{"id":256,"date":"2011-08-19T14:46:00","date_gmt":"2011-08-19T22:46:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/mixhart.ca\/blog\/?p=256"},"modified":"2013-11-24T16:49:18","modified_gmt":"2013-11-25T00:49:18","slug":"road-trip-gang-land-nightmares","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.mixhart.ca\/index.php\/road-trip-gang-land-nightmares\/","title":{"rendered":"Road Trip & Gang Land Nightmares"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Field, Washington, USA–I thought we were passing through Saskatchewan. The landscape was a treat for me as I have not been back to the prairies for nearly ten years<\/span>.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Grand Coulee Dam, Washington, USA<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

These are pics from last Sunday–road trip home from Spokane Washington. I really like Spokane because it is an old city–all of the brick buildings have painted murals on the sides from nearly 100 years ago. And the Victorian style homes are gorgeous. I miss the history–Kelowna is such a new city.<\/p>\n

Busy this week –writing. Boring! The writing is academic, not fiction, so indeed I am bored of it! Managing a little beaching with the kids though.
Although, I admit, my instincts about Kelowna have recently changed. I used to feel so connected to the easy, tourist life style down town–so comfortable and at home. But things changed abruptly this week.<\/p>\n

\u00a0A gang-style shooting down town on the lake front, in front of The Grand Hotel (Sunday afternoon), also in front of innocent by standers. Two masked gunmen open fired on a Porche SUV pulled up at the hotel entrance. They had automatic weapons and fired 60 shells. Stray bullets went through The Kelowa Art Gallery across the street (that I frequent) and also some other close businesses. The head of the Bacon Brother’s gang was killed–5 others injured. Members of 4 different gangs were in the SUV.
Because Kelowna is is popular BC tourist destination, it seems to be a meeting place for organized crime. \u00a0My favourite city beach is directly behind The Grand Hotel–thus the recent shooting has seriously altered my feelings of safety. This is not the usual beach crimes. In Kelowna I never worry about leaving valuables on the beach–we swim, knowing everything will stay put. So, to have monstrous automatic weapons fired in broad day light is so beyond comprehensible–it is unacceptable to me. Who lives this way? The entire West Coast of North America seems to be turning into gang-land. From Mexico to BC. It is the drug trade. I believe in legalizing drugs to stop this organized crime violence.<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Field, Washington, USA–I thought we were passing through Saskatchewan. The landscape was a treat for me as I have not been back to the prairies for nearly ten years. Grand Coulee Dam, Washington, USA These are pics from last Sunday–road … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"kt_blocks_editor_width":"","_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1805,2209],"tags":[578],"class_list":["post-256","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-travelandadventure","category-usa-travelandadventure","tag-organized-crime"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t