April 9, 2026 - Palm Desert

Well.  Here we are again.  However a few different things from the last few years.  

We have a new truck!  F450 Dually, long box.  Plenty of oomf to pull the heavier trailer we bought last year. 

We are staying at Emerald Desert.  We have stayed here, quite awhile ago.  AND we are only staying for 15 nights. 

Why?  One it's cheaper than Outdoor resorts.  And as we are not staying 2 weeks. We can live without the executive golf course. Which we pay resort fees for.  TWO. We want to be in out of the US in under 30 days. 

We crossed the border Apr 4th and stayed at Tualalip Casino.  Past Bellingham.  No lineup.  We went through Nexus at Peace Arch.  Normal questions. No problem.  Easy peasy. 

It was so warm we sat outside for dinner. Just an RV spot.  No hookups

We stop here to grocery shop. As we bring no produce, fruit, meat across the border. 

The next stop was Deerwood RV Park. Past Eugene.  Although the address is Eugene. Very small. Quite a few permanents. BUT well kept. 

Not a very good picture, but notice, already in a skort. Getting warm!

The next stop was Rolling Hills Casino RV resort in Corning California.  Full hookups. Good price.  OOPS no picture. 

Next was Bakersfield.  Getting even warmer.   We drove over to the Hungry Hunter ad Wilbur wanted prime rib.  As everone knows. The US feeds you too much. 

We ordered calamari as an appie to share.  Then Wilbur got prime rib on the bone.  I got chicken in creamy mushroom sauce. TWO chicken breasts!   Plus TWO sides.  Plus bread. Plus soup or salad. 

I was soooo tired from the drive (we share the driving).   I got through the appie most of my salad and about 1/2 of ONE breast.   It was a good meal the next night too!

 

Look at the size of that. Wilbur wanted the order "on the bone". He said it was so tender. 

The calamari came with fried red onions.  Different. But ok.  

Hey no makeup!

The next day we made it to Palm Desert

Very warm but supposed to cool down. It was 36c.  

This morning Alicja and Bill brought donuts. From Swiss Donuts and we made coffee.  With a bit of baileys knock off.  Forgot to get pic!

Tonight we are out to dinner with Kim and Jennifer from Calgary.  I WILL get pictures!!!!

Sept 1, 2025 - Home

We were scheduled to come home Sept 2. But I was thinking yesterday (Sunday) we live across from an elementary school, and school starts tomorrow.  The chaos of cars, maybe doesn't make it the best day to try and park our trailer.  

Just to give you a picture.  We have to use all the street to back in.  And sometimes we do it in minutes and sometimes we mess it up and take 15.  And with the first day of school, kids come for an hour or so, and then if it is a nice day, the parents hang around to let the kids play.  Which means cars everywhere!

We came home yesterday and already the hwy was busy from Chilliwack to Abbotsford.  Actually before Chilliwack!   

Oops did I already show the dogs in the water!

On the way home. 

This is ash on the truck window. I said it was smoky.  There was ash as well. 

You can see this is a smokey sky. 

The spots at Manning are very nice and spacious.  There are finally some trees growing up.

More dogs in water 

Well two months away.  A long time.  Would I do it again?  Yes, but I think I need a gardener!  I have just spent 5 hours weeding and then ripping out flowers I have decided, spread too far.  My sister Kathryn warned me they spread! They are nice perennials, but time for a change.  And that was just the backyard fence area!   I anticipate at least a week of cleaning things up.  

Pretty bald. 

Oh did I mention toilets get a ring!!! Ugh. Inside stuff can wait until poor weather.  Well really I will do a little bit here and there!

We now have to take the trailer in to get the nee brakes, that was discussed in the first blog. 

Have a good fall!

August 25, 2025 - Manning Park

 Hi all!  We are in Manning Park for 8 nights.  Yup, kind of the middle of nowhere. We had no traffic issues getting here. 

But of course, while I was driving, something went wrong with the truck.  I thought it was sounding weird. And the check engine light came on!  Always when I am driving!  Always!  

We didn't have a lot of power up hills and the turbo was really loud.  We made it here, just a bit slower than we anticipated.  

I really thought we were going to blow up. It wasn't fun driving. 

Wilbur drive it home yesterday and into Ford.  Big crack in the hose going to the turbo.  Fixed and back yesterday.  

This was Rock Creek.  

Our last meal at the Rock Creek golf course.  Burger and a clubhouse. The clubhouse leaves a little bit to be desired.  I said to Wilbur that if they had dinner specials, they might get a bit more business. They only serve burgers and sandwiches.  Why not have a pasta special on the weekend?

Remnants of an old mill?

Up at the top of Osoyoos.  Big long steep drive down into Osoyoos.  

The very curvy road into Osoyoos. 

Cool building!

This is 20 minute lake at Manning. Did that loop and then carried on. 

This is Lightening Lake.  We didn't do the whole loop today. 2 yrs ago we were here and did. It's about 3 hours. And we didn't have it in us today. Plus it's supposed to rain this afternoon. 

Again Joannie loves swimming but is very ackward. Weirdly, once she gets the stick and starts swimming back, she flattens her body, and there is no flailing.  

Again 2 yrs ago we kayaked here. 

These are the dogs drying out after we washed them from the walk.  Joannie apparently had to try and squish Vodka. 

Just a minute ago, I did the "dance of a bug on me".  I got up to straighten the dog towels and felt something on my chest. The flies are bugging me.  So I slapped it and it fell. It was a cricket or something.  I then tried to get it off the mat and couldn't.  I grabbed my sock and picked it up and attempted to throw it. But the bug ended up in my hair!!!  (Vanessa and Tracey, think of the waxing incident.)  So now I am flailing around and it fell again and I successfully got it off the mat. I am sure it would have been funny to watch. 

Man these flies are driving me crazy.  Going inside. 

August 22, 2025 - Kettle River RV Park

We are just outside Rock Creek on the Kettle River. We stayed here a few years ago.  It is right on Hwy 3 so a little loud.  But you walk through the park to the River.  At this time of year it is very shallow.  Which is great because then the dogs can go in without floating away!

Joannie loves to swim and retrieve sticks.  She is NOT a graceful swimmer.  There is lots of splashing and jumping.  But she enjoys herself.  

Vodka is a good swimmer, but with his short legs he has to start swimming pretty quick. We do have a life jacket for Vodka but no need here.

I will take some pictures tomorrow to show you.  The rental spots are really narrow.  And only 30 amp.  Today I blew our breaker in the trailer, because I used the microwave while the air conditioner was running.  Wilbur checked and we don't really have 120 Volts.  And then went into a long explanation, that he kind of lost me.  🧐😵‍💫But we only are getting 105 - 108 volts.  And in the end it means we don't really get 30 amps. Kind of.  It isn't the FIRST time I've done this.  Usually it's when I try and use the toaster oven and air fryer at the same time as they are on the same breaker.  Live and learn.

First I have a ton of random pics from the drive.  And they are all mixed up and not chronological.

I think I have taken a picture of this old electric station 5 times when we have driven on hwy 3. 

Bad reflection.  Just trying to take pictures of old houses. 

Eek dirty windshield.

Leaving Nelson. 

Just thought it was cool to see an old HOTEL sign on top of a building. It's in Nelson. 

Snoopy dog. 

Ok I was VERY lazy here.  We are in the lineup to go onto the Kootenay Bay to Balfour ferry.   It is a free ferry. I didn't get out of the truck and take pictures on the ferry. Lazy. 

Deer at Kokanee Springs.  

Oh a few pictures from back in Kokanee Springs. We did a decent length walk around the property and then went for beer at the restaurant.  Obviously with the doggies, you have to sit at the picnic tables

THIS IS WHERE I AM GOING TO BE BRUTALLY HONEST WITH YOU GUYS. I drank too much that night. I am also on medication for nerve pain in my face. And get sick when drinking.  Even a small amount.  Well, small amount for me 🙄.  I was severely hung over for golf the next day. Not good. Not happy with myself. 

This is the walk around the property.  

Somewhere after Christina Lake on the way to Kettle River. 

Today we went for a bike ride. It was only 33C. We drove over to a trail head for the KVR. We have ridden it before, last time we were here. Today we went farther.   You have to open gates and put the chains back on.  Through a farmers field while he was haying.  Not "much" of a trail, really, once you get past Kettle River Recreation Area.  Which is a provincial campground. We finally turned around. We passed some "real" bikers.  You know packs on the side of their bikes. etc.  Didn't check, but probably not electric bikes like us wimps.

This is me back in the truck.  A little bit of sun stroke. Not really, just worn out!

This is unfortunately, the fire they had a few years ago along Hwy 33.

I am never super steady on my bike.  What happened to my childhood, where I could bike? But as you can see it is rough.  I only ALMOST wiped myself out once.  Going over the middle where there was a lot of gravel.   Just to describe more, the path is like an atv trail.  Two beaten down paths with gravel and grass etc in the middle. 

The river.  Just a bit deeper here. The kids could do shallow dives. 

Notice the hay and in the distance a farmer.  As I said, not much of a KVR track. 

The rail bridge over the river.

When we came back in the truck, Wilbur stopped at the gas station.  I went in and got us freezees.  Yum. 

We are going to golf the 9 hole course tomorrow. At 9:00 am to beat the heat.  I hope!