Hello and Merry Christmas from Spindrift Lodge. Days have been bright and fairly warm. +5C (40F) this afternoon. Lake is open with a small amount of ice along the shoreline. We are once again hanging up the Christmas lights. This year LED technology. Only way we can put up more lights without an entire upgrade to our electrical system. And yes the timers are getting set up as well.

Our first RV trip south was great. Left end of March and returned early in May. Got as far as northern California. If you remember last winter, we had to stay away from the mountains with all the cold weather and snow. That was ok though because we went down the Pacific Coast Highway all the way from Seattle and were rewarded with great people, spectacular scenery, and excellent seafood.

Certainly had some challenges being new to RVing. Most memorable moments included; locking the RV keys in the RV without a spare in the truck - thank goodness for Coach Net roadside assistance; not turning the overdrive off right away - when you start to smell the engine burning you get it and last but not least, getting a good supply of dehumidifying crystals - moisture control in the RV matters. All we can say.

Started up the lodge in the middle of May. Still had to plough the snow off the road so we could get in. Had everything ready to go for early June. As usual lots of fishing, merriment and story telling. This year though we had a lot of rain. Between May and the end of June, the water went up 10 feet. After that we lost track as it covered the docks. Thanks to our local barge crew, the docks were repositioned and all was well.

Despite the mix of up and down weather our hats go off to our guests who always bring warm hearts and a sense of humour. And everyone loves to fish, no matter the weather. High water ended about the third week of August. By then John and I were back to sanding and painting. Bit tricky with the rain but we always make it work. Did some more RVing. Last trip was to Barkerville - a very old gold mining town that was quite the sensation in the 1860’s. When people talk about the road being straight uphill - that’s a good description. Most amazing were the northern lights. Went on for hours.

As we shift into winter, we have some sad news. Earlier in the fall Bowen started to limp on and off. His left front paw got a large bump on it. Just found out last week that Bo has bone cancer. So far he is putting up a good fight. Still loves his walks. We plan to make his last few weeks the best they can be.

With Christmas around the corner, we wanted to take this time to wish everyone a very merry and happy holiday season. Where ever you are, please remember to be safe. For those of you travelling back to the lodge next year, we will see you soon.