Easter Camping Trip

We have arrived.  I’ve just set up the camper outside while Laura organized inside.  It turns out that we’re not the only ones skipping church this Easter weekend. We may still make a Sunday service near here but the wilderness is godly.  There’s a few millions campers and RV’s in the beyond Princeton area. More than I’ve ever seen in the summer or fall.  Our favourite place was packed but here we’re still by the Similkameen River and not so surrounded.  We heard on the way up that an unprecedented number of Vancouverites had fled the city and backed up the ferry sailing 4 sailings.

I slept in an hour. Laura arrived at 9.  I had to figure out how to mount the KTM690 on the front of the truck.  I forgot I had to take off one of the aluminum panniers to make it work. Laura helped me push the KTM onto the rack.

Loading gear. I’d gone off and brought home the Winchester Coyote and the Sexcaliber the night before.  I loaded them with their companions.  I loaded the Honda generator then just had Laura and my travel bags and my computer case.  It was l0 am.

I don’t know why traffic was slow. Laura said it wasn’t rush hour. But still the Langley bottleneck black hole was twilight zoning the freeway.  I gassed up in Abbotsford.  $200 will get me 650 KM.  Justin Trudeau money. I remember yesterday. before Jihadi Justin,  when a hundred dollars filled my tank and gave me 900 km.  Now there’s going to be a gay loonie. I sure hope it’s sexy.  We could use anything now to make Justin Trudeau’s Quebec UN sponsored economic rape more appealing.  

News reported unprecedented line ups at the border too. Everyone is crossing to get American oil that despite the inflationary Canadian money is worth the trip for a tank of gas.

I was delighted to get to Chilliwack RV STorage. John is one of the finest most trustworthy men I know.  His wife is beautiful and very intelligent while his son is everything a family could want. He reminds me of the my nephews.

I’d forgotten to take the tail gate off the Ford. It weights more than the truck itself. Laura and I did a Laurel and Hardy routine getting it off. 

I next found the remote for the Happy Jacks.  But I didn’t remember the ‘trick’ to turning it on. I vaguely remembered it needed to be pressed in two places. Laura was skimming the Adventure Camper manual when I truly just lucked out and got the light on the remote to work. The Easy Jacks didn’t work though. Then I remembered I needed to turn on the battery. It took me a minute to remember the battery wasn’t where the old camper battery was and then to locate the switch.  Voila!

What a happy sound the Happy Jacks make as they lift the camper to a height where we can ease the truck box under the truck. That was a whole other adventure. I’d totally destroyed the previous camper crashing into it so was intent on not doing a personal Rambo on my new camper. 

We’d learned from the fabulous fellow at Frazerway where our glorious Adventurer Camper came from ,that the best way to ease back  very slowly with back and forth movements and getting out of the truck to check  every foot or so of progress. Laura was immensely helpful repeatedly screaming “Stop. Stop.”  

It really worked. Together we got the camper properly positioned in the truck box. Then with the easy jacks we lowered the  camper.  Voila!

I found the skookum tie downs and forgetting a bit jury rigged a second attachment.  All’s well that ends well.  

Laura with the strength that women have lifting trucks off babies, helped me get the Ford tailgate into the camper to leave with John. At the office, John agreed to stow the tailgate and lifted it like Samson into his office, letting me carry a bit to save face.

“Have a great weekend camping,” he said as I pulled away.

We’re away.

We stopped at Canadian Tire in Chilliwack for a hammer. I have several hammers, just not one with me.  I love hammers. A Thor thing. Next Stop Husky.  Filed the jerry cans with gas and then filled the camper with water.  

“I feel Shannon’s vibes’, Laura said. She called her daughter who was serendipitously nearby. I said I wanted steak from Superstore. She was blocks away and joined Laura there.

I got my steaks, potatoes, coffee cream, Chocolate bars, croissants, and all the other necessities we generally need when we’re roughing it in the Canadian wilderness.  

“Ham is the Traditional Easter dish,” Laura said.  I had a ham for us and picked up a smoked honey ham Easter gift for Shannon and her oodles of children.

When I got back to the truck she was there. She had Evie with her. One of Laura’s 6 grand children. The youngest. 1 1/2  years old Cutest smiling little angel I’ve seen in a dog’s age. Gilbert was in love. He loves little children. Thinks he’s one himself. They hit it off immediately I loved seeing the Grandmother, Daughter, Grandaughter combination. All beautiful and very Celtic. 

Hugs and kisses.

“I forgot to take pictures. I was so happy to see my children.”  Laura said as we were driving away. 

We were headed up the Number 3 Highway past Hope  to Princeton.

The evergreens were beautiful and the air was so fresh.  

“On the Road again. One more time I’m on the road again. I”m on the road again.” I sang.

“Whose song is that, “ I asked Laura who was still glowing from her motherly encounter. 

“Willie Nelson.” She said.  

“I’ve been singing that song forever. Probably sang it when I hitchhiked across Canada as a hippie in early 1970’s” on our way to wear flower in our hair in San Francsisco. 

“We’re on a road trip.” Laura said filled with greed and setting Gilbert to barking delightfully.  

“I love road trips.”

“On the Road again. One more time I’m on the road again. I”m on the road again.”

The rain and gloom hit us in Manning Park with high piles of snow and drifts along the river.  It was looking grim until we came over Sunday Summit and the sky cleared.  Blue sky and white clouds.  Coming down into the Princeton Valley it was beautiful breath takingly beautiful.  A grand rainbow crossed the whole sky.

“Rainbows are always appearing at Easter. You see them in cards with a Lamb.”  Laura said as we continued driving west.  The wilderness campgrounds were full till we found this one. It’s perfect. Gilbert made it his with a great poop in the middle of the little road that ran beside the picnic table. 

Now I’ve made a coffee and written a bit. I found the grinder and have Ethiopian coffee beans set aside for the morning. They’re the best coffee beans in the world. So we’ll just have to rough it a bit more. Laura is reading in the bed. The air is truly delicious. The sound of the river running nearby is heavenly. Our furnace goes on and off. It’s so cozy. I’m so happy.  Good FRiday.  Hallelujah. 

       

September Long Weekend Camping BC

September Long Weekend.  I love the fall.  The chill has been in the air a few days.  With the rain the worst forest fire year smoke cleared some.  I’ve had the camper at home with Eric of Starfleet RV Repairs  fixing the seam in   the Palomino Maverick camper.

“I saw Eric siliconed the seam,” Dave said.

Mack responded, “Bill’s got Eric on speed dial.”

Well I didn’t expect to hit a tree backing into a spot.  Who looks up to see if there’s enough clearance.  When I got my sailboat I hit everything for few years too.  Then I stopped hitting things. I expect it will be the same  with this camper.  When I started sailing I thought everyone was standing on their boats to greet me when I came into docks. Up closer I realized they all had spears and were waiting to fend me off.  So far  though 

,the tourists in RV parks haven’t surrounded their rigs with big tires when they see me coming. In fact my  RV was hit no doubt by some blind octogenarian.  Meridian RV thanks to my insurance with Rand and Fowler is fixing that ding next week. 

 Just before I hit the tree limb, Dave had offered to watch, but I said I could do it myself. (Wrong).  

Eric replaced the the water pump too.  

 The trouble with a second hand camper is lots of initial repairs, but well worth it.  I wouldn’t have paid for what a new one cost so these minor repairs are well worth it.  It doesn’t leak. All the systems are working.  

The KTM 690 motorcycle is loaded on the front rack. The Motorino Electric Bicycle is loaded on a  back bike rack.  I loaded the Excalibur Cross bow and bolts and the  Winchester Coyote 300 short win mag rifle.  September 1,  bow season opens for bucks and rifle for Black Bear.  I plan to ride around on the electric bike early morning with the cross bow and in the after noon ride about with the rife.  Mostly I want to ride around on country roads and say I’m hunting.  I will likely do some hiking but I’m not really that keen on hunting like I once was.  I hope to shoot something for the pot  but mostly I’m looking forward to the outdoors, exercise, dirt biking, and the exquisite company of my two favourite person’s, Laura and Gilbert

“It’s Laura’s tent, “ Dave told Mack pointing at my camper. “I know, ‘  said Mack 

I’d woken early and gone to Better Health Clinic only to remember that Kayla the MOA had reminded me I’d booked off this Friday. Gilbert and I are creatures of habit.  We were now up and had done the dance of the 3 S’s in record time. Back home I got out of the dress shirt and slacks and donned my work shorts and Hawaii t shirt.  

I’d bought some  Walmart silicone spray to touch up a crack on my white RV.  It said it’s as ‘advertised on tv’.  What could go wrong?.  Well, for one I learned that the black cap means black spray.  My dad taught me to test paint on something before applying it to the object you were painting.  I should have followed his advise.  I don’t know why I was sure the spray was ‘clear’ except that I wanted it to be. I worry I’ve been listenign too much CBC and CNN news. 

He didn’t tell me that the pray on the advertsized on tv stuff is turbo charged and didn’t appear to  distinguish between camper and white truck.  I cleaned it up mostly.  There was a surprising amount on the windshield which would have interfered with driving.  I went back and got some white spray , as advertised on tv, not that I’d seen it on the shows that I watch.  The advertisers for silicone spray don’t seem to focus on us NCIS or Bing Bang Theory folk.    I also like to watch Mom. 

When Laura arrived in her little red Smart car with her Eagle Creek rolling carry on flight bag I was  ready to go. She did change George’s litter and put out his food, hugging him good bye. For a rescue cat who used to hide from everyone he now looks so forlorn when Laura, I and Gilbert leave him. Gilbert’s his best friend.  Why else would they lick each other’s butts? 

At Holeshot I had service booked to mount the Touratek Aluminum panniers and the windshield.  I got the Motorcycle off the rack without any damage to vehicles, self or planet.  While service was doing it’s thing I walked over to Moxies and ordered Laura and I a couple of their fabulous burgers and fries.  

“The waitresses were all models, Laura.  I don’t get out much I know but we’re talking drop dead gorgeous.”, I told her.  “ Of course they’re young and I’m just another dirty  old man ogling them. I actually resisted staring because I am Canadian and it’s know the world over Canadian men can actually rape women with their eyes.”   

Laura said she was glad I contained the Canadian male gaze.   “Remember the girls at Earl’s and Cactus club,  when  you asked your beautiful friend  Lisa how they got away with such discrimination against ugly girls and the feminists not doing anything.  You told me, she said, “I don’t know. I always get the job and they simply don’t hire ugly girls.”

“Exactly,” I responded, ‘ The feminists never fight fair. All this shit about racism when in fact it’s the ugly and the beautiful.”

“Did you see the Facebook thing  on Airline stewardesses, “ she responded. 

“Yes” I said, “ I hate the fat old  flight attendants.  I can’t imagine them helping me physically if the plane goes down.” 

“And they’re always so ornery and grumpy. “ Laura said, “ I feel sorry for them. I wouldn’t want to be having hot flashes at 50,000 feet either.” 

The KTM 690 looked beautiful and the boxes were huge.  Such an improvement. This weekend I’d be carrying ammunition and now with the boxes and their tie down spots I could add a net.  Grouse season opens in a week or two and now I’ll have a way to carry back game and also a place I can carry my break down 22 rifle to shoot the grouse.  I’ve a scabbard for the KTM I had from years back on my Honda. I don’t know quite how I’ll attach it.

We filled up with gas in Abbotsford and got propane in Chilliwack.  Now we’re in our favourite river side Telte-Yet Camp Site in Hope.  It just took minutes to get set up.  Laura shook out the bed while I locked up the bike and motorcycle.  Gilbert had another walk and we didn’t even bother with water or power because we’re going to leave first thing in the morning.  Heading up #1. I’m happy to be going in the day light. Maybe we’ll see game but mostly I don’t like night driving with critics waiting to jump in front of my new motorcycle and relatively new truck and new to me camper. I”ve seen pictures of guys who hit moose and with all I’m carrying I imagine it would be really messy. 

Laura is really pleased that we stopped.

“I like going to bed at 8:30 to read,” she said. 

The truth be told so do I. But bed time is more like 930 to 10 and I can read too.  We love reading.  I let Gilbert up on the bed. It’s so cute in the morning to see him lying on Laura’s pillow. If she doesn’t share he just lies on her face.