A month on the road.

Today marks a month since we shovelled the snow from in front of the fifth wheel, made a run up the snowy hill for the main road, and almost lost it on the black ice near Lake Louise. 

What a difference a month makes!  Now it’s shorts and sandals and T-shirts, windows down and looking for shade to park in.  We’ve found ourselves somewhat stationary just outside of Borrego Springs for over two weeks now, just kicking back and enjoying the absolutely wonderful weather.  There was some wind gusts a couple nights ago, and that’s the extent of the ‘bad’ weather, if you can even call it that.

Hard to believe that it has been a week before I blogged last, but there has not been anything particularly bloggable. 

Of course, UPS and I are still playing games.  They continue to amaze me.  One day they hit a home run with bases loaded, and the next day, they don’t even show up.

Got a package delivered to, and sent from Palm Springs, and that was all excellent.  Then I got one delivered to Borrego Springs, which was good, but there is no depot here, and you can’t send an international package without jumping through all the hoops.  So on Saturday, Hailey took her place on my lap, and we were off for a scenic drive to Ramona, where there is a UPS store.  All was going well, till they told me it would cost $98. to ship this tiny box to Canada, or it could go by ‘mail’ for about $50!!  I told them it had only cost me $23 to ship the identical box from Palm Springs, but no, there were no alternatives!  So I told them where they could stick their business, and used the good old US postal service to send it today – for about $23, but saving me a drive to Palm Springs again.  I think this was a franchise UPS store, so I guess they feel the need to inflate the prices by 400%+!

I can see you asking the question about why I am shipping all these boxes back and forth?  No, it wasn’t Christmas presents or anything – well maybe to myself.

Nope.  It seems that I mortgaged the farm more or less and bought myself a very expensive, high-tech, radio controlled helicopter.  This helicopter is built in Saskatoon, has 6 blades, is computer controlled, and specializes in aerial photos and video.  The astute among you may have been noticing a few photos on the blog taken from a somewhat unlikely angle lately.  You guessed it, they were taken from the helicopter.  Unfortunately, the controller for said helicopter does not seem to like to be charged using power from my onboard 1000W inverter.  The company and I have been trying to find the causes and solutions to this problem, but in the meantime, we are keeping UPS afloat shipping pieces back and forth to keep it in the air.

We have quite the ‘little Canada’ down here, and I have been running into mostly BC Columbians, as I like to call the neighbouring province.  Lots of happy hours, camp fires, and stories told.  I’ve been here long enough, I’m starting to run into people I recognize in town.

It was pretty busy out here over the Christmas and New Years break, but now it is pretty quiet after all those folks had to take the kids back to school or go to work.  I remember work.  I used to have a job, but it sure cut into the fun times I tell ya.  I much prefer this – and not having to freeze, or shovel snow!

Hailey has been really enjoying it here I think, as she gets to run around without her harness and leash on. Visibility is good so I can be assured there are no coyotes around during daytime, though they make their presence known at night. There are a few other night creatures on the prowl as well.

Photos from the air …

That’ll have to do – till the next time I get around to blogging!