Sunday ; Sunny and mild. Had a somewhat lazy day, doing some truck camper maintenance projects. If the previous owner of our truck camper saw it now, he probably wouldn't recognize it as the same unit he sold us, I have done so much refurbishment and improvements.
Monday ; Victoria Day ( Canadian holiday )
Sunny and warm. Another somewhat lazy day. Did an annual chore that I dislike ; removing, cleaning, re-oiling, and re-installing the truck's permanent air filter.
Tuesday ; Sunny and very warm, temperature in the low 80's F., high 20's C.
Spent the day in Penticton, running errands, spending money. Took the truck in for service to have the combination switch in the steering column replaced. That's the switch that controls the four way emergency flashers, the signal lights, the high beams, the windshield wipers and washers.
At 5 PM headed to the airport for my Cessna 172 annual check ride ( competency examination ). HMPH ! It was cancelled / postponed. Too bad, it was a lovely day for a flight. The aviation business where I rent a plane, Okanagan Skies Aviation, changed ownership this past weekend. SO ... with the change in ownership, the business's operating certificate issued by Transport Canada, and their airplane's insurance, both became invalid as of this morning. It will take a week or two of dancing with bureaucracy for the new owners to get a new operating certificate and airplane insurance.
HMPH ... ended up having to go Wal-Martin' instead of flying. HMPH ! ! !
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm. I used the Sun Oven today to sun dry some Roma tomatoes. Finally !
When we returned home a few weeks ago, we found there was some damage on the vinyl siding of our home. When the vinyl siding was frozen during the winter, some rocks were thrown against it, creating six broken spots in the siding. A disagreement over the cause of the damage between me ( tire spinning ) and our next door neighbour ( wind ! ) escalated, and has resulted in a destroyed friendship. How unfortunate !
Today I removed the first of the six damaged sections of siding, so that I can try to find matching colour vinyl siding. I had no idea how to remove damaged vinyl siding until ... well, one can learn almost anything on the Internet. Yesterday in Penticton I bought the two special tools I needed to remove the siding.
This evening we watched the three hour finale of Survivor.
Thursday ; Sunny, very warm, and humid. Today I used the Sun Oven to finish sun drying the large batch of Roma tomatoes I started yesterday. Yesterday the
top layer / drying rack was finished, but the second and third layers / drying racks needed more time.
I worked on detaching, but not removing, the damaged sections of vinyl siding on the house. In the afternoon we went into Keremeos, primarily for a doctor's appointment for Joanne. I ran errands in town while she was at the doctor.
I hope his diagnosis is correct and the medication he prescribed will alleviate the intermittent but severe intestinal cramping she has been experiencing over the last couple of months.
Friday ; Mostly sunny and mild, occasional cloudy and windy, a few drops of rain.
Today I finished detaching but not removing the damaged sections of siding on the house. It entailed having to disassemble and remove part of our entry landing to be able to get at the siding behind the railing on the landing.
I found out today, from the hardware store in Keremeos, that the nearest dealer of the vinyl siding that I need is in Kamloops. Rather than pay freight from Kamloops to ship just a few sections of vinyl siding that I need, I'll pick it up in Kamloops in a month or so when I take Joanne to catch a train there.
In the evening we watched a real stinker of a twenty-five year old movie called "The 'Burbs" with Tom Hanks.
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
Went into Keremeos this morning to run some errands. Took Bo with me. He was acting "drivey deprived" as I was preparing to leave. Did some minor maintenance work this afternoon.
Went fishing to Yellow Lake in the evening. Joanne packed a picnic dinner and we left home shortly after 6 PM for the half hour drive to Yellow Lake, about halfway to Penticton. It was a pleasant evening for fishing. Didn't catch anything. My fly fishing rod tip repair failed ! Enjoyed watching the Canada Goose family with many fuzzy little babies. Enjoyed seeing the baby beaver swim by. Watched a large Painted Turtle almost inhale my fishing fly. Wouldn't that have been a predicament ? ! ?
DSK
Sunday, May 25, 2014
Sunday, May 18, 2014
May 11 to 17, 2014
Sunday ; Sunny and mild. At last !
Last year when we picked up a brand new trailer in Edmonton and delivered it to Penticton, the client did not want the mattress that was in the trailer. We agreed to "dispose" of it for her. Today we removed the mattress that came with our truck camper, and replaced it with the brand new RV Short Queen mattress from the Edmonton client's trailer.
This morning Joanne went yard sale shopping in Hedley. I planted the rhubarb plant
I bought yesterday in Okanagan Falls. Much easier said than done, given our solid rock yard. In preparation for having the tires rotated tomorrow in Penticton, I removed all the hub caps, wheel liners, and valve extenders from the truck. Together we worked on rearranging the shed contents, including setting up the cabinet unit we bought yesterday in Willowbrook to hold all my tools. I worked on removing the nuts, bolts, and remnants of the dually mud flap I tore off the truck a few weeks ago. I used fiberglass gel to repair the bolt holes that were ripped out of the wheel well. We trimmed Bo's dew claws and gave him a bath. I did a ceiling moulding repair in the park model. That's been on my "to do" list for about a year !
In the evening I calculated what our 2015 PharmaCare deductible and co-pay will be based on our 2013 net income from our income tax returns which I completed a couple of days ago. We watched a couple of episodes of a new TV show, House of Food. Holy mackerel. Big Brother meets Hell's Kitchen. I posted last week's journal entry to my blog.
Monday ; Sunny and warm.
Another long day of running errands and spending a lot of money in Penticton, including having the truck tires rotated. DARN ... discovered that the one of the rear brake calipers is leaking.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm. Today was dedicated to routine chores and truck camper improvement projects.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm. Another day of routine chores and improvement projects. Main project for today was installing a new mud flap on the truck to replace the one torn off a month or so ago on the trip home. And you KNOW how much I hate having to remove and replace the rear tires on the truck ! I am installing a pair of
semi-trailer mud flaps on our truck, trimmed slightly to fit.
The next door neighbour brought one of his two dogs over early this afternoon, looking for our assistance. The dog has an ear infection, and we are treating it.
Invited the next door neighbour over for dinner tonight as appreciation for the iterative custom wood cutting services yesterday. And because he's a "bachelor" for a couple of weeks while his wife is away. The potatoes and eggs for tonight's potato salad were cooked in the Sun Oven, as was the apple cake.
Thursday ; Sunny and warm. Installed the second mud flap on the other side of the truck. Went to town to run some errands. Joanne did laundry. Treated the neighbour's dog's ear infection again. Had a disagreement with the neighbour, unrelated to the dog. I think he's now pouting at me. The neighbour, not the dog. Hope he gets over it soon ! Did some financial juggling in the evening. As Jimmy Durante used to say ; HA CHA CHA CHA.
Friday ; Sunny and warm.
Our next door neighbour avoided me all day. I guess he's angry and/ or pouting about our disagreement of yesterday.
I resolved our malfunctioning generator problem today. < sigh > I regret that I didn't address the problem sooner. It wasn't all that difficult to solve.
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild. A few drops of rain late in the afternoon.
I spent the morning helping some neighbours move a ten foot by ten foot shed from across the street to next door. Easier said than done ! Said hello to the next door neighbour who's mad at me. No response ! < sigh >
Spent the afternoon working on truck camper maintenance and improvement projects.
During the evening I paid bills.
DSK
Last year when we picked up a brand new trailer in Edmonton and delivered it to Penticton, the client did not want the mattress that was in the trailer. We agreed to "dispose" of it for her. Today we removed the mattress that came with our truck camper, and replaced it with the brand new RV Short Queen mattress from the Edmonton client's trailer.
This morning Joanne went yard sale shopping in Hedley. I planted the rhubarb plant
I bought yesterday in Okanagan Falls. Much easier said than done, given our solid rock yard. In preparation for having the tires rotated tomorrow in Penticton, I removed all the hub caps, wheel liners, and valve extenders from the truck. Together we worked on rearranging the shed contents, including setting up the cabinet unit we bought yesterday in Willowbrook to hold all my tools. I worked on removing the nuts, bolts, and remnants of the dually mud flap I tore off the truck a few weeks ago. I used fiberglass gel to repair the bolt holes that were ripped out of the wheel well. We trimmed Bo's dew claws and gave him a bath. I did a ceiling moulding repair in the park model. That's been on my "to do" list for about a year !
In the evening I calculated what our 2015 PharmaCare deductible and co-pay will be based on our 2013 net income from our income tax returns which I completed a couple of days ago. We watched a couple of episodes of a new TV show, House of Food. Holy mackerel. Big Brother meets Hell's Kitchen. I posted last week's journal entry to my blog.
Monday ; Sunny and warm.
Another long day of running errands and spending a lot of money in Penticton, including having the truck tires rotated. DARN ... discovered that the one of the rear brake calipers is leaking.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm. Today was dedicated to routine chores and truck camper improvement projects.
Wednesday ; Sunny and very warm. Another day of routine chores and improvement projects. Main project for today was installing a new mud flap on the truck to replace the one torn off a month or so ago on the trip home. And you KNOW how much I hate having to remove and replace the rear tires on the truck ! I am installing a pair of
semi-trailer mud flaps on our truck, trimmed slightly to fit.
The next door neighbour brought one of his two dogs over early this afternoon, looking for our assistance. The dog has an ear infection, and we are treating it.
Invited the next door neighbour over for dinner tonight as appreciation for the iterative custom wood cutting services yesterday. And because he's a "bachelor" for a couple of weeks while his wife is away. The potatoes and eggs for tonight's potato salad were cooked in the Sun Oven, as was the apple cake.
Thursday ; Sunny and warm. Installed the second mud flap on the other side of the truck. Went to town to run some errands. Joanne did laundry. Treated the neighbour's dog's ear infection again. Had a disagreement with the neighbour, unrelated to the dog. I think he's now pouting at me. The neighbour, not the dog. Hope he gets over it soon ! Did some financial juggling in the evening. As Jimmy Durante used to say ; HA CHA CHA CHA.
Friday ; Sunny and warm.
Our next door neighbour avoided me all day. I guess he's angry and/ or pouting about our disagreement of yesterday.
I resolved our malfunctioning generator problem today. < sigh > I regret that I didn't address the problem sooner. It wasn't all that difficult to solve.
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild. A few drops of rain late in the afternoon.
I spent the morning helping some neighbours move a ten foot by ten foot shed from across the street to next door. Easier said than done ! Said hello to the next door neighbour who's mad at me. No response ! < sigh >
Spent the afternoon working on truck camper maintenance and improvement projects.
During the evening I paid bills.
DSK
Sunday, May 11, 2014
May 4 to 10, 2014
Sunday ; Cloudy, cool, intermittent rain.
Joanne did a lot of laundry. I retrieved our fifth wheel hitch from a neighbour who hauled it from Yuma to here for us. Thank you, Paul. I brushed Sully. And brushed and brushed and brushed ! Poor Sully, neither of us thought to brush him during our three week journey home. This afternoon we watched the finale of MasterChef Canada.
Monday ; Happy 13th Birthday to Joanne's niece Amelia
Amelia's a teenager already ? ! ? SHEESH ! ! !
Partially cloudy, cool, occasional very light rain.
A very long, tiring day of running errands ( and spending lots of money ! ), first in Keremeos, then Cawston, then all day in Penticton. Didn't return home until almost
9 PM. Weren't certain this morning that we would be able to run errands today. Rockslide on Highway 3 a couple of miles east of here last night closed highway in both directions for twelve hours. Exactly the same place where there was a rockslide last winter !
Tuesday ; Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, rain for a few minutes every hour or so, sometimes heavy.
We spent the day gardening, planting flower gardens and vegetable gardens. The flower gardens are Joanne's, the vegetable gardens are mine.
In the evening I went fishing. I took my brand new fly fishing rod and reel ( received as a Christmas gift ), walked down to the burn pile area, climbed up onto the dike along the Simillkameen River, and fished for about an hour. Nothing ! Water too high, fast, and muddy. I walked back over behind the lodge / clubhouse to try my luck in a different spot. As I was getting ready to fish there ... < fume > ... I broke the tip of my brand new fly fishing rod. WHAT THE **** ? ! ? Now I know ! The extremely thin tip of a long fly fishing rod is very fragile. Which explains why there are MANY websites dedicated to "how to repair the broken tip of a fly fishing rod" !
Wednesday ; Joanne's 13th anniversary as cancer survivor
Mostly sunny and mild. This morning Joanne cleaned Elsie ( the camper ) and laundered everything within. I repaired my fly fishing rod. I got some ideas online, then ... formulated my own solution. The broken tip of my fly fishing rod is hollow, a thin tube with just enough inside diameter to ... slip in part of a paper clip. GREAT !
I straightened and cut a paper clip, then used it as an internal splint, gluing it into the main shaft of the fishing rod, then gluing the broken tip on top, lined up perfectly. Seems okay ! Hope it works okay !
This afternoon I worked on some truck repairs, including changing a burned out taillight bulb. Joanne worked on staining the 2" x 8" piece of lumber I bought and cut to serve as a redneck tailgate for the truck. We did a fun obedience and agility session with Bo.
I got my bicycle ready for use. I mounted on the exterior wall of our shed the piece of metal sculpture art that Joanne bought in Los Algodones, Mexico this past winter. It’s a “family” of five quail, small to large, mounted on a long saw blade, and vividly painted.
In the evening, after watching Survivor, I began work on preparing our personal income tax returns.
When I took Bo out for his late night walk around 11:15 PM ... WOW ... great display of Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis.
Thursday ; Partially sunny, partially cloudy, mild.
This afternoon I saw the dentist in Keremeos. The only one in town. And ... the first dentist I have seen outside of Mexico in ten years ! ! ! I lost a filling and / or chipped a tooth. The dentist's opinion was that the tooth cracked and chipped, and the broken piece came out with the adjacent filling attached.
The broken area of the tooth required a bit of drilling, then filling. His work was ... competent. His ... or more precisely, his receptionist's ... respect for the value of their patients' time ... was sorely lacking. I have that same complaint about our family doctor in Keremeos. Maybe it's a regional thing ? Maybe it's a common attitude in the health care field towards seniors ?
His fee was ... four times higher than our dentist in Mexico. I have no current Canadian basis for comparison, but his receptionist did comment that their fees are based on the B.C. dental fee guidelines ... which I have no reason to doubt.
This evening I worked on preparing our personal income tax returns.
Friday ; Weather ... variable ! Sunny, cloudy, warm, cold, raining, windy ... !
We washed the truck camper today. First the roof. Tough job ! Then the entire body. The aluminum skin of Elsie ( the truck camper ) is much easier to clean than the fiberglass skin of Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ). Then we cleaned the awning. SHEESH ! About seventeen years of accumulated grime ... and mildew. When we were all finished we couldn't help but notice ... Elsie certainly does clean up nicely !
Tonight I finished our income tax returns and filed them electronically. Second year that I have used computer software to prepare our income tax returns. It certainly is easier than the old fashioned way of pencil and paper tax returns.
Saturday ; Variable weather again. Bo and I were sick today. I was suffering a Crohn's / colitis flare-up. And Bo was similarly ill. Poor Bo. It's difficult for a dog to communicate "I need to go to the bathroom NOW !" Especially in the middle of the night, which Bo had to do repeatedly.
We spent the day exploring and thrift shopping throughout the South Okanagan / Similkameen. Joanne wanted to go to a community yard sale in the Willowbrook neighbourhood. We had never been there before. Keremeos to Twin Lakes to White Lake to Willowbrook, a "high rent" neighbourhood high up in the hills west of Oliver, between Hwy 97 and Hwy. 3A. Not much left by the time we got there around noon. Picked up a beat up old cabinet to use for tool storage in our shed. Free ! Also picked up a Sudoku book for Joanne. Another freebie !
Drove down to Oliver, then north to Okanagan Falls. Shopped at the Okanagan Falls outdoor weekend flea markets. Bought a rhubarb plant. Joanne bought a leather purse. For a buck ! Big spenders today ! Had a picnic lunch in the waterfront park in Okanagan Falls. Lovely park ! Drove a short distance to see Okanagan Falls Provincial Park. Nice campground, but ... twenty-one dollars per night for an unserviced site in a campground that doesn't even have a dump station ? ! ? B.C.'s camping fees are unreasonable !
Drove back to Oliver. As the day progressed, I felt more and more ill. Shopped at the Oliver indoor flea markets. Flea markets in the U.S. and Canada are very different. In the U.S. flea markets, all the merchandise is new, inexpensive, and ... for the most part ... useful in one way or another. Canadian flea markets are filled with used ... crap ... that people scavenge from garbage dumps and buy at yard sales and are trying to resell for a profit. It's usually a whole lot of worthless junk.
By the time we reached Osoyoos on the drive home I became too ill to continue driving. Joanne drove the rest of the way home from Osoyoos.
DSK
Joanne did a lot of laundry. I retrieved our fifth wheel hitch from a neighbour who hauled it from Yuma to here for us. Thank you, Paul. I brushed Sully. And brushed and brushed and brushed ! Poor Sully, neither of us thought to brush him during our three week journey home. This afternoon we watched the finale of MasterChef Canada.
Monday ; Happy 13th Birthday to Joanne's niece Amelia
Amelia's a teenager already ? ! ? SHEESH ! ! !
Partially cloudy, cool, occasional very light rain.
A very long, tiring day of running errands ( and spending lots of money ! ), first in Keremeos, then Cawston, then all day in Penticton. Didn't return home until almost
9 PM. Weren't certain this morning that we would be able to run errands today. Rockslide on Highway 3 a couple of miles east of here last night closed highway in both directions for twelve hours. Exactly the same place where there was a rockslide last winter !
Tuesday ; Sometimes sunny, sometimes cloudy, rain for a few minutes every hour or so, sometimes heavy.
We spent the day gardening, planting flower gardens and vegetable gardens. The flower gardens are Joanne's, the vegetable gardens are mine.
In the evening I went fishing. I took my brand new fly fishing rod and reel ( received as a Christmas gift ), walked down to the burn pile area, climbed up onto the dike along the Simillkameen River, and fished for about an hour. Nothing ! Water too high, fast, and muddy. I walked back over behind the lodge / clubhouse to try my luck in a different spot. As I was getting ready to fish there ... < fume > ... I broke the tip of my brand new fly fishing rod. WHAT THE **** ? ! ? Now I know ! The extremely thin tip of a long fly fishing rod is very fragile. Which explains why there are MANY websites dedicated to "how to repair the broken tip of a fly fishing rod" !
Wednesday ; Joanne's 13th anniversary as cancer survivor
Mostly sunny and mild. This morning Joanne cleaned Elsie ( the camper ) and laundered everything within. I repaired my fly fishing rod. I got some ideas online, then ... formulated my own solution. The broken tip of my fly fishing rod is hollow, a thin tube with just enough inside diameter to ... slip in part of a paper clip. GREAT !
I straightened and cut a paper clip, then used it as an internal splint, gluing it into the main shaft of the fishing rod, then gluing the broken tip on top, lined up perfectly. Seems okay ! Hope it works okay !
This afternoon I worked on some truck repairs, including changing a burned out taillight bulb. Joanne worked on staining the 2" x 8" piece of lumber I bought and cut to serve as a redneck tailgate for the truck. We did a fun obedience and agility session with Bo.
I got my bicycle ready for use. I mounted on the exterior wall of our shed the piece of metal sculpture art that Joanne bought in Los Algodones, Mexico this past winter. It’s a “family” of five quail, small to large, mounted on a long saw blade, and vividly painted.
In the evening, after watching Survivor, I began work on preparing our personal income tax returns.
When I took Bo out for his late night walk around 11:15 PM ... WOW ... great display of Northern Lights / Aurora Borealis.
Thursday ; Partially sunny, partially cloudy, mild.
This afternoon I saw the dentist in Keremeos. The only one in town. And ... the first dentist I have seen outside of Mexico in ten years ! ! ! I lost a filling and / or chipped a tooth. The dentist's opinion was that the tooth cracked and chipped, and the broken piece came out with the adjacent filling attached.
The broken area of the tooth required a bit of drilling, then filling. His work was ... competent. His ... or more precisely, his receptionist's ... respect for the value of their patients' time ... was sorely lacking. I have that same complaint about our family doctor in Keremeos. Maybe it's a regional thing ? Maybe it's a common attitude in the health care field towards seniors ?
His fee was ... four times higher than our dentist in Mexico. I have no current Canadian basis for comparison, but his receptionist did comment that their fees are based on the B.C. dental fee guidelines ... which I have no reason to doubt.
This evening I worked on preparing our personal income tax returns.
Friday ; Weather ... variable ! Sunny, cloudy, warm, cold, raining, windy ... !
We washed the truck camper today. First the roof. Tough job ! Then the entire body. The aluminum skin of Elsie ( the truck camper ) is much easier to clean than the fiberglass skin of Harvey ( the fifth wheel trailer ). Then we cleaned the awning. SHEESH ! About seventeen years of accumulated grime ... and mildew. When we were all finished we couldn't help but notice ... Elsie certainly does clean up nicely !
Tonight I finished our income tax returns and filed them electronically. Second year that I have used computer software to prepare our income tax returns. It certainly is easier than the old fashioned way of pencil and paper tax returns.
Saturday ; Variable weather again. Bo and I were sick today. I was suffering a Crohn's / colitis flare-up. And Bo was similarly ill. Poor Bo. It's difficult for a dog to communicate "I need to go to the bathroom NOW !" Especially in the middle of the night, which Bo had to do repeatedly.
We spent the day exploring and thrift shopping throughout the South Okanagan / Similkameen. Joanne wanted to go to a community yard sale in the Willowbrook neighbourhood. We had never been there before. Keremeos to Twin Lakes to White Lake to Willowbrook, a "high rent" neighbourhood high up in the hills west of Oliver, between Hwy 97 and Hwy. 3A. Not much left by the time we got there around noon. Picked up a beat up old cabinet to use for tool storage in our shed. Free ! Also picked up a Sudoku book for Joanne. Another freebie !
Drove down to Oliver, then north to Okanagan Falls. Shopped at the Okanagan Falls outdoor weekend flea markets. Bought a rhubarb plant. Joanne bought a leather purse. For a buck ! Big spenders today ! Had a picnic lunch in the waterfront park in Okanagan Falls. Lovely park ! Drove a short distance to see Okanagan Falls Provincial Park. Nice campground, but ... twenty-one dollars per night for an unserviced site in a campground that doesn't even have a dump station ? ! ? B.C.'s camping fees are unreasonable !
Drove back to Oliver. As the day progressed, I felt more and more ill. Shopped at the Oliver indoor flea markets. Flea markets in the U.S. and Canada are very different. In the U.S. flea markets, all the merchandise is new, inexpensive, and ... for the most part ... useful in one way or another. Canadian flea markets are filled with used ... crap ... that people scavenge from garbage dumps and buy at yard sales and are trying to resell for a profit. It's usually a whole lot of worthless junk.
By the time we reached Osoyoos on the drive home I became too ill to continue driving. Joanne drove the rest of the way home from Osoyoos.
DSK
Sunday, May 4, 2014
April 27 to May 3, 2014
Sunday ; Okanogan, Washington, U.S.A. to Keremeos, British Columbia, Canada
Mostly sunny and mild today. A bit of rain just before we reached the Canadian border.
This morning when I walked the dog there was a Bald Eagle soaring overhead, hunting / fishing over the Okanogan River. AHHHHH ... almost home !
We left the RV parking lot of Okanogan Casino and continued northbound on Hwy. 97 about five miles or so to Omak, Washington. We refilled with diesel, dumped our waste holding tanks, and refilled our freshwater tank at Exxon. We recently learned that they have a trailer dump station for customers, and the $10 charge is waived with a large fuel purchase. We went across the street and did some last minute shopping at Dollar Tree, and replenished groceries at Safeway, being careful not to buy anything that wouldn't be allowed across the border. At the last minute, on impulse, I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods and bought a pair of River Sandals to use when fly fishing in the Similkameen River at home.
We continued northbound on Hwy. 97 to the border crossing from Oroville, Washington to Osoyoos, B.C. We had mild anxiety about the process of importing the truck camper, although it turned out to be easier than we expected. Easier ... but certainly not cheaper ! We were assessed both GST and PST on the value of the truck camper. Six hundred bucks ! ! !
After crossing the border we turned west on Hwy. 3. We stopped in Keremeos to buy a few more grocery items we needed, but couldn't buy in the U.S., such as ground beef. AND PEROGIES < doing a Happy Dance >. It's not that perogies aren't allowed across the border, it's just that ... there aren't any ! Well ... actually there are some, but ...
< whispering > ... they're crap ! HA HA HA ... I'm a perogy snob ... and proud of it !
We arrived home at Riverside RV Park Resort shortly after 4 PM. Dudley and Ozzie, the next door neighbour's dogs, were very excited that Bo was home !
Monday ; Sunny and mild. Neighbours tell us that we must have brought the good weather with us, it wasn't so good before our return home. Validation for my belief that we shouldn't return until the end of April. It's beyond me why some of our Snowbird acquaintances are home by mid-March.
As expected, today was taken up with "return home" chores and socializing with neighbours. Major accomplishment for today was unloading the truck storage chest on the roof of the camper, and then lowering it to the ground. I'm very glad to have that thing down off the roof of the camper.
Tuesday ; Sunny and mild. It was a long, tiring day of running errands ... and spending a lot of money ... in Penticton.
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.
Income tax returns due today. Should start thinking soon ... about starting to work on them. HA HA HA !
Spent the day puttering around with "return home in spring" chores. Helped the neighbour with a difficult job that he is unable to do himself anymore. So ... slightly reluctantly accepted their invitation to dinner at restaurant in town tonight ... as appreciation for today's help and for buying him some items he wanted at flea markets in Yuma. Regret it ! Service even worse than we remember it. Prices still outrageously high for that calibre of restaurant ... and food ... and service ! U.S. restaurant levels of food quality, service quality, and low prices skew our perspectives perhaps. But even so ... service that bad is BAD ! Even for Canada !
Thursday ; Sunny and warm. Another day of "return home in spring" chores ; unload camper, dump and flush camper waste holding tanks, refill and disinfect freshwater holding tank, set up yard furniture, pull weeds, maintenance and repairs, month end accounting ...
This past winter season we travelled 18,301 km. / 11,438 miles over a period of 178 days. The lowest diesel price was $3.549 per gallon on November 18 in Fort Mohave, Arizona, and the highest diesel price was $5.989 per gallon in Death Valley, California on April 15.
Friday ; Sunny and very warm, temperature in the low 80's, very nice for this time of year.
Took the camper off the truck today. Trimmed beard. Did yard work. Reviewed six months worth of mail this evening.
Saturday ; Overcast and cool. Big change in just one day !
Drove into Keremeos and Cawston this morning to run errands and buy bedding plants ; both flowers and vegetables. This afternoon Joanne worked on preparing planters and gardens for planting. I worked on truck camper maintenance and replenishment. As has been the case for the last few years, we did not attend the Riverside RV Park Resort Annual General Meeting held today.
Had a phone call from my sister this afternoon about her new Sun Oven. Hope she has as much fun with hers as I do with ours. This evening we had a "movie date". Watched "Transformers". Guess fifty-nine / sixty year olds weren't their target demographic ! Sully enjoyed an evening of "TV time" cuddled up beside me on the sofa.
DSK
Mostly sunny and mild today. A bit of rain just before we reached the Canadian border.
This morning when I walked the dog there was a Bald Eagle soaring overhead, hunting / fishing over the Okanogan River. AHHHHH ... almost home !
We left the RV parking lot of Okanogan Casino and continued northbound on Hwy. 97 about five miles or so to Omak, Washington. We refilled with diesel, dumped our waste holding tanks, and refilled our freshwater tank at Exxon. We recently learned that they have a trailer dump station for customers, and the $10 charge is waived with a large fuel purchase. We went across the street and did some last minute shopping at Dollar Tree, and replenished groceries at Safeway, being careful not to buy anything that wouldn't be allowed across the border. At the last minute, on impulse, I went to Big 5 Sporting Goods and bought a pair of River Sandals to use when fly fishing in the Similkameen River at home.
We continued northbound on Hwy. 97 to the border crossing from Oroville, Washington to Osoyoos, B.C. We had mild anxiety about the process of importing the truck camper, although it turned out to be easier than we expected. Easier ... but certainly not cheaper ! We were assessed both GST and PST on the value of the truck camper. Six hundred bucks ! ! !
After crossing the border we turned west on Hwy. 3. We stopped in Keremeos to buy a few more grocery items we needed, but couldn't buy in the U.S., such as ground beef. AND PEROGIES < doing a Happy Dance >. It's not that perogies aren't allowed across the border, it's just that ... there aren't any ! Well ... actually there are some, but ...
< whispering > ... they're crap ! HA HA HA ... I'm a perogy snob ... and proud of it !
We arrived home at Riverside RV Park Resort shortly after 4 PM. Dudley and Ozzie, the next door neighbour's dogs, were very excited that Bo was home !
Monday ; Sunny and mild. Neighbours tell us that we must have brought the good weather with us, it wasn't so good before our return home. Validation for my belief that we shouldn't return until the end of April. It's beyond me why some of our Snowbird acquaintances are home by mid-March.
As expected, today was taken up with "return home" chores and socializing with neighbours. Major accomplishment for today was unloading the truck storage chest on the roof of the camper, and then lowering it to the ground. I'm very glad to have that thing down off the roof of the camper.
Tuesday ; Sunny and mild. It was a long, tiring day of running errands ... and spending a lot of money ... in Penticton.
Wednesday ; Sunny and warm.
Income tax returns due today. Should start thinking soon ... about starting to work on them. HA HA HA !
Spent the day puttering around with "return home in spring" chores. Helped the neighbour with a difficult job that he is unable to do himself anymore. So ... slightly reluctantly accepted their invitation to dinner at restaurant in town tonight ... as appreciation for today's help and for buying him some items he wanted at flea markets in Yuma. Regret it ! Service even worse than we remember it. Prices still outrageously high for that calibre of restaurant ... and food ... and service ! U.S. restaurant levels of food quality, service quality, and low prices skew our perspectives perhaps. But even so ... service that bad is BAD ! Even for Canada !
Thursday ; Sunny and warm. Another day of "return home in spring" chores ; unload camper, dump and flush camper waste holding tanks, refill and disinfect freshwater holding tank, set up yard furniture, pull weeds, maintenance and repairs, month end accounting ...
This past winter season we travelled 18,301 km. / 11,438 miles over a period of 178 days. The lowest diesel price was $3.549 per gallon on November 18 in Fort Mohave, Arizona, and the highest diesel price was $5.989 per gallon in Death Valley, California on April 15.
Friday ; Sunny and very warm, temperature in the low 80's, very nice for this time of year.
Took the camper off the truck today. Trimmed beard. Did yard work. Reviewed six months worth of mail this evening.
Saturday ; Overcast and cool. Big change in just one day !
Drove into Keremeos and Cawston this morning to run errands and buy bedding plants ; both flowers and vegetables. This afternoon Joanne worked on preparing planters and gardens for planting. I worked on truck camper maintenance and replenishment. As has been the case for the last few years, we did not attend the Riverside RV Park Resort Annual General Meeting held today.
Had a phone call from my sister this afternoon about her new Sun Oven. Hope she has as much fun with hers as I do with ours. This evening we had a "movie date". Watched "Transformers". Guess fifty-nine / sixty year olds weren't their target demographic ! Sully enjoyed an evening of "TV time" cuddled up beside me on the sofa.
DSK
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