Day 3: Throwing Sticks in Lakes

June 25, 2012

Day 3 of our journey brought us another bought of rain. That is, for those keeping score at home, 3 days with rain and none without. While I had only ever once experience rain here in Osoyoos, it is mostly only our clothes and stuff that is dampening, and not our spirits. I say mostly because each of us had at least one gloomy period today. However, as I write this at 9:30, wind blowing through the trees, Half-moon shining in the sky, and raccoon rustling in the bushes, we are all in a good place. This place for Haifa and the boys is asleep in the tent, each exhausted from the fresh air and busy day, and for me it is at the picnic table in front of this laptop.

We awoke to overcast skies and Zaid and I were shortly by the lakes edge looking for something to do. Being a young child in disguise as an adult I decide to pick up this large stick and throw it into the lake. Zaid takes immediate delight in this and sets off finding all manner of stick, from pine needles to giant branches to throw in the water. Having exhausted the sticks we switch to rocks as the rain starts to fall. We summoned Haifa and Owen to join us, but quickly left to take cover in the tent. Zaid and I would repeat this 4 more times throughout the afternoon. If only he would learn that you only throw sticks and rocks, not trucks or forks; and you only do so at the lake, and not the tent or us.

The sun came out in the afternoon and we make the rather intelligent decision of immediately jumping into the car to go indoors. We do some quick shopping, stop for Timmies and then head to the Okanagan’s largest model train, located in a large warehouse outside of town. This place was something to behold, over 1000 small houses, over 20,000 hand-painted figurines and countless operating model trains. Zaid of course was in awe, but did extremely well following his mother around as we slowly made our way past each intricately designed scene.

Zaid enthralled by the model train. Photo: Haifa Staiti

The railroad is the work of a Danish immigrant to Osoyoos via Spain. How they ended up in Osoyoos is anybody’s guess. He had started it as a hobby, but after 17 years he needed to expand beyond the basement and so built a warehouse to house his hobby. A few years later, after an “intense family discussion” (as quoted by the attraction itself), they decided to open up his display to the public. They have expanded it since then to encompass the whole upper floor of the warehouse, with gift shop below. The gentleman had a bit of Soup Nazi in him, as he sat up on his big chair, watching over the guests awing at his trains. A little girl had the gall to first ask to go back to the hotel and then ran. This got him out of his chair to give her a lecture about why she shouldn’t run. Luckily his humanity shown through when Zaid ran away and threw himself on the floor crying when it was time to leave, and the owner kept his mouth shut. Perhaps though, this is only because he had just seen how excited Zaid was at his creations.

Tomorrow we head for a hotel and we are all excited about a hot shower and/or bath. I think Haifa believes she is most excited, but I can’t wait either. I guess it will take a while for the dirt to wash the city boy out of me.