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

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