Spring Has Sprung...Yeah!!!

I have experienced for the first time in months, the ability to go for a simple walk wearing a light shell jacket (which is tied around my waist by the end of the walk) and the sun is brightly shining.  Our temperatures are at or around the 20 degree mark in the daytime.  

In honour of this fantastic change, we have now started the process of detrenching, and organizing for departure.  We are down to only a few of the hardy folks who weathered Oliver's worst winter in 50 years, according to the locals.

Among the tasks we are dealing with, Ken and a local pal spent the last 4 days trying to straighten out the confusing maze of messed up wiring on the truck that tows the utility trailer.  It is now reassembled.

Meanwhile, I finally was able to patch the roof tear - an extremely quick and simple matter, but due to the cold and wet of winter, had to be duct taped until the weather was more accommodating.

I also discovered an untended minor leak in the pipes connecting the washing machine.  It simply required tightening a screw on the hose clamp, but as it was undiscovered for a fair while, the entire basement of the rig had to be emptied, and dried, not to mention drying out the contents that were in contact with the floor....  The drying took 2 full days.  Tomorrow I will be putting the last of the contents back in.

We are also sorting out so that we have a tool kit in each truck, and each rig so that we can deal with any repairs that may be needed when away from the tool trailer.  

In general I intend to have both the camper, and the 5th wheel set up so that things don't have to be transferred back and forth, allowing for less forgotten items when going from the "home" to the "cottage" and back.

The biggest push on getting this done is that in theory, we pull out on or around May 1, and we have to reinstate a mobility that we had only just started when we set out for Oliver back in October.  You might say that the newly learned is already rusty and needing renewing.

But we will get there......

So we prepare for another day of sorting ..... Perhaps this is a good time to introduce a new set of 2 e-books a friend of mine has just launched, "Sorting It Out" and "Sort It Out" about getting organized.  It definitely has some ideas and resources I will be looking into. (Thanks Rae)

So with that I will bid you,

Adieu

... And Life Continues...

The day directly following Max's passing we had to slip into gear, and pretend that nothing was out of the ordinary.  It was challenging, but in a way, it delayed the immediate affect of the hole he left.

We had it arranged that we would be going to Bellevue to file taxes, drop off some unneededs and pick up some neededs.  In all, we were gone from Monday to Friday, and when we go on such trips, we have found a wonderful kennel where we were always comfortable leaving Max. This provided the illusion that we would simply return home, pick him up and life would be back to normal.

We arrived home today and the fence was down, and the excited greeter was absent....

The trip went well.  We went to Nelson and visited Ken's daughter and her kids for a night, then went on to deal with the main business in Alberta for the next 2 nights.  Then we stopped again on the way home, and came home today.  We has sun, rain, snow, blizzards, and in general, a full mixed bag of weather.  Spring is trying to break through, but Winter is still fighting it off in the south provincial border area.

Back in Oliver, it seems that the day at least has been in the above 0 zone.  It is anticipated highly that we will see the tail end of night slippage below 0.  You can tell that it is getting close to snowbird departure time.  We are slowly saying goodbye to the hardy folks that we spent the winter with.

It is interesting to observe, especially to those considering this lifestyle, that we have become closer to a lot of the people we have met in this 6 month period than we had to a lot of neighbours in previous fixed addresses.  This is a common occurrence, I have found.  Even in relatively short landings can create connections that last a lifetime. - especially in the cyber age.

Anyway, I have more to put away from the journey, so I will bid you,

Adieu

Back here, 

A Final Salute to a Parting Crew Member

It is with great sorrow that I note the departure of a dear crew member, previously introduced as voyage critic # 1, our beloved Max is with us no more.

He had been diagnosed about 2 years ago with a wide assortment of "old dog diseases" and his prognosis was poor.  He had lost a lot of weight and I often commented that if he got any thinner he would be inside-out.  

After the battery of tests, they merely said that there wasn't a lot to do, but just to love him and monitor him, but that we would know when it was time to end any suffering.  He seemed completely unaware of his illness, and so not knowing that he only had six - nine months to live, he doggedly (I now truly know its meaning) persisted to this very day.

He lived 11 years, and had only just learned to play in the last month and a half.  He would bait me constantly in the evenings with a mouse toy he took from Glory.  He would intentionally place it on my side of Ken's chair, then "defy" me to take it.   He even "nipped" at me, but never actually did more than gently tag my skin with his mouth - no mal-intent, or "bit" at my nose - translate to lick... and growl joyfully at the new game.

This morning while sitting quietly with Ken, he started to go into seizures that lasted around 2 hours before we were able to get a vet.  - The one who wasn't on call. (His partner didn't return the calls to the pager for over 3/4 of an hour, then said that he wouldn't be able to get to us in time, and that we should drive him all the way to Penticton - about 45 minutes away - to the 24 hour clinic... my digression is in sorrow of suffering and terror that should have ended sooner) ... The vet who came was unable to end the seizure, even with valium and finally was able to stop the tremours with anesthetic gas. 

He said it was most likely liver shut down.  The ammonia, being unable to clear the system and blood stream, would then cause the poisoning, and neurological short circuiting that brought on the uncontrollable seizure.  Putting him down was the only kind option.  Even so, he continued to breath in the anesthetic for over a half and hour on maximum flow.  His heart was strong, but the body just couldn't keep pace.

So with a final salute to our fallen comrade, I bid you a sorrowful,

Adieu.

The New Addition

We are in the process of trying to replace the truck that pulls the Ark.  As a summer camp RV, the rig wouldn't be a problem, but when it has all that you own in it, it tends to be a lot heavier.  The truck we have handles it, but it is at its limit, so we are in the process of finding a duel axle Dodge.  One of our neighbours here keeps watching and telling us about anything on the roads that he sees that might interest us.

As a sideline, we had a seed planted that struck us very deeply.  Another full timer neighbour was mentioning at a social gathering, that they have a camper for the summer traveling.  They pointed out that although the big rig is portable, it isn't always convenient for more mobile explorations, and certainly has its drawbacks when it comes to site access.  They leave the big rig at a family farm, and when they are done tripping about, they pick their settling place, and move it there.

These 2 scenarios set the stage for this week's adventure.  The truck hunter saw a prospective option in Westbank near Kelowna, so for a day trip, we went up to look.  It turned out to be over-used, but while there we decide to look at campers. They are getting to be more and more deluxe, but at the same time, we were utterly shocked that some of the newer models run in the $40,000 range!!!

We asked the dealer about used options, and were surprised to see one 9' model in a much more acceptable range, and we got it for under $8,000 fully set up.

It is a very basic layout, and doesn't even have a microwave, but one of the features I really like is that the bed over the cab is what the dealer called "north-south" orientation.  I would be more inclined to say bow-stern, but I was raised by a navy man.

   

  

As a further sideline, we have found a potential truck that is just what we want.  We are in the process of seeing if a deal can be worked out.  - Not the one we went to see, but one on the site of the RV & truck dealer.  Stay tuned, but for now, I bid you ...

Adieu

Spring Break Rundown

So the first 2 days went as per the previous post and from there we managed to fill the days well.  We took it easy on Monday, had a homework and planning day, and just got our bearings as well as reacquainting. We also walked up to Lougheed Town Centre for a little outing.  It was uneventful, but after being in smaller communities, the idea of a mall big enough for 4 major department stores, several larger franchise shops, a food fair, a couple other attached but completely separate from food court restaurants, and all the other normal sized assorted shops, was a bit of a forgotten wonder... 

After that, we filled each day with at least one activity for each of the following days.  For a quick overview, Tuesday we swam at a pool in Surrey, Wednesday we went to the Science Centre, Thursday we went to see Lynn Valley Canyon, Friday we went for a Trail ride, Saturday we went to a different pool, and Sunday we went to Boundary Bay before returning the boys on the ferry.

In more detail, I shall take it one activity day at a time.

Tuesday - We went to the the Fleetwood Recreation Centre in Surrey.  It is a really nice centre.  It has a really large hot tub, a good shallow section for really young kids, and some aquatic apparatus that combines basketball with waterfalls, a water slide, and a separate trisected pool that has a regular diving board, a 3 metre board, lanes for lap swimmers (25 metres per lap) and a standably deep section for assorted monkeying around.  We very contentedly filled the day until prunedome was assured.

Wednesday - We went to Science World.  As we were staying near the Lougheed Centre in Burnaby, we just hopped on the Millennium Line and stepped off a block from the destination.  Upon arrival, we discovered that many people agreed that Science World was a really good way to spend a rainy afternoon.  That (and the eternal entry fee which a lot of things worth doing find worth charging for) aside, it is a very interesting place that thrives on hands on interaction with science which can reach all kids and kids at heart.  They have hourly stage shows where science is explained and demonstrated in a fun and entertaining way.  There are permanent displays that perpetually entertain the masses, but also temporary displays to keep the centre fresh and new.  Right now they are doing a Lego exhibit that can definitely keep you looking for a bit of time.  On top of that, there is also the Omnimax theatre that is quite capable of creating a fantastic case of vertigo, and nausea as it gives you a show that utterly covers your vision from the absolute edges of your peripheral vision.  - What a ride.  (I didn't experience this particular activity on this visit, but have twice before enjoyed it in full).  Moving along....

Thursday - we sought the Lynn Valley Suspension Bridge and challenged the heights and wobbles of said adventure.  We arrived on a dreary day while the rain sprinkled down on our heads.  This linked page isn't the official page, but it does the bridge a great service.  Due to the chill of the soggy day, we didn't linger to explore the trails, but look forward to our next visit.  We then spent the evening with friends I haven't seen in about 4 years.  It was a wonderful visit, and for them especially, the changes in the boys were astounding.  My older boy was shorter than the younger one is now, and the younger one was just over half of his current height.  That, and the baby features are utterly gone now.  Not only that, but my older boy is now the clone of his father whom they first met when he was his son's age.  Nothing makes time pass so quickly as the presence of a child to mark its passage.  I digress...

Friday - again was wet, but it cleared off and we decided to go for a trail ride.  We found a company called "Back In The Saddle Again" Trail Rides.  As we pulled up to the grounds of Campbell Valley Park, the sky was cloudy, but the temperature was still warm.  We mounted up, and the skies released a light drizzle, and a bit of a bluster, but it was still quite acceptable, afterall, we did dress for a cooler day...., not only that, but the horses were very good horses for the rookies that we were.  ..... So by the time we were 20 minutes into our ride, we were soaked through the winter coat and layers beneath as well as the jeans, and we mutually agreed that it was a good turn around point.  The horses perked up at the turning around and my fellow, Douglas, decide he wanted to show the way home.  Dissuaded from this, he settled into his place and headed back more reserved in pace than his better judgement guided. (humans are rather irrational creatures, it seems).  On the way back, we actually encountered a brief but well stated thunder and lightening show.  Ah well, anyone can go riding on a sunny summer day, but only a real wannabe cowboy would strike out in these conditions.  By the time we could see the parking lot, we were down to overcast, and calm, so we extended the route another 20 minutes.  It may sound like this particular venture was a bust, but we absolutely enjoyed ourselves, and the weather just added a bit of humour to the outing.  I would recommend this outfit, and I wouldn't hesitate to go again.

Saturday we connected at another pool in Surrey, the Newton Recreation Centre.  (This is a 360 virtual tour link - as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words!!)  This pool was quite different from the other one.  It had no diving boards, but has a wave pool, had 2 slides, several water cannons, and in general, in spite of my boys' concerns that without a diving board they might get bored, we actually pried them out after 4 hours.  As an added bonus, I was able to connect with one of my newest friends that I met here in Oliver, and who introduced me to blogging.  Some of you know her from Travels With Miranda.  If you haven't met her in her blog yet, and you are into RV full time adventures, she is a good tag in.  As with the last time we got together, the time just flew by.  When we finally left just before 6 pm, we went over to my Sister-in-law's family's house and briefly dropped in.  .... At 10:30 we decided that we really should get home as the boys still had to pack for their trip home the next day.  

Sunday - we got up after a slight sleep in, Skyped my parents in Arizona, then went about gathering and packing our things.  We left a bit early for the 5 pm ferry as we decided it would be better to find a time killing place closer to the terminal.  My brother lives about an hour away from the ferry to Victoria, and we didn't want traffic to interfered with the journey.  We went to Tsawwassen, then diverted our route to the beach at Boundary Bay to take in the view, and skip some stones.  We gave ourselves 20 minutes to make the 5 minute trip to the terminal. - good thing.!!   The boys were simply going to walk on and meet their father on the other side, and that is usually a no hassle process.  Not on the last day of Spring Break.  We got in the back of the line as I had to buy their tickets.  It moved quickly, but the line extended about 300 metres outside the building, and had a double-back line inside.  By the time we reached the doors into the building, the line was as long, or longer than when we joined it.  They did manage to get on the right ferry though - sprinting up the walkway to the ramp, and getting there at 4:59.

And so today I got up in time to leave at the same time as my brother and Sister-in-law as they headed for work.  I left Vancouver around 9:30, and returned home by 2 pm.

It was awesome to see the boys and others I have been missing, but I am also very happy to be home.  ... and as a special "welcome home", my beloved took me out to a beautiful ambiance filled full course steak with prawns dinner that was leisurely  enjoyed over a 2 hour period as we looked over the lake in Osoyoos. - quite the full day, and week, to be sure!  Please check out the pictures.  There would have been more, but we were too busy enjoying the time to be shooting it.  :-)

So with that, I bid you...

Adieu.

Visiting In Vancouver

The trip down to Vancouver was uneventful, and the visit is going well, but it has been saving the good weather for later, it seems.  Nonetheless, we have had the opportunity to go go-karting at the indoor track in Richmond, TCB (link has a pop-up, but it is harmless).  We had an awesome time.  The track was fast and the cars are well maintained.  It has 13 turns making it a very challenging course.  Fun was had by all.  :-)

Then next day we checked out Ikea in time for breakfast at their cafeteria in Burnaby, then took in a movie, and then just drove around a bit.  We checked out Rocky Point, then buzzed up to Burnaby Mountain and Simon Fraser University (hill top campus - my term, not theirs), and then did some mall crawling.  

The first two days have gone well, and I am hoping that if the weather clears, we might be able to do a bit of outside outings.  Here are some pictures from the first 2 days.

For now, I am going to return to family time, so I bid you,

Adieu.

Last Hurrah For the Park

Well, in spite of the temperatures dipping below normal again, the RV park declared today to be their send off for the snowbirds.  Most of us aren't moving on until at least May, but they decided do a steak barbeque in thanks to the guests that weathered the storms and cold.

So as an unexpected end to the event, they gave 2 awards for the greatest distance walked during the season.  They are mapping their way, trying to get to Florida, but because of unseasonably cool weather for the whole season, where last year they mapped a route to Mexico, we apparently are only as far as Missouri.  I digress...

So surprises of surprises, my walking buddy got first place, and I got second.  We are going to continue to register our distances, in vain hope of getting nearer to the goal.

Tomorrow I will spend the day prepping the home for a bachelor, and getting packed for my Friday departure to Vancouver.  

With that, I bid you

Adieu