February 7, 2011 by Rae

Nice Rest Area in Abbotsford

I needed to be out of Tradex ASAP this morning and have unresolved business with the RV show. Until that is settled, I don’t want to make any firm plans. One thing I know for sure is that I don’t want to spend the next couple of months in the Vancouver area; the cost of living is way too high. So I’ve decided to bump around a variety of dry camping spots for a couple of days until my batteries force me to plug in somewhere for a night.

After some Googling last night and this morning, I found out that there is a nice rest area on Cole road, exit 99, in Abbotsford. It has an easy access dump and water station. I was very overdue for both dumping and taking on fresh water, so this place is a haven! Stays are limited to 8 hours (which is very different from ‘no overnight parking allowed’), so I’ve decided to come spend my days here since it’s peaceful and a bit off of the highway, and then move to the Walmart for the night since it’s only a couple of exits away. I called to make sure that they allow parking; yes, but they warned me that it’s noisy since RV parking is allowed only on the Home Depot side (“delivery trucks come in all night”) and the road. I’ll stay on the latter side. I’ve been at an airport for a week, so I doubt a little traffic is going to keep me up! 😀

I know where I want to spend the next few months, until winter breaks and I get some more options, but I’m really stuck in the GVR until the RV show file is firmly closed. I’m really disappointed to be in this situation, since I just want to crash somewhere and sleep for a week, but I’m hanging on and will reassess in a few days.

February 1, 2011 by Rae

Out of the Fishbowl

What a difference this morning…

I didn’t want to blog too much about this when I was at Nk’Mip, but the long term residents there were nosy and gossipy. At first, I thought it was just me, being a young single woman with Yukon plates, but others experienced the same thing. I couldn’t do anything without someone in the park commenting on it. When I opened my blinds in the front room to paint, someone knocked on the door to comment that the yellow would affect my resale value! When I had all pallets and the mattress down in the library, someone knocked to find out why I was making such a mess! My water management strategy was always under scrutiny, and when someone saw me watering my batteries he made sure to come over and treat me like I’m an idiot. Couple that with the lackadaisical management and I have no intention of returning there. It’s a shame because it’s a truly lovely park in a good setting and reasonable prices.

Tradex, located at the Abbotsford Airport, has thus far proved to be surprisingly quiet. I awoke to sun and minus 4, so, being out in the middle of a big open field, I was able to open the curtains to let some of the golden rays in. Looks like we’re supposed to climb to plus five today and keep climbing. Yaaaaaay.

January 3, 2011 by Rae

An Inconvenient Closure

The RV park was closed for three or four days over Christmas, and the same over New Years. I believe they will be reopening tomorrow. This second closure has coincided with a cold snap. My thirty pounder ran out the night before last and I had to keep the rig at 10 from about ten last night to keep from running out completely with the on board. I am irked that it is empty. I had to schlep into town and pay an extra seven dollars for a fill of the small tank.

This cold snap is dragging on longer than promised, no surprise there. It’s a huge pain because I don’t have any water. I opened up the door to the fresh water compartment and put the heater in the entrance well for several hours, but that didn’t do anything.

Thankfully, the projects I’m working on are keeping me busy, but I sure would love a sunny day above zero.

October 25, 2010 by Rae

The Ducks!

I’ve been doing some admin stuff today between little domesticities like making a casserole and doing a couple of loads of laundry. I went out around 5 to see if I had any mail at the office. En route, I scared a flock of mallards and they flew off in thunderous synchronicity. There had to be at least a hundred of those ducks and they blackened the sky with a deafening honk. A few remained on the ground and they yelled at me before taking off, too, making sure to fly straight at me before veering off to join their flock. It was straight out of something Hitchcock would have written, except ducks are such droll creatures that the effect was more funny than scary!

October 23, 2010 by Rae

Amblin’ Around Nk’Mip

While Nk’Mip RV Park isn’t really within walking distance of anything practical, there are plenty of beautiful places to go for a stroll. I especially love the contrast of being able to choose lakeshore or desert.

This morning was overcast and wet and we are heading back into that inclemency, so I took advantage of a brief clear period to go stretch my legs. I picked desert today and remembered to bring my camera!