June 26th - Thurs - Devon/Edmonton
Had a nice breakfast, headed to the West Edmonton Mall and walked and walked and walked! I cannot imagine going there to shop very often unless you know the store that you want and which entrance is closest. We watched a sea lion show that was very good. There were lots of people in the waterpark/wave pool but not what I would consider a lot of shoppers for the number of stores.
From there we went to a casino that was on the way back - unfortunately! Oh well, we had fun. A stop for some groceries and a quiet evening including some more walking around the park. The park has over 200 sites with many permanent looking rigs.
June 27th - Fri - Devon
We had a “stay home and get things done” day today. Terry cleaned the truck while I cleaned inside the rig. We went for a bike ride on a trail that goes along the river and a golf course. We got to the end where the trail makes a turn to come back down the other side of the golf course. It also goes up a hill. Terry wanted to come back the same way we went but I wanted to continue on, so we did. Mistake! Seemed there were way more ups than downs. And the downs were very steep and rutted with tree roots. At a Y in the trail, Terry took the downhill side and we ended up having to ride a little ways on the side of the golf course before ending up on the road back to the RV park. On the way back to our site, we stopped and talked to a couple (Bill & Darlene) who stay here for most of the summer. They invited us to come back later when they would have a fire going.
We went to see Bill & Darlene about 8:30. Another couple (Arden & Pat) joined us and the next thing we knew it was midnight.
June 28th - Sat - Devon
This morning we went to Fort Edmonton which has 4 areas depicting different years in the history of Edmonton. There is a fort and 3 different streets that have houses and businesses of the period. It is nicely done but I think we have seen too many similar recreated buildings to be as impressed as we should.
We came back to change into shorts and pick up Dolly before going to Les & Wendy’s for dinner. Les & Wendy were neighbors in San Carlos. They live in Beaumont which is a suburb of Edmonton and only about 15 miles from here. We sat & talked and had a nice dinner.
Les had just bought an electric bicycle so he can ride around town. Terry was quite taken with it and figures we need to get a couple.
We were about 8 minutes from Devon at 10:55 when we remembered that gates at the campground are locked at 11. But we lucked out - the gates weren’t locked yet at 11:03 when we drove up.
June 29th - Sun - Devon
Took a short drive to the Leduc #1 Discovery Well today. It is billed as “the Canadian Petroleum Interpretive Centre”. In 1947, Leduc #1 was one of the first successful oil wells in Alberta. There is a great film created in 1957 about the well and others in Alberta and how they changed the economy of the province. Many incredible models of different oil rigs are very interesting.
We continued on to Leduc just to see the town and pick up a few things. Browsed through a Canadian Tire store and found that the electric bicycles were not on sale any more so Terry can quit trying to figure out how to get them and get rid of our current bikes.
After dinner we took a bike ride on the trail beside the golf course and went looking for golf balls. Terry was a little reluctant at first but got the fever and found more than I did. We ended up with 33 balls, scratches and fluff from trees all over us. I was just getting out of the shower when a couple that we met here in the park - Bill & Darlene - came to visit. We had our fire pit all set to light but it was just too hot.
June 30th - Mon - Devon
We went into Edmonton this morning to the Telus World of Science facility to see the Body Worlds anatomical exhibit. People will their bodies to a group that uses a process called Plastination to preserve the bodies. Then they “cut & slice” to show skeletons, muscles, nerves, blood vessels, etc. Kind of gruesome sounding and I had to try to forget they were actually live people at one time in order not to be queasy. I think it would be really interesting to someone in the medical field. We took a different route back to see more of Edmonton and stopped for diesel & groceries.
We had invited Les & Wendy over for dinner and they arrived about 2:30 just as I was finishing some dinner prep. We sat outside and followed the shade around as it was hot. We had the air conditioner on in the 5th wheel so it was cool enough to eat inside and then we (probably) bored them with pictures.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
June 23rd to 25th - Alberta
June 23rd - Mon - Grande Prairie
Terry left early this morning to find an RV service place to do some work on the suspension of our 5th wheel. One tire has been wearing badly on the inside and he figured an axle (or something?) needed attention. After 4 places, he found someone that would have a look at it so we packed up and took it in. The guy was great and took us right in after finishing a truck and picking up some parts. We went to an ATM, had lunch and picked up some baby backs while we were waiting. In 3 hours we were on our way with some worn parts replaced, a bearing repacked as the protective cover had fallen off and the worn tire swapped with the spare.
Did a couple loads of laundry at the RV park and visited with the owners while we waited first for someone else’s laundry and then ours.
The wind blew all day including when Terry was cooking the baby backs. The sun went down at 10:30 and when we went to bed at 11 it was still light enough to be playing golf.
June 24th - Tues - to Morinville AB
We were planning on going to Lesser Slave Lake today but changed our plans when the front jacks gave us a problem. We barely got the rig lifted enough to hook up the truck and figured we wouldn’t get it in anywhere in town as we knew from yesterday that they were all booked up. So we headed for Edmonton. We stopped at a place in Whitecourt but same thing - too busy. We called a place in Edmonton and they were booked until the end of July. They gave us a phone number of a guy in Morinville, just north of Edmonton, and he said he could take a look at it. After seeing what it was doing, he took it apart and found the part that was worn. Didn’t do us much good though as he could not find the part at any Keystone dealer in the area.
We found an RV park in town and phoned the RV dealer in Pasco where we bought the 5th wheel. The service manager was able to tell us that the jack and parts are no longer available - but another company makes a compatible part. Not the little part of course, but the whole leg. We called the guy who worked on the jack and he will call around tomorrow to see if someone has the part for us.
We visited for a while with some neighbors who are also full-timers. The lady had just returned from attending a funeral in Newfoundland and brought lobsters back with her. Some relatives joined them for dinner so we left when their dinner was ready even though they said we should stay. Next thing we knew, they delivered 2 lobsters to our door for our dinner! Yes, they were cooked.
June 25th - Thurs - to Devon AB
We went to the repair shop this morning and the guy couldn’t find the part we needed. So we headed for south of Edmonton thinking we might find something in a different part of the city. When we saw that Wanda was sending us right through town, I decided to take us around the east side and we drove through Fort Saskatchewan to check for another RV service place. Same story - very busy and no part. They sent us to a huge place further south and they were booked up through September but directed us to a place that buys wrecked RVs and stocks used parts - very close to Fort Saskatchewan! The lady there had one used jack leg but it was not the right one. She had ordered a nut for someone else and it was being delivered later in the day so Terry decided to take apart our leg to see if the nut was the same. The nut was not the same but while Terry was with the lady in the used part area, he spotted a jack leg exactly like ours! We bought it, phoned the guy who had taken ours apart and headed right back to where we started to get him to put it back together.
It was 3:30 by the time we were done so we tried the RV park where we stayed last night but they were full. We started driving and phoning but could not find a spot to stay for more than one night as the coming weekend is the long weekend in Canada and parks are full. So we set Wanda for Leduc which is not too far south of Edmonton. Then I saw that we were going through Devon, checked a brochure and found the Lions RV park here. To continue our trying day, when we were driving through the small town of Devon to get to the park, we turned down a road as directed by Wanda and the street a block down where we were to turn was under construction and blocked. Terry had to back out and take another route.
This park is also full for the weekend but the guy said he could give us 2 nights. We said that would be great and if there was any way that he could get us a site for the weekend we would be very willing to move. Even before I had a chance to make dinner, he came to our site and said he had a site for us until Tues or Wed so we will move tomorrow. This is a lovely park right by the North Saskatchewan River - the nicest place we have stayed in for a long time. Devon is at the south-west corner of Edmonton and only 20 minutes from the West Edmonton Mall and no more than 30 minutes from many other Edmonton attractions that the RV manager identified on a big, detailed map.
Terry left early this morning to find an RV service place to do some work on the suspension of our 5th wheel. One tire has been wearing badly on the inside and he figured an axle (or something?) needed attention. After 4 places, he found someone that would have a look at it so we packed up and took it in. The guy was great and took us right in after finishing a truck and picking up some parts. We went to an ATM, had lunch and picked up some baby backs while we were waiting. In 3 hours we were on our way with some worn parts replaced, a bearing repacked as the protective cover had fallen off and the worn tire swapped with the spare.
Did a couple loads of laundry at the RV park and visited with the owners while we waited first for someone else’s laundry and then ours.
The wind blew all day including when Terry was cooking the baby backs. The sun went down at 10:30 and when we went to bed at 11 it was still light enough to be playing golf.
June 24th - Tues - to Morinville AB
We were planning on going to Lesser Slave Lake today but changed our plans when the front jacks gave us a problem. We barely got the rig lifted enough to hook up the truck and figured we wouldn’t get it in anywhere in town as we knew from yesterday that they were all booked up. So we headed for Edmonton. We stopped at a place in Whitecourt but same thing - too busy. We called a place in Edmonton and they were booked until the end of July. They gave us a phone number of a guy in Morinville, just north of Edmonton, and he said he could take a look at it. After seeing what it was doing, he took it apart and found the part that was worn. Didn’t do us much good though as he could not find the part at any Keystone dealer in the area.
We found an RV park in town and phoned the RV dealer in Pasco where we bought the 5th wheel. The service manager was able to tell us that the jack and parts are no longer available - but another company makes a compatible part. Not the little part of course, but the whole leg. We called the guy who worked on the jack and he will call around tomorrow to see if someone has the part for us.
We visited for a while with some neighbors who are also full-timers. The lady had just returned from attending a funeral in Newfoundland and brought lobsters back with her. Some relatives joined them for dinner so we left when their dinner was ready even though they said we should stay. Next thing we knew, they delivered 2 lobsters to our door for our dinner! Yes, they were cooked.
June 25th - Thurs - to Devon AB
We went to the repair shop this morning and the guy couldn’t find the part we needed. So we headed for south of Edmonton thinking we might find something in a different part of the city. When we saw that Wanda was sending us right through town, I decided to take us around the east side and we drove through Fort Saskatchewan to check for another RV service place. Same story - very busy and no part. They sent us to a huge place further south and they were booked up through September but directed us to a place that buys wrecked RVs and stocks used parts - very close to Fort Saskatchewan! The lady there had one used jack leg but it was not the right one. She had ordered a nut for someone else and it was being delivered later in the day so Terry decided to take apart our leg to see if the nut was the same. The nut was not the same but while Terry was with the lady in the used part area, he spotted a jack leg exactly like ours! We bought it, phoned the guy who had taken ours apart and headed right back to where we started to get him to put it back together.
It was 3:30 by the time we were done so we tried the RV park where we stayed last night but they were full. We started driving and phoning but could not find a spot to stay for more than one night as the coming weekend is the long weekend in Canada and parks are full. So we set Wanda for Leduc which is not too far south of Edmonton. Then I saw that we were going through Devon, checked a brochure and found the Lions RV park here. To continue our trying day, when we were driving through the small town of Devon to get to the park, we turned down a road as directed by Wanda and the street a block down where we were to turn was under construction and blocked. Terry had to back out and take another route.
This park is also full for the weekend but the guy said he could give us 2 nights. We said that would be great and if there was any way that he could get us a site for the weekend we would be very willing to move. Even before I had a chance to make dinner, he came to our site and said he had a site for us until Tues or Wed so we will move tomorrow. This is a lovely park right by the North Saskatchewan River - the nicest place we have stayed in for a long time. Devon is at the south-west corner of Edmonton and only 20 minutes from the West Edmonton Mall and no more than 30 minutes from many other Edmonton attractions that the RV manager identified on a big, detailed map.
Monday, June 23, 2008
June 19th to 2nd - NWT to Alberta
June 19th - Thurs - Yellowknife
Beautiful, sunny day today. We made another trip to the library to post the blog and check email since we are leaving tomorrow and don’t know when we will have internet access again. A quick stop at the grocery & liquor stores and back to the park to enjoy the sunshine. We took a long walk around the park, Terry build a better inukshuk and we enjoyed a fire even though it was warm. After dinner, we rode our bicycles around the park and discovered just how many of the roads were uphill!
June 20th - Fri - to Lady Evelyn Falls Territorial Park
Got a fairly early start this morning, dumped the holding tanks at the RV park and then drove into town to get some water so we were actually on the road at 7:45. Nice sunny day again for an uneventful drive. Saw lots of bison along the road - about 50 miles is a bison park. There was a “one sailing wait” at the ferry across the McKenzie River and the ferry was loading on the other side when we got there so it took nearly an hour to get across. We thought the employee who was directing the loading was crazy when he motioned a small car to pull in between us and a large tanker truck as it did not appear to leave enough room for us. It was calculated to leave the end of our 5th wheel hanging over the loading platform and then they raised it up just until it touched the bike rack. Managed to exit without dragging and bending anything this time.
We planned on stopping to view Lady Evelyn Falls and decided to stay overnight when Terry talked to a guy in the ferry line who was also pulling a Challenger 5th wheel and was going to be staying here. We (and he) thought there were no powered sites here so we were pleased to see that power has been added to half of the campground.
We set up and then walked to the river to view the falls - very impressive. We approached from upstream (Kakisa River) and it was weird to see the river kind of disappear. Before the falls the river is absolutely smooth except for one spot in the middle. The falls are across the entire river and the volume of water is amazing.
Visiting, dinner, a fire and then - why should it be different here? - rain!
June 21st - Sat - to Grande Prairie, Alberta
The rain was gone this morning and we had a lovely sunny day to begin driving. We stopped at Louise Falls on the Hay River (the road is called the Waterfall Highway!) and walked a nice trail to the falls. A bit further along the trail is a spiral staircase that goes down to river level where the falls start. It is 139 steps and Terry, who has been so good about all the little walks that I have wanted to take, balked at this one and we didn’t go down.
As I noted on the trip up, the drive is a little boring - straight roads for miles. We stopped at High Level AB for diesel and I went to an information center where we finally got a map of Alberta that goes north of Peace River. Not that we really need it now but it could come in handy sometime. We decided to continue on to Grande Prairie so we stopped at a pullout and I cooked hamburgers for a late lunch.
We arrived at the RV park at 6:45 which meant we were on the road for 10 hours today - unusual for us. And we drove through our required daily rainstorm on the way! The rain had stopped by the time we were setting up and it was just windy.
June 22nd - Sun - Grande Prairie
One of the reasons that we decided to stay here was to get an oil change for the truck. Canadian Tire in Yellowknife wanted $180 for an oil change so we figured we could go past the recommended miles for once. We got the oil changed, visited a casino, got the truck washed, went to Costco for lunch and did a bit of shopping before heading back.
Terry finished cleaning up the truck, washed the 5th wheel and scrubbed the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel. The wind was blowing so hard that it knocked the ladder over against Terry & the 5th wheel. No permanent damage to either.
I enjoyed the use of our phone today and caught up with Aunt Jessie, Marg and cousin Pat. I talked to Dad last night as Marg was out. Marg finally got her new tractor so Dad filled me in on their adventures with it.
Beautiful, sunny day today. We made another trip to the library to post the blog and check email since we are leaving tomorrow and don’t know when we will have internet access again. A quick stop at the grocery & liquor stores and back to the park to enjoy the sunshine. We took a long walk around the park, Terry build a better inukshuk and we enjoyed a fire even though it was warm. After dinner, we rode our bicycles around the park and discovered just how many of the roads were uphill!
June 20th - Fri - to Lady Evelyn Falls Territorial Park
Got a fairly early start this morning, dumped the holding tanks at the RV park and then drove into town to get some water so we were actually on the road at 7:45. Nice sunny day again for an uneventful drive. Saw lots of bison along the road - about 50 miles is a bison park. There was a “one sailing wait” at the ferry across the McKenzie River and the ferry was loading on the other side when we got there so it took nearly an hour to get across. We thought the employee who was directing the loading was crazy when he motioned a small car to pull in between us and a large tanker truck as it did not appear to leave enough room for us. It was calculated to leave the end of our 5th wheel hanging over the loading platform and then they raised it up just until it touched the bike rack. Managed to exit without dragging and bending anything this time.
We planned on stopping to view Lady Evelyn Falls and decided to stay overnight when Terry talked to a guy in the ferry line who was also pulling a Challenger 5th wheel and was going to be staying here. We (and he) thought there were no powered sites here so we were pleased to see that power has been added to half of the campground.
We set up and then walked to the river to view the falls - very impressive. We approached from upstream (Kakisa River) and it was weird to see the river kind of disappear. Before the falls the river is absolutely smooth except for one spot in the middle. The falls are across the entire river and the volume of water is amazing.
Visiting, dinner, a fire and then - why should it be different here? - rain!
June 21st - Sat - to Grande Prairie, Alberta
The rain was gone this morning and we had a lovely sunny day to begin driving. We stopped at Louise Falls on the Hay River (the road is called the Waterfall Highway!) and walked a nice trail to the falls. A bit further along the trail is a spiral staircase that goes down to river level where the falls start. It is 139 steps and Terry, who has been so good about all the little walks that I have wanted to take, balked at this one and we didn’t go down.
As I noted on the trip up, the drive is a little boring - straight roads for miles. We stopped at High Level AB for diesel and I went to an information center where we finally got a map of Alberta that goes north of Peace River. Not that we really need it now but it could come in handy sometime. We decided to continue on to Grande Prairie so we stopped at a pullout and I cooked hamburgers for a late lunch.
We arrived at the RV park at 6:45 which meant we were on the road for 10 hours today - unusual for us. And we drove through our required daily rainstorm on the way! The rain had stopped by the time we were setting up and it was just windy.
June 22nd - Sun - Grande Prairie
One of the reasons that we decided to stay here was to get an oil change for the truck. Canadian Tire in Yellowknife wanted $180 for an oil change so we figured we could go past the recommended miles for once. We got the oil changed, visited a casino, got the truck washed, went to Costco for lunch and did a bit of shopping before heading back.
Terry finished cleaning up the truck, washed the 5th wheel and scrubbed the bugs off the front of the 5th wheel. The wind was blowing so hard that it knocked the ladder over against Terry & the 5th wheel. No permanent damage to either.
I enjoyed the use of our phone today and caught up with Aunt Jessie, Marg and cousin Pat. I talked to Dad last night as Marg was out. Marg finally got her new tractor so Dad filled me in on their adventures with it.
Thursday, June 19, 2008
June 16th to 18th - Yellowknife
June 16th - Mon - Yellowknife
We woke to pouring rain this morning so didn’t get up very early and then relaxed with coffee and a late breakfast. I entered my blog so we could make a trip to the library to post it and to check email. The RV park is very close to town so it only takes a few minutes to get anywhere.
The rain had stopped by the time we returned so it was time to fix the bent rear stabilizer. We removed the whole thing and started pounding and prying. We had bought a replacement bolt a couple days ago which turned out to be the wrong size. And then Terry underestimated his strength and broke a bolt so - another trip to the hardware store. While Terry was putting the stabilizer back together, I got a nice fire going so we sat and enjoyed it and a well-earned drink before dinner.
June 17th - Tues - Yellowknife
A quick breakfast and we were off to the Laundromat. Terry went for diesel and propane after we got the loads going. When he got back he started talking to a couple - Fraser & Judy - from Ontario who were also doing laundry. Since there is only one RV park in the area with electric hookups, they are staying in the same park as us. They had a lot of recommendations for us in eastern Canada so I hope we can get together with them again when I have pen & paper to write things down.
We came back to unload laundry & propane and had some lunch. Then we went on a little tour of Old Town - the original location of Yellowknife. We were expecting a stretch of shops but there were very few and widely spaced. We climbed some flights of stairs to a wonderful viewpoint of the city and surrounding area.
Next was a stop to find a hair salon for a haircut for me. We tried the shopping mall under the library but no luck. A security guard directed us to the other shopping mall just a block away and the lone stylist had a cancellation so I was able to get a haircut. Not sure if that was a good thing as it cost $33 for just a cut. Picked up a few groceries on the way back. We were going to light a fire until I decided it was just too cold.
June 18th - Wed - Yellowknife
After breakfast, I made some sandwiches for a picnic lunch and we went to explore the Ingraham Trail. This is a 45 mile long highway heading NE from Yellowknife to Tibbitt Lake where the ice roads start in the winter. There are many lakes along the way and quite a few cabins. We walked into Cameron River Falls. The literature says it is a .6 mile trail but I think they converted wrong from metric as it sure seemed further. Some of the trail is over solid rock with the path marked by rebar posts in the rock since years of people walking leave no mark. There is a section of stairs and a few stretches of boardwalk. Somewhat strenuous but a nice walk.
We continued down the highway and had lunch beside the river. From the picnic site we walked to Cameron River Ramparts which is a series of smaller falls without a very good vantage point for pictures.
As we were driving back, the temperature was 67. When we got to Yellowknife, it had dropped to 63. We drove to check out the golf course and it was 61. I figure it has to be the influence of the lake. The golf course has artificial grass tee boxes and greens with sand fairways. We decided that we didn’t want to try it out.
We relaxed by a fire for a while before dinner. Just as we were putting on jackets to go for a walk after dinner, it started raining so we cancelled our walk. It actually almost got dark with the heavy clouds.
We woke to pouring rain this morning so didn’t get up very early and then relaxed with coffee and a late breakfast. I entered my blog so we could make a trip to the library to post it and to check email. The RV park is very close to town so it only takes a few minutes to get anywhere.
The rain had stopped by the time we returned so it was time to fix the bent rear stabilizer. We removed the whole thing and started pounding and prying. We had bought a replacement bolt a couple days ago which turned out to be the wrong size. And then Terry underestimated his strength and broke a bolt so - another trip to the hardware store. While Terry was putting the stabilizer back together, I got a nice fire going so we sat and enjoyed it and a well-earned drink before dinner.
June 17th - Tues - Yellowknife
A quick breakfast and we were off to the Laundromat. Terry went for diesel and propane after we got the loads going. When he got back he started talking to a couple - Fraser & Judy - from Ontario who were also doing laundry. Since there is only one RV park in the area with electric hookups, they are staying in the same park as us. They had a lot of recommendations for us in eastern Canada so I hope we can get together with them again when I have pen & paper to write things down.
We came back to unload laundry & propane and had some lunch. Then we went on a little tour of Old Town - the original location of Yellowknife. We were expecting a stretch of shops but there were very few and widely spaced. We climbed some flights of stairs to a wonderful viewpoint of the city and surrounding area.
Next was a stop to find a hair salon for a haircut for me. We tried the shopping mall under the library but no luck. A security guard directed us to the other shopping mall just a block away and the lone stylist had a cancellation so I was able to get a haircut. Not sure if that was a good thing as it cost $33 for just a cut. Picked up a few groceries on the way back. We were going to light a fire until I decided it was just too cold.
June 18th - Wed - Yellowknife
After breakfast, I made some sandwiches for a picnic lunch and we went to explore the Ingraham Trail. This is a 45 mile long highway heading NE from Yellowknife to Tibbitt Lake where the ice roads start in the winter. There are many lakes along the way and quite a few cabins. We walked into Cameron River Falls. The literature says it is a .6 mile trail but I think they converted wrong from metric as it sure seemed further. Some of the trail is over solid rock with the path marked by rebar posts in the rock since years of people walking leave no mark. There is a section of stairs and a few stretches of boardwalk. Somewhat strenuous but a nice walk.
We continued down the highway and had lunch beside the river. From the picnic site we walked to Cameron River Ramparts which is a series of smaller falls without a very good vantage point for pictures.
As we were driving back, the temperature was 67. When we got to Yellowknife, it had dropped to 63. We drove to check out the golf course and it was 61. I figure it has to be the influence of the lake. The golf course has artificial grass tee boxes and greens with sand fairways. We decided that we didn’t want to try it out.
We relaxed by a fire for a while before dinner. Just as we were putting on jackets to go for a walk after dinner, it started raining so we cancelled our walk. It actually almost got dark with the heavy clouds.
Monday, June 16, 2008
June 14th & 15th - Yellowknife
June 14th - Sat - Yellowknife
I typed some emails offline this morning before we had breakfast and headed out to explore and find a library for internet access. First we stopped at the main information center which is very nice with interesting displays. Next we went to the library which did have wifi. No charge for wifi but all the parking downtown is metered or a parkade so you have to pay for parking. There are a couple of shopping malls on the lower floor of high rise buildings downtown. The library is on the second floor of one of them. I imagine they are totally enclosed because of the long, cold winters here.
We stopped at a grocery store and found the prices in line with other Canadian stores - some items which blow me away as they are so much higher than US stores. On the way back to the park to get some frozen items in the freezer, we passed other shopping areas that were outside but were mainly large stores such as WalMart and Canadian Tire.
After some more exploring & shopping in town, we walked around the RV park looking for a nice spot to move to tomorrow. It was sunny but the breeze required a light jacket.
June 15th - Sun - Yellowknife
The move to a new site process took up most of the day. We wandered around looking at vacant sites again and then went to the office to get a site map of spots that should be available for the next 5 days. The park is pretty spread out so we got the truck, selected a spot and paid for it. It was not vacant yet so we had some lunch & packed up. We were plugged into a locked shed in the maintenance yard and it turned out that no one on site had a key for the shed. They said they would deliver our extension cord to our new site as soon as someone showed up with a key.
There is no water or sewer hookups at this park (Fred Henne Territorial Park) but they have a dump station and you can buy water. So we dumped before setting up at the new site and tried to get water. Apparently, their tank was empty so we had to drive to a site in town that has free water for RVers. Missed the turn into it the first time by and made a turn into a residential area to “go around the block”. It is always nerve-wracking when a street turns to gravel in such an area and you cannot see if the road goes through. But it did go through, we got water and got set up in our new, very nice spot. We were able to sit out and enjoy the sunshine.
Another camper stopped by when he saw our WA license plates. He was from Yellowknife and just wanted to welcome us to the NWT and invite us to drop by his site for a visit. We walked over and admired his inukshuk - a stacked stone figure - and chatted for awhile. He is a truck driver and drives on the ice roads that we have seen on TV.
When we got back, we hunted for stones to build our own inukshuk. It is way harder than it looks! And, yes, our extension cord was waiting for us when we returned.
I typed some emails offline this morning before we had breakfast and headed out to explore and find a library for internet access. First we stopped at the main information center which is very nice with interesting displays. Next we went to the library which did have wifi. No charge for wifi but all the parking downtown is metered or a parkade so you have to pay for parking. There are a couple of shopping malls on the lower floor of high rise buildings downtown. The library is on the second floor of one of them. I imagine they are totally enclosed because of the long, cold winters here.
We stopped at a grocery store and found the prices in line with other Canadian stores - some items which blow me away as they are so much higher than US stores. On the way back to the park to get some frozen items in the freezer, we passed other shopping areas that were outside but were mainly large stores such as WalMart and Canadian Tire.
After some more exploring & shopping in town, we walked around the RV park looking for a nice spot to move to tomorrow. It was sunny but the breeze required a light jacket.
June 15th - Sun - Yellowknife
The move to a new site process took up most of the day. We wandered around looking at vacant sites again and then went to the office to get a site map of spots that should be available for the next 5 days. The park is pretty spread out so we got the truck, selected a spot and paid for it. It was not vacant yet so we had some lunch & packed up. We were plugged into a locked shed in the maintenance yard and it turned out that no one on site had a key for the shed. They said they would deliver our extension cord to our new site as soon as someone showed up with a key.
There is no water or sewer hookups at this park (Fred Henne Territorial Park) but they have a dump station and you can buy water. So we dumped before setting up at the new site and tried to get water. Apparently, their tank was empty so we had to drive to a site in town that has free water for RVers. Missed the turn into it the first time by and made a turn into a residential area to “go around the block”. It is always nerve-wracking when a street turns to gravel in such an area and you cannot see if the road goes through. But it did go through, we got water and got set up in our new, very nice spot. We were able to sit out and enjoy the sunshine.
Another camper stopped by when he saw our WA license plates. He was from Yellowknife and just wanted to welcome us to the NWT and invite us to drop by his site for a visit. We walked over and admired his inukshuk - a stacked stone figure - and chatted for awhile. He is a truck driver and drives on the ice roads that we have seen on TV.
When we got back, we hunted for stones to build our own inukshuk. It is way harder than it looks! And, yes, our extension cord was waiting for us when we returned.
Saturday, June 14, 2008
June 8th to 13th - Alberta & NWT
June 8th - Sun - 100 Mile House
After breakfast & chores which included more injured lamb doctoring (while Marg had an assistant), Marg, Terry & I went to town to get groceries. We had depleted our fridge and used some other staples so had to restock before hitting the road.
After lunch, we put dinner in the crock pot, made dessert and then went to help Dad make turtle legs, head & tail for the planter. Francis & Nicole (good friends) came for dinner.
June 9th - Mon - On the road again!
We left Marg’s about 9 and dumped our holding tanks in town before heading for Little Fort and the Yellowhead highway. Terry had thought to go to Prince George & Dawson Creek but I did some checking and that route was 200 miles longer than going through Alberta so we changed our minds. We went into Jasper National Park and thought we might stay there a couple of nights and do some sightseeing. That plan was changed when we discovered there were no sites with power in the only open campground with electrical services. (We do like our comforts!) We continued on to Hinton where we didn’t find anything we liked. Then to Edson where the first park did not have a site large enough for us so we ended up at a large, sparsely occupied campground on the other side of town. It rained on & off all day today but cleared enough that we could take a walk around the park. Then we got to watch the single TV channel which had the Simpsons and a couple episodes of “Coronation Street” - a British sit-com.
I had a nice long chat with sister-in-law Kathy. She told me that Terry’s Mom is in an assisted living facility. Don was exhausted trying to look after her and she was not getting enough therapy.
June 10th - Tues - in Alberta
Shortly after leaving Edson, we turned north. We could have taken a shorter route but I did not know what the road was like and it appeared as if we would have been driving longer than we wanted yesterday. We saw a billboard advertising $4.99 breakfasts at a casino so decided to stop when we saw the casino down the road. We gambled a bit and then decided the breakfast offering wasn’t appealing so carried on.
North of Peace River the rain really came down. We saw a section of the road ahead of us that was white and could not figure out what it was until we hit the rain. It was bouncing up and just flooding the road. Luckily it did not last too many miles.
We stopped at an info center and I cooked breakfast/lunch. We stayed at a campground that is part of the golf course in Manning with the thought that we will stay tomorrow and golf if the weather is nice. Lots of mosquitoes.
We had tried to call Terry’s mom several times today to wish her Happy Birthday and kept getting a busy signal. Just as we were arriving at the RV park, Skip (brother) called so Terry could talk to his Mom. He said she sounded good and her voice was stronger than previously.
June 11th - Wed - to Hay River, NWT
To all non-Canadians and non-travelers, the NWT above stands for Northwest Territory. The weather did not look nice enough to stay for golf in Manning.
Part of the drive today was slightly boring. Straight highway through miles of small trees with some farming. I made the mistake of saying that it would almost be nice to get a downpour like yesterday just for a break - and sure enough we got one!
We stopped at an info center as we crossed into the NWT and talked to a very knowledgeable, nice staffer. I made lunch while we were there. We stopped to view a large waterfall - Alexandra Falls. There was a second falls that was about a mile walk away but rain was threatening so we skipped it.
We are in a large campground on the shore of Great Slave Lake - again with few campers. It is treed with large, drive-through, widely spaced spots. We bought an armload of firewood and augmented it with scavenged wood so we could enjoy the fire for a long time.
Terry was tired from driving so after we took a walk around the park, we went to bed at 10 with the sun still well up in the sky.
June 12th - Thurs - Hay River
Today is a housekeeping day. We went into town to get some Canadian money and washed the truck. But there was just a pressure washer (no brush), so Terry got out the waterless wash to complete the truck while I washed the 5th wheel. There is no water hookup here - just a tap down the road- so I did the whole thing with a bucket, cloth and extension pole. Another trip to town for some tire cleaner for Terry.
I caught up our expenses in the computer, vacuumed and we went to a beach for firewood instead of paying for another armload. The beach out from the RV park has been obviously cleared. We found out on a walk that there was a large flood this year so the beach was covered with logs and smaller driftwood which the city is cleaning up.
Rain yet again today after we washed the rigs but then it cleared and I actually had to move into the shade for a while as we were sitting outside.
June 13th - Fri - to Yellowknife NWT
We got hit with a bit of the “Friday the 13th” luck today. There is a small ferry to cross the McKenzie River about halfway between Hay River & Yellowknife. As we were driving off the ferry on the “ramp onto the riverbank” method of access, one of our rear stabilizers dragged and bent. The highway got a lot bouncier (frost heaves) past the ferry for the last 150 miles into Yellowknife. And we continued with the intermittent rain.
When we arrived at the only campsite in Yellowknife with electric service, we were asked if we had a reservation (no) and told there were no sites with power that we could fit into. We pulled into an overflow site near the shower house and then went back to the office to see what else could be done. The employees were wonderful. One park officer drove us around looking for unoccupied sites and then made phone calls to see if the people who reserved them were actually still coming. No luck so they moved us to another overflow area in the maintenance yard and hooked us up to 110 power inside a shed. Most people are only here for the weekend so we will move to another site on Sunday.
Our phones do not work here. Apparently Verizon does not work here even though they worked in Hay River which is 100 miles away across the lake (BIG lake!) but 335 miles by road.
After breakfast & chores which included more injured lamb doctoring (while Marg had an assistant), Marg, Terry & I went to town to get groceries. We had depleted our fridge and used some other staples so had to restock before hitting the road.
After lunch, we put dinner in the crock pot, made dessert and then went to help Dad make turtle legs, head & tail for the planter. Francis & Nicole (good friends) came for dinner.
June 9th - Mon - On the road again!
We left Marg’s about 9 and dumped our holding tanks in town before heading for Little Fort and the Yellowhead highway. Terry had thought to go to Prince George & Dawson Creek but I did some checking and that route was 200 miles longer than going through Alberta so we changed our minds. We went into Jasper National Park and thought we might stay there a couple of nights and do some sightseeing. That plan was changed when we discovered there were no sites with power in the only open campground with electrical services. (We do like our comforts!) We continued on to Hinton where we didn’t find anything we liked. Then to Edson where the first park did not have a site large enough for us so we ended up at a large, sparsely occupied campground on the other side of town. It rained on & off all day today but cleared enough that we could take a walk around the park. Then we got to watch the single TV channel which had the Simpsons and a couple episodes of “Coronation Street” - a British sit-com.
I had a nice long chat with sister-in-law Kathy. She told me that Terry’s Mom is in an assisted living facility. Don was exhausted trying to look after her and she was not getting enough therapy.
June 10th - Tues - in Alberta
Shortly after leaving Edson, we turned north. We could have taken a shorter route but I did not know what the road was like and it appeared as if we would have been driving longer than we wanted yesterday. We saw a billboard advertising $4.99 breakfasts at a casino so decided to stop when we saw the casino down the road. We gambled a bit and then decided the breakfast offering wasn’t appealing so carried on.
North of Peace River the rain really came down. We saw a section of the road ahead of us that was white and could not figure out what it was until we hit the rain. It was bouncing up and just flooding the road. Luckily it did not last too many miles.
We stopped at an info center and I cooked breakfast/lunch. We stayed at a campground that is part of the golf course in Manning with the thought that we will stay tomorrow and golf if the weather is nice. Lots of mosquitoes.
We had tried to call Terry’s mom several times today to wish her Happy Birthday and kept getting a busy signal. Just as we were arriving at the RV park, Skip (brother) called so Terry could talk to his Mom. He said she sounded good and her voice was stronger than previously.
June 11th - Wed - to Hay River, NWT
To all non-Canadians and non-travelers, the NWT above stands for Northwest Territory. The weather did not look nice enough to stay for golf in Manning.
Part of the drive today was slightly boring. Straight highway through miles of small trees with some farming. I made the mistake of saying that it would almost be nice to get a downpour like yesterday just for a break - and sure enough we got one!
We stopped at an info center as we crossed into the NWT and talked to a very knowledgeable, nice staffer. I made lunch while we were there. We stopped to view a large waterfall - Alexandra Falls. There was a second falls that was about a mile walk away but rain was threatening so we skipped it.
We are in a large campground on the shore of Great Slave Lake - again with few campers. It is treed with large, drive-through, widely spaced spots. We bought an armload of firewood and augmented it with scavenged wood so we could enjoy the fire for a long time.
Terry was tired from driving so after we took a walk around the park, we went to bed at 10 with the sun still well up in the sky.
June 12th - Thurs - Hay River
Today is a housekeeping day. We went into town to get some Canadian money and washed the truck. But there was just a pressure washer (no brush), so Terry got out the waterless wash to complete the truck while I washed the 5th wheel. There is no water hookup here - just a tap down the road- so I did the whole thing with a bucket, cloth and extension pole. Another trip to town for some tire cleaner for Terry.
I caught up our expenses in the computer, vacuumed and we went to a beach for firewood instead of paying for another armload. The beach out from the RV park has been obviously cleared. We found out on a walk that there was a large flood this year so the beach was covered with logs and smaller driftwood which the city is cleaning up.
Rain yet again today after we washed the rigs but then it cleared and I actually had to move into the shade for a while as we were sitting outside.
June 13th - Fri - to Yellowknife NWT
We got hit with a bit of the “Friday the 13th” luck today. There is a small ferry to cross the McKenzie River about halfway between Hay River & Yellowknife. As we were driving off the ferry on the “ramp onto the riverbank” method of access, one of our rear stabilizers dragged and bent. The highway got a lot bouncier (frost heaves) past the ferry for the last 150 miles into Yellowknife. And we continued with the intermittent rain.
When we arrived at the only campsite in Yellowknife with electric service, we were asked if we had a reservation (no) and told there were no sites with power that we could fit into. We pulled into an overflow site near the shower house and then went back to the office to see what else could be done. The employees were wonderful. One park officer drove us around looking for unoccupied sites and then made phone calls to see if the people who reserved them were actually still coming. No luck so they moved us to another overflow area in the maintenance yard and hooked us up to 110 power inside a shed. Most people are only here for the weekend so we will move to another site on Sunday.
Our phones do not work here. Apparently Verizon does not work here even though they worked in Hay River which is 100 miles away across the lake (BIG lake!) but 335 miles by road.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
June 3rd to 7th - 100 Mile House
June 3rd - Tues - 100 Mile House
Marg went to the neighbor’s this morning to pound some fence posts for them. Terry went to help for a while and I worked on birdhouses with Dad in the shop. When Terry returned, he took apart a section of board fence by the barn. A post was in crooked which meant the gate did not close properly. Also, the next post was rotting. So while Marg had the post pounder on the tractor (and had some help), she wanted to replace the 2 posts. After lunch, they finished the repair and removed the post pounder.
While Terry was working in the barnyard, he spotted another lamb with an injured side. The ewe was with this lamb so we put them both in the barn. Later in the afternoon, Marg got her doctoring supplies together and we set up an “operating room” with a piece of plywood on a feeder in the barn so she could stitch up the lamb a bit. The patient did fine but the assistant had to take a break and go out for a breath of fresh air!
June 4th - Wed - 100 Mile House
Marg & I worked in the garden & greenhouse this morning. At lunch time we spent way too much time trying to figure out how to cut the corners off a square piece of wood to make a “perfect” octagon for a turtle planter like one we saw at the Farmer‘s market. We even checked the internet. We ended up going to the shop to help Dad cut the octagon and then figured out the size for him to cut the pieces for the sides.
All this meant we had to hurry to get changed and leave for ladies’ night golf. We had some errands to do before our 4:40 tee time so Marg dropped me at the grocery store while she went to the hospital to pick up some supplies for the lambs and to sign up for a potluck dinner that she will be attending.
The rain held off for our golf game. We had dinner at the golf course restaurant but did not stick around for the prize drawings. I had put a casserole together for Terry & Dad’s dinner.
June 5th - Thurs - 100 Mile House
We had a birthday party for Dad this evening. His birthday is actually tomorrow but Bob (brother) has to take a load of cattle to slaughter on Sunday so he did not want to drive home from here on Saturday and then drive 7 ½ hours Sunday.
I did some cleaning and dinner prep while Terry & Dad repaired the ramp in the chute used for loading sheep and removed a falling apart ramp in a larger chute. Bob arrived about 2. He brought one of his bulls to breed Marg’s cattle so they took him to the field and introduced him to the cows who promptly all ran away.
We got to chat a while before our company arrived for dinner. There were 13 of us and we all had a great time.
June 6th - Fri - 100 Mile House
Bob left mid-morning after helping us doctor the lambs. About 11:30 we decided that we needed to go the farmer’s market again to look at the turtle planter and fix some measurements and shapes in our minds. The weather was cool & drizzly so there weren’t many vendors at the market. After getting some diesel and picking up the mail, we went to a garden nursery for some more bedding plants. On the way back to town, we stopped at a little café in Lone Butte for lunch. The servings were large and we all ate too much. A quick stop at the grocery store and we were headed home.
Marg went with her friend Jane to Williams Lake to a horse sale. I shortened Dad’s 2 new pairs of pants and a pair of mine. Then Terry started the lawnmower for me and I took advantage of a break in the rain to mow the garden area and around the greenhouse. I did the few evening chores and then had a break before making a late, light dinner as we were all full from lunch.
June 7th - Sat - 100 Mile House
Marg & I took a walk to check the sheep after doing chores. The weather was lovely and it was very pleasant sitting on a log watching the dogs and the sheep. We went back to the house and I fixed some sandwiches to take with us for lunch while Marg got everything organized for all of us to go out and light a fire and clean up a couple of fallen trees. It was 11:30 by the time we got going and we got a lot done by 2:30. We quit then as we had arranged with Al & Cecile (nearby friends) to visit for a while today. They have a friend staying with them - Doreen - who we stopped to see in the Yukon last year and we wanted to say hi and Marg wanted to meet her.
I started dinner when we got back and helped Marg make some asparagus roll-ups for her potluck dinner. Chores, dinner and blogging to finish another busy day.
Marg went to the neighbor’s this morning to pound some fence posts for them. Terry went to help for a while and I worked on birdhouses with Dad in the shop. When Terry returned, he took apart a section of board fence by the barn. A post was in crooked which meant the gate did not close properly. Also, the next post was rotting. So while Marg had the post pounder on the tractor (and had some help), she wanted to replace the 2 posts. After lunch, they finished the repair and removed the post pounder.
While Terry was working in the barnyard, he spotted another lamb with an injured side. The ewe was with this lamb so we put them both in the barn. Later in the afternoon, Marg got her doctoring supplies together and we set up an “operating room” with a piece of plywood on a feeder in the barn so she could stitch up the lamb a bit. The patient did fine but the assistant had to take a break and go out for a breath of fresh air!
June 4th - Wed - 100 Mile House
Marg & I worked in the garden & greenhouse this morning. At lunch time we spent way too much time trying to figure out how to cut the corners off a square piece of wood to make a “perfect” octagon for a turtle planter like one we saw at the Farmer‘s market. We even checked the internet. We ended up going to the shop to help Dad cut the octagon and then figured out the size for him to cut the pieces for the sides.
All this meant we had to hurry to get changed and leave for ladies’ night golf. We had some errands to do before our 4:40 tee time so Marg dropped me at the grocery store while she went to the hospital to pick up some supplies for the lambs and to sign up for a potluck dinner that she will be attending.
The rain held off for our golf game. We had dinner at the golf course restaurant but did not stick around for the prize drawings. I had put a casserole together for Terry & Dad’s dinner.
June 5th - Thurs - 100 Mile House
We had a birthday party for Dad this evening. His birthday is actually tomorrow but Bob (brother) has to take a load of cattle to slaughter on Sunday so he did not want to drive home from here on Saturday and then drive 7 ½ hours Sunday.
I did some cleaning and dinner prep while Terry & Dad repaired the ramp in the chute used for loading sheep and removed a falling apart ramp in a larger chute. Bob arrived about 2. He brought one of his bulls to breed Marg’s cattle so they took him to the field and introduced him to the cows who promptly all ran away.
We got to chat a while before our company arrived for dinner. There were 13 of us and we all had a great time.
June 6th - Fri - 100 Mile House
Bob left mid-morning after helping us doctor the lambs. About 11:30 we decided that we needed to go the farmer’s market again to look at the turtle planter and fix some measurements and shapes in our minds. The weather was cool & drizzly so there weren’t many vendors at the market. After getting some diesel and picking up the mail, we went to a garden nursery for some more bedding plants. On the way back to town, we stopped at a little café in Lone Butte for lunch. The servings were large and we all ate too much. A quick stop at the grocery store and we were headed home.
Marg went with her friend Jane to Williams Lake to a horse sale. I shortened Dad’s 2 new pairs of pants and a pair of mine. Then Terry started the lawnmower for me and I took advantage of a break in the rain to mow the garden area and around the greenhouse. I did the few evening chores and then had a break before making a late, light dinner as we were all full from lunch.
June 7th - Sat - 100 Mile House
Marg & I took a walk to check the sheep after doing chores. The weather was lovely and it was very pleasant sitting on a log watching the dogs and the sheep. We went back to the house and I fixed some sandwiches to take with us for lunch while Marg got everything organized for all of us to go out and light a fire and clean up a couple of fallen trees. It was 11:30 by the time we got going and we got a lot done by 2:30. We quit then as we had arranged with Al & Cecile (nearby friends) to visit for a while today. They have a friend staying with them - Doreen - who we stopped to see in the Yukon last year and we wanted to say hi and Marg wanted to meet her.
I started dinner when we got back and helped Marg make some asparagus roll-ups for her potluck dinner. Chores, dinner and blogging to finish another busy day.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
May 30th to June 2nd -100 Mile House
May 30th - Fri - 100 Mile House
After chores we all took a break and went to the Farmer’s Market in town where Marg bought some bedding plants. They often have an old time band that Dad enjoys but not today. Did some grocery shopping and made a stop at the hardware store so Marg could buy a swimming pool for the goose, Ziggy. We were going to pick up fence posts but decided they would not fit easily in the truck, so after lunch Terry & Marg hooked up the trailer to Marg’s truck and went back for the posts. While they were gone, I started giving Dolly a haircut.
So then it was back out with the tractor & ATVs to the fence to finish pounding in posts. We unhooked all the wires at the end of the section we were working on so we could get the tractor through the fence and we had to repair the corner anyhow. By the time we got it back together enough to keep Marg’s cows in and the neighbor’s cows out, it was nearly 7 o’clock.
Ordered pizza for dinner tonight. We were surprised that anyone would deliver here. It only took 40 minutes and the pizza was good.
May 31st - Sat - 100 Mile House
There are 3 injured lambs in the barn and Marg figured she better do some doctoring on their wounds. One lamb was injured on it’s flank and it kept getting dirty when she laid down on it. So Marg put a dressing on it and held it in place with a stretchy tube which ended up looking like a diaper. Another lamb has a deep puncture wound on the inside of a back leg which needed cleaning out. I just held the lambs for Marg.
Had to work on the fence again so we took lunch out with us - hot dogs to cook over a fire. We lit a big pile of wood when we arrived and then worked on the fence. Dad joined us by the time the fire had burned down to nice coals and we had our lunch. Spent a few more hours on the fence and didn’t quite finish.
June 1st - Sun - 100 Mile House/Kamloops
Marg was supposed to spend the day with a friend but that didn’t work out so we decided to go to Kamloops so Marg could order some new eye glasses at Costco. She does not have a Costco card but glasses are so much cheaper there that it was worthwhile to drive to Kamloops so she could use our card.
We made a stop at Canadian Tire (a “general” type store unlike the name would suggest) where Marg bought a set of pots & pans because I complained about her current pots. Next we went to the casino downtown - Terry’s request for R&R. Dad is not a gambler but we talked him into spending $20. I played beside him to help him figure out the machines and he ended up winning $14! Terry won enough to cover my $20 loss and pay for dinner.
June 2nd - Mon - 100 Mile House
I helped Marg doctor the 2 injured lambs again this morning before Marg, Terry & I loaded up some stakes and went to finish the fence that we had rebuilt. We just had to staple up the page-wire section and then weave the stakes to strengthen everything. On the way back we decided to light a pile of sticks and small trees. Everything was pretty wet from rain last night so Terry went and got a can of diesel so we could get it going. We piled it up pretty good and went in for lunch.
After lunch, Marg & I took the chain saw back to the fire. Marg cut up downed trees and I picked up the pieces and built up the fire again. Next we all headed to town for some errands including new jeans for Dad - and he hates to try on clothes!
Got back from town about 4:15, changed clothes again and Marg & I headed back to the fire with the intention of just pushing unburned ends into the pile. But we finished cleaning up the area around the fire instead. We quickly planted the bedding plants that Marg bought on Friday and then made dinner. Before we let ourselves sit down and get lazy, we made one last trip to the fire and this time just pushed in the ends.
After chores we all took a break and went to the Farmer’s Market in town where Marg bought some bedding plants. They often have an old time band that Dad enjoys but not today. Did some grocery shopping and made a stop at the hardware store so Marg could buy a swimming pool for the goose, Ziggy. We were going to pick up fence posts but decided they would not fit easily in the truck, so after lunch Terry & Marg hooked up the trailer to Marg’s truck and went back for the posts. While they were gone, I started giving Dolly a haircut.
So then it was back out with the tractor & ATVs to the fence to finish pounding in posts. We unhooked all the wires at the end of the section we were working on so we could get the tractor through the fence and we had to repair the corner anyhow. By the time we got it back together enough to keep Marg’s cows in and the neighbor’s cows out, it was nearly 7 o’clock.
Ordered pizza for dinner tonight. We were surprised that anyone would deliver here. It only took 40 minutes and the pizza was good.
May 31st - Sat - 100 Mile House
There are 3 injured lambs in the barn and Marg figured she better do some doctoring on their wounds. One lamb was injured on it’s flank and it kept getting dirty when she laid down on it. So Marg put a dressing on it and held it in place with a stretchy tube which ended up looking like a diaper. Another lamb has a deep puncture wound on the inside of a back leg which needed cleaning out. I just held the lambs for Marg.
Had to work on the fence again so we took lunch out with us - hot dogs to cook over a fire. We lit a big pile of wood when we arrived and then worked on the fence. Dad joined us by the time the fire had burned down to nice coals and we had our lunch. Spent a few more hours on the fence and didn’t quite finish.
June 1st - Sun - 100 Mile House/Kamloops
Marg was supposed to spend the day with a friend but that didn’t work out so we decided to go to Kamloops so Marg could order some new eye glasses at Costco. She does not have a Costco card but glasses are so much cheaper there that it was worthwhile to drive to Kamloops so she could use our card.
We made a stop at Canadian Tire (a “general” type store unlike the name would suggest) where Marg bought a set of pots & pans because I complained about her current pots. Next we went to the casino downtown - Terry’s request for R&R. Dad is not a gambler but we talked him into spending $20. I played beside him to help him figure out the machines and he ended up winning $14! Terry won enough to cover my $20 loss and pay for dinner.
June 2nd - Mon - 100 Mile House
I helped Marg doctor the 2 injured lambs again this morning before Marg, Terry & I loaded up some stakes and went to finish the fence that we had rebuilt. We just had to staple up the page-wire section and then weave the stakes to strengthen everything. On the way back we decided to light a pile of sticks and small trees. Everything was pretty wet from rain last night so Terry went and got a can of diesel so we could get it going. We piled it up pretty good and went in for lunch.
After lunch, Marg & I took the chain saw back to the fire. Marg cut up downed trees and I picked up the pieces and built up the fire again. Next we all headed to town for some errands including new jeans for Dad - and he hates to try on clothes!
Got back from town about 4:15, changed clothes again and Marg & I headed back to the fire with the intention of just pushing unburned ends into the pile. But we finished cleaning up the area around the fire instead. We quickly planted the bedding plants that Marg bought on Friday and then made dinner. Before we let ourselves sit down and get lazy, we made one last trip to the fire and this time just pushed in the ends.
Friday, May 30, 2008
May 27th to 29th - 100 Mile House
May 27th - Tues - 100 Mile House
We split another smaller pile of wood today and stacked it with the wood that we moved from the carport. We raked up the area where we were splitting and couldn’t see going to the burn pile with just a bit of junk in the trailer so we continued raking branches and cones until we had a full trailer load.
We dug through cans of stain until we found a color that was OK to paint the new fascia board on the sheep shed. And finally the picnic table was dry enough to get a second coat of stain. Luckily, the sun was warm enough to dry the stain before it started raining in the evening.
May 28th - Wed - 100 Mile House
Terry & I went to town this morning to check out the tourist bureau for information for our upcoming trip across Canada and to pick up the mail and a few groceries. We mowed the area around the deck & fire pit and then I worked a bit with Dad in the shop.
After lunch, we loaded some stakes on the ATV and wove them in a page-wire (squares of wire) fence along the road. Page-wire gets saggy after years of use so the stakes add support and help keep coyotes from digging underneath. While we were doing this, Terry noticed that a lot of little trees had started growing near the fence so we got out the brush cutter (weed eater with a metal blade) and Terry went to work clearing a swath along the fence.
Marg got home just as we were finishing dinner. She had a great time on her vacation to Vancouver & Saturna Islands.
The rain really came down this evening. We had streams & puddles to negotiate on our way to bed in the 5th wheel.
May 29th - Thurs - 100 Mile House
After breakfast & chores, Dad went to the shop, Terry resumed brush cutting and Marg & I worked in the greenhouse planting hanging pots. It was still on & off raining so I was also running back & forth on the ATV to see if Terry wanted to sit out a rain shower or just get wet. He ran out of gas for the second time just before lunch so he took a break and finished after lunch.
We hooked up the post pounder on the tractor, loaded posts on the trailer and went to put new posts in an old, falling down section of fence. The posts are on the outside so to replace posts without removing old posts and wire (which we were doing), we had to drive the tractor on the neighbor’s property. This property is not totally cleared so Marg had her work cut out to maneuver around trees, stumps and dirt bumps. Luckily for Terry (he worked hard all day!), we ran out of posts just before 5.
We had hoped to inaugurate the new picnic table tonight but the sun disappeared again just after we got into the house.
We split another smaller pile of wood today and stacked it with the wood that we moved from the carport. We raked up the area where we were splitting and couldn’t see going to the burn pile with just a bit of junk in the trailer so we continued raking branches and cones until we had a full trailer load.
We dug through cans of stain until we found a color that was OK to paint the new fascia board on the sheep shed. And finally the picnic table was dry enough to get a second coat of stain. Luckily, the sun was warm enough to dry the stain before it started raining in the evening.
May 28th - Wed - 100 Mile House
Terry & I went to town this morning to check out the tourist bureau for information for our upcoming trip across Canada and to pick up the mail and a few groceries. We mowed the area around the deck & fire pit and then I worked a bit with Dad in the shop.
After lunch, we loaded some stakes on the ATV and wove them in a page-wire (squares of wire) fence along the road. Page-wire gets saggy after years of use so the stakes add support and help keep coyotes from digging underneath. While we were doing this, Terry noticed that a lot of little trees had started growing near the fence so we got out the brush cutter (weed eater with a metal blade) and Terry went to work clearing a swath along the fence.
Marg got home just as we were finishing dinner. She had a great time on her vacation to Vancouver & Saturna Islands.
The rain really came down this evening. We had streams & puddles to negotiate on our way to bed in the 5th wheel.
May 29th - Thurs - 100 Mile House
After breakfast & chores, Dad went to the shop, Terry resumed brush cutting and Marg & I worked in the greenhouse planting hanging pots. It was still on & off raining so I was also running back & forth on the ATV to see if Terry wanted to sit out a rain shower or just get wet. He ran out of gas for the second time just before lunch so he took a break and finished after lunch.
We hooked up the post pounder on the tractor, loaded posts on the trailer and went to put new posts in an old, falling down section of fence. The posts are on the outside so to replace posts without removing old posts and wire (which we were doing), we had to drive the tractor on the neighbor’s property. This property is not totally cleared so Marg had her work cut out to maneuver around trees, stumps and dirt bumps. Luckily for Terry (he worked hard all day!), we ran out of posts just before 5.
We had hoped to inaugurate the new picnic table tonight but the sun disappeared again just after we got into the house.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
May 24th to 26th - 100 Mile House
May 24th - Sat - 100 Mile House
Now we really know what aching backs are! We split a big pile of wood today. Yes, we have a splitter that runs off the tractor PTO but Terry has to lift the rounds and maneuver them on the splitter and I have to pick the pieces off the ground (if I don’t keep up with Terry) and stack them. For a lot of the time, I handed pieces to Dad and he stacked them. Terry kept us going so fast that the stack is a little rickety.
May 25th- Sun - 100 Mile House
It was rainy & gloomy this morning so we decided it would be a good day to go to town for groceries, bird food, propane and to pick up the mail. Marg has 4 bird feeders hanging right outside the dining area window and many different birds visit every day. The suet feeder was empty so Dad just had to get another cake of suet. The birds eat a small coffee can of sunflower seeds every day. There are only a few hummingbirds. It is so nice to be able to watch all the birds.
We had lunch in town (a break for the cook!) and then visited some restored/moved old buildings at a rest area just north of here. The rain had quit so Dad & I worked in the garden for a while - watering, trimming and mowing.
Bob (brother) phoned and we had a nice long chat. He raises “natural beef” and the operation that he is associated with is going to be on CTV evening news on Tuesday the 27th.
May 26th - Mon - 100 Mile House
Woke to a heavy rain shower. Dad & I went to the shop and built another bird house since it was too icky for any outside work. I am beginning the think that we will never get the second coat of stain on the picnic table.
After lunch we moved a pile of split wood. Marg is having the outside of her house refinished soon and the pile of wood was right against a wall in the carport. It was probably a pile that Terry placed there last year!
When Dad went to change gates for the evening, he saw a lone lamb by the hay barn. We went to chase it into the corral and discovered that it had a huge chunk of skin ripped out of it’s side. There are already 2 lambs in the barn with similar injuries and we don’t know what animal is doing this. I called friend Nicole to come and look at the lamb and give it a shot of penicillin. I have decided that I cannot be a sheep farmer!
Now we really know what aching backs are! We split a big pile of wood today. Yes, we have a splitter that runs off the tractor PTO but Terry has to lift the rounds and maneuver them on the splitter and I have to pick the pieces off the ground (if I don’t keep up with Terry) and stack them. For a lot of the time, I handed pieces to Dad and he stacked them. Terry kept us going so fast that the stack is a little rickety.
May 25th- Sun - 100 Mile House
It was rainy & gloomy this morning so we decided it would be a good day to go to town for groceries, bird food, propane and to pick up the mail. Marg has 4 bird feeders hanging right outside the dining area window and many different birds visit every day. The suet feeder was empty so Dad just had to get another cake of suet. The birds eat a small coffee can of sunflower seeds every day. There are only a few hummingbirds. It is so nice to be able to watch all the birds.
We had lunch in town (a break for the cook!) and then visited some restored/moved old buildings at a rest area just north of here. The rain had quit so Dad & I worked in the garden for a while - watering, trimming and mowing.
Bob (brother) phoned and we had a nice long chat. He raises “natural beef” and the operation that he is associated with is going to be on CTV evening news on Tuesday the 27th.
May 26th - Mon - 100 Mile House
Woke to a heavy rain shower. Dad & I went to the shop and built another bird house since it was too icky for any outside work. I am beginning the think that we will never get the second coat of stain on the picnic table.
After lunch we moved a pile of split wood. Marg is having the outside of her house refinished soon and the pile of wood was right against a wall in the carport. It was probably a pile that Terry placed there last year!
When Dad went to change gates for the evening, he saw a lone lamb by the hay barn. We went to chase it into the corral and discovered that it had a huge chunk of skin ripped out of it’s side. There are already 2 lambs in the barn with similar injuries and we don’t know what animal is doing this. I called friend Nicole to come and look at the lamb and give it a shot of penicillin. I have decided that I cannot be a sheep farmer!
Friday, May 23, 2008
May 19th to 23rd - 100 Mile House
May 19th - Mon - 100 Mile House
We had moved the picnic table parts into the carport last night in case it rained (it did) so Terry hauled them all back to the deck and fastened the top and bench boards so I could put a coat of stain on them and touch up other spots while Marg & Dad planted potatoes in the garden.
I left my blog entries for too long so now I cannot remember what else we did today! I need cousin Pat’s journal to jog my memory as we did in Mexico.
May 20th - Tues - 100 Mile House
After breakfast & chores, Terry & I took Dad to town for routine blood work. Picked up a couple of prescriptions, some groceries and the new hub covers for the 5th wheel. Meanwhile, Marg went for a haircut and lunch with a friend.
Terry, Dad & I went out and fixed a temporary electric fence that was keeping the cows out of a field even though it had no charge after a few posts. When Marg came home, we all went troubleshooting the fence that Marg & I had worked on previously. We did end up finding the problem - the barbed wire fence belonging to the neighbor had hooked on a wire on the back of a post on the electric fence. No wonder the horse in the neighbor’s field spooked when he saw us at the fence - he probably got a mild shock.
I helped Marg in the greenhouse & garden before dinner then we all had to watch the finale of “Dancing with the Stars”. But first I hemmed three pairs of jeans for Marg.
May 21st - Wed - 100 Mile House
Marg left with a friend this morning for a week vacation so we get to look after the farm and Dad. We put the sheep out to pasture for the first time this year but will still lock them in for the night when they come home and bed down. I was outside with a friend of Marg’s when the sheep started coming in - only one problem, the majority were on the wrong side of the fence. I ran out to open a gate to let them in and they promptly went back out into the field that we put them into this morning. Will have to look for their exit point tomorrow.
Dad & I worked on a birdhouse made to a new pattern that he had jotted down when he saw one in a field. Took us a while as he didn’t remember whether measurements were inside or outside but we got it done. Terry worked on the 5th wheel front jacks that had been lugging and slipping. He had made an appointment to get it worked on here but they couldn’t do it for a week and wanted the rig for 2 days. So he took the motor apart - it looked OK - lubed and greased everything and several tests worked fine. He canceled the appointment and figured we could take it in somewhere down the road if necessary.
The sheep were not real happy coming back to the yard this evening as they couldn’t get to the area where they spent the winter. So I went out in the near dark and closed a gate allowing the cows to get to the water trough which allowed me to open another gate so the sheep could get to their familiar area. Oops, not enough sheep so I went for a walk in the field and the rest were holed up in a nearby barn. Just a little persuasion and everyone was tucked in for the night.
It rained again last night so we couldn’t get a second coat of stain on the tops of the picnic table. Then just as I was finishing the evening chores, it hailed. The ground was pretty much white.
May 22nd - Thurs - 100 Mile House
Just a few morning chores with the sheep out to pasture. Dad & I started some prep work for putting a metal roof on a sheep shed while Terry tried to beat a computer game. The shed had asphalt shingles so we had to add nailing strips and recycled metal roofing. Terry gets to do all the work on top of the roof while Dad & I run and fetch. We let Terry rest a bit with a lunch break and then had to make him quit at 4:30.
We set the gates correctly for the sheep to bed down and I locked them in at 10. Daisy, the guardian sheep dog, was not with the sheep and had not eaten her food but it was too dark to look for her.
May 23rd - Fri - 100 Mile House
At midnight last night I remembered that Marg had told me about some snares that she had set to try to catch coyotes that were getting through her fence into the sheep pastures and I immediately wondered if Daisy was caught in one. Terry had fallen asleep so I figured we would check in the morning. At 4:30 am, Terry & I were both wide awake thinking about Daisy. Terry checked the food dish and it was still full. So we threw on some clothes, got into the truck and drove down the road to check the snares. We saw Daisy lying in the field looking at us. So we came back to the house, got the ATV and went into the field. Daisy came to us as we got closer and I told Terry that there had to be a sheep somewhere for her not to come in. Sure enough , we found a dead lamb. It’s neck had been broken but it appeared as if Daisy had chased off the predator before it had a chance to tear up the lamb much. We brought the lamb & Daisy back to the house and went back to bed.
Back to roofing the sheep shed after breakfast. Lunch, a trip to the garbage dump and we finally finished the sheep shed including replacing a never-used bird house. Terry is back at the computer game and we are all medicating our aching backs.
We had moved the picnic table parts into the carport last night in case it rained (it did) so Terry hauled them all back to the deck and fastened the top and bench boards so I could put a coat of stain on them and touch up other spots while Marg & Dad planted potatoes in the garden.
I left my blog entries for too long so now I cannot remember what else we did today! I need cousin Pat’s journal to jog my memory as we did in Mexico.
May 20th - Tues - 100 Mile House
After breakfast & chores, Terry & I took Dad to town for routine blood work. Picked up a couple of prescriptions, some groceries and the new hub covers for the 5th wheel. Meanwhile, Marg went for a haircut and lunch with a friend.
Terry, Dad & I went out and fixed a temporary electric fence that was keeping the cows out of a field even though it had no charge after a few posts. When Marg came home, we all went troubleshooting the fence that Marg & I had worked on previously. We did end up finding the problem - the barbed wire fence belonging to the neighbor had hooked on a wire on the back of a post on the electric fence. No wonder the horse in the neighbor’s field spooked when he saw us at the fence - he probably got a mild shock.
I helped Marg in the greenhouse & garden before dinner then we all had to watch the finale of “Dancing with the Stars”. But first I hemmed three pairs of jeans for Marg.
May 21st - Wed - 100 Mile House
Marg left with a friend this morning for a week vacation so we get to look after the farm and Dad. We put the sheep out to pasture for the first time this year but will still lock them in for the night when they come home and bed down. I was outside with a friend of Marg’s when the sheep started coming in - only one problem, the majority were on the wrong side of the fence. I ran out to open a gate to let them in and they promptly went back out into the field that we put them into this morning. Will have to look for their exit point tomorrow.
Dad & I worked on a birdhouse made to a new pattern that he had jotted down when he saw one in a field. Took us a while as he didn’t remember whether measurements were inside or outside but we got it done. Terry worked on the 5th wheel front jacks that had been lugging and slipping. He had made an appointment to get it worked on here but they couldn’t do it for a week and wanted the rig for 2 days. So he took the motor apart - it looked OK - lubed and greased everything and several tests worked fine. He canceled the appointment and figured we could take it in somewhere down the road if necessary.
The sheep were not real happy coming back to the yard this evening as they couldn’t get to the area where they spent the winter. So I went out in the near dark and closed a gate allowing the cows to get to the water trough which allowed me to open another gate so the sheep could get to their familiar area. Oops, not enough sheep so I went for a walk in the field and the rest were holed up in a nearby barn. Just a little persuasion and everyone was tucked in for the night.
It rained again last night so we couldn’t get a second coat of stain on the tops of the picnic table. Then just as I was finishing the evening chores, it hailed. The ground was pretty much white.
May 22nd - Thurs - 100 Mile House
Just a few morning chores with the sheep out to pasture. Dad & I started some prep work for putting a metal roof on a sheep shed while Terry tried to beat a computer game. The shed had asphalt shingles so we had to add nailing strips and recycled metal roofing. Terry gets to do all the work on top of the roof while Dad & I run and fetch. We let Terry rest a bit with a lunch break and then had to make him quit at 4:30.
We set the gates correctly for the sheep to bed down and I locked them in at 10. Daisy, the guardian sheep dog, was not with the sheep and had not eaten her food but it was too dark to look for her.
May 23rd - Fri - 100 Mile House
At midnight last night I remembered that Marg had told me about some snares that she had set to try to catch coyotes that were getting through her fence into the sheep pastures and I immediately wondered if Daisy was caught in one. Terry had fallen asleep so I figured we would check in the morning. At 4:30 am, Terry & I were both wide awake thinking about Daisy. Terry checked the food dish and it was still full. So we threw on some clothes, got into the truck and drove down the road to check the snares. We saw Daisy lying in the field looking at us. So we came back to the house, got the ATV and went into the field. Daisy came to us as we got closer and I told Terry that there had to be a sheep somewhere for her not to come in. Sure enough , we found a dead lamb. It’s neck had been broken but it appeared as if Daisy had chased off the predator before it had a chance to tear up the lamb much. We brought the lamb & Daisy back to the house and went back to bed.
Back to roofing the sheep shed after breakfast. Lunch, a trip to the garbage dump and we finally finished the sheep shed including replacing a never-used bird house. Terry is back at the computer game and we are all medicating our aching backs.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
May 15th to 18th - Logan Lake, 100 Mile House
May 15th - Thurs - to Logan Lake, BC
We went to Aunt Jessie’s for coffee & muffins and took my sewing machine so I could help her shorten an outfit. Hooked up and pulled out about 8:30, arrived at Logan Lake around 11 and backed into Rick & Pat’s long paved parking strip behind their house. Rick moved his 5th wheel as far back as he could and there was enough room that we did not have to unhook.
We toured the house that Pat & Rick are currently renovating (flipping) and then my Aunt Adela (Pat’s Mom) made lunch for all of us. She pulled out her crystal and set a lovely table with colorful, beautifully arranged food. My cousins Allan & Jesse, who I have not seen for many years, live with their Mom and joined us for lunch.
The weather was warming up nicely so Rick & Pat and we changed into shorts and went golfing. Luckily, we can have fun even if we don’t golf very well! After showering and relaxing with a drink, we went to the local pub (Black Bull) for dinner. Pat & Rick’s daughter Morgan works there but she was tending bar so wasn’t our server.We looked at pictures on each other’s computers before heading to bed.
May 16th - Fri - to 100 Mile House, BC
Pat made breakfast for us this morning and then we headed north to Marg’s (sister) place. This weekend is a long weekend in Canada (Victoria Day) and the service stations in town were busy so we decided to dump our holding tanks at the village dump station, go to Marg’s and then return to fuel up without having to maneuver the 5th wheel into a service station.
We arrived at Marg’s in time to set up and have lunch. Then we all (Marg, Dad & us) headed back to town for diesel, animal feed and groceries. We also ran all over looking for a wheel hub cover for the 5th wheel and ended up ordering a couple at Napa.
We are going driving and for a picnic tomorrow so Marg & I made food for that as well as making dinner. We cooked hamburgers over a fire in the backyard which meant Marg & I picked up sticks and raked burnable yard waste as we waited for the fire to burn down to cooking coals. It was a lovely, warm day so we could eat outside. Unfortunately, this gave us ample time to notice the deplorable state of Marg’s picnic table so we added building a new one to our list of things to do.
May 17th - Sat - 100 Mile House
We met Marg’s friend Jane and her daughter Alisha in town at 9. Jane was leading us on a sightseeing adventure through the back roads. Neither vehicle holds 6 people so Jane drove her truck with Marg & Alisha while Terry, Dad & I followed in our truck. We had to check out a yard sale first and then stopped for Jane to fuel up. We managed to find a route to Kamloops that only took about 6 hours of driving! Highway driving to Kamloops is about 2 ½ hours. We stopped for lunch at a spot that was designated “the center of the universe” by the Dalai Lama in India. It was a lovely, scenic place with a panoramic view.
Next was a stop at a waterfall which required just a short walk. Then we detoured when we hit a road blocked by a downed tree which resulted in the lead car stopping to ask the second car if we knew where on the map we were. Luckily, when we came to a more major road (compared to what?), Marg & I agreed on a left turn and an hour or so later we arrived at Kamloops. We took “the road less traveled” to Little Fort and stopped there for dinner. The animals were very happy to see us when we arrived home at 10:00 for the evening feeding. Fortunately, I had the foresight to take Dolly with us.
May 18th - Sun - 100 Mile House
Terry had the new picnic table on his mind so after breakfast & chores, he & Dad started tearing the old one apart while Marg & I dug up suitable boards for the new one. Marg & I left them at their work and went on the ATV to take salt to the cattle. We ended up checking an electric fence which turned out not to have enough “juice”. So I walked about ½ mile of fence pulling branches & weeds off the wires.
We got back to the house in time to make a late lunch. We all worked on the picnic table and got the first coat of stain on most of it before the usual - doing chores and making dinner.
Marg has dial up internet access so I type my blog entry on my computer, copy it to a disc and use her computer to connect to the internet. I am trying to talk her into getting high speed access - maybe by the time we visit again.
We went to Aunt Jessie’s for coffee & muffins and took my sewing machine so I could help her shorten an outfit. Hooked up and pulled out about 8:30, arrived at Logan Lake around 11 and backed into Rick & Pat’s long paved parking strip behind their house. Rick moved his 5th wheel as far back as he could and there was enough room that we did not have to unhook.
We toured the house that Pat & Rick are currently renovating (flipping) and then my Aunt Adela (Pat’s Mom) made lunch for all of us. She pulled out her crystal and set a lovely table with colorful, beautifully arranged food. My cousins Allan & Jesse, who I have not seen for many years, live with their Mom and joined us for lunch.
The weather was warming up nicely so Rick & Pat and we changed into shorts and went golfing. Luckily, we can have fun even if we don’t golf very well! After showering and relaxing with a drink, we went to the local pub (Black Bull) for dinner. Pat & Rick’s daughter Morgan works there but she was tending bar so wasn’t our server.We looked at pictures on each other’s computers before heading to bed.
May 16th - Fri - to 100 Mile House, BC
Pat made breakfast for us this morning and then we headed north to Marg’s (sister) place. This weekend is a long weekend in Canada (Victoria Day) and the service stations in town were busy so we decided to dump our holding tanks at the village dump station, go to Marg’s and then return to fuel up without having to maneuver the 5th wheel into a service station.
We arrived at Marg’s in time to set up and have lunch. Then we all (Marg, Dad & us) headed back to town for diesel, animal feed and groceries. We also ran all over looking for a wheel hub cover for the 5th wheel and ended up ordering a couple at Napa.
We are going driving and for a picnic tomorrow so Marg & I made food for that as well as making dinner. We cooked hamburgers over a fire in the backyard which meant Marg & I picked up sticks and raked burnable yard waste as we waited for the fire to burn down to cooking coals. It was a lovely, warm day so we could eat outside. Unfortunately, this gave us ample time to notice the deplorable state of Marg’s picnic table so we added building a new one to our list of things to do.
May 17th - Sat - 100 Mile House
We met Marg’s friend Jane and her daughter Alisha in town at 9. Jane was leading us on a sightseeing adventure through the back roads. Neither vehicle holds 6 people so Jane drove her truck with Marg & Alisha while Terry, Dad & I followed in our truck. We had to check out a yard sale first and then stopped for Jane to fuel up. We managed to find a route to Kamloops that only took about 6 hours of driving! Highway driving to Kamloops is about 2 ½ hours. We stopped for lunch at a spot that was designated “the center of the universe” by the Dalai Lama in India. It was a lovely, scenic place with a panoramic view.
Next was a stop at a waterfall which required just a short walk. Then we detoured when we hit a road blocked by a downed tree which resulted in the lead car stopping to ask the second car if we knew where on the map we were. Luckily, when we came to a more major road (compared to what?), Marg & I agreed on a left turn and an hour or so later we arrived at Kamloops. We took “the road less traveled” to Little Fort and stopped there for dinner. The animals were very happy to see us when we arrived home at 10:00 for the evening feeding. Fortunately, I had the foresight to take Dolly with us.
May 18th - Sun - 100 Mile House
Terry had the new picnic table on his mind so after breakfast & chores, he & Dad started tearing the old one apart while Marg & I dug up suitable boards for the new one. Marg & I left them at their work and went on the ATV to take salt to the cattle. We ended up checking an electric fence which turned out not to have enough “juice”. So I walked about ½ mile of fence pulling branches & weeds off the wires.
We got back to the house in time to make a late lunch. We all worked on the picnic table and got the first coat of stain on most of it before the usual - doing chores and making dinner.
Marg has dial up internet access so I type my blog entry on my computer, copy it to a disc and use her computer to connect to the internet. I am trying to talk her into getting high speed access - maybe by the time we visit again.
Thursday, May 15, 2008
May 12th to 14th - Spokane to Summerland
May 12th - Mon - Spokane
Just as we were getting up, Bill called and asked if he could make us breakfast. Since we rarely turn down a meal cooked by someone else, of course we accepted. Then we had some errands to run - including trying to find a lock cylinder for a compartment door as Terry broke off a key in one of ours. There are only a few different keys for these locks but of course no one had the one we needed. We tried a couple of locksmiths to get the key removed but they were not open even though their signs said they should be. So we settled for a different key and swapped the lock to a compartment that we rarely open.
Terry went his Mom’s to make sure that Don could get her into the car for a doctor’s appointment while I caught up on our blog. Bill has a high speed internet connection and has a router for their two computers. We were able to use his signal even in the back yard which was great.
Georgia made dinner for us tonight and then we watched “Dancing with the Stars”.
May 13th - Tues - Spokane
I had an early doctor’s appointment this morning and Terry went golfing with Bill and a couple of his buddies. I visited Ella Mae and Don for a bit but Ella Mae was not willing to talk to anyone this morning. Therapists and aids are coming to their house so I hope she continues to improve as she was before she came home.
A few shopping stops and I was back at the rig in time to make sandwiches for all of us for lunch. Then we packed up and moved all the way to the KOA for tonight. This has to be one of the shortest drives we have made - about 8 minutes! We moved so we could visit and have dinner with our friends Dave & Margo who stayed beside us in Mexico for a couple of months.
Dave & Margo arrived about 4. I invited Bill & Georgia to join us for baby backs and we all had a great time. Dave & Margo live in Walla Walla and are on their way to visit their son in Minnesota.
May 14th - Wed - to Summerland
We took our time getting going as we are stopping to see my Aunt Jessie in Summerland and she won’t be home until about 4. We got a phone call from Dave at 7:30 (they left the RV park at 5:20) and they were getting their tow bar welded for the third time since they left San Carlos.
We had no problem getting through Canadian customs. We were not asked at all about food that we had in the rig. Pat & Rick had to give up all their fresh fruit & veggies when they returned to Canada because of a moth problem.
We parked our 5th wheel in the driveway of the house that Aunt Jessie is trying to sell and then went into town to pick up a few items. Aunt Jessie made cabbage rolls for dinner especially for Terry. We sat and chatted until 10:45 - well past bedtimes.
Just as we were getting up, Bill called and asked if he could make us breakfast. Since we rarely turn down a meal cooked by someone else, of course we accepted. Then we had some errands to run - including trying to find a lock cylinder for a compartment door as Terry broke off a key in one of ours. There are only a few different keys for these locks but of course no one had the one we needed. We tried a couple of locksmiths to get the key removed but they were not open even though their signs said they should be. So we settled for a different key and swapped the lock to a compartment that we rarely open.
Terry went his Mom’s to make sure that Don could get her into the car for a doctor’s appointment while I caught up on our blog. Bill has a high speed internet connection and has a router for their two computers. We were able to use his signal even in the back yard which was great.
Georgia made dinner for us tonight and then we watched “Dancing with the Stars”.
May 13th - Tues - Spokane
I had an early doctor’s appointment this morning and Terry went golfing with Bill and a couple of his buddies. I visited Ella Mae and Don for a bit but Ella Mae was not willing to talk to anyone this morning. Therapists and aids are coming to their house so I hope she continues to improve as she was before she came home.
A few shopping stops and I was back at the rig in time to make sandwiches for all of us for lunch. Then we packed up and moved all the way to the KOA for tonight. This has to be one of the shortest drives we have made - about 8 minutes! We moved so we could visit and have dinner with our friends Dave & Margo who stayed beside us in Mexico for a couple of months.
Dave & Margo arrived about 4. I invited Bill & Georgia to join us for baby backs and we all had a great time. Dave & Margo live in Walla Walla and are on their way to visit their son in Minnesota.
May 14th - Wed - to Summerland
We took our time getting going as we are stopping to see my Aunt Jessie in Summerland and she won’t be home until about 4. We got a phone call from Dave at 7:30 (they left the RV park at 5:20) and they were getting their tow bar welded for the third time since they left San Carlos.
We had no problem getting through Canadian customs. We were not asked at all about food that we had in the rig. Pat & Rick had to give up all their fresh fruit & veggies when they returned to Canada because of a moth problem.
We parked our 5th wheel in the driveway of the house that Aunt Jessie is trying to sell and then went into town to pick up a few items. Aunt Jessie made cabbage rolls for dinner especially for Terry. We sat and chatted until 10:45 - well past bedtimes.
Monday, May 12, 2008
May 9th to 11th - Spokane
May 9th - Fri - Spokane/Cataldo
I made breakfast for all of us and then Terry & I did some grocery shopping before hooking up and leaving for our camping weekend with friends. We arrived at Kahndarosa RV park near Cataldo, ID about 1:00 and checked to make sure the CDA River was going down before we selected a campsite. The RV park is right beside the river and has flooded in the past. Willy & Geri arrived next and we had time to chat with them as Willy set up before Bill & Georgia and Woody & Debbie arrived. We have met both these couples (who are friends of Bill & Georgia) on previous camping trips. Donn & Donise pulled in about the same time - new friends for us. After drinks and everyone doing their own thing for dinner, we stood around a blazing campfire that could not keep the chill wind away.
May 10th - Sat - Cataldo
Even before we had breakfast and got out of our rig, 4 more people (new to us) arrived to join the group. Roy & Wally came for the day with their bicycles (their wives don’t/can’t currently ride bikes) and Gary & Margie are staying the night in their conversion van.
It was nearing 11 by the time everyone finished chatting and getting their bikes unloaded and ready to ride. Our group of 14 headed out on the “Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes” towards Pinehurst. The trail is an old rail bed that has been paved to control nasty metals dropped by trains. It runs 74 miles from Mullan ID to Plummer, ID and goes right past the RV park. The weather was just right for bike riding - a little wind and cool but not cold. Our group was not “gung ho” and we enjoyed a couple of stops (butt breaks!!) before the road to Pinehurst. No one wanted to go into Pinehurst so we headed back. We all had lunch back at the RV park, except for Roy & Wally who stopped at the Snake Pit for lunch.
Everyone except me was ready for another ride the other way on the trail. My knee had kind of given out coming down the steps so I decided not to push it and to enjoy my book. Two hours later, they all started straggling back in with lots of moans & groans and spaghetti legs. The morning ride was about 15 miles and the afternoon ride was 16 miles so they did well.
Just before we were all going to sit down for dinner, it started to sprinkle. Terry put our awning out just in case but it stayed a sprinkle just for a while. We pulled chairs over to the fire this time and had to get out umbrellas for a while. At 9 it started to rain in earnest so everyone made a mad dash for RVs and bed.
May 11th - Sun - Cataldo/Spokane
It rained a lot last night but was stopped by morning. We had another campfire so we could stand around and drink coffee and compare sore muscle stories. Bill & Georgia and we were the last to leave about noon.
We parked in Bill & Georgia’s back yard and went to visit Terry’s Mom. We were prepared to cook dinner for Ella Mae & Don but Cindy had made meat loaf for Don to put in the oven so we came back and had dinner in our rig. Bill came out just as we were finishing and invited us to join them to watch a movie. I called Marg before we went in and she mentioned that it was the finale of “Survivor” so we watched that instead of a movie.
I made breakfast for all of us and then Terry & I did some grocery shopping before hooking up and leaving for our camping weekend with friends. We arrived at Kahndarosa RV park near Cataldo, ID about 1:00 and checked to make sure the CDA River was going down before we selected a campsite. The RV park is right beside the river and has flooded in the past. Willy & Geri arrived next and we had time to chat with them as Willy set up before Bill & Georgia and Woody & Debbie arrived. We have met both these couples (who are friends of Bill & Georgia) on previous camping trips. Donn & Donise pulled in about the same time - new friends for us. After drinks and everyone doing their own thing for dinner, we stood around a blazing campfire that could not keep the chill wind away.
May 10th - Sat - Cataldo
Even before we had breakfast and got out of our rig, 4 more people (new to us) arrived to join the group. Roy & Wally came for the day with their bicycles (their wives don’t/can’t currently ride bikes) and Gary & Margie are staying the night in their conversion van.
It was nearing 11 by the time everyone finished chatting and getting their bikes unloaded and ready to ride. Our group of 14 headed out on the “Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes” towards Pinehurst. The trail is an old rail bed that has been paved to control nasty metals dropped by trains. It runs 74 miles from Mullan ID to Plummer, ID and goes right past the RV park. The weather was just right for bike riding - a little wind and cool but not cold. Our group was not “gung ho” and we enjoyed a couple of stops (butt breaks!!) before the road to Pinehurst. No one wanted to go into Pinehurst so we headed back. We all had lunch back at the RV park, except for Roy & Wally who stopped at the Snake Pit for lunch.
Everyone except me was ready for another ride the other way on the trail. My knee had kind of given out coming down the steps so I decided not to push it and to enjoy my book. Two hours later, they all started straggling back in with lots of moans & groans and spaghetti legs. The morning ride was about 15 miles and the afternoon ride was 16 miles so they did well.
Just before we were all going to sit down for dinner, it started to sprinkle. Terry put our awning out just in case but it stayed a sprinkle just for a while. We pulled chairs over to the fire this time and had to get out umbrellas for a while. At 9 it started to rain in earnest so everyone made a mad dash for RVs and bed.
May 11th - Sun - Cataldo/Spokane
It rained a lot last night but was stopped by morning. We had another campfire so we could stand around and drink coffee and compare sore muscle stories. Bill & Georgia and we were the last to leave about noon.
We parked in Bill & Georgia’s back yard and went to visit Terry’s Mom. We were prepared to cook dinner for Ella Mae & Don but Cindy had made meat loaf for Don to put in the oven so we came back and had dinner in our rig. Bill came out just as we were finishing and invited us to join them to watch a movie. I called Marg before we went in and she mentioned that it was the finale of “Survivor” so we watched that instead of a movie.
Friday, May 09, 2008
May 5th to 8th - Spokane
May 5th - Mon - Spokane
St Luke’s had Don working with Ella Mae and therapists today to teach him how to transfer Ella Mae correctly between bed, wheelchair and toilet.
Bill called to invite us to dinner and there were leftovers for Don for dinner so Don said not to worry about him. We stopped for ingredients for a salad and I did laundry and finally caught up on the blog before we went to Bill & Georgia’s. We took our computer as Bill has a router for his wifi connection and we wanted to get new ringtones for our new phones. We listened to a lot of ringtones but decided to wait until we could talk to a Verizon rep for some answers.
After a very nice dinner, we looked at Mexico & Alaska pictures with Bill & Georgia and their son-in-law Jim from Walla Walla who was staying overnight.
May 6th - Tues - Spokane
Had a nice long chat with sister Marg before making breakfast for us. Then off to St Luke’s to find Ella Mae & Don in therapy sessions. Don returned at lunch time to say that Ella Mae was eating in the dining room so we went to the cafeteria. Ella Mae was falling asleep in her sessions so Terry went to speak with a nurse. They said a new medication was probably to blame and they already had a note to speak with the doctor. Ella Mae has been having itching spells which seem to be medication related so we think they made a substitution.
We made a few stops on the way home to check into a wheelchair ramp for the house. Then I got ambitious and started cleaning grass out of another planting bed. It was really bad so I didn’t get it done. I set up my sewing machine to modify a throw blanket and worked on some new rib napkins.
May 7th - Wed - Spokane
We had a lazy morning and then went to have lunch with our friends Dan & Dottie. They live in a very nice retirement complex that has a café on the premises so we had a good lunch there and then visited in their apartment for a while.
We arrived at St Luke’s as Don was leaving to pick up some equipment needed when Ella Mae comes home. We stayed through Ella Mae’s dinner and then came back to the house and went out for dinner with Don. We went to Dave’s Bar & Grill and had wonderful, much-too-large Rueben sandwiches.
May 8th - Thurs - Spokane
Ella Mae came home today. Terry went to St Luke’s about 10 to help Don and ended up having to pick up the correct wheelchair as the rehab director had ordered the wrong size chair. Gary (brother) and his son Trevor came by to visit with Ella Mae. Trevor flew from Portland just to visit his grandmother.
I was busy all day cleaning, baking, cooking and gathering up all our stuff to load back into the 5th wheel. After a late dinner, Terry & I went to pick up Cindy at the airport.
St Luke’s had Don working with Ella Mae and therapists today to teach him how to transfer Ella Mae correctly between bed, wheelchair and toilet.
Bill called to invite us to dinner and there were leftovers for Don for dinner so Don said not to worry about him. We stopped for ingredients for a salad and I did laundry and finally caught up on the blog before we went to Bill & Georgia’s. We took our computer as Bill has a router for his wifi connection and we wanted to get new ringtones for our new phones. We listened to a lot of ringtones but decided to wait until we could talk to a Verizon rep for some answers.
After a very nice dinner, we looked at Mexico & Alaska pictures with Bill & Georgia and their son-in-law Jim from Walla Walla who was staying overnight.
May 6th - Tues - Spokane
Had a nice long chat with sister Marg before making breakfast for us. Then off to St Luke’s to find Ella Mae & Don in therapy sessions. Don returned at lunch time to say that Ella Mae was eating in the dining room so we went to the cafeteria. Ella Mae was falling asleep in her sessions so Terry went to speak with a nurse. They said a new medication was probably to blame and they already had a note to speak with the doctor. Ella Mae has been having itching spells which seem to be medication related so we think they made a substitution.
We made a few stops on the way home to check into a wheelchair ramp for the house. Then I got ambitious and started cleaning grass out of another planting bed. It was really bad so I didn’t get it done. I set up my sewing machine to modify a throw blanket and worked on some new rib napkins.
May 7th - Wed - Spokane
We had a lazy morning and then went to have lunch with our friends Dan & Dottie. They live in a very nice retirement complex that has a café on the premises so we had a good lunch there and then visited in their apartment for a while.
We arrived at St Luke’s as Don was leaving to pick up some equipment needed when Ella Mae comes home. We stayed through Ella Mae’s dinner and then came back to the house and went out for dinner with Don. We went to Dave’s Bar & Grill and had wonderful, much-too-large Rueben sandwiches.
May 8th - Thurs - Spokane
Ella Mae came home today. Terry went to St Luke’s about 10 to help Don and ended up having to pick up the correct wheelchair as the rehab director had ordered the wrong size chair. Gary (brother) and his son Trevor came by to visit with Ella Mae. Trevor flew from Portland just to visit his grandmother.
I was busy all day cleaning, baking, cooking and gathering up all our stuff to load back into the 5th wheel. After a late dinner, Terry & I went to pick up Cindy at the airport.
Monday, May 05, 2008
April 30th to May 4th - Spokane
April 30th - Wed - Spokane
We took turkey buns for lunch with us to the rehab center today. Gary (brother) was there and was going to get something from the cafeteria so we shared our sandwiches and cookies with him.
The weather has turned nice so we washed the 5th wheel this afternoon.
Ella Mae continues to show small improvements. She is scheduled to come home on May 8th for an overnight visit.
May 1st - Thurs - Spokane
We went to Bill & Georgia’s for dinner tonight so I took some turkey buns, coleslaw & pie to Don for lunch and/or dinner. The hospital cafeteria is adequate but Don doesn’t always like to go there alone.
We picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza (my idea!) for dinner with Bill & Georgia. For those not familiar with Papa Murphy’s, it is “take & bake” and is really good pizza.
We had a good visit with Bill & Georgia and left at 9:30 to pick Cindy up at the airport. Her 10:05 flight was about 15 minutes late getting in.
May 2nd - Fri - Spokane
I was finishing up some laundry when Don & Harry Jr arrived with grab bars to install in the bathtub. Don has a swollen, sore elbow so made a doctor’s appointment for this afternoon. Harry Jr and we went to visit Ella Mae. When Terry & I got back, we edged the lawn along the driveway with the help of two 6 year old boys from next door and Terry got his wish for a riding lawn mower and mowed the lawn.
The doctor said that Don’s elbow problem was not serious and the watery swelling should go away on it’s own. Ella Mae may be coming home to stay on the 8th rather than just an overnight visit.
I continued to use the turkey in enchiladas for dinner.
May 3rd - Sat - Spokane
We were just getting ready to head to St Lukes when Don & Harry Jr showed up with another grab bar to install. Then the guys tested out the sprinkler system while I mixed up some chopped turkey for sandwiches for lunch - just about finished the old bird!
We all headed back to see Ella Mae & Cindy. No therapy today and the weather is nice so Cindy had taken her Mom outside for a while.
We met our friends Mike & Mary Lightfoot at the CDA Casino for dinner and gambling. It was so great to see them. We had suggested to Cindy & Don that they take a break and go to the casino also. Sure enough, we ran into them there. We pulled in right behind them about midnight and then sat and commiserated with each other about our losses so didn’t get to bed until 12:30 - pretty late for all of us.
May 4th - Sun - Spokane
Lazy morning after our late night. Don’t know how Don & Cindy did their usual early rising to head to St Lukes. We visited with Ella Mae a while before taking Cindy to catch her earlier flight home. We did some shopping for shoes & jeans and grabbed some lunch out for a change. I started a roast for dinner when we got back to the house and then cleaned grass out of a planting bed covered with red rock.
The weather was wonderful today - not sure why we didn’t play golf.
We took turkey buns for lunch with us to the rehab center today. Gary (brother) was there and was going to get something from the cafeteria so we shared our sandwiches and cookies with him.
The weather has turned nice so we washed the 5th wheel this afternoon.
Ella Mae continues to show small improvements. She is scheduled to come home on May 8th for an overnight visit.
May 1st - Thurs - Spokane
We went to Bill & Georgia’s for dinner tonight so I took some turkey buns, coleslaw & pie to Don for lunch and/or dinner. The hospital cafeteria is adequate but Don doesn’t always like to go there alone.
We picked up a Papa Murphy’s pizza (my idea!) for dinner with Bill & Georgia. For those not familiar with Papa Murphy’s, it is “take & bake” and is really good pizza.
We had a good visit with Bill & Georgia and left at 9:30 to pick Cindy up at the airport. Her 10:05 flight was about 15 minutes late getting in.
May 2nd - Fri - Spokane
I was finishing up some laundry when Don & Harry Jr arrived with grab bars to install in the bathtub. Don has a swollen, sore elbow so made a doctor’s appointment for this afternoon. Harry Jr and we went to visit Ella Mae. When Terry & I got back, we edged the lawn along the driveway with the help of two 6 year old boys from next door and Terry got his wish for a riding lawn mower and mowed the lawn.
The doctor said that Don’s elbow problem was not serious and the watery swelling should go away on it’s own. Ella Mae may be coming home to stay on the 8th rather than just an overnight visit.
I continued to use the turkey in enchiladas for dinner.
May 3rd - Sat - Spokane
We were just getting ready to head to St Lukes when Don & Harry Jr showed up with another grab bar to install. Then the guys tested out the sprinkler system while I mixed up some chopped turkey for sandwiches for lunch - just about finished the old bird!
We all headed back to see Ella Mae & Cindy. No therapy today and the weather is nice so Cindy had taken her Mom outside for a while.
We met our friends Mike & Mary Lightfoot at the CDA Casino for dinner and gambling. It was so great to see them. We had suggested to Cindy & Don that they take a break and go to the casino also. Sure enough, we ran into them there. We pulled in right behind them about midnight and then sat and commiserated with each other about our losses so didn’t get to bed until 12:30 - pretty late for all of us.
May 4th - Sun - Spokane
Lazy morning after our late night. Don’t know how Don & Cindy did their usual early rising to head to St Lukes. We visited with Ella Mae a while before taking Cindy to catch her earlier flight home. We did some shopping for shoes & jeans and grabbed some lunch out for a change. I started a roast for dinner when we got back to the house and then cleaned grass out of a planting bed covered with red rock.
The weather was wonderful today - not sure why we didn’t play golf.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
April 27th to 29th - Spokane
April 27th - Sun - Spokane
Days are starting to run together as they are much the same and not too exciting.
Don & Cindy left early to see EllaMae. I had a nice long chat with Marg and checked email before making breakfast and heading to St Luke’s. Gary (Terry’s brother) and his wife Suzanne stopped in while we were there so it was nice to see them for a bit. We took Cindy to the airport about 4 for her 5:45 flight home. The previous week it took her a long time to get through security so she did not want to leave it until too late. Of course, this time security took 5 minutes and then Cindy had to sit on the plane for an hour while a computer problem was corrected.
Another late dinner when Don got home after settling EllaMae for the night. I finally caught up with my brother Doug to wish him a belated Happy Birthday. All is well with them. Doug is off work right now due to a mill shutdown but he likes the break and stays very busy.
April 28th - Mon - Spokane
Did laundry and checked on medical insurance on the internet this morning. Terry’s brother Harry Jr is here for a couple of days. He, Don, EllaMae and 2 therapists came to the house about 11 so the therapists could do a home evaluation to see what has to be done in order to accommodate EllaMae’s limitations when she comes home. We thought EllaMae would balk at returning to the rehab center but she didn’t.
I had taken a turkey out of the freezer to thaw shortly after we got here so I put it in the oven and then we went shopping. Had a complete turkey dinner for Don & Harry Jr when they got back. Caught part of “Dancing with the Stars” and CSI before Don & Harry Jr crashed.
April 29th - Tues - Spokane
Decided it was time to vacuum this morning. We left our Oreck vacuum with EllaMae and I thought it was taking too much effort to push it. So I checked and the belt driving the rotating brush had broken. Put on a new belt and redid what I had worked so hard to do.
We had an appointment at 11 to complete our insurance application and then stopped to see EllaMae. Gary was there so he, Harry Jr and we went to the cafeteria for lunch when EllaMae went for her lunch. She has been having meals in her room but they wanted to do an evaluation today. Don went to work this morning and he showed up just after lunch as Gary was leaving. EllaMae had a couple of hours of therapy so we left her in Don & Harry Jr’s capable hands and went to check out some equipment for when EllaMae comes home.
Lovely, easy, leftover turkey dinner and DWTS.
Days are starting to run together as they are much the same and not too exciting.
Don & Cindy left early to see EllaMae. I had a nice long chat with Marg and checked email before making breakfast and heading to St Luke’s. Gary (Terry’s brother) and his wife Suzanne stopped in while we were there so it was nice to see them for a bit. We took Cindy to the airport about 4 for her 5:45 flight home. The previous week it took her a long time to get through security so she did not want to leave it until too late. Of course, this time security took 5 minutes and then Cindy had to sit on the plane for an hour while a computer problem was corrected.
Another late dinner when Don got home after settling EllaMae for the night. I finally caught up with my brother Doug to wish him a belated Happy Birthday. All is well with them. Doug is off work right now due to a mill shutdown but he likes the break and stays very busy.
April 28th - Mon - Spokane
Did laundry and checked on medical insurance on the internet this morning. Terry’s brother Harry Jr is here for a couple of days. He, Don, EllaMae and 2 therapists came to the house about 11 so the therapists could do a home evaluation to see what has to be done in order to accommodate EllaMae’s limitations when she comes home. We thought EllaMae would balk at returning to the rehab center but she didn’t.
I had taken a turkey out of the freezer to thaw shortly after we got here so I put it in the oven and then we went shopping. Had a complete turkey dinner for Don & Harry Jr when they got back. Caught part of “Dancing with the Stars” and CSI before Don & Harry Jr crashed.
April 29th - Tues - Spokane
Decided it was time to vacuum this morning. We left our Oreck vacuum with EllaMae and I thought it was taking too much effort to push it. So I checked and the belt driving the rotating brush had broken. Put on a new belt and redid what I had worked so hard to do.
We had an appointment at 11 to complete our insurance application and then stopped to see EllaMae. Gary was there so he, Harry Jr and we went to the cafeteria for lunch when EllaMae went for her lunch. She has been having meals in her room but they wanted to do an evaluation today. Don went to work this morning and he showed up just after lunch as Gary was leaving. EllaMae had a couple of hours of therapy so we left her in Don & Harry Jr’s capable hands and went to check out some equipment for when EllaMae comes home.
Lovely, easy, leftover turkey dinner and DWTS.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 22nd to 26th - to Spokane
April 22nd - Tues - to Rochester, WA
We lollygagged around this morning so we wouldn’t hit rush hour traffic on I5 - and it worked, the traffic wasn’t bad at all. We arrived at the Lucky Eagle Casino, where we stay when we come to visit Dean, at about 11:30. I immediately got a roast in the crock pot as Dean is coming for dinner. Jennifer is sick and the kids are busy with practices and homework so we won’t get to see them this time. Dean is leaving for Bend on Thursday after work to help his mother move so we had a pretty narrow window to get together.
We spent some time in the casino after we registered for our RV spot and then had a nice dinner and visit with Dean. The weather is still cold and rainy.
April 23rd - Wed - to Spokane
We figured that freezing weather should be done so feel safe heading for Spokane to see what we can do to help out with Terry’s Mom. She is still in St. Luke’s rehab. Cindy (Terry’s sister) was able to take 4 weeks off work but had to go back to work last Monday. She works 4 days a week and will be flying to Spokane for the next 3 weekends to be with her Mom. Don (Terry’s step dad) has been spending his days with Ella Mae at St. Lukes.
We had a little delay on the way here in the form of a tire blowout on the 5th wheel. We were about 25 miles from Spokane and getting new tires was near the top of our to-do list while we are here. Didn’t quite make it!! Terry changed the tire - and of course it had to be on the “cars and trucks rushing past” side. A police officer stopped when Terry was partly done and his flashing lights got vehicles to move over a little better.
We arrived at Ella Mae & Don’s house shortly after 5 and used the hidden key to make ourselves at home. We didn’t know how to contact Don to tell him that dinner would be ready for him when he left the rehab center so we just hoped that he didn’t stop for something on the way home. He stayed until Ella Mae was settled for the night so we had a late dinner but one that was much appreciated by non-cooking Don.
April 24th - Thurs - Spokane
Don left early to be with Ella Mae while we stayed in bed a while longer. Then Terry went to get tires for the 5th wheel and I did some cleaning for Don and laundry for us. Next we were off to the rehab center . Ella Mae is improving slowly and she had a full schedule of rehab sessions today. Every half hour someone else was coming to wheel her away in her wheelchair for OT, PT, RT and ST (occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy and speech therapy). She finally had 1 ½ hours free for a rest before dinner so we took the opportunity to get an emission test on the truck, Don to get a haircut and meet back at the house for a quick dinner before Don headed back. Cindy is flying in tonight so Don stayed at St. Luke’s until he had to go to the airport.
April 25th - Fri - Spokane
Don & Cindy left early again (6:30!) and we ran errands, made to-do lists, made phone calls and did more laundry. We got to St. Luke’s shortly before lunch. Don was given an extra lunch so Cindy, Terry & I went to the cafeteria. It was a nice day so Don came back to the house with us and mowed the lawn while I trimmed around 11 round stepping stones in the back yard. While dinner was cooking I reloaded the operating system on Ella Mae’s non-functional computer and got it going & set up again. We held dinner until Cindy got back at 7:30. At 10:10, Ella Mae phoned and was all upset about something and said she needed to come home. So Terry & Cindy drove back to St Luke’s (about 15 minutes with no traffic) and Cindy ended up staying all night. The nurses set up a cot for her so she could get some sleep. Don was sleeping by the time Terry returned so we taped a note to the bathroom mirror explaining what was happening.
April 26th - Sat - Spokane
Don was going to go to work this morning but he woke us and said he was going to the rehab center so we did not need to relieve Cindy which was the plan.
We met our good friends Bill & Georgia for breakfast and a gabfest. A couple more errands before heading to St Luke’s. Looks like this will be the routine for a while! Ella Mae got a break today with only respiratory therapy so we took her for an “outing” to the cafeteria and outside for a quick breath of fresh air. She is regaining movement in her left arm, slight movement in her left leg and is getting some strength back in other muscles. Seems like a long way to go but she improves daily.
Don did go to work after Cindy got back from cleaning up & changing clothes. He returned to see Ella Mae again so we left, picked up some baby backs and had dinner ready when they got back at 7:30ish. Sure makes for a short evening when we eat late.
We lollygagged around this morning so we wouldn’t hit rush hour traffic on I5 - and it worked, the traffic wasn’t bad at all. We arrived at the Lucky Eagle Casino, where we stay when we come to visit Dean, at about 11:30. I immediately got a roast in the crock pot as Dean is coming for dinner. Jennifer is sick and the kids are busy with practices and homework so we won’t get to see them this time. Dean is leaving for Bend on Thursday after work to help his mother move so we had a pretty narrow window to get together.
We spent some time in the casino after we registered for our RV spot and then had a nice dinner and visit with Dean. The weather is still cold and rainy.
April 23rd - Wed - to Spokane
We figured that freezing weather should be done so feel safe heading for Spokane to see what we can do to help out with Terry’s Mom. She is still in St. Luke’s rehab. Cindy (Terry’s sister) was able to take 4 weeks off work but had to go back to work last Monday. She works 4 days a week and will be flying to Spokane for the next 3 weekends to be with her Mom. Don (Terry’s step dad) has been spending his days with Ella Mae at St. Lukes.
We had a little delay on the way here in the form of a tire blowout on the 5th wheel. We were about 25 miles from Spokane and getting new tires was near the top of our to-do list while we are here. Didn’t quite make it!! Terry changed the tire - and of course it had to be on the “cars and trucks rushing past” side. A police officer stopped when Terry was partly done and his flashing lights got vehicles to move over a little better.
We arrived at Ella Mae & Don’s house shortly after 5 and used the hidden key to make ourselves at home. We didn’t know how to contact Don to tell him that dinner would be ready for him when he left the rehab center so we just hoped that he didn’t stop for something on the way home. He stayed until Ella Mae was settled for the night so we had a late dinner but one that was much appreciated by non-cooking Don.
April 24th - Thurs - Spokane
Don left early to be with Ella Mae while we stayed in bed a while longer. Then Terry went to get tires for the 5th wheel and I did some cleaning for Don and laundry for us. Next we were off to the rehab center . Ella Mae is improving slowly and she had a full schedule of rehab sessions today. Every half hour someone else was coming to wheel her away in her wheelchair for OT, PT, RT and ST (occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy and speech therapy). She finally had 1 ½ hours free for a rest before dinner so we took the opportunity to get an emission test on the truck, Don to get a haircut and meet back at the house for a quick dinner before Don headed back. Cindy is flying in tonight so Don stayed at St. Luke’s until he had to go to the airport.
April 25th - Fri - Spokane
Don & Cindy left early again (6:30!) and we ran errands, made to-do lists, made phone calls and did more laundry. We got to St. Luke’s shortly before lunch. Don was given an extra lunch so Cindy, Terry & I went to the cafeteria. It was a nice day so Don came back to the house with us and mowed the lawn while I trimmed around 11 round stepping stones in the back yard. While dinner was cooking I reloaded the operating system on Ella Mae’s non-functional computer and got it going & set up again. We held dinner until Cindy got back at 7:30. At 10:10, Ella Mae phoned and was all upset about something and said she needed to come home. So Terry & Cindy drove back to St Luke’s (about 15 minutes with no traffic) and Cindy ended up staying all night. The nurses set up a cot for her so she could get some sleep. Don was sleeping by the time Terry returned so we taped a note to the bathroom mirror explaining what was happening.
April 26th - Sat - Spokane
Don was going to go to work this morning but he woke us and said he was going to the rehab center so we did not need to relieve Cindy which was the plan.
We met our good friends Bill & Georgia for breakfast and a gabfest. A couple more errands before heading to St Luke’s. Looks like this will be the routine for a while! Ella Mae got a break today with only respiratory therapy so we took her for an “outing” to the cafeteria and outside for a quick breath of fresh air. She is regaining movement in her left arm, slight movement in her left leg and is getting some strength back in other muscles. Seems like a long way to go but she improves daily.
Don did go to work after Cindy got back from cleaning up & changing clothes. He returned to see Ella Mae again so we left, picked up some baby backs and had dinner ready when they got back at 7:30ish. Sure makes for a short evening when we eat late.
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 20th & 21st - Neskowin OR & Vancouver WA
April 20th - Sun - to Neskowin, OR
We got a late start this morning as I took time to check email, pay a bill and talk to Marg for 40 minutes. Short drive today, rained on & off all the way. The RV park is mostly dirt & grass so we made a lovely muddy rut as we turned into our drive-through spot. I wanted to walk the ¾ mile trail to the beach but I am sure glad that we didn’t as there was no way that we could have timed the walk there and back to miss a downpour. So Terry enjoyed a large selection on cable TV while I read a book and we listened to the rain and hail pounding on the roof.
April 21st - Mon - to Vancouver, WA
No sense in sticking around waiting for the weather to clear so we can enjoy the coast - looks like clouds and rain are the long term forecast. There was slush on vehicles this morning and we drove through a snowy landscape as we headed inland. We stopped at Spirit Mountain casino for breakfast. It is a very large, nice facility.
We set up in an RV park and went to find a furniture store that specializes in Flexsteel furniture for RVs. Didn’t find the chairs that I have been dreaming about so didn’t have to make a decision about buying them. Hit a WalMart for a few items and then a grocery store for a stock-up shopping trip. Dashed through rain and puddles the whole time.
The power just went off in the whole RV park and surrounding area. I will finish my blog entries and turn off the computer before the battery runs down. It appears the wifi is also down so posting the blog will have to wait. I exchanged some books at Coos Bay and I can read a book with a battery powered light but Terry is SOL regarding watching TV. Of course, this has to be the evening when I want to watch “Dancing with the Stars”!
Power just came back on so will post the blog quickly in case it goes out again.
We got a late start this morning as I took time to check email, pay a bill and talk to Marg for 40 minutes. Short drive today, rained on & off all the way. The RV park is mostly dirt & grass so we made a lovely muddy rut as we turned into our drive-through spot. I wanted to walk the ¾ mile trail to the beach but I am sure glad that we didn’t as there was no way that we could have timed the walk there and back to miss a downpour. So Terry enjoyed a large selection on cable TV while I read a book and we listened to the rain and hail pounding on the roof.
April 21st - Mon - to Vancouver, WA
No sense in sticking around waiting for the weather to clear so we can enjoy the coast - looks like clouds and rain are the long term forecast. There was slush on vehicles this morning and we drove through a snowy landscape as we headed inland. We stopped at Spirit Mountain casino for breakfast. It is a very large, nice facility.
We set up in an RV park and went to find a furniture store that specializes in Flexsteel furniture for RVs. Didn’t find the chairs that I have been dreaming about so didn’t have to make a decision about buying them. Hit a WalMart for a few items and then a grocery store for a stock-up shopping trip. Dashed through rain and puddles the whole time.
The power just went off in the whole RV park and surrounding area. I will finish my blog entries and turn off the computer before the battery runs down. It appears the wifi is also down so posting the blog will have to wait. I exchanged some books at Coos Bay and I can read a book with a battery powered light but Terry is SOL regarding watching TV. Of course, this has to be the evening when I want to watch “Dancing with the Stars”!
Power just came back on so will post the blog quickly in case it goes out again.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
April 18th & 19th - Gasquet, Coos Bay
April 18th - Fri - Gasquet
Another morning of coffee, a yummy breakfast and lots of talking. The guys joined a friend of Craig’s to go golfing again while Cathy & I were free to do what we wanted. First, Cathy reset some mole traps and dug some “Gasquet potatoes” (rocks) while preparing a bed for flowers. The whole area where they live was once a river bed so there is more rock than dirt - hence the rock walls built by Cathy.
Then Cathy & I drove to Brookings for a little shopping - barbeque, propane tank & groceries with a failed attempt to find some shorts for Cathy. This was the first time I can remember shopping for clothes and asking “do these come in a smaller size”!
After another good dinner with contributions from both of us, I worked with Cathy on her computer. She uses Picasa for her pictures so we figured out how to back them up nicely and worked out a system for her to clean up her files. Then a bit of time with both Craig & Cathy on email and it was bedtime.
April 19th - Sat - to Coos Bay, OR
Shared coffee & breakfast has become a habit here - and a nice one! We packed up, said goodbye and hit the road at 9:45. Fueled up in Brookings and got some propane. The attendant at the gas station said we would be seeing snow at any point on the road above 500 feet and he was right. It was actually sticking on the road for one short stretch but didn’t cause us any problems.
We are staying at Midway RV park (PA) just out of Coos Bay. We made a couple of trips to a nearby RV supply store to get a new vent cover and a couple of other small items. A “couple of trips” because the first time we didn’t know the style/model of vent cover. Who knew they were not pretty much all the same? We did our little fixes before checking out the local casino.
Our money actually lasted too long at the casino so we weren’t eating dinner until 10 o’clock since I had a small pork roast out for dinner.
Terry’s Mom is still in rehab and her recovery is slow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) had to return to work so Don is, probably temporarily, not working so he can spend time with Ella Mae and take in clean clothes for her.
Another morning of coffee, a yummy breakfast and lots of talking. The guys joined a friend of Craig’s to go golfing again while Cathy & I were free to do what we wanted. First, Cathy reset some mole traps and dug some “Gasquet potatoes” (rocks) while preparing a bed for flowers. The whole area where they live was once a river bed so there is more rock than dirt - hence the rock walls built by Cathy.
Then Cathy & I drove to Brookings for a little shopping - barbeque, propane tank & groceries with a failed attempt to find some shorts for Cathy. This was the first time I can remember shopping for clothes and asking “do these come in a smaller size”!
After another good dinner with contributions from both of us, I worked with Cathy on her computer. She uses Picasa for her pictures so we figured out how to back them up nicely and worked out a system for her to clean up her files. Then a bit of time with both Craig & Cathy on email and it was bedtime.
April 19th - Sat - to Coos Bay, OR
Shared coffee & breakfast has become a habit here - and a nice one! We packed up, said goodbye and hit the road at 9:45. Fueled up in Brookings and got some propane. The attendant at the gas station said we would be seeing snow at any point on the road above 500 feet and he was right. It was actually sticking on the road for one short stretch but didn’t cause us any problems.
We are staying at Midway RV park (PA) just out of Coos Bay. We made a couple of trips to a nearby RV supply store to get a new vent cover and a couple of other small items. A “couple of trips” because the first time we didn’t know the style/model of vent cover. Who knew they were not pretty much all the same? We did our little fixes before checking out the local casino.
Our money actually lasted too long at the casino so we weren’t eating dinner until 10 o’clock since I had a small pork roast out for dinner.
Terry’s Mom is still in rehab and her recovery is slow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) had to return to work so Don is, probably temporarily, not working so he can spend time with Ella Mae and take in clean clothes for her.
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