Thunder and Rain

The thunder woke me at 5 am.  Loud crashes, bangs, explosions, grumbles and rolling noises of heaven.  I wasn’t surprised Madigan was whimpering. I came off down and let him outside to see that Armageddon hadn’t begun. After I peed and sat with him. He wanted up on the bed to bother Laura. She’d woken too, climbing down to pee, saying hello to Madigan but not helping him up on the bed.  

 I climbed back in bed. The warmth. The coziness. She always smells nice. Flowery perfume.  Tossed blond hair.  What a glorious morning.!

The rain came then, a veritable downpour. Heavy steady drumming on the roof. We had to close the skylight to stop the ricochet getting in.  

Now I’m up. I’ve made us coffee.  I boiled eggs and they’re waiting.  

I’ve glanced at Facebook.  Facebook Friends travelling all over the world.  Everest, Malaysia, Thailand, Mexico, Alaska, Maine.   It’s fun to see others camping in BC like us.  The city folk are enjoying pavement pleasures. I prefer the forest and great escape.  I finally saw a boy up.  All around the other RV’s and Motorhomes are contained. The rain hasn’t let up.

“Doesn’t this remind you of the day we were motorcycling camping on the sunshine coast. We phone dad from the inside of the pup tent where we stayed till the rain let up in the after noon.  “. 

“Yes, it was near Lund.” She answered.

Now there’s a man walking by with two little  dogs . He ‘s quite contorted bending down and scooping up.  Makes me wonder if I look like that

I’m reading the historical fiction, Last Citadel, a novel of the battle of Kursk.  It followed Stalingrad, the battle I’d seen memorized in the Moscow War Museum.  Kursk by contrast was the greatest tank battle, Russian T-34 facing the German Mark IV’s and Tigers.  It’s an amazing story of Germans and Russians. Dimitri is the father, a Cossack from a long line of village elder Cossacks.  He’s the tank driver. His son Vatya is the tank commander and gunner.  Katy’s his daughter is a Night Witch.  “A Cossack family fights together.”  It’s the perspective that’s so interesting, not British, not American and this eastern war where Asian and Europe clash.  I’d just read a history of the Black Sea so was astonished at the steppes and distances.  It reminded me of the long train ride I took overnight from Moscow to St. Petersburg, the endless forest.  The distances.

I’m used to distance in Canada.  I don’t imagine city folk are .  I’m mean calling them the pavement people believing much of our problem with media and politics these days is city folk living in a magical world of water, heat, electricity, sewage disposal can cause them to believe in their own significance.  Being out in the country is humbling. Camping is humbling. Reading history is humbling.  I’m bothered by the egomania of the politicians today and the acceptance of the people of their idiocy and ignorance of science and nature.  

Last nights storm was a reminder of how powerful nature is and how enduring the earth.  

The river is high and raging this morning. I can see and hear it from here.  I’m thankful now for rays of sunlight breaking through the cloud cover.  I imagine I’ll get out on the ATV like I did yesterday. Madigan loved the ride up into the mountains. It was good to shoot the Ruger 30:06, just a couple of shots an inch apart at 50 yards. It’s an amazing rifle , the one I’ve shot most of my big game with, moose, deer, elk, bear, these last 30 years since I bought it, one of the first stainless steel rifles. I was living on the SV Giri at the time so loved a rifle that could handle the ocean environment.  Everything else rusted and till the stainless steel rifles came I was forever oiling the old ones. I have a 223 rifle along and would like to target practice.  I could take some targets along.  Right now though I’m just thinking of reading some more and maybe coffee. 

thank you Jesus.

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. 

       

Old Hedley BC and Spring Bear Hunting

I drove my Ford F350 HD edition truck towing the Rockwood Mini lite trailer from Vancouver.  There's no snow in the Frazer Valley but the woods were full of snow in Manning Park.  By the time I got to Princeton I saw dozens and dozens of mule deer. There were no antlered deer because this is the time of the year the deer shed their antlers.
I stayed in a lovely RV park, Riverhaven, just beside the Gold Mountain Road, as the #3 crosses the Similkameen River. The RV camp is a km beyond there where the Stemwinder road to the mountains turns off.  It's a lovely forested site right on the Similkameen River with very friendly helpful owners.
I set out from there with my truck or Honda CRF 250 motorcycle.  I had Gilbert my cockapoo with me and he road either in the passenger seat of the truck or in his dog box on the back of the bike.  I had my Ruger bolt action stainless steel 30:06 in the truck but carried the Mossberg 30:30 lever action while out hiking on in a scabbard on the motorcycle.  I had some fun target practicing.  The bear might have avoided me but I killed some pop cans dead at 100 yards.
We had a great time back country.  A little exciting 4x4 ing in the truck when I had to go up a mountain on John's Creek road, got into snow and ice with no place to turn around. It's times like this I miss my quad.  The motorcycle wouldn't have been any better with the iced road, though when I was riding it the next day and got into a bad stretch of rock slide it was easy as pie to turn around. That's the limitation of the big truck on the logging roads, no turning radius.  When I had the Broncho II it was almost like having a quad because I could turn around anywhere. The same was true with the Ranger truck compared to this monster with the crew cab.  Even in the worst of the high mountain snow and ice I was thankful to have the bike in the back. Barring sliding over the side and plummeting a half mile or so, I figured at least if I got stuck, I might be able to ride out on the motorcycle and get help.
The first day out I forgot my iridium phone. Since getting hurt in the woods a couple of years back I've felt better for the ability to call for help. I'm finding I'm not as confident running over logs and down hillsides, having this nagging worry that I could quite easily break an ankle or such.  Silly thoughts for an old codger but still the phone gives me a measure of comfort.  God's with me wherever.
Gilbert and I had a great hike in the woods for a few hours off Stirling Creek logging road.  He was ecstatic when we scared up a grouse. They're out of season. I watched one big boy doing the cock walk by his female, feathers all fluffed out.  Didn't point him out to Gilbert who upwind didn't know he was there though if we'd stayed he would have heard them with his keen ears.
All manner of deer in the woods. I came across a couple of herds of a dozen or more riding along the Similkameen River trails.  They were out in the meadows and ran back up the mountain when I appeared. Quite the sight each time.  4 actually ran across my path at a cars length away bounding across the meadow to the safety of the woods.  Some even came into the campground only to turn around and find their way out by the way they'd come in. They'd walked up from the river.
I stopped at the town of Old Hedley. There's a museum there celebrating the Gold Mine that was once there.  I liked the little town with people making it pretty and welcoming for tourists.  I took pictures of Magpies on a roof there.
We never saw any sign of bear so figure they're still in hibernation.  Another week or two and this area will likely be crawling with them. I've seen many in the fall when I've been up around Princeton hunting mulies.
I can't say I've been a dedicated bear hunting either. No early morning departures.  I've really enjoyed hanging out at the RV park, one day driving into Princeton on the motorcycle without Gilbert and the other days only hunting a few hours, mostly just driving about in the back woods or out hiking.  Country folk do just this for entertainment.  I have a rifle, binoculars, a knife and hatchet but otherwise I could be going out for a Sunday drive.  Gilbert sure is excited when I get the rifle out.  I think he always thinks we're hunting partridge, his favourite, and doesn't have a clue why I pass up going where he thinks the most likelihood of finding birds is.  The last time I had him on a bear hunt, we came around the corner and there was the big black bear. This startled Gilbert and he began to bark ferociously nervously scaring the bear away looking back at me to make sure I was backing 'big dog' up.  I've got  him trained not to bark at animals in the woods, I think, but it's a learning process.  It's not the same hunting without him though. He's sheer entertainment with all his enthusiasm and interest , sniffing and pissing, running circles and generally so much happiness. Alone I'm just on task.  He's probably not contributing to the hunt but the hunt isn't all about getting a bear. It's mostly about being out in the woods and enjoying nature.  Getting off the grid for an hour or two too.  It's so peaceful and quiet in the backwoods.  This time of year I didn't even encounter loggers or other folks out in the wilderness.
This RV site is so peaceful too. Right now I'm looking down at the river.  Later today I'll head back to Vancouver.  Gilbert's had a great time with a variety of country dogs playing and showing them his city dog moves.

Riverhaven Motel and RV Hedley BC

Riverhaven RV is only 20 km past Princeton on the #3 highway.  The road crosses the Similkameen River at the Gold Mountain Road.  Stemwinder is to the left and just beyond there is the turn off to Riverhaven RV right next to Gold Mountain RV.  Yesterday, I was the first customer this year.  The owner was terrific guiding me into my place and making sure I had power, water, sewage and wifi.  I've overlooking the Similkameen River which is a lovely view indeed.  It's so quiet and peaceful with lush green all around.  Another RV came in today.  There's this lovely sand beach along the river. Gilbert and I walked down last night, just a path down the bank, really.  The stars were bright in the sky. The river was gurgling and talking. The white capped mountain peaks loomed in the distance.  I love it here.  This morning deer , coming up from the river bank, walked right on through the park. They got themselves trapped for a moment but found away out. I was able to get some great pictures.Later I was across the river and took a picture of my RV in Riverhaven.