Milestones and Turning Points – Yeehaw!

Yesterday and today were kind of major turning points, and milestones in a new direction.

At the end of Sept, I moved out of my government house for the last time and spent most of October touring British Columbia and specifically Vancouver Island.  Then it was back to my ‘stick house’ near Sundre to finish outfitting the 5th wheel for the next major expedition, and prepare the house to be abandoned for a few months.

This involved turning the heat down and shutting off the water and draining all the water lines, just in case the heat should fail.

We left there yesterday and headed back to Banff/Canmore/Lake Louise.

There Hailey visited the vet and got her checkup, spaying, and shots updated for travel to the south.  I visited the dentist then visited my old office where I turned in my radio, phone, shotgun, first aid kits, ski gear, and other odds and ends.  I had done the major paper shredding job on the last visit, so this was the electronic version, where I nuked every e-mail I had gotten or saved in the last 15 years, and deleted hundreds of files and photos from my  work computer.  I’m sure the IT folks will be able to cancel their order for a larger storage drive now!

I picked up Hailey from the vet early in the evening, and she appears to be unfazed by the whole ordeal, except for inspecting her shaved tummy a few times!  She did appear to be relieved when she got back into the home truck and 5th wheel again.

I checked the mail for the last time and was thrilled to find that Revenue Canada (IRS for US readers), had just decided that I owe them another 3 grand from last years taxes!  Great news on top of the new tires, insurance, last propane fill at the old house, county taxes, dental fees, ferry faresto andfrom the island, and a few other huge bills that I have forgotten about.  Sent that to my tax people - ‘why do I pay you to do my taxes for this kind of surprise’?

 

Other than that, and advising the credit card company that I will be in the US a lot, Hailey and I are actually on the road for potentially our longest trip to date.  Having no job and no deadlines, and no destination in mind, we decided to pull over in the first convenient spot that came along to camp instead of driving and trying to find a good spot in the dark.  The weather has been really cooperative, with nights below freezing, but sunny and warm during the day.  I want to ‘get gone’ before the weather and road conditions make it miserable and dangerous.  Leaving this early and with this good of weather, I may be able to deviate from my usual approach of heading directly for the warm weather at the coast and following it down?  Who knows?  We’ll see!

Okay, I took some photos!

This is me parked at my stick house just prior to departure.

Lots and lots of deer around, and this one is checking out the area between the 5th and the garage one morning. And a closer version.

Hailey the hunting cat sitting on the front steps. And, here is a photo of the late Harley sitting in the same spot – several years ago.

Hailey out looking for mice and moles, and discovering that cats can go to the bathroom outdoors as well! The hacienda from a distance.

Here’s Hailey catching a cat nap in a comfortable (?) cardboard box! Even though there is a cushy cat bed sitting unused right beside it!What’s your point, she says.

Out on the deck railing in the morning, surveying her domain.    The fifth wheel sitting outside, providing wi-fi to the house with the Internet Anywhere dish I acquired last year and have been using at home and on the road ever since. Hailey in the house in the one room that is not in complete chaos! My chaotic office – will miss the big 22” monitor while on the road. Living room with way too much furniture, and too many TV’s – it will have to wait for next year!   Headed out on the road at last!

After visiting Lake Louise, I couldn’t help but spot one of my former ‘subjects’ walking along beside the road.  In my personal truck, he didn’t recognize me and run away!

So far, it is good news on the propane cure.  As you may recall, the automatic switching device refused to believe that the tank on the far side was actually full!

After getting some poor (?) advice from a few RV places (start to replace hoses), I found good advice at Triangle RV in Sidney BC.  They checked out the arrangement and declared that the far tank had an extra un-needed regulator that lowered the pressure too much so that the switching device thought that tank was empty.  The tank on the near side hooks directly to the switch, so why shouldn’t the one on the far side? So, I pulled that reg out of the system and connected it up again with a $2 connector (yes, I tested it with soapy water).  So far, it recognises that tank just fine and as soon as the near one runs low, it should change to the far tank automatically!  Keep your fingers crossed.

Had a really cute video of Hailey imitating a retriever, but it was taking too long to upload, so I will try to add it next time.