I've been using Apple Pay as an option to make credit card payments since it first became available in Canada for Visa cards. I had not used any other phone-based payment application previously, so this would be a new experience. To set it up, I needed to create an instance of the card in the Royal ...

Have a vehicle without Bluetooth connectivity? The Jabra Drive Bluetooth speaker may be just the tool you need. I've used this device for over two years, and with few exceptions, find it easy to use, and extremely portable. I regularly use it in our two vehicles for both phone calls and GPS directi...

Yes, it is spelled the American way rather than Canadian.

The Gray Creek Pass is the third highest mountain pass in Canada, at some 2200 metres. It connects Kimberley and Gray Creek via the Selkirk Mountains of British Columbia, and after much planning, has become part of the Trans Canada Trail. It b...

Many folks have a bucket list - those dozen  or so places to go, things to do, or challenges to meet. Many of these are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities, or events these folks have the opportunity to enjoy. My Pail List goals are somewhat more modest, with the idea they can be completed in a much sh...

While planning for longer trips in our 1992 Komfort Koach Fifth Wheel, we felt a TV would be a useful addition. The original location to place a TV was on the cabinet between the door and the bed. Televisions in 1992 were, of course, heavy CRT models, so the location was chosen to support this weigh...

I've neglected my Surface tablet for a few months. I purchased it to stay at least somewhat up-to-date with the happenings in Windows world, and to be able to field at least some questions from friends with Windows computers, and questions about upgrading to Windows 10. Now that the free upgrade per...

Every five years Canada completes a census of the population. To complete this task, Statistics Canada employs some 35,000 Canadians for periods varying from a few weeks to a few months. A wide variety of positions are offered, including team leader, call centre operator and enumerator.

In January, I...

July 28 is 6 months since retiring from Interior Health; what have I learned?

• I didn't need as much gross income as when working. In the first two months of retirement, I drove fewer than 500 km. Having to pay my own Medical Plan Fees, instead of it being deducted at source was an unexpected surprise...

A piece of whimsical art from a Creston yard. The creature sits atop a manhole a few feet from the sidewalk. I find these little twists of the artist's mind quite enjoyable, and they usually draw a smile.

It has clearly been a while since I posted to this blog, and my excuse is that 'retirement got in the way'. I have been somewhat consumed with re-organizing my life around an early retirement, and the joys thereof. I expect to be back with topics far more regularly from here on with the little thing...