Year 3 Week 46

April 28 to May 5, 2007

Moses Lake, Washington to "home" ; Riverside RV Park Resort, Keremeos, B.C.

Year 3 week 46

 

Sunday ; Moses Lake to Oroville, Washington

Today was sunny and warm.

We left Moses Lake this morning continuing west on Interstate 90. We turned north on Hwy. 281 to Quincy, then west on Hwy. 28. Just north of Wenatchee we got onto Hwy. 97 heading north, following the Columbia River. Woo-Hoo ... the road home ! Hwy. 97 runs north from Weed, California all the way up through Oregon and Washington into the Okanagan ( Canadian spelling ) Valley of British Columbia. Next fall we'll probably drive it south from Osoyoos, B.C. all the way to California.

We stopped for lunch at Daroga State Park. It had a lovely picnic area, grassy, beside the lake. While Joanne prepared lunch Bo and I went to the children's play area for some "Bo-gility". We climbed the large play structure, crossed the shaky little suspension bridge, and at the top of the spiral slide, I stopped. Bo didn't. Just stepped off the platform, and ... ZOOOOOM ... down the spiral slide. What a strange little dog !

At Brewster, at the confluence of the Columbia River and the Okanogan ( American spelling ) River, we refilled with diesel. We changed drivers, and Joanne drove north to Tonasket. Hwy. 97 north from Brewster was now following the Okanogan River. The ( U.S. ) Okanogan Valley was filled with fruit orchards in bloom. Very pretty. We changed drivers again and I drove the remaining distance to Oroville. We were uncertain where to stay for the night. I favoured Osoyoos Lake State Park. The sites were unserviced, and the fee was $15, but I wanted to have a last campfire with the firewood that has been in the back of the truck since Alberta last September < rolling eyes >. We stopped at Prince's, the large grocery store in Oroville, to buy some wieners to roast over a campfire. Well, look at that ! Prince's operates a small RV park, with electrical sites for $7. We decided to stay at Prince's RV Park ... forget the campfire and wiener roast. We found our way to the Post Office where we need to pick up some mail tomorrow morning, then we refilled with diesel again before setting up in Prince’s RV Park.

Unfortunately, we could not get any TV reception on either the large TV using the roof top antenna, or the little TV with electronic tuning. < sigh > So we missed the second last episode of Amazing Race. There seems to be quite a few people living in this little RV park, in decrepit old campers, for $7 a night. Gee ... there’s a pretty fine line between that and homelessness.

 

Monday ; Oroville, Washington, U.S.A. to Keremeos, B.C., Canada

Well ... we're "home". First time in 3 years I can actually say that.

Today was sunny and warm.

This morning we drove to the Post Office in Oroville to pick up the Passport America package that we were expecting in Mission, Texas before we left there a month ago. It had not arrived in Mission by the time we left, so I left a "change of address" form to have it forwarded to Oroville. It wasn't in Oroville this morning ! PHHHT ... I don't care ! The day we left Mission, Texas I ordered another package from Passport America, as "plan B", and we received it in Lakewood, New Mexico about 3 weeks ago. I don't know whether the problem is the Post Office in Mission, Texas, or Houston, Texas, and I no longer care. If it hasn't arrived in Oroville by now, it's not going to.

We drove a few miles north on Hwy. 97 to the Canadian border and had a very easy time crossing back into Canada. Four simple questions, thank you, goodbye ! As of 10:35 A.M. MDT we were in, and therefore residents of, British Columbia. We turned west on Hwy. 3 and headed from Osoyoos to Keremeos. At Keremeos we found the Post Office and stopped to post some mail, and pick up 2 batches of mail I was expecting to be waiting for us at General Delivery. Only 1 batch was there < scowl >. We drove to the grocery store and while Joanne went inside to start shopping for groceries, I phoned my sister to find out where was the batch of mail she was supposed to have sent < fume >. After I sorted out the mail issue with my sister, and we were finished replenishing groceries, we headed west out of town on Hwy. 3 to Riverside RV Park Resort.

Home !

We got settled into a borrowed site, where we'll be until our lot 89 is completed, hopefully in about 2 weeks. I had a busy afternoon trying to meet with our excavation contractor and electrical contractor, and find an answer to my questions about RV utility pedestals and bases. To make a long, complicated story short, I've decided to tell Valid Manufacturing in Salmon Arm to "go pound sand", as Mitch the sales agent in the park put it. If they can't provide concrete bases for their pedestals, I don't want their pedestals. I will use the same pedestal that the electrical contractor that we have hired can easily provide. The same utility pedestal that almost all of the developed lots in the park have used. I met with a "neighbour" who will lend me his chain saw tomorrow and help me trim the tree in Lot 89, so we can position Harvey on the lot and prepare our site plan for approval.

The large indoor pool complex is not yet completed. We had expected it would be completed by May 1, but it looks like it will be at least another month before it's finished. We spent much of the afternoon and evening walking around the park, talking to residents, studying electrical hookups, sewer installations, water line installations, etc., firming up our basic development ideas and plans. We walked along the path beside the Similkameen River. It's quite a large, fast flowing river in the spring. The mountains all around us are ...

Yes, yes, this is truly a lovely place !

 

Tuesday ; Today was cloudy and cool.

This morning we prepared for trimming the large Douglas Fir tree on our lot. We were joined by John Grods, a park resident who has become the resident tree trimmer in the park. His career was as a forester, which I surmise must be the current politically correct term for a lumberjack. He didn't want me using his chain saw, he wanted to do it himself. Oh, my, he sure is adept at climbing into and scrambling around 15 feet up in a tree, for an old man. I guess some things are like riding a bicycle. He squirmed up into the tree, climbing and standing on lower branches, and began cutting off branches 15 feet above ground, as I wanted. As he cut branches, he climbed lower and lower, until he was on the ground, and everything up to 15 feet was cut off.

After he was finished trimming the tree, Joanne and I piled the cut branches out of the way, then prepared the trailer to be moved. We are temporarily living on borrowed Lot 71. We moved the trailer over to Lot 89, then spent the rest of the morning and half the afternoon positioning and repositioning the trailer over and over, simulating where it should go to get the best positioning for sunlight, where it should go if we had a visitor RV on the site, where a visitor RV should position, etc.. Then we had to figure out the best places to locate sewer, water, and hydro hookups.

When we had that all figured out, we relocated back to our borrowed Lot 71, and set up again. I began to work on preparing a site plan drawing, showing our intended positions for utility installations, etc., for approval. I went over to the park office to borrow something, and on the way back I began to speak to the "neighbour" behind us in Lot 70. I noticed last night that I was able to receive a very strong Wi-Fi signal from their park model ( mobile home ), but it was encrypted. I asked her today if I might have their network key ( password ), and "borrow" their Wi-Fi signal. Well, not only did she give me access to their Wi-Fi signal, she invited Joanne and I over for a drink. We visited for awhile, admiring their new park model home. It's very nice, and I suspect we will want to buy something like that in a few years. Her husband is still employed, in the oil fields in Alberta, and is away at work right now. So ... our first new "neighbour friend" is Dorothy Hepburn and her little dog, Jimmy.

We returned to our trailer, and now that I had access to Wi-Fi, I was able to get some online work done. I sent an e-mail to our RV pedestal manufacturer in Salmon Arm, telling them to "go pound sand" so to speak ! I retrieved bank statements and updated investment data. I will work on both of those later in the week. I delivered my site plan drawing over to one of the members of the park committee that reviews and approves site plans, ensuring that the plans are in compliance with all rules and regulations. Bureaucracy already < rolling eyes > !

I spent the evening working online. Since we don't have cell phone service here, I tried to accomplish as much as possible using the computer. I requested hydro service. I requested phone service. I requested wireless Internet service. I made a service appointment for the truck. I researched satellite TV. I researched VOIP ( Erik Johnson will be proud of me ).

 

Wednesday ; Today was cool and cloudy with intermittent rain.

This morning I met with Ben Nendick, the excavation contractor that we have hired to trench Lot 89, install sewer and water, backfill, level, and compact. We worked out final details. I forgot to get a firm cost. Oh, well, it costs what it costs. I know from talking to other lot owners that Ben's price will be something in the vicinity of $5500. And the electrician will cost another $1700 or so, plus the price of the utility pedestal. The development of the lot will cost about $8000. Yikes !

When the rain finally stopped this morning, for awhile, I unhitched Harvey from Lanoire. We took the yard swing in the large box out of the trailer and covered it with a tarp. We were getting pretty tired of having it in the middle of the trailer. I prepared the truck for its 60,000 km. service by removing all the valve extenders, chrome wheel liners and hub covers. I thought I had an appointment at Parker's Chrysler in Penticton for service tomorrow, but I was wrong !

I went to the park office to ask a question, then went walking around the park looking for the park maintenance manager. I didn't find him, but I did find the gorgeous blossom filled trees by the clubhouse. It's apple blossom time here. I guess it's everything blossom time here !

We drove into town ( Keremeos ). Joanne wanted to buy some groceries and produce, and I needed to make some phone calls. Our RV park is in the Similkameen Valley beside the Similkameen River, hidden behind Apex Mountain. In the park, we get no cell phone signals, no radio signals, no TV signals, etc.. However, we get the strongest, fastest, high speed wireless Internet / Wi-Fi signal I've ever had. The entire Similkameen Valley region, for about 50 miles in each direction, is "wireless". A joint federal government / native initiative. Apparently the federal government wants the B.C. Indians to be "state of the art" when it comes to the Internet. They may live in shacks, but they can surf the Internet faster than anyone ! Go figure !

While Joanne bought some Ambrosia apples ( 49 ¢ per pound ! ! ! ) and fresh asparagus I made some phone calls. I phoned Parker's Chrysler to verify the appointment I made online for tomorrow. Nope ... no appointment for tomorrow. A glitch with their online appointment system < fume >. I made an appointment for a week from now. I phoned China Creek Internet and placed an order for a high speed wireless account. They will bring the equipment ( modem / router ? ) out to me in a week or so. In the meantime, I'll just keep "borrowing" my neighbour's Wi-Fi signal. We went to the grocery store and bought some groceries. Joanne phoned her sister while I drove around familiarizing myself with the village.

For supper I prepared an asparagus omelette for Joanne. I can't digest asparagus. I made myself a smoked salmon omelette. MMMMM ! Welcome back to British Columbia ! While I worked on the computer in the evening, Joanne baked an apple and rhubarb pie. MMMMMMMMMM ! !

 

Thursday ; Penticton, B.C. ( a.k.a. Peach City )

Today was mostly sunny and cool.

Today was a long, tiring day of errands. We spent most of the day in Penticton. Penticton is a city with a population of about 40,000 people. It's 55 km. / 33 miles / 45 minutes from Riverside RV Park Resort. We left this morning driving east on Hwy. 3 to Keremeos, then northeast on Hwy. 3A to Hwy. 97, then north on Hwy. 97 to Penticton.

First stop was at our lawyer's office for a quick meeting to finalize details of our lot purchase. Then downtown to the Bank Of Montreal to get a bank draft for the lawyer, then back to the lawyer's office. I stopped in at an Edward Jones office to set up an appointment for next Wednesday to discuss transferring my investments accounts from Ottawa. Then ... Canadian Tire, Subway for lunch, Wal-Mart to transfer a prescription from Ottawa, Rona, Home Hardware, Wal-Mart again to pick up the prescription and replenish supplies, a haircut and beard trim for me while Joanne shopped in Safeway for groceries, and the Bank Of Montreal kiosk inside Safeway to get cash ( I forgot when I was in the main branch this morning ).

We drove home tired. I spent most of the evening working on accounting. < sigh > Some of the stuff I bought today is wrong, and will need to be exchanged.

 

Friday ; Today weather was variable. Cloudy one minute, sunny the next. Cool, then warm. Windy, then calm. Sweater on, sweater off !

This morning we loaded up the branches we cut off our Douglas Fir on Tuesday, and hauled them to a nearby "burn pile". This afternoon we excavated around the base of the tree. When this RV park was initially developed, many of the lots, including ours, were back filled with very coarse "rock slide" material. There was a "cone" built up around the base of the tree. Our forester / lumberjack friend advised that we excavate that cone from around the base of the tree to reduce the risk of root damage. YIKES ! Trying to dig out that rock slide material is like trying to dig concrete ! We finally managed to excavate a small trench around the base of the tree. We decided we would like to build a pave stone ring around the base of the tree, and have a flower bed inside the ring, around the tree. I bought some pave stones yesterday to make a ring around the tree, but today realized that we need more, and bigger pave stones. < sigh > More stuff we bought yesterday that needs to be returned.

Late this afternoon we drove to town, taking the little 12V TV with us, to see if we can get TV signals in town. We want to watch the season finale of Amazing Race tomorrow evening. Well, we can get a signal, but only the Global network. And we don't know if Global is the network in Canada that carries the CBS show Amazing Race. Guess we'll find out tomorrow evening. We bought more Ambrosia apples while we were in town. HEY ... I want more apple pie !

In the evening I reconciled the April bank statements, then updated my investment files.

 

Saturday ; Hedley, B.C.

Happy 6th Birthday to Joanne's niece, Amelia.

Today was sunny and mild.

This morning we had freshly baked rhubarb muffins for breakfast. I gave an entire rhubarb muffin to Bo. He was very pleased about that ! Joanne wasn't !

Riverside RV Park Resort is located on Hwy. 3 half way between the villages of Keremeos and Hedley. Hedley is a very small mining ghost town. The gold mines around Hedley have been closed for decades, but the small town survives. In recognition of the town's gold mining heritage, this weekend was Hedley's Stamp Mill Days. Before today I didn't know what a stamp mill was. I also didn't know what outhouse races were. Now I know what both are. HA HA HA !

This morning we drove about 15 km. west on Hwy. 3 to Hedley. We parked behind the little town museum. We took a quick look inside the museum, then walked a couple of blocks over to where the outhouse races were going to be. HA HA HA HA HA ! The outhouses were mounted on lawn mowers. Each race team had 2 members. One team member had to sit inside the outhouse. The other team member pushed the lawn mower and outhouse down the street, racing to the finish line, 2 blocks away. The first block was downhill, then around a corner, then uphill for another block. By the time they rounded the corner after running downhill for a block, they were really moving ! HA HA HA HA HA ! Well, except for the team of women dressed in late 1800's / early 1900's mining town period costumes. Kind of hard to race in a period costume, in high heels, pushing an outhouse on a lawn mower downhill. HA HA HA HA HA !

We had lunch in a very nice restaurant, the Hitching Post Restaurant. Service was extremely slow but the food was superb. Service was slow because today and tomorrow are the only days of the year when they have more than a few customers at a time. I ordered one of the daily specials, a salmon burger. I was expecting some manner of ground salmon patty. What I got was a huge ( ½ lb.? ), fresh, grilled salmon fillet on a big bun. With a side serving of home made Russian Borscht. MMMMM !

After lunch we wandered around town, heading back towards the museum. There were a few yard sale vendors behind the museum. I bought a bolo tie for $1.25. A bolo tie with a polished stone, that probably cost 20 times that amount originally. Two years ago I bought a "cowboy" dress shirt in Tombstone, Arizona. I've noticed that the "real" cowboys in the Southwest wear fancy bolo ties with their dress shirts. I looked at turquoise and silver bolo ties in New Mexico recently, but didn't want to spend that much money on a bolo tie. A buck and a quarter I don't mind ! HA HA HA !

We explored the museum, then sat outside listening to a folk singing quartet performing B.C. miner and logger songs. HMPH ... didn't even know that music genre existed. I wandered over to the elementary school to watch the children's Maypole Dance. HA HA HA ... three failed attempts ! While the supervising adult attempted to organize a fourth attempt, most of the children got bored and left. HA HA HA !

We began to drive back towards home when I saw the turn off to Nickel Plate Mine Road. I had read about Nickel Plate Mine Road being the 4WD back road approach over Apex Mountain to Apex Village / Apex Ski Resort. On impulse we decided to drive it. WOW ! What a view ! It was about 14 miles of one lane gravel track over Apex Mountain. The first 4 mi. provided outstanding views of the Similkameen Valley from above. Very above ! When we turned off the highway, the temperature was 17 degrees Celsius. By the time we got to the top of Apex the temperature had dropped to 3 degrees Celsius. And there was still lots of snow up on the mountain. And the top layer was very fresh snow that had fallen within the last couple of days. We saw many, many deer as we drove up the back side of Apex. And a wolf !

We finally reached Apex Village / Ski Resort, and civilization. We drove back down the "front" road, a lot more civilized paved road leading down to Hwy. 3A halfway between Keremeos and Penticton.

What a beautiful area we live in ! ! !

I've noticed around here that there are a lot of bearded, older men wearing denim jeans, denim shirts, and denim jackets. Yup, looks like I'm going to fit in around here right fine !

 

DSK