Busted Flat in Penticton

Ok, so, we had planned to pick cherries in Oliver for at least a month. But we quickly realized picking was not all it was cracked up to be. We budgeted our last month of adventure based on making sixty dollars a day, minimum. But by the end of week two we noticed we were going to be lucky to make half that. And even though everyone kept telling us,
"oh don't worry the cherries aren't ripe yet," or,

"just wait till you are picking the good trees you will make tons of money," we were not feeling too optimistic. I don't know how you'd feel, but I found it difficult to get out of bed/tent at five am, for thirty bucks. Nevertheless, we soldiered on, until this...

Ash's hand post-op

And the leg

sexy staples.

Ashley, who, as I pointed out was the most accomplished picker, was also the most daring on her 12 ft ladder, (refer to previous post for a picture of said ladder.) Anyway, she ended up falling out of the tree and had to be rushed to, not one but two hospitals, before having emergency surgery on her left leg and hand.

The offending tree. I wont bore you with all of the details except to say that Ash's fall was the result of bad pruning, poor crop, and pushy, illiterate, (at least in English,) and under-informed supervisors.

Lauren pointing out the spot where Ash fell for her workers comp file. Just a side note, those amazing outhouse pictures in the previous post would never have been available for the Property Spot, if Ash hadn't taken her spill, so I guess there is a silver lining. Right Ash?

After Ashley got taken to the small hospital in Oliver, via ambulance, and had her initial x-rays, we were told that she would have to have immediate surgery in Penticton, forty-five minutes to the north. So Lauren and I, slightly spooked packed up our home in Oliver and followed Ashley's second ambulance of the day to lovely Penticton.

Well actually, Lo and I spent our first night camping in a sad little provincial park, our saddest camp since Loose Bay, near the town of Okanagan Falls, or OK Falls if you're a local. A small out-post half way between Oliver and Penticton.

I joked to Lauren that it was no surprise that they called this place OK Falls.

The local liquor store/bar/hotel... not a lot to do in OK Falls.

But Lauren and I did put on some make-up and skirts for the first time in weeks, so I'd say we made the best of our one night in town.

Ashley's social worker, (yes they give you one of those when you tell the doctor performing your invasive ortho-surgery that you live in a tent,) got us set up with some colleagues of hers in Penticton for the next couple days. So we left our OK campsite, and our odd Mennonite neighbors behind and headed to the big bad city of Penticton

Our sweet spot at Dale and Elmie's

I loved that horse, even if he was more into the grass.

O and surprise surprise Lauren was into the cat. By the way Bruiser, how appropriate, was the fattest cat I'd ever seen.

I am happy to report that Ashley is healing nicely and that our adventure will continue in Calgary, where Lauren and I have recently been employed at the Chinook Centre as members of the maintanence crew. Stay tuned...