Musing in Truck House – March 22, 2018
Dear family and friends,
After 4 years, we are once again camped in the lower parking lot of Squaw Lake in the Bureau of Land Management territory on the California side of the Colorado River. One dam looms above us, and the other, holding the water of Senator’s Wash lies just over the ridge. We are almost in the same parking spot that we enjoyed while camping with Mike and Marlene Harris 4 years ago, and next to Betty and Les Nault at the time of the Japan tsunami.
The camping area has been expanded, and the water is a bit lower, but otherwise all remains the same: private wifi sometimes available up in the Long-Term Visitor Area, no cell phone service, many Canadian snowbirds, ignored No Trespassing signs on the Senators Wash dam, a few burros about, a mix of very cool weather and very hot weather. We read, cycle, and kayak regularly and sometimes I fish – though unsuccessfully so far. As I say – some things never change, though the first day of Spring brought me a dinner at Yuma’s Olive Gardens and another year closer to maturity, Sandy hopes! (No birthday cake, but an old favourite from Mexico – Bimbuñuelos!)
And speaking of my organized partner, I wanted to provide a little anecdote of this penchant of hers. Originally, I cruelly mocked her behaviour, but now I see some wisdom in her plan. One day she announced (and I was listening!) that she was re-organizing the cutlery drawer. From now on, soup spoons would have their handles towards the drawer opener, and teaspoons would face the other way in the same slot. Likewise with forks and dessert forks thus saving slots for other utensils of course. It works! In the sometimes poor lighting, reach into the spoon slot and any handle will always provide you with a soup spoon! I can now eat crow in the dark with a regular fork!
Daily sources of amusement are frequent, and begin and end with mocking dialogues pertaining to pyjamas which our daughter gave me for Christmas. The t-shirt has “GIFTED” printed on it, and while I extol Paula’s wisdom in this selection, Sandy doesn’t feel quite so convinced about the sentiment. We are now toying with new nicknames of “Gifted” and “Unique” instead of Quilter and Quill.
Truck House has performed well since the early concerns about its welfare. I obey all laws, and try to avoid traffic confrontations. A neighbour here at Squaw Lake (from Billings, Montana area) wasn’t so lucky. While crawling along a mountain road sightseeing, he didn’t realize that he was impeding the progress of a vehicle in a greater rush. A confrontation occurred, and the couple were forced off the road, injuring them both enough that she had to be flown to Phoenix for treatment. They are recovering, but once again, I am a bit concerned about my ability to see vehicles behind me. My back-up camera system works when it wants to – mostly after dark.
Well, ‘tis time cycle uphill and upwind to post this. It will be a sweaty climb up to the top of the dam road (or damn road).
Much love and best wishes to all, and many, many thanks for the wonderful birthday wishes that so many posted. I am truly grateful for all the kind thoughts!
“Gifted” and “Unique” (Tony and Sandy, though the other sequence might be more appropriate!)
P.S. after proof-reading this, the Quilter informed me that the utensil drawer had always been “thus” and, THERE ARE NO OTHER SLOTS! I stand corrected, but still GIFTED – with her presence (and Paula’s) of course!
Whilin’ and whittlin’ a little in Yuma
Tuesday, March 13, 2018
Good day family and friends!
New visits – old scenes! Once again we are in Yuma, AZ. We arrived on Friday, after checkout time since we had forgotten about adding an hour to our clocks. “Robert”, on security, placed us on the “fishy” side of the park on Striper St. (The eastern streets are birds, the western – fish. “Striper” isn’t too bad…we could have been on “Crappie” street.)
On Saturday, though warm, we had rain showers most of the day so we trucked to two outdoor flea markets, and then wandered through Walmart. Back at Rivers Edge RV we met some of our neighbours – Prairie folk from Ponoka, AB, Calgary, Medicine Hat, and Manitoba. Their rigs are massive, and our 20 foot Truck House looks more suited to be their towed vehicle!
Neighbour from Medicine Hat
No WiFi at all anymore at Rivers Edge, and T-Mobile is too weak. (Besides, in 2 days it ran through 1.4 GB of my allotted 4 GB of LTE speeds.) On Sunday’s cycling we discovered that the tourist info about a 10 minute ride away has wifi, so we can communicate – with exercise!
Biking the canal
Previous blog notes describe our bike rides (e.g. on the canal) but I have discovered a new place of interest. Outside the laundromat on Sunday, a gentleman from Vernon – Neil – was carving some cottonwood bark while he waited for his clothes to dry. Since carving is now a huge part of my woodworking experiences, (you’ve seen my rocking horse and reindeer, have you not?), I showed interest, and he pointed me towards a community woodworking group in the old town area on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. So, on yesterday’s ride we found the place (a rather out-of-the way Community Rec Centre near the old Yuma Prison with some wanderers about), and Sandy chatted up some of the transients and bike-sat while I spent almost an hour inside getting info from carvers, and purchasing a new Flexcut carving knife, a honing board, and some basswood chunks. Sandy wasn’t quite as excited about this stop! This will give me alternative activity to reading when we finish our cycling, fishing and kayaking hours a Squaw Lake later this week.
Is Sandy having a good time? I’m glad you asked! She is! As you all know, she is an organized soul, and one of the purchases at a Walmart visit on Saturday was a magazine rack. Back at Rivers Edge, she was ecstatic when I mounted this rack above a window, and she re-organized her maps and brochures to fit into this rack. She sure is easy to please! And what will Sandy be doing while I am whittling??? – why organizing our 8’ home of course – an almost endless task with my careless “strewing” habits. (It is my duty, and pleasure to keep her happy!)
The magazine rack
And, on the exciting newscast…as of Sunday night we now have a new Grandniece – Mavie Lou Hancock – daughter of Brett and Ricki. She follows closely after another new Grandnephew – Theodore McIntyre, born on February 22, son of Laura and Allen. Welcome to our world little ones!
Much love and best wishes to all,
Tony, the Whittler, and Sandy, the Tidier (who tidies, even whilst I type!)
Thursday, March 8 – Getting to California’s Springtime Oranges
Hello Dear Family and friends,
We were both thrilled to hear from so many of you after my first posting last week since our Southern Hemisphere trip last Spring. Thank-you so much for your responses and well-wishes – from the Lower Mainland, Edmonton, Kingston, Namibia, Montana, and Vancouver Island etc. etc. Your responses encourage me to keep up with writing this blog!
We finally got Truck House sorted out last week. The coolant leak was a pinhole in the coolant hose which opened when hot, and closed when cold. (Thus, no leaks in the carport!) In the process of getting Truck House ready for travel, we learned that all 4 brakes needed replacing. Done…and Done! With the end of the Provincial Basketball Championships at Vancouver Island University, we were free to pack up and ready ourselves for Monday morning departure.
An overnighter in Fort Langley brought us up-to-date on family news and issues, and by 9:00 a.m. we were through the border at Aldergrove. A quick stop in Bellingham put a new SIM card in my phone and put me on a 30 day T-Mobile plan. By 4:30 we were in Woodburn where we checked into Portland-Woodburn RV. Overnight parking is now almost $50 US! And, it is incomprehensible how the neighbouring Outlet Mall shops can stay in business with so few shoppers. By the way, you quilters may be wondering how there is no mention of the Fabric Depot in Portland. That is because my quilting partner did not want to stop there on the way down. That should allow me to make 2 tool stops to keep up the count. It is still quite cold in the evening!
Toque, and jacket on backwards for frosting reading in bed.
Our drive (on Wednesday, day 2) is always one of our favourites for scenery – Woodburn, OR to Red Bluff, CA. As we were pulling into Red Bluff RV, I announced to Sandy…”Maybe we’ll be able to reach Yuma, AZ without ever turning on our windshield wipers.” Too soon…too soon! 117 raindrops hit the windshield, but I refused to turn on the wipers. The drops soon dried. Red Bluff RV is a nice spot, with clean washrooms, however, since we seldom reserve, we often don’t encounter managers by the late time we arrive. Thus, we don’t know needed codes. We grabbed a spot, and after asking around, a long-term RVer provided us with WiFi and washroom door codes. Dinner to patter of rain.
Today (Thursday, March 8) started in chilly overcast weather in Red Bluff, and ended in sunny, warm weather in Bakersfield, at our favourite Orange Grove RV.
There is lots of space available, and there are still numbers of beautifully ripe oranges hanging near the tops of the trees. “Help yourself” is a welcome sound, and I grab an orange-picking pole to snag 8 oranges for our supplies. This place also has one of the most beautifully appointed “Social Rooms” with an elk head above a live-edge bar, a moose head over a huge fireplace and a lounge area in front of a TV.
Tomorrow we head for Yuma, AZ (actually Winterhaven, CA) and Rivers Edge RV where we will spend a few days before our trip to Squaw Lake near the Imperial Dam on the Colorado River. This year, as always, the plan is to cycle in the desert, and paddle the waterways of the interconnecting lakes, however, I will miss bass fishing with my buddy Mike Harris who couldn’t join us this year.
I had hoped that my T-Mobile plan would allow me to tap into internet anytime (unlimited data) and it might, but the 4 GB of data that I was allotted for fast access are almost 1/2 gone already. It might make the slower speeds too painful for future postings. I will have to wait and see. There is always a Starbucks somewhere!
Love and best wishes to all of you!
Tony and Sandy
We’re outa here!
Dear friends and family, and our greetings to you in 2018!
The snow is falling and the maps are spread out on the table. Must be time to vacate this chilly white winter clime and head to southwest US! Sandy is going over old routes (highlighted in colour) and reviewing our notes from earlier travels.
We have not visited the southern roads for a number of years (since 2013), and we are anxious to return to some of our favourite spots as well as explore new roads. The plan is to return early in April as I really only want to miss the one Mid-Island Woodworkers’ Guild meeting in March.(www.miwg.ca). Besides, we have discovered over the years that the sweet spot for being away from home is between 5 and 8 weeks. Beyond that, my travelling partner begins to get the opposite of “itchy feet” as she dreams of her quilting room and spring landscaping!
The biggest problem that we had to face as we prepared for the trip (besides the potential for a large snowfall today) is that the GMC (2005) has had a “Low Coolant Level” warning showing repeatedly. Our first $1100 fix didn’t solve the problem, and the current concern is that it might be a head gasket which could cost “between $5000 and $8500”. However, a call to the mechanic yesterday suggested that the issue was a simple “small pinhole in the coolant hose” which sealed itself when the engine was cold, and opened when the engine got warm”. I am relieved to say the least but it does open up the question…What was the reason for the replacement of the EGR Cooler in December – for $1100? Hopefully, the news today will be that all is well.
Okay…back to the maps. The plan is to leave sometime next weekend (March 3 or 4) after the Vancouver Island University finishes hosting the Provincial Basketball finals which will include our niece, Olivia’s VIU team. We haven’t missed too many of her games since she started playing in Elementary School.
I’ll certainly keep you posted about our travels which will certainly start off with a day or two stay with our Lindsay family in Fort Langley. Hopefully, you’ll continue to travel with us!
Best wishes and much love to all!
The “Quill” (Tony) and the “Quilter” (Sandy)
The Cook Book
Greetings again to our dear family and friends,
Our time on Rarotonga in the Cook Islands was, as they sometimes say about South Sea Island life – “idyllic”! (Towards the end, my travelling companion and deprived quilter began to have antsy thoughts like “I’m bored”. Can you imagine?) However, rather than break down our time on a day by day schedule, I will present the highlights of our stay.
Days 58 (March 30) to Day 67 (April 7)
As stated in the previous blog entry, we were moved into a beautiful cabin at Muri Shores Bungalow for 5 days. For the most part, the weather was warm and beautiful, but occasionally strong winds would bring rain showers that lasted only minutes at a time. Our hosts, Eugene Tatuava (Annabelle’s brother) and his wife Krystina (Kauvai-Tatuava – Miss Cook Islands in 2005) kindly let us stay until Friday, March 31 when we were moved back to the original booking cabins at Bella Beach Bungalows. During our time at Muri Shores, we swam, read, hiked the beaches, kayaked across the lagoon to an inner island, and watched many kite surfers fly by our beachfront view.
On Friday, March 31, we moved back to Bella Beach Bungalows where we were situated in Cabin #1 – the cabin where we initially landed and then had to leave. (The Cabin #2 that we had initially booked and had confirmed was fully occupied until our last day at Rarotonga.) All the cabins at Bella Beach are beautiful, but we especially liked our placement. Although it didn’t have a roofed porch, this was preferable for the most part as it allowed us to sit on the deck under the palm trees and open sky. (Well, not really under the palm trees – that would be potentially dangerous with the chance of falling coconuts, or fronds!)
Over the next week, we walked many kilometres up and down the Island road behind us, mostly for exercise, but we also hiked to the nearby village to take in a couple of games of Rugby League play on the Saturday. On another day, we walked the 8 km round trip back to Muri Beach area, and on another day we trekked a 6 km round trip to see some the Whigmore Falls – which were closed, and are now private and fee-based sight-seeing.
On most days we lazed and read, swam, walked the beaches, played with the beach dogs, and on occasion took the kayaks out or snorkelled. Tough life – and apparently, according to my travel-weary partner – not engaging enough – especially the last two days before we had to leave. On those two days, we had steady rains and were confined, for the most part to sitting in our cabin with the doors open to the drizzle and showers – and possible breezes. Sandy finally confessed her boredom, and we suggested to Annabelle Tatuava-Enjoy, our host, that if (and when?) we return, Sandy should be given some community work to keep her busy!
On the sunny and hot day that we were scheduled to leave, we packed our bags, vacated our little cabin and moved over to our originally booked Cabin #2 where Annabelle had kindly let us spend the day while our cabin was being prepared for the incoming guests. We were told that we didn’t have to check out until we left to catch our flight (9:30 pm check-in), but in order to perhaps finish some shopping in town before stores closed, we caught a clockwise bus to take us to the airport at 3:20 pm on a very hot, and humid afternoon. Alas, stores closed just as we completed our walk from the airport into town, and we were left sweating profusely on park benches where we continued to read our current books. We ate a light supper at the Islander Hotel across from the airport, and then joined the waiting crowds at the airport for our flight to be announced and boarded at 9:30 pm.
Air New Zealand served us a “dinner” at 1:00 am (Cook Island time) and then a breakfast about 6 hours later before landing at LAX an hour early. (Oh joy! This gave us an additional hour to add to our 5 hour layover in Las Angeles!) Air NZ is wonderful, by the way!
At LAX we put in time, had Starbucks coffee, changed into warmer clothing, read and dozed until our 5:20 pm flight to Vancouver. This flight was by Air Canada on behalf of Air New Zealand, and was distinctly less classy than the Air New Zealand flights. My video screen worked, but no sound, and plugs for electronics were non-functional. Food was served – a la carte – at about $8 per meal (appetizer stuff), the pizza that I wanted was not available by the time the attendant came for my order, and after the landing announcement that “seat backs must be upright and trays put away) was given, I still had all of the meal trash sitting in front of me. This wasn’t removed until our altitude was dropping to YVR.
By 8:40 pm, we were landed, and by 9:15 or so we had cleared customs, gathered our baggage, and been met by our daughter and son-in-law, Paula and Doug Lindsay. Now begins the return to normal life!
Thursday, April 13
We are making the adjustments to home life. A cold has captivated my breathing system since we arrived, but it is annoying rather than debilitating! Sandy has returned to her BUSY-ness, and has many things on the go already. One thing we discovered when we returned was that my Driver’s Licence had expired on my birthday. That caused a panic and quick renewal. (I hope that it doesn’t affect the accidental damage claim on the rental car that happened in Napier, NZ.) Also, I have made an insurance claim for my lost iPad.
The news about Cyclone Cook hitting New Zealand this morning is a bit disturbing, but apparently, Auckland has been given a reprieve from the major thrust of the storm. Unfortunately, Hawkes Bay, the Coromandel Peninsula and the Bay of Plenty bear the brunt of the storm. This – after many weeks of heavier than usual rainfall. We hope that all of our places of visitations are able to recover from the damages soon.
Thank-you to everyone for following our journeys. We have had quite an adventure, and are most grateful to the many folks who added to the pleasures of our trip:
- Nicki Vance (Sydney and Canberra, AU)
- Gabe Gabjatsy and Ursula Wall (Eden, AU)
- Cindy Henderson (Brisbane, AU)
- Gus and June Whitmore (Currumbin, AU)
- Lynn and Philip Chatfield (Auckland, NZ)
- Montana Mjaaland (Auckland, NZ)
- Nic Hildebrand (Auckland, NZ)
- Chris Long, Jill and Arabella Tillick (Palmerston, NZ)
- Annabelle Tatuava-Enjoy (Rarotonga, Cook Islands)
- Eugene and Krystina Tatuava (Rarotong, Cook Islands)
We would also like to thank the many of you who provided feedback to our blog entries through your comments and best wishes!
Love to all, and may you have a great time – until I next impinge on your time and goodwill!
Sandy (the Quilter) and Tony (the Quill)
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