Sunday ; Thick smoke early in the day, thinning somewhat in the late afternoon after a bit of light rain.
This morning we drove to the local dump to get rid of our yard swing, now just scrap metal. After finishing at the dump we drove into town to buy an item at the pharmacy ... they didn't have what I needed ... and an item at the hardware store ... closed on Sundays. Oh, well ! We bought fresh produce at Sanderson Farms. Very nice tomatoes at this time of year ! And cheap !
This afternoon Joanne baked a plum pie with plums picked in our RV park's orchard. MMMMM ! I barbecued a marinated beef roast for supper. The original plan had been to cook it in the Sun Oven, but ... the Sun Oven hasn't been getting much use lately due to the ongoing wildfire smoke issue.
This afternoon Similkameen Trailer towing was hired to do a small trailer towing job in two weeks. Small job, not small trailer. HA HA HA ! I'm hopeful that this client is not as much of a flake as last week's "client" was. HMPH ! Hires me, then refuses to respond to e-mails or phone calls. How difficult would it have been for him to advise "sorry ... job is cancelled" ?
Monday ; Sunny and mild.
This morning we did some yard work, including watering and turning our composters and watering our vegetable and tomato gardens. I did some outdoor cleaning, then power sanded the railings on the entry stairs. As I finished that job, and was about to go inside to have lunch, Marcie came over. She was upset, and obviously needed some compassion. Gord is near the end.
After lunch Joanne drove Marcie into town and they visited Gord. Joanne said her goodbye to Gord. I thought we both did that last week, but ... < shrug > ! After she returned home Joanne stained the railings that I sanded before lunch. The first attempt went poorly. We wiped the stain off and made another attempt with a different stain. That went better.
I did some refurbishment on the belt sander that I used today. It's a recent acquisition, and the cord needed repairs. I prepared a cheque and envelope to send for our Yuma, Arizona property tax. I prepared another trailer towing quote. Third quote request in four days ! I scheduled a small trailer towing job for Friday. I prepared a form to be dropped off at our investment advisor in Penticton tomorrow. As Joanne prepared supper I watched a documentary on what a cluster**** the Vietnam war was for the United States ! Too bad they didn't learn anything from it ! ! !
Tuesday ; Mostly cloudy and chilly, rain in the late afternoon as we finished our errands in Penticton and drove home.
Today was another long, hard day of running errands in Penticton. We left home around 11 AM. We stopped at an RV park in Kaleden at noon to check out a trailer that we are hired to relocate on October 1. We shopped and ran errands all afternoon in Penticton, leaving around 4:30 PM. On the way home we stopped in Olalla to check out a trailer that we are hired to relocate on Friday. We arrived home around 6 PM.
In my e-mail box was a request to do a trailer towing job ... tomorrow. UHHHH ... sorry ... no ! I offered the client a choice of Thursday or Saturday. He chose Thursday. DARN ... I would have preferred Saturday. Oh, well ! Looks like we'll be doing a difficult, all day job on Thursday, towing a large travel trailer from Salmon Arm to Penticton. And a small job on Friday in Olalla. Why am I getting so many requests for trailer towing quotes ... and jobs ... all of a sudden ?
I received an e-mail from an RCMP Sergeant in Hay River, Northwest Territories, regarding my complaint about use of excessive force by an officer in his detachment.
I expect he will be unhappy with the response I sent back. Stay tuned !
Wednesday ; Cloudy, chilly, raining. A good day to die, perhaps ?
Godspeed, Gord ! Our next door neighbour died overnight. We extend our sympathy to his widow Marcie. I am sorry for her loss. But I am glad that Gord's suffering has ended. His battle with mesothelioma ( lung cancer caused by asbestos ) lasted seventeen months.
This morning I had a phone call with the cardiology department at Kelowna General Hospital. I have an angiogram scheduled for early next Tuesday morning. They explained the process over the phone, then sent me more detailed information and instructions by e-mail. I will have to be in Kelowna for two nights. I will need to be there Monday overnight in order to be at the hospital early Tuesday morning. And I am not allowed to leave the vicinity of Kelowna Hospital until twenty-four hours after the procedure, so ... I must remain in Kelowna until Wednesday afternoon.
I did some research this afternoon on campgrounds / RV parks near the hospital, and hotels / motels near the hospital. We considered spending two nights in our camper near the hospital, but after comparing prices of RV parks versus hotels / motels, we decided to stay in a motel near the hospital for two nights. I made a reservation.
This afternoon I visited briefly with neighbours Kolly and Paul. I wanted to arrange a "rental" of Paul's truck, much smaller than my truck, but also equipped with a fifth wheel hitch. I think my truck will be too large / too high for two upcoming trailer towing jobs
I am hired to do. I negotiated a "rental" of Paul's truck for these two jobs, with payment for the truck "rental" with some truck and trailer maintenance services provided by me. Paul is in the advanced stages of lung cancer. < sigh > Late this afternoon he left here by ambulance. < sigh >
Around suppertime we visited with our neighbour / friend Jeanine who has just returned from a two week visit with her daughter in the Lower Mainland / Vancouver area. We wanted to invite her over for a Lake Winnipeg Pickerel dinner ... cooked by me, of course. And we wanted to ask her to care for Bo while we are in Kelowna for two days next week.
This afternoon I prepared our truck for a trailer towing job tomorrow, towing a large trailer from Salmon Arm to Penticton. BUT ... this evening I "postponed" the job, and am strongly inclined to just cancel it. The client has been feeding me little bits and pieces of information over the last few days, and the more "information" he feeds me, the more inclined I am to "fire" the client. Stay tuned !
P.S. ; Late in the evening Joanne convinced me that I need to focus on what is really important ( my health ) and I don't need the aggravation of this client. I sent him an e-mail advising him to find someone else to do his trailer towing job.
Thursday ; Mix of sun and clouds, mild temperature.
I'm glad I chose to "fire" the trailer towing client last night. It was the right decision. And resulted in a bit of a "free" day, since today had been allocated to that trailer towing job.
I put away the trailer towing materials and supplies loaded in the truck for today's cancelled ( travel ) trailer towing job, leaving in the truck the stuff needed for tomorrow's ( fifth wheel ) trailer towing job. Then I brought over Paul's truck that I have "rented" for tomorrow's job, and installed my fifth wheel hitch into his truck. I spent ( too much ) time visiting with our neighbour / friend Jeanine. I snoozed, and read, and watched TV.
Friday ; Mix of sun and clouds, mild temperature.
Immediately after an early ( for us ) lunch we left for a trailer towing job in nearby Olalla, Joanne driving our large truck, me driving our neighbour Paul's small truck. In Olalla we moved an old, small, fifth wheel trailer from one side of the client's yard to the other side. And as I expected, the job was much easier done with Paul's small truck than our large truck. I'm glad that we "rented" it for the afternoon. On the way back home Joanne stopped at Sanderson Farms to buy some produce, while I drove straight home to get myself a very much needed Gatorade. DARN ! We both have to remember to bring fluids for me to drink while working.
Good thing we got out of our driveway and got the job done fairly early. By
mid-afternoon the road behind our home ... the only access to our driveway ... turned into a parking lot. Only two days after Gord's death, many ... < ahem > ... "family members" and "friends" are showing up and carting away as much of Gord's possessions as will fit into their trucks ! ! ! Seems to be some sort of a "dead friend / dead family member" ghoul buffet going on. Pretty disgusting, from my perspective ! And I'm really irritated by these a**h***s parked in the middle of the road behind our vehicles, blocking our ability to get out of our own driveway !
Saturday ; Mostly sunny and mild.
This morning I did battery maintenance on the truck's and minivan's batteries.
I tightened the terminal clamp nuts, sprayed cleaner on the terminals, hosed it off, and after that dried I sprayed lubricant / protector on the terminals. While I was doing that, Gord's daughter from Saskatoon, Michelle, showed up. I expressed my condolences, and invited her over to visit briefly if she was so inclined. She said she would come over later in the day.
I went over to our neighbour / friend Jeanine's home to start a home repair job for her.
I cut the damaged threshold out of her entry doorway, and to do so had to remove a piece of quarter round moulding trim which I will also replace.
Mid-afternoon Michelle came over for a brief visit. Joanne expressed her condolences to Michelle, then the three of us chatted for awhile, reminiscing about pleasant memories of her father. It's too bad that she could not be here before Gord died, but ... she has made peace with her father's death, and was in reasonably good spirits, all things considered.
Jeanine ( and her little dog Charlie ) came over for supper. Joanne prepared a turnip and carrot salad, potatoes rosti, and a peach pie. I cooked one of my specialties ; Lake Winnipeg Pickerel, breaded and pan fried. MMMMMM ! Very good supper ! Jeanine spent the evening visiting with us.
DSK
Sunday, September 24, 2017
Sunday, September 17, 2017
September 10 to 16, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and warm, very nice early fall weather.
This morning I did some housecleaning, not usually my responsibility, but ... I was fed up with all the little bugs that had died around the lamps in the living room and bedroom. Dead bugs all over my desk, the coffee table and end table in the living room, and our bedside tables. YUCK !
I chopped more firewood. Our American friends left us some firewood last week before they crossed back into the United States. But ... it was large pieces, not chopped / split. I prefer to chop / split firewood in advance of going camping, if possible. I posted my weekly blog entry. I did some budget planning. I did some investment analysis.
Late in the afternoon I went fishing for an hour and a half. Caught four Rainbow Trout and two Rocky Mountain Whitefish, one very large ... for a river Whitefish. I kept three of the Rainbows. Finally ... now that the river water has cooled down the Rainbow Trout have come up from wherever they had been hiding while the river water had been warm.
Monday ; Sunny and warm, smoke creeping back in late in the afternoon.
This morning I made some phone calls, then went outside to clean up the fishing mess
I created and left last night. By the time I had finished cleaning the Rainbow Trout I had caught yesterday, it was dark. I left a mess on and around our picnic table, including a pail of water containing fish heads and guts.
I finished chopping and storing firewood. I had some left over large "rounds" of firewood that were proving too difficult for me to split, so I hauled them to our park's burn pile and discarded them. Joanne was unhappy about the debris I left in the minivan's rear storage area. Sorry !
I watered plants and gardens and composters. I sharpened knives. I cooked Rainbow Trout for supper. Joanne made tomato salsa and risotto as side dishes. Nice meal ! Young ( fairly small ) Rainbow Trout, caught less than twenty-four hours ago ... MMMMM ... very tasty !
Similkameen Trailer Towing got hired today to transport a fifth wheel trailer from Maple Ridge ( Vancouver area ) to Kamloops next Monday.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm, thick smoke with falling ash rolling in around supper time.
This morning I drove into town for some medical tests. First stop was at Autumn Rain Hair Design to get an appointment for a haircut and beard trim later in the week. Then to Similkameen Pharmacy to pick up some prescription refills. Last stop, and the primary reason for the trip into town, was the South Similkameen Health Centre a.k.a. Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. First stop in there was the X-Ray department for a chest x-ray, then the lab to have blood tests and an electrocardiogram done. All of these tests / procedures are in preparation for an upcoming angiogram.
On the way back into Riverside RV Park Resort I chatted briefly with neighbours / friends Kolly and Paul. Paul has lung cancer, and ... is not doing well. Back at home, after lunch, I cleaned and examined Bo's ears and Emma's ears, then did regular weekly dental care / teeth brushing on Bo. Joanne vacuumed the interior of the truck and the minivan, including the mess I made yesterday in the rear of the minivan with unwanted firewood I was taking to the burn pile. I removed all the blinds from the camper. They need cleaning / washing. Joanne and I cleaned / washed the kitchen blind, the one that was most in need of cleaning. One down, four to go !
After supper we watched the season finale of Amazing Race. I updated my prescription records keeping and medical expense accounting.
Wednesday ; Sunny and mild, chilly in the evening. Summer seems over, and fall seems to be here.
Joanne went to Penticton this morning for a day of running errands by herself. I phoned Medipac, our travel medical insurer, to advise them that I will be having an angiogram. I dismantled our yard swing. It has reached the end of its life. I will haul the dismantled components to the local dump this weekend. I reinstalled the camper window blind that we cleaned yesterday. I removed the soaker hose from our vegetable and tomato gardens. It too has reached the end of its useful life.
I chatted briefly with Marcie. Gord was moved from the hospice in Penticton to the hospice in Keremeos today. I hugged her while she cried. < sigh >
I reviewed the stress test echocardiogram report that my cardiologist posted yesterday to "My Health Portal", the personalized BC medical records website. It was difficult to interpret, but it helped me to understand that "angina" is the symptom, and "ischemia" is the cause.
I did some trip planning using Google Maps. I renewed my annual lottery subscription. I made two phone calls to the client whose trailer we are supposed to transport on Monday, but was unable to contact him. I reviewed our RV park's recent board meeting minutes. HA HA HA ! < snicker > ... Sorry ... perhaps that wasn't called for.
Thursday ; Sunny and cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon.
The "client" who hired me on Monday to transport a trailer next Monday has ignored my e-mails and telephone calls for the last three days so ... I shall consider the job cancelled. Isn't it a lot of fun to deal with flakes and a**h***s ? ? ? ! ! !
We went into town this morning. While I got a haircut and beard trim, Joanne went to fill our five gallon water jug and buy some produce. After my haircut and beard trim I went to Similkameen Pharmacy and picked up some paperwork. Then we went to Orchard Haven, the local seniors' care facility to visit Gord who is in a palliative care bed there. Marcie was there with Ozzie. I'm glad Gord was able to have an opportunity to say goodbye to Ozzie. We visited briefly, then we said our goodbyes. Our last goodbye,
I suspect. Back at home we had lunch, I napped briefly, then we worked on reinstalling the cleaned window blinds in the camper. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's ears.
This afternoon I went fly fishing. Set a new personal best. My limit of ( four ) Rainbow Trout caught in twenty-four minutes on the Similkameen River, beating my previous record by seven minutes. I fished for a total of an hour and a half, catching eight fish ; seven Rainbow Trout and one Whitefish. Another hot afternoon on the Similkameen !
Now ... the surprising thing is ... the previous paragraph was "cut and pasted" from my journal for the same date last year, with changes only to numbers. HMPH ! Will have to mark "GO FISHING" on September 14, 2018 on my calendar !
Friday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I cleaned and did some maintenance on my fly fishing gear. This afternoon we gave Bo a bath. And we had visitors. Robbie and Christine, former neighbours, now living on Vancouver Island, came over to visit briefly with us in our gazebo. They were here to visit Gord ... for the last time.
We continued cleaning the window blinds from the camper. We finished cleaning the last one, and after letting it dry, we remounted it in the camper. So ... that project is finished. We removed the evaporative "swamp" cooler from our bedroom, took it outside, and drained it. Then ... we filled its spot in the bedroom with an oil filled space heater. HEY ... summer is over ... cool fall weather is coming !
MMMMM ... fresh Rainbow Trout fillets, coated in Parmesan cheese, then baked !
Saturday ; Sunny, but hazy with smoke. Again ! Causing me some angina distress !
I did some minor maintenance on the truck. I exercised our little generator. Joanne did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen. I helped by moving the fridge in and out of its space. And in and out. And in and out. < sigh >
I spent time on the computer. I paid some bills. I reconciled some monthly investment statements. I reconciled some monthly bank statements. I activated some new credit cards. I updated some financial records. We went for a long walk around the RV park with Bo. Which is when I had difficulty breathing, and experienced angina discomfort.
< cough cough >
DSK
This morning I did some housecleaning, not usually my responsibility, but ... I was fed up with all the little bugs that had died around the lamps in the living room and bedroom. Dead bugs all over my desk, the coffee table and end table in the living room, and our bedside tables. YUCK !
I chopped more firewood. Our American friends left us some firewood last week before they crossed back into the United States. But ... it was large pieces, not chopped / split. I prefer to chop / split firewood in advance of going camping, if possible. I posted my weekly blog entry. I did some budget planning. I did some investment analysis.
Late in the afternoon I went fishing for an hour and a half. Caught four Rainbow Trout and two Rocky Mountain Whitefish, one very large ... for a river Whitefish. I kept three of the Rainbows. Finally ... now that the river water has cooled down the Rainbow Trout have come up from wherever they had been hiding while the river water had been warm.
Monday ; Sunny and warm, smoke creeping back in late in the afternoon.
This morning I made some phone calls, then went outside to clean up the fishing mess
I created and left last night. By the time I had finished cleaning the Rainbow Trout I had caught yesterday, it was dark. I left a mess on and around our picnic table, including a pail of water containing fish heads and guts.
I finished chopping and storing firewood. I had some left over large "rounds" of firewood that were proving too difficult for me to split, so I hauled them to our park's burn pile and discarded them. Joanne was unhappy about the debris I left in the minivan's rear storage area. Sorry !
I watered plants and gardens and composters. I sharpened knives. I cooked Rainbow Trout for supper. Joanne made tomato salsa and risotto as side dishes. Nice meal ! Young ( fairly small ) Rainbow Trout, caught less than twenty-four hours ago ... MMMMM ... very tasty !
Similkameen Trailer Towing got hired today to transport a fifth wheel trailer from Maple Ridge ( Vancouver area ) to Kamloops next Monday.
Tuesday ; Sunny and warm, thick smoke with falling ash rolling in around supper time.
This morning I drove into town for some medical tests. First stop was at Autumn Rain Hair Design to get an appointment for a haircut and beard trim later in the week. Then to Similkameen Pharmacy to pick up some prescription refills. Last stop, and the primary reason for the trip into town, was the South Similkameen Health Centre a.k.a. Keremeos Diagnostic & Treatment Centre. First stop in there was the X-Ray department for a chest x-ray, then the lab to have blood tests and an electrocardiogram done. All of these tests / procedures are in preparation for an upcoming angiogram.
On the way back into Riverside RV Park Resort I chatted briefly with neighbours / friends Kolly and Paul. Paul has lung cancer, and ... is not doing well. Back at home, after lunch, I cleaned and examined Bo's ears and Emma's ears, then did regular weekly dental care / teeth brushing on Bo. Joanne vacuumed the interior of the truck and the minivan, including the mess I made yesterday in the rear of the minivan with unwanted firewood I was taking to the burn pile. I removed all the blinds from the camper. They need cleaning / washing. Joanne and I cleaned / washed the kitchen blind, the one that was most in need of cleaning. One down, four to go !
After supper we watched the season finale of Amazing Race. I updated my prescription records keeping and medical expense accounting.
Wednesday ; Sunny and mild, chilly in the evening. Summer seems over, and fall seems to be here.
Joanne went to Penticton this morning for a day of running errands by herself. I phoned Medipac, our travel medical insurer, to advise them that I will be having an angiogram. I dismantled our yard swing. It has reached the end of its life. I will haul the dismantled components to the local dump this weekend. I reinstalled the camper window blind that we cleaned yesterday. I removed the soaker hose from our vegetable and tomato gardens. It too has reached the end of its useful life.
I chatted briefly with Marcie. Gord was moved from the hospice in Penticton to the hospice in Keremeos today. I hugged her while she cried. < sigh >
I reviewed the stress test echocardiogram report that my cardiologist posted yesterday to "My Health Portal", the personalized BC medical records website. It was difficult to interpret, but it helped me to understand that "angina" is the symptom, and "ischemia" is the cause.
I did some trip planning using Google Maps. I renewed my annual lottery subscription. I made two phone calls to the client whose trailer we are supposed to transport on Monday, but was unable to contact him. I reviewed our RV park's recent board meeting minutes. HA HA HA ! < snicker > ... Sorry ... perhaps that wasn't called for.
Thursday ; Sunny and cool in the morning, warm in the afternoon.
The "client" who hired me on Monday to transport a trailer next Monday has ignored my e-mails and telephone calls for the last three days so ... I shall consider the job cancelled. Isn't it a lot of fun to deal with flakes and a**h***s ? ? ? ! ! !
We went into town this morning. While I got a haircut and beard trim, Joanne went to fill our five gallon water jug and buy some produce. After my haircut and beard trim I went to Similkameen Pharmacy and picked up some paperwork. Then we went to Orchard Haven, the local seniors' care facility to visit Gord who is in a palliative care bed there. Marcie was there with Ozzie. I'm glad Gord was able to have an opportunity to say goodbye to Ozzie. We visited briefly, then we said our goodbyes. Our last goodbye,
I suspect. Back at home we had lunch, I napped briefly, then we worked on reinstalling the cleaned window blinds in the camper. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's ears.
This afternoon I went fly fishing. Set a new personal best. My limit of ( four ) Rainbow Trout caught in twenty-four minutes on the Similkameen River, beating my previous record by seven minutes. I fished for a total of an hour and a half, catching eight fish ; seven Rainbow Trout and one Whitefish. Another hot afternoon on the Similkameen !
Now ... the surprising thing is ... the previous paragraph was "cut and pasted" from my journal for the same date last year, with changes only to numbers. HMPH ! Will have to mark "GO FISHING" on September 14, 2018 on my calendar !
Friday ; Sunny and warm.
This morning I cleaned and did some maintenance on my fly fishing gear. This afternoon we gave Bo a bath. And we had visitors. Robbie and Christine, former neighbours, now living on Vancouver Island, came over to visit briefly with us in our gazebo. They were here to visit Gord ... for the last time.
We continued cleaning the window blinds from the camper. We finished cleaning the last one, and after letting it dry, we remounted it in the camper. So ... that project is finished. We removed the evaporative "swamp" cooler from our bedroom, took it outside, and drained it. Then ... we filled its spot in the bedroom with an oil filled space heater. HEY ... summer is over ... cool fall weather is coming !
MMMMM ... fresh Rainbow Trout fillets, coated in Parmesan cheese, then baked !
Saturday ; Sunny, but hazy with smoke. Again ! Causing me some angina distress !
I did some minor maintenance on the truck. I exercised our little generator. Joanne did a thorough cleaning of the kitchen. I helped by moving the fridge in and out of its space. And in and out. And in and out. < sigh >
I spent time on the computer. I paid some bills. I reconciled some monthly investment statements. I reconciled some monthly bank statements. I activated some new credit cards. I updated some financial records. We went for a long walk around the RV park with Bo. Which is when I had difficulty breathing, and experienced angina discomfort.
< cough cough >
DSK
Sunday, September 10, 2017
September 3 to 9, 2017
Sunday ; Ucluelet to Tofino, back to Nanaimo, ferry to Vancouver, to Kelowna to home
Sunny and hot.
After a fitful night of sleep sharing a room with three other people, we awoke at 7 AM and were out of the Surf's Inn Hostel in Ucluelet by 8:15 AM. Suffice to say we're not hostel kind of people ! We drove to the Visitor Information Centre between Ucluelet and Tofino, and stopped there to eat our simple breakfast before continuing on to Tofino. We arrived at Crystal Cove Resort at 9:15 AM, and had the client's trailer hitched up and ready to go by 9:45 AM.
We drove about 40 km. back to Hwy. 4, then east on Hwy. 4 crossing Vancouver Island from west coast to east coast. We stopped for a bathroom break at a rest area and
I discovered that the very difficult road conditions had caused the trailer tongue coupler to jump up and off the hitch ball on the truck ! ! ! The weight of the trailer, and the equalizer / anti-sway bars, kept the closed coupler just resting there on top of the ball. What a disaster that would have been had it jumped off the hitch ball completely. The trailer riding with the closed coupler resting on top of the hitch ball caused the coupler mechanism to be jammed, but ... HEY ... solving those kind of problems is why I get paid the big ( although entirely insufficient ) bucks ! I quickly rectified those problems, and we were back on our way, relieved that a catastrophe had been averted !
We stopped at Wal-Mart in Port Alberni for another bathroom break, and to return a phone call to the client. We continued west on Hwy. 4 back to Qualicum Beach, then turned south on Hwy. 19 back to Nanaimo. We arrived at the Duke Point ferry terminal at 1:30 PM, checked in, and got parked in the correct ferry line up. We had a leisurely picnic lunch at a food court table inside the air conditioned ferry terminal.
The ferry departed Nanaimo on time at 3:15 PM, and arrived in Vancouver five minutes late at 5:20 PM. We drove through and out of Vancouver on Hwy. 17 / South Fraser Perimeter Road, then east on Trans-Canada Highway 1. Around 6:30 PM we stopped for a picnic supper at a lovely roadside rest area in the Abbotsford area. Around 8 PM we stopped at Flying J in Hope and refilled with diesel. From Hope we travelled northeast on the infamous Coquihalla Highway a.k.a. Highway Thru Hell to Merritt. WHEW ... extremely difficult section of climbing highway towing a big trailer, especially from the "snow shed" to the summit.
We endured thick fire smoke from Merritt all the way until we arrived home. At Merritt we turned east on Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla Connector, and at Peachland we turned north on Hwy. 97 into the Okanagan Valley. Through Westbank and Kelowna, we arrived at the client's home at 11:30 PM. It took us about half an hour to detach the trailer and reinstall the bicycle rack that I had removed from the trailer's rear bumper when we picked up the trailer a couple of weeks ago.
Through Kelowna, then south on Hwy. 97 through Westbank and Peachland. We stopped to refill with diesel again in Summerland. After standing outside in the thick smoke while refilling diesel fuel, I suffered burning, itchy eyes. Through Penticton, then southwest on Hwy. 3A to Keremeos, then west on Hwy. 3 to home at Riverside RV Park Resort. We arrived home at 2:30 AM ! ! !
We started work at 8:15 AM. We finished at 2:30 AM. That's an 18¼ hour work day ! I'm too old ! I'm too affluent ! I don't need the money ! And I sure as hell don't need to work that hard ! ! ! Doing this job was a mistake that won't be repeated !
However ... I am very good at what I do ! And the client is satisfied !
Monday ; Sunny and hot. We slept late this morning. Well deserved !
This morning, after a late start, I did yesterday's credit card accounting, and wrote yesterday's journal entry. I unloaded stuff from the truck. Joanne did the same. Once everything was unloaded, and the truck was tidied up, we got it parked underneath the camper once again.
I visited with a neighbour who has hired me / us to do some inspections and winterization of their fifth wheel trailer this fall. We treated Ozzie's infected ear. It's improving nicely. I moved some loading ramps from the park's maintenance garage to our yard. The ramps belong to our next door neighbour, Gord. I had stored them for Gord in the maintenance garage a few years ago. Today I retrieved them. And "negotiated an acquisition deal" with Marcie.
I phoned the hostel in Ucluelet where we stayed Saturday night, and paid them by credit card for our one night stay. We had checked in very late, and checked out before their office opened Sunday morning, so I had not yet paid for our stay. I took a "thank you" card and gift to our neighbour Betty for caring for Bo on Saturday and Sunday.
I harvested tomatoes. Our vegetable gardening has gone poorly this summer. And
I think one of our two Saskatoon bushes may have died from heat and lack of watering this summer.
Tuesday ; Warm ... thick smoke ... ash falling !
This morning I drove into town, got appointments for a chest x-ray, blood tests, and an ECG next Tuesday at the South Similkameen Health Centre, refilled our five gallon water jug, and filled some new prescriptions at Similkameen Pharmacy.
This afternoon I did some preventive maintenance on the truck, watered our composters and gardens, and ... < cough cough > ... cleaned the camper's small barbecue. Hard to breathe outside because of the thick smoke !
In the evening we watched Amazing Race and I spent a lot of time spinning my wheels, trying to resolve a Windows 10 update problem. I eventually solved the problem, and got Windows Edge to work properly again, but ... it gobbled up a lot of time that I could have put to better use !
Wednesday ; Warm. Even thicker smoke than yesterday. Even more ash falling than yesterday.
Today ... again ... I tried to work indoors more than outside. I did a bit of outdoor work, but not much. I spent time chatting with a couple of neighbours who have become a bit more "involved" with helping our next door neighbours than they are comfortable with. Yeah .. been there ! Good luck !
Today I finally got around to filing a complaint of "use of excessive force" against an RCMP officer in Hay River, Northwest Territories. Bully ! ! ! I replenished medications and first aid supplies in the camper and truck. I did quite a bit of work on the computer.
Thursday ; Very warm ... smoke so thick the mountains across the highway and across the river are not visible ! I can't spend more than fifteen minutes outdoors before I experience angina discomfort. And once it starts, it persists.
This morning Joanne took Marcie to Penticton to visit Gord and run errands. They left about 10:30 AM and were back home about 5:30 PM. Gord has been moved from Penticton Hospital to Moog Hospice nearby. He's being cared for well, and is as happy as can be under the circumstances.
I walked Ozzie then treated his infected ear which is improving. I walked Bo. I chopped firewood for just a few minutes before I needed to head back indoors, where I stayed.
I spent the day reading, napping, and doing work on the computer. After Joanne returned home we took Bo for another walk, then I barbecued thick, juicy, marinated steak and baked potatoes for supper.
Friday ; Still smoky, not as bad as yesterday. Brief, heavy rainfall around suppertime.
Did some minor maintenance on the camper this afternoon. Disinfected and refilled the freshwater tank. Drained the water heater's pressure relief valve. Removed some dried out, cracked, old caulking and applied new silicone sealant. Adjusted the air pressure in my bicycle tires. AND ... reached my heart's limit of tolerance for the smoke in the air ! < cough cough ... angina pain >.
Read, napped, worked at my desk, took Bo to the dog park, returned a book to the library. < cough cough >
Saturday ; Mostly cloudy, warm, no more smoke.
I chopped some firewood. We picked two types of plums in our park's orchard. We washed / scrubbed the front of the camper. It was thick with baked on bugs from our Northwest Territories trip. I did the upper section, Joanne did the lower section. Late in the afternoon we went to the clubhouse to very briefly attend the 50th birthday party of a neighbour.
It was nice to be able to have the house windows open again !
DSK
Sunny and hot.
After a fitful night of sleep sharing a room with three other people, we awoke at 7 AM and were out of the Surf's Inn Hostel in Ucluelet by 8:15 AM. Suffice to say we're not hostel kind of people ! We drove to the Visitor Information Centre between Ucluelet and Tofino, and stopped there to eat our simple breakfast before continuing on to Tofino. We arrived at Crystal Cove Resort at 9:15 AM, and had the client's trailer hitched up and ready to go by 9:45 AM.
We drove about 40 km. back to Hwy. 4, then east on Hwy. 4 crossing Vancouver Island from west coast to east coast. We stopped for a bathroom break at a rest area and
I discovered that the very difficult road conditions had caused the trailer tongue coupler to jump up and off the hitch ball on the truck ! ! ! The weight of the trailer, and the equalizer / anti-sway bars, kept the closed coupler just resting there on top of the ball. What a disaster that would have been had it jumped off the hitch ball completely. The trailer riding with the closed coupler resting on top of the hitch ball caused the coupler mechanism to be jammed, but ... HEY ... solving those kind of problems is why I get paid the big ( although entirely insufficient ) bucks ! I quickly rectified those problems, and we were back on our way, relieved that a catastrophe had been averted !
We stopped at Wal-Mart in Port Alberni for another bathroom break, and to return a phone call to the client. We continued west on Hwy. 4 back to Qualicum Beach, then turned south on Hwy. 19 back to Nanaimo. We arrived at the Duke Point ferry terminal at 1:30 PM, checked in, and got parked in the correct ferry line up. We had a leisurely picnic lunch at a food court table inside the air conditioned ferry terminal.
The ferry departed Nanaimo on time at 3:15 PM, and arrived in Vancouver five minutes late at 5:20 PM. We drove through and out of Vancouver on Hwy. 17 / South Fraser Perimeter Road, then east on Trans-Canada Highway 1. Around 6:30 PM we stopped for a picnic supper at a lovely roadside rest area in the Abbotsford area. Around 8 PM we stopped at Flying J in Hope and refilled with diesel. From Hope we travelled northeast on the infamous Coquihalla Highway a.k.a. Highway Thru Hell to Merritt. WHEW ... extremely difficult section of climbing highway towing a big trailer, especially from the "snow shed" to the summit.
We endured thick fire smoke from Merritt all the way until we arrived home. At Merritt we turned east on Hwy. 97C, the Coquihalla Connector, and at Peachland we turned north on Hwy. 97 into the Okanagan Valley. Through Westbank and Kelowna, we arrived at the client's home at 11:30 PM. It took us about half an hour to detach the trailer and reinstall the bicycle rack that I had removed from the trailer's rear bumper when we picked up the trailer a couple of weeks ago.
Through Kelowna, then south on Hwy. 97 through Westbank and Peachland. We stopped to refill with diesel again in Summerland. After standing outside in the thick smoke while refilling diesel fuel, I suffered burning, itchy eyes. Through Penticton, then southwest on Hwy. 3A to Keremeos, then west on Hwy. 3 to home at Riverside RV Park Resort. We arrived home at 2:30 AM ! ! !
We started work at 8:15 AM. We finished at 2:30 AM. That's an 18¼ hour work day ! I'm too old ! I'm too affluent ! I don't need the money ! And I sure as hell don't need to work that hard ! ! ! Doing this job was a mistake that won't be repeated !
However ... I am very good at what I do ! And the client is satisfied !
Monday ; Sunny and hot. We slept late this morning. Well deserved !
This morning, after a late start, I did yesterday's credit card accounting, and wrote yesterday's journal entry. I unloaded stuff from the truck. Joanne did the same. Once everything was unloaded, and the truck was tidied up, we got it parked underneath the camper once again.
I visited with a neighbour who has hired me / us to do some inspections and winterization of their fifth wheel trailer this fall. We treated Ozzie's infected ear. It's improving nicely. I moved some loading ramps from the park's maintenance garage to our yard. The ramps belong to our next door neighbour, Gord. I had stored them for Gord in the maintenance garage a few years ago. Today I retrieved them. And "negotiated an acquisition deal" with Marcie.
I phoned the hostel in Ucluelet where we stayed Saturday night, and paid them by credit card for our one night stay. We had checked in very late, and checked out before their office opened Sunday morning, so I had not yet paid for our stay. I took a "thank you" card and gift to our neighbour Betty for caring for Bo on Saturday and Sunday.
I harvested tomatoes. Our vegetable gardening has gone poorly this summer. And
I think one of our two Saskatoon bushes may have died from heat and lack of watering this summer.
Tuesday ; Warm ... thick smoke ... ash falling !
This morning I drove into town, got appointments for a chest x-ray, blood tests, and an ECG next Tuesday at the South Similkameen Health Centre, refilled our five gallon water jug, and filled some new prescriptions at Similkameen Pharmacy.
This afternoon I did some preventive maintenance on the truck, watered our composters and gardens, and ... < cough cough > ... cleaned the camper's small barbecue. Hard to breathe outside because of the thick smoke !
In the evening we watched Amazing Race and I spent a lot of time spinning my wheels, trying to resolve a Windows 10 update problem. I eventually solved the problem, and got Windows Edge to work properly again, but ... it gobbled up a lot of time that I could have put to better use !
Wednesday ; Warm. Even thicker smoke than yesterday. Even more ash falling than yesterday.
Today ... again ... I tried to work indoors more than outside. I did a bit of outdoor work, but not much. I spent time chatting with a couple of neighbours who have become a bit more "involved" with helping our next door neighbours than they are comfortable with. Yeah .. been there ! Good luck !
Today I finally got around to filing a complaint of "use of excessive force" against an RCMP officer in Hay River, Northwest Territories. Bully ! ! ! I replenished medications and first aid supplies in the camper and truck. I did quite a bit of work on the computer.
Thursday ; Very warm ... smoke so thick the mountains across the highway and across the river are not visible ! I can't spend more than fifteen minutes outdoors before I experience angina discomfort. And once it starts, it persists.
This morning Joanne took Marcie to Penticton to visit Gord and run errands. They left about 10:30 AM and were back home about 5:30 PM. Gord has been moved from Penticton Hospital to Moog Hospice nearby. He's being cared for well, and is as happy as can be under the circumstances.
I walked Ozzie then treated his infected ear which is improving. I walked Bo. I chopped firewood for just a few minutes before I needed to head back indoors, where I stayed.
I spent the day reading, napping, and doing work on the computer. After Joanne returned home we took Bo for another walk, then I barbecued thick, juicy, marinated steak and baked potatoes for supper.
Friday ; Still smoky, not as bad as yesterday. Brief, heavy rainfall around suppertime.
Did some minor maintenance on the camper this afternoon. Disinfected and refilled the freshwater tank. Drained the water heater's pressure relief valve. Removed some dried out, cracked, old caulking and applied new silicone sealant. Adjusted the air pressure in my bicycle tires. AND ... reached my heart's limit of tolerance for the smoke in the air ! < cough cough ... angina pain >.
Read, napped, worked at my desk, took Bo to the dog park, returned a book to the library. < cough cough >
Saturday ; Mostly cloudy, warm, no more smoke.
I chopped some firewood. We picked two types of plums in our park's orchard. We washed / scrubbed the front of the camper. It was thick with baked on bugs from our Northwest Territories trip. I did the upper section, Joanne did the lower section. Late in the afternoon we went to the clubhouse to very briefly attend the 50th birthday party of a neighbour.
It was nice to be able to have the house windows open again !
DSK
Tuesday, September 5, 2017
August 27 to September 2, 2017
Sunday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning I went to see our neighbour Betty to ask her to care for Bo next weekend while we retrieve the client's trailer in Tofino and return it to Kelowna. I went to our RV park's dog park and did some maintenance on the signage I had made for the dog park about a year or so ago. I cleaned and polished shoes.
This afternoon I made some phone calls and sent some e-mails. Our American friends are on their way back from Alaska, and phoned today from Prince George, BC. We made arrangements to meet them Wednesday in Merritt and will take them to N'Kwala campground where I will take David fishing in the Nicola River for Rainbow Trout.
Joanne worked on camper interior cleaning, tough work on such a hot day.
< whispering > She's been really crabby all day today.
Monday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning at 11 AM I pulled the truck out from underneath the camper, our next door neighbour Marcy climbed into the rear seat, and we headed off to Penticton. I dropped Joanne and Marcy at Wal-Mart and I took the truck to Great Canadian Oil Change for an oil change and lubrication service. When that was done I ran the truck through their car wash. I returned to Wal-Mart, and picked up Joanne and Marcy. Next stop was real Canadian Fuel Bar to refill with diesel fuel, then Safeway for an advertised grocery special.
Around 1:30 PM we drove to Penticton Hospital and found a parking spot, a very difficult thing to do during the hospital's reconstruction. Joanne and Marcy went to visit Gord, and I went to the cardiology department. I had a cardiology stress test, including an echo-cardiogram before the treadmill test ( heart at rest ) and another one immediately after the end of the treadmill test ( heart under extreme stress / maximum tolerable angina ). WHEW ! The news was not great. But also not entirely unexpected.
My cardiologist will arrange for me to have an angiogram at Kelowna Hospital, hopefully within the next two months. The echo-cardiogram / ultrasound indicated some cardiac "abnormality", most likely coronary artery blockage. The angiogram will clarify whether more corrective measures will be required, probably balloon angioplasty and / or installation of a stent. < sigh > Thanks, Dad !
When I was finished at cardiology, I found my way to Gord's room, to retrieve Joanne and Marcy. Gord was whining about needing a fan, so ... off we went to Value Village to buy him a fan. Joanne and Marcy went into Value Village ... I waited in the truck ... and they bought Gord a fan. I drove them back to the hospital to deliver the fan while
I went to Lordco to buy a fuel filter for the truck, and Rona to buy some glue. I returned to the hospital, parked ( again ! ) and went to Gord's room ( again ! ) to get Joanne and Marcy ( again ! ).
We left Penticton about 5:30 PM and were home about an hour later. As we drove west of Keremeos on Hwy. 3, towards Riverside RV Park Resort, there was thick fire smoke coming out of the Ashnola Valley across the Similkameen River.
Tuesday ; Hot ! Thick smoke ... ash falling from the sky. I had difficulty breathing ... and angina discomfort ... for much of today.
First job for today was to mount Elsie the camper onto Lanoire the truck. Then ... we worked together to get the camper fridge drain hose cleaned. It was plugged. We always cleaned Harvey the fifth wheel trailer's fridge drain hose annually, but ... in the three and a half years we have owned Elsie the truck camper, we had never cleaned the fridge drain hose. And near the end of our recent trip to NWT and Manitoba, Joanne noticed that the fridge condensation tray was filling up with water, and not draining through the hose as it should. Today we used cotton swabs, bleach, CLR, and ... compressed air to clean out the dirty drain hose, plugged with mildew, desert dust, and ... who knows ?
In the afternoon we went to the clubhouse for a "celebration of life" memorial service for a neighbour who died recently. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's infected ear. Joanne went into town to refill our five gallon water jug and to buy some fresh produce. We took Bo to the dog park, which is when I realized how much the thick smoke in the air was bothering me.
At suppertime we closed all the doors and the windows in the house. My breathing improved and my angina discomfort diminished. After supper we watched Amazing Race Canada.
Wednesday ; home to Merritt to N'Kwala BC Forest Service Recreation Site to Granite Creek Forest Service Recreation Site
Sunny and very warm, a bit chilly in the evening.
This morning we left home about 9:30 AM, heading for Merritt where we were meeting friends at noon. West on Hwy. 3 to Princeton, then north on Hwy. 5A to Hwy. 97C / the Coquihalla Connector, then west again on Hwy. 97C to Hwy. 5, the Coquihalla, a.k.a. the Highway Thru Hell. A few miles north on the Coquihalla and we were in Merritt. We met David, Linda, and Jackie in the parking lot of Extra Foods about 11:45 AM.
After buying some steaks and pork chops we were on our way again by 12:15, Joanne and I in the lead, Jackie in her camper van behind us, David and Linda in their truck and trailer bringing up the rear. We headed through Merritt and then northwest on Hwy. 8 for about half an hour or so to N'Kwala BC Forest Service Recreation Site campground on the Nicola River. We got ourselves set up in a campsite, then I prepared to take David fishing in the Nicola River, the primary objective of this trip.
As we walked by a neighbouring campsite, the occupants saw us heading to the river with fishing gear and advised us that ... < SPUTTER > ... the Nicola River at that location at this time of year was closed to fishing ! ! ! WHAT ? ? ? He brought out the 2017 BC fishing regulations and proved it to me. WELL ... * * * * ! ! !
David and I returned to our campsite, and after a group discussion we decided to leave and head to another fishing spot, at Granite Creek BC Forest Service Recreation Site on the Tulameen River. We left N'Kwala, and drove back to Merritt where we all refilled with fuel at Extra Foods Fuel Bar. Then we drove back to Princeton where we turned northwest on the Coalmont - Tulameen Road and drove for about another half hour to the tiny village of Coalmont. On the outskirts of Coalmont, where Granite Creek pours into the Tulameen River, we set ourselves up in a lovely campsite right on the Tulameen River, in Granite Creek Forest Service Recreation Site campground. AHHHHH ... lovely ! With incredibly easy fishing access right at the back of our campsite.
While David and I prepared to go fishing, his wife Linda tripped on a campfire ring made of granite rocks, landing face first on a sharp edged granite rock. She sustained a large, deep gash to her left eyebrow. OUCH ! ! ! We did first aid as best as we could. By the time we got her cleaned up, and bandaged, her left eye was swollen and turning black and blue. We expect she will have a very black eye tomorrow. And cheek. The deep, ugly gash on her eyebrow took a long time to stop bleeding. It's a pretty severe, deep, mangled wound. < sigh > Linda was very stoic, claiming minimal pain, but ...
I think it hurt a lot worse than she let on. She went to lie down for awhile in their trailer before supper, while David and I fished.
< sigh > After half an hour ... no fish ! I set up our barbecue, and while Joanne boiled corn on the cob in our camper, I cooked pork chops for everyone else and a steak for me. Joanne also prepared "peachy tossed salad" ... with peaches, obviously. Supper was pretty darn good. We sat around for awhile chatting after supper, until it got dark and chilly.
Thursday ; Granite Creek BCFSRS to home
Sunny and very warm.
We spent the morning visiting with our American friends around the picnic table at our campsite. David barbecued wieners and sausages for hot dogs for lunch. After lunch we departed the Granite Creek BC Forest Service Recreation Site campground and headed back to Princeton. At Princeton we turned east on Hwy. 3 to Hedley. At Hedley we dropped our American friends off at Riverhaven RV Park. They decided they wanted to spend the night in a full service RV park, instead of boondocking on our neighbour's driveway as had been planned.
We continued home from Hedley. We dumped our camper's waste holding tanks in our RV park's sani-dump station, got parked in our driveway, unpacked food and some other priority items from the camper, then returned to Riverhaven RV Park in our minivan. David, Linda, and Jackie had invited us for a picnic dinner ; hamburgers, potato salad, corn on the cob, etc. While they prepared supper I fished in the Similkameen River at Riverhaven RV Park for half an hour. HMPH ! Caught nothing. Despite the Similkameen River there appearing to be an excellent location for trout fishing. HMPH !
We chatted with our friends until dark, then drove home. In my e-mail inbox was an e-mail from our trailer towing client confirming the pick up of his trailer in Tofino on Saturday morning. NO, SIR ! You hired me to pick up your trailer in Tofino on Sunday morning, two weeks after it had been delivered to Tofino on Sunday morning !
Stay tuned ! ! !
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
Early this morning I received a phone call from our trailer towing client, acknowledging his and his wife's confusion / miscommunication regarding their campground checkout date. Right ! See you Sunday morning !
First priority for today was to remove the camper off the truck and prepare the truck for our upcoming trailer towing job. Around lunch time a new neighbour couple came over to discuss some trailer maintenance chores and winterization they wanted to hire us to do. Reluctantly I agreed to do the work over the next two months, but I made it clear to them ( I hope ) that we were not looking for ongoing nickel and dime work.
This afternoon we prepared for this weekend's tough two day trailer towing job. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's infected ear. His ear is improving. Poor Ozzie. He's stoic as we hurt his ear plucking, and cleaning, and administering drops. I did some monthly budget work. I barbecued chicken to be part of the food we will be bringing with us this weekend.
Saturday ; home to Vancouver, ferry to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo to Ucluelet
Sunny and hot.
We were up at 7 AM this morning, very early for us. I took Bo over to our neighbour Betty at 9 AM, to be dog sat for two days. We were on the road at 9:10 AM. West on Hwy. 3 through Hedley, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, to Hope by 11:30 AM. We refilled with ( expensive ) diesel fuel at Hope, decided it was too early for lunch, and continued west from Hope on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 into the Vancouver suburbs, then onto Hwy. 17 / South Fraser Perimeter Road towards the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Shortly before reaching the ferry terminal we stopped at Tsawwassen Mills Mall, at 1:30 PM to run an errand.
We met our former next door neighbours, Joe and Lynn to deliver an item and some money to them, settling our accounts with them. I had agreed early in the spring, when they sold their lot next door to ours, to clean everything out of their shed, sell what could be sold, and split the proceeds with them. DONE ! Since we had not yet had lunch, we accepted their invitation to have lunch in the mall food court. BUT ... by the time we walked all the way through Bass Pro Shop, and halfway across the huge mall to the food court, and saw the line-ups at each restaurant, I decided we did not have sufficient time to stand in line, buy lunch, eat lunch, and be on time for our ferry. We visited with Joe and Lynn for less than half an hour, then left.
The traffic jam to get out of the mall was ... < blink blink > ... quite spectacular ! It served as another great reminder ... as if we needed one ...of how glad we are not to have to live near urban congestion ! We wrestled our way out of the parking lot and back onto the highway. The ferry terminal was only about fifteen minutes away, and we arrived at about 2: 30 PM for our 3:15 PM ferry. Perfect ! While we waited to board the ferry we ate lunch. Joanne had packed the fridge in our truck with enough food and drinks to ( probably ) last us for the entire two day journey.
The ferry arrived in Nanaimo about ten minutes late at 5:25 PM. We drove through Nanaimo and north on Hwy. 19 to Qualicum Beach, then turned west on Hwy. 4. We arrived in Port Alberni about 6:45 PM. We refilled with diesel at No Frills Fuel Bar then bought a large donair to share for supper. We had our donair picnic dinner at a picnic table underneath some big, old, cedar trees in a small park attached to a marina. We continued west on Hwy. 4, leaving Port Alberni just before 8 PM. We arrived in Ucluelet around 9:30 PM, refilled with diesel again at Petro-Canada, then found our way to the surfer's hostel where we are spending the night, sharing a room with three young surfers as our room mates ... < raising eyebrows >.
I am typing this at 10:35 PM at the dining room table in the hostel's communal kitchen. I'm exhausted and slightly crabby. I think Joanne has already gone to sleep in our room upstairs.
DSK
This morning I went to see our neighbour Betty to ask her to care for Bo next weekend while we retrieve the client's trailer in Tofino and return it to Kelowna. I went to our RV park's dog park and did some maintenance on the signage I had made for the dog park about a year or so ago. I cleaned and polished shoes.
This afternoon I made some phone calls and sent some e-mails. Our American friends are on their way back from Alaska, and phoned today from Prince George, BC. We made arrangements to meet them Wednesday in Merritt and will take them to N'Kwala campground where I will take David fishing in the Nicola River for Rainbow Trout.
Joanne worked on camper interior cleaning, tough work on such a hot day.
< whispering > She's been really crabby all day today.
Monday ; Sunny and hot.
This morning at 11 AM I pulled the truck out from underneath the camper, our next door neighbour Marcy climbed into the rear seat, and we headed off to Penticton. I dropped Joanne and Marcy at Wal-Mart and I took the truck to Great Canadian Oil Change for an oil change and lubrication service. When that was done I ran the truck through their car wash. I returned to Wal-Mart, and picked up Joanne and Marcy. Next stop was real Canadian Fuel Bar to refill with diesel fuel, then Safeway for an advertised grocery special.
Around 1:30 PM we drove to Penticton Hospital and found a parking spot, a very difficult thing to do during the hospital's reconstruction. Joanne and Marcy went to visit Gord, and I went to the cardiology department. I had a cardiology stress test, including an echo-cardiogram before the treadmill test ( heart at rest ) and another one immediately after the end of the treadmill test ( heart under extreme stress / maximum tolerable angina ). WHEW ! The news was not great. But also not entirely unexpected.
My cardiologist will arrange for me to have an angiogram at Kelowna Hospital, hopefully within the next two months. The echo-cardiogram / ultrasound indicated some cardiac "abnormality", most likely coronary artery blockage. The angiogram will clarify whether more corrective measures will be required, probably balloon angioplasty and / or installation of a stent. < sigh > Thanks, Dad !
When I was finished at cardiology, I found my way to Gord's room, to retrieve Joanne and Marcy. Gord was whining about needing a fan, so ... off we went to Value Village to buy him a fan. Joanne and Marcy went into Value Village ... I waited in the truck ... and they bought Gord a fan. I drove them back to the hospital to deliver the fan while
I went to Lordco to buy a fuel filter for the truck, and Rona to buy some glue. I returned to the hospital, parked ( again ! ) and went to Gord's room ( again ! ) to get Joanne and Marcy ( again ! ).
We left Penticton about 5:30 PM and were home about an hour later. As we drove west of Keremeos on Hwy. 3, towards Riverside RV Park Resort, there was thick fire smoke coming out of the Ashnola Valley across the Similkameen River.
Tuesday ; Hot ! Thick smoke ... ash falling from the sky. I had difficulty breathing ... and angina discomfort ... for much of today.
First job for today was to mount Elsie the camper onto Lanoire the truck. Then ... we worked together to get the camper fridge drain hose cleaned. It was plugged. We always cleaned Harvey the fifth wheel trailer's fridge drain hose annually, but ... in the three and a half years we have owned Elsie the truck camper, we had never cleaned the fridge drain hose. And near the end of our recent trip to NWT and Manitoba, Joanne noticed that the fridge condensation tray was filling up with water, and not draining through the hose as it should. Today we used cotton swabs, bleach, CLR, and ... compressed air to clean out the dirty drain hose, plugged with mildew, desert dust, and ... who knows ?
In the afternoon we went to the clubhouse for a "celebration of life" memorial service for a neighbour who died recently. We trimmed Bo's dew claws. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's infected ear. Joanne went into town to refill our five gallon water jug and to buy some fresh produce. We took Bo to the dog park, which is when I realized how much the thick smoke in the air was bothering me.
At suppertime we closed all the doors and the windows in the house. My breathing improved and my angina discomfort diminished. After supper we watched Amazing Race Canada.
Wednesday ; home to Merritt to N'Kwala BC Forest Service Recreation Site to Granite Creek Forest Service Recreation Site
Sunny and very warm, a bit chilly in the evening.
This morning we left home about 9:30 AM, heading for Merritt where we were meeting friends at noon. West on Hwy. 3 to Princeton, then north on Hwy. 5A to Hwy. 97C / the Coquihalla Connector, then west again on Hwy. 97C to Hwy. 5, the Coquihalla, a.k.a. the Highway Thru Hell. A few miles north on the Coquihalla and we were in Merritt. We met David, Linda, and Jackie in the parking lot of Extra Foods about 11:45 AM.
After buying some steaks and pork chops we were on our way again by 12:15, Joanne and I in the lead, Jackie in her camper van behind us, David and Linda in their truck and trailer bringing up the rear. We headed through Merritt and then northwest on Hwy. 8 for about half an hour or so to N'Kwala BC Forest Service Recreation Site campground on the Nicola River. We got ourselves set up in a campsite, then I prepared to take David fishing in the Nicola River, the primary objective of this trip.
As we walked by a neighbouring campsite, the occupants saw us heading to the river with fishing gear and advised us that ... < SPUTTER > ... the Nicola River at that location at this time of year was closed to fishing ! ! ! WHAT ? ? ? He brought out the 2017 BC fishing regulations and proved it to me. WELL ... * * * * ! ! !
David and I returned to our campsite, and after a group discussion we decided to leave and head to another fishing spot, at Granite Creek BC Forest Service Recreation Site on the Tulameen River. We left N'Kwala, and drove back to Merritt where we all refilled with fuel at Extra Foods Fuel Bar. Then we drove back to Princeton where we turned northwest on the Coalmont - Tulameen Road and drove for about another half hour to the tiny village of Coalmont. On the outskirts of Coalmont, where Granite Creek pours into the Tulameen River, we set ourselves up in a lovely campsite right on the Tulameen River, in Granite Creek Forest Service Recreation Site campground. AHHHHH ... lovely ! With incredibly easy fishing access right at the back of our campsite.
While David and I prepared to go fishing, his wife Linda tripped on a campfire ring made of granite rocks, landing face first on a sharp edged granite rock. She sustained a large, deep gash to her left eyebrow. OUCH ! ! ! We did first aid as best as we could. By the time we got her cleaned up, and bandaged, her left eye was swollen and turning black and blue. We expect she will have a very black eye tomorrow. And cheek. The deep, ugly gash on her eyebrow took a long time to stop bleeding. It's a pretty severe, deep, mangled wound. < sigh > Linda was very stoic, claiming minimal pain, but ...
I think it hurt a lot worse than she let on. She went to lie down for awhile in their trailer before supper, while David and I fished.
< sigh > After half an hour ... no fish ! I set up our barbecue, and while Joanne boiled corn on the cob in our camper, I cooked pork chops for everyone else and a steak for me. Joanne also prepared "peachy tossed salad" ... with peaches, obviously. Supper was pretty darn good. We sat around for awhile chatting after supper, until it got dark and chilly.
Thursday ; Granite Creek BCFSRS to home
Sunny and very warm.
We spent the morning visiting with our American friends around the picnic table at our campsite. David barbecued wieners and sausages for hot dogs for lunch. After lunch we departed the Granite Creek BC Forest Service Recreation Site campground and headed back to Princeton. At Princeton we turned east on Hwy. 3 to Hedley. At Hedley we dropped our American friends off at Riverhaven RV Park. They decided they wanted to spend the night in a full service RV park, instead of boondocking on our neighbour's driveway as had been planned.
We continued home from Hedley. We dumped our camper's waste holding tanks in our RV park's sani-dump station, got parked in our driveway, unpacked food and some other priority items from the camper, then returned to Riverhaven RV Park in our minivan. David, Linda, and Jackie had invited us for a picnic dinner ; hamburgers, potato salad, corn on the cob, etc. While they prepared supper I fished in the Similkameen River at Riverhaven RV Park for half an hour. HMPH ! Caught nothing. Despite the Similkameen River there appearing to be an excellent location for trout fishing. HMPH !
We chatted with our friends until dark, then drove home. In my e-mail inbox was an e-mail from our trailer towing client confirming the pick up of his trailer in Tofino on Saturday morning. NO, SIR ! You hired me to pick up your trailer in Tofino on Sunday morning, two weeks after it had been delivered to Tofino on Sunday morning !
Stay tuned ! ! !
Friday ; Sunny and hot.
Early this morning I received a phone call from our trailer towing client, acknowledging his and his wife's confusion / miscommunication regarding their campground checkout date. Right ! See you Sunday morning !
First priority for today was to remove the camper off the truck and prepare the truck for our upcoming trailer towing job. Around lunch time a new neighbour couple came over to discuss some trailer maintenance chores and winterization they wanted to hire us to do. Reluctantly I agreed to do the work over the next two months, but I made it clear to them ( I hope ) that we were not looking for ongoing nickel and dime work.
This afternoon we prepared for this weekend's tough two day trailer towing job. We cleaned and treated Ozzie's infected ear. His ear is improving. Poor Ozzie. He's stoic as we hurt his ear plucking, and cleaning, and administering drops. I did some monthly budget work. I barbecued chicken to be part of the food we will be bringing with us this weekend.
Saturday ; home to Vancouver, ferry to Vancouver Island, Nanaimo to Ucluelet
Sunny and hot.
We were up at 7 AM this morning, very early for us. I took Bo over to our neighbour Betty at 9 AM, to be dog sat for two days. We were on the road at 9:10 AM. West on Hwy. 3 through Hedley, Princeton, Manning Provincial Park, to Hope by 11:30 AM. We refilled with ( expensive ) diesel fuel at Hope, decided it was too early for lunch, and continued west from Hope on Trans-Canada Hwy. 1 into the Vancouver suburbs, then onto Hwy. 17 / South Fraser Perimeter Road towards the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. Shortly before reaching the ferry terminal we stopped at Tsawwassen Mills Mall, at 1:30 PM to run an errand.
We met our former next door neighbours, Joe and Lynn to deliver an item and some money to them, settling our accounts with them. I had agreed early in the spring, when they sold their lot next door to ours, to clean everything out of their shed, sell what could be sold, and split the proceeds with them. DONE ! Since we had not yet had lunch, we accepted their invitation to have lunch in the mall food court. BUT ... by the time we walked all the way through Bass Pro Shop, and halfway across the huge mall to the food court, and saw the line-ups at each restaurant, I decided we did not have sufficient time to stand in line, buy lunch, eat lunch, and be on time for our ferry. We visited with Joe and Lynn for less than half an hour, then left.
The traffic jam to get out of the mall was ... < blink blink > ... quite spectacular ! It served as another great reminder ... as if we needed one ...of how glad we are not to have to live near urban congestion ! We wrestled our way out of the parking lot and back onto the highway. The ferry terminal was only about fifteen minutes away, and we arrived at about 2: 30 PM for our 3:15 PM ferry. Perfect ! While we waited to board the ferry we ate lunch. Joanne had packed the fridge in our truck with enough food and drinks to ( probably ) last us for the entire two day journey.
The ferry arrived in Nanaimo about ten minutes late at 5:25 PM. We drove through Nanaimo and north on Hwy. 19 to Qualicum Beach, then turned west on Hwy. 4. We arrived in Port Alberni about 6:45 PM. We refilled with diesel at No Frills Fuel Bar then bought a large donair to share for supper. We had our donair picnic dinner at a picnic table underneath some big, old, cedar trees in a small park attached to a marina. We continued west on Hwy. 4, leaving Port Alberni just before 8 PM. We arrived in Ucluelet around 9:30 PM, refilled with diesel again at Petro-Canada, then found our way to the surfer's hostel where we are spending the night, sharing a room with three young surfers as our room mates ... < raising eyebrows >.
I am typing this at 10:35 PM at the dining room table in the hostel's communal kitchen. I'm exhausted and slightly crabby. I think Joanne has already gone to sleep in our room upstairs.
DSK
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