3:10 to Yuma? No. 5 Days

Nov 6 2008
Day one: ESCAPE!

Departure day. First snowfall forecast. Hwy closure necessitating mountainous route to border. Forecast materialized…SNOW! We escape just in time.

As we approach the dreaded border, the site of our trauma 7 months ago, I’m grasping my brown bag ready to treat my hyperventilation. Gawd, you’d think we were approaching the Afghan border!

Short story, all was well, we only lost a bag of cat treats and three oranges after inspection by US Customs.

Having done this trip twice and endured endless “right and righter” discussions regarding directions and decisions, I decided to retire as Navigator. I planted myself on the couch or the easy chair and before the trip was over I had written a whole new Coaching Program (watch for the launch soon!) and read an 800 page novel (just mind candy)!

DB had complete control. Mind you, that did not mean that he didn't drive around Wenatchee for an hour in the dark looking for a proper parking lot to spend the night. It did mean he hit the highway again until finding a truck stop in the rain, dark and fog.

Day Two - THE TILTED LADY

Headed out south on a wet Hwy 97 to the Hood River, which is the dividing border between Washington and Oregon. Then west along a narrow, winding yet beautiful drive along said river.

This resulted in Solomon returning his breakfast on Greg’s shoe (not on his foot at the time) and soon after, my tummy joined the Cirque de Soleil. Unusual for me who can always read and work on the computer while in road motion.

Leaving that experience behind we head South from Portland, Oregon on Interstate 5 to Eugene where we did the evening ritual of driving around for an hour looking for the Wal-Mart which was finally located after DB ASKED DIRECTIONS! Progress.

Finally able to shop for some food, I make a very upsetting discovery: My exclusive label Chardonnay wine has gone up 33% since last season!! Dang! "WalMart White Wine" is now $2.97 a bottle! Curses.

I must tell you about the Tilted Lady.

Parked for the night in the Wal-Mart lot, I glanced out the window to see a very short, pear-shaped older lady exiting her older motorhome with her older dog on leash. She “walked” over to a nearby tree to allow doggie to pee.

This is the best way I can describe her “walk”:

You would think the pear shape would keep her centre of gravity in the hip area. Her legs were perpendicular to the ground (that’s good), but from hips to head she was slightly tilted forward (this in not good). Add to that a very short, very quick-stepping gait with a slight side to side waddle. So far so good, except…..the further she walked the more she tilted making the tiny steps speed up which added to the increased degree of the tilt which necessitated faster feet, etc. etc. Thank goodness she and doggie arrived at the tree in time to be anchored!

Now for the return trip and I’m holding my breath. Same scenario. Before she made it to her motorhome I was ready to put 10 to 1 with my bookie that she was going to do a pavement plant with her nose! I would have lost, but it was really good for a few minutes entertainment. I did notice though that the dog, being very small and also wise, stayed well out ahead as far as his leash would allow while giving continual furtive glances over his shoulders!

Day 3: Sunshine! Warmer!

Oops, back to rain.

Yay, back to sunshine.

Dang, back to rain.

To complete the day with a cracker-jack thunderstorm!

Darkness falls, we are in Redding, CA. having completed travel through the remainder of Oregon. Torrential rain, constant lightning and I’m lovin’ it. Really, I like thunderstorms. Got a huge thrill when an extremely bright flash of lightning occurred at the precise same time as a C-R-A-C-K of thunder so loud I almost swallowed my eyeballs!

DB is learning! He actually stopped and asked directions to a truck stop within 10 minutes of entering Redding!

Ahh, to sleep with the window open breathing the fresh, rain-washed air!! (CHOKE, GAG), what the heck is that stink!?

Diesel exhaust! Well, there are ‘only’ about 100 semi trucks parked inches apart for the night and most have their generators running. Window now closed, oh well, so much for fresh air.

Day 4: B-O-R-I-N-G

Mostly sunny
The long, boring stretch through flat, central northern CA .
Still frosty at night. Sunny all day.

Sid had the most excitement for the day when I put him on a leash and let him gorge on grass at two rest stops. Do you see the look he gave me when I tucked a bougainvillea blossom between his ears? "I am NOT a girl cat!"

Then we have the boys still doing their synchronized sleeping pose.

The sight of literally thousands of wind turbines never ceases to cause mouth-dropping awe for me. By the way, on my computer if you click on one of my pictures it will enlarge. Give it a try so you can see the futuristic landscape in the distance.

Overnighted in the Tejon Pass at a Flying J truck stop. Great truck stops! Showers for drivers, good restaurants not just fast food joints, stores similar to 7-11, many diesel pumps, truck repair bays, etc.

After hours of straight, flat hwy it was good to see foothills in the distance. So different from home with no greenery but with a certain beauty all it’s own. I can only describe them as looking as if the Mountain Angel had crumpled a gigantic, brown paper bag and slightly stretched it out again upon the earth. Various angles of sunlight gave them a velvety appearance.

I rather like the break from TV and Internet. Early to bed and early to rise just like the farmers in their day.

Day 5: GETTING CLOSE

Price of diesel: $2.80 gal US at the truck stop. It varies greatly and every gas station has different prices, not like home where they are all in cahoots with each other and every station is the same.

Sighted the first palm trees today!

Arrived in Yuma after dark and elected to park in the Wal Mart lot rather than wrestle this bus and trailer into our RV Park site in the dark.

Yahoo! My Triple ‘W’ Chardonnay is STILL $1.97 here in Yuma!

Day 6 – ARRIVAL

Glorious sunshine, CALM winds. So different from last year!

We ran around getting re-acquaintance hugs and hollers with old friends from last season. No loneliness this time!

Being the organized, well-prepared person that I am, I had arranged for Qwest to connect our phone and Internet for the same day we arrived. Didn’t happen. A subsequent call revealed they had lost the order. What else is new?????! They felt badly and ‘expedited’ the order for a week later.

Final Note

So we are happily snuggled into our lot living in the hip pockets of our neighbours: Barb & Jim and “Stevie” (Chihuahua and mystery cross, old and sweet) from Seattle on the left and Sandy & Tim and “Lucy” (Basset Hound, old and sweet) from Stettler on the right. Seems the pets and the people have lots in common…everyone is Old and Sweet!

Been here for 9 days as this writing, constant sunshine all day and only light breezes so far! Daily temps range from 30 to 35C.

Oh yes, we have an orange tree this year on our new site. Bye-bye grapefruit.

A Tip for you

Check out this excerpt from “Your Lifeline to Organization”

Click Here: http://cleargoalscoaching.com/pdfs/GetOrganizedPortait_sample.pdf
Cheers!
Lynn

The Case of the Disappearing Pumpkin Pie

THE SETTING: It was a dark and stormy night.....Oops, wrong story

It was a gorgeous autumn day, Thanksgiving weekend in Canada, as our family gathered at the home of son-in-law Ken and our very own Martha Stewart, daughter Holly. As usual the aromas, reaching all the way to the driveway, wafted teasingly up our nostrils to wrap around our olfactory nerves and set off the tummy gurgles from the moment we stepped out of the car.

Entering through the door, a glass of wine is slapped into my hand by Ken with the skill of an O.R. nurse answering the surgeon's urgent need of a scalpel. This man knows me well! And also knows how to make mother-in-law points.

THE SUSPECTS: Five women, four men and four doggies (I can never bring my kitties to family functions because they would beat up the dogs, no kidding!), made for a noisy, happy, calamitous couple of hours prior to a crispy, brown gobbler exiting the oven. Humphrey the 50th, (a tradition set by my parents decades ago named our turkeys 'Humphrey') was joined on the table with creamy mashed potatoes and silky gravy, a yam dish blanketed in sugared pecans, salads, veggies, freshly made cranberry sauce, pickles, more wine and a promising belly ache.

THE VICTIM: Not one, but three pies, cherry, pecan and pumpkin, with pastry so light it flaked if you didn't tip toe past it, awaited in a side room to be joined by ice cream in the freezer and paraded to the table.

THE DISCOVERY: Suddenly the air was rent by a despairing scream! Everyone was shocked into wide eyed silence (a total rarity with our clan). I ran to the adjoining room expecting at least a blood bath and was met instead with a very distraught daughter, her hands covering her mouth in horror, and a son-in-law covering his as he strangled to contain his laughter. All eyes stared at the demise of half a pumpkin pie and a piece missing from the edge of the pastry from the cherry pie.

THE CLUES: Whodunit??? The pies were healthy and whole prior to dinner. First clue: The deed occurred in the adjoining room. Second clue: Every human was accounted for. Third clue: Only the pumpkin pie filling was eaten, not the pastry...deduction: the perp doesn't like pastry, even very light and flaky pastry! The marks left in the pumpkin pie filling were very uneven and appeared to be made by ...... a little tongue! Deduction: the perp was not human (gasp!). That left....DOGGIES!! Fourth clue: Upon feeling the tummies of all four suspects and the questioning of humans as to the sightings of said doggies during dinner, left but one solution.

Dum de dum dum...

THE CULPRIT: Bailey the Poodle!!

Final deciding factor leading to a guilty verdict: A round, distended tummy that felt like she had swallowed a baseball.

SENTENCE: Ten hours of miserable tummy ache accompanied by extreme thirst. She was released on good behavior after 'returning' the pumpkin pie on the carpet.

CASE CLOSED.


Roll back time a few hours to find family doing a photo shoot in the park prior to dinner. It was time to update our family pictures. Holly may be the family Martha Stewart, but I seem to have the Annie Lebowitz role.

With camera in hand we met in the park which put on a superb show of autumn colours while the sun smiled all afternoon. After a couple of hours of strolling for settings, snapping, posing, re-snapping and getting hungry, these are a few of the best shots:

Holly and Ken (left) DB and You Know Who (right)

Kristie, Bronson and Barkley (left) Holly and Kristie (right)




Ken, Steve, Holly, Lindsey (left) Steve and Lindsey (right)

t's not easy getting these clowns to settle down and be serious!

On the travel trails.....Where are we??

Still at home in Canada.

As everyone knows, unless you are snoring in hibernation already, the world has been turned on it's monetary kiester. Canada, although positioned to be one of the few countries with strong banks and a economy able to keep us out a recession, has a dollar competing with an Olympic downhill ski record. Hey, don't ask me, I don't understand it.

What I do know is, for us to spend several months in the USA with a depressed Canadian dollar has our bank account ready to impeach us. Soooo, we are waiting and watching as the dollar does it's daily dipsy-doodle to see if it will miraculously rise or at least stabilize. Someone should put the poor, worn out thing to rest.

We may stay home for a while or we may just pick up and go. Stay tuned to find out where we arems;">

I personally feel that the world is in a time of shift and there has never been a more exciting time to live on earth! My October issue of "Clear Directions" e-zine contains an article telling you why. If you don't get it by subscription into your inbox, go to this page of my website and find it there http://cleargoalscoaching.com/pure_inspiration.php after October 31st.

Cherrio!

Finger, Fall, Fortieth & Flying Halfway 'Round the World

I got a unique salute today! Until you look in your rear view mirror and see yourself getting an arthritically crooked, old, wrinkled middle Finger being waved at you on the end of the arm of a septuagenarian woman, well, you have really missed out. Come to think, she DID look a bit like Maxine!


Seems she took umbrage to me pulling up beside her on the street and informing her she was driving on the wrong side of the road. Hmmpf! Just goes to show it isn't just the younger citizens of the developed world to whom manners have been lost. (Don't get me started!!)


On to happier happenings.






A couple of family milestones this summer. DB and I celebrated 40 years of wedding Blarney (Oops, typo! I mean "Bliss" of course). And we still talk to each other after living in an RV together for one whole year! If we have a 'secret' it would likely come from mouths of Herman and Maxine.








Seems DB just can't live without me anyway. While I was out to play with sister Penny for several days (see last post), he got himself a literal 'splitting' headache.





Picture this: DB entering RV in the dark. Sid, the alpha cat, missing Mum whom he is quite sure has forever abandoned him, has positioned himself at the top of the 3 steps into the RV. DB feels Sid under his foot and quickly jerks it off the cat and steps over him onto a mat which slides forward sending DB over backwards.

Result? Wrenched shoulder (which has once before been under the knife), blackened ribs and a scalp laceration 2" long and deep to the skull which actually bore a scrape. Prior to losing consciousness, DB had the presence of mind to kick the screen door closed thus keeping the cats safely inside. As scalp cuts bleed profusely, he found himself lying in a pool of it when he regained his wits some 30 minutes after his gymnastic performance. Stitches, pain killers and several days later he met me at the airport wearing yet another scar on his often banged, bald head. In his life as an aircraft and heavy duty mechanic, his head and various metal objects have often collided.






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Daughter Holly and son in law Ken also celebrated an anniversary of achievement...25 years! Their secrets originate with Martha Stewart and Clark Kent!




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Daughter Kristie also celebrates a momentous occasion as she morphs Enhance Studio out of an in-home business environment to an elegant, high end Clinical Esthetics & Spa business with six staff. A little over one year ago she took over my 20-year old 'baby' and mushroomed it into this thriving popular retreat providing a fountain of youth and sublime pampering.

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What does one (namely me) do when one reads in the newspaper that one’s old Alma Mater is going to be torn down?

After an oral explosion of “They can’t do that!” accompanied with a mild expletive followed with a fortified cup of tea, I accepted there was nothing I could do but accept it and attend the ceremony (wake?) to celebrate the thousands of feet which trod the halls, the many grad classes that walked out the doors for the last time and the teachers who forced knowledge into our resistant brains and wrung it out again during final exams.

So, DB (who walked those same halls) and I hopped into the ‘Smartie’ and drove to our former city of residence as teenagers and partook. Following lots of laughs, some throat lumps and bumping into a few old classmates, we found my grad class picture on the wall at the end of an old, musty hallway. That can't mean that I'm old and musty!?

Wow, if we had known then what life had in store for us!

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I've saved the most exciting news for last!


Where on Earth? Can you guess?

Several weeks ago I was reading a small magazine article that mentioned ways in which some of us Earthlings are becoming more philanthropic. "Can you picture yourself teaching English to Buddhist monks in Kathmandu, Nepal?" was one sentence followed by a website address.

Out of my mouth burst the words, "I'd LOVE to do that!". Followed by my stunned look as I scanned the room looking for the source of the voice. "Who said that? I couldn't have say that. That's crazy!" Being as I was alone at the time, there could be only one possibility.

Long story short: I'll be in Kathmandu, Nepal in May and June of 2009 teaching English to Buddhist monks ages 10 to 20! Teenage Buddhist monks....hmmmm.

Well, it just wouldn't leave me alone! I couldn't stop thinking about it, eventually explored the website www.i-to-i.com and made a commitment. It is a volunteer mission, I am taking a Teach English as a Foreign Language course online with a tutor during this upcoming winter, the flights are booked and the accommodation (provided) awaits.

Dear DB is going to bach(elor) it at home with the kitties as I search for my little round-faced monk mentioned in my previous post. In all seriousness, I am doing this to share what knowledge I have with the people of an underprivileged country while I open myself up to absorb what they are going to teach me. I think it will be 75/25! They will teach me much more, I'm certain.

My laptop and camera are coming with me so The Blog with accompanying pictures will bring you into this experience with me.

I am sooooo E-X-C-I-T-E-D!

And, no, I won't be scaling Mt. Everest because no Sherpa will agree to piggyback me!

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We leave for Yuma October 14. Yes it is election day in Canada, but we will vote at the Advance Poll. It will be interesting to be in the USA on their election day in November.


Cheerio!

Lynn

Lynn & Penny Go Out To Play

I bounced so much my sit bones are bruised!

Sitting still was impossible for me, not singing was also impossible. Good thing I was in the back row so my bouncing head didn't bother anyone, although I did see bouncing heads all over the theater. Hysterical laughter and spontaneous applause broke out at regular intervals.

Where was I?

Unless you've been in a root cellar all summer, you've either heard about or seen the movie "Mama Mia". I'm a "Dancin' Queen" and I LOVE Abba!!!! I've never had so much fun watching a movie...ever!

Where were you in the glory days of Abba. You will definitely bring back the nostalgia, laugh until your endorphin levels are off the charts and break into song and dance at any inappropriate moment for the next week. So if you haven't already, go and see this Movie.

I very, very rarely read a book twice, see a movie twice, and I never purchase DVD's. That has now changed. I've talked my daughter into going with me so I can see it again. Much more fun when there's two of you to to dance out of the theater together and screech the songs at the highest decibels all the way home. When it comes out on DVD I am purchasing it and I will watch it over and over!

ABBA...."Thank You For The Music"!

This movie was just one of the non-stop events my sister Penny and I did during my visit to Vancouver Island.

Here is her cozy little cottage in the woods near Qualicum Beach

What else did we do ? Read on...

Injuries:

Cracked shin on dishwasher door. Did it again next day in exact same place (on shin, not dishwasher door), this time on car door. The resulting expletives are not printable.

Never walk through a doorway while yakking your mouth off looking backward over your shoulder. Yup, I walked right through the screen door! Not too much damage done to me or the door, but I thought Penny and I would strangle with laughter. One way to get your heart started!

Pampering:

Both of us indulged in much needed pedicures. Here is Lori assisted by "Sam" helping me prepare.

Then there was the most rubber-leg-producing massage at the 'Sapphire Day Spa' in Victoria a few days later.

Mama Mia, 'atsa soma magnifico massage-a! The best I have ever had.

Penny wanted to sit in this lounge all day, until Miss Antsy Pants (me) dragged her out, albeit at a much reduced pace than when we went in.

Sins:

Pecan pie, cream puffs, wine, cookies, High Tea, wine, multi Latte's with whipped cream, strawberry pie, apple pie, wine and port.

Resitution:

A 'Cleanse Day' and a three hour hike up a mountain to the waterfalls. As far away from food as we could get.

Here you see part of the Rosewall trail, otherwise known as the Trans-Canada Highway (kidding!), and my uncontained exuberance upon our arrival!

The shot at the top of this page is also from this area. Did ya wonder what the heck that picture has to do with "Mama Mia"? Gottcha thinkin'!

Wet Blanket:

Literally 'wet"! Our plans to go to Tofino were rained out. Instead, we headed south to Victoria where the weather forecast was more promising. Great decision! What fun....shopped till we dropped (my Christmas shopping is done!) walked at least 20K, indulged in live theatre, Imax theatre, MORE great food, etc. etc.

Meet You At the Theatah Dahling:

Live theatre: "South Pacific" in Chemainus, "Anything That Moves" at the Belfry theatre in Victoria.

Movies: "Mama Mia' in Nanaimo,"Before the Rains" in Vic. and "Wild Ocean - South African Coast" at the Imax.

Tourist-y Ports of Call

I'll Take a Barrel - Never have I tasted blackberries like this! Wine tasting at the Cherry Hill Winery had to buying the Solara Blackberry port - toute suite!

Effervescence - More tasting, this time 6 ciders were offered at the Merridale Cidery (YUMmy!) Decided on Winter Apple Cider to bring home. Why is it I always like the most expensive ones?

Calorie Calamity - If there is such a thing, I bought a healthy cookie at the Cowachin Bay Bakery. Well, it was made with spelt flour!

Take a Deep Breath - Ahhh, the fragrance. At the Lavender Farm, if there is no traffic on the nearby road and you stand very still you can hear the lavender fields "sing". No kidding! There are so many hundreds of busy pollen-gathering bees the fields hummmmm. It was here that we almost picked up a very friendly, furry-purry, hitch hiker.

Buddhist Meditation Walk - A peaceful meandering through the freshly, rain-dampened woods where several beckoning benches were placed at intervals enticing one to sit and ponder.

Words Worth - Oh yikes. One of my favorite places on this planet to be is in a second hand book store. I love the smell, the jumble and most of all the little treasures I unearth. They are like a magnet I finally had to instruct Penny to "do not let me go in there!" as she hung onto my arm and I put my hand up to my eyes to provide a blinder. OK, it's an addiction, I admit it. I came home with more than 10 books and crossed everything including my eyelashes at the airport check-in that my suitcase was not overweight. It wasn't....whew!

Tea & a Fortune - High Tea at the Calico Cat Tea House. A 3-tiered serving platter full of munchkin sandwiches, scones, jam, clotted cream, tarts, little cakes, Nanaimo (how appropo, we were in Namaimo!) bars and a huge pot of tea to salivate over while 'Marilyn', the Reader gave us spot-on messages from the Ether. She sees me with a little, round-faced, merry-eyed Monk (she used the term "pixie to pixie") who would teach me much using his humor. Hmmmm, now what can that mean???? I'm looking around corners for my Monk.

And now....here is Penny and me atop the high stools of the Irish Times Pub in Victoria giving our salute with yet ANOTHER glass of wine!

Cherrio!

I Have a New Toy!

Wanna help me play with it?

The things I don't do for my readers! In order to really appreciate the video (yup, that's my new toy), you must visualize this.....me and heights go about as well together as electricity and water, a dangerous combination.

However............

I swallowed my fear as I peered up the ladder leading to the roof of our RV, talked gently to myself for, oh, about 3 hours, prayed to the Ladder Angel and finally inched my way to the top. Another 3 hours and I was able to rise from a kneeling state to an upright position whereupon, with vibrating hands I freed my new toy from my pocket and took this panoramic video.

Be kind, you are enjoying the privilege of viewing my very first audio/video attempt. Our RV park is undergoing the construction of it's third phase, thus the short trees and unfinished streets and sheds, but you have to agree it's a beautiful location!

Now the downward journey. I'm thinking it's noon now, can I do this before sunset? Oh woe is me, the only thing worse than heights is meeting a spider the size of Jupiter on the third rung from the top. Motivation is a wonderful thing. I shot down that ladder faster than a space ship reentering the atmosphere.

If you are curious about the gadget I used you can visit this site http://www.theflip.com/products.shtml

On to more news.......

What are you addicted to?

Coffee? TV? Cigarettes? Email?

Imagine having to live three whole months without it. I did! And that's the reason you haven't heard from me for so long. No, I did not spend that time in rehab but the bald patches on my head, finger nails chewed to the quick and the path worn in the carpet told me I was getting close.

I am addicted to the Internet and was helplessly waiting for an Internet connection! Finally I am back in business albeit after being reduced to begging, cajoleing, grovelling and almost threatening in order to get my fix.

DB, myself and the cats have been 'home' these past months with family, friends and familiar city.

Mother's Day '08: with 2 daughters, 1 granddaughter and
4 granddogs

A cooler and wetter than normal spring has morphed into a typical Okanagan summer of sunshine, heat and orchards of trees heavy with fresh, sun-ripened fruit. 'Scuse me, while I wipe the cherry juice that's dripping off my chin.

I'm off to visit my sister for 10 days (oh boy, I think we are going to get into some hellery!) Stay tuned.

Homeward Bound

DAY ONE: March 30, 2008

The best laid plans of mice (Lynn) and men (‘DB’- Greg) oft go astray.

A 6:00 am departure from Yuma turned into a 1:00 pm departure due to an unplanned brake wiring ‘troll’. When DB (Dearly Beloved) tells me at 7:00 am “We’ll be a couple of hours”, my brain does the automatic translation: “We’ll be at least until noon”. We may have had a late take off, but DB’s talent as a mechanic likely saved us at least a day and mucho dinero (sp? don’t have a Spanish spellchecker!)

Once on the road, our old nemesis the wind, that had me cowering under the bed covers on the way south 5 months previously, again became our unwelcome companion. After 4 hours of fighting the steering wheel of this much heavier coach than the southward bound ‘house’, DB packed it in and we spent the night at a truck stop in Cabazon, Calif. Don’t bother looking it up, I’m sure the truck stop was the entire population.

On the way to our first stopover, we travelled through the Palm Springs area and were treated to a sight of mammoth proportions. Thousands, no exaggeration, of wind turbines (the modern day Dutch windmill) everywhere we looked. Climbing the hillsides, rimming the mountain tops like salt on a Margarita glass, row upon row in the valley floors on either side of the highway for miles on end.

“Landscape of our Future” is the thought that came to mind. I wanted to take a picture, but the only shot that would have done it justice through the windshield, had a mushy, yellow carcass of some rather large California bug planted right in the middle of the scene.

Other than being in the hospital recovering from surgery, this had to be one of the worst night’s sleeps I ever endured. First, I had to sleep in the red light district. Now before your very talented imaginations kick up to mock speed, allow me to explain.

It may sound weird, but I can’t sleep with any electronic, or otherwise, light in the bedroom. I have to cover the digital clock, the smoke alarm light (I’ve been known to climb up on the bed in a hotel room and put a bandaid over one! Wonder how long it took for someone to discover it?), and place pillows over any lights coming in under drapes. I travel with clothes pegs to hold drapes and curtains closed!

Yes, I do have an eye mask, but it leaves marks on my face for hours the next day.

Back to the red light. We had to leave the generator of the coach running during the night and guess where the indicator light was in the bedroom? Directly above my face! I was so tired I just gave in and thought I would give it a try. Wrong! Only light (no pun intended) sleep for me for about 4 hours.

Next…both Sid and Sol somehow got into the room and decided the bed was a great place for a play date. Added to that, Sid has recently decided that I need grooming while I’m asleep and proceeds to lick my hair which becomes tangled in his sandpaper tongue and the removal process sounds like a cross between gagging and regurgitating.

After none too gently removing them and closing the door again, I made another attempt to sleep. Within 5 minutes, they were back! We have pocket doors in the RV. Seems because we were on a slight slant, which allowed gravity to lend assistance, and Solomon being Mr. Muscle cat, he was able to get his paw into a space and push the doors open. Never underestimate a determined cat.

Then I was too hot, too cold, constantly serenaded by trains on tracks just across the highway. Why in the heck do they shrill their horns in the middle of the night, no population or intersection in sight?

I finally rummaged through a drawer and came up with my eye mask and a pair of earplugs and managed an hour of snooze before having to rise and take on my duty as map and road navigator for Day Two, grateful for the fact that I was comfy in my RV and not in a pup tent.


DAY TWO: March 31, 2008

B-o-r-r-r-i-n-g, but pleasant.

Except for climbing over Tijon Pass (4,100 ft.), Central California on I-5 is flat, straight and uneventful. A sunny day, calm winds.

Uneventful, that is, until a California Highway Patrol officer pulled us over. She said it was due to ‘speed’. We were going 70mph in a 70mph zone. Hmmmm. Seems we had “misinterpreted” signs. Any vehicle towing a trailer is restricted to 55mph. (b-o-r-r-r-i-n-g!).

After a chat about how we liked our RV, RV life and how her Dad wants to do it, but can’t convince her Mum, writing down DB’s driver’s license number and realizing we were from out of state/country, she said it was understandable that we were not really clear on the ‘rule’.

She said she would like to visit Canada one day but was afraid of the “Meese”. Yes, you read correctly and she was serious. Thinking ‘geese’ was the plural for ‘goose’, she assumed ‘meese’ was the plural for ‘moose’. After some hysterical snorting and choking back erupting laughter, we kindly informed her that there were no ‘meese’ in Canada and as for Moose (same singular as plural), we had never seen one in the wild our entire lives.

So off we went, no fine, pulled into a Flying J just south of Stockton for the night and finally got several grateful, continuous hours of sleep.

DAY THREE: April 1 2008

It seems to take forever to pass through California which is a very large, (north to south) state to begin with. And we covered it from south border to north border. At 55 mph, no less!

At one point in the mountains of northern California, I wondered why, at a temperature of only 20C degrees, I was very warm and sweating. Surrounded as we were with mountains and greenery, it suddenly dawned on me……H-U-M-I-D-I-T-Y! Something totally lacking in our desert environment of the past 5 ½ months. Oh yummy, my skin and eyes are loving it.

Speaking of ‘eyes’, Mt. Shasta is a feast for them as its snowy crown is visible for several hours to the north and east of us as we travel along.

Crossing into Oregon, DB can now boost our speed to 65mph, but the winding roads and continuous up and down grades of the mountains don’t allow him to experience the ‘thrill of the ride’ often.

We are bringing sunshine with us! The weather is perfect for travel.

Night time, as we close Day Three, finds us WalMart-ing it for the night in Roseburg OR, where I am able to bring up a very grainy TV picture to find out who was booted off Dancing With the Stars this week.

DAY FOUR: April 2 2008

Another gorgeous, sunny morn.

Continuing on I-5 north to the Oregon/Washington border, we then switch east on I-84 and follow the Columbia River gorge on the Oregon side to The Dalles (pronounced ‘dolls’) where we cross the river into Washington.

Was able to get some mid afternoon photo ops as you can see.

"The Dalles" Dam, Oregon
Columbia River Gorge, Oregon side

Now north on Hwy 97 to I-82 and into Yakima WA, where we check into Wally World Park ‘n Sleep for the night. Here is something I have never seen before….as we drove into the parking lot, the driver in a private security car with its flashing yellow light, motions us over to an out-of-the-way parking area for our 62 ft. of RV and trailer. The driver gets out of the car and guides us with the gesticulations of a well-practiced airport hanger line servicing crew member slotting a 747 (sometimes this ‘bus’ feels about that big!).

The security guard then walks over to our door, I open it from my navigator seat and say, “Thank you, Sir!” Sir turns out to be Ma’am. I think. My clue? S/he says something about being a ‘big woman’ and rarely gets run over. In my embarrassment, I’m doing the 3-second cursory evaluation and see a male haircut, a pot belly, nothing to put in a bra, a security uniform and cap, masculine hands, and hear a voice that could go either way.

Now s/he spots Sid in my lap goes pure mush. Turns out s/he looooves cats, gives Sid a pat and a scritch along with kitty-talk, wishes us a good night and walks away. Before I can close the door s/he is back and asks if Sid would allow her/him to hold him. More cooing, a snuggle and s/he reluctantly returns Sid to my lap.

Man? Woman wannabe? Man wannabe? Shrug. Loves cats though!

DAY FIVE: April 3 2008

As day dawns on an early Yakima morn, our constant sunshine companion is still with us. After robbing a bank and draining another diesel pump, we set out on what we plan to be our final stretch to home.

Through the edges of the Wenatchee Forest where winter remnants of snow patches dot the roadsides, we wind our way through the pine and fir sentinels standing guard along the narrow, curly ribbon of highway.

One does not ‘make time’ on secondary, 2-lane roadways. But, Canada Here We Come!

Just south of the Canadian border at Oroville WA, someone pulled the blind. We lost our sunshine!

Seems it was an omen of darker things to come….

O……M……G!!!

We ran smack up against the Canada Customs wall (figuratively).

We are now members of the elite “Do I HHHHHHHHHHHHHH ave a Custom’s Story For You” group. You always hear of them and pray that it will never happy to you. No such luck for us.

Every piece of paper needed to import our ‘newer’ coach with all the i’s dotted and all the t’s crossed were in order and ready to be presented.

We made our first stop at the US Customs office in order to first ‘export’ the coach. The agent looked at the papers, clicked on the computer for a few seconds, stamped the pages and said, “On your way”. Two minutes.

Now on to Canada Customs to ‘import’ the coach.

Thus began 4 ½ hours of intimidation, harassment, separating DB and I in interviews (interrogations), threats of seizure and criminal investigation, accusations, two lengthy, thorough searches of our RV, etc.

Why?

Because Canada Customs did not believe the price on the bill of sale or title papers for the Coach was truthful. A soft market in the Yuma area for RV sales allowed us to purchase at a lower than ‘book’ price and herein lay the problem.

At Customs it is the reverse of our legal system. You are guilty until proven innocent. We were not drug smugglers or terrorists, just importers of a USA purchased vehicle and this branch of the Canadian Federal Government was determined to get every dime of tax from us that they determined we owed. Isn’t it always about money???

I had visions of being tasered at any moment if we even tried to speak in our defense. Especially when a huge bear of an agent, who had 200 pounds and 2 ft. in height more than me, (I’m 5’ and 115 lbs), wearing a bullet-proof vest kept yelling at me to ‘let him finish’ every time I tried. That’s when he told us our RV was seized and threatened a criminal investigation of all our financial transactions. They were certain we had paid more for the RV than was stated on the official bill of sale and showed on the brokerage house transaction from our bank to the bank of the dealership. The inference was that we had colluded with the dealership to fudge paperwork.

Hours later, after a phone conversation between Canada Customs and the RV dealership who sold us the coach plus who knows what other kinds of invasions into our privacy and our lives, we were simply presented with a bill for the tax on the coach based on the purchase price. We paid it and left. And I drank a half bottle of wine while DB had a celebratory cup of “Timmy’s” coffee (unavailable in the USA)!

Since coming home and talking to others we find out that this is just a matter of course at Canada Customs for anyone importing a vehicle of any value. The exact same scenario for the exact same reason is constantly repeated. It must be ‘entertainment’ for the agents! We were told of one couple who took their complaint to their local Member of Parliament and actually got a phone call of apology from Canada Customs. Doesn’t seem to stop it though because it seems they don’t have to be held accountable.

Days later I can still feel the effects of the trauma and am using every tool I have at my disposal to heal. Just being able to write about this is good medicine. I am so grateful that I never had to work at a job that tears human beings down, traumatizes them or would put me in a position where I’d have to be suspicious and expect the worst of every person I met.

I am also grateful that we have people who protect us from those who would enter our country intent on doing harm. I do not envy them their position. And if it means that innocent citizens have to go through an unjust experience occasionally in order to protect Canada then so be it.

I guess it was just our turn.

So if you ever find yourself in this position, be forewarned. Stand your ground, don’t believe their intimidating threats, cooperate with respect and above all, remember you are a Canadian citizen and the onus of proof is on them.

Amen.

And so this chapter closes. We are home and happy for it.

Desert Boogie, Purple Blanket & Pungent Air

Now I can say I've crossed one more thing off my "Bucket List". Actually it wasn't even on it, but I did it, so it went on the list post-event so I'd have something to cross off! Is that cheating? Well, no doubt it would have ended up on the list at some point anyway.

With Our Buddies Bryan & Noreen, we headed off down a 'wash' out into the dunes and gave 'er for a couple of hours.

Yes, that's me on the left "pretending" while the 'real' driver (Greg) enjoys some H2O

Now here's the exciting part...we were having so much fun roaring up and down steep sand hills, we got separated. Trying to find your way out of the desert is like trying to find your way out of a maze. Or a full grown cornfield (in that case would it be "maize"?)

Thanks to the direction of the sun and the foothill mountains to the north, we knew the direction back out of the wash, but we were in a different wash! Oh well, same direction. Out we popped onto the road, looked left and here they came down the shoulder of the road toward us. Then we got a thorough tongue lashing for worrying them half to death thinking we were broken down!

Awww, so sweet to know your friends care.

Purple Blanket

Wow! The desert has bloomed!

What a sight, for miles and miles and miles one sees this seemingly endless purple blanket. Often studded with the happy faces of white petalled faces waving in the breeze, smiling at the sun. My Photographer bell rang and off I went, camera, tripod and Greg (assisting) in tow. Enjoy some of my efforts.

Pungent Air

As we cycle throughout the RV Park, our nostrils are treated to the most delicious, pungent scent. Each RV site, and there are 1,200 of them, has a citrus tree and they are all in bloom! What a treat to lay in bed at night and through the open window floats this wondrous gift from the Universe. Once again, clang! the photographer bell rang and I was off on my bike to find the best shots to share with you.

Just use your imagination now.....look at the pictures, feel the sunshine on your face, and picture a waft of orange blossom fragrance as the whisper of a breeze floats it to your nose.....breathe deeply. Ahhhh!

It won't be long before we head out of the desert and into the green valley of home. Where not too long from now we will be treated to the fragrance of cherry and apple blossoms.

Whoo Hoo! Love this RV life.

Flying High, Helmet Mixup, Smooches

All politics aside, the airshow and static displays at the Yuma Marine base was awe-inspiring, stirring and a very enjoyable day.

At left, you will see DB, in a 'former life' an aircraft mechanic in the Canadian Armed Forces, minutely inspecting the inner workings of what, to me, is simply a mess of wires.





A Mechanic in Love

The day was perfect with clear skies, blessedly calm winds, temps is the mid 70'sF (25C). My particular favorite flight demonstration was the salute to all the men and women of the allied Armed Forces in all conflicts, particularly those who made the ultimate sacrifice, with the mighty F16 of today and the popular, effective World War 2 P51 Mustang flying together in a large circle overhead.


Stirring Salute

Oh, and for us ladies, the display of testosterone and eye candy was impressive! OK, that's sexist and I don't care.

The hit of the day for the Marines on parking detail was the Smart Car! We're about ready to print up an information sheet and just pass them out! Everywhere we go we are asked the same questions and even caught a guy in his pickup truck taking a picture with his phone!


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I hate sweating! Most forms of exercise make me sweat! Therefore I hate exercising! Well, at least I'm truthful.
But I DO exercise because something I dislike even more is growing old being ill and decrepit. THUS, we now have bicycles. In the background you will see the 'preferred' mode of biking and when DB says let's go for a 'bike' ride I plop on the appropriate headgear. Seems DB got confused too seeing as his is on backwards.

Right Bikes, Wrong Hats

I think the last time I rode a bike I was about 12. Yes, it's correct that the old saying 'it's like riding a bike, you never forget how' is true. What's more true is if you have legs about as long as a Daschund (me), it's a Boy Bike (that dratted bar!), and you are wearing thongs (the shoes, not the underwear) it's not the riding that's the problem, it's the mount and dismount!

Result? Yup, I fell off the bike. To add insult to injury (a skinned elbow and a black-bruised knee), I wasn't even riding it, just trying to get on! Did I care about my knee and my elbow? No, I was more concerned that someone other than DB at my side had witnessed my elimination from the Olympic Games.

DB, who can't stand to see me hurt, wanted to 'fix it' by running right out and buying me a 'girl bike' (bless his heart), but my response was, "You know that I allow very little to defeat me in life, and falling off has just hardened my resolve to master this". So I'm in the process of 'mastering'. Maybe it's the headgear?

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Thought you might like to meet Yilka (pronounced Jill-Kah) Gomez, my Panamanian-working-in-Mexico dentist. Nice teeth, hay!!

So many of her patients live in our RV park that she was invited to dinner and we all went over for appies and a hug 'till next season.


I looooove this lady. She saved me many thousands of dollars and did excellent work. We even experienced an earthquake together (see recent post) so we are forever bonded.
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DB, ever the romantic, did the Valentine thing. Meet "Smoochie" before and after he got his kiss!




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