October 30, 2009
Keremeos B.C. to Omak, Washington
Ahhhhh … it feels great to be back on the road again.
We had planned to leave two days from now, on Sunday, November 1, but when we woke up yesterday, it was snowing heavily. Time to go ! We spent yesterday preparing for departure, including phoning to have our travel medical insurance policy dates changed. By the evening, most of the snow had melted.
Sully was very confused this morning when we retracted the trailer’s slides. I guess he’s never lived in a home where the walls retract, and the living space becomes smaller. We left Riverside RV Park Resort late this morning. We ran some last minute errands in Keremeos, then headed east on Hwy. 3 to Osoyoos. At Osoyoos we stopped for one last errand. When I went inside the trailer, Sully was freaked ! Obviously he’s never lived in a home that moves. Poor Sully. I guess it will take a few days for him to adjust to the shrinking / expanding / travelling home.
( sigh ) We were delayed at the border, having to cross three times ! We cleared U.S. Customs, then had to pull aside for an inspection by U.S. Agriculture. All RV’s crossing at Osoyoos / Oroville are inspected by U.S. Agriculture. There was a male inspector and a female inspector. Great … we got the female inspector ! It seems well known amongst RV’ers that female inspectors are more “difficult” for whatever reason. First she confiscated our dog food and cat food. The labels indicated “animal fat” and she felt that that wasn’t clear enough. Perhaps the “animal fat” was lamb fat, and lamb is not allowed to cross from Canada into the United States. I had to bite my tongue from telling her that I know from my 14 years as a pet food retailer that there are no pet food manufacturers in Canada or the United States manufacturing pet foods using lamb fat as the fat component. Some use lamb protein, specified very obviously on the label, but none use lamb fat. And even if they did, they certainly wouldn’t use it when the protein is chicken ! But it wasn’t worth arguing with her. Arguments with border agents are futile.
Tomorrow we are going to Lake Chelan State Park for a very specific reason, and that reason includes having a campfire. So I had eight pieces of firewood in the back of the truck. I knew that firewood is not allowed across the border, but I took a chance anyway. Once before we had firewood confiscated ( crossing into the U.S. ), and once before we were allowed to cross with some ( crossing into Canada ). The inspector saw the eight pieces of firewood sitting in the bed of the truck, and said she wouldn’t allow it across. AND … ( sputter ) … she wouldn’t allow me to dispose of it there. She forced us to return to Canada with it. We had to turn back into the line of vehicles waiting to cross into Canada, and clear Customs back into Canada. Canadian Customs also wouldn’t allow me to dispose of the firewood there. We drove into Osoyoos looking for a home with a firewood pile. I found one, a vineyard. I parked on the side of the road, walked into the vineyard where I saw a man working, and obtained his permission to add my eight pieces of firewood onto his firewood pile.
By the time we returned to the U.S. border the staff had changed, both the Customs agent and the Agriculture inspector. So we had to go through the entire border crossing procedure again. Except by now I was developing a chip on my shoulder, never helpful when crossing borders. And this time the Customs agent was a woman … and butt ugly she was ! At least I got the male Agriculture inspector.
In Oroville we stopped at Prince’s to buy groceries. While walking Bo I chatted with a Canadian walking his two dogs. He had just crossed at Osoyoos / Oroville in their large motorhome. He initiated a discussion about border crossing procedures. When they crossed a few minutes before us, the male Agriculture inspector, seeing that they had two dogs, asked if their dog food was a lamb & rice formula. When told “no, it isn’t”, that was all the inspector needed to know. He didn’t even ask to see the food. Just our luck to get the woman inspector, who’s either ignorant, or on a power trip, or both.
After buying groceries at Prince’s we headed south on Hwy. 97. While driving my back started to get a little sore so I reached around to the side of my seat to adjust the seat back lumbar support. It broke while I was adjusting it ! **** ! First day on the road, and there’s already something needs fixing ! Story of my life !
At Omak we stopped at Wal-Mart to do some shopping. By the time we were finished our Wal-Martin’ it was late afternoon, and would be getting dark soon. We decided to stay the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. While Joanne put away groceries and began to prepare supper, I dismantled the lumbar support adjustment mechanism on the side of the driver’s seat to see what had broken and ascertain if it could be fixed. Well, of course, what broke was a little plastic piece, deep inside the adjustment mechanism and almost inaccessible. It’s remotely possible, although highly doubtful, that I can repair it with glue.
Once we were inside the RV, preparing and eating supper, Sully’s anxiety diminished. By bedtime, he was relaxed. Hey, Sully … strange life we live, eh ? Get used to it !
Keremeos B.C. to Omak, Washington
Ahhhhh … it feels great to be back on the road again.
We had planned to leave two days from now, on Sunday, November 1, but when we woke up yesterday, it was snowing heavily. Time to go ! We spent yesterday preparing for departure, including phoning to have our travel medical insurance policy dates changed. By the evening, most of the snow had melted.
Sully was very confused this morning when we retracted the trailer’s slides. I guess he’s never lived in a home where the walls retract, and the living space becomes smaller. We left Riverside RV Park Resort late this morning. We ran some last minute errands in Keremeos, then headed east on Hwy. 3 to Osoyoos. At Osoyoos we stopped for one last errand. When I went inside the trailer, Sully was freaked ! Obviously he’s never lived in a home that moves. Poor Sully. I guess it will take a few days for him to adjust to the shrinking / expanding / travelling home.
( sigh ) We were delayed at the border, having to cross three times ! We cleared U.S. Customs, then had to pull aside for an inspection by U.S. Agriculture. All RV’s crossing at Osoyoos / Oroville are inspected by U.S. Agriculture. There was a male inspector and a female inspector. Great … we got the female inspector ! It seems well known amongst RV’ers that female inspectors are more “difficult” for whatever reason. First she confiscated our dog food and cat food. The labels indicated “animal fat” and she felt that that wasn’t clear enough. Perhaps the “animal fat” was lamb fat, and lamb is not allowed to cross from Canada into the United States. I had to bite my tongue from telling her that I know from my 14 years as a pet food retailer that there are no pet food manufacturers in Canada or the United States manufacturing pet foods using lamb fat as the fat component. Some use lamb protein, specified very obviously on the label, but none use lamb fat. And even if they did, they certainly wouldn’t use it when the protein is chicken ! But it wasn’t worth arguing with her. Arguments with border agents are futile.
Tomorrow we are going to Lake Chelan State Park for a very specific reason, and that reason includes having a campfire. So I had eight pieces of firewood in the back of the truck. I knew that firewood is not allowed across the border, but I took a chance anyway. Once before we had firewood confiscated ( crossing into the U.S. ), and once before we were allowed to cross with some ( crossing into Canada ). The inspector saw the eight pieces of firewood sitting in the bed of the truck, and said she wouldn’t allow it across. AND … ( sputter ) … she wouldn’t allow me to dispose of it there. She forced us to return to Canada with it. We had to turn back into the line of vehicles waiting to cross into Canada, and clear Customs back into Canada. Canadian Customs also wouldn’t allow me to dispose of the firewood there. We drove into Osoyoos looking for a home with a firewood pile. I found one, a vineyard. I parked on the side of the road, walked into the vineyard where I saw a man working, and obtained his permission to add my eight pieces of firewood onto his firewood pile.
By the time we returned to the U.S. border the staff had changed, both the Customs agent and the Agriculture inspector. So we had to go through the entire border crossing procedure again. Except by now I was developing a chip on my shoulder, never helpful when crossing borders. And this time the Customs agent was a woman … and butt ugly she was ! At least I got the male Agriculture inspector.
In Oroville we stopped at Prince’s to buy groceries. While walking Bo I chatted with a Canadian walking his two dogs. He had just crossed at Osoyoos / Oroville in their large motorhome. He initiated a discussion about border crossing procedures. When they crossed a few minutes before us, the male Agriculture inspector, seeing that they had two dogs, asked if their dog food was a lamb & rice formula. When told “no, it isn’t”, that was all the inspector needed to know. He didn’t even ask to see the food. Just our luck to get the woman inspector, who’s either ignorant, or on a power trip, or both.
After buying groceries at Prince’s we headed south on Hwy. 97. While driving my back started to get a little sore so I reached around to the side of my seat to adjust the seat back lumbar support. It broke while I was adjusting it ! **** ! First day on the road, and there’s already something needs fixing ! Story of my life !
At Omak we stopped at Wal-Mart to do some shopping. By the time we were finished our Wal-Martin’ it was late afternoon, and would be getting dark soon. We decided to stay the night in the Wal-Mart parking lot. While Joanne put away groceries and began to prepare supper, I dismantled the lumbar support adjustment mechanism on the side of the driver’s seat to see what had broken and ascertain if it could be fixed. Well, of course, what broke was a little plastic piece, deep inside the adjustment mechanism and almost inaccessible. It’s remotely possible, although highly doubtful, that I can repair it with glue.
Once we were inside the RV, preparing and eating supper, Sully’s anxiety diminished. By bedtime, he was relaxed. Hey, Sully … strange life we live, eh ? Get used to it !
October 31, 2009
Omak to Lake Chelan State Park, Washington
Teddy loved campfires. His last campfire was at Lake Chelan State Park last April on our way back home. Our plan for today was to spend the day at Lake Chelan State Park, build a campfire, and place the box of Teddy’s ashes in the campfire.
Today was a lovely, sunny, mild fall day, perfect for what we had in mind. We left the Wal-Mart parking lot in Omak this morning and headed south again on Hwy. 97 following the Okanagan River. Soon the Okanagan River flowed into the Columbia River. When the road split into Hwy. 97 following along the east side of the river and Alt. Hwy. 97 following along the west side of the river, we turned onto Alt. 97. When we came to the resort town of Lake Chelan we detoured onto Hwy. 150 and followed the north shore of Lake Chelan about ten miles to Mill Bay. We wanted to find Mill Bay Casino, recommended to us by SKP friends as a good overnight boondocking site. After finding Mill Bay Casino we headed back to the town of Lake Chelan where we stopped to check out the municipal RV park. From the town we turned onto Hwy. 971 to follow the south shore of Lake Chelan to the state park.
When we arrived at Lake Chelan State Park we drove around looking for the park firewood sales area. We had recalled from our visit last spring that firewood was available for sale in the state park. ( sigh ) Evidently our memories were faulty. There was no firewood for sale. And so with thanks to that Agriculture ***** at the border yesterday, our plans for Teddy’s final resting place were now quashed.
We drove away from Lake Chelan State Park. My heart was heavy with renewed grief. My eyes welled with tears as I drove, feeling … somewhat oddly … a great disloyalty to Teddy. A few miles along Hwy. 971 heading back to Alt. 97 we passed a farm yard with firewood for sale. I turned the rig around, bought a box of firewood, and headed back to Lake Chelan State Park.
When we drove up to site 16, the campsite where Teddy enjoyed his last campfire, and the site we wanted to be in today, there was … ( sigh ) … a pile of firewood sitting beside the fire pit. Story of my life !
We got set up in site 16, had a late lunch, then went for a walk with Bo down to the lakeshore, along the beach, and out onto the dock. Well, not completely all the way out to the end of the dock. Half the dock was floating, rendering it a “Bo No Go” dock. Fearless Bo has always been afraid of floating docks. We walked back through the playground, stopping to do some “Bo-gility”. The large play structure had two long, winding slides. Bo loooooves slides ! HA HA HA !
Back at our campsite we began to prepare for Teddy’s final campfire. I was splitting wood. Bo was tied to the picnic table. Neither of us noticed a deer walk out of the forest and amble across our campsite. When Bo finally noticed the deer, about 50 feet away … WHOA … A DEER ! ! ! It’s difficult to calm him and quiet him after an experience like that. When Bo began barking, the deer leaped over the picnic table and ran off towards the lake.
The circumstances for Teddy’s final campfire were perfect. Setting sun, mild temperature, a grassy forest campsite looking out over the lake. After getting the fire built, we placed the box containing Teddy’s ashes on top. I fought a losing battle. My eyes welled up again, and tears slid slowly and silently down my cheeks. We sat there watching the box of Teddy’s ashes burn, then his ashes joined the rest of the campfire. We talked about our memories of him, and smiled through the tears, knowing how much he would have enjoyed this campfire. We sat by the campfire for a long time.
Farewell our sweet little baby cat.
We brought Sully outside to join us at the campfire. We surmised that Teddy’s final campfire was probably Sully’s first. He was confused and concerned initially, then settled very contentedly into Joanne’s jacket, his head sticking out towards the campfire, his eyes closing snoozily. We hope that this was the first of many campfires that Sully will enjoy with us.
When the campfire was burned down to embers, and the sun had set behind the mountains surrounding the lake, we went for a long walk with Bo, through the tent campsite area, then along the lake. The trees were all in their fall colours. The ground was covered in leaves. A full moon rose above the calm lake. I was satisfied that this was the right place to leave Teddy’s spirit. As I type this, my last tear for Teddy is falling. We returned to our campsite at dusk. There was a herd of six deer in our campsite.
Supper was a collaboration of creativity. Joanne made up a risotto dish. I made up a lemon and butter sauce concoction and cooked salmon fillets in it. Nice supper. I gave some salmon fillet to Sully, the first time I have offered him “people food”. He quite enjoyed it. Bo would have preferred venison. HA HA HA !
Happy Hallowe’en !
DSK
Great story about the campfire Daniel, I was in tears also. I don't know what Mitch and I will do when it comes time for Brady to depart.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, happy travels, perhaps we will see you in the spring.
Drive safely.
Diane Netterfield