MAY 27, Wednesday, Coquitlam
We went to Costco this morning to buy a few groceries than took a drive around. We spent the rest of the day visiting, reading and preparing dinner.
At dinner I met Joanne’s adopted parents for the first time and we had a very nice visit and dinner. They are very nice people and have RV’ed to some of the places we’ve been such as the Baja so we had notes to compare.
MAY 28, Thursday, To Chilliwack
We spent the morning with Joanne and Jenaya and left around 2 p.m. We took Hwy #1 to Langley where I stopped PACIFIC AXLE & SPRINGS to have an estimate on the repair of the springs under the trailer. After setting up an appointment for next Wednesday June 3, we continued on to Sardis to my daughter and family’s place. We arrived around 4 p.m., parked beside the house, hooked up the power and visited with the family. The girls have really blossomed and matured in the last 2 years. They are beautiful young ladies now, if I may say so myself. Rochelle prepared us a nice dinner then we sat on the back porch and relaxed.
We travelled 92 KM in 2 hours at an average speed of 40 MPH
N 49* 07' 48"
W 121* 57' 46"
Alt: 55 feet
MAY 29, Friday, Truck to Abbotsford
First thing in the morning, I unloaded the kayaks. Jeffrey showed up with his boat on the way to Harrison Lake for the week-end so we made arrangements to meet there tomorrow. I drove to Abbotsford to VALLEY DIESEL PERFORMANCE, dealer of the BD exhaust brake. I spent 3 hours there while they searched for the problem. They ended up changing the exhaust ICP valve which had shown up a couple time on the diagnostic. They re-hooked everything on the BD brake and I left. Within a mile, it acted up and much worse than before so back to the garage where they FINALLY agreed with me that it was the Jake causing a short in the throttle assembly. We unhooked it all and I again left as it was closing time. I am to give them a call Monday. I drove back to Chilliwack.
After dinner we sat outside on the back porch and chatted than Kevin wanted to see MADAGASCAR so we watched that then went to bed.
MAY 30, Saturday, to Harrison Lake
We all sat on the back porch for our morning coffee than it was shower time. Val, grand-son Graeme and I drove to Harrison in Graeme’s car to meet Jeffrey at his boat on Harrison Lake. We spent the rest of the afternoon riding the boat around Echo Island and having a good time. The weather was perfect and very warm. We all got sunburned! We got back to the house by 7 p.m. after stopping at a local pub for dinner. Jeffrey went back to his boat for the night and as he said, “watch the bikini on the beach!”
For the rest of the evening, we watched “MADAGASCAR PART 2” with Kevin and Rochelle. Graeme went out to meet his buddies in Abbotsford. We called it a night after the movie.
MAY 31, Sunday, Sardis
I HAVE UPLOADED NEW PICTURES IN NEW Folder # 41 and updated folder #40.
Everyone went to church this morning then went shopping at costco so we headed for Langley to Best Buy to see about my laptop. I had to leave it there overnight; they are going to reload Vista as some of the programs are not running like they should and may have been installed improperly, so they say. At least it’s free.
We bought a MP3 player for Val and a Electronic Picture Player. As we were coming home, Syd and Vera, Kevin’s parents, called to ask us over for dinner so we went there after dropping off our stuff at home. We had a very nice visit and dinner and stayed chatting until 9:30 p.m.
It’s been a good day!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
May 21 to 26, 2009; Chemainus to Coquitlam, BC
MAY 21, Thursday, sightseeing
Sunny and warm today! We went to visit the town of Chemainus in the afternoon which is famous for its murals. (See Pictures in folder # 39). They’ve added more murals since last I was here. We spent about 2 hours walking around the town which is small. Tucker loved to be able to walk with us.
At 4:30 p.m., we drove to Duncan to visit Leslie and Paul, friends of mine which I hadn’t seen in 15 years. I re-acquainted myself with their kids Sara and Dane whom were 4 and 1 when last I saw them. We had dinner with them and a marvelous visit afterwards. We left around 10 p.m. as they both have to work in the morning. We made arrangements to have them over for dinner on Saturday.
MAY 22, Friday, to Sooke
We left early to go to Sooke for one last visit with Uncle Russ. While there, I stopped at the garage and had my cruise control fix. A connection had come apart. I talked to Norm about the bill and he said he didn’t feel right charging me for something that he wasn’t able to fix (the missing throttle). I recommend this place to anyone in Sooke and needing repairs. Very honest people! We then went to visit Aunt Millie and Uncle Russ at the Assisting Living Home. Gladys came over too so the girls had a nice visit with him. He wanted Chinese food for dinner so Gladys brought him to her house. We had a nice afternoon at the house and ordered Chinese food for dinner. I took a few pictures then it was time to go as Gladys and George had to go to a game. We said our goodbyes, Val shedded a few tears and we were back on the road by 6:30 p.m. Traffic was light going back so it took us an hour and half to get back to our site in Chemainus.
MAY 23, Saturday, Visitors
A beautiful sunny, warm day; fantastic! We went to a local outdoor market and bought a few vegetables and a few other items. I set up the stove outside to cook the sweet corn then I washed the truck which was overdue. Leslie and Paul arrived around 5:30 p.m. and we first had a visit then cooked dinner, visited and re-acquainted ourselves. It’s great to be reunited again.
MAY 24, Sunday, Last day on Vancouver Island
We went for a short drive along the coast, I fuelled @.909/Litre, put air in the air-bags then came home and I cleaned and put everything away then we read and relax. We had left over from the last couple days for dinner.
MAY 25, Monday, to Lower Mainland
After putting everything away, we left around 9:15 a.m. We first had to drive south on Hwy 1 to a U-Turn area because of the median being blocked then headed north to Nanaimo. We took the 10:30 ferry and found out that our rig is 55 feet long. That cost us $225! OUCH!
Two hours later we were driving through Vancouver to Coquitlam where Joanne, John and Jenaya’s new house is. We visited and caught to almost two year’s absence, had dinner on the patio which was very relaxing. We all went to bed at 10:30 p.m.
We travelled 90 KM (79 miles) in 3 1/2 hours, including the ferry ride, at an average speed of 35 MPH
N 49* 15’ 22”
W 122* 51’ 24”
Alt: 494 feet
MAY 26, Tuesday, Coquitlam
Pouring rain this morning…Welcome to the Lower Mainland, I guess!
Val spent the day visiting with her daughter and grand-daughter and I read, did a few calls, checked e-mail and just plain relaxed. Played a couple games with Jenaya then at 5 p.m. we went to visit with my son Jeffrey in New-Westminster, about 15 minutes from here. Tucker met Simon and they got along just fine right away. We went out to see his boat in Queensborough, a 24 foot Maxim power boat. We then drove to a local pub and had dinner and a very nice visit. We dropped him off at his place and went home. He has to get up early so goes to bed early. We were home by 9:30 p.m. It has stopped raining and looks like it will clear.
Sunny and warm today! We went to visit the town of Chemainus in the afternoon which is famous for its murals. (See Pictures in folder # 39). They’ve added more murals since last I was here. We spent about 2 hours walking around the town which is small. Tucker loved to be able to walk with us.
At 4:30 p.m., we drove to Duncan to visit Leslie and Paul, friends of mine which I hadn’t seen in 15 years. I re-acquainted myself with their kids Sara and Dane whom were 4 and 1 when last I saw them. We had dinner with them and a marvelous visit afterwards. We left around 10 p.m. as they both have to work in the morning. We made arrangements to have them over for dinner on Saturday.
MAY 22, Friday, to Sooke
We left early to go to Sooke for one last visit with Uncle Russ. While there, I stopped at the garage and had my cruise control fix. A connection had come apart. I talked to Norm about the bill and he said he didn’t feel right charging me for something that he wasn’t able to fix (the missing throttle). I recommend this place to anyone in Sooke and needing repairs. Very honest people! We then went to visit Aunt Millie and Uncle Russ at the Assisting Living Home. Gladys came over too so the girls had a nice visit with him. He wanted Chinese food for dinner so Gladys brought him to her house. We had a nice afternoon at the house and ordered Chinese food for dinner. I took a few pictures then it was time to go as Gladys and George had to go to a game. We said our goodbyes, Val shedded a few tears and we were back on the road by 6:30 p.m. Traffic was light going back so it took us an hour and half to get back to our site in Chemainus.
MAY 23, Saturday, Visitors
A beautiful sunny, warm day; fantastic! We went to a local outdoor market and bought a few vegetables and a few other items. I set up the stove outside to cook the sweet corn then I washed the truck which was overdue. Leslie and Paul arrived around 5:30 p.m. and we first had a visit then cooked dinner, visited and re-acquainted ourselves. It’s great to be reunited again.
MAY 24, Sunday, Last day on Vancouver Island
We went for a short drive along the coast, I fuelled @.909/Litre, put air in the air-bags then came home and I cleaned and put everything away then we read and relax. We had left over from the last couple days for dinner.
MAY 25, Monday, to Lower Mainland
After putting everything away, we left around 9:15 a.m. We first had to drive south on Hwy 1 to a U-Turn area because of the median being blocked then headed north to Nanaimo. We took the 10:30 ferry and found out that our rig is 55 feet long. That cost us $225! OUCH!
Two hours later we were driving through Vancouver to Coquitlam where Joanne, John and Jenaya’s new house is. We visited and caught to almost two year’s absence, had dinner on the patio which was very relaxing. We all went to bed at 10:30 p.m.
We travelled 90 KM (79 miles) in 3 1/2 hours, including the ferry ride, at an average speed of 35 MPH
N 49* 15’ 22”
W 122* 51’ 24”
Alt: 494 feet
MAY 26, Tuesday, Coquitlam
Pouring rain this morning…Welcome to the Lower Mainland, I guess!
Val spent the day visiting with her daughter and grand-daughter and I read, did a few calls, checked e-mail and just plain relaxed. Played a couple games with Jenaya then at 5 p.m. we went to visit with my son Jeffrey in New-Westminster, about 15 minutes from here. Tucker met Simon and they got along just fine right away. We went out to see his boat in Queensborough, a 24 foot Maxim power boat. We then drove to a local pub and had dinner and a very nice visit. We dropped him off at his place and went home. He has to get up early so goes to bed early. We were home by 9:30 p.m. It has stopped raining and looks like it will clear.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
May 15 to 20, 2009; Parksville to Chemainus
MAY 15, Friday, Coombs and Parksville
This is the start of the May long week-end, unofficially the start of the summer season in BC. It was sunny but cool. We went for a drive to a local tourist office and got info on the area. From here we went up 4A and visited the village of COOMBS, a hillbilly sort of place where the main attraction is the store with a dirt roof and grass growing on it; goats are on top eating the grass. The place has grown a lot since I was here 20 years ago. There are now a few stores full of tourist goodies. We continued on 4A to Hwy 4 and went to the Provincial Cathedral Grove Park where one can find huge yellow cedar trees. We walked a couple of nature trails then drove back south of Coombs where we stopped at the North Island Wildlife Refuge Centre where we visited with hawks, eagles, birds of prey, crows and ravens to name a few. We also met SANDOR, an eagle with a broken wing who will never fly again and has been adopted by the staff at the Refuge. He put on a little show for us. We also saw wild Australian Black Swans.
We came home to an almost full park. Time for dinner
MAY 16, Saturday, more Sightseeing
Sun and clouds again today and a little cool still. Val did laundry in the morning and I called my daughter and son. Val called an old friend and we made arrangement to meet tomorrow.
In the afternoon, we went for a drive to the “Little Qualicum Cheesework Farm” which turned out to be a quaint little farm catering to kids mainly but we did see pigs, cows, rabbits. We walked the grounds then went in the shop where they make cheese and sell fruit wine. We tasted a couple but I didn’t like it so I went for the cheese and bought a bag of curd cheese; not nearly as good as the one from Drummond’ Ville PQ. We also took a drive to Milner Gardens but they wanted more than we were willing to pay so we came home after stopping in Qualicum and looking around.
MAY 17, Sunday, Meeting friends
We got up at 8 a.m. and met Karen and Brian at 10 for breakfast. We had a lengthy visit then said our goodbyes and went for a drive to Nanoose Bay where there is an experimental Naval Base. We also looked at a couple of parks and went for a walk which Tucker thought was the greatest.
Back to our campsite to relax and enjoy the rest of the sunny day; it is fairly warm right now at 70* F or 20*C
MAY 18, Monday, to Chemainus, Vancouver Island
A cloudy day and cool today! We packed and on the road by 11;15 a.m. We got back on 4A then 19 and headed south. Traffic was heavy, everyone is returning home from a long week-end. We arrived at COUNTRY MAPLES RESORT, an AOR member which cost us $9/night for 7 nights. IT is a very nice park near the Chemainus River and we are about 10 minutes from the town of Chemainus.
We set up then relaxed. It began drizzling so a good day to stay inside and read a book.
We travelled 79 KM (48 miles) in 2 hours at an average speed of 39MPH.
N 48* 53’ 43”
W 123* 42’ 59”
Alt: 173 ft
MAY 19, Tuesday, back to Parksville
We drove back to Parksville so that Val could have her haircut with Jacqueline whom we met in San Carlos, Mexico. She had done Val’s hair there and Val wanted her to cut her hair again. In the meantime, I found a place to have the connectors on my satellite cable replaced and I found an antenna for the Sirius home dock which was a bonus.
We came home via Nanoose Bay and once back at Country Maples, I set up the satellite. It drizzled again in the afternoon.
MAY 20, Wednesday, Quantum to garage for repair and meeting “old friends”
We took “Q” to GREG’S RV to have the underbelly cover replaced. We dropped it there and drove to Nanaimo to meet Bill and Betty for lunch at their place. Alex, another “old friend” was there which was a bonus for me. We had a marvelous visit talking about the “good old sailing days” Unfortunately, it had to end as we had to pick up our rig at 4 p.m. so we said our good-byes and went back to Duncan, south of Chemainus.
Greg’s RV did a good job on the underbelly so we paid our bill which was much less than I figured then drove back to Country Maples and set up once again.
This is the start of the May long week-end, unofficially the start of the summer season in BC. It was sunny but cool. We went for a drive to a local tourist office and got info on the area. From here we went up 4A and visited the village of COOMBS, a hillbilly sort of place where the main attraction is the store with a dirt roof and grass growing on it; goats are on top eating the grass. The place has grown a lot since I was here 20 years ago. There are now a few stores full of tourist goodies. We continued on 4A to Hwy 4 and went to the Provincial Cathedral Grove Park where one can find huge yellow cedar trees. We walked a couple of nature trails then drove back south of Coombs where we stopped at the North Island Wildlife Refuge Centre where we visited with hawks, eagles, birds of prey, crows and ravens to name a few. We also met SANDOR, an eagle with a broken wing who will never fly again and has been adopted by the staff at the Refuge. He put on a little show for us. We also saw wild Australian Black Swans.
We came home to an almost full park. Time for dinner
MAY 16, Saturday, more Sightseeing
Sun and clouds again today and a little cool still. Val did laundry in the morning and I called my daughter and son. Val called an old friend and we made arrangement to meet tomorrow.
In the afternoon, we went for a drive to the “Little Qualicum Cheesework Farm” which turned out to be a quaint little farm catering to kids mainly but we did see pigs, cows, rabbits. We walked the grounds then went in the shop where they make cheese and sell fruit wine. We tasted a couple but I didn’t like it so I went for the cheese and bought a bag of curd cheese; not nearly as good as the one from Drummond’ Ville PQ. We also took a drive to Milner Gardens but they wanted more than we were willing to pay so we came home after stopping in Qualicum and looking around.
MAY 17, Sunday, Meeting friends
We got up at 8 a.m. and met Karen and Brian at 10 for breakfast. We had a lengthy visit then said our goodbyes and went for a drive to Nanoose Bay where there is an experimental Naval Base. We also looked at a couple of parks and went for a walk which Tucker thought was the greatest.
Back to our campsite to relax and enjoy the rest of the sunny day; it is fairly warm right now at 70* F or 20*C
MAY 18, Monday, to Chemainus, Vancouver Island
A cloudy day and cool today! We packed and on the road by 11;15 a.m. We got back on 4A then 19 and headed south. Traffic was heavy, everyone is returning home from a long week-end. We arrived at COUNTRY MAPLES RESORT, an AOR member which cost us $9/night for 7 nights. IT is a very nice park near the Chemainus River and we are about 10 minutes from the town of Chemainus.
We set up then relaxed. It began drizzling so a good day to stay inside and read a book.
We travelled 79 KM (48 miles) in 2 hours at an average speed of 39MPH.
N 48* 53’ 43”
W 123* 42’ 59”
Alt: 173 ft
MAY 19, Tuesday, back to Parksville
We drove back to Parksville so that Val could have her haircut with Jacqueline whom we met in San Carlos, Mexico. She had done Val’s hair there and Val wanted her to cut her hair again. In the meantime, I found a place to have the connectors on my satellite cable replaced and I found an antenna for the Sirius home dock which was a bonus.
We came home via Nanoose Bay and once back at Country Maples, I set up the satellite. It drizzled again in the afternoon.
MAY 20, Wednesday, Quantum to garage for repair and meeting “old friends”
We took “Q” to GREG’S RV to have the underbelly cover replaced. We dropped it there and drove to Nanaimo to meet Bill and Betty for lunch at their place. Alex, another “old friend” was there which was a bonus for me. We had a marvelous visit talking about the “good old sailing days” Unfortunately, it had to end as we had to pick up our rig at 4 p.m. so we said our good-byes and went back to Duncan, south of Chemainus.
Greg’s RV did a good job on the underbelly so we paid our bill which was much less than I figured then drove back to Country Maples and set up once again.
Friday, May 15, 2009
May 7 to 14, Sooke to Parksville, Vancouver Island
MAY 7, Thursday, Sooke
Cloudy and rain in the morning but the sun did come out for a while in the afternoon. Truck still in the garage, trying to find the short or whatever it is. I stopped in and they had one of the harnesses apart. Finally finished all the photocopying of my insurance papers and mailed some of them. Downloaded all the pictures and updated the blog.
MAY 8, Friday, Sooke
Val found a place for TAI-CHI so she went there in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to visit an old friend of mine from my sailing days, Joan and Jim Eaton. They moved here about 7 years ago and are now retired. We had a very nice visit and Jim BBQ’ed salmon which was delicious. We reminisced over old friends and happy days of sailing.
We came home around 9 p.m.
MAY 9, Saturday, Visit more friends
A beautiful sunny day greeted us this morning. We drove to MILL BAY, about a half hour drive from here up Island and visited Val’s good friend, Tony. Willow and her husband and kids were also there (Toni’s daughter). We had once again a very nice visit and Tony served everyone deer meat (delicious) and halibut fish. Needless to say, our stomach was full.
We came home around 8 p.m.; I didn’t want to drive in the dark as Sooke road is quite crooked with curves and narrow at places.
We stopped at the 17 MILES PUB for a bite to eat and watched some hockey then drove home where we watched Canucks losing the game to Boston.
MAY 10, Sunday, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Both Rochelle and Joanne called to wish Val a Happy Mother’s Day! She was overwhelmed by the calls and very happy.
We had visitors today; friends of George and Gladys, who spent the day. We had a cook-out of hot dogs and freshly harvested crabs which George steamed-cooked. We had a nice time and the guests left around 4 p.m. Unfortunately, the day ended in rain.
MAY 11, Monday, Sooke
I went with George to Langford to pick up some lumber for his boat ramp. I bought a generator, 1500 Watts, for $280. It is a 4 stroke motor and very quiet. We came back home, unloaded everything and then Val and I went to Victoria to Royal Oak Cemetery where Val saw and spent a few moments at her biological father’s grave. I took a few pictures then we came home.
Wanda, Gladys sister, had arrived from Prince George so we visited with her, had dinner and watched the Canucks lose the series and their chance to the Stanley Cup. We all went to bed very disappointed.
MAY 12, Tuesday, more problems with the truck
I swear this black cloud has a thing for me!! I went to the garage to check on the truck and found out that after all this time checking all the harnesses and connections, no short were found and to top it, as I took the truck home I discovered that the pedal was going all the way to the floor and the brakes were not operating safely. I took it back to the garage and they found the brake cylinder needed replacing. I left it there overnight.
MAY 13, Wednesday, here is that black cloud again
Val, Gladys and Wanda went to Uncle Russ house to pack all the stuff and get it ready for a garage sale. I worked on a few thing around here, got propane @ $26., and topped up the diesel tank @ .90 cents per litre. AOR called to advise me that I could not stay at Chemainus as the Park was full for the week-end but I could go in on Monday for the balance of our stay. So back to the phone and after numerous denials, I found a Park in Parksville that had a spot for us.
In the afternoon, Val and I went to visit Russ at the senior home to say our goodbyes before we leave tomorrow. We picked up the truck which was ready. Norm, the owner of the garage, told me to take the truck and drive it for a while to see if the problem returns. In the mean time, he charged me for the cost and repair of the brake cylinder but not the time spent trying to find the problem with the wiring. Now this is an honest and fair guy and I would go back to him again anytime.
We had hamburger for dinner then visited with Gladys, Wand and George. It’s been really miserable today; rain and wind and colder than usual.
MAY 14, Thursday, onward to Parksville, BC
A sunny day greeted us this morning. We slowly packed our stuff, I went to town to fill yet another tank of propane @$26, then loaded the generator once back at the house and hooked-up to “Q”. We said our goodbyes to everyone and left around 11 a.m. We first went to a local park where we dumped then drove east on Hwy 14 to hwy 1 north. We climbed the Malahat pass (1000 feet) easily and stopped for lunch near Lady Smith. It’s been many years since I’ve been this way and everything has grown. At Nanaimo, we got on Hwy 19 north and once near Parksville, we turned on 4A then 19 A to our destination, PARADISE SEASIDE PARK. We paid $25/night for a million dollar view, full hook-up, cable and WI-FI. We have a full view of the Georgia Straight, the Mainland and the mountains capped in snow. It’s good to be back to BC!
After we hooked up, we went for a short walk on the beach as the tide was out.
We travelled 175 KM (110 miles) in 4.5 hours at an average speed of 36 MPH.
N 49* 19’ 25”
W 124* 19’ 19”
Alt: 40 feet
I HAVE DOWLOADED 5 new pictures in FOLDER #40
Cloudy and rain in the morning but the sun did come out for a while in the afternoon. Truck still in the garage, trying to find the short or whatever it is. I stopped in and they had one of the harnesses apart. Finally finished all the photocopying of my insurance papers and mailed some of them. Downloaded all the pictures and updated the blog.
MAY 8, Friday, Sooke
Val found a place for TAI-CHI so she went there in the morning. In the afternoon, we went to visit an old friend of mine from my sailing days, Joan and Jim Eaton. They moved here about 7 years ago and are now retired. We had a very nice visit and Jim BBQ’ed salmon which was delicious. We reminisced over old friends and happy days of sailing.
We came home around 9 p.m.
MAY 9, Saturday, Visit more friends
A beautiful sunny day greeted us this morning. We drove to MILL BAY, about a half hour drive from here up Island and visited Val’s good friend, Tony. Willow and her husband and kids were also there (Toni’s daughter). We had once again a very nice visit and Tony served everyone deer meat (delicious) and halibut fish. Needless to say, our stomach was full.
We came home around 8 p.m.; I didn’t want to drive in the dark as Sooke road is quite crooked with curves and narrow at places.
We stopped at the 17 MILES PUB for a bite to eat and watched some hockey then drove home where we watched Canucks losing the game to Boston.
MAY 10, Sunday, HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!
Both Rochelle and Joanne called to wish Val a Happy Mother’s Day! She was overwhelmed by the calls and very happy.
We had visitors today; friends of George and Gladys, who spent the day. We had a cook-out of hot dogs and freshly harvested crabs which George steamed-cooked. We had a nice time and the guests left around 4 p.m. Unfortunately, the day ended in rain.
MAY 11, Monday, Sooke
I went with George to Langford to pick up some lumber for his boat ramp. I bought a generator, 1500 Watts, for $280. It is a 4 stroke motor and very quiet. We came back home, unloaded everything and then Val and I went to Victoria to Royal Oak Cemetery where Val saw and spent a few moments at her biological father’s grave. I took a few pictures then we came home.
Wanda, Gladys sister, had arrived from Prince George so we visited with her, had dinner and watched the Canucks lose the series and their chance to the Stanley Cup. We all went to bed very disappointed.
MAY 12, Tuesday, more problems with the truck
I swear this black cloud has a thing for me!! I went to the garage to check on the truck and found out that after all this time checking all the harnesses and connections, no short were found and to top it, as I took the truck home I discovered that the pedal was going all the way to the floor and the brakes were not operating safely. I took it back to the garage and they found the brake cylinder needed replacing. I left it there overnight.
MAY 13, Wednesday, here is that black cloud again
Val, Gladys and Wanda went to Uncle Russ house to pack all the stuff and get it ready for a garage sale. I worked on a few thing around here, got propane @ $26., and topped up the diesel tank @ .90 cents per litre. AOR called to advise me that I could not stay at Chemainus as the Park was full for the week-end but I could go in on Monday for the balance of our stay. So back to the phone and after numerous denials, I found a Park in Parksville that had a spot for us.
In the afternoon, Val and I went to visit Russ at the senior home to say our goodbyes before we leave tomorrow. We picked up the truck which was ready. Norm, the owner of the garage, told me to take the truck and drive it for a while to see if the problem returns. In the mean time, he charged me for the cost and repair of the brake cylinder but not the time spent trying to find the problem with the wiring. Now this is an honest and fair guy and I would go back to him again anytime.
We had hamburger for dinner then visited with Gladys, Wand and George. It’s been really miserable today; rain and wind and colder than usual.
MAY 14, Thursday, onward to Parksville, BC
A sunny day greeted us this morning. We slowly packed our stuff, I went to town to fill yet another tank of propane @$26, then loaded the generator once back at the house and hooked-up to “Q”. We said our goodbyes to everyone and left around 11 a.m. We first went to a local park where we dumped then drove east on Hwy 14 to hwy 1 north. We climbed the Malahat pass (1000 feet) easily and stopped for lunch near Lady Smith. It’s been many years since I’ve been this way and everything has grown. At Nanaimo, we got on Hwy 19 north and once near Parksville, we turned on 4A then 19 A to our destination, PARADISE SEASIDE PARK. We paid $25/night for a million dollar view, full hook-up, cable and WI-FI. We have a full view of the Georgia Straight, the Mainland and the mountains capped in snow. It’s good to be back to BC!
After we hooked up, we went for a short walk on the beach as the tide was out.
We travelled 175 KM (110 miles) in 4.5 hours at an average speed of 36 MPH.
N 49* 19’ 25”
W 124* 19’ 19”
Alt: 40 feet
I HAVE DOWLOADED 5 new pictures in FOLDER #40
Thursday, May 07, 2009
May 1 to 6, 2009 Sooke Vancouver Island
MAY 1, 2009, Friday, Sooke BC
Not much to report today! We did go visit Val’s uncle Russ at the home he’s in then we came home. At 6 p.m., we went to the Legion for a steak and bake potatoes dinner which was quite good. Another of Val’s cousin joined us. Came home and watched TV
MAY 2, Saturday, Sooke
Late morning, it is drizzling outside. The wind picked up in the afternoon. George and I went to the farm where he has a contract to clean up and we change a flat on the back-hoe (small tire, thank god). A friend of the family visited and for a while tan Val and Gladys went to visit Russ.
We had a sirloin roast for dinner with all the trimming.
MAY 3, Sunday, Sooke
A quiet day at home. Val & Gladys went to visit uncle Russ and I gave a hand to George fixing the motor leg on his boat. For lunch we had freshly caught that day crab. We cooked them over the outside fire pit. His nephew and wife were there to enjoy it too.
It was sunny in the early part of the day but then became cloudy and quite cold. We all went inside and watched the hockey game and had left-overs for dinner.
MAY 4, Monday, Shopping
We went to Langford, about 10 minutes from here, to shop at Costco and a few other stores. We had lunch at TIM HORTON and had chili, a bun and coffee. They make one of the best chili. After shopping we came home and I dropped Val at her uncle’s place. Gladys and Val took him to the eye specialist as he had an appointment.
At 6 p.m. we went to one of the cousin’s place for dinner and their daughter’s birthday. We had delicious ribs, cooked just perfect. Came home around 9:30 and called it a night.
Val got a call from her friend and it looks like she has work for 4-6 weeks this summer.
Rain most of the day!
MAY 5, Tuesday, more shopping
Val and Gladys went shopping together(Oh Ohhhh) and I spent the day with George going to Metchosin, a suburb of Victoria, where we visited friends of his then went out for lunch at this very nice and neat restaurant where the cater to local farmers; there’s even a table reserved for them daily at lunch time. From there we went back to RONA where I returned an item I had purchased but wasn’t working then we drove to the Ford dealership where I bought a cap for my brake cylinder reservoir which I had lost a while back.
For dinner we had fresh Halibut fish caught yesterday…delicious!
Rained most of the day and very windy!
MAY 6, Wednesday, truck repair
I took the truck in to the garage first thing in the morning. Hopefully, they will be able to fix it once and for all. Val and Gladys went out again and I stayed home and worked on the insurance papers.
Rain and more rain, windy too!
I HAVE FINALLY DOWNLOADED MY PICTURES IN MY PICASA LINK ON THE LEFT. CHECK OUT FOLDER # 36 (BALANCE OF TEACAPAN AND MAZATLAN, 37 (SAN CARLOS), 38 (ARIZONA), #39 (CALIFORNIA) and #40 (Anacortes, Wash to Sooke Vancouver Island BC). MOST ARE SHORT.
Not much to report today! We did go visit Val’s uncle Russ at the home he’s in then we came home. At 6 p.m., we went to the Legion for a steak and bake potatoes dinner which was quite good. Another of Val’s cousin joined us. Came home and watched TV
MAY 2, Saturday, Sooke
Late morning, it is drizzling outside. The wind picked up in the afternoon. George and I went to the farm where he has a contract to clean up and we change a flat on the back-hoe (small tire, thank god). A friend of the family visited and for a while tan Val and Gladys went to visit Russ.
We had a sirloin roast for dinner with all the trimming.
MAY 3, Sunday, Sooke
A quiet day at home. Val & Gladys went to visit uncle Russ and I gave a hand to George fixing the motor leg on his boat. For lunch we had freshly caught that day crab. We cooked them over the outside fire pit. His nephew and wife were there to enjoy it too.
It was sunny in the early part of the day but then became cloudy and quite cold. We all went inside and watched the hockey game and had left-overs for dinner.
MAY 4, Monday, Shopping
We went to Langford, about 10 minutes from here, to shop at Costco and a few other stores. We had lunch at TIM HORTON and had chili, a bun and coffee. They make one of the best chili. After shopping we came home and I dropped Val at her uncle’s place. Gladys and Val took him to the eye specialist as he had an appointment.
At 6 p.m. we went to one of the cousin’s place for dinner and their daughter’s birthday. We had delicious ribs, cooked just perfect. Came home around 9:30 and called it a night.
Val got a call from her friend and it looks like she has work for 4-6 weeks this summer.
Rain most of the day!
MAY 5, Tuesday, more shopping
Val and Gladys went shopping together(Oh Ohhhh) and I spent the day with George going to Metchosin, a suburb of Victoria, where we visited friends of his then went out for lunch at this very nice and neat restaurant where the cater to local farmers; there’s even a table reserved for them daily at lunch time. From there we went back to RONA where I returned an item I had purchased but wasn’t working then we drove to the Ford dealership where I bought a cap for my brake cylinder reservoir which I had lost a while back.
For dinner we had fresh Halibut fish caught yesterday…delicious!
Rained most of the day and very windy!
MAY 6, Wednesday, truck repair
I took the truck in to the garage first thing in the morning. Hopefully, they will be able to fix it once and for all. Val and Gladys went out again and I stayed home and worked on the insurance papers.
Rain and more rain, windy too!
I HAVE FINALLY DOWNLOADED MY PICTURES IN MY PICASA LINK ON THE LEFT. CHECK OUT FOLDER # 36 (BALANCE OF TEACAPAN AND MAZATLAN, 37 (SAN CARLOS), 38 (ARIZONA), #39 (CALIFORNIA) and #40 (Anacortes, Wash to Sooke Vancouver Island BC). MOST ARE SHORT.
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