October 29, 2005

October 29, 2005

Nanaimo, B.C.

YEAR 2 DAY 134

 

Today was partially sunny, and mild. AHHHHH ... sunlight at last !

This morning after regular morning routines, and preventive maintenance, I drained the black water and kitchen grey water holding tanks. I funnelled a cup of bleach into the fresh water tank, then refilled it with fresh water. It was time for my quarterly disinfection of the fresh water tank. I changed all the screws in the moulding I installed the other day in the storage compartment doors, removing the gold coloured screws and replacing them with silver coloured screws. AHHHH ... now I can relax my sphincter. HA HA HA HA HA ! Then I tackled a job that has been perplexing me for the last 2 weeks. When the carpeting was removed, it exposed an unsightly little corner of the slide tracking mechanism which is now visible underneath a corner of the slide when it is in the extended position. I have been wracking my brain as to how to cosmetically cover it up. I tried a little triangular piece of the vinyl stair nosing that is on the steps leading up into the bathroom and bedroom area. That didn't work. I tried a little piece of the gold coloured metal stair nosing that I used to face the lower front edge of the slide. That didn't work. Finally, with some brainstorming assistance from Joanne, we came up with the idea of covering it with a beige or tan coloured putty or caulking of some sort. Yesterday at Home Depot I bought a tube of tan coloured adhesive caulking. Today I covered the little unsightly corner under the edge of the slide with this caulking. I fussed around with it for a long time, and it looks not bad, for a first application. I think I can even improve it somewhat with a second application. For a second application, I'm going to try mixing some of this caulking with water, making a paste that I can paint on with a tiny brush, to give it a smoother, finished appearance.

We had lunch, then went for a walk along the shoreline trail of Westwood Lake. Bo needed to burn off some energy, and I needed some sunlight. After a long walk, I read the newspaper for awhile, then fell asleep and napped. When I awoke, I began to work on this journal entry, while Joanne prepared our contribution to tonight's Hallowe'en party dinner. RV Resort On The Lake had a Hallowe'en party tonight, and all attendees contributed an appetizer / finger food to the communal dinner. Joanne made small pistolettes, a Cajun recipe of spicy meat stuffed into hollowed out buns. She got the recipe from Sharon, who got it out of the Cajun recipe book we sent her from Louisiana. I worked on changing all the clocks and watches before we went to the party. Tonight is the end of daylight saving time.

At 6:00 P.M. we got dressed up and went to the Hallowe'en party and buffet dinner. I wore my new "cowboy" dress shirt for the first time, that I bought in Tombstone, Arizona. Joanne wore her Elwood Blues bowling shirt that she bought at the House Of Blues in New Orleans. The party was okay. As sometimes happens in parks like this the long term residents are a bit of a clique, and the transients like us are "outsiders". That's one of the things we really like about staying at Escapee parks. Unlike here, they are very accustomed to, and very welcoming of, full time travellers. We spent the evening chatting with a couple from Edmonton, who work at a golf course just outside Edmonton every summer, and spend their winters here on Vancouver Island. They usually stay at a park in Parksville. This is their first winter here in Nanaimo, and they've just recently arrived, so they're still "outsiders". The buffet dinner of appetizers / finger foods was good. Joanne's pistolettes didn't go over very well. I don't think most people understood what they were. It also seemed as if this was not a particularly adventurous group when it came to dining. Or living, for that matter ! Despite the fact that the park is mostly comprised of full time RV'ers, their "profile" is considerably different than the likes of Joanne and me. The couple from Edmonton are more typical of the park's occupants ; summers in Edmonton, winters in Nanaimo. Full time RV'ers perhaps, but certainly not full time travellers.

DSK