Burnaby Cariboo RV Park, Burnaby , BC

It was great to return home to Canada

I had a little glych at the Border Crossing. I took the Nexus lane even though the regular lane as just as long. The American’s border agent told my my Nexus had gone through as the computer had told me I was approved. I just didn’t have the card because of the Canadian postal strike before I left.  I had to stop and park my car and go to the counter.  

There young people were being caught by the drug sniffing dog.  Madigan was left in the truck for now. I didn’t like it but I had to pee.  I’m an older man and I’d been hustling to get across the border and home before darkness. My eyes have to strain to read signs at high speed on freeways.  I have had problems at border crossing in my youth. Not as an adult.  Still I tried to hold it till I asked to use the washroom and had to remember a code to get in the washroom which I promptly forget and had to ask again. No visit from the dog. I peed. Relief. 

Then they asked permission to search my truck and camper.  I was fine with everything and pleasant on the outside.

Inside I had the normal array of crazy paranoid and psychotic thoughts.  Maybe while I was away the Communist Chinese have taken over Canada. Maybe they’re going to plan t drugs on me.  Maybe they’ve read my social media tweets suggesting Canadians Liberal leaders sodomize beavers and moose.  They were all perfectly professional and very young.  I’d held Madigan while they my stuff and I could help but think of the FBI and Melania’s panty drawers.  It’s all invasive and intrusive but I confess while I didn’t approve of the FBI searching the First Lady’s panty drawer I was fine.  It was just dark now and driving the rest of the way into the city was a strain. I thanked them and said how much I appreciated the border guard since it forced people to come through the front door.  

All my crazy thinking was for nought.  I was back in western Canada.  Space aliens may have taken over the bodes in Ottawa but not in Burnaby.  

  

It was so nice to see a friendly face and set up like I had for a couple of months .I’m quite adept with this camper and soon even had StarLink up.  I loved my site. The park is so clean and green and well laid out. I was glad the market was still open. There’s an excellent selection for RV’s . I was able to get microwaveable dinners and so enjoyed the shepherd pie.  Cola and ice cream.  Madigan loves to share ice cream. A spoonful is what he gets though he’d like the whole tub.

I’d driven up from Eugene and had been travelling from Salton Sea in Southern California.  I was really nice to be home in Canada. These two months in the southern sunshine have been exquisite. My friend George described his time in Palm Springs and how he enjoyed returning to the green of BC.  I certainly feel that in Burnaby after the brown of the dessert

It’s warm. A little chill at night.  I walked Madigan about the park again and he certainly seemed to enjoy pissing and sniffing in all his old favourite spots. I was able to have coffee and attend an online meetings still feeling thankful having completed this latest expedition.  Laura said she thought it was great I’d missed another winter. She’s been telling me about the rain and snow and flus.  Yes I’m blessed as a mobile nomad sort of person.  

Today I unloaded the Vespa. Madigan rode with me to Bosley’s where we bought his Tiki France and Greece wet food. He’s spoiled.  I took him with me when I went to the PO picking up mail and sending registered male .  

Dave and Helena were back at the place.  Helena’s son is in college and the younger one in high school. Dave;s daughters are well.  Nothing much has changed but they’ve survived the winter. The sun was out, blue sky and warm.  I left Madigan in the camper and made a run to drop off my laundry to pick up tomorrow. Madigan has been book with the vet to be groomed.  Then a trip to Full Basket my favourite butcher. I wanted to celebrate with their steaks.  Madigan agrees I also bought chickens and sausages . They’re such a difference in the quality of meat from this butcher.  Spoiling myself

I love that there are all these shops and services close to the Burnaby Cariboo RV park.  Pretty well in the city.  Such friendly people.  I am so glad to be back.  It’s a moving world of its own.  Peter and Larry who I’d spent a couple of weeks with in LA pass through here later in the year.  I did 2 months in the south whereas most of snowbirds do 3 or 4 months. 

I have a trip planned out east in a couple of months to visit my great nephews.  I like mobility. It’s a lot of work though and I never appreciated that years back when I looked at campers and trailers . I do like the lifestyle.  

Watching Reacher last night on tv I enjoyed his statement, “for thousands of years there have been people who like to stay around the campfire and others who liked to wanders. I’m sure I’m related to the wanderers. ‘. I agree and I’ve a life time of coming and going and now I really enjoy the being here but I loved being at Foutain of Youth RV park last month.  

Thank you God for keeping us safe on these travels and for providing these wonderful safe havings and stopping places .

Eugene Oregon, Deerwood RV Park

I’ve been here a couple of days. Yesterday I worked virtual with computer and doxy me iPad virtual and iPhone. It was all okay. I’m glad to be able to serve and know the patients well. There were three new assessments and that was good too knowing that I was part of the greater team contributing to the broken health care system with the unacceptable delays and all the doctors stretched.  

I walk Madigan.  It’s fairly idyllic here.  Chilly and rainy at night but just windy in the morning. In the afternoon there was rain.

A transformer blew in the wind. I was thankful for my Honda 3200 generator. I’d only used it for air conditioning once before but now it truly was a life saver. I need electricity for the Starlink wifi. The local wifi was out with the power.  

I was able to see the new patients and do the assessments and fax new medication requests to the pharmacy.  All thanks to the generator.  It took them 4 hours or so to repair the transformers and get the power back. I spoke with the lady at the front desk and she was kind enough to tell me I’d know the power was back on when the lights went on in the office.

I ordered Pizza from Roaring Rapids Pizza.  They delivered. It was delicisious.  Meat pizza.  The garlic bread sticks were fine but not what I get from Me&Ed’s at home. It speaks to my nostalgia.  I really like Me&Eds’ garlic bread. The pizza from Roaring Rapids was excellent and watching tv on my laptop I ate half of a large one. I was watching the exciting British SAS series.  I’d lost the channel changer so the tv was down. I rather enjoyed the lap top and understand why folk don’t own tv’s.  My tv screen is just a little bigger and really has its value when Laura is here and I we watch tv together. I set it up on the galley counter and put it away in the bedroom in its spot on the wall.  I’ve the microwave and electric espresso maker out on the wall. I put them away under the table travelling with the mesh rope to hold them in. I really do like the space.  It works almost as well as my yacht used to.  

Life is good.

I pray and meditate. I think of God and time. I’m not as present as I would be. I’m a little in the future looking forward to heading north again on Friday.  I’m looking forward to being back in Canada. 

It was great news hearing we’ve another addition to the family coming.  I shared that with Laura and she immediately said how happy that would make Adell.  She would know.

Thank you Jesus for this day. Thank you for this travelling home and all the functional aspects of it that allow me to work and travel.  Thank you for Madigan. Thank you Jesus. 

Deerwood RV Park, Eugene,Oregon

It is good to be here. I’ve booked for 5 days.  Yesterday is a blur of steady driving north.  Cherry blossom pink orchards.  Green and greener fields.  Some rain. Then I got into the mountains.  Lots like the Rockies in the north.  Going through places like the Okanagan. After a couple of months of sun, dry and desert I felt very much back in my home climate.  A bit cool drizzly.  

‘I was glad to get through Grant Pass and Sissyu Pass 3000 and 4000 elevations.  I’d phoned to confirm there was no snow.  It was an easy pass.I like going down the coast leaving Vancouver simply to avoid the potential of ice and snow in this stretch. There were high winds. I enjoyed the rest stops.  At one a woman was walking her young horse about like I was walking Madigan.  He thought the horse was a very big dog and shied away. 

I stopped at Macdonald’s and even shared how I’d gone to Macdonald’s in Moscow and ate a Big Mac looking at the Kremlin.  I knew then that trade was more important than ideology.  I love Macdonald’s and always get a meat paddy for my dog.  We eat the burgers driving along.  My truck cabin is its own little cockpit. Maybe one day we’ll have AI beyond just speed.  I loved being able to get up and walk about in my sailboat,  make coffee and return to being on watch.  I think train travel was my favourite land travel except I like horses and Harley’s too.  This carrying my camper home with my own toilet and shower and bed is pretty good. I stopped at one rest area and made myself a coffee with honey and milk from the refrigerator.  Life is good.

I was glad to make Eugene.  It was 430.  I like to find a place by 4 but I strapped for a photo for my gun license renewal.  I had to back track 7 km when I called Dearwood. I was in the university and realized what a university town Eugene was.  

The office was extremely welcoming.  I set up , let Madigan out for a pee and even unloaded my Vespa.  That was good and bad. When I arrive I know I should settle in and not go out right away but I did with the Vespa.  I rode into Springfield with the decline light bought some chicken and fries then headed back getting lost. I missed the freeway turn and did 20 km on the freeway in he dark at 70 mph to get back to my place. A sheriff asked if I needed help as I looked up the RV park on my iPhone gps maps realizing I’d gone past it.  I didn’t like when a Big Rig honked at me as I’d slowed to 60 mph to make sure I didn’t miss the turn off this time round.  Thankfully I arrived home safely and truly thanked God for getting me here.  

Madigan enjoyed the left over steak while I had the fried chicken and chips watching the Rogue Heroes as series on the SAS in WWii. I’m reading a novel of the Canadians in Sicility.  Riding in the truck I was listening to Louis L’amor Audio books. Not very high brow but satisfactory for keeping me awake along with lots of coffee. 

It’s a lovely place here. This Deerwood RV Park is family run and very middle class feeling, nice rigs, nice spacing and central lawn like an English park.

Well I’ve work to do and thankful for my Starlink

Really, Thank you Jesus.  

Woodson Bridge Recreational Area RV Park, California

Yesterday I drove from Lost Hills RV Park here.  We drove on the I5 north through Stockton to Scramento. I plugged in the Arden Fair Apple Store on the Ford GPS.  All the way I was listening to a Noble audiobook of Jack Noble and his friend Ryan, government assassins.  

At Sacramento I stopped in Arden Mall at the Apple Store. The Arden Mall was really incredible, the air perfumed and everything a person could imagine for urban living.  A place a girl could dress in white and spend the day shopping and visiting.  The Apple Store was great.  I couldn’t help but think when the first opened they were manned by a lot of nerds, socially awkward computer literate types. Now the young people are both very bright and computer literate as well as attractive and very much the ‘in crowd’. Loved the service. My # key, specifically # 1 was sticking.  They cleaned it with some special solution and I was back on the road. Madigan didn’t seem to mind waiting in the Camper.

I noticed at the rest stop past Woodlawn that were were back in Green.  After two months of desert dry air and brown the green grassy evergreen trees and moist air kind of hit. I was coming home

I reduced the drive to Vancouver Canada to 1200 km.  

I stopped her at the Woodson Bridge Recreational Park hoping for an under $50 night as the California Recreation Parks seemed to be. Instead it was $70 and new ownership after flooding.  The place was friendly and helpful.  I new staff guided me into the most beautiful site with a river view. This Woodson Bridge Park is truly idyllic. I saw a heron on the shore along with passing ducks.  I really do enjoy looking out on the river.  Madigan loved running in the sand and we walked over to the big park where there’s acres of trails.  He loved it. The views were splendid. It’s off season but everywhere there’s barbecues and tables suggesting that it’s a major destination in summer.  Really festival kind of place.

I’m up.  Just walked Madigan.  Made coffee and had a yogurt.  It’s nearly 8 am.  I was off at 7 yesterday.  Leisurely Sunday drive day.  I have to find a place to set up for a week of virtual work..  I slept well with the quiet and my skylight cracked. It rained last night. I really enjoy this now. 

I really enjoyed listening to Trumps speech at the Davos WEF .  I don’t think Schwab and all his globalist communist dictator groups were very happy with Trumps patriotism and economic common sense.  Communist countries fall always due to waste and corruptions and America was going third world that way. Now it seems that there’s hope for the future . I loved his saying ‘we are restoring America to a country of ‘merit’.  I’ve always been in favour of meritocracy and had to live with the mediocre tokenism that was Trudeau means to widespread corrutions and graft.  I’m delighted he’s been tried over the SNC Lavalin kick backs and graft. It was a nice way to begin the day seeing Trump confronting the European communists with endless management and beurocraceis strangling the producers and front lines.  Washington is the antithesis of Brussels.  

Oh well, all above my pay grade.  Politics a thinking man’s sport.  Life goes on.  I’m driving today and must keep my focus on the present.  

I loved talking to Laura last night.  I’ve told her I’ve gone into withdrawal and do look forward to meeting her.  She’s bought a new mattress. Definitely a sexy thing to say. 

Thank you God for Laura, Madigan, family friends and work.  Be with me today in my travels.  Thank you

Lost Hill California KOA RV Campground, California

It was a trial to get through Los Angeles foothills. It’s another time I’ve done them in the day time and they’re not so daunting. The times I did them at night really challenged me.  Now they’re just stressful. I travelled through Pasadena.  The Palisades was where the fires were. I didn’t even see any more smoke. Just the haze I associate with LA.

The KOA campground was delightful.  Kind of a miniature perfect place beside truck stops and gas stations and motels.  Somebody was thinking of us. 

I walked Madigan and he liked the little dog park.

The treat though was the goats. The farmer was there and told me that the two little kids had been born in the last two hours.  What a miracles.  Madigan was most interested and the kids were as curious about him. The mothers were very proud.  

I had a great even and showered in the morning. Another day of driving began with the Macdonald’s breakfast. I didn’t even make my own coffee. 

Leaving Fountain of Youth, California

I’m up at 5 am partially packed inside. I woke and couldn’t sleep. Raring to go. Ready to leave. I really felt that if I stayed any longer I might not be able to leave. I was looking at houses for sale and ready to buy and live here. It’s that nice a place.

I’ve had 2 weeks of comfort and joy. It’s heaven on earth.  I walk the dog each day to his little dog park. It’s a good morning hike.  Just right.  I want to lose weight and I’ve been getting exercise every day just walking him. Then the mineral hot springs have been glorious. I’ve like the mineral tubs and the really hot Lobster Pot. There have been concerts and events as well.

I’ve loved the meetings I’ve attended her.

I’ve taken my Vespa and ridden to Bombay Beach on Salton Sea several times. I love Community Coffee Shop there with the DaVinci Fish installation art.  

Everyone has been friendly and kind.

It’s been sunny and hot and dry every day. I love the sun rises and sun sets.

I’m heading home, retracing my steps.  Today I plan to pass through LA and get to either the coast or Fresno.  I may join number 5 hwy heading north somewhere and just keep on that.  I’d like to boon dock if I could since I’m travelling on the weekend and only need to sleep a couple of nights then I’ll take a full service RV place for the week to work and prepare for my next leap frog north. It’s 2000 km from here.  

All the news is DOGE and exposure of beurocratic malfeasance, actual fraud involving Romania and other such countries taking billions if not trillions from tax payers in the states. Meanwhile Trudeau , the greatest thief in history is being replaced by Carney his globalist mentor. I really don’t like the thought of returning to communist Canada with its theft and censorship and the evil Liberal party continuing to rape Western Canada.  

I’ve repairs to do on my Camper. I just found my head has a leak and now am waiting to empty the black waste tank which will solve that problem now.  The tank is full and there’s a seal issue. The frame has an issue too so I’m looking forward to getting that fixed along with having Madigan get groomed. I’m in need of ophthalmology examination and hope to get home without more night driving.  I can see fine but the lights are really tiring.

It’s 6 am so I think I can get outside to take down Starlink, pack up and then finish stowing in here.  I should be ready to go in half to an hour with light coming up now.  

Thank you Jesus. Please help me and Madigan be safe in this journey home.  Thank you God for this heavenly stay here and be with me in all my endeavours today. Thank you Jesus. 

FOY, Sunday night

The power was out this morning. I woke at 5 am chilly. I was glad the neighbour was up to. He told me the power was out all over when I was about to go through the checklist all over again since nothing I’d done had solved the problem.  

I made it to the Seaside Baptist Church service at 9 am with Jack at Bombay Beach. That was after I got stuck in the sand with my Vespa twice and three fellows helped me get the bike out. Madigan loved it there running all over the beach with the other church dogs before the service began and he settled down at my feet.

After I rode to the Community Cafe and had a muffin and cafe latte writing journaling about the church.  A young fellow played drums and a girl played violin. I spoke to a no mad. 

I filled up the tank when I got back with the Jerry can gas I’d carried on the back of the Adventure camper forever.

The propane went out at the same time in the morning as the power went out confounding diagnosis. I was able to switch tanks and the refrigerater had only gone from 32 to 38. It quickly cooled down again.  I had a couple of showers today enjoying the knowledge a tank lasts a week. I spent some time in the Lobster Pot hot tub and also spend some time lying in the sun reading. 

I’m getting the propane filled  tomorrow as the propane guy comes 1045 to 1145.  I learned this at the office . It’s a holiday but I’m booked for the morning and will just have to tell someone I’ll need to run and get the propane , a half hour out of the day , the last patient moved later.

My nephews and great nephews have been in heavy snow in Ottawa and Napanee.  Laura’s had rain and snow but it’s warming up in Vancouver.  I don’t like cold anymore. 

I’m enjoying Elon Musk and Trump exposing billions of dollars of tax payer money gone awry.  I’d love a DOGE in Canada to expose the Liberal waste and corruption.  I am hopeful that costs still will go down and we’ll see our buying power restored.  I’ve been thinking of trading the 5th wheel in for a bus but have to sort out my eye sight. I really do like this camper for now.  It does it all.  

I’ve been sitting outside on my recliner in the afternoon sun reading. In the south and summer the outdoors are another room.

The hot springs and steam room continue to be heavenly.

 I loved my massage though would like a chiropractic adjustment for my thoracic and low back areas.  I need to exercise more.  Yoga and tai chi and dancing. I was pleased that I got my mini guitar out and enjoyed playing . The strings are too high so need a professional adjustment but it was good to play. Now I’ll have to work on a set again. This time spiritual music. I’ve a couple of hymns I was learning and would like to memorize and play again.  It’s been a while. I so enjoyed playing the guitar in the islands , before Covid, before my hearing aids.  

I have books to write and am avoiding that .  

Right now I’m enjoying reading another Hiassen Squirm. I just finished Winter King Bernard Crowell.

I have to decide whether to leave on Friday or stay another week.  I think of stopping at Oceanside and Gold Coast on the way back. There’s exploring to be done and meandering. I have only three days travel each weekend , sometimes only two days and then I’ve 4 days of work to do before my next jaunt north. 

I’ve tickets to Bruce Cockburn Friday March 14. 

I’m immersed in self care here, physically walking Madigan a lot and taking the waters. Spiritually I’m attending in person meetings and on line meetings and reading the Bible again.  John.  I could make a go of rereading the big book.  

I’ve tried the Hamm but made no contact.  I’ve not needed the satellite phone. I’ve not need the second AT&T cell phone except that first week.  Telus and IPhone and Starlink are meeting all my needs .

I’m not sure what my purpose is .I’m the eyes and ears and hands of God. There comes a point in enlightenment when ‘you shit when you’re shitting’.  I’m doing better at being in the present. I’m talking to God and asking his will and the power to carry that out.  I’m a spiritual being in this human life.  It’s an adventure. I’m more positive and occasionally know joy. There are pastels in my pictures and major 7ths.  I’m truly blessed and thankful.  

Thank you God for the air.