kids would call it "one sweet hot ride" and I have to admit I did like it with its roaring engine. Just a regular sedan for us this time round though.

For the next few days we'll be staying in Abbotsford on the outskirts of Vancouver. Brings back memories of childhood when I lived nearby in Chilliwack and visited Abbotsford on occasion to go to the movies or to attend the annual air show. The place is much more built up now.

The place does still smell the same though with huge lush trees and blackberry bushes growing everywhere. These bushes have big blackberries buried deep in huge thorny rambles. At least they seemed huge when I picked them as a child, paying the inevitable price with scratches on my arms every time I couldn't resist. And yes I did manage to scratch myself up today.

Here's Catheleen helping herself to a few.