April 16, 2009 ; Keremeos, B.C.
Well, we're back home and getting settled into our more or less routine summer lifestyle. Today was sunny and mild. We spent the day doing "return to Canada" spring chores and errands. Which is what most of the next week or so will be, I think.
So I think it's time, once again, to suspend writing a daily journal. During the spring and summer seasons I'll write to my journal and / or post photos only when something interesting happens in our lives.
Thank you for reading my journal / blog. I hope you found it interesting. I welcome your comments and feedback.
April 20, 2009 ; Keremeos & Penticton, B.C.
This morning we took Teddy to Lindsey Veterinary Hospital in Penticton. Unlike Bo, Teddy doesn't like going "drivey" in the truck. His ear infection has been getting worse over the last few days. Dr. Kopp diagnosed it as a bacterial infection. The veterinary clinic staff flushed Teddy's ear, and administered an antibiotic by injection. They gave us a bottle of antibacterial ear drops to administer daily for a week. The ear flushing seemed to provide Teddy with some relief. He spent the afternoon contentedly grooming, something he hasn't done much of lately. The vet's bill was ... ( big eyes, raised eyebrows ) ... quite a bit ! ! !
Today I began looking for summer employment, with a bit of reluctance and a lot of ambivalence. I had prepared a resumé and today delivered a copy to Leisureland RV in Penticton. They had advertised a vacancy for a "general Joe boy" sort of position. Working for an RV dealership is of some interest to me, although I really don't want to commute to Penticton. This afternoon, after getting a haircut and beard trim in Keremeos ( my first haircut in five months, since that fiasco in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico ! ), I took a resumé to Farmer John's Petting Zoo. The female owner / manager advised me that she is really just a one person operation and she's not really in a position to hire outside help. I went to WorkZone in Keremeos, an employment services and resource centre. I checked their employment notices board. And ... ( rolling eyes ) ... received some unsolicited advice from a young lady working there on "how to prepare a resumé ". Listen ... SweetCheeks ... I've got shoes older than you. I probably don't really need your assistance to prepare a resume. But thanks anyways !
The rock wall that forms the back of our site and runs along the row of sites that we are on is filled with pregnant marmots ! Around noon today a forest fire started a few kilometres down the road, where the Ashnola River meets the Similkameen River. By the time it had been burning for six or eight hours it had become quite large. And as the sun set and the wind subsided, the smoke descended down across our valley. Our park is hazy with smoke tonight.
April 21, 2009 ; Keremeos & Osoyoos, B.C.
This morning we headed for Osoyoos, to apply at the District Electoral Office for employment as election officials for B.C.'s upcoming provincial election day. We had hoped to get employment for not only the election day, but also the four advance polling days. Unfortunately, all the advance polling day requirements were filled, but we did get employment for the election day. The requirements for election officials in the Keremeos and Hedley polling stations were filled, but we got positions in Kaleden, just south of Penticton. Joanne will be a Voting Clerk. I will be an Information Officer. We each will have to go to Osoyoos for an afternoon of training.
The pay for the one long hard day of work is excellent ! And the afternoon training session also earns pay. I got this idea from my sister and brother-in-law in Lorette, Manitoba. When we were visiting them last October, including the day of Canada's federal election, Sharon and Bud were away all day the day of the federal election working as election officials. When we picked up the local newspaper in Keremeos last week there was an ad from Elections BC advertising employment available on election day. So I went online, got some information, and ... !
On the way back from Osoyoos we stopped at the new bakery in Cawston. MMMMM ... nice breads, reasonably priced. And good sausage rolls. And good cranberry squares. And ... ! HA HA HA ... once a bakery junkie, always a bakery junkie ! We chatted for awhile with the owner about our RV travels in Mexico. We stopped at the library in Keremeos so that I could get online with my laptop. ( sigh ) We still don't have our Wi-Fi signal transceiver equipment from the local Internet service provider.
DSK
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
April 9 to 15, 2009
April 9 to 15, 2009 ; Winnemucca, Nevada to Keremeos, B.C.
Thursday ; Winnemucca, Nevada through Oregon to Marsing, Idaho ( near Boise )
Today was cloudy and cold with intermittent rain as we drove. When we arrived at our destination in a valley along the Snake River it was warmer.
This morning we departed Hi-Desert RV Park and drove through the small city of Winnemucca, stopping to refill with diesel at Chevron and replenish groceries at Raley's. We headed north out of the city on the continuation of Hwy. 95. After crossing into Oregon the highway turned northwest at Burns Junction towards Idaho. The terrain slowly changed from high desert to high plains. Hwy. 95 crossed into Idaho and we slowly descended into the fertile farming valley of the Snake River. We found our way to River Haven RV Park on the Snake River a bit west of the city of Boise. A very friendly RV park ; friendly, helpful park managers, and friendly neighbours. We got set up in our site then took Bo for a walk around the RV park and along the Snake River. He waded in and had a drink ( rolling eyes ). We got TV reception from Boise using the trailer's roof top antenna. We watched Survivor while having dinner. In the evening I read the Reno, Nevada newspaper that I bought at the grocery store this morning.
Late in the evening Joanne fell down the two stairs in the trailer leading up from the living area into the bathroom hallway. OUCH ... she's got some deep bruises !
Good Friday ; Marsing, Idaho to Farewell Bend State Park, Oregon
Today was mild and partially cloudy. We didn't drive very far today. We had decided that we would like to spend a few days in a couple of Oregon state parks. We like Oregon's state parks. We refilled with diesel this morning in the town of Marsing then headed north on Hwy. 95 until it reached Interstate 84. We turned northwest on I-84 and crossed the Snake River into Oregon. We stopped at Farewell Bend State Park. We have stayed at Oregon state parks in the past and found them to be lovely, and this one was no exception. After getting set up in a site we took Bo for an obedience session, then a long walk around the park and down to the boat ramp and dock on the Snake River. After a late lunch I read and napped.
It's been a long time since we've had a campfire. This afternoon I made a campfire and we spent the afternoon sitting by the fire, reading, talking, laughing. After supper we went for a long walk with Bo around the campground and beside the river as daylight faded and it became dark. We all enjoy long walks around parks like this.
Last summer Teddy developed an ear infection. Our veterinarian in Penticton prescribed an anti-fungal ear medication. It didn't work and by the time we got to Texas in November the infection had spread to both ears. I bought some antibiotic ear medication at a veterinary pharmacy in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. That solved the problem and we have been administering it to Teddy on a weekly basis as a preventive measure. But he has developed a new type of ear infection. We'll treat it daily for a week with the antibiotic drops , and if that doesn't work we'll try the anti-fungal drops daily for a week. If neither work, then I guess Teddy's headed back to the veterinarian in Penticton in a couple of weeks. And ... after examining him closely I've realized / concluded that what I thought was a bot fly larva that I pulled out of the tissue on the side of his anus a week ago wasn't. It was just a plug of congealed musk protruding through an anal gland opening. Poor Teddy. He had some anal gland problems when he was young. That resulted in us having to manually express ( drain ) his anal glands about every six months. But he hasn't seemed to have any problems for a long time so we haven't drained his anal glands for the last few years. We'll drain them after we get home in a week. Teddy's obviously running out of time. A few months ago we didn't think he was going to live long enough to see the end of our Mexico adventure. But he's still here ... and he enjoyed today's campfire, as he always has enjoyed campfires.
Saturday ; Farewell Bend State Park to Hermiston, Oregon
Well, today certainly did not go as planned. Most of the day was partially sunny and cool. This morning we departed Farewell Bend State Park and headed northwest on Interstate 84. We stopped in the city of La Grande, replenished groceries at Safeway, had lunch in Safeway's parking lot, then refilled with diesel at Safeway's fuel bar. We continued northwest on I-84 heading for Emigrant Springs State Park. The terrain changed to thick evergreen forested mountains, looking similar to home. When we arrived at Emigrant Springs State Park ... geeez ! We drove into the state park and around the campground. The entire state park was covered in two or more feet of snow ! ! ! We left, disappointed. We had hoped and planned to spend Easter in a nice Oregon state park wilderness campground sitting around a campfire. Well, if there's one thing this lifestyle needs, it's flexibility. Six miles from the state park, all downhill, the temperature had risen twenty degrees, and there was no snow. We continued northwest on I-84 to Pendleton where we found our way to the Wild Horse Casino, Resort & RV Park operated by the local Umatilla Indian band. We thought the RV park nightly fee was too high, so we didn't stay. We continued northwest on I-84 to Hermiston, to Pioneer RV Park.
We checked into Pioneer RV Park, got set up in a site, and spent the evening watching TV. This RV park has cable TV with ... a lot of channels. I guess we're going to spend Easter in front of the television ! Okay !
Easter Sunday ; Today was mild, partially sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. It drizzled lightly in the afternoon. We slept late. Joanne has some ugly bruises from her fall down the stairs a couple of days ago.
This morning I puttered around with some minor maintenance. I went over to a neighbouring Cardinal fifth wheel and measured the wheel well moulding to see if a wheel well moulding from a newer Cardinal fifth wheel could be adapted to fit our trailer, when I repair the lower skirt damage caused by the exploding tire in Mexico. ( sigh ) It won't work.
Joanne made New Orleans Muffaletta sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we brushed and combed Teddy and Bo. We cleaned and medicated Teddy's infected ear. If there's any improvement, it's slight. We drained Teddy's anal glands. Only the one that had been plugged had anything drain out. That should relieve any discomfort he may have been feeling. Joanne did laundry. We went for a long walk with Bo. This RV park is on the edge of town, where rural meets suburbia. We walked through a new residential subdivision. We walked by a fenced pasture with horses and cattle. Bo enjoyed barking furiously at the livestock, until a horse and a bull came over to see the yappy little dog. Bo, the horse, and the bull, all sniffed each other's noses under the lowest rail of the pasture fence. The bull licked Bo's face. HA HA HA HA HA ... you're not so brave when they're face to face with you, are you Bo ?
We watched a lot of TV today. Joanne prepared a lovely Easter dinner of roasted chicken, candied yams, and scalloped potatoes.
Monday ; Hermiston, Oregon to Quincy, Washington
Today was cool with intermittent cloudiness. It rained for a few minutes a few times today as we drove. Before leaving Pioneer RV Park this morning I phoned Pharmasave in Keremeos to order a couple of prescription refills to be picked up in a couple of days. Before leaving Hermiston we stopped at Wal-Mart to buy the rest of our "must buy before leaving U.S." items because Oregon has no sales tax. While we were in Wal-Mart Joanne's sister phoned with the news that they've just bought a new house. Congratulations, Doug and Lorraine. We headed north on Hwy. 395 out of Hermiston. I stopped at a propane business to get a propane tank valve cap, and at an RV parts business, but they didn't have what I need. When Hwy. 395 reached Interstate 82 we got onto I-82 heading north over the Columbia River and into Washington, then northwest following the Yakima River.
Our plan for today was to visit all the Washington state parks along our route and check them out for possible future stays, and stay at one tonight. When we got to the first one we were unpleasantly reminded how expensive Washington state parks are. More than double the price of Oregon's state parks which are at least as nice, or nicer. We also checked out all the roadside rest areas along today's route, for possible future boondock stays, as Washington's roadside rest areas allow overnight stays. The first state park we checked out was Yakima Sportsman State Park near Yakima. It was ... pretty mundane. A bit north of Yakima we stopped at a roadside rest area and had lunch. At Ellensburg we stopped at Flying J and I bought a gallon of Lucas diesel additive. We didn't refill with diesel at Flying J because their price was higher than a couple of nearby stations. It's very unusual for Flying J not to have the lowest price. We refilled with diesel at a nearby cheaper fuel station and headed east out of Ellensburg on Interstate 90. We went into Wanapum State Park and checked it out. It's nice, we liked it.
When we got to Hwy. 281 we turned north to Quincy, then at Quincy turned east on Hwy. 28 heading to Wenatchee and two state parks near Wenatchee, one of which we've stayed at before. A short distance east of Quincy we found another roadside rest area, and I decided since it was already late in the afternoon and the state parks are so expensive we should boondock overnight at the roadside rest area. That way we can arrive at the two state parks near Wenatchee early tomorrow and spend a whole day in one of the state parks. We are already past Ellensburg, and we know from previous years that we can make it from Ellensburg to home in one day, so we'll have a nice day in a state park tomorrow, including having our final campfire of the season, then be home the following day.
Teddy's ear infection didn't seem to be improving much with the antibiotic ear drops, so tonight I cleaned his ear and switched to the anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops. The anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops seemed to be soothing, whereas the antibiotic ear drops seemed to cause burning discomfort for a few minutes after application. Poor baby Teddy. But ... at least he's got his Christmas present 12 volt heater "blankie" which makes boondocking on cold nights acceptable to him. We've even taken to leaving it plugged in and on the bed while we travel on cool days. When we stop for lunch or for the evening, and come into the trailer, we find him fast asleep, curled up on his nice warm "blankie" on our bed.
Tuesday ; Quincy to Lake Chelan State Park, Washington
We went to sleep quite early last night, so Bo was ready to be taken out for a walk by 6:00 A.M. this morning. I got dressed, opened the door to the trailer, and ... YIKES ! ! ! Huge, fluffy snowflakes falling slowly, and slushy snow all over the ground. I walked him and went back to sleep in disgust. By the time we were ready to depart at 9:00 A.M. the snow had stopped falling, and what was on the ground had melted.
We left Quincy Valley Rest Area and headed northeast on Hwy. 28 to East Wenatchee where we crossed the Columbia River over to Wenatchee to see Wenatchee Confluence State Park, a lovely state park on the Columbia River ... surrounded on three sides by the town's industrial park. We decided not to stay. We headed north on Hwy. Alt. 97 on the west side of the river. Hwy. 97 follows the river on the east side, and Hwy. Alt. 97 follows it on the west side. At Hwy. 971 we turned north ( Alt. 97 was then heading northeast ) for 10 miles up into the mountains to Lake Chelan State Park. A very nice lakeside state park, but with shallow campsites. We had to parallel park, taking up two campsites, but since we were the only ones in the campground it didn't matter.
After lunch and a nap we went for a long walk around the campground. We played with Bo in the playground. The slide in the playground was larger than he is used to, so after a couple of runs down the slide he'd had enough. We walked down to the beach and docks on the lake. We hiked upstream along a creek that flows into Lake Chelan on the edge of the campground. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around a lovely campfire. I wanted to use up the rest of the firewood we had purchased a few days ago at Farewell Bend State Park in Oregon. There were wild ( Black ? ) walnuts in our campsite. We roasted them on the campfire. They were very good ! While we were sitting around the campfire a bird shit on Joanne’s head. HA HA HA HA HA ! No, no ... sorry ... what I really meant was ... awwwww, how unfortunate ( snicker ).
When Joanne fell down the stairs in the trailer a few days ago she sustained a deep bruise high on the underside of her right arm, her mastectomy side. Not surprisingly that has resulted in much worse than usual lymphedema. Mastectomy patients aren't even supposed to have needles in the arm on their surgical side, let alone bang their arm until it turns deep purple. Teddy's ear infection seems to be slowly improving with the application of the anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops. I hope that's not just wishful thinking on our part.
Thanks to Joanne’s excellent planning, for supper we used up the last of our food that can’t cross the border tomorrow. After supper I downloaded and processed some photos, and printed the list of items to declare when crossing the border tomorrow.
Wednesday ; Lake Chelan State Park, Washington to Keremeos, B.C.
Today was sunny and mild, a lovely day for this time of the year this far north. We departed Lake Chelan State Park and headed through the lovely resort town of Lake Chelan, following Hwy. 971 back to Hwy. Alt. 97. We headed north on Hwy. Alt. 97 until it ended at Hwy. 97 when Hwy. 97 crossed over the Columbia River to the west side. We followed Hwy. 97 north, stopping in Omak for a bit of last minute U.S. shopping. At Oroville, the last town in the U.S. before we crossed back into Canada, we refilled with diesel and refilled an empty trailer propane tank.
At the border we were pulled over for a full inspection. The border agent was polite and professional. We had to extend the trailer's slides and wait outside with Teddy and Bo. He searched the truck, the trailer's outside storage compartments, and the inside of the trailer for about half an hour. I don't know if he was looking for something specific, or if it was just a random inspection. I think we might have been flagged for a full inspection as soon as I said we had made a loop around the entire coastline of Mexico. After leaving the border we stopped at A&W in Osoyoos for lunch. From Osoyoos we headed west on Hwy. 3 to Keremeos. We stopped in Keremeos to pick up a few groceries, pick up some prescription refills, renew our local newspaper subscription, buy a top up card for our Canadian cell phone, adjust the air in all the truck and trailer tires, and ... unsuccessfully attempt to pick up our local Wi-Fi service provider's equipment from their local service technician, who's unreliable and unprofessional ! As is the local Wi-Fi service provider !
We arrived home at Riverside RV Park Resort at about 3:30 P.M.. Yuma to Keremeos was 2900 km. / 1800 miles. We spent the rest of the daylight hours getting everything set up in our site, and greeting neighbours as they walked by.
We're home ! And ... WOO-HOO ... perogies for supper !
DSK
Thursday ; Winnemucca, Nevada through Oregon to Marsing, Idaho ( near Boise )
Today was cloudy and cold with intermittent rain as we drove. When we arrived at our destination in a valley along the Snake River it was warmer.
This morning we departed Hi-Desert RV Park and drove through the small city of Winnemucca, stopping to refill with diesel at Chevron and replenish groceries at Raley's. We headed north out of the city on the continuation of Hwy. 95. After crossing into Oregon the highway turned northwest at Burns Junction towards Idaho. The terrain slowly changed from high desert to high plains. Hwy. 95 crossed into Idaho and we slowly descended into the fertile farming valley of the Snake River. We found our way to River Haven RV Park on the Snake River a bit west of the city of Boise. A very friendly RV park ; friendly, helpful park managers, and friendly neighbours. We got set up in our site then took Bo for a walk around the RV park and along the Snake River. He waded in and had a drink ( rolling eyes ). We got TV reception from Boise using the trailer's roof top antenna. We watched Survivor while having dinner. In the evening I read the Reno, Nevada newspaper that I bought at the grocery store this morning.
Late in the evening Joanne fell down the two stairs in the trailer leading up from the living area into the bathroom hallway. OUCH ... she's got some deep bruises !
Good Friday ; Marsing, Idaho to Farewell Bend State Park, Oregon
Today was mild and partially cloudy. We didn't drive very far today. We had decided that we would like to spend a few days in a couple of Oregon state parks. We like Oregon's state parks. We refilled with diesel this morning in the town of Marsing then headed north on Hwy. 95 until it reached Interstate 84. We turned northwest on I-84 and crossed the Snake River into Oregon. We stopped at Farewell Bend State Park. We have stayed at Oregon state parks in the past and found them to be lovely, and this one was no exception. After getting set up in a site we took Bo for an obedience session, then a long walk around the park and down to the boat ramp and dock on the Snake River. After a late lunch I read and napped.
It's been a long time since we've had a campfire. This afternoon I made a campfire and we spent the afternoon sitting by the fire, reading, talking, laughing. After supper we went for a long walk with Bo around the campground and beside the river as daylight faded and it became dark. We all enjoy long walks around parks like this.
Last summer Teddy developed an ear infection. Our veterinarian in Penticton prescribed an anti-fungal ear medication. It didn't work and by the time we got to Texas in November the infection had spread to both ears. I bought some antibiotic ear medication at a veterinary pharmacy in Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. That solved the problem and we have been administering it to Teddy on a weekly basis as a preventive measure. But he has developed a new type of ear infection. We'll treat it daily for a week with the antibiotic drops , and if that doesn't work we'll try the anti-fungal drops daily for a week. If neither work, then I guess Teddy's headed back to the veterinarian in Penticton in a couple of weeks. And ... after examining him closely I've realized / concluded that what I thought was a bot fly larva that I pulled out of the tissue on the side of his anus a week ago wasn't. It was just a plug of congealed musk protruding through an anal gland opening. Poor Teddy. He had some anal gland problems when he was young. That resulted in us having to manually express ( drain ) his anal glands about every six months. But he hasn't seemed to have any problems for a long time so we haven't drained his anal glands for the last few years. We'll drain them after we get home in a week. Teddy's obviously running out of time. A few months ago we didn't think he was going to live long enough to see the end of our Mexico adventure. But he's still here ... and he enjoyed today's campfire, as he always has enjoyed campfires.
Saturday ; Farewell Bend State Park to Hermiston, Oregon
Well, today certainly did not go as planned. Most of the day was partially sunny and cool. This morning we departed Farewell Bend State Park and headed northwest on Interstate 84. We stopped in the city of La Grande, replenished groceries at Safeway, had lunch in Safeway's parking lot, then refilled with diesel at Safeway's fuel bar. We continued northwest on I-84 heading for Emigrant Springs State Park. The terrain changed to thick evergreen forested mountains, looking similar to home. When we arrived at Emigrant Springs State Park ... geeez ! We drove into the state park and around the campground. The entire state park was covered in two or more feet of snow ! ! ! We left, disappointed. We had hoped and planned to spend Easter in a nice Oregon state park wilderness campground sitting around a campfire. Well, if there's one thing this lifestyle needs, it's flexibility. Six miles from the state park, all downhill, the temperature had risen twenty degrees, and there was no snow. We continued northwest on I-84 to Pendleton where we found our way to the Wild Horse Casino, Resort & RV Park operated by the local Umatilla Indian band. We thought the RV park nightly fee was too high, so we didn't stay. We continued northwest on I-84 to Hermiston, to Pioneer RV Park.
We checked into Pioneer RV Park, got set up in a site, and spent the evening watching TV. This RV park has cable TV with ... a lot of channels. I guess we're going to spend Easter in front of the television ! Okay !
Easter Sunday ; Today was mild, partially sunny in the morning, cloudy in the afternoon. It drizzled lightly in the afternoon. We slept late. Joanne has some ugly bruises from her fall down the stairs a couple of days ago.
This morning I puttered around with some minor maintenance. I went over to a neighbouring Cardinal fifth wheel and measured the wheel well moulding to see if a wheel well moulding from a newer Cardinal fifth wheel could be adapted to fit our trailer, when I repair the lower skirt damage caused by the exploding tire in Mexico. ( sigh ) It won't work.
Joanne made New Orleans Muffaletta sandwiches for lunch. After lunch we brushed and combed Teddy and Bo. We cleaned and medicated Teddy's infected ear. If there's any improvement, it's slight. We drained Teddy's anal glands. Only the one that had been plugged had anything drain out. That should relieve any discomfort he may have been feeling. Joanne did laundry. We went for a long walk with Bo. This RV park is on the edge of town, where rural meets suburbia. We walked through a new residential subdivision. We walked by a fenced pasture with horses and cattle. Bo enjoyed barking furiously at the livestock, until a horse and a bull came over to see the yappy little dog. Bo, the horse, and the bull, all sniffed each other's noses under the lowest rail of the pasture fence. The bull licked Bo's face. HA HA HA HA HA ... you're not so brave when they're face to face with you, are you Bo ?
We watched a lot of TV today. Joanne prepared a lovely Easter dinner of roasted chicken, candied yams, and scalloped potatoes.
Monday ; Hermiston, Oregon to Quincy, Washington
Today was cool with intermittent cloudiness. It rained for a few minutes a few times today as we drove. Before leaving Pioneer RV Park this morning I phoned Pharmasave in Keremeos to order a couple of prescription refills to be picked up in a couple of days. Before leaving Hermiston we stopped at Wal-Mart to buy the rest of our "must buy before leaving U.S." items because Oregon has no sales tax. While we were in Wal-Mart Joanne's sister phoned with the news that they've just bought a new house. Congratulations, Doug and Lorraine. We headed north on Hwy. 395 out of Hermiston. I stopped at a propane business to get a propane tank valve cap, and at an RV parts business, but they didn't have what I need. When Hwy. 395 reached Interstate 82 we got onto I-82 heading north over the Columbia River and into Washington, then northwest following the Yakima River.
Our plan for today was to visit all the Washington state parks along our route and check them out for possible future stays, and stay at one tonight. When we got to the first one we were unpleasantly reminded how expensive Washington state parks are. More than double the price of Oregon's state parks which are at least as nice, or nicer. We also checked out all the roadside rest areas along today's route, for possible future boondock stays, as Washington's roadside rest areas allow overnight stays. The first state park we checked out was Yakima Sportsman State Park near Yakima. It was ... pretty mundane. A bit north of Yakima we stopped at a roadside rest area and had lunch. At Ellensburg we stopped at Flying J and I bought a gallon of Lucas diesel additive. We didn't refill with diesel at Flying J because their price was higher than a couple of nearby stations. It's very unusual for Flying J not to have the lowest price. We refilled with diesel at a nearby cheaper fuel station and headed east out of Ellensburg on Interstate 90. We went into Wanapum State Park and checked it out. It's nice, we liked it.
When we got to Hwy. 281 we turned north to Quincy, then at Quincy turned east on Hwy. 28 heading to Wenatchee and two state parks near Wenatchee, one of which we've stayed at before. A short distance east of Quincy we found another roadside rest area, and I decided since it was already late in the afternoon and the state parks are so expensive we should boondock overnight at the roadside rest area. That way we can arrive at the two state parks near Wenatchee early tomorrow and spend a whole day in one of the state parks. We are already past Ellensburg, and we know from previous years that we can make it from Ellensburg to home in one day, so we'll have a nice day in a state park tomorrow, including having our final campfire of the season, then be home the following day.
Teddy's ear infection didn't seem to be improving much with the antibiotic ear drops, so tonight I cleaned his ear and switched to the anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops. The anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops seemed to be soothing, whereas the antibiotic ear drops seemed to cause burning discomfort for a few minutes after application. Poor baby Teddy. But ... at least he's got his Christmas present 12 volt heater "blankie" which makes boondocking on cold nights acceptable to him. We've even taken to leaving it plugged in and on the bed while we travel on cool days. When we stop for lunch or for the evening, and come into the trailer, we find him fast asleep, curled up on his nice warm "blankie" on our bed.
Tuesday ; Quincy to Lake Chelan State Park, Washington
We went to sleep quite early last night, so Bo was ready to be taken out for a walk by 6:00 A.M. this morning. I got dressed, opened the door to the trailer, and ... YIKES ! ! ! Huge, fluffy snowflakes falling slowly, and slushy snow all over the ground. I walked him and went back to sleep in disgust. By the time we were ready to depart at 9:00 A.M. the snow had stopped falling, and what was on the ground had melted.
We left Quincy Valley Rest Area and headed northeast on Hwy. 28 to East Wenatchee where we crossed the Columbia River over to Wenatchee to see Wenatchee Confluence State Park, a lovely state park on the Columbia River ... surrounded on three sides by the town's industrial park. We decided not to stay. We headed north on Hwy. Alt. 97 on the west side of the river. Hwy. 97 follows the river on the east side, and Hwy. Alt. 97 follows it on the west side. At Hwy. 971 we turned north ( Alt. 97 was then heading northeast ) for 10 miles up into the mountains to Lake Chelan State Park. A very nice lakeside state park, but with shallow campsites. We had to parallel park, taking up two campsites, but since we were the only ones in the campground it didn't matter.
After lunch and a nap we went for a long walk around the campground. We played with Bo in the playground. The slide in the playground was larger than he is used to, so after a couple of runs down the slide he'd had enough. We walked down to the beach and docks on the lake. We hiked upstream along a creek that flows into Lake Chelan on the edge of the campground. We spent the rest of the afternoon sitting around a lovely campfire. I wanted to use up the rest of the firewood we had purchased a few days ago at Farewell Bend State Park in Oregon. There were wild ( Black ? ) walnuts in our campsite. We roasted them on the campfire. They were very good ! While we were sitting around the campfire a bird shit on Joanne’s head. HA HA HA HA HA ! No, no ... sorry ... what I really meant was ... awwwww, how unfortunate ( snicker ).
When Joanne fell down the stairs in the trailer a few days ago she sustained a deep bruise high on the underside of her right arm, her mastectomy side. Not surprisingly that has resulted in much worse than usual lymphedema. Mastectomy patients aren't even supposed to have needles in the arm on their surgical side, let alone bang their arm until it turns deep purple. Teddy's ear infection seems to be slowly improving with the application of the anti-fungal / anti-bacterial ear drops. I hope that's not just wishful thinking on our part.
Thanks to Joanne’s excellent planning, for supper we used up the last of our food that can’t cross the border tomorrow. After supper I downloaded and processed some photos, and printed the list of items to declare when crossing the border tomorrow.
Wednesday ; Lake Chelan State Park, Washington to Keremeos, B.C.
Today was sunny and mild, a lovely day for this time of the year this far north. We departed Lake Chelan State Park and headed through the lovely resort town of Lake Chelan, following Hwy. 971 back to Hwy. Alt. 97. We headed north on Hwy. Alt. 97 until it ended at Hwy. 97 when Hwy. 97 crossed over the Columbia River to the west side. We followed Hwy. 97 north, stopping in Omak for a bit of last minute U.S. shopping. At Oroville, the last town in the U.S. before we crossed back into Canada, we refilled with diesel and refilled an empty trailer propane tank.
At the border we were pulled over for a full inspection. The border agent was polite and professional. We had to extend the trailer's slides and wait outside with Teddy and Bo. He searched the truck, the trailer's outside storage compartments, and the inside of the trailer for about half an hour. I don't know if he was looking for something specific, or if it was just a random inspection. I think we might have been flagged for a full inspection as soon as I said we had made a loop around the entire coastline of Mexico. After leaving the border we stopped at A&W in Osoyoos for lunch. From Osoyoos we headed west on Hwy. 3 to Keremeos. We stopped in Keremeos to pick up a few groceries, pick up some prescription refills, renew our local newspaper subscription, buy a top up card for our Canadian cell phone, adjust the air in all the truck and trailer tires, and ... unsuccessfully attempt to pick up our local Wi-Fi service provider's equipment from their local service technician, who's unreliable and unprofessional ! As is the local Wi-Fi service provider !
We arrived home at Riverside RV Park Resort at about 3:30 P.M.. Yuma to Keremeos was 2900 km. / 1800 miles. We spent the rest of the daylight hours getting everything set up in our site, and greeting neighbours as they walked by.
We're home ! And ... WOO-HOO ... perogies for supper !
DSK
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
April 2 to 8, 2009
April 2 to 8, 2009 ; Yuma, Arizona to Winnemucca, Nevada
Thursday ; Today was sunny and hot. I had a bit of a backache yesterday, and overnight it became severe. I guess I pulled a back muscle while working on the trailer wheel well rebuilding project a couple of days ago.
Hopefully, and thankfully, this was our last day of shopping errands in Yuma before we leave. This morning we headed to Arizona Market Place. I stocked up on some hardware items while Joanne shopped for produce. From there we drove all the way out to The Foothills to buy some Damp Rid hangers on sale at Foothills Hardware. We've had difficulty finding Damp Rid products here in the desert. Guess there's not much demand for them here. We drove back from The Foothills to the Wal-Mart mall on Pacific Avenue where we had lunch at Wienerschnitzel. Joanne bought some hair care products at Sally Beauty Supply, then we picked up a few items at Wal-Mart. I neither understand nor appreciate why we have to go to Wal-Mart about three times a week !
Back home at Kofa Ko-op I installed the last few pieces of hardware to completely finish up the wheel well rebuilding job on the trailer. We took Bo for an obedience session, then to the dog park. Well done, Bo. Joanne did laundry. I downloaded and processed some photos. I posted a weekly update to my blog. We went to the pool and hot tub for awhile just as the sun was setting. I was hoping that the pool and / or hot tub would help my sore back. I'm not sure that it did.
In the evening we watched the one hour retrospective and two hour finale of ER. I reconciled four months' worth of investment account statements that arrived in the batch of forwarded mail. I sorted, reconciled, and filed all the income tax information slips that arrived in the batch of forwarded mail. Whew ... and that completes dealing with four months of mail. I'm ready to start working on the preparation of our income tax returns when we get home. And I'm pretty much ready to start heading home ... with one day to spare ! Well done, Daniel !
Friday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning while we were cleaning and medicating Teddy's ears, a weekly task, I noticed ... oh, for ********** ! ! ! There was a bot fly larva breathing tube protruding out of Teddy's anal tissue. ****, ****, **** ! ! ! That's the third bot fly larva we've found in Teddy. Two in Texas in November that we pulled out of his abdomen, and now again ! Joanne got tweezers ... and I pulled it out ! OUCH ! ! ! Sorry, Teddy ! Poor baby Teddy. He's too old to be suffering these indignities. I guess this bot fly egg hatched just as it was about to finish passing through his digestive tract, and the larva burrowed through the wall of the colon and stuck its breathing probiscus out through the tissue on the edge of his anus.
I paid the Canadian dollar MasterCard bill online. I paid the U.S. dollar MasterCard bill by phone. It’s a quirk of the Bank of Montreal’s online function that Canadian issued U.S. dollar MasterCards can’t be paid online, only by phone. I disassembled the kitchen Fantastic Fan, Joanne cleaned it, and I reinstalled it. I removed and reinstalled a mounted art piece in the trailer that had rattled loose. I took one of the trailer's propane tanks to be refilled. Kofa Ko-op has a propane refill station on site, beside the dog park, selling propane at cost to leaseholders / residents and renters / visitors. Joanne baked muffins.
Today was our last day here in Yuma at Kofa Ko-op this winter season. We like Kofa Ko-op, and we like the Yuma area. It feels like "home". We're looking forward to when it actually will be our winter home, probably in a few years. We're now no. 44 on the waiting list. I spent much of the afternoon lying on a heating pad on the bed because of my sore back. The relief lasted only as long as I was on the heating pad. I read and napped. Joanne found a couple of ticks on Bo which I plucked off with tweezers. Larger than chiggers, smaller than wood ticks. Must be some kind of a tick found in the desert in the spring. This has certainly been a tough winter for Teddy and Bo. Dehydration, constipation, illness, and bot fly larvae for Teddy, fleas, chiggers, ticks, illness, and jungle biting insects for Bo.
We took Bo for his last long walk around the perimeter of the dog park. There was a huge swarm of bees on the brick wall of the dog park. Thousands and thousands and thousands of bees looking for a new home. Very interesting ! This was the second time we've seen a swarm of bees in the three weeks we've been here in Yuma. I would have liked to get a bit closer to take a look at the swarm on the brick wall, but the air within about ten to twenty feet of the swarm stuck on the wall was filled with scout bees.
We went out for supper to Home Town Buffet. As I finished my dessert, Joanne left the table to get her dessert. She returned with a glass of chocolate milk, a piece of chocolate torte, a chocolate brownie, and a chocolate cookie. She said there was one more chocolate dessert, but her plate was too small to fit it in. HA HA HA ! On the way home we refilled with diesel at Circle K.
Saturday ; Yuma, Arizona through California to Las Vegas, Nevada
Today was sunny and warm when we were leaving Yuma, but it was pretty cool by the time we arrived in Las Vegas. Usually, a day of driving north or south results in a ten degree change in temperature, but today we drove further than usual, and the elevation rose. The temperature in Yuma was in the mid-70's. The temperature in Las Vegas was in the mid-40's.
We left Kofa Ko-op this morning, stopping to adjust the air pressure in the two new trailer tires before leaving Yuma. We headed north on Arizona Hwy. 95, across the Sonoran Desert, through Quartzsite, to Parker. We had lunch in a municipal park in Parker. We turned west on Hwy. 62, crossed the Colorado River into California, then turned north again on California Hwy. 95. Joanne drove for awhile, her first time driving the rig in five months. At Needles we turned west on Interstate 40 briefly, then north on California Hwy. 95 again. We crossed into Nevada, and the Mojave Desert. We stopped to refill with diesel at Searchlight.
Our objective for today was to make it to Camping World in Las Vegas, boondock in their parking lot overnight, then shop at their parts department or service department or body shop tomorrow morning for a “J” panel to rebuild the trailer’s lower side skirt. At Boulder City we got onto Interstate 515, then Interstate 215 to get to and through Las Vegas. We arrived at Camping World at 6:10 P.M., ten minutes after they closed. Which would have been alright, until I found out that the parts department, service department, and body shop are all closed tomorrow ( sigh ). We got directions to a Wal-Mart / Sam’s Club location. The Wal-Mart parking lot had "no overnight parking" signage, but the Sam's Club parking lot did not, and there were already a few RV's there, so that's where we spent the night. After supper while I read Joanne went shopping at Wal-Mart ( rolling eyes ).
Sunday ; Las Vegas to Tonopah, Nevada
Because Kofa Ko-op had reverse osmosis water available we had a full water jug sitting in the corner of the trailer that had been refilled in Mexico over three weeks ago. Last night Joanne began using that jug. This morning she noticed ... YUCK ... there was algae at the bottom of the jug. Later in the day we drained the jug and sanitized it with a very strong bleach solution. And we sanitized the hand pump. And we discarded the one gallon jug of water in the fridge that Joanne had filled from the larger jug last night. And we discarded the half gallon jug of iced tea that Joanne made with the water from the jug with algae in it. And we sanitized the drinking bottle that I fill each evening and freeze overnight so that I can have cold water while I'm driving. ( sigh ) So much for Mexican "agua purificado" !
Today was sunny and mild in Las Vegas, sunny and cool in Tonopah, where we are at an elevation over 6000 feet in the "high desert". We left Las Vegas this morning travelling through and around the city on Interstate 215. We got a little twisted around on the freeway ramps getting off I-215 and onto Hwy. 95 heading northwest. We briefly ended up in Las Vegas suburbia. Many of the homes had artificial turf lawns. HA HA HA ... welcome to Las Vegas ! We drove through the Amargosa Desert following the Funeral Mountains along the west side of Death Valley. We stopped in the town of Beatty to have lunch. We continued north on Hwy. 95 following the Grapevine Mountains.
We stopped for the night at Joy-Land RV Park ( owned by a woman named Joy ) in the little mining town of Tonopah. We came here because it is a Passport America park with a very low rate, and cable TV. We wanted to watch Amazing Race tonight. But the RV park's cable TV feed does not broadcast CBS ( sigh ). We spent the evening watching TV and reading the Las Vegas Sunday newspaper which I bought from a boy selling them on a street corner when we were lost in Las Vegas suburbia.
Monday ; Tonopah to Fallon, Nevada
Today was sunny and cool in Tonopah at an elevation over 6000 feet, sunny and very warm in Fallon at an elevation around 4000 feet.
Yesterday as we turned off the highway into the RV park around 4:00 P.M. there was a weird looking hitchhiker on the side of the road. Dressed very strangely, couldn't tell if it was a man or woman. Probably mentally ill / psych. disabled and homeless. Around 7:00 P.M. just as it got dark, he/she sneaked into the RV park for the night. He/she built a very small campfire that didn't last long, then went to sleep on the ground beside a picnic table, inside a sleeping bag, wrapped in a tarp and clothing. He/she seemed to have all his/her worldly possessions in a large backpack. And it was cold night last night, temperature near freezing overnight. I felt ... troubled by it. This morning I asked Joanne to prepare a hearty, healthy lunch for him/her and pack it in a sack. Obviously he/she had difficulty getting a ride yesterday, and I thought it likely that when we pulled out of the RV park this morning he/she would still be on the side of the road hitchhiking, and we could give him/her the sack of food. When we pulled out of the RV park, he/she was gone. I hope he/she got a ride to somewhere warmer.
We refilled with diesel in Tonopah then continued heading north on Hwy. 95, billed as "the loneliest road in America". Miles and miles of high desert mountainous scrublands. Very little traffic. Occasionally a huge military establishment. The military uses the Nevada desert for blowing things up ... yesterday we passed the Nevada Test Site where they did atomic bomb testing in the 40's ... and building missile silos. A lot of missile silos at Hawthorne. Kind of spooky !
At Fallon we stopped for the night at Sage Valley RV Park. After three days of driving I'm getting tired. Maybe one more day of driving, then we'll take a "day off". Shortly after we arrived I found another blood filled tick embedded in Bo. After supper we watched TV. This park has cable TV with some networks that we enjoy but haven't seen in a long time like Animal Planet and The Learning Channel. The park's Wi-Fi signal wouldn't reach our site so I went over with my laptop to sit at the picnic table by the office to get online.
Tuesday ; Fallon to Winnemucca, Nevada
Today was sunny and warm, becoming a bit cloudy and windy late in the afternoon. The clouds appear as if they may be snowing on the tops of the mountains around us. This morning before leaving the small city of Fallon we refilled with diesel, refilled a five gallon water jug, and replenished groceries at Safeway. We continued northbound on Hwy. 95. More scruffy high desert. When Hwy. 95 reached Interstate 80 we turned northeast on I-80. We had lunch at a very nice Nevada road side rest area shortly before arriving in Winnemucca early in the afternoon. We have been on the road for four days now, but we drive less each day. I estimate that we're now about halfway home from Yuma to Keremeos. We need to slow down our rate of travel, so we're going to stay here and rest tomorrow.
We arrived and checked into Hi-Desert RV Park, a very nice, well serviced, inexpensive RV park surrounded by mountains on the outskirts of Winnemucca in northern Nevada. After getting set up in our site I napped for awhile. We took Bo for a walk over to the RV park's small, fenced dog run area, then over to the playground for a "Bo-gility" session. HA HA HA ... Bo certainly loves playground slides. What a funny perrito ! I did some online work. This park's Wi-Fi signal reaches our site. We watched TV. Once again we are in a park with cable TV with lots of channels, including the ones we really like ; Animal Planet, National Geographic, The Learning Channel.
Wednesday ; BRRRRR ... today was cold and raining. We stayed indoors, going outside as little as possible. Too bad Bo can't use a litter box ! We read. We napped. We watched TV. We did some trip planning, figuring out the rest of our journey home. ( sigh ) Found and pulled another couple of blood engorged ticks off Bo. When the clouds lifted late in the day we could see that there was now snow about ¾ of the way down the mountain sides. BRRRRR !
DSK
Thursday ; Today was sunny and hot. I had a bit of a backache yesterday, and overnight it became severe. I guess I pulled a back muscle while working on the trailer wheel well rebuilding project a couple of days ago.
Hopefully, and thankfully, this was our last day of shopping errands in Yuma before we leave. This morning we headed to Arizona Market Place. I stocked up on some hardware items while Joanne shopped for produce. From there we drove all the way out to The Foothills to buy some Damp Rid hangers on sale at Foothills Hardware. We've had difficulty finding Damp Rid products here in the desert. Guess there's not much demand for them here. We drove back from The Foothills to the Wal-Mart mall on Pacific Avenue where we had lunch at Wienerschnitzel. Joanne bought some hair care products at Sally Beauty Supply, then we picked up a few items at Wal-Mart. I neither understand nor appreciate why we have to go to Wal-Mart about three times a week !
Back home at Kofa Ko-op I installed the last few pieces of hardware to completely finish up the wheel well rebuilding job on the trailer. We took Bo for an obedience session, then to the dog park. Well done, Bo. Joanne did laundry. I downloaded and processed some photos. I posted a weekly update to my blog. We went to the pool and hot tub for awhile just as the sun was setting. I was hoping that the pool and / or hot tub would help my sore back. I'm not sure that it did.
In the evening we watched the one hour retrospective and two hour finale of ER. I reconciled four months' worth of investment account statements that arrived in the batch of forwarded mail. I sorted, reconciled, and filed all the income tax information slips that arrived in the batch of forwarded mail. Whew ... and that completes dealing with four months of mail. I'm ready to start working on the preparation of our income tax returns when we get home. And I'm pretty much ready to start heading home ... with one day to spare ! Well done, Daniel !
Friday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning while we were cleaning and medicating Teddy's ears, a weekly task, I noticed ... oh, for ********** ! ! ! There was a bot fly larva breathing tube protruding out of Teddy's anal tissue. ****, ****, **** ! ! ! That's the third bot fly larva we've found in Teddy. Two in Texas in November that we pulled out of his abdomen, and now again ! Joanne got tweezers ... and I pulled it out ! OUCH ! ! ! Sorry, Teddy ! Poor baby Teddy. He's too old to be suffering these indignities. I guess this bot fly egg hatched just as it was about to finish passing through his digestive tract, and the larva burrowed through the wall of the colon and stuck its breathing probiscus out through the tissue on the edge of his anus.
I paid the Canadian dollar MasterCard bill online. I paid the U.S. dollar MasterCard bill by phone. It’s a quirk of the Bank of Montreal’s online function that Canadian issued U.S. dollar MasterCards can’t be paid online, only by phone. I disassembled the kitchen Fantastic Fan, Joanne cleaned it, and I reinstalled it. I removed and reinstalled a mounted art piece in the trailer that had rattled loose. I took one of the trailer's propane tanks to be refilled. Kofa Ko-op has a propane refill station on site, beside the dog park, selling propane at cost to leaseholders / residents and renters / visitors. Joanne baked muffins.
Today was our last day here in Yuma at Kofa Ko-op this winter season. We like Kofa Ko-op, and we like the Yuma area. It feels like "home". We're looking forward to when it actually will be our winter home, probably in a few years. We're now no. 44 on the waiting list. I spent much of the afternoon lying on a heating pad on the bed because of my sore back. The relief lasted only as long as I was on the heating pad. I read and napped. Joanne found a couple of ticks on Bo which I plucked off with tweezers. Larger than chiggers, smaller than wood ticks. Must be some kind of a tick found in the desert in the spring. This has certainly been a tough winter for Teddy and Bo. Dehydration, constipation, illness, and bot fly larvae for Teddy, fleas, chiggers, ticks, illness, and jungle biting insects for Bo.
We took Bo for his last long walk around the perimeter of the dog park. There was a huge swarm of bees on the brick wall of the dog park. Thousands and thousands and thousands of bees looking for a new home. Very interesting ! This was the second time we've seen a swarm of bees in the three weeks we've been here in Yuma. I would have liked to get a bit closer to take a look at the swarm on the brick wall, but the air within about ten to twenty feet of the swarm stuck on the wall was filled with scout bees.
We went out for supper to Home Town Buffet. As I finished my dessert, Joanne left the table to get her dessert. She returned with a glass of chocolate milk, a piece of chocolate torte, a chocolate brownie, and a chocolate cookie. She said there was one more chocolate dessert, but her plate was too small to fit it in. HA HA HA ! On the way home we refilled with diesel at Circle K.
Saturday ; Yuma, Arizona through California to Las Vegas, Nevada
Today was sunny and warm when we were leaving Yuma, but it was pretty cool by the time we arrived in Las Vegas. Usually, a day of driving north or south results in a ten degree change in temperature, but today we drove further than usual, and the elevation rose. The temperature in Yuma was in the mid-70's. The temperature in Las Vegas was in the mid-40's.
We left Kofa Ko-op this morning, stopping to adjust the air pressure in the two new trailer tires before leaving Yuma. We headed north on Arizona Hwy. 95, across the Sonoran Desert, through Quartzsite, to Parker. We had lunch in a municipal park in Parker. We turned west on Hwy. 62, crossed the Colorado River into California, then turned north again on California Hwy. 95. Joanne drove for awhile, her first time driving the rig in five months. At Needles we turned west on Interstate 40 briefly, then north on California Hwy. 95 again. We crossed into Nevada, and the Mojave Desert. We stopped to refill with diesel at Searchlight.
Our objective for today was to make it to Camping World in Las Vegas, boondock in their parking lot overnight, then shop at their parts department or service department or body shop tomorrow morning for a “J” panel to rebuild the trailer’s lower side skirt. At Boulder City we got onto Interstate 515, then Interstate 215 to get to and through Las Vegas. We arrived at Camping World at 6:10 P.M., ten minutes after they closed. Which would have been alright, until I found out that the parts department, service department, and body shop are all closed tomorrow ( sigh ). We got directions to a Wal-Mart / Sam’s Club location. The Wal-Mart parking lot had "no overnight parking" signage, but the Sam's Club parking lot did not, and there were already a few RV's there, so that's where we spent the night. After supper while I read Joanne went shopping at Wal-Mart ( rolling eyes ).
Sunday ; Las Vegas to Tonopah, Nevada
Because Kofa Ko-op had reverse osmosis water available we had a full water jug sitting in the corner of the trailer that had been refilled in Mexico over three weeks ago. Last night Joanne began using that jug. This morning she noticed ... YUCK ... there was algae at the bottom of the jug. Later in the day we drained the jug and sanitized it with a very strong bleach solution. And we sanitized the hand pump. And we discarded the one gallon jug of water in the fridge that Joanne had filled from the larger jug last night. And we discarded the half gallon jug of iced tea that Joanne made with the water from the jug with algae in it. And we sanitized the drinking bottle that I fill each evening and freeze overnight so that I can have cold water while I'm driving. ( sigh ) So much for Mexican "agua purificado" !
Today was sunny and mild in Las Vegas, sunny and cool in Tonopah, where we are at an elevation over 6000 feet in the "high desert". We left Las Vegas this morning travelling through and around the city on Interstate 215. We got a little twisted around on the freeway ramps getting off I-215 and onto Hwy. 95 heading northwest. We briefly ended up in Las Vegas suburbia. Many of the homes had artificial turf lawns. HA HA HA ... welcome to Las Vegas ! We drove through the Amargosa Desert following the Funeral Mountains along the west side of Death Valley. We stopped in the town of Beatty to have lunch. We continued north on Hwy. 95 following the Grapevine Mountains.
We stopped for the night at Joy-Land RV Park ( owned by a woman named Joy ) in the little mining town of Tonopah. We came here because it is a Passport America park with a very low rate, and cable TV. We wanted to watch Amazing Race tonight. But the RV park's cable TV feed does not broadcast CBS ( sigh ). We spent the evening watching TV and reading the Las Vegas Sunday newspaper which I bought from a boy selling them on a street corner when we were lost in Las Vegas suburbia.
Monday ; Tonopah to Fallon, Nevada
Today was sunny and cool in Tonopah at an elevation over 6000 feet, sunny and very warm in Fallon at an elevation around 4000 feet.
Yesterday as we turned off the highway into the RV park around 4:00 P.M. there was a weird looking hitchhiker on the side of the road. Dressed very strangely, couldn't tell if it was a man or woman. Probably mentally ill / psych. disabled and homeless. Around 7:00 P.M. just as it got dark, he/she sneaked into the RV park for the night. He/she built a very small campfire that didn't last long, then went to sleep on the ground beside a picnic table, inside a sleeping bag, wrapped in a tarp and clothing. He/she seemed to have all his/her worldly possessions in a large backpack. And it was cold night last night, temperature near freezing overnight. I felt ... troubled by it. This morning I asked Joanne to prepare a hearty, healthy lunch for him/her and pack it in a sack. Obviously he/she had difficulty getting a ride yesterday, and I thought it likely that when we pulled out of the RV park this morning he/she would still be on the side of the road hitchhiking, and we could give him/her the sack of food. When we pulled out of the RV park, he/she was gone. I hope he/she got a ride to somewhere warmer.
We refilled with diesel in Tonopah then continued heading north on Hwy. 95, billed as "the loneliest road in America". Miles and miles of high desert mountainous scrublands. Very little traffic. Occasionally a huge military establishment. The military uses the Nevada desert for blowing things up ... yesterday we passed the Nevada Test Site where they did atomic bomb testing in the 40's ... and building missile silos. A lot of missile silos at Hawthorne. Kind of spooky !
At Fallon we stopped for the night at Sage Valley RV Park. After three days of driving I'm getting tired. Maybe one more day of driving, then we'll take a "day off". Shortly after we arrived I found another blood filled tick embedded in Bo. After supper we watched TV. This park has cable TV with some networks that we enjoy but haven't seen in a long time like Animal Planet and The Learning Channel. The park's Wi-Fi signal wouldn't reach our site so I went over with my laptop to sit at the picnic table by the office to get online.
Tuesday ; Fallon to Winnemucca, Nevada
Today was sunny and warm, becoming a bit cloudy and windy late in the afternoon. The clouds appear as if they may be snowing on the tops of the mountains around us. This morning before leaving the small city of Fallon we refilled with diesel, refilled a five gallon water jug, and replenished groceries at Safeway. We continued northbound on Hwy. 95. More scruffy high desert. When Hwy. 95 reached Interstate 80 we turned northeast on I-80. We had lunch at a very nice Nevada road side rest area shortly before arriving in Winnemucca early in the afternoon. We have been on the road for four days now, but we drive less each day. I estimate that we're now about halfway home from Yuma to Keremeos. We need to slow down our rate of travel, so we're going to stay here and rest tomorrow.
We arrived and checked into Hi-Desert RV Park, a very nice, well serviced, inexpensive RV park surrounded by mountains on the outskirts of Winnemucca in northern Nevada. After getting set up in our site I napped for awhile. We took Bo for a walk over to the RV park's small, fenced dog run area, then over to the playground for a "Bo-gility" session. HA HA HA ... Bo certainly loves playground slides. What a funny perrito ! I did some online work. This park's Wi-Fi signal reaches our site. We watched TV. Once again we are in a park with cable TV with lots of channels, including the ones we really like ; Animal Planet, National Geographic, The Learning Channel.
Wednesday ; BRRRRR ... today was cold and raining. We stayed indoors, going outside as little as possible. Too bad Bo can't use a litter box ! We read. We napped. We watched TV. We did some trip planning, figuring out the rest of our journey home. ( sigh ) Found and pulled another couple of blood engorged ticks off Bo. When the clouds lifted late in the day we could see that there was now snow about ¾ of the way down the mountain sides. BRRRRR !
DSK
Thursday, April 2, 2009
March 26 to April 1, 2009
March 26 to April 1, 2009 ; Yuma, Arizona
Thursday ; Today was sunny and hot. We had been planning to leave here on Saturday, but we still have so much shopping, cleaning, and repairing to do ... as well as needing more relax time ... we've decided to stay an additional week. We're going to eliminate going to SKP Park of the Sierras near Coarsegold, California, for a week as we had planned. And we're going to take a different route home than we have ever done before, just for the adventure of it. I feel miserable, with a cold and an earache. But, at least if one is going to have a cold, it might as well be in this kind of weather.
Today was another long, hard, hot day of shopping and running errands. First stop was the Chevron station across the street from the Marine Corps Air Station ( MCAS ) to adjust the pressure in all the truck tires. Then on to Truck Mates to pick up the bed rail protectors I ordered a few days ago. Next was Hilco RV Parts, then CJ's RV Parts. Neither had what I was looking for. Refilled with diesel at Circle K, then shopped at Arizona Market Place flea market. Got what I was looking for there. We headed across town to The Foothills. RV World didn't have what I was looking for ( sigh ). Stopped for lunch at Subway. Checker Auto Parts didn't have what I was looking for. Al's RV Parts didn't have what I was looking for ( sigh ). Spent the rest of the afternoon at Wal-Mart ( huge sigh ).
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we trimmed Bo's dew claws then took him for a walk around the dog park. I took some photos of Prickly Pear cacti in bloom in the dog park. I mounted a new thermometer inside the trailer. I replaced some mounting hardware in the truck's mud flaps.
Friday ; Today was sunny and very warm, but a bit windy. This morning we headed for the Post Office. Our mail forwarded from home had arrived but the mail forwarded four weeks ago from the RV park in La Feria, Texas that we stayed at during November and December had not arrived. I concluded that it never will arrive here. It was either lost in the mail system, or it was returned to the original sender, the U.S. Government. Perhaps mail from the U.S. Government can not be forwarded ? From the Post Office we went to Midas Muffler where I purchased a stainless steel exhaust extension tip and had it welded on. I'm hoping that installing an extended, downturned exhaust tip on the truck will reduce the amount of diesel grime on the trailer. On the way back to Kofa Ko-op we went to Peanut Patch and stocked up on their wonderful, freshly made peanut butter.
After lunch ( and a nap ) I installed the new bed rail protectors on the truck. The truck is now repaired and restored back to pre-Mexico condition. And then some, with new tires and a chrome exhaust extension. I did some minor repairs inside the trailer, then removed and reinstalled a section of decorative wood moulding in the bedroom, putting pretty little screw caps on the mounting screws. I took our water jugs to the clubhouse and refilled them. Kofa Ko-op has a reverse osmosis water purification system in the clubhouse. Joanne did some laundry. She cleaned and medicated Teddy's ears, a task we need to do on a weekly basis to prevent a recurrence of a chronic ear infection Teddy gets. I phoned my sister and chatted briefly. Joanne had been encouraging me for a couple of days now to phone Sharon and find out if she was affected by the flooding of the Red River and its tributaries in Manitoba and North Dakota. I reviewed and discarded some old medications of mine, some of which were almost 9 years old ! I filled out and mailed a Sears / Michelin rebate form, for a partial rebate of the new tires' installation costs. I did some online work, searching out the Government of Canada's 2008 official currency exchange rates for income tax purposes
Saturday ; Again today was sunny and very warm with a bit of a wind. Because we've decided to stay an additional week, we can afford to slow down our pace a bit. We slept late this morning. I did some minor maintenance work, then shopped by phone for a 120 volt AC / 12 volt DC digital TV converter box. But since I did not receive my digital TV converter box $40 coupon, which was the mail being forwarded to me from La Feria, Texas, it's unlikely I will buy one of the digital TV converter boxes. I don't want or need one badly enough to buy one without the $40 coupon.
After lunch I downloaded and processed some photos. Joanne defrosted the fridge and freezer. I did online research of digital TV converter boxes, even though I don't have the rebate coupon. I spent some time on the Vancouver Sun online auction website. A neighbour back home at Riverside RV Park Resort referred me to the Vancouver Sun online auction held annually at the end of March, because he knew I was interested in an item that would be available on the online auction. We took Bo for our daily walk around the dog park. I activated my new U.S.$ MasterCard which had arrived in the mail, and set it up for online account access. My previous U.S.$ MasterCard had been cancelled by MasterCard Security because of "suspicious activity", which is what they deem usage in a foreign country when they haven't been notified in advance !
We spent the evening having a "date night", watching a couple of movies on TV.
Sunday ; Today was sunny, hot, and windy. I felt ill this morning, staying in bed until almost noon. And Joanne felt ill this afternoon. Today I continued repairs inside the trailer. The truck is now totally repaired / restored / refurbished. Except ... I noticed late last night that Señor Caballero, our little rubber Saguaro cactus with the face, cowboy hat, and bolo tie, is missing, having blown off the CB antenna on top of the truck. Darn ! Everything inside the trailer is now totally repaired / restored / refurbished. The only repair left on the exterior of the trailer is the large, two part job of repairing the damage caused by the exploding tire. I hope to complete part one of that repair while still here in Yuma. Part two will be a summer job back home in Keremeos.
Late in the afternoon I took Bo for a walk around the dog park. Joanne wasn't feeling well enough to come along. So I also went alone to the regular Sunday evening ice cream social. Afterwards we had supper and watched Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice. I began work on reviewing and dealing with a three month batch of forwarded mail.
Monday ; Today was sunny and warm, a bit windy in the morning ... again. This morning I played telephone tag with my investment broker, then went to the RV park’s office to receive a fax from him, signed it, and faxed it back. Last Friday I had been to a local metal fabricator and discussed buying some galvanized metal plate for part one of the trailer repair I hope to start tomorrow. At that time the cost of what I need was estimated at "maybe five bucks". Today when I phoned to place my order, the cost was $32.50 ! Forget that ! ! !
We had an early lunch, then set off for another day of errands and shopping, with just a bit of fun thrown in. Bo came along. First stop was Lowe's to buy some materials for the trailer repair. Next stop was PetsMart. WOO-HOO ... Bo loves shopping at PetsMart. From there we drove to Bard, California, about 20 minutes northwest of Yuma, to buy date shakes at Imperial Date Gardens. Gee whiz ... Bo completely loses impulse control when we have date shakes. I think date shakes might be Bo's favourite food. I also bought myself some dates rolled in coconuts. MMMMM ! ! ! We drove back to Yuma for some shopping at Home Depot, then back to Lowe's to return something that I bought earlier. I found something better at Home Depot. We went to Albertsons for some groceries, including stocking up on some of our "must buy before leaving U.S." items. Finally we went to El Pollo Loco to buy some takeout pollo asado / barbecued chicken for supper.
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we took Bo for our regular daily walk around the perimeter of the dog park. Walking to the dog park then around the perimeter of the seven acres is good daily exercise for us, and an opportunity for Bo to have some off leash time on a daily basis. After supper I completed our 2008 medical expenses summary, the first step in the preparation of our annual income tax returns. I spent the rest of the evening continuing to review and deal with the batch of incoming mail.
Tuesday ; Today was sunny and hot. Or so Joanne tells me. I was too busy to notice. I woke up this morning feeling healthy for the first time in a week. My cold and earache seem to be finally over. I found a chigger embedded in Bo's neck this morning. I wonder if he picked it up here, or has it been sucking his blood since we were last on a Mexican beach with grassy sand dunes almost three weeks ago ?
I spent the entire day rebuilding the inside and underside of the trailer's wheel well, which had been destroyed by the exploding tire. I didn't think I could accomplish this job in just one day, but ... it's finished. And I even had to run out to Wal-Mart during the job to buy some more materials. I'm proud of myself. Like most of the repairs and improvements I have done on the trailer, this repair has produced a result that is far superior to the manufacturer's original design and product. In some areas, and this was one of them, the manufacturer's engineering left a lot to be desired. Without having this repair completed we would not have been able to travel on wet roads / rainy days. And we inevitably encounter rain driving north through Oregon and Washington during April.
When I finished the job it was late afternoon. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park just as the sun was setting. After supper I retrieved month end investment updates. I composed and sent some e-mails. I printed the investment updates and 2008 medical expenses summary I completed yesterday, then did some sorting and filing of income tax documents.
Wednesday ; HMPH ... found a flea on Bo this morning ! Today was sunny and hot. Finally, my "must do" projects are done, and I could relax a bit today. This morning I redid a repair project in the trailer that I wasn't satisfied with. Joanne baked cookies for this afternoon's social hour. After lunch I read and napped. I took a propane tank to be refilled. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. He chased lizards. What a Terrier ! I downloaded, printed, and reconciled bank statements. I did some accounting. I did some e-mailing, making some arrangements for our return home in two weeks.
We went to the regular Wednesday afternoon social hour / potluck, our last of the season. I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening updating and analyzing my investment files. This was the first time in two years that I didn't find the exercise disheartening.
DSK
Thursday ; Today was sunny and hot. We had been planning to leave here on Saturday, but we still have so much shopping, cleaning, and repairing to do ... as well as needing more relax time ... we've decided to stay an additional week. We're going to eliminate going to SKP Park of the Sierras near Coarsegold, California, for a week as we had planned. And we're going to take a different route home than we have ever done before, just for the adventure of it. I feel miserable, with a cold and an earache. But, at least if one is going to have a cold, it might as well be in this kind of weather.
Today was another long, hard, hot day of shopping and running errands. First stop was the Chevron station across the street from the Marine Corps Air Station ( MCAS ) to adjust the pressure in all the truck tires. Then on to Truck Mates to pick up the bed rail protectors I ordered a few days ago. Next was Hilco RV Parts, then CJ's RV Parts. Neither had what I was looking for. Refilled with diesel at Circle K, then shopped at Arizona Market Place flea market. Got what I was looking for there. We headed across town to The Foothills. RV World didn't have what I was looking for ( sigh ). Stopped for lunch at Subway. Checker Auto Parts didn't have what I was looking for. Al's RV Parts didn't have what I was looking for ( sigh ). Spent the rest of the afternoon at Wal-Mart ( huge sigh ).
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we trimmed Bo's dew claws then took him for a walk around the dog park. I took some photos of Prickly Pear cacti in bloom in the dog park. I mounted a new thermometer inside the trailer. I replaced some mounting hardware in the truck's mud flaps.
Friday ; Today was sunny and very warm, but a bit windy. This morning we headed for the Post Office. Our mail forwarded from home had arrived but the mail forwarded four weeks ago from the RV park in La Feria, Texas that we stayed at during November and December had not arrived. I concluded that it never will arrive here. It was either lost in the mail system, or it was returned to the original sender, the U.S. Government. Perhaps mail from the U.S. Government can not be forwarded ? From the Post Office we went to Midas Muffler where I purchased a stainless steel exhaust extension tip and had it welded on. I'm hoping that installing an extended, downturned exhaust tip on the truck will reduce the amount of diesel grime on the trailer. On the way back to Kofa Ko-op we went to Peanut Patch and stocked up on their wonderful, freshly made peanut butter.
After lunch ( and a nap ) I installed the new bed rail protectors on the truck. The truck is now repaired and restored back to pre-Mexico condition. And then some, with new tires and a chrome exhaust extension. I did some minor repairs inside the trailer, then removed and reinstalled a section of decorative wood moulding in the bedroom, putting pretty little screw caps on the mounting screws. I took our water jugs to the clubhouse and refilled them. Kofa Ko-op has a reverse osmosis water purification system in the clubhouse. Joanne did some laundry. She cleaned and medicated Teddy's ears, a task we need to do on a weekly basis to prevent a recurrence of a chronic ear infection Teddy gets. I phoned my sister and chatted briefly. Joanne had been encouraging me for a couple of days now to phone Sharon and find out if she was affected by the flooding of the Red River and its tributaries in Manitoba and North Dakota. I reviewed and discarded some old medications of mine, some of which were almost 9 years old ! I filled out and mailed a Sears / Michelin rebate form, for a partial rebate of the new tires' installation costs. I did some online work, searching out the Government of Canada's 2008 official currency exchange rates for income tax purposes
Saturday ; Again today was sunny and very warm with a bit of a wind. Because we've decided to stay an additional week, we can afford to slow down our pace a bit. We slept late this morning. I did some minor maintenance work, then shopped by phone for a 120 volt AC / 12 volt DC digital TV converter box. But since I did not receive my digital TV converter box $40 coupon, which was the mail being forwarded to me from La Feria, Texas, it's unlikely I will buy one of the digital TV converter boxes. I don't want or need one badly enough to buy one without the $40 coupon.
After lunch I downloaded and processed some photos. Joanne defrosted the fridge and freezer. I did online research of digital TV converter boxes, even though I don't have the rebate coupon. I spent some time on the Vancouver Sun online auction website. A neighbour back home at Riverside RV Park Resort referred me to the Vancouver Sun online auction held annually at the end of March, because he knew I was interested in an item that would be available on the online auction. We took Bo for our daily walk around the dog park. I activated my new U.S.$ MasterCard which had arrived in the mail, and set it up for online account access. My previous U.S.$ MasterCard had been cancelled by MasterCard Security because of "suspicious activity", which is what they deem usage in a foreign country when they haven't been notified in advance !
We spent the evening having a "date night", watching a couple of movies on TV.
Sunday ; Today was sunny, hot, and windy. I felt ill this morning, staying in bed until almost noon. And Joanne felt ill this afternoon. Today I continued repairs inside the trailer. The truck is now totally repaired / restored / refurbished. Except ... I noticed late last night that Señor Caballero, our little rubber Saguaro cactus with the face, cowboy hat, and bolo tie, is missing, having blown off the CB antenna on top of the truck. Darn ! Everything inside the trailer is now totally repaired / restored / refurbished. The only repair left on the exterior of the trailer is the large, two part job of repairing the damage caused by the exploding tire. I hope to complete part one of that repair while still here in Yuma. Part two will be a summer job back home in Keremeos.
Late in the afternoon I took Bo for a walk around the dog park. Joanne wasn't feeling well enough to come along. So I also went alone to the regular Sunday evening ice cream social. Afterwards we had supper and watched Amazing Race and Celebrity Apprentice. I began work on reviewing and dealing with a three month batch of forwarded mail.
Monday ; Today was sunny and warm, a bit windy in the morning ... again. This morning I played telephone tag with my investment broker, then went to the RV park’s office to receive a fax from him, signed it, and faxed it back. Last Friday I had been to a local metal fabricator and discussed buying some galvanized metal plate for part one of the trailer repair I hope to start tomorrow. At that time the cost of what I need was estimated at "maybe five bucks". Today when I phoned to place my order, the cost was $32.50 ! Forget that ! ! !
We had an early lunch, then set off for another day of errands and shopping, with just a bit of fun thrown in. Bo came along. First stop was Lowe's to buy some materials for the trailer repair. Next stop was PetsMart. WOO-HOO ... Bo loves shopping at PetsMart. From there we drove to Bard, California, about 20 minutes northwest of Yuma, to buy date shakes at Imperial Date Gardens. Gee whiz ... Bo completely loses impulse control when we have date shakes. I think date shakes might be Bo's favourite food. I also bought myself some dates rolled in coconuts. MMMMM ! ! ! We drove back to Yuma for some shopping at Home Depot, then back to Lowe's to return something that I bought earlier. I found something better at Home Depot. We went to Albertsons for some groceries, including stocking up on some of our "must buy before leaving U.S." items. Finally we went to El Pollo Loco to buy some takeout pollo asado / barbecued chicken for supper.
Back home at Kofa Ko-op we took Bo for our regular daily walk around the perimeter of the dog park. Walking to the dog park then around the perimeter of the seven acres is good daily exercise for us, and an opportunity for Bo to have some off leash time on a daily basis. After supper I completed our 2008 medical expenses summary, the first step in the preparation of our annual income tax returns. I spent the rest of the evening continuing to review and deal with the batch of incoming mail.
Tuesday ; Today was sunny and hot. Or so Joanne tells me. I was too busy to notice. I woke up this morning feeling healthy for the first time in a week. My cold and earache seem to be finally over. I found a chigger embedded in Bo's neck this morning. I wonder if he picked it up here, or has it been sucking his blood since we were last on a Mexican beach with grassy sand dunes almost three weeks ago ?
I spent the entire day rebuilding the inside and underside of the trailer's wheel well, which had been destroyed by the exploding tire. I didn't think I could accomplish this job in just one day, but ... it's finished. And I even had to run out to Wal-Mart during the job to buy some more materials. I'm proud of myself. Like most of the repairs and improvements I have done on the trailer, this repair has produced a result that is far superior to the manufacturer's original design and product. In some areas, and this was one of them, the manufacturer's engineering left a lot to be desired. Without having this repair completed we would not have been able to travel on wet roads / rainy days. And we inevitably encounter rain driving north through Oregon and Washington during April.
When I finished the job it was late afternoon. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park just as the sun was setting. After supper I retrieved month end investment updates. I composed and sent some e-mails. I printed the investment updates and 2008 medical expenses summary I completed yesterday, then did some sorting and filing of income tax documents.
Wednesday ; HMPH ... found a flea on Bo this morning ! Today was sunny and hot. Finally, my "must do" projects are done, and I could relax a bit today. This morning I redid a repair project in the trailer that I wasn't satisfied with. Joanne baked cookies for this afternoon's social hour. After lunch I read and napped. I took a propane tank to be refilled. We took Bo for a walk around the dog park. He chased lizards. What a Terrier ! I downloaded, printed, and reconciled bank statements. I did some accounting. I did some e-mailing, making some arrangements for our return home in two weeks.
We went to the regular Wednesday afternoon social hour / potluck, our last of the season. I spent the rest of the afternoon and early evening updating and analyzing my investment files. This was the first time in two years that I didn't find the exercise disheartening.
DSK
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