Moonshadow RV Park, Merritt, BC

I am so excited!!! I’m here in Merritt at the Moonshadow RV Park.  I left Burnaby Cariboo RV Park at 830 am.  Laura had left a half hour before after we spent a lovely weekend ‘hanging out’.  Nick from Traveland Mobile RV Service had installed the new jack pump on Friday. We were good to go.  I had booked in till Sunday morning so Laura drove over in her little red Smart car.  She made Madigan’s day. He loves her. I agree. She’s really good company.

I am able to work virtual but she has to work in a medical office so can’t get away.  

I’m a virtual consultant with Star Link, Mac Book Pro, and Doxy.me medical legal zoom software.  It only took me a half hour to stow and break camp, maybe an hour altogether with attaching the Excali-bar hitch H&E hitch installed so I could dinghy tow the jeep. Each time I set up and take down I get better at it.

I stopped once for gas at Hope.  

The Coquahalla is a wonderful highway. It’s cuts two hours off the previous route.  I’ve just had a few exciting times on the Coquahalla so I don’t approach the road with the love it deserves.  Once the engine on my truck went into to slow home mode and that meant a very long drive home. Another time I was coming home on my motorcycle and the brake fell off.  I’ve also come down on the motorcycle with an early snow.  The scary time was towing the 26 foot RV when the cross winds were horrendous.  This time everything was perfect.  I kept the motorhome at 80 to 90 and accepted 60 km/hr with the big trucks in the far right lane coming up one steep hill. I watched the dashboard and didn’t have the rev’s too high or overheat it.  It’s a motorcoach not a motorcycle. I was towing the Jeep Wrangler too. A train and a load. It all went well.

The scenery with the class A motorcoach windshield was magnificent. Mountains and pines and spruce.  Rushing river.  A drizzle but not too bad.  

I prayed. I’ve got my own version of St. Patrick’s Breastplate Prayer. Please God protect the Thor for mechanical and electrical and hydraulic demons.   Protect the engine and tires.  Protect Madigan and I from all dangers.  That and the Desesert Father’s Prayer served us well.

I was so excited to see the Moonshadow office. We had such a wonderful call booking a place on Friday.  Now I was here. They were so welcoming and so helpful. It’s almost home. I drove by the site then circled back and round and was in the drive through.  Home sweet home!!!  I love landing. Landing my motorhome for me is like docking my ship and I imagine what’s landing a plane must be like.  I love it. I’m here for 2 weeks. 

I’d arrived before noon so the trip only took a little over 3 hours.  My map sad ithe distance was 253 Km and would take 2 hours and 45 minutes. .

Now I’m here. So happy!

Getting all set up with jacks down, slide out, water lines and electricity and sewers jeep unhitched and Starlink set up with barbecue out on the picnic table - only took me an hour.  I’ve even walked Madigan along the incredibly scenic rushing river.  I love it.  Madigan is very pleased. He handled the trip in the motorhome quite well getting more relaxed each trip.  I’m very happy.  Time to take the Jeep for a ride.  

Thank you God. Thank you Jesus!!!

Jeep Wangler 2024 Willy’s Edition 4x4 2 door

I am pleased.  First day of spring . I have been wanting to trade in my wonderful Mini Cooper because it doesn’t dinghy tow behind my Thor Hurricane motorhome.  I’d gone with Laura to look at the Maverick Hybrid weeks before and liked it, However when I went back again I thought it was bigger than I needed and had decided I didn’t need a box. I’d thought  brefgore I could load my motorcycle in the box but decided I didn’t want to be loading motorcycles anymore.  I shared my “first world’. ‘Cadillac’ problems with my men’s group, what we call a ‘gift of recovery’.  Quite the change from how am I going pay the rent or will I have money for sardines or tuna for lunch. . I’ve been very poor and hungry three times in my life.  When I first left home, when I arrived in England after bicycling across Europe, when I left my third marriage and entered recovery.  Now I’ve just bought a motorhome worth hundreds of thousand with the help of a bank and want to be able to tow a car behind it rather than a motorcycle.  

I was sitting with Neil, Jack and Terry at the meeting and Neil said ‘why don’t you get a Jeep. They’re the best for towing and what everyone has for that reason.”  The motorhome repair guys I’d talked to all said the same.  Now here was Neil a fellow whose advise I really respected saying the same.  There’ a joke about a guy asking God for help and God sending repeated messages until the fellow finally acknowledges what God had been telling him all along. 

Laura had her Smart Car repair and maintenance done at Merecedes Benz so could drive out to be with us for the weekend.  I suggested when she arrived that we take a drive with Madigan to at least ‘sit in a jeep’ to decide if it’s right.  The nearest Jeep Dealer was Journey Autogroup on Dominion in Port Coquitlam.  They had a 2026 on display but I’d decided I wanted a 24 0r 25 jeep with low mileage , the advise my father gave us, because driving a new car off the lot depreciated it by 10 %.  

Laura and I looked at the  White Jeep Wangler Sport and we liked it. Great look. I liked the sturdy build like a Rolls Royce. It’s built tough for off road.  It seemed high and hard to get into but Sina the salesman who came to helped us said that that particular one had really big special ‘off road ‘ wheels.  

I have a quad. I’ve done all the off road driving in my life with my original Broncho II then later vans and cars and four quads and a couple of off road Honda enduro  motorcycles. I hunt and still do but my friends all laughed when I bought the  a 300 Win mag for long distance shooting as back up to my Ruger 30.06 claimed I could shoot as far as a sniper now.  They said that I wasn’t young anymore and unlikely to be climbing over mountains shooting deer or moose and packing them out. They knew that with my quad or truck I’d taken to being mostly a road hunter who shot grouse by the side of the road and sat in ambush but wasn’t going to haul back an 2000 lb moose from the woods. The last 300 lb mulie I’d shot a few hundreds yards into the bush had taken me all my strength and energy to get back to the truck.  Then it was next to implossible to get it into the truck. I finally used the winch to load it.  

Getting old is not for the young. They lack the courage and stamina. 

I want a 4x4 so I can drive on logging roads hunting and fishing and doing photography. The best part is the jeep tows so well behind motorhomes.  Traveland who sold me my motorhome told me they sell the Blue Ox Flat Towing Systems and that the famed E&H Hitch folk next door do the installing there. 

I told Sina what I was looking for. He called out a vehicle that ticked every box.  Laura and I went out to sit in it . It did feel so right. Laura said “It really is pretty. :  With regular wheels it was no problem getting into the vehicle though Laura with his short legs used the hand hold to pull herself in.  Madigan jumped right up and loved it. A very dog friendly vehicle.  I loved the comfort of the seat. My back has rebelled with aging after being in truck crashes and plane crashes and wrestling violently insane. So a comfortable seat is a must. I’m 6 feet and the mini had little head room and I had problems seeing the lights when I pulled up to a stop light.  Still when I bought the mini I felt like I was in the cockpit of a Sopwith Camel and it was the best high way rally car. I loved my mini but with my neck stiffness and getting in and out of the car I got spoiled the last 3 months of driving my Thor Hurricane motorhome 2000 km south.  The class A motorhome view is incredible by comparison. Now the Jeep had that ease  of entry and exit an old guy like me likes  and that incredible view.  I felt like I was in a mini hummer. I liked all the positions of steering wheel and lights. The only peculiar thing was the windows up and down buttons  was on the centre console.  

Sima explained that the doors come off and the roof comes off for summer driving. Wow.  I’d had a Mazda Miata I loved for its convertible roof but this Jeep was like a regular transformer. Sedate city car to Baja transformers. I really could see enjoying that.  I ride a Harley and we call a car a ‘cage’ but this can transform to being as close to an enduro motorcycle as can be.  Wow!

The back up screen is really good, just like my sister in law Adell’s  Volvo.  That’s what I first did when I had the keys , drive a little forward then back up into the same spot. Fantastic!  I had the Miata and the Mini for when I was working in a downtown clinic and parking in the city was a nightmare. I can’t take my Ford F350 long box truck downtown without really planning for a parking lot.  The Jeep’s maneuverability is incredible.

Sina and his manager offered to let us take the car for a ride but I’d seen enough. Laura and I loved it. But I’d only planned to look .   I really didn’t need a car to tow till my next snowbird trip south.  In LA when Laura joined me I’d rented a car and now I wouldn’t need to do that.  

“I just need to go for coffee and think about it.”  I said.

Laura and I drove round the block to the Macdonald’s where I got 2 quarter pounder with cheese meals for the humans and one meat patty for Madigan.  This is when I miss my Dad and Brother Ron most. Dad knew everything about cars and houses and Ron knew everything about business.  Dad helped me buy my first house and it’s the house I still miss today.  I was devastated when my ex wife said she saw it as a ‘starter’ home.  But thanks to Dad I knew what to look for in buying homes and he was always there to advise me on cars.  I could always count on Ron for advise about investment and finances .  I phoned Anil Auluck, my accountant. He’s helped me for years and had the best financial advise. I know medicine.  They say if you want to know where to invest, find out where doctors are investing and invest elsewhere. We are so invested in learning about anatomy and chemistry we simply don’t have time to focus on these others matters. I phoned Anil and ran my plan byt him and he said, “it’s a good idea. We don’t ‘t like you riding motorcycles and a jeep is a good investment”.. Thank you Anil.

My sister in law doesn’t like me riding motorcycles at my age. I think she imagines me have a stroke at high speed on my Harley. I come back from Spokane on the free ways last year and loved it. But I didn’t enjoy my beautiful Vespa 300 on the freeway doing 70 mph this winter as I had the year before. Its light weight makes it easy to load and off load but it’s a bit scarey with crosswinds. In the city it’s the perfect run around.  I still love my Harley for the highway but I traded my big 1600 lb Electroglide I rode to Sturges for my gutsy 500 lbs Nightster Special.   It’s a great motorcycle.  The dog rides in a little box behind me on the Vespa or the little Harley. 

George is my all round wise man. He’s got a new car but I love his little red thunder bird. I’m the Beatles era guy and George would  definitely Elvis/Sinatra era. He sings all manner of songs with his internationally famous barbershop quartet but just got back from touring Route 66.  Laura and I this winter  texted him  a picture of us at the Santa Monica pier , the end of  Root 66.  

‘The mileage is good for second hand. The Jeep is a good vehicle. I think it’s a good plan. Laura likes it. It’s better to have a car than depend on a motorcycle carried behind your motorhome.  Good Idea”. He said. Thank you George. 

I worry I’m being impulsive. I have the money in the bank but the bank and my accountant prefer I borrow and pay off.  

Back at Journey Sina was really helpful.  His manager, a delightful young Sik man with Turban had explained how a car insurance loan worked so I could pay off any time. I’m planning on selling my truck. Downsizing.The insurance guy was great. The jeep insurance was only $50 more than my mini. I phoned Thawn at Rand and McNally. He takes care of my insurance. He told me it was a good deal.  Then the most beautiful tall young woman explained the options for extended warranty. I love extended warranty and I got a great package. The trouble with buying anything from gorgeous women is you wonder how much their looks influence your decision.  Thankfully Laura was there to say it was all good.I didn’t get cosmetic coverage but mechanical and such I’m covered for years to come.  RBC bank gladly extended the loan with reasonable payments.  Madigan was with Laura impatient the whole time.  

My new ‘Willy’s’ Jeep was driven round to the front.  Sina handed me the keys. We unloaded the little I had in the Mini. Then Laura and I were sitting in the Jeep with Madigan. Loving it!!

The only trouble was we couldn’t n’t get the windows down so I had to go out and ask the manager where they were. He laughed and showed me already had Sina had. . “They are on the front console because the doors come off. It’s a common question new buyers ask even though we always tell them”. He said. 

The navigation screen interfaced with my iPhone with CarPlay and blue tooth.  I put in the route home and off we drove.  What a day! What an adventure!

I’m really the proud owner of a racing green Jeep Wrangler 4x4 . Given’ my name is William we liked that the Jeep is the ‘Willy’s” edition. Also when I worked with my brilliant spiritual colleague Dr. Willy Gutowski he’d leant me his Jeep for a month while he was off island. I have such fond memories of working in the Northern Marianas Islandsand Willy was such a profound Christian inspiration I love that my Jeep is called ‘Willy’s’ .  A bit of Jungian synchronicity. God is good all of the time. 

Now all I want to do is ride in my Jeep. When we got back to my motorhome and got out Madigan went round the front and peed on the tire a very long time. “This is mine,” he was saying to all the other dogs.  .  

I’m happy too. Laura’s happy.  A good day was had by all.  All I have to do is make some money to get the Blue Ox trailer system attracched by E&H Hitch and Traveland RV. 

Thank you God. Thank you Jesus. 

Sunshine Valley RV Resort - Gratitude

Thank you God for this day. Thank you for my sobriety. I am so grateful to have celebrated 28 years with my cake at Burnaby Men’s Fellowship. Marty was so gracious and kind presenting it to be and handing on the 28 years medallion key chain that George passed on.  Manny was so inspiring too with his sharing on his taking 6 years.  It was a fabulous evening,  Fellowship. Camaraderie.  Celebration.  So many young guys from the local treatment centres beginning the journey of rccovery.  I’m so thankful I began and stayed the course.  Thanks to you God.  You are the first principle.  I am your imagination Thy will not my will be done.

I’m am your creation. You are the creator.  CS Lewis says ‘stop looking for God in the wall’.  I was looking down and seeking salvation, nirvana, Samadhi in the ‘spirits’.  Carl Jung said.  ‘Spiritus contra spiritus’

It was so exciting and challenging to pack up stow and get on the road.  The Thor Motorhome has a huge slide that opens the whole drive side of the home.  The first step is to take in the awning on the passenger side and the slide on the driver’s side,  I have to ensure there are no socks or shoes that impede the travel of the slide inward. Once that is done I have to retract the jacks with the automatic switch by the drivers window Madigan was disconcerted by the slide coming in , Then he was even more shocked by the rocking and groaning of the jacks coming down.  It felt like a camel settling to the ground.  

Laura arrived when I had the hose disconnected and was mostly stowed, I had to find room in the underneath bins or cupboards to stow all the daily ‘things’ of existence, I have too much clothing. I have too many pots. I have too many old bathrooms ‘stuff’. I have too many duplicates. But it all got done. All that was needed when Laura arrived was for the Star Link to be dismantled and electrical cord disconnected.  

With her managing Madigan and an extra co pilot eyes I pulled out of the Burnaby site and made it to the highway.  The bus is longer and huge,  I’m learning the experience of driving this machine and the sounds and feeling of it.  It’s all so challenging yet we kept going.  On the highway every bump seemed an event.  Changing lanes, slowing and stopping, all felt new and tense,  The false smoke alarm was a challenge indeed.  We pulled over at the RV rest site only to find it full of squatters and fearful we’d not have room to pass through but we did.

I was inwardly praying the whole way and more so here.  And then we were on the road again. It’s a clunky drive. It’s a big machine. I’m used to motorcycles and sports cars and remember the same experience when I bought the F350 truck.  Now this is that plus .  Yet we did it.

Laura was such a comfort.  Just the presence of another is reassuring.  We are not lone creatures. We thrive together.  I like company.  

Sunshine Valley RV Resort was such a welcoming site. The staff were wonderful. We now have this love flat space with lots of fellow RV folk about.  In minutes I was leveled and had the slide out and the water and electricity hooked up.  I unloaded the barbecue and propane tank. It turns out there’s a propane barbecue connector so Idon’t need to take an extra tank. More room I have an out door kitchen,  I had the lawn chair and canvas rocking chair out. Laura had brought the electric bike charger I ordered on Amazon.  I had the bike off the rack at the back and plugged in a charging.  

That was Friday.  We’d left at noon and were here at three taking an hour lonnger because of the traffic jam at Langley.  I was exhausted but loved the experience. Success after success.  And glory. What a glorious place outdoors,  Out of the city.  It was a cloudy day but we were in the country and it felt so good and my home with all my amenities were with me. I am so thankful.  Laura was as pleased and said show. Madigan was a little kangaroo jumping all over and enjoying being taken for walks and sniffs and piddles

Life is good

I love the Thor Hurricane.  I love the elegance and luxury and convenience.  

We watched Blue Bloods after heating beef pot pies.  There’s the dinette table for sit down meals Then there’s the couch.   I like lining down to watch tv. Laura likes sitting up.  Madigan likes going from one of us to the other to bug us.  We had cashews and wild cherries.

What a great Friday night

Saturday I had my international AA meeting at 8 am on zoom and so enjoyed seeing my fellow doctors with a new design for living.  I shared that I was 28 years and Terry put up his digital 28 year cake.  I’m really grateful.

I made Laura and me bacon sandwiches on toast,  I’ve a smaller coffee bean grinder so I’m still having Ethiopian coffee with honey and milk. Laura took Madigan for a walk and he pooped He always seems to poop on his morning walks with her.  Gifts for his momma love.   I went to the hotsprings and pool first thing in the morning. There were only a few people there.  I felt really good about showing self care to my back which has been so stiff recently. Since the jets on the hot tub in Burnaby died I’ve not been going to the pool so much.  Just and excuse.  I was swimming twice a week 10 laps but with summer the kids come.  So I swam here and felt the unused muscles and joints.  Creaking.  Aging.  It was good.  I’ve been walking more. In the afternoon the bike was charged and I was able to to ride about the nearby townsite for a half hour. It does 28 km an hour without pedaling but with pedaling I can go a bit faster. I enjoy the power assist and was again most impressed with the Motorino Folding 4electric bike.  What fun!  

Laura and I had a long walk with Madigan.  I showed her the Japanese museum for the WWII internment camp where they moved Japanese families inland away from the hundreds miles of coast.  It’s developing just fine there.  Tasteful and thoughtful.  Later I saw that they were set up by the big barn like structure with a band and food outlets. They’ve now got weekly music events.  Later we heard the sound of rock and roll in the evening.

I barbecued the most delicious New York Strip steaks which we all enjoyed.  Madigan is the most spoiled under the table dog.  He gets a third of Laura and my steaks. We had potatoes salad and garlic toast.  

Another couple of episodes of Blue Bloods with Tom Selleck.  The sun had come out and the sunset was lovely.  

I actually had another bout in the hot tubs and a shower and lay on the couch reading a western for an hour or so.

It was that kind of vacation day.  Idyllic, In this amazing machine with the most beautiful kind and intelligent companion and the crazy dog,  Another walk and tv and then bed,  The sky vent in the bed opens so we had fresh night air.  

I am so thankful God.  I really am thankful,  This is one of those truly blessed gifts that come from working and the contrast and the fulfillment of service and contribution and a touch of hedonist R&R.  Away from the wars with loved ones feeling that special break and sense of reward.  Rest.  Peace.  Comfort.  

I’m so thankful that Scotia Bank and Traveland helped arrange for me to have this wonderful machine , this possibility of home on wheels, I’ve been escaping to the country most every weekend or holiday I have had and since I had my sailboat I’m finally again in the right machine for being in town and getting away on the weekend.  I feel especially blessed.  This really is heaven on earth. BC is truly God’s country.  

Thank you Jesus. Thank you God.  Thank you Holy Spirit.

I’ve woken this morning from a great sleep.  There was a gorgeous angel in bed beside me protected by a crazy neurotic pups wagging his tail and growling, eyes all enthusiastic. I have sat and prayed and given thanks and even had my first coffee. It’s a sunny day. Bright and green and blue sky.  Heaven on earth.  Thank you God.  Thank you Omnipotent, Omniprsent , Omnipotential, Loving God.  

  

Sunshine Valley and Thor Hurricane Class A Motorhome

I am so grateful for this Thor Hurricane the Class A Motorhome I bought from Traveland RV Dealer with the help of Scotia Bank.  I have the money but if I take it out the government will take it and Scotia Bank would rather loan me some of the cost so we both benefit.  Everyone benefits and I benefit the most.  

I must confess I traded in my 40 foot fitth wheel Toyhauler, a truly fine machine. I had it for seven years but it was too big for me to tow.  I was quite terrified with it despite my comfort with my Ford F350 truck and Camper and towing the RV’s I’d had before. It was just too big for me and instead of being what I wanted it became a mobile home. When I went camping I took the truck and camper.  

Driving the Thor Hurricane home with Laura that first day was so exciting.  I could do it. It was a challenge but after getting a trial ride around from Traveland the drive home with Laura and Madigan, the cockapoo was thrilling.

Laura has been camping with me a quarter century.  I began camping with my Dad and Mom and Brother in an army surplus’s canvas wooden poled tent.  In my 20’s I’d tent bicycling across Europe or white water canoeing in northern Canada. I even camped with just a sleeping bag hiking the west coast trail and the sierra mountains under the glorious canopy of the Milky Way.  Laura joined me tenting. We rode on the back of my motorcycle all over British Columbia summer  sleeping out in a pup tent at night.  She’s been with me as we graduated from tent to truck tent to little RV, camper, and now the ultimate Thor Hurricane,  My parents did the same transition form tenting to Class A Motorhome and loved all the friends they made in the Good Sam Club.

Yesterday we drove out of Vancouver and through the construction and delays in Langley on through the heavy traffic that persisted till Abbostford.  After Abbotdford the smoke alarm sounded and I tried to stop in the RV rest area only to find it was overtaken with squatters.  With alarms screaming I threaded my way through what seemed more like the Downtown East Side than beautiful BC.  For a moment I was infuriated at the outrageous taxes we pay our government and their incompetence dealing with immigration, housing and homelessness.  Thankfully I got through the slum and parked on the side of the highway.  It was just the heat or dying battery in the alarm.  I pressed a button and on came the air conditioning.  There but for the grace of God go I I thought looking back at the RV stop, a resource developed for those of us who use the roads and pay the taxes and work.  I don’t begrudge the squatters so much as authorities for not maintaining law and order.  In the US there are magazines for those who want to boon dock,  Canada has similiar wilderness.  These people could be redirected to alternative places and those who stay over 24 hours in these services areas could be fined or moved along.  Of course this is wrong and the situations that cause this are wrong and the government is the problem but I’m growing spiritually.  

As a doctor, wise in acceptance  said, I can find a speck of dirt on a white canvas wall and think of nothing else and if you don’t see it as the problem then its an even bigger problems.  So there I was back on the road looking out the increasingly usage window at the glorious scenery thinking how silly I am.  The alarm was nothing.  Everything was okay and very quickly I was driving through Chilliwack and past Hope seating beside the most beautiful woman in the world with the greatest little crazy dog seeing the most incredible mountains on the way to Sunshine Valley.

It was raining but so what. I was in heaven and arriving here I was ecstatic. I’d not had an accident. We’d not broken down.  Everything had goon so well. 

Now we are parked in the pretties little civilized RV park with mountains and clouds hanging in the snow covered peaks.  It’s taken no time to pack up and we have our home with all the amenities here.  i made us Beef Pies heated in the microwave and we watched Blue Bloods on TV feeding the dog half a bin of Hagen Daz ice cream before we got his tick pill he kept spitting out into him..  

Then it was the sleep of saints,  Laura is the most incredible companion to sleep with despite the crazy dog bouncing about between us.  Now I’ve woken to a new day in the country.

Thank you Jesus.  God is good all of the time.  This is truly heaven on earth.