July 30,31,Aug 1

I’m melting. The summer heat is like a sauna and I have had the privilege of being in the middle of a lake to experience the soaring temperatures. I will not complain. We live in the true north strong and free, we only get a few weeks of the hot temperatures and long days.

I wish I could sleep better though.

Living in a home that was built in 1937 comes with its challenges. One of those challenges is keeping the bedrooms cool. Even with air conditioning, the temperature can be pretty warm at night. Sleep has been fleeting and dreams of summers past haunt my brain. I dream of summers as a young man camped on the shore of Okanagan Lake.

It was thirty years ago when I first came to stay on the shores of Westbank as it was known then. Stepping Stone Campground was also known as The Last Resort, to us it was; the last place that filled up in the summer. There used to be five campgrounds along the shores of our magnificent lake. The west side of Okanagan Lake was populated by waterfront campsites that packed in the RV’s and families enjoying the summer heat of paradise.

Now there are none.

The provincial parks have survived. The rest of the family campgrounds are now high-end resorts and our amazing valley is no longer the family-friendly camping area it once was. Stepping Stone has become a native only park, surviving in a way none of the other campgrounds have. Yet it’s still unavailable to the public. The Last Resort is now the Westbank First Nations private beach. Change is the only constant in life. Too bad some changes are not for the better.

In the lazy, hazy days of my youth in the summer many memories stand out. One such memory was sleeping on the beach of Stepping Stone beside the fire under the stars. My buddy showed up at 6 in the morning with a coffee in one hand and a cigarette in the other handing me both he smiled, “ski?” His boat was beached in front of me and we climbed aboard.

I still remember those moments as if it were yesterday. My slalom ski cut the glass of the lake like a diamond as the sun glowed red in the hazy skies over Kelowna. The purity of the moment is etched in my soul, a connection forged timelessly with my being. At that moment I knew I would return to live in the wondrous place I call God’s Country.

Now I am living that dream of a young man. Summer days have heated up and people have flocked to our Canadian paradise. I have enjoyed the warmth and made the most of it. I have ridden my bike to ‘work’ all week and experienced a summer to remember. Canadians from Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver have shared the heat and our lake tours this past week.

I have been successful staying distant on the boat, fortunate that my 25 foot Campion Biltmore is laid out to allow physical distancing. I am also fortunate that everyone I have met is respectful and has been smart about keeping apart from me. Even the drunk ones.

Time keeps moving on, and our valley is being transformed. I remember those simple times of thirty years ago. But I am grateful for the times I have today. The high-end resorts have replaced the simplistic campsites and bring a boon of wealth. Many of our customers are staying in the places that used to be rustic campgrounds.

As our world hurtles forward into an unknown future we will continue to do our best. I will stay safe and sane, sharing my story and my love of the beautiful, warm and wonderful Okanagan.