Journal - Burnaby - Thor

The long weekend is passed.  Madigan and I walked Laura to her little red Smart Car and she headed back to her Bute apartment home.,  Madigan barked but wasn’t as upset as he’s been in the past. I think he’s learning ‘objects constancy’ . That’s the term we use in child psychology for when a baby drops something and doesn’t believe it disappeared.  I believe Madigan is begging to believe Laura will return or we’ll visit her but she’s not ‘gone’.  

He adores her and she loves him.  I believe he sees her in some mixed up Oedipal way as his mommy he’;d like to hump.  I love how much he enjoys our walks together, part of a bigger pack,  Also he works the room.  Has her throw his toy till she tires then comes to me to ‘fetch’.  It’s a family atmosphere.

I didn’t do anything this weekend.  A few errands, a few calls to pharmacy, a meeting, a swim, walks and mostly preparing and eating meals and reading novels.  I love hugging Laura.  I like kissing her too,

The Pride weekend was on with the parade and crowds and I miss seeing it but frankly traffic and crowds are barriers to me going to events. I’d much rather have gone camping with the Sober Riders in Keremeos.  Maybe next year.  I have been enjoying life in the new Thor Hurricane motorhome, barbecuing outside, sitting in lawn chairs in the sun.

I really am enjoying For All the World the Apple TV Science fiction historical drama based on idea that Cold War continued with NASA and the Russians having moon colonies. Last night they had a mars colony and were trying to capture an asteroid.  It’s captivated me like the Sons of Anarchy, Yellowstone, and Breaking Bad series did.  

Madigan had an accident with diarrhea I cleaned up in the morning. Then he didn’t poop all day and I walked him for over an hour before he did. He’s had lose stool this morning.  I’m thankful for the paper towel and comet and the new wet swifter.  

Now it’s work.  Yesterday’s BC Day civic holiday will make it a short week. I’ve just signed up for the UBC Pacific Psychopharmacology conference.  

First the long term neighbour across from us left then the neighbour on the left and now the neighbour on the right has pulled out.  All this activity has me wanting to head to Logan Lake like I did a couple of years back, enjoying swimming each lunch hour.  We’ve considered going away for the Labor Day Long weekend but didn’t find a good RV campground open. Our first choice was Whistler Campground and next Harrison.  It’s a popular weekend for camping and everything seemed booked up.  I may look more.

I’d best get settled into the office seat and begin the days telemedicine work.  

Thank you God for this weekend.  Thank you Jesus for all your blessings.

Burnaby - Thor,Gratitude, Grace

Thank you God for this day. Thank you for a night of sleep and interesting dreams. Thank you for the peace and quiet of the awakening day. Thank you for the sunshine. Thank you for  Madigan. Thank you for my ancestors.  Thank you for this Thor. Thank you for the coffee, eggs and yoghurt. Thank you for work and play. Thank you for Jordan Peterson’ We who wrestle with God.  Thank you for Fry’s Mythology.  Thank you for westerns and reading and eyes and imagination of story tellers. Thank you for history and chemistry and physicals. Thank you for my friend Kirk and his Salt Spring Island coffeeshop revival. Thank you for George, his 49 years of inspiration and his love of Burnaby Fellowship, women and cats.  Thank you for Madigan. Thank you for vehicles. Thank you for air. Thank you for space. Thank you for astronaughts and the dream of Mars exploration. Thank you for civilization. Thank you for sensuality and silk and satin and trade. Thank you for satin. Thank you for prayer and contemplation. Thank you for meditation. Thank you for breath.  Thank you for Apple. Thank you for universities. Thank you for medicine and engineering.  Thank you for logic and truth. Thank you for spirituality and the learning of the artists and ethicists,  Thank you for morality and grace.  Thank you for poetry. Thank you for animals and birds and wheat fields and forests and lakes. Thank you for oceans and whales. Thanks you for fish and rain and tropical winds. Thank you for Saipan and San Francisco, Ottawa, Toronto, London, Vancouver, La Paz, Brandon, Churchill, Victoria, Parksville, Tinian, LA, Arizona, Mexico, British Columbia. Thank you for Canada and the USA.  Thank you for all those who have been freed from communism and totalitarianism. Thank you for civilization, Thank you for gravity and physics. Thank you for all dear Lord. Thank you for creation and life and this journey and adventure you have given.  Thank you God for your presence and companionship and reassurance. Thank you for yesterday, today and tomorrow. Thank you Jesus.  

Burnaby - ODAAT

I am in my Thor Hurricane Class A Motorhome.  I’m 73 years old.  Still working. Today is Monday and I have a virtual clinic booked all day. It tires me but I love to be of service. I enjoy the routine.  This year and next are planned around my continued work., I’m looking forward to going south this year to LA and Algadones,  I heard that Dr. Jordan Peterson, whose book, “We who wrestle with God” I’m listening to on Audible now, has moved to Arizona.  My favourite place right now is Fountain of Youth nd Bombay Beach Southern California.  For now I’m loving Burnaby. The weather is wonderful.  

I’ve had an incredible journey these last few months, returning from Southern California in my Ford Truck and Adventureer Camper with the Vespa.  I left that at the Chilliwack RV Storage and came back to my Fuzion RV in my Mini.  I took Laura to Harrison Hotsprings, We had a lovely weekend enjoying walks round the pond and hotsprings in the spa.  

I’d not been able to unload my Camper because of damage and weakness at the passenger side Lazy Jack.  That meant I didn’t have the truck to move the RV if I needed to. I confess I felt stranded and an acutely need for a self propelled home.  I’d liked the camper and truck but they were small.  The Fuzion was large enough though I’d had the problem with mice and I didn’t like the garage office.  I’d contemplated motorhomes for years.  Dad and Mom had their Queen they loved and visited Good Sam campgrounds with. 

The political situation has been scarey.  I’ve not felt safe or secure in Vancouver.  I’d rather be in a small town outside a major city.  The peninsula of Vancouver is always a traffic jam. When I was on the sailboat I was safe and could get away but here I was with a sense of being trapped.  The election was won by the Liberals again with massive third world immigration, WEF and UN corruption and major Chinese influence.  The Republicans in the south were a safer bet as the world with doddering Biden and constant lies of media was careening towards worsening World War.  Ukraine and Russia fought on.  Israel and Gaza and Iran fought..  Taiwan stood against Communist China and Trudeau idiocy had made everything in Canada scarey.  At least Carney was an adult though personally ideologically a concern.

The fact of the matter is I had justification for upgrading to the Motorhome after seeing Ernest and Nicholina’s.  I would save 3 months of storage when I drove south.  I imagined reducing to just he Motorhome eventually. I loved the Thor.  I love the Thor. 

It was a status thing too, In the world of snowbirds the motorhome is class A.  I envied my friends Tiffany and the neighbors Dutch star but truthfully I felt home. I felt I was where I needed to be but didn’t like the debt incurrred but my savings would cover the cost and maintain funds. I didn’t like that Liberal mismanagement o the enconomy and corruption created inflation which reduced my savings punishing the good of Canada, by a third. It’d hard being ruled by sociopaths but countries communist China and Korea are worse.

I’m learning to ‘look on the bright side’ and recommended the Monty Python song and tube version of the choir singing on the crucifixion

I’m away of my character defect and tendency to  catastrophize and to go to self pity.  I know ‘poor me’ is a mental virus’s.  I’m okay today. 

I enjoyed the monumental task of buying the Thor and transferring the contents of the Fuzion RV to my new hom at Traveland. Kenny Rogers was a good salesman and like salesman do took advantage but in then end I had the deal. I’d phoned George and George for help with decision making and had the incredible kind, wise and wonderful support of Laura.  Then moving Alina and Alena from Merry Maids helped with Laura and Anna.  Anna was glad to get the Potlach as were Mach and Dave and Ernst.  I had too much ‘stuff’ and was glad to minimize.  I imagine my friend Barb would have sold everything on the Facebook Marketplace and made a few thousand but I enjoyed the happiness of sharing my good time and seeing the joy of windfall in eyes of friends.  It was amazing that it was done and even more amazing when Laura and I drove the Thor to Burnaby.

I was then off with the camper and truck driving across Canada to see the family in Ottawa, visit nephews and great nephews I’d last seen before Covid.  Adell was incredible. I miss my brother and wish he were aicve.  I returned with the hard bottom inflatable and 30 hp.  All the while I continued virtual medicine.  It was a great journey.  

I’d learned that I had cataracts and macular degeneration and my eyes need to be monitored with the possibility of surgery in the near future.  Driving and seeing the country was part of that,  Coming home again was great.

Laura and I then took the Thor to Sunshine Valley, our first excursions and all went well, 

We attended the International Confrwence of AA at the Vancouver Conveention centre and BC Stadium with some 50,000 people.  What an experience!

Then I drove my HD Nightster Special Motorcycle to Spokane for the IDAA. I spent time with the Cyberdocs friends and Madeline,  I’d seen Dave and Dave at the Int4rnational and then again in Spokane, Tommy was a pleasure to be with, She’s in her mid 80’s now.  It was all uplifting.

The motorcycle ride back in a day was a hoot.  I’m so thankful for God’s grace., 

Now I’m settling into a routine. Laura was here with Madigan but she’s gone home. I’v had the week with him He’s adjusting to all the changes.  We’re getting back to routine,

Meagan and Alan had Maizy, an 8 pd baby girl.

That’s exciting,

We’re booked for hunting in October, the Thanbgiving Weekend. I’m still trying to arrange for a weekend camping with the Thor but all the spots were booked for the Sept 1 long weekend.  Sept 10 is the opening of rifle hunting.  I’ ve called Kevin to see if the Camper is repaired.  Dave came by on the weekend while spent time on Saturday and Sunday retrieving data with Ayden at Apple, I’d made a terrible mistake and almost deleted all my files when I was just trying to clean up ny photo files. 

My PAL card arrived in the male but I’m still waiting for the Nexus card though the computer says all is fine,

I’m working on ODATT

I took my 28 year cake at Burnaby Fellowship. Now I’m looking forward to giving George his cake.  It’s a challenge 

I’ve work cases involving the courts at Docside but otherwise it’s no challenge

I continue to attend St. Barnabus Anglican Church but haven’t been this month,  Emily has been away on sabbatical.  

With the scare of losing files I’ve decided to move forward on writing my books.  So I’ll start editting and printing. It seems such work.  Blogging is so much esaier.  Keeping journals.  

I don’t so much wrestle with God as play peek a boo with Jesus,  

Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. I aim to maintain an ‘attitude of gratitude’ one day at a time,  

Burnaby - Canada Day

it was truly wonderful to wake yesterday in the Sunshine Valley.  The sky was blue. The sun was hot.  Children and dogs were playing.  Quads were gunning their engines.  People were headed out to the pools with multi colored towels, The air was fresh with the scent of campfires left over from the night before.  Early risers were cooking breakfast. Laura and I and Madigan had slept the night through waking restful and grateful. 

Thank you God for another day. I’ve woken that way today. Thank you God for another day.

It took little time to load the bicycle, take down and stow bicycles, lawn chairs and Starlink.  I knew how to retract the awning and the slides and the jacks.  In no time we were pulling out of Sunshine Valley RV Resort.  Heading home.

I’m more confident driving.  I’m used to the noises of the motorhome.  It’s clunky like a Jeep or Truck.  It’s big.  The alarm sounded when we passed the RV slums roughly the same distance we’d come when the alarm had gone off going the other way.  I was able to stop for gas only to find the gas fill was on the driver side. I found the portable water tank on the other side. It was tight getting into the gas pumps but after going slow on the side road with increased ventilation the beeping stopped,, I’d found it came from the bedroom and later surmised it was a sensor by the fuse box, perhaps the propane sensor or electrical. The clothing and ‘stuff’ from the bedroom side window had fallen and likely was contributing to the lack of ventialiation. I later asked Grok about alarms and learned more.  I feel I’m ready.  It’s heat and ventilation related and went off when I turned off the engine and when I increased the ventilation.

I believe the Ford air conditioning system needs more fluids. The ‘change oil’ sign comes on in the morning. I plan to discuss a service with Coastal Ford maybe in August.  Having driven across Canada with the change oil sign on the F350 and discussed that with several mechanics I’m okay for a while. I do wonder spiritually why I’m having lubricant maintenance signs happening on the truck, the motorhome and months back the Harley.  What is the meaning for me at the deeper level?  I don’t know but I’m okay. I’ll prevail.  

I’m thankful for sobriety and AA and the lessons of spirituality because I remember how ‘freaked’ and ‘anxious and angry’ I’d have been 30 years ago.  I really did believe God was hostile and punishing and the world was hostile. Today I’m thankful that I believe my God is a loving God and that we will ‘win’ in the end.  This too will pass.  Life is a journey and an adventure

I’m back in Burnaby at a different site.  It was a much easier ride home.  I still love the panorama view from the grand Class A window.  It’s glorious.  I feel like I’m at the movie theatre driving a bus.  

Laura helped me back into the new spot closer to Earnest and Nicoliona’s Thor.  The key was having a bush rather than a tree behind me so the Starlink was unobstructed. My Torino Electric Bicycle is pushed up against the bush and not easily accessible, But I have my Harley once again.  

I am happy with the electric bicycle for now but will get the Motorhome over to H&E hitch to see if I can mount my motorcycle ramp and carrier to the back.  I eventually want to tow a little truck like the Ford Maverick so I can carry the Harley in the back and have the truck for expeditions.  

Laura and I want to take the Motorhome to Harrison’s next this summer, and maybe Whistler RV.  I find myself looking forward to returning to Fountain of Youth hot springs in Southern California and LA Long Beach.  I’m living one day at a tine but hopeful and feeling positive about the future.

We’re set up again here,  It’s so green and pleasant.  I road the Harley to Tiki Boo Laundry dropping it off for the lovely young Asian lady who runs the place with her kindly husband. Hard working intelligent folk.  I remember thinking the same of the Jewish couple who ran the corner store near the apartment I had decades back.  I love seeing hard working reliable people.  

I’d screwed up with the holiday and work so spent to afternoon doing virtual work and phoning people from the morning so that I was able to manage work as well. A long and tiring day with the drive, But so good to be home safely,  So happy with the Thor Hurricane Motorhome.  

Madigan and Laura are such good company, Madigan did  chew the comforter , something he’s not done in a year but it’s a whole new home and world for him so I’m understanding of his anxiety.  He’s a funny little guy, killing Big Bird and the stuffing going all over

I barbecued chicken that the Full Basket Butchers and sold me already marinaded, We had it with a prepared chopped salad kit. It was delicious,  Then we watched Blue Bloods,  Tom Selleck and Warburg and the other great family characters with positive Catholics values and service.  Too much late night snacking with ice cream bars but not too bad on the scale of things,

Today is Canada Day.  I commented on Facebook that people should beware of honking their horns in Ottawa. I continue to distrust the government the mass migrations, the heavy taxation the corruption , the foreign affairs, money missing, globalism and the Liberals in general.  But Carnie is more intelligent than Trudeau and less nauseating.  I’m hopeful.  Israel and the US have bombed the Iranian nuclear facility.  China and Korean and Russia have come together to back Iran, The war between Russia and Ukraine continues with increasing drone use. Elon Musk continues his Starship production.  I hope we reach Mars soon.  

Today is Canada Day. Canada is the greatest country in the world,  God’s country.  The Islam invasion continues and I remember Tom thinking the LGBT were the shock troops. Seeing the silly Lesbians for Palestine promoting sharia law is absurd but journalism is more and more just like the Kardasians, click bit,

I’m thankful to be here, blessed by the present

Laura is up and putting the leash on Madigan to take him for his morning walk.  I’ll make another coffee.

Intnerational AA Convention is beginning this week in Vancouver and I’m looking forward to getting to some meetings and speeches. Next week I ride my motorcycle to Spokane to attend IDAA.  It’s a good year for sobriety. I took my 28 year cake and am thankful for the learning and understanding.  Keep coming back. We’ll love you till you can love yourself.  Spirituality is growing love inside.  If there’s a problem you’re looking at the problem in the mirror.  Laws of attraction and perception. Presence.

Thank you God.  Thank you Jesus.  Saints of all religions I bow to you all. May your love shine forever on the sanctuary of my devotion.

Thank you Jesus.  Holy Spirit Come. 

Burnaby Home with Madigan and Thor

I am thankful to be home on my Thor Hurricane Motorhome.  I arrived back from Spokane on the HD Nightster Special. What a ride! Laura and Madigan had had the week together.  We got a Monday reprieve, walking the dog and barbecuing steak

Tuesday I spent the day working. Returning to the routine.  Virtual patients 3 hours in the morning and afternoon.  Troubles shooting and prescribing. Walking the dog and sandwiches.  Then at night NCIS.

I was pleased to pick up my laundry before Tiki Boo Laundery Closed.  I was also pleased to be paid and turn pay off the credit cards I’d used in travelling,  After buying the Motorhome and travelling to Ottawa and Spokane it was a bit getting out of credit card debt. Now I’m back on track and feeling better for it.

I’d tried to find an RV site for the Sept 1 long weekend without success,  Ecerything is booked out to 4 hours drive.  That’s the bow hunting opening and then the following weekend is rifle hunting, I was pleased to finally get my PAL renewal.  We’re booking off the week before the Thanksgiving hopefully to go up to Clearwater,  I don’t mind a 5 hour drive if we’re staying a week,  

Today I’ve woken at 6, meditated and walked Madigan twice around the park listening to Jordan Peterson discuss Moses and the Burning Bush,.

It’s a routine, these work days.  I was emotionally drained yesterday and wonder at times how it would be without that stress,  I’m being of service and I like being paid. It’s routine.  A bit of a slog at times but really a good life. I feel like all those others who have good work and are steady eddies. I’ve been so pressured in the past and under such demands.  Now it’s almost like being back when I had the government job for a year. I’m not liking the waste and corruption in the news so I try to avoid it,  Social media is increasingly inundated by the systems shit.  I liked watching the lives of friends but that’s less and less of the platform which is increasingly marketing shit.  Shit advertising, shit ideas and shit products.  I need to better use my time, I did some exercise today 

It really is good. This is a lovely place and I really am grateful for all the blessings I’ve been given

Thank you Jsusus,  

Monday Morning, Mid June

Laura told me she woke at 4 am.  We’d watched episodes of Rookie till 10:30 pm after the Barbecued pork chops, wild rice and corn I’d served for dinner.  

Yesterday was a good day. I attended St. Barnabus Church and enjoyed Martha’s sermon on the Trinity.  It was good to ride my Harley. I’d left Madigan home with Laura.  On the way back I’d stopped at Home Hardware to pick up 3M Command damage free hooks to hang pictures in the new Thor Hurricane motorhome.  Laura said she and Madigan has slept in.

After coffee we’d done the hour walk to the duck pond and back. I’d taken pictures of a heron and a red winged black bird.  It was a good hike.  Reading westerns and napping in the afternoon.  

The American Army 250 year anniversary coincided with President Trump’s 79 year birthday.  I thought him older but then I’ve become older. Mentally I don’t notice it but physically my back complains.  Apparently he’d watched France’s military parade with macron years past and wanted the same for America.  I enjoyed it.  Disappointingly the left Democrats tried to upstage the national event with protest riots claiming it a “no king’ day.  Ironically it appeared to be mostly retired white middle class people. ICE was rounding up and deporting illegal aliens.  I was shocked to see that in the past previous presidents had done this for 10s of millions. This is the back bone of the black market economy and obviously central to the criminal class. One notice said that $500 a day was being offerered for ‘protestors’ to march. I remember decades back when $50 was the going rate for the weekly DTES fashion march.  Soros is under investigation in Congress for funding these events that become riots.  BLM and Antifida the Marxist communist organizations have millions in funding from his ‘open borders’ , the migration movements that are providing ‘scab voters’.  

I enjoyed the military parade on uTube.  In the 60’s my attraction to Vietnam protests was principally the gorgeous women, great music and marijuana.  I suspect 90% of the crowds of the day were there for that.  We all wanted to ‘give peace a chance’ and ‘all we need is love’.  It was before the Beatles wrote ‘we don’t want a revolution’ and hypocrisy wasn’t in full swing.  Today it looked like the sort of crowd that came out for the fireworks  at the Military Parade and the Protests before the illegals and rioters took over.  I remember leaving a demonstration as it went off rail when I was younger and loved Gandhi and Martin Luther King.  This pro terrorist anti Israel Hamas backed crowd is a different kettle of fish.  

I remember Ganesh telling us that the jewel thrives that broke into his store and robbed it were a gang that travelled all over the US and Canada coinciding their one day in and out robberies on flights with riots.  Criminals are sophisticated.  I never got a 100 inch color tv at a peace rally in my day but that seems more the attraction now the only fans and legal pot have made that attraction less appealing. Certainly the lawless and illegal aliens had a major reason to want their ‘gravy train’ to continue.  Lots of motivation but not godly by any means. Peace and love had been spiritual but today it’s mostly like the Buffalo Springfield say, ‘people carrying signs, mostly say hooray for our side’.  Gordon Lightfoot’s Black Day in July is more like it but the participants seem more like ‘rebels without a cause’.  Putin described his days as a KGB agent in Europe promoting the anti war rallies to undermine the western world. I’m old enough to appreciate law and order today.

Today Laura accepted the coffee i made for her before we carried her stuff to her car.  She’s terrific coming mostly for weekends. I used to go to her place before Saipan when she lived in a suite that accepted dogs and parking downtown wasn’t such a challenge.  Now she’s been driving out to see us.  Madigan barks when she drives off waving in her red SMART car.  He really likes when we three are together, a bigger gang.  He and I are buds but Laura is his love.  He’s sleeping again.  At least we put up the picture Laura’s sister, Carolyn gave us.  It has Gilbert riding on the motorcycle with me. It personalizes the space just as the hanging of knots and nautical signs my brother Ron gave me does.

We walked around the park. I prayed.  In my mind I am asking God to help me know him and to show me the way he wishes for me today.  I felt lifted higher as I mentally expressed gratitude for Laura’s visit, the walk with Madigan, the greenery and tranquility of the park. I really like the elegance of the Thor.  I booked the long weekend in Sunshine Valley as a trial run. We plan a few weekend trips so that I’m ready for the snowbird drive south in winter to Long Beach, Fountain of Youth and Arizona.  I am really enjoying being a virtual doctor.  I like helping patients but I don’t like going into the city or even offices. For so many years I had offices in my home or on my property. Today I still see people at home but mostly work on video and phone with weekly trips for a half day to the clinic. Then when I go away to the woods or the sun I take my laptop top and ipad and iPhone with me and thanks to Starlink and cell coverage with the Oscar program I’m able to do psychopharmacology, assessment and therapy. 

The big event for me on the weekend was running out of propane so not having hot water to shower. Thanks to Propane Depot I bought the connector and was able to fill the Motorhome partially from the propane tank I have for barbecuing.  

I’m enjoying Russel Brand. I’ve followed his sobriety journey and enjoyed his Christian baptism.  He too thinks of reality as potentially a digital cyberspace product of the gaming universe of our present.  I feel the lighteners of being when I consider the space within atoms and that gravity remains controversial. Teletransportation and communication make enlightenment much more tangible.  

God is omniscient.  He’s everywhere, everything. I am God and God is all.  He’s omnipotent, all powerful.  I wake up each day with pleasure in the day.  It once was a struggle and I had horrible nightmares but today my dreams are commonly of journey and places. Increasingly I have memories of positive experiences, My perspective is lifting. I’m looking up to God.  I’m lifting my head and feeling lifted on eagle’s wings. I love that feeling and sense of expansiveness.  God is omnipresent. I meet him in the now I’d like a more articulate communication less mysterious, less the wee small voice but I know that all of my life is God’s communication and it’s good, I thought the other day that my mortgage was a partnership with the bank and rather than thinking negatively I saw this as a relationship and more evidence of positive participation.  

This week is the G7 and I’m looking forward to PM Carney making better financial decisions for Canadians so we can collectively benefit from the advances in AI and nano technology. I am thankful for the radical abundance available. I was really glad when both the US and UK back Israel attack on the terrorist regime of Iran. This is all just news.

In my personal world I felt the wind therapy that Dave and Rogina and Carolyn talk about when they get on the motorcycles and ride I do feel that on my Harley. My Vespa is so enjoyable like the best enhanced bicycle in the city but my Harley seems a country road machine and sings to me when I’m on it.  

I am grateful and so appreciate each day of sobriety and all the gifts of recovery and love of God.  Thank you Jesus.

Adventure- Thunderbay, Sault Ste. Marie, Ottawa

I’m surprised I made it.  I feared mostly falling asleep at the wheel.  The passage over the top of the Great Lakes at times was a bit like the Saskatchewan flats. I stopped several times for brief naps. The scenery was of course spectacular with forest and water. Coming around a turn there would be the Great Lakes over and over again.  Playing peek a boo with water. Green and blue.  There was intermittent rain.  Some storm. 

Thunderbay to Sault Ste Marie was a haul. It all was really. Hours upon hours of driving. I find 6 hours is more doable but I’ve been doing 7 and 8 hours.  I enjoyed the KOA in Sault St. Marie. In the morning the office was pleasant, a delightful attractive older woman who told me she’d been working here 40 years.  I filled up with Propane.  It rained a lot.  I was glad when I could turn off the wipers.  

I didn’t know if I could get from Sault St. Marie to Ottawa.  I have to remind myself that I had an extra day with the Monday Holiday.  Now I’m here.  

Thank goodness for Verghese, Covenant of Water. That was my audiobook I listened too the last few days.  Several generations of Keralla family.  Amazing story.  

I’d tune in to CBC occasionally.  The inauguration of the Pope.  PM Carney was there .  He was described as a devout catholic and that gave me hope. I enjoyed the Pope as a religious leader but not as the secular dictator that he is. The Vatican is a country and he involvement in politics, every with the Nazis, has been Machiavellian. His globalism today is not what is good for the poor but what is good for the Vatican.  He was at his worst when he criticized President Trump for building walls while he himself and his country was surrounded by walls. Migrants aren’t getting into the Vatican and there are no tent cities or shit on the sidewalks

Madigan has been a great companion. We stop a few times for walks during the day.  He shares my food, of course. I stopped at Dairy Queen and enjoyed the burgers. We also enjoyed the poutine and fish at the chip shop

I texted everyone that I’d arrived . Laura said it was a ‘feat’ and I appreciated she understood.  Blind and deaf and war weary slouching towards Bethlehem.  I’m in Wesley Clover. It’’s very treed but they put me in 17E and I have good Starlink connection.  Electricity and water. No sewage unless I drive out so much rations showers or use public facility. I have a week of black water potential and grey water tank last as long if I don’t shower.  I like that I ‘m here. It’s wooded and lovely.  Let’s hope I can stay.  

Thank you God for bringing us safely here. I really am looking forward to seeing Finn and his brother the unknown great nephew, Elliot. It will be be great to see Andrew and Tanya and Alan and Meaghan.  Meaghan is preggers so I’ll meet another new family member. Don’t know when I’ll connect with Adell and Graeme.  I work three days and this next weekend I’ll plan to be here a couple of days .  Maybe go down to Napanee the next week.  Visitting relatives is not a skill I have or much experience with. Historically I fly in and do a few trips and fly out. No plans this time. I’ll see what the folk want now that my being here is a reality.

Thank you Jesus.

Adventure - Winnipeg to Thunderbay

It was rainy and grey when I left Winnipeg.  The journey to Kenora brightened up. Passing Falcon Lake I had fond memories of water skiing with the twins and first sailing on a lazer with Glenn  I drove around Kenora and was surprised to see Minsk’s. More fond memories of time visitting Kirk at their family cabin.  Canoe trips taking off with friends from the Minaki Lodge. MacDonald’s Chronicles of Minaki.  I think it was the memory of hearing the Lodge had been burnt down that kept me from veering off to visit the old holiday haunt. 

I really enjoyed driving through the Lake of the Woods, pristine lakes amidst forests of evergreen and deciduous forest.  Driving into the Canadian Shield is a grand experience after the prairies and mountains west.  This is a vast area I knew from youth and young adult years. This continues north to the Boreal and Taiga biome. I flew above these forests when I worked with the Northern Medical Unit flying north to Churchill and visiting northern reserves in northern Ontario and Manitoba.  

I was listening to Vergese Covenant of Water so had this incredible background story being told by the great writer and doctor. I loved his Cutting Down the Bone tale of an Ethiopian Clinic.  

The highlight of my trip was stopping by a lake donning a red bathing suit and going for a swim.  The red was a contrast to the green and browns of the season.  The water was chilly but not terrible. I look forward to more swims on the way back when I hope to have more time.

I’m on a mission to get to Ottawa, working 3 days and travelling 3 days.  I’m hoping to have a couple of weekends in Otttawa and Napanee but won’t be able to have fixed plans till I sign into an. Ottawa RV park for a week.

Thunder Bay was a surprise like Regina. It has expanded and been built up far more than I remember. I really liked the town as I had to drive about trying to find an RV park.  Towbridge campgrounds were closed but finally the Thunder Bay KOA had late arrival envelopes.  It was still light out. I can drive at night but I can’t read place signs like RV parks. I can even miss the Rest Area signs though the location signs seem large enough and lighted enough.  I was tired and pleased . It was 15 minutes to set up. Then i took Madigan for a walk and at a beef bologna sandwich and noodles followed by ice cream cone.  Madigan was all for joining on the bologna and ice. Cream.  

I watched an episode of NCIS enjoying Davida and her Mossad connectives. It’s a predictable wind me down plot. Then prayers and sleep. I am awake now with coffee made for the road and sipping the second coffee now.