Campbell River

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Campbell River Grocery Stores

I haven’t done much grocery shopping since I got to Campbell River, but I have tried three of the five options I see open to me.

My first instinct was to go to my favourite western chain, Save-On-Foods, but it is definitely pricey compared to other options. Being on a super tight budget, I decided to explore other options.

I received some gift certificates for Discovery Foods in Willowpoint Village. It’s a small, full-service store. The prices are high and the selection isn’t very good. It is the only one that’s within walking distance, so I tend to go there on my days off to get a little some special for dinner so I have an excuse to get exercise.

A third option closed at the end of December, Super Valu. This name makes me shudder as it is the same store where I had to shop in Oliver. I never set foot in there figuring the prices would be just as over-inflated.

The fourth option is the Super Store. I only shop at the Super Store in Whitehorse because it’s the best option for that city, otherwise I avoid this chain. The stores are just too big and overwhelming and the selection is limited.

Today, I discovered a fifth option, Thrifty Foods. I expected this store to be a small, bargain-type supermarket like Buy-Low, but nope. It is a smaller, full-service grocery store with excellent prices and selection. I’ll be shopping there from now on! Today’s exciting buy was skinless, boneless chicken breasts. They had a ‘two-for-one’ sale, which really meant 50% off the regular per pound price. I had to convert from kilograms per dollar, but it looks like I paid about 4$ per pound, which is a bargain. I bought enough for at least six meals, for just 9$. I wasn’t the only person whose basket was piled high with chicken. 🙂

Walmart will be opening up a store in Campbell River this spring. I believe it will be a Supercentre with full grocery, so that will be another place to shop (and probably the reason why Super Valu closed).

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Rain Forest Wonderland

Today, which happens to be in the middle of January, I went hiking in the rain forest in shorts and a tee-shirt.

I love winter on Vancouver Island. 😀

There was no itinerary in mind today; I just wanted to get some fresh air. I parked at the Canyon View trail parking lot and then wandered around until I found the Beaver Pond trail. This involved taking a wrong turn onto what happened to be a private road, which ended up with my being chased by a very loud and territorial dog. Oops! To avoid my mistake, park at the power plant lot that’s just off the highway rather than the one that is in front of the plant itself. Walk across the highway, turn left, and go around the bend until you see a path veering off into the woods. It’s not well marked, but there is a sign (see below) that will confirm you’re in the right place.

I started off in my hiking pants, a tee-shirt, and my rain slicker as the sky was very grey and heavy. I overheated within five minutes and opened up the arm pit zippers for ventilation, but that still wasn’t enough. So, off went the coat and shortly thereafter the bottom part of the hiking pants and then I was comfortable. Have I mentioned that it is presently the middle of January?

Since it had taken me over an hour to find the Beaver Trail and it looked like a long loop with rather monotonous (if rain forest can be considered monotonous) views, I only did a small part of it before doubling back to the car.

The water levels were very high today and there has been talk of possible flooding if the rain keeps up. Be sure to compare some of these pictures to ones taken on my official Canyon View hike!

The mayor* told me that there is an exhaustive map of the hiking trails around Campbell River, so I’ve put finding this map on my list of things to do tomorrow.

swollen river

swollen river

looking down at the Canyon View trail (and the river) from the powerplant parking lot that's just off the highway

looking down at the Canyon View trail (and the river) from the powerplant parking lot that’s just off the highway

so much more water than just a few weeks ago!

so much more water than just a few weeks ago!

so much more water than just a few weeks ago!

so much more water than just a few weeks ago!

water levels are at six feet

water levels are at six feet

this wheelchair accessible fishing platform was not underwater last time I was here!

this wheelchair accessible fishing platform was not underwater last time I was here!

confluence of the Campbell and Quinsam Rivers

confluence of the Campbell and Quinsam Rivers

This is the only signage for the Beaver Pond Trail. Note the date of the bear warning (June).

This is the only signage for the Beaver Pond Trail. Note the date of the bear warning (June).

beaver pond

beaver pond

beaver pond

beaver pond

beaver pond

beaver pond

I was impressed by all the rocks caught up in this tree's root system.

I was impressed by all the rocks caught up in this tree’s root system.

ah, the lovely rain forest

ah, the lovely rain forest

*The mayor is a regular customer at the convenience station where I work.

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Water Heater Woes

My water heater stopped working earlier this week. It’s an Atwood model with electronic ignition. When I hit the switch to start it up, the propane ignites and then the heater shuts off.

I took my problem to the Escapees forum where someone I trust to be an RVing and electricity expert gave me advice on how to troubleshoot. He warned me that while there were some simple things I could check first, my symptoms indicate that the heater needs a new circuit board.

Water heater access compartment. The circuit board is up in the top right corner.

The issue is heat detection. There is a ceramic probe in the path of the flame which is linked by wire to the circuit board. If the board does not receive a signal that heat is present, it will shut off.

Following the expert’s instructions, I cleaned the lead and connector for that wire. I had been instructed to clean and replace the probe if it seemed burnt, but it was still snowy white, so that wasn’t the problem. I turned on the heater and it worked for a short time before shutting off again. I then turned it back on to go see what was happening at the panel level, arriving just as the heater once again shut off. I just tapped that connecting wire and the heater kicked on for a nanosecond, effectively isolating the problem to a specific place, the circuit board, as well as confirming that the probe was well in the flame.

I posted my findings to the forum and am still waiting for a reply from the expert. Someone else chimed in and told me to make sure connections are tight. I did so and that significantly improved the heater’s performance: it heated up a whole tank of water before shutting off and refusing to restart. I really don’t think I dodged the bullet as to replacing the circuit board, but at least my hour’s tinkering this morning will be rewarded with a hot shower in my own home tonight. That’s more progress than I usually make when working on a problem like this.

Rather than purchasing a new Atwood circuit board, I will be going with one manufactured by Dinosaur Electronics, as recommended by the expert, because they have a three year warranty vs. Atwood’s one year warranty. Dinosaur does not sell at the retail level, so I will need to find a Canadian supplier. The American supplier who was recommended to me sells the circuit board for 95USD, plus shipping by UPS (which I prefer to not deal with), plus customs and brokerage fees. I will do some research for a Canadian supplier; Dinosaur says they exist but there is very little information on the matter on their site.

Miranda’s turned twelve in December so I had better get used to her systems failing one by one…

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Feeling Blue

Today’s our first sunny day in over a week and I’m feeling down. I spent a couple of hours this morning troubleshooting my water heater (more about that to follow) and I’m looking at a costly repair.

This is definitely not the winter I’d envisioned or saved up for. Just about everything I had went to the brake repair this fall and the rest to keeping me afloat until I got full-time work hours. It’s already the middle of January and I haven’t done any exploring or renovations. At this point I’ve pretty much conceded that neither is going to happen.

My cashflow has improved slightly, but not nearly enough to make up for how much financial bleed I’ve had since leaving the Yukon. I really don’t like to talk in great depth about my finances, but I think I need to make a comment on the subject. My global financial picture is sound, but my daily budget isn’t. I ‘have money in the bank’, however it is off limits for daily expenditures. The only way I am going to survive financially in this lifestyle of unstable income is to limit my daily spending to what I’m taking in through my various income streams rather than continuously dipping into my investments and savings. Exploring counts as daily spending. Renos and maintenance have their own saving account, but maintenance takes precedence, of course, and there’s a minimum cushion that needs to be in there at all times. Soon as I hit that limit, I can only use the money for real emergencies and not for sprucing up my home.

I’m a homebody, so a part of me doesn’t mind having an excuse to stay home, watch movies, read, and go for long walks on the beach. However, I didn’t enter this lifestyle to have such a monotonous sameness to my days. It’s only the thought of my imminent return to the endless Yukon summer that enables me to remember just what it is I’m working so hard at to build. I can tell that I’m making progress at supporting myself on the road in a manner that will enable me to travel freely. My various income streams are slowly picking up and my writing contract is a major step in the right direction. However, I have conceded that this winter is looking at being a wash and that there probably won’t be much more to blog about until I take off in May.

This situation is of my own making and only I can fix it. I never forget that I chose this life and the financial instability that it brings, that I made a decision to honour my belief that the true riches in life are not material. So, please do not take this post as a ‘woe is me’ type of update, but just an honest comment on where I am right now. I don’t deserve pity or sympathy because I could still be an analyst for the government, living in a nice house in the city with no debt and plenty of disposable income.

In my about me page, I quote Sterling Hayden. Here are more of his words that ring so true to me:

To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm foundation of financial unrest. Otherwise you are doomed to a routine traverse, the kind known to yachtsman, who play with their boats at sea — “cruising”, it is called. Voyaging belongs to seamen, and to the wanderers of the world who cannot, or will not, fit in. If you are contemplating a voyage and have the means, abandon the venture until your fortune change. Only then will you know what the sea is all about.
“I’ve always wanted to sail to the South Seas, but I can’t afford it”. What these men can’t afford is not to go. They are enmeshed in the cancerous discipline of “security”. And in the worship of security.

I’m off to take a long walk on the beach so I can enjoy some of that fleeting sunshine!

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Dealing With Wet Clothes in an RV

It wasn’t until I had to deal with wet bathing suits that I finally came up with a place to hang up a wet or snowy coat in my RV. In Oliver, I found myself draping my wet things over the lounge chairs, which I realised a couple of months later was really stupid seeing as the solution was in my hardware box.

The solution is a ‘valet hook.’ It fits over the side of my shower and gives me a hook for hanging things as well as several spaces for hangers. I bought it so long ago I don’t remember how much I paid, but I’m sure it was no more than a couple of dollars.

CIMG0002

hook1

It’s great to be able to come home at night and have a place to put wet things or to hang things that I hand washed. The only caveat is that moisture seems to stay in the shower and things take a while to dry, so cracking open the door a tad is good idea if the radiant heaters aren’t on.