Summer road trip during covid.

Leaving the Island was exciting after 4 months in our home town. Polly's eye surgery went well, and check-up was good, had some good family and friends time well in Port Alberni, so on the road again. 

The ferry was ok, some evidence of covid with some wearing masks, even ferry workers, some on some half mast, some not at all. I used a mask going to get us a sandwich, but noticed many without. 

Camped at Harison springs campsite, not a mask to see. Our tours around this area was very laid back, and except for the shields as you came in the liquor store, and pub, and a few people with a mask going grocery shopping, there was no sign of covid. 

Off to Princeton and campsite same, no sign of people being overly concerned. The restaurant had a glass window hung at the till, and wiping down tables with disinfectant spray, but otherwise felt like normal. Gas station had plexiglass in front of the payment area. 

I'm noticing people are not so concerned as they are away. We are still cautious, distance is easier. Hand washing always keep doing. Other than this, we are feeling very good about our trip so far. 

Today we travel to Osoyoos, no reservations so hope a site available, Sunday so thinking will be ok. 

Life is good on the road with sun and warm ahead. 

Love our life🤗♥️

What's next? Where are you going next?

    Mmm another great dinner last night

Questions we get asked as we approach summer are the same questions we are thinking ourselves. 

We always have a plan for where and what's next, never really sure as we go forward until we research, make a reservation, or just make sure there's a place for us.

Having all the limitations now makes planing like driving with the brakes on before you move.

Alaska was our first plan earlier this year, now with "Corona Control" we have thrown that plan out. Next is a BC trip, see some of our own province during this pandemic, would be nice. Listening to the talk now our government is telling us to stay close to home. Still not sure, may travel here on our island? 

The part that holds us back is we have a very comfortable place here now. We have put down the plastic carpets, set up our tent beside the trailer, stretched out our awnings, attached sunscreens, planted our garden and just got real comfortable here at Arrowvale. 

Now we can plan all we want, but we wait and see what comes down the pipe as people, summer, government & Corona move forward 👣🐾👣🐾👣

Yesterday June 1st I noticed trailers being towed as Polly & I went to town for our first haircuts in 4 months.

Was nice to see people are getting out now parks are open to camping, and restaurants are going to seat people, surgeries going ahead now. Life is getting back to normal it seems. Well as normal as the controllers will let us behave in what is a new & different way. 

So moving forward we will do so with control, our own, and controls beyond our control 😁🤣🤣. Looks funny when I read it back, but that's it, "Control" is the new normal.

Not what we are used to. 

Or are we? 

How often do we break rules? 

Are we sheep? 

Do we always do as we are told? 

Hmm, I think! Now that's a new idea, thinking for ourselves🤔😳. 

Is that against the rules? 

Gee are we allowed to think for ourselves?

There are rules against this I'm sure, just look around. We have been told what to do for a long time, so much so that looking back the last few months I see we are mostly all well trained to do as we are told. Do not think about it, don't question the athorities. They know best. Just do as your told and all will be good. 

Well I'm thinking (I know I'm not allowed to think) that we will take our holiday as planned through BC and just see how it goes. Camping is open, it is our province, will explore our own back yard this year. 

Hey, did I make a decision? Am I allowed to? 🤔 Will I get into trouble? Will I get a ticket? 

The new normal is "Don't think" just do as your told. 

I'm shaking my head right now 🤪🙄🤫🤐

Life is still good, love our life! 

Rain is comforting today after warm beauty days we have had lately.

Closed in comfort. 🤗

Here we are stuck inside, or if you enjoy the feeling, we are inside our warm, dry, comfortable home with TV to inform & entertain us, the very good internet connection to give us most all we need in information and entertainment. The rain has a nice sound inside the trailer as you hear it louder than inside a 🏠 house, also comforting. 

Maybe it's just how I perceive the condition of being inside in the rain? 

Not sure exactly why, but it feels comfortable right now knowing the rains are temporary & needed. 

Watching the farmers here ramp up as the weather gets warm gives me a look at how much it takes to keep this business operating especially under the restrictions now with the virus making everything different. 

Bob & Ann keep going as they have for years, just a little different than before. Cows have there young, fields continue to grow, all need to be fed, fields need to be fenced, and this year they will grow a few different crops they planned. 

Camping has changed to people needing a longer term place to stay being accommodated, and weekenders being told not now. No people hired as before, the summer looking much different. 

$9 billion dollars for students I see Trudeau announce today.  LoL 🤣 I just have to laugh as crying won't help. Everyday another giveaway, he will spend + $291 Million as well, to extend scholarship, grants +++, gee I just never knew how much he could spend. Volunteers will be paid up to $5000.00 Gee, even if you just give your time you will get a piece of the 🥧 pie. 

Now to talk about the economy when it comes roaring back. I laugh 🤣🤣🤣 

This daily talk he is having with us saying how much his government will spend that we do not have in our governments coffers telling us we will be ok. 

Then he gets questions from the press. 

Then he explains in English, with French interpretation, and over again in French with English interpretation, what he is doing, giving money away that we do not have. 

Over the many promised $$$ dollars, no explanation on where the Dollars will come from. Magic I'm guessing, poof $$$ 🤔

Listeng to the rain is pleasing, listening to our Prime Minister, 😁 not so much. 

Polly cleans the counter, I write this blog, Bosco sleep's. Are we doing our part? I think so, we are staying apart, we are being careful as we shop, Polly cooks, I Eat 😳 😁 and we wait for change. 

LoL 🤣🤣🤣 and the rain sounds even nicer as Polly asks "Have you seen enough of this?" 🤣🤣🤣 Yep! And the channel changes. A movie with quiet interludes lest me hear the rain again. Calm returns, blood pressure drops, yep got to stop watching that BS. 🤔 Life is so good 😊

Easter Sunday

I have many good memories of this day. 

Most with family & friends as well as neighbors who became friends. All have dinner, with ham, turkey, those little cabages and desert oh yeah the most amazing desert's. 😀😁 & Hugs, so many hugs & kisses 🤗🤗🤗🤗😘😘♥️♥️♥️♥️ & Eggs, so many eggs everywhere, hidden in plain view so children can find them. Such good memories😊 Oh yeah & Rain, we usually had some rain, sometimes monsoons of rain, I laugh remembering now the Toquart camping in the rains, the Cabin trips in the rain, so much rain. Funny I can laugh about it now waking up to the 🌞 sun.  

This year is different, much different. We will have no traveling, no family dinner, no hugs from family or friends, no rain & likely no desert, Well at least not like I remember. 🤔

What we will have are calls to & from family & friends, Dinner for two, desert maybe, & Sunshine all weekend. Oh & beer freshly bought from the liquor store, where I ran into a friend from my teenage years. 

Mike and I talked in the parking lot for 5-10 minutes remembering the past in our teens, when we met at summer malitia where we learned how to be soldiers if needed in the future for dollars which we needed now to make our fortune. We talked of people we remember from that time, and of where we had met down the canal, and people we know here. We covered alot of ground in a short time. 

In parting Mike said, "We should get together and have a yak about the past sometime would be fun, nice to catch up." Yes I say, knowing it likely won't happen, but is a nice thought anyway. 

So Easter this year will be different, we will have 🌞 sun, bright warm sun to help us all make the best of a different way to celebrate. We have been playing cards in the sun every afternoon lately Polly and I, Polly usually beats me, but I won yesterday 😊  It wouldn't be much fun winning unless Polly got excited about a win or a loss!!! Polly doesn't like to loose, but she loves to win. 

So this year we all have a different Easter.

Happy Easter to all our family Friends and and all the friends we have not met yet 🤗♥️

Corona virus as we travel, being careful.

   Arizona Market sales well timed t-shirt

We knew when we left Yuma that we had to be careful as we traveled through many towns and city's. Fueling up, bathrooms, distancing, cleaning our person, all important. How we did our traveling was careful, but we still had to shop once, before we got to BC to make sure we had enough to keep us for most of our 2 week Quarantine. Polly went into the Walmart in Boise Idaho well I walked Bosco and looked for the best way out of this parking lot.   

 

As I looked around with Bosco he did his usual walk around the edges till we came to a memorial. It was a bunch of teddy bears in a small tower. They looked dry but had a rain soaked look, all drooping and weathered. I told him no peeing on this, something happened here and not your peeing post. As I walked around the lot looking for the best way to leave here, I was always aware of the memorial. 

Polly called as we are connected now with phones better that ever as both of us now have at&t phones that make our traveling easier. Polly asks do you need anything? Nope, and she checks out then makes her way to our traveling home . 

As we load the trailer with the groceries I noticed a young man walk up to the memorial, he stops touches one of the teddy bears, then I see his arm and hand go limp, he was surly remembering. I just had to ask, if you know me, I just had to ask. 

As I approached he started to walk away, I called out and he did stop, he was not looking at me, kinda evasive. I asked if he knew what happened, and yes he knew. He explained how a woman with her 2 children were in the car staying overnight with a heat source that used some kind of gas. During the night a fire started. The woman got one child out, but didn't get the other one. He said if you go online it's there, check it. He said this a few times. He told me the husband had given her the stove, and he had stolen it from the Walmart, and he went to jail for it. Also said the woman went to jail as well, as she was charged with child endangerment. The family had been evicted from there home. The child went to Foster care.

He seemed to be better at talking with me as time went on, but still kinda evasive. He said before we parted that he was working at Walmart when this happened 2 years ago. 

I didn't pry into his life, but I thanked him for explaining this to me, and yes I did look it up. I just can't imagine as a parent how this woman could handle this. I wondered when I saw the pile of teddy bears in a Walmart parking lot. 

Here is a link to the article I looked up

Mother and children in car fire

Always good to ask as information puts us in touch with is happening in this world as we travel through the many city's, towns and places. 

We all look at people that are homeless in different ways, not knowing how they got there, or why the stay there. I have my opinions, and so do you. What I know is the numbers are growing. 

We all have had tough times in our lives, how we respond is different for all of us. Most of us have the ability to survive in much life gives us. Some decisions are critical. 

I am sure we are fortunate, and I believe we are lucky, but I have to think things through and make good decisions. Fortunately our decisions have been in our best self interest. 

Hoping this continues is what we all do. 

Making it happen is what we are all tasked with. So far so good. 

This story touched a nerve in me, I believe it helps how I view people that are homeless. I will see people now, not judge as harshly as I have before, but understand circumstances have not all been the same for everyone. 

We are very fortunate.

I don't take this for granted. 

Life is good, very good, even in Quaritine 😁🤗♥️♥️♥️ 

Leaving Yuma, or going home? Hmm? Corona virus has changed all our lives.

Here we go getting ready to leave the sun & warmth of our winter Oasis for our spring rains & cold nights on our island. Not a totally unpleasant thought, knowing we will  be seeing our children, grandchildren & friends again. That spring flowers will be up everywhere, and when the sun shines it will be beautiful and warm. I see our small island so much differently now, as from a distance with the world in upheaval, it seems so small.

Where to start is my delema at this moment. So much forces us to make the decision to travel home earlier than our plan. Lucky we can make the decision, not have it made for us.

We, most all of us, have been watching as this virus has spread throughout our world. We see it daily change how we act as the information is town at us in the most brutal ways. We want definitive information, yet most of what we get tells us there is still so much unknown.

Anyway, friends and family are concerned that we should be on our way, the resort we stay at is getting emptier, and much that we would do here is being closed down, so might as well make the move now. Still yesterday after packing the basement of the trailer up, and getting our home all ready to travel I just had to have a last swim. 

Man was that nice, good to leave on a warm relaxed day, while the world seems to be falling apart on the TV, and in the stores. I shake my head as I peck away here. 

I met two couples at the pool that were yakin, of course I joined in for a minute before my swim. Terry extended his hand and I shook it knowing the new rules, I still was not able to turn away a friendly gesture we all have used all our lives. 

Then as I swam one couple left. As they said there good byes I realized the two guys had met in the gym. As they yaked they talked about getting to the bottom pin! They were talking about achievement at a piece of equipment in the gym. Common ground. Isn't that where we all start, friendship starts there. 

These two guys were saying good bye, and also saying see you next year, maybe.

After my swim I sat and drank my beer I brought, and yaked with the couple left, Terry and Shawna from Northern Saskatchewan. He had just bought a park model here at Sundance in December, sight unseen from an older couple from Naniamo. They looked very tanned as if they had been in the sun most every day. As we talked I realized Shawna had been a month in Mexico, and had only been here a couple weeks. They seemed very happy together. Shawna was leaving early tomorrow as she had a flight to catch in Phoenix at 10am. Terry was going to stay till the end of April as his medical was paid up. 

I said to them, "Terry, you'll probably be going home soon, as it's going to be lonely here" he agreed. This place is going to get very quiet now, so many leaving all same time. The news dictates it.

So moving forward we will have to quaritine when we get home, this we have plans for, but will surely be tough as I like to be out and about. At least trails are many at Arrowvale where we will stay for the next few months. Bosco will be happy to be back sure.

Life is strange right now, getting home may be just what we need, who knows 😀

Loving our life as we move forward. 👉

Always liked the cowboys saying, 

Forward Hoe 🤠 

Back in Yuma, so "Mexico, how was it?"

Our group we traveled with Ian & Deanna Carruthers, & Rock & Janine Kellog sure made it a fun relaxing trip 😀🤣🤣

The question we get asked "How was your trip to Mexico?" Great, really Great.

Before we left we heard many stories from many people about how unsafe Mexico is, and not to go or take a chance. We went anway, and are happy we did. 

We got back safe and sound after spending February 1st traveling to San Carlos, Sanoro, Mexico & staying at Tonaka RV park till the 29th, then left on myMarch 1st for Peurto Penasco till the 5th. 

Our first trip to Mexico with our trailer and truck. We were worried as so many stories of trouble, but we had not one incident. People were friendly, services were a little different than here, but fuel was easy to get, and groceries were very easy to get. Fresh fruit and vegetables were brought to the RV park once a week, fish lady came Twice a week with fish, shrimp & lobsters, 5 gallon bottles of water was every day delivery to your trailer, propane truck came by every day, even if we didn't need any. 

Our friends from Port Alberni greeted us after we got set up, Glen & Carleen Tilly, Janni & Glen Pearson. Also met Roy & Sherri Little, & Ed & Kathy Carrier all from Port. There were many people from all over BC, Canada & USA. 

We had fun at 🐎 🐎 🐎 horse races for Pesos, and happy hours at many places. Meeting many others that are here for first time as well. We went to happy hours around town, and dinner at many good restaurants in San Carlos. 

Our first night we went to a Greek restaurant on the beach with a band that played all Jimmy Buffet songs all night, as we had our feet in the sand, and munched on Cheese 🍔 Burgers in Paradise 😎😀😁

Beers 🍺🍺 we're good too!

Was a fun way to start our visit here. 

We traveled into Guaymas, a much bigger city south of San Carlos. Walmart was our shopping this day and was a new experience as nobody spoke English, this wasn't a tourist town. We got what we needed and back to our park. 

The beach was across the street from the park, but was a small inconvenience crossing and sand was nice to walk in, and Shell's were plentiful. Dolphins in the bay were a regular sight, and boats of many kinds fished with net, and rods. Also boats that cruising along showing charter's the 🐬 Dolphins as they came up in front of the boats.

We spent a day at the Pearl farm that produces black pearls, and many varried colours of different Pearl's. The tour was very informative, as we learned that pearls are not created from grains of sand which we all thought and we're told. Of course we bought one Pearl 😁

All in all we had a very good time in San Carlos and will go back again next year. 

We traveled to Peurto Penasco with an additional couple Glenn & Margret Caputo a couple we met as neighbors at our RV Park, we got to know them well, they are from Trail BC. We will see them again sure. We stayed at Playa de Oro RV park on the beach, was nice to walk to the beach without crossing a road. The park was in an area that is older, and a little run down, but was in demand years ago.

Peurto Penasco was different than San Carlos, a little less organized, and more stray dogs, as well as roads that needed much repair. The Malecon was very nice, with much sales of so much collectable stuff and many restaurants. 

The beaches were beautiful, and you could walk forever.

We visited Tony & Christine Parra, a couple we met at Totonaka RV park, they were staying Playa Bonita RV, this is where we would stay if we go back again. Was a better beach, and close to town. We had a good last visit with them, will see them again sure. 

Our trip back through Lukeville Boarder crossing was uneventful, we had our passports checked, and we're waved through. All except Ian & Deanna, they had the dogs sniffing them so a check was in order. We waited on the edge of the road for about 15 minutes, then off we went back to Yuma.

Waiting for Ian & Deanna at boarder check

As I write I'm shaking my head, this was so much easier that we thought, and beaches that were worth the travel. We have found new adventure in Mexico 😎🌮🌯🇲🇽

Next year we will surely go back again, with much less concern. Love this life😁