Easter Monday. Holiday Monday. My alarm went off set for work five days a week. Gilbert cried to be in bed. I rose to the task. The little licky squirmy rolly bundle of cockapoo got right between beautiful Laura and me, belly up, intent on getting dual pets, We indulged him. I fell back to sleep. Napped another hour. Got out of the camper bed because I love coffee. Stove top expresso. Cream and honey. A cup for me and a cup for Laura.
I was reading a Griff Hosker Men of Sword “Blood on the Crown” novel, medieval historical fiction.
I’ve read 3 novels this weekend. I had a new little neurology text I opened then quickly shut. G.Michael Hopf, the Lawman. Great fast read. I love a good western when I’m camping. I read a Greg Loomis Thriller with his ex CIA, Husband and wife, Lang and Gurt team and their vulnerable young son. The Chinese trying to put missiles in Haiti, the superstitious Creole president wanting the remains of Alexander the Great, Atlanta, Port Du Prince, Venice and Egypt shoot outs and chases. A well crafted intrigue easy to read with good characterization.
The last was a WWII Battle of Britain Spitfire book with alternating chapters one of the English pilots the other of the German pilots. Sad tales of young warriors and men in love with pretty girls in time of war. Such waste. Good action. Sweet romance.
I was reading on my Ipad and hadn’t downloaded more from Kindle. We’re without wi fi so was fortunate to have those to read. I also had to use the generator to charge our phones and ipad. During that time I read the paperback, Trudy Turner ‘s Packtrains and Airplanes, memoirs of her and her parents homesteading Lonseome Lake near Bella Coola, BC. Great read. Hard life but good fun. Laura has read others of Trudy Turner’s describing the simple but robust isolated life the family had.
The first day here we just set up. We’d arrived late afternoon so I just heated up Stag Chilli to have with the the fresh buns I’d bought at Superstore. We read and sat about outside. no mosquitos. But ants bit both Laura and Gilbert. I saw there was an ant hill nearby. Both of them must have frightened or irritated the ants Gilbert yelped once. I assumed it was an ant. Laura startled and stepped on the ant that had bit her, probably in self defence. She just put her feet up on the picnic table after that. Gilbert lay down further from the ant hill. There weren’t any flies either. No hornets either. Saturday was an easy day. I had the lawn chairs out and we sat and read in the sunshine and warmth.
We had a neighbour with a dog. From the distance we couldn’t tell if she was a he or he was a she. Slim short haired androgynous looking with pink running shoes. Girlish face from a distance but tomboyish mannerism. She’s been alone camping. I felt like My Favourite Martian’s neighbour, just curious. It had all started because at first we thought there were two. A boy and a girl. Because of the clothing changes. In the end it seemed the was just one. And the dog.
Our other neighbour was an old couple with a satellite dish. I wondered if it was wi fi or tv, especting the latter because they were white haired and old. No ageism here, and they at most have a decade on me. Probably have satelite phones and high tech in the bus.
Things were so slow at our site that I actually suggested I get out the binoculars to study the neighbours. Some bikers on Harley’s had a pup tent out one night. Another very fat couple in a van sat by their fire all day. I saw them roasting marshmallows. I must remember to get some marshmallows to roast.
Laura read Reader’s Digest and did crosswords.
I unloaded my KTM 690 from the front of the truck. Laura wanted some flameless candles she bought each time we were here at the really terrific Princeton Home Hardware. She also wanted some liver treats for Gilbert she’d got there the last time we visited. He’d really liked them. I had the rifle in the hard case but decided I should have a soft case to make the rifle even more politically correct when I’m riding the KTM. I carry it on my motorcycle with a trigger lock. But nowadays with so many fragile urban Huffington Post readers I didn’t want to trigger an offended screamer. I love visitting the hunting store in Princeton. I’ve got knives, ammunition, guns, fishing gears and cammo hunting gear over the years. The couple that run it know their stuff.
Our toilet seemed full but we hadn’t used it then I realized it was just plugged a bit as the water line descended.I’d decided I needed a bucket to drain off the black and grey water a bit if a problem like this arose. As it was there was lots of capacity. All it took was a stick to plunge it but “I needed” a pail for the future. We don’t drain the black water though I did once dumping it in the outhouse year’s back with a pail when some of us guys stayed a week in the trailer. We have run off the grey water , just from washing, under the RV, soapy smells, but a pail would do better.
The fact is I love the ride into town along the winding Old Hedly Road. It’s beautiful scenery, wild wilderness along the Similkameen River then cattle and horse country. I’ve loved riding that rode every time on an enduro. It was just made for the KTM.
In the town I even got a Nexteck power bar to store power to use later to charge the iPhone’s and iPads. I like running the Honda 2000 generator a couple of hours a day. The double RV batteries on the Adventurer would last a few days with the little power we use, mostly furnace and lights but I just like using the sweet little machine. I carry a jerry can of fuel back up but it runs for hours on the fuel in the tank. I filled it at the gas station while Laura was selling a spare kidney to buy Trudea Carbon scam Canadian gas. It’s advertised as kissed by Sophie to justify the extortion. I have the jerry can to top up the KTM too. I had to give my left testicle to fill that.
In the town after the little shopping I did, the excuse for the glorious sunshine day ride, I filled up the bike and headed back, my new poop pail bungee corded to the paniers. After I dropped off the pail I drove to the nearby wood supply paying $5 each bundle and carried these back bungee corded to the panniers. The meat store that had been there was moved, a dissappointment because we so like their sausages.
I barbecued beef hot dogs for our dinner. I’d made a fire and the combinations of wood smoke and barbecue smells were as good for us as they were for Gilbert. He was rolling around on his back in dog heaven. Taking him for walks has been another big event in our tedious days.
Fresh air and Pink Moon sleeps in the camper are awesome.
Prayer and meditation Easter Sunday.
More bacon sandwiches for breakfast.
I actually got my rifle out and cleaned it then loaded up the KTM for an afternoon backwoods ride, target practice and supposed bear hunting. I waited till noon to head out since that was the least likely time to encounter bear. I am a serious grouse, deer and even moose hunter but I’ve only shot bear rarely. Other than the ham I’m just not that great a fan of bear sausage. I have a rug with the head mount of the first bear I shot bullseye in the forehead when it suddenly walked onto the same log bridge I was crossing at Knights Inlet. I’d had a taxidermist fix it up mostly for that hole in the forehead. I had it on my wall for a number of years too. Not that I have ever succumbed to vanity.
The drive up the gravel logging road was a pleasure. Each year I’ve a period of time when I’m relearning. Sliding gravel. Balance. Not to fast. Not to slow. I did a dozen miles up to the top of the mountain then headed off on a muddy side road. I found a great place to stop and set out targets. 50 and a hundred yards. I had the Winchester Coyote with 300 win mag shorts. I shot off 3 shells at 50 yards all grouping 1-2 inches around the bull’s eye. At one hundred yards. I put two shots side by side an inch apart a couple of inches from the centre. I adjusted the scope but found I had only a dozen more 300 win mag shorts as I’d brought the 30:06 shells by mistake. Not too smart. I could have shot more and got more accurate but after a year not shooting then shooting that accurately I was confident I could hit a bear well if needed. I’d a good excuse now to go back down and get more shells and have another coffee.
That’s just what I did. Returning I decided to take the Creek road and met a couple of the local ranchers I’d met previously driving down the rocky hill on their quad’s. They said they’d not seen any bear but I’d already seen some sign on the other logging trail so would go back to that one. Ranchers are generally happy to have bear hunters take care of a threat to their spring calves.
I saw a grouse on that road and bones of a calf which I guessed had died in the fall, it’s bones stripped white. I startled a Mule doe when I came back down and headed up another logging road. It turned on the road and began heading back down the hill, thought better of that, turned and ran back up the mountain, crossing in front of me at most a dozen feet away. I could see the nostrils flaring and the strong muscles propelling her uphill. Nice encounter with nature.
There seemed like a lot more magpie, the black and white bird with long tails than I remember. I saw another Mulie out in a field a ways off. I was delighted to come across the rose grosbeak. I’ve only seen a few over the years. A Badger was sitting by the side of the road as I passed. I love the wildlife I see just driving around the back woods. The streams were up high and there was still old snow in the valleys here and there. It got colder as the day got on and I rose higher in the mountains. Coming down the mountain took all my concentration with the gravel. The quad really was the best hunting platform. On two wheels coming down I only had eyes for the road. I sure was tired and chilled when I got down. Coffee never was better, just for the warmth.
Barbecued steaks and Caesar salad with another big fire for the evening. Laura had turned off the furnace but I’d cranked it back up to get warm after riding. Now after a feast eating a chocolate Easter bunny reading my Kindle book I was warm and content again.
Laura told me that the girl next door had been wearing a pink tank top and had a definite girl figure and was dancing with the dog. “She’s definitely a girl.” She said. The great mystery of the weekend solved. I still don’t know for sure if the satellite dish is for tv or wifi. The old couple might be CIA too with a satellite dish. Reading Loomis I considered that.
Another great sleep. Though I woke at 1 am for some unknown reason. Gilbert and I took a walk about then. Laura in the morning said she’d not even noticed. I had some yoghurt and Perrier and gave him some bacon treats before going back to bed.
I’ve had great dreams. I ‘m on my peninsula with my boat in the harbour and am meeting friends in the church. Loved running into Art. Normally we hug but in the dream in the church surroundings we bowed namaste style. I joined a Bible study but didn’t know what page we were on. I had that embarrassment in church recently ,slow to get to the communal readings. Family were in the dream and others. I wake so refreshed and happy, comforted by these after death images, the future beyond the grave. The place I’m going to in my mind at least. Mansions in heaven.
Now we’re doing more nothing.All I have to do is load the KTM and we’re be nearly ready to leave, Laura stowing the interior, Gilbert observing. I’ve made a couple of cups of coffee and may have more. We’re out of bacon. The plan was barbecued steak sandwiches. There is just too much to do on these camping vacations. The stress of decision making and neighbour watching is just overwhelming. We’re have to get back to work tomorrow for a vacation.
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