Burnaby, Hope, Lillooet

I was on time leaving the clinic.  The staff are so helpful that way.  I got home and was packed ready to load the KTM 690 Motorcycle onto the front of the truck.  I’d packed the cross bows, extra clothes, and was looking forward to Gilbert meeting up with the God kids.  They’re his little people. When he’s with them he feels totally part of the pack.  Kevin and I had left it vague. I had some clinical calls.  Next thing I was late.  

Chilliwack RV closes at 5. I’d left my keys with the owner so an RV repair guy could look into the fridge not working on propane.  Not only did he do that but he also straightened out my struts and cleaned the corrosion away so they worked just fine.  I missed my appointment with Holeshot.  I’ll have to wait till next week to have the hard luggage installed on the KTM.  I’ll apologize profusely.  

Work interfered with play and despite my promise to myself after 40 years of work coming first, I didn’t love myself as I love others.  Now what I thought of as service and commitment and duty, the government calls workaholism, codependency, and ego. The government dictators are ‘smart’, clocking in and out on time, never doing more than what is paid for, smiling and ‘acting’ like one cares but really ‘It’s just a job, Dr. Hay.”  

There are no gold watches anymore and our reputations are sullied by the very people we gave our lives, and hearts and souls too.  Now management smugly disparages us and says that we’re not really needed.  What everyone needs is more and more and more of the committee people.  Soon there will be no one except them.  They are so petty and callous.  The new world order. And I’ll find any excuse to wallow in self pity and avoid accepting I failed to make an appointment.  I missed an optometrist appointment and that’s been a year.  There never seems to be enough time.  I do get away. It’s the only way I’ve been able to come back.  

Chilliwack RV was a wonderful experience as always. I was helped lining up the camper.  It was loaded in no time despite the battery being dead and having to hand crank the struts.  I worried the whole way there that the motorcycle would fall off the front of the truck and now I had something new to worry about.  Soon I wasn’t worried about anything and enjoying immeasurably riding along the country road to Chilliwack.

I stopped at Canadian Tire for Gilbert’s food and some arrow bolts for Kevin and a bear banger for Anna. She’d attracted 3 bear when she was fishing and said she’d had bear spray. You don’t want bear close enough to have to use bear spray.  Bear bangers are the way to go. 

The new truck says the oil needs to be changed .As if I didn’t have enough mechanical and electrical things to consider.  I figure the ‘soon’ in the message gives me till I return and get it into the dealer before we go away for the opening of bow hunting season.  Every year the deadline for having stuff ready and working is the opening of bow hunting season.  Rifle season starts a week or so later.  

At the Huskey I filled up with gas, $200 to fill the tank and it takes a half tank to a tank for a weekend with the camper.  Still I love the Palomino Maverick and last week tenting confirmed for me how much I love having my own portable shower, bed, bathroom sink and stove.  I even have this table and seat for writing on and love sitting here for morning coffee.

I also filled the extra gas tanks, 2 five gallon ones, and then drove round the back . There I filled the camper water tank and the blue 5 gallon water jug with the gas station water.  

Just round the corner is Save On Food so I stopped for cream for the coffee, some steaks and corn and potatoes. I figure I’ll have barbecue though knowing how good they are fishing we might well eat trout.  

It wasn’t till Lytton that I got a text from Kevin that they’d headed up to Lytton the Pemberton way only to stop at a creek over on that side to camp.  Hopefully we’ll connect tomorrow.  

It was dark and I didn’t like driving at night with the bright lights of passing cars and deer by the side of the road that might just decide to jump onto the road.  Thankfully I found this little cowboy trail half way to Lillooet. I love the sage brushes.  

The mood is full and beautiful.  Gilbert has walked about with a flashing light on his collar. He drank lots of water and ate two little Caesar’s. Now he’s sleeping.  He did a full morning at the clinic, greeting his special friends.  Then he had to supervise the loading and watch the truck each time I stopped for anything. He takes his guard duties seriously.  

I love that I’m out here.  It’s so quiet and still.  I’m blessed to be in God’s Country BC.  Now to bed.  Thank you Jesus.