When you become a senior, you have to keep on your toes, look for bargains, deals, discounts or perks. There are plenty of opportunities out there to save a dollar or maybe make your life a bit easier.
Last week, the Environment Police issued an Air Quality Advisory stating: “Persons with chronic underlying medical conditions should postpone strenuous activities until the advisory is lifted.
“Staying indoors in air conditioned spaces helps to reduce fine particulate exposure. Exposure is particularly a concern for infants, the elderly and those who have diabetes, and lung or heart disease.”
As a senior, I don’t have to read the whole advisory but I can pick out the message that says: ‘The elderly should postpone strenuous activities, staying indoors in air conditioned spaces, until the advisory is lifted. Pretty much sounds like a week off for me.
The lawn is looking a bit ragged, even though the grass is dying the dandelions and weeds are still growing strong. But with that high particulate content in the air, should I risk trudging through the haze behind the mower? I think not.
Cooking is out of the question. No sense in raising the temperature in the kitchen and I can only imagine the damage to my lungs of inhaling barbecue smoke on top of the forest fire fumes. I might risk making my way out to my vehicle and heading out to an air conditioned restaurant.
Staying inside is a great chance to catch up on reading, writing and watching old movies.
You might even say that showering and shaving are strenuous activities so maybe forget that for a few days and just hang out in shorts, sandals and a T-shirt.
The other patrons and staff in the restaurants will let you know when it is time to risk cleaning up a bit.
Life is never fair. When we get nice weather, it gets too hot then the smoke rolls in. If we find a nice beach, there is swimmer’s itch or an e-coli warning posted. Summer holidays are never like the adventures in the travel magazines.
I recall zipping along the highway in our truck and camper making great time anticipating an early arrival at our campsite then rounding the corner and coming up behind a long line of vehicles all stopped for paving or blasting or some other road enhancement project heralded by the big sign, “Sorry for the Inconvenience, P.A. Gaglardi.”
I doubt Mr. Gaglardi, then B.C.’s highways minister, was ever stuck in a truck and camper in 90-degree heat with two hot, cranky little kids. Inconvenience is not even close to describing the experience.
In the old days, before the Coquihalla Highway, you came home on either the Fraser Canyon or the Hope-Princeton highway.
Many a camper, returning from holidays, has spent a Sunday afternoon 10 miles east of Hope in bumper to bumper traffic as both highways merged at the junction in Hope. Never a great way to end a perfect vacation.
Measuring the good with bad and making the best of the situation is what we call ‘life’ and no one ever promised it would be fair all the time.
Sometimes we just have to be reminded to slow down a bit.
That’s enough writing for now, I’m feeling a bit faint and the jug of iced tea is calling my name. No sense overdoing it while the advisory is still in effect.
At least, that’s what McGregor says.
