Canada

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A Quiet Day

It was much too cold today to work in the shop, even with a heater. I stayed in and got caught up on my contracts, washed the carpets in the cab, began disassembling the dinette bench, and took a few measurements. Since I was up so early, I’ll be going to bed at a ‘reasonable’ hour, enabling me to take advantage of the clear weather and warmer temperatures we’re supposed to have tomorrow. I have a lunch date with my neighbour and I intend to have some work done before then!

I’m having a hard time deciding what’s the bigger priority; the ladder to the loft or the dishwasher counter. I’m already tired of climbing into bed via a stepladder, but it’s just an inconvenience. The dishwasher counter, on the other hand, would give me some storage space I sorely need and be the final piece in the puzzle of getting a functional kitchen in this RV.

Perhaps I should stop over analysing the situation and just get it done.

But not tonight; there’s a hoooooot bubble bath and a Milepost waiting for me. 🙂

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Feeling Like a Thief

I wanted to get up ‘early’ today to go to Home Depot before it started to… snow. So, I was delighted when I was awoken at 9:30 by a knock at the door. It surely had to be the mail carrier with my Milepost, and it was!

Off I went to Home Depot to return the sixth box of Allure. I also wanted to price lumber and supplies for my last few carpentry projects:

-dishwasher counter: need plywood for the interior divisions

-‘tunnel’ for the furnace duct: need plywood

-ladder for the loft: need 2’x4’s and something thinner for the rungs

-secret project: a small piece of paneling

-trim

I came home with:

sanded plywood (two pieces), perfect for the inside of a cabinet and creating a tunnel for a furnace duct

fancy hemlock trim in short pieces, perfect for a home with short walls (enough for the dressing room and the kitchen, at least)

a large piece of paneling, perfect for my secret project (and probably WAY more than I need)

pallets are made with solid wood held together with a few nails, perfect for making a ladder

You can probably see where I’m going with this. All these supplies cost me NOTHING. I pulled them out of a dumpster! Of course, I asked if I could do this and Home Depot was happy to have someone haul away their trash for them! There is absolutely nothing ‘wrong’ with anything I brought home, not even a speck of dirt on it. I have a huge piece of high-quality paneling in perfect condition, two big pieces of sanded 1/2″ plywood in perfect condition, and a hill of short pieces of high-quality fancy hemlock trim, plus the pallets!

I need more pallets for some other projects, but this was all I could safely carry home today, and the best of what was available in that dumpster. The other pallets were a bit grungy. I’ll check back at Home Depot in a few days to see if there’s anything new available to me. I’d love to find more of that trim!

I’m chomping at the bit get going with the dishwasher counter, but there is no way I can cut up the big piece of plywood in this weather, so I will go start on something else, maybe the trim or the loft ladder.

But before I do that, I’m going to watch the snow fall and melt as it hits the ground. Snow. After weeks of near tee-shirt weather. This place is strange.

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The Calm After the Storm

I awoke to blue skies this morning, so I dragged myself out of bed to deal with the leak. It’s going to require more work, but the caulking will do for now. There is a piece of ribbing that goes all the way across the rig that needs to be removed, decaulked, and reinstalled. It’s going to be a huge, multi-day, job better suited for a dry climate.

I also took the time to get a few pictures for Norma. I can’t believe how hardy these flowers are!

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CIMG0002

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Waitin’ On the Milepost

I received word from Amazon a couple of days ago that my 2010 Milepost is on its way. It’s somewhere between Mississauga, ON, and Richmond, BC, right now.

My 2009 Milepost is falling apart from use. It was my best friend during my first Klondike summer and I can’t wait to see what sort of updates will be found in the 2010 copy. I’ll transfer my 2009 notes to the new book… but I’m not yet ready to give up my 2009 copy.

Even though I’ve been to the Klondike and back, I can’t imagine traveling through BC and the Yukon without a current edition of the Milepost to warn me about upcoming grades or to help me find a turnout to spend the night. Some criticize the Milepost for being too commercial, and it is a good idea to combine it with more objective campground reviews, such as Mike and Terri Church’s book, but the fact remains that there is simply no such other comprehensive guide to the north.

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Windy!

The last two days have been absolutely nasty. I can’t believe the drops in temperature when I was hiking in shorts and a tee-shirt in January! Some people have reported seeing snow, but I haven’t. It’s just been very blustery with a bit of rain.

The walk home tonight was brutal. I had needle-like slivers of rain slicing at my face while I walked into a wall of wind. It took me twice as long to claw my way home, and I arrived out of breath with tears streaming down my face from the exertion and burning lungs. And this after an absurdly busy shift. I am wiped!

*this post was interrupted by the sound of something crashing outside*

Well, I’m back from checking out what made the noise. I found one of the empty garbage cans rolling around near the back of my car. That might not sound impressive to the average reader. But Croft and Norma will know that this means the can jumped from its enclosed perch and then rolled something like 20ft.

*this post was once again interrupted by the sound of dishes crashing in the cupboard after Miranda was rocked by another violent gust of wind*

Whew, nothing’s broken. It’s scary out there!

Norma, your daffodils are coming up and were doing okay this afternoon, bent by the wind but not broken. I’ll assess the damage in the morning.

Yeah, daffodils in early March, then this. Crazy!