Just a thought… Time changes everything except something within us which is always surprised by change. [Thomas Hardy]

You can watch a video version of this journal on my Facebook page, or here on YouTube.

Before I forget, I have a special video for you here on Thursday, ahead of the long weekend. I promise you’re going to want to try or share or both!

To today’s – thank you for the comments and feedback on the basketball blog I did here a week ago. In case you missed it, I was kind of gobsmacked about the MALE that was printed on the side of the box of the Spalding basketball that we purchased for Colin (or thought we had – but I’ll explain in a moment).

Spalding very kindly responded that they are following league guidelines and that there are male and female basketballs based on sizes; they assign gender so that people who are buying on behalf of others (hello Grama and Grandude Banana) know what we’re purchasing.

I get that. But I also agree with the many people who commented on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter that it was time for Spalding to lead the way and, yeah, get with the times.

As for that ball…Rob wanted to take it back to the store and exchange it for one without a slow leak. Well, that’s where it got really sticky: we found the receipt and – gah – the ball wasn’t on it. They hadn’t charged us!

So, rather than just go and get another one and keep the “free” one, Rob took it to Canadian Tire, where the poor gal at Customer Service literally was speechless. She didn’t know what to do, so she just put it behind the counter and Rob went and got another basketball. Same size, same brand, different colours, and three dollars cheaper.

But I started to fantasize: What if Spalding is so grateful to me for bringing the tone deafness of the size thing to their attention that they offer me 100 basketballs to donate to different kids’ clubs and Big Sisters and Brothers and stuff…and then we can’t prove that we bought it? What if they think we stole the dang ball to begin with?

Now, obviously, none of that happened. But wouldn’t that have been something?

Thanks, too, for your comments about the Snowbirds video. Many folks remarked on how clear the skies were and, yes, here on the island – touch wood, but don’t make a spark – although we are tinder dry, there have been no massive wildfires such as the ones they’re experiencing in the BC interior.

I know some folks think Vancouver and Vancouver Island are the same place, but one’s on the mainland, like much of the rest of Canada – that would be the city of Vancouver – and the other is an island (of course) and it’s where the provincial capital of Victoria is. And that’s where we are. Except this week we’re on Salt Spring Island and I’ll share moments with you next week.

Be well, stay safe and thanks for coming by. Have a great couple of days and don’t miss Thursday’s vlog!