Author: Rae

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What Price for Joy

It’s my third night here and I’ve already got ‘Going to the pool, YAY!!’ down to a science. Sometime between seven and eight, I put on my bathing suit, throw my jammies over it, and schlep over to the pool building with my bag holding toiletries and a towel. This way, I don’t have too much ‘stuff’ (ie. clothes) to deal with at the pool and I can shower right there.

I don’t believe there is anything in the whole of the universe that gives me as much joy as does swimming. Just doing laps doesn’t satisfy me. Soon as I hit the water, I have to play, turning somersaults and spending as much time under water as possible. There is no more glorious feeling than that of being completely submersed. I must have been a fish in a past life. No, make that an otter!

In 2009 I have already swam as many times as I did in 2008 and I plan to make up for 2007 when I didn’t get to swim at all.

So, what price for joy? I’m stretching the budget by staying here, but I have yet to feel that the price I’m paying is too much. 😀

For those who are curious about what this paradise called Pacific Border RV Park looks like, the park website has lots of good photos… just add a generous amount of snow to them. 😉

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Meeting the Neighbours By Getting Fuel

I just dashed out to gas up the toad and fill my propane tank since I wasn’t able to fill the on board tank on January 1st. Gas is about seven cents more expensive here than it was in Oliver. There, I had never gassed up when I was completely empty, so I never really registered how much a full tank would cost me. Here, it was the first time in years that I bought 40 litres of gas for less than 30$. I’d call that progress! Propane was also cheap, 60 cents and a bit a litre, and filling my 30lber cost a mere 20$. I was again dumbfounded by how heavy an empty 30lber feels! I thought I had enough to get me to the morning, but based on my average consumption rate of 10lbs per day (*gulp*) I would have run out in about an hour!

While filling up, I met my neighbour from a couple of lots down, doing the exact same thing as me. He apologized for the weather and told me that within a week we’ll be back above zero for good (Really? Woohoo! Yes, I’m still that naïve!). I laughed and replied that this is March, even April, even beginning of May, weather where I’m from. To which he replied: “Oh, you’re from Ottawa?” LOL!!!

I’m definitely not complaining about the weather; after Oliver I feel like I’m in paradise… but let’s not forget that until it betrayed us, the Okanagan gave us a never-ending fall. I was still wearing short sleeves well into November and remember mild days in early December!

Now that my fresh water hose is thawed out again (*shakes head*), I’d say that life in the Fraser Valley is looking up.

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Thwarted Plans

I woke up to snow this morning; heavy, wet, stay at home in your jammies and watch bad movies, kind of snow. At least, it was only minus one, not the minus twenty-one Oliverites are experiencing!!! But I dragged myself into proper going out clothing and headed to the Surrey Museum… after not noticing the statement on their website that they’re closed the whole month of January. DOH!

The weather being way too yucky for driving of the exploratory variety, I pressed on to Langley to pick up 12V lightbulbs at the Canadian Tire there, and to see where the major shopping complex is so that I can be comfortable returning there to see movies ( 🙂 ), and went almost straight back home (with a pause at Starbucks for a caramel macchiato).

One really nice thing about this lifestyle is that you can stay in one location long enough to not feel that you absolutely need to ‘go see the sites’ in poor weather.

In other news, one silly RVer forgot to leave her water on last night and now has a frozen solid brand new fresh water hose. 🙁

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Paralysed

In my (albeited limited) world view, Vancouver is the Los Angeles of Canada, the dark, nasty, don’t get off at the wrong exit or risk a violent death, city, the Gotham of Tim Burton or Chris Nolan. I’m not that timid. I’ve survived Chicago’s South Side, New York’s Washington Park at midnight, Ottawa’s Market after dark, riding the Montreal métro with skinheads, playing chicken with Hells Angels in Gatineau, getting lost in downtown Baltimore, even wandering around the bad parts of Calgary (Calgary has bad parts?). Hell, I’ve even survived a trip to Los Angeles… and that’s what’s not helping the Vancouver situation!

Surprised? 😀

Like with Los Angeles, I know there is a lot to see and do in Vancouver, but, like with Los Angeles, getting around is the issue. In LA, I was advised to not walk around, drive unless I knew where I was going, or take public transportation. I think this left taxis? I wound up driving straight to my hotel on Sunset Boulevard and walking between it and the famous Hollywood sites like the Kodak theatre (even though I’d been advised to not even walk those twenty or so blocks). After less than a day there, I was so exhausted from being on my guard all the time that I just left without going beyond Hollywood (nasty place) when I would have enjoyed doing a studio tour or even just visiting the Griffith Observatory. Looking back, I realise that I would have needed a native guide.

Same thing with Vancouver, it seems, and especially Surrey! Surrey gets a very bad rap; you wouldn’t believe the number of people who told me not to go to Surrey and to especially not be out in Surrey after dark! Last night, I did go out, taking two main streets to go to Walmart and back. Tonight, I’d like to go to a movie, but I have no idea which theatre is in an okay part of town. I’ll need to speak with the very friendly camphost here and ask her what her recommendations are.

Also like in Los Angeles, traffic is absolutely terrible here, maybe even worse than Toronto, but, of course, not nearly as bad as Montreal (because no place in the US or Canada has traffic worse than Montreal).

So, I’m here and really excited and happy to be here but shocked to discover that here is just as scary as I expected it to be!

At least, the RV park is a lovely, non-threatening, bubble. 😀

My first order of the day for tomorrow, then, is to have a chat with the camphost, descarify myself, and come up with one activity for each of  Saturday and Sunday that will get me comfortable with this city!

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Adventures In No Man’s Land

Here is the daytime view at my new park. Yes, I need to wash my windows. The roads were sandy yesterday! 🙂

daytime view at PB

Walking down Zero Avenue, I was treated to this sight:

Spelling Fail

Spelling Fail

*ggl*

Then this little guy stopped his wanderings long enough to pose for a couple of shots!

deer1

deer2

Notice the water of salty persuasion in the background… 🙂

Getting closer to the water:

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Zero Avenue ends at Peace Arch Park, a sort of no man’s land that straddles the 49th parallel, existing between the American and Canadian customs. I don’t know if Americans can do this, but I was able to take a stroll down Zero Avenue in Surrey right into the park without requiring any sort of identification. I was told I could walk to White Rock through the park, but I couldn’t find a legitimate way to get out of there other than the way I came in or actually going through Canadian customs, so I didn’t pursue the issue and will ask for further clarification.

A not-so-excellent adventure on a US military base in California taught me to be very careful about taking pictures anywhere near US government installations (no, I did NOT try to take pictures of a military base!), so I was very cautious about taking out the camera at the park. I did sneak a couple of pics:

I'm in the United States!

I’m in the United States!

Otherside of the monument... and I'm in Canada!

Other side of the monument… and I’m in Canada!

More ocean, a lineup to get into the US, and a glimpse of Peace Arch Park

More ocean, a lineup to get into the US, and a glimpse of Peace Arch Park

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The Peach Arch

Coming home, I passed a couple out for a stroll:

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard out enjoying the weather

Mr. and Mrs. Mallard out enjoying the weather

When I checked the forecast last night, they were calling for rain today and the rest of the week, but it’s been sunny so far. What a reprieve!