I’m planning to return to Singapore in October, connecting with friends.
NIGHT is the very best time to be out and about in this hot and humid city close to the equator.
Most low budget travellers stay in Little India. Shop at the Mustafa mall.
Indian food was a welcome change after a month of mostly rice and noodles.
Here’s a gallery of some of my favourite pics from September. Click to move through the 18 photos.
I’m moving back to Calgary … or — more accurately — going on the road full-time. In fact, I’m en route to Indonesia today.
Rob & Yvonne sold the house in Parksville where my parents lived their last years.
It was a perfect retirement home for them.
I’d been spending a lot more time in Parksville over recent years helping out my folks.
But Dad died in March.
Dad originally wanted to move to the left coast for fishing.
Mom for the weather, gardening, and … bocce ball.
A few years after my parents, my brother Rob and his wife Yvonne decided to move to Parksville, as well. They bought a 2nd house. AND got married in that Parksville home.
Randy and Val made long trips from Calgary, especially enjoying the annual Sandcastle Building competition and LIVE music at the Park.
I was born and raised in Calgary, the high prairie. Ocean and rain forest were a big attraction for me.
Most mornings, I’d get up for dawn and take coffee down to Rathtrevor Beach.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Evenings, I’d often walk down to Parksville Beach at dusk.
Mom played a lot of tiles. And then cards, as her vision worsened over the years.
The most popular addition to town was Charlie during COVID.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Climate is mild in Parksville, year round. You can walk and cycle every day of the year.
Surprisingly, Dad wanted to get an electric trike in 2019. That was fun. Rob and Yvonne later got 2 electric motorcycles.
We did get a few days of snow each year.
I’ll definitely miss Parksville, B.C.
A great lifestyle.
The McCharles family first came here in the 1960s on family summer vacation. We’d park the homemade camper right on the beach.
I’d taken morning coffee at Rathtrevor beach over 2,000 days over the years. This was my last. Quite overcast after the first hard rain in weeks.
Former lead Apple designer and founder of io Jony Ive and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman believe you will eventually simply stand in front of a monitor a tell it what to do. (Elon Musk would claim that you could simply THINK it what to do. 😀)
Create a feature film, for example.
The new A.I. device MIGHT look something like an iPod Shuffle you can wear around your neck.
Click PLAY or watch an opinion on YouTube. I don’t agree with Matthew regarding Apple Vision Pro — it’s likely an intermediate step towards the future. Eventually you won’t need A.I. glasses
Mom died May 26, 2025 after a very short emergency trip to the Nanaimo hospital.
A long, full life. She was age-96.
Here’s our nuclear family on Rob and Yvonne’s wedding day in Parksville.
Dad died March 9, 2025, at night, peacefully in his sleep. At home.
Doreen and Eric had been married for 59 years.
59 years is a long marriage — especially with such rotten kids. 😀
Dad’s decline had progressed rapidly over 4-5 weeks. But we were all accepting of the end.
Mom moved on to a new life. She had plenty of medical problems and frustrations, but was still living independently in her own house at age-96. I was her sous chef.
Unexpectedly, sharp pains in her legs began in the middle of the night. We called the ambulance at 7am. And Mom survived only 1 night in Nanaimo hospital. I was very disappointed hospital staff did not do a better job of pain management.
Mom was clear to everyone that she was ready to die at any time. She’d made peace with the eventual end.
But, in Parksville, we were shocked and depressed with how it happened so quickly. Dad’s end at home was much more peaceful.
Mom and Dad had outlived most of their family and friends. But they will both be missed in Parksville.
As Mom’s vision deteriorated over the years, happily, she was still able to play cards regularly. Use the computer and watch TV.
She and I both listened to audio books, non-stop.
In their retirement years, Mom & Dad traveled a lot, especially to Mexico. We had many excellent trips together. While Pete the Jack Russell was alive for 19-years, we always drove.
Mom was the administrator (and my boss) at Altadore Gymnastics Club. We had plenty of memories together of fun at the Gym and travel for competitions.
Her retirement gift from Altadore was a greenhouse — which she set up at our place at Crawford Bay near Kootenay Lake. Mom got into gardening there.
Due to winter weather and fishing ➙ Mom and Dad finally moved out to Parksville on Vancouver Island. Made new friends in the retirement community.
Rob and Yvonne later decided to retire to Parksville, as well. Randy, Val, and I started spending more and more time on the Island. Our family holidays were always in Parksville.
Mom’s main exercise was walking until mobility issues finally slowed her down.
Rest in peace, Mom.
Mom & Dad bought insurance in 2014 which paid for most of their funeral expenses. In fact, all we had to do was make one phone call to a 24 hour / day number and most of the arrangements were made for us. It simplified things immensely when we were grieving.
In addition, they’d simplified their estate as much as possible. We still had one investment that required probate, but the rest was very easy.
Me fishing bass in Mexico … a couple 😀 of years ago.
There are many software options for upscaling.
The better the original, the better the upscaled version.
I used one that was a FREE website in March 2025 — if you upscaled only 1 photo at a time up to a maximum of 400%.
Dad died March 9, 2025, at night, peacefully in his sleep.
Our family asks for privacy. But donations to the Red Cross in his name would be appreciated.
Both the Canadian Red Cross and B.C. Health Care system were fantastic supporting his final days.
All palliative care was delivered in the home. Better than the hospice or hospital, in our experience.
___________________
I’d always liked the photo below on a German document. Dad had it posted on the fridge.
We could assume it was a military I.D. from his years serving with the Canadian Armed Forces in Deutschland — BUT it turned out to be his German Fishing Licence from 1962.
I’m posting this photo as it preceded the injury suffered while Dad was playing hockey for the Canadian Forces team. He lost an eye from a skate to the face which led to a medical discharge from the Army.
… Dad loved fishing. He owned 6 boats over his lifetime.
End of life came shockingly quickly.
One day we were grocery shopping and downing chicken wings at the local eatery. The next his bodily systems began to shut down.
One of the first warning signs was a loss of interest in watching his favourite TV shows: Hogan’s Heroes, Perry Mason, Matlock, Father Brown, Bonanza, Beverley Hillbillies, Green Acres.
Dad loved routine. Every day the same schedule. Any change not appreciated.
Here’s a slideshow of photos from his retirement years. Dad died age-94 — still with a driver’s licence.
Dad and I spent many days at French Creek Marina watching birds in the river delta.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Mom & Dad bought insurance in 2014 which paid for most of their funeral expenses. In fact, all we had to do was make one phone call to a 24 hour / day number and most of the arrangements were made for us. It simplified things immensely when we were grieving.
In addition, they’d simplified their estate as much as possible. We still had one investment that required probate, but the rest was very easy.
Autumn 2024.
Pretty Parksville.
September is my favourite month. We’ve had great weather.
A selection of my many photos, most of the waterfront at dusk.
Click through the 17 photos in a slideshow.
I’ve been really enjoying flying drones.
Mine was the dumbest — and least expensive — in the DJI line-up, the original Mini S.E.
Getting ready for hiking / cycling 2024, I bought a DJI Mini 4 Pro drone. (My old drone broke in Idaho.)
Click PLAY or watch samples on YouTube.
Now have the DJI RC-N2 controller with the built-in screen. No longer need to hook up my phone.
I got the full Fly More Kit which includes 3 batteries, charging hub, carrying case, and extras.
Not inexpensive at CAD $1500 including tax.
Of course buying a warranty is essential. I paid CAD $170 (USD $125) / 2 years. I can replace the drone carcass up to 3 times. But IF I lose the drone, no warranty coverage.
I bought some accessories, as well:
I could have gone for the less expensive Mini 2, or Mini 3, but decided on the 4 for these features:
Most importantly, super powerful Activetrack options. The drone will follow-me wherever I go, avoiding obstacles so I need not manually watch it every second.
Due to obstacle avoidance, I’ve not crashed the Mini 4 even once … aside from day 1 when I tried to catch it by hand incorrectly. Oops.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
I’ll shoot video in 2024 with drone, iPhone, and Ace Pro Action Camera:
Add-on
My guru is DC Rainmaker.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
NOTES:
I didn’t go for the Plus battery because the added weight takes it over the sub-250g weight
I was convinced to buy the more expensive Mini 4 by DC Rainmaker’s 2022 review.
If you are keeping track — I bought the DJI Spark at the beginning. Couldn’t get it off the ground. Traded to Kraig for a fantastic jacket.
During the pandemic, I bought 2 DJI Mini SE drones. Now discontinued. Less than CAD $1000 total for both including the Fly More kit.
Surprisingly durable. I crashed them dozens of times.
I’ve been really enjoying flying drones.
Mine was the dumbest — and least expensive — in the DJI line-up, the Mini SE drone.
Getting ready for hiking / cycling 2024, I upgraded to a DJI Mini 4 Pro. (My old drone broke in Idaho.)
Click PLAY or watch samples on YouTube.
I now have the DJI RC-N2 controller with the built-in screen. And no longer need to hook up my phone.
I got the full Fly More Kit which includes 3 batteries, charging hub, carrying case, and extras.
Not inexpensive at CAD $1500 including tax.
Of course buying a warranty is essential. I paid CAD $170 (USD $125) / 2 years. I can replace the drone carcass up to 3 times. But IF I lose the drone, no warranty coverage.
I bought some accessories, as well:
I could have gone for the less expensive Mini 2, or Mini 3, but decided on the 4 for these features:
Most importantly, super powerful Activetrack options. The drone will follow-me wherever I go, avoiding obstacles so I need not manually watch it every second. This is ideal for cycling.
I’ll shoot video in 2024 with drone, iPhone, and Ace Pro Action Camera
My guru is DC Rainmaker.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
My main interest is VIDEO.
But I end up taking and posting quite a few photos online, as well.
Of my current cameras, I find my iPhone 13 best for photos. Quick. Easy.
I copy those over to the PHOTOS APP on my Mac.
Here’s an unedited photo.
Quite good, as is.
In the free APPLE PHOTOS APP, I most often consider adjusting these settings:
For this photo that took about 45 seconds.
I like both the original and edit. But like the edit slightly better. Especially Vignette.
Also, it’s brighter. And you can see the couple more clearly.
Rick McCharles 