After Christmas

Now what? 

Looking back I remember many boxing day visits to friends and family. Short travel to a friend's house across town, and a few drinks always a part of today. A chance to show off your gifts given, and see others gifts gotten. A chance to give a hug and get one from the people you love.

 We spent so much time working and rushing around getting it all done (was never all done)😄 then as the day "Christmas" came and the opening of presents came and went, and the dinner was done we achieved our goal the day was done. Now onto the boxing day. I never got involved in the day of shopping, it never had much draw for me, still doesn't. 

I get up early as usual, and get to watch TV. Today is about people traveling at airports and lineups, the people traveling on the highways getting home again. I shake my head as I peck away and think how lucky I am, and how odd it is people just ignore the warnings re travel. Hmm, so silly trying to get somewhere in a snow storm that was forecast. At an airport waiting in lineups for hours to get where. Sure is nice to be here and no rush to get anywhere. 😊

Today we have a chance of rain, is a little windy out now, but all warm here, as I watch the forecast in Seattle as BC news not on yet. 

What does the next year look like is what I think of as the New year aproches. We have a plan to visit the north, BC, Yukon, Alaska. Is a big undertaking, but I do believe we are up for it, and as all we are doing, do it now before we get too old, and either don't want to, or we can't. We both have places we want to see, and as we plan ahead Polly always goes online and finds a few more stops that we will make along the way. 

One more trip back east is a goal we want to achieve as well, where we get to see the sights in Canada during the summer and travel south into the US in the fall, and spend some time in Florida before we travel back towards the west coast. 

Thinking about this I will be very aware of the weather, and travel when it is favorable, and plan best we can. Driving is tough enough in good weather in rain and wind is too much. Stay put is my standard plan, till things change for the better. 

There, that's a forward looking plan, subject to change always 😊

Back to today, we will play poker again with friends we have met here, and may go for another swim. Walk my friend Bosco, and hug Polly at least once 🤗🤗❤️

Dam, life is good. Sometime today Polly will likely say "I want to go pick up ?"  I will then say not today honey, Boxing day! 🤗 I'm sure she will agree, crazy out there.

 Life is just so good, as I shake my head and listen to the news about whatever. 

Bring on the rain, lol 🤣🤣 🤣

Christmas soon, are you ready? I am.

      The Calendar we made up for 2020

I do remember working right up to the day before Christmas, and thinking did I get all I was suppose to. Seems a long time ago when we would make sure we had all presents accounted for, pack the car with the gifts that Polly bought, (I did very little buying) and get ready for the drive to Port Alberni for our Christmas Eve, and Christmas day. Was always a rush, dress up, try to make sure all was brought into Memeres house and packed under the tree. Through Rain, Snow and Cold, to visit with our family's and celebrate Christmas. Seems so darn long ago. 

Life has changed as we move around in our traveling home, that helps us live in a different location as the seasons change. 

Yuma again this Christmas as last year, looking forward to another different Christmas. 

 Looking ahead to Christmas day I see we may have some rain on Christmas Eve. Not a big deal, as looks warm after. Wind & cool days are the weather conditions we watch out for here, no snow, rain usually light, no ice. Just a little warmer with different friends 😉 who are doing the same, escaping the Cold of the North.

Is this what I thought retirement was going to be like? Well, I didn't really know what to expect, but staying in one place and watching life go by is not what I want to do. We are here till end of January, then will drive into Mexico to San Carlos with 3 other couples in there RVs. Another new experience we are looking forward to. Not exactly sure what this will be like, but want to try a new experience, and see new places and people. 

We watch TV and FB about what's going on in BC, and see the strike in our forest industry making it to the news, I'm glad I'm not in it anymore, but I do feel for all that are. Is a long haul this time, and both sides are dug in deep, with so many people suffering. I'm always optimistic, but this seems to be the new company attitude, take it or leave it, we don't care. I give my opinion every once in awhile, but words won't cut it right now, action, it takes action to make the ice crack and move.

Today I have a poker game to attend at noon, and a choice of 2 pools to check out later. Happy hour is likely, even if just Polly and I, oh and Bosco. Is a tough life, but I'll take it over the rain and snow I remember from past Christmas's. 

Good Morning 🌞, Suns up, got to go😊

Christmas away from family ❤️

The sadest looking 🌲 tree I've seen here

Every year all my life Christmas has been a family time. Always a tree that was a focus point. Always presents and dinner with all family & friends we love. We took it as the way it is and always will be. When we chose to live in our traveling home this changed things.

When we travel south we make a decision to stay south through Christmas now, this is not done lightly. We planned to fly home this year and spend Christmas with our family, but as the time to leave BC came closer we decided to celebrate Christmas early with a family dinner thanks to Polly's Brother Dan my brother in law, & Georgina our sister in law. We asked if we could have a family Thanksgiving dinner at their house and yes was the answer. We appreciate this so much. ♥️ Dinner was great with everyone bringing something.

We had a chance to give all our family members a hug and a kiss and give cards early to our Children and Grandchildren. Sounds like all good, but always feelings of missing family as Christmas aproches. 

This year we have friends from the Island here at Fortuna, making it feel a little more like home, and friends we have made here as this is our 3rd year we have spent a couple months in one spot, but only our 2nd year away for Christmas. 

We have a Christmas dinner planned early here, for the whole RV Park which will be nice, but the day of Christmas not sure yet, but likely will have a dinner with a few close friends here. 

Content not to travel at Christmas and happy to be here, is how I would describe my thoughts now, Polly is ok with it to. I'm sure Polly will create some beauty dinner for the day, like I need more delicious food🤣🤣🤣

Hmm, and that's what I'm thinking about today as we look forward to our Christmas south as I watch the weather forecast for BC on TV. Not sure how the Christmas day will go right now, but sure that this way of spending our time is what we want. 

I think I will celebrate Christmas day with a swim in the pool this year 🏊 😎 😊

Loving life here in Yuma, AZ.

    Bosco enjoying my lap as I peck away.

Good morning, this is how I do morning😊

Most every morning I wake 1-2 hrs before Polly. I get the fireplace going, big job hit a switch 😅, then I get to the coffee. Today I make it with bottled water as here in Yuma the water has many minerals in it and tastes like crap. Now grab the charged up phone, just think how life has changed over my lifetime. I can rember before there was computers, and before there was coloured TV, shit I'ma getting old man 😲🤣. I would laugh harder, but this is it, not so funny anymore. 

I sit in my nice comfortable recliner and PEC away on the phone scrolling away seeing what has happened overnight. 

Sometimes something I like, mostly crap I don't. FB has a few posts that are of people's lives, and the good that has happened or is happening, this I really like, but all the crap on there is kinda fluff I call it, just filler. What I like to read is about what's good in our lives, and what's uplifting. 

Thinking of that I usually post what we are doing, where we are, and of course a banter with others, as I like to believe we can still have fun here without setting others off because of some ??? Somebody's take on it. 

After a scrolling and pecking for about 1/2 to 1 hour, I get tired of reading the news, so I turn on the TV and listen to the weather, and news. Sometimes I hear what I have read, not much different. 

Mostly I like to hear the sound of quiet. 

Depending where we are parked the sound of birds start first, here in Yuma at Fortuna de Oro, the birds are Grackles among others, and I've grown to love their sound. They are so loud, and look so interesting as the squak and point there heads straight up, like the are sure they are in charge 😃

Maybe this is what I like so much, they just behave in a way that is sure, seemingly happy, and focused on food, water, and squaking about mating 🤣🤣🤣

Life is simple, as people we screw it up. Boarders, I always wonder about them, and here in Yuma it is a BIG DEAL! 

The birds don't pay attention to them, they go back and forth like there is no line in the Sand. People on the other hand, they are cut off as the boarder is there. People made the boarders, countries, town's states, county's, Control🤔

What for, why are people always controlled? Like animals, we are directed to do this, do that, don't do this, and Oh, you can't do that! I'm not good at being controlled, but I'm not stupid, some things I know I have to control, or face the rule makers😊

I'm wandering now, and if you followed this far you see how quiet time in the morning with a ☕ and an electronic 🔥 in a dark trailer can warp my mind🤣🤣🤣

I have not given any answers here, just said what I am thinking as I drink some Mmm 😋 good coffee, and Peck away on a phone😊🤔

Loving this life 🤗❤️

Sun up soon, have an interesting, loving day hey 😁♥️ Life is a little shorter now.

Paradise, what's that?

We are in Indio, California @ Indian Waters RV park enjoying the first few days our winter retreat. Sunny, 🌞 warm 😎 beautiful days make me think of paradise. Is this it? 😲

 Feels so nice to be in our shorts again, with friends we met last year here, and friend we knew before. 

We all have an idea of what the ultimate paradise is, and if you ask people often it would encompass many of what I see here. Pools,

Sunshine, 🤗 Warmth, beautiful ground's, friendly people, feeling safe and comfortable, many thing to do, golf, pickle ball, bochi, all sorts of games. Happy hour, evening entertainment, in a well cared for  environment. Most everything you could want. 

This Paradise is manufactured by companies that create Paradise for people like us wanting to spend Winters in warm sunny places like the geese and others. I'm glad they do, and we enjoy this warm weather, clean cool pools on hot days, talking with friends about many things. 

One thing we all know is how fortunate we are to be able to live the last part of our lives as we envisioned a paradise. 

This place like many may be manufactured, but the people and the way we treat each other isn't. We have aged and are the same and yet changed. Funny how we act when we are at peace with our lot in life, and satisfied with all that's left. 

Time will change us now, more every day, but how we treat each other is just so nice now as we age. Seems we care for each other just a little more now seeing we all have aging process that we really can't battle, we have to accept this will come. 😁🤣 And it isn't all than fun, we know we only have so much time left, so let's enjoy it. All of it.

Paradise is what you want, make, see, view envision it. Take this time to really Do what you want, as paradise only lasts so long.

Living life to the fullest here in Indio🤗❤️

 

Choices, we all have them.

As we travel we often get a choice where we are located in the RV park or wherever we stay. But sometimes we are given a site and don't ask to change. For many years I have thought not to change it up as we seem to get a good place even if we thought not good for us at first. 

Acceptance is a big part of our ways, Polly is great at acceptance, she has a very easy going way, and if something is not quite as we would have it Polly shruggs it off and we go on. I learned years ago that trying to choose the best situation doesn't always pay off, and as we travel we see these times as opportunity. Never know what might work for you, we find that something or someone makes the situation just great. 

Example lately is at Zoli's place, he saw the barn parking not as desirable, and so did we at first, but as we moved the trailer around and found the level spot, and kinda like a Bosco does, go around in a circle a few times, we got to where we were just fine. We were very happy in the spot next to the barn. Horses greeted us in the morning, so did the goat's. The view out our back "picture" window was south so we saw the 🌞 come up every morning. 

All was good, we had power for our coffee and our small heater on low, we had water, and close access to Beaver & Elk lake trails. Zoli came and visited, and we went to his house and met his family. Was just so great, spending time with him before we headed south.

Being at Zoli's also gave us opportunity to attended Melissa & Carl's wedding from here, that was so good. Polly got to reconnect with Terry, Ellyn and other's.

 If we had gone to an RV park we would not likely had all this. So when we had a challenge to get into Zoli's from the road, I thought I can't do this, I will have to go to an RV park. But Zoli said I can, and helped me into the spot, and helped me turn around and made a very nice place for us to stay. 🤗 Thanks again Zoli 😊

So going forward we will continue to pay attention to good opportunities that come our way, and make the best of what comes 😊

Loving our life as we go! 🤗🤗🤗❤️❤️❤️

In the dark

Power outage this morning makes for some alternative ways to start the day. Coffee was 1/2 way through the coffee maker, so boil some more water on the stove and gitter done. Check out FB on this phone, then a little chat with my son on Snapchat, now another cup, and the day is off. Well almost, is still dark out, just starting light. Bosco woke at 4am, had to pee. Kids hey! Lol 

I hear the flag flapping, and swinging on the pole attached to the ladder on the back of the trailer, I put it up Tuesday as I was once again cleaning out the trailer basement, and organizing. Got rid of a few more things. 😁 Always happy to dung out a bit more stuff. I am close to throwing out a bunch as have been packing it around for awhile and not using it. Funny how we do this, just hang onto it because we think we will do something with it in the future. 

I went on a long walk yesterday as is low tide early in the morning.

Was interesting going out from the campground towards the waters edge as it's muddy and wasn't sure how solid the ground underneath was, not sure if I would loose a boot or not. No Bosco this time, too mucky. I made it across the bay, oysters

everywhere, and started walking the beach edge around the corner looking at what was there, following another guy's tracks, and his dog, then deer tracks x2, then a raccoon I think, then a little further and I see some bear tracks, but from the day before. Was kinda nice, peaceful, then I see some smaller bear tracks, hmm, ok now I get looking around, don't want to bump into Muma. 😆

Walked till I had seen enough, and legs started getting tired, then turned around as tide was coming in. The trip back was interesting too, as the sun was coming up above the tree's now so shining on the beach making it so I could see better, and what do I see but a golf ball, and another, Holly crap, there's a bunch. So I picked them up till my coat pockets were full, and then I made my way home. 

And that was my morning, 😊

Out of energy now I come in and Polly says my sister called and asked us to lunch in Naniamo. Polly said she looked in on me in bed and thought I was sleeping, so told Joy I'd call back later. LoL, I said goodbye when I left, but Polly was busy and it didn't register I guess, we had a good laugh over this one. 🤣🤣🤣

Retirement is great, moving from place to place is the icing on the cake for me. I like to take pictures and I like to walk, usually with Bosco, he likes to walk me, 😆 🐩🐾daily. 

Lunch in Naniamo @ Milanos was great, Thanks Joy & Dan. On the way home we stopped so Polly could get her Halloween outfit from Value Village, now we will work on that today and get our costumes all ready for Saturday nights dance at the Brass Bell pub here in Crofton. Cookie Monster is playing, and will be fun for sure. If your in the mood for some fun, stop in, will be a blast for sure. Dance starts at 9pm, but we will go early to get our seats. Life is just so good 😊🤗❤️

Our Island Pattern Develops

 
The start of our Trailer update

Our May to October

We are developing a pattern when we return to this Island we call home.

We start with visiting family and friends that we miss well we are gone, deliver a few things we bought for some of them, and give and get all the hugs and kisses. Sounds kinda soppy when in writing, but is truly needed when you return from a long time away. Then we start looking around our wonderful island, with clean water all around us, and lush green beauty everywhere you turn. Until you leave this you just don’t really appreciate how lucky we are to live in such a beautiful part of the world.

We are relatively free to move and do as we want. We move from campsite to campsite enjoying every moment as you can when you have enough. And we do have enough, enough to make our life as we planned a true “Adventure” discovering people and places as we go always aware how lucky we are to have so many choices ahead of us.

This year we changed up our trailer for a newer one with a little more room, and sold our other home. Was a little sad, but were very comfortable in our new diggs now. We spent the summer in a few different places around the central island, and in September we travelled again as the last 3 years to Cluxewe Campground North Island, by Port McNeil. Here we now have a group of friends that we have grown to know and our world expands again, we know just how lucky we are.

As I peck away here early in the morning, at our new residence Sproat lake group campsite here on Taylor arm, listening to ok Polly and Bosco breathing somewhat quietly, and the very quiet of 10 or more trailers that formed a circle yesterday around a well planned camp-out site, I realize again how lucky we are to be here. Thanks to Ivan & Wendy Landsvik & Steve & Ginny Donovan and Family & Friends for all the set up for this weekend of Thanksgiving.

I know we are now close to making our way south again, and looking forward to meeting friends from another part of our life. We are anticipating travel again, looking forward to the motion heading down the highway to another yet unknown destination.

I hear the talking outside of the campers waking and starting off the day, I just can’t stay and type, I gotta go see whats up... LOL Will be a fun weekend.

Now looking back to my writing from a time I had limited to no internet, Yes it was a fun weekend and we all enjoyed the beauty of Sproat Lake, and the surrounding area.

Monday we came to Port and parked at Lyn’s place for the night and went to Dan and Georgina’s place for dinner with our family which seemed to go fast, we gave a few cards to our grandchildren and our children, not really like Christmas, but will have to do as travel back is not for us. Hugs all around, and a chance to say “See you later!” as goodbye seems so final.

We have now moved to Crofton, Osborne Bay RV Resort, our jumping off spot we have been using for the last few years. We love it here, and get a last chance to wrap up any loose ends, and get the trailer and truck checked out by people in Duncan that I have built a trust with, and can feel secure we will travel with the least amount of mechanical surprises.

As we drove here Polly and I got excited as we know we are close to the travel time, and our first evening here we celebrated with a clink of our glasses to our next 5 months south. This is just one more of the beautiful places to spend time looking around and re connect with friends we met here before, and meet new friends. Darn!

Life is just so wonderful. We Love this Life we do 😃😄👫👻💨

Our Luck is good, Island travel is great, especially when the weather is so darn good!

After moving a few times since we bought our new to us Reflection 303RLS and selling our Corsair Excella 29RLS life has changed slightly in that we are still moving things around in our trailer, and learning our limitations when it comes to storage, and what we need, and what we can do without.
The sale of our Corsair was quick, with happy feelings of making a quick sale, and sadness leaving our home we had been in when we viewed so many places, and met so many people. I loved that trailer, and how well it was laid out, and very well built, so did Polly, but we were ready to move on.

There is always some adjustment when moving, just getting used to where things are, and how many steps it takes in the dark to make it to the bathroom, or the front door to let our friend Bosco out. We have now gotten used to the inside and outside differences, but the travel differences will be awhile to get used to as island travel is short distance, and relatively known roads and slow paced. When we start out south then we will have a better idea of how our new home will tow and go.

Right now we are at our friends house as they are on holiday, watering the gardens and just making sure all is good while they are gone. This gives me a chance to organise the basement area of the trailer, and Polly to do same with inside. We have some stuff stored here in our friends crawl space, and spent a day getting this stuff somewhat less in amount, from 8-9 boxes to 3, and have some to give to children, and grandchildren. Slowly and deliberately we reduce our footprint on this earth. We still have pictures that we hope to put up again someday, but who knows what may come, if we travel and keep ahead of the grim reaper we may never settle down to house living again. We both still love our life as we are living it, and look forward to the next move, no matter how short or long the trip is, always a beautiful change as we go.

Today I woke early and as usual my mind starts right away with "Ok what today?" I have a few small woodworking projects I've been working on "Thanks Americo for keeping my tools." I will continue with them, but there are a few things I need to resolve that I know I need to deal with. Selling a few things is one, and or giving them away. Always hard to sell for less than what I am sure it is worth. But eventually will have to part with what I do not, and will not use anymore. I am sure these things are like anchors around my neck, and as long as I have them I feel heavier, not that I will loose and girth by selling, just I loose the place in my mind where it bugs me to have this to think about at all.

Giving things away is easier, hoping people can use what we give them. Polly has many glasses and stuff from our dinning room collection that she hung onto and wants to give to Shayla, she has a plan and that is good. Me I have a few bigger things, an outboard motor that needs a home, and dive gear, and our cabin, that is still a noose I want to relinquish. I wished our grand children we older and just a little more set and then maybe I could find a place to give our share away. But for now I just keep them till the right person comes along.

While we have been here we have had friends for dinner, visited with friends we haven't seen for a long time, and we were invited out to other friends house for dinner as well. This has been nice, and we have enjoyed very good Internet, and TV. Movies have been nice, but I just get tired early and as the movie ends at 9:30 Polly stays up, and I am in bed trying to keep my peepers open a little longer, but as I dose off to the TV watching a little of a show I want to see, I have to shut it off as sleep comes early.

The funny thing about being here in our friends driveway is we are kinda going between our home and theirs. We can watch TV in there house or ours, and we choose ours most of the time, till we go for a movie we go inside and can watch netflix of some sort. We use the bathroom, and shower in the house as we need to preserve space in our tanks if we want to stay and not have to empty our tanks before we leave next week, we are getting very good at judging a stay for almost 3 weeks, that is a long time to be using our tanks and not having to dump. I have a dump tank now that I could use if needed, but for now we have not reached the limit, and I am hoping that we don't.

On another note, I want to talk a little about Luck! I really think I have been, or we have been Lucky. I don't mean that win at the lottery, or get windfalls at the casino, I mean we seem to have been lucky when it comes to our life. The saying "The harder I work the Luckier I get" is not what I am talking about, although we have both worked hard to get where we are. I'm talking about the kind that we get from just being careful, and gauging our odds, and paying attention to details as we travel. Polly is continuously says watch this, and stop sign ahead, I get angry sometimes, but she can't stop herself, and maybe this is what makes the difference, we are both driving this rig LOL, I have a good snicker as I have never thought of this before now, as I type I realize just how Lucky we are, and we didn't even know it.

Through all our travels no bang ups, no dints, no dings. Some close calls, but no dings. This is one part of our luck, we also have much luck meeting people, this is where I say Bosco helps as he walks me regularly and during these walks I meet as many people as he meets dogs! LOL We are a good team as we go for our walks, he sniffs and pees, and I greet and talk, what a good combination. Just think of how he behaves, he approaches with vigour to almost any dog, size is not an issue, and the conversation starts before he even get close, he smells his way into conversation. Me I am a little more one liner to start, and usually weather, or about the site we are in, or what ever comes to mind. I like Bosco don't plan, or think about it just comes naturally. Some say gift of the gab, I say I am Lucky to be able to yap it up with most anybody, and enjoy them as we get to know each other. 

Another part of the Lucky belief is the thought that if you bring it up, talk about it "Knock on wood" you may hex it, your luck that is. Polly is always looking for wood if she talks about something that has to do with Luck, she has many superstitions, and wive tales she learned growing up, and I love to listen to them as they come out, as most of them I now know before she says it. But every once in awhile she says one I hadn't heard before. I smile now, listening to Bosco beside me breathing as he sleeps, and Polly with a little snore every once in awhile, sure is nice to get up early and be able to think about just how Lucky I am!

Loving this Life
We are so darn Lucky😃

Sunny days have been plentiful, and we have been enjoying them to the fullest. Family and friends over for Birthdays, Fathers day, and just for the heck of it. Nice to be home where you can visit with and hug all the people you are connected with for years. I have heard that time away makes the love stronger, and this is true. To be able to say "see you next week" makes life good, but travel opens our heart and makes good memories too! Having the best of both we are fortunate.

Today is a rain day, or after rain day, and it poured last night, and quite unexpectedly, even the weather forecast was way off. Will take it as the place was getting very dry for mid June. Sitting in our new living room, up in a set of chairs just a tittle higher off the floor than before, with the heater on, as the furnace still has a new smell when you turn it on, so I have it on to warm up, and then to the heater. Dark this morning, so have to have a light on to make the typing easier, well not really typing, kinda pecking LOL.

So yes our latest news is our new trailer and all we have to do to adapt to our new diggs. Buying it and towing it here was the easy part, moving in was as easy as it could have been, with help from Lyn Aikman packing and Polly putting stuff away, just never know how much you have till you move. Now getting where we are ok with it all takes some time. Still no TV yet, just got the dish transferred from the other trailer by our trailer teck Chris at PC Auto in Duncan I trust with any work.  I asked Shaw to do the job, but a no go as have to have the Winegard dish installed first, I was told by the Shaw teck when he came to do the job, he would hook up the wires once the dish was installed, but would not install. So I call to have it scheduled now I have it installed, and lol they will not do it now. I shake my head and say why does it all have to be so hard? LOL

Winegard sk 7300

I will get someone to finish the install today all going well, then will feel a little more like home. We are used to having TV available in our home.

That is just one of the many jobs that need to be completed, always something to be done as a move was way more than we thought it would be. We thought bring one trailer beside the other and unload and put away! LOL, well that was easy thinking, but so many decisions about where things will go, as well as "Crap, I didn't think of that!" LOL I laugh as I type, always a new experience. 

All will be good, as we go any problem has a fix, and we are not the only ones having, or have had the problem before.😁

Between writing here I went and hooked up the satellite box, and the dish is searching but no luck, need to move trailer, or trim a few branches. Always a choice. 

  

We are very happy with our new diggs, just getting used to many things as we go.

No problem comes that we don't find a resolution. 

Love this life we do💖💗🐕