Klondike Highway

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Like I Haven’t Left

Yesterday, I finally got the toad trickle charged and was able to take it out for a spin. We had a couple of guests who needed a ride back to town to pick up their luggage and a few groceries, so I took them to give the toad a bit of a workout. It’s working just fine. I also spent a couple of hours behind the front desk getting reaccustomed to procedures.

Today, I worked a ‘normal’ shift, at least one that was like what I was doing at the end of last summer: 11 to 2, then 5 to 8, including doing the night audit and locking up. I’m almost 100% back into the groove of things!

This afternoon, I went to town to check out the state of my PO box and all was good. I had a couple of pieces of junk mail as well as a post card from my best friend, which made the trip out worthwhile.

The weather today was weird; started off sunny and warm and became cold and rainy, but now we’re back to bright sunshine (at 10PM no less). I hope that this rain thing isn’t going to last much longer!

It’s just so good to be back. 😀

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A Change of Plans… and a Dawson City Homecoming!

I got twenty kilometres up the Klondike highway today and decided to push on to Dawson, then do a circuit by toad and tent in late June or early July when more things will be open. It’s been a pretty lonely winter and I just couldn’t wait to see my friends again! It was a long, hard haul as the trip from Whitehorse to Dawson always is, and the numerous frost heaves have left me terrified to open any of my cabinets!!!

As expected, everyone was shocked to see me pull in today and there were so many hugs all around! I washed the rig and then got squared away in what will probably be a temporary spot. I don’t care, it has sewer! 😀 And I can get online with my Telus key!

An invitation to go out for a drink came quickly from two of my French-speaking friends, so we headed over to Bombay Peggy’s, a cozy pub I never got around to visiting last summer! I savoured a Yukon Gold as we each three shared our story of our winter adventures. Oh my, how I missed French! I think I spoke it twice this winter and that’s it. 🙁 Reading books and watching movies wasn’t nearly enough; there’s something to be said for a good gab fest in your native tongue!

I’ve put on some laundry and will be heading over to the public showers since I have a ton of stuff packed in mine and there is debris scattered all over the dressing room floor. I’m too wiped to even start to sort it all out. At least, I’ve had a hot shower every night since Les played with my water heater in Prince George. The water heater is still misbehaving, but I can coax it into submission thanks to his adjustments. He and it must have had Words. 😀

I can’t believe that was just a few days ago and that a week ago this day I awoke in Nanaimo! I’ve done 3,400km in that time. I didn’t mean to go so quickly and I honestly wasn’t ‘rushing.’ I really savoured this drive, much more so than the one last fall, and I had fun driving the RV for the first time! It was an awesome trip and an equally awesome summer lies before me. I’m really going to be able to get back on track financially and maybe even get some painting done.

Everything on my journey from Campbell River went well with the minor hiccups of the fuse and the windshield hardly worth mentioning. I boondocked solidly except when I had a chance at free power and lacked for nothing; I had all the heat and hot water I wanted, and when there was cell service I got work done. I read a lot, cooked a bit, and really got a taste of what life with the new layout is going to be like (even if I missed my dishwasher!). This week my good life has had no shortage of good days and I am the happiest that I have been in a very, very, very long time.

And, so, a second Klondike summer begins!

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End of Season Fun at Gertie’s

I have to say that my two nights of partying at Gertie’s were the perfect farewell to Dawson. It’s rare for me to go out two nights in a row, much less drink, eat, and gamble as much as I did, but money for fun came from unexpected sources.

Friday night was Talent Night. One singer was very good and a comedian had a very good routine as a hydrophobe synchronized swimmer, but, otherwise, I found the whole thing a tad silly. I still had a good time, chatting with friends and the people around my table. One gentleman got lucky at either the slot machines or the poker tables and bought a round for the whole table. Which explains why I ended up drinking more beer than I normally drink at one time. 🙂

Saturday night were the last shows of the season. It was the usual line up at 8:30, 10:30, and midnight, but with humourous, and very naughty, twists. I went with the gang from work and drinks were paid for all night. I played 15$ in the penny slots and came out with 7$ ahead! It was sooooo much fun! Best of all, I wasn’t stressed about my departure the next day and was able to relax and truly enjoy myself.

It was a very interesting atmosphere at the end of the night, like the closure of Gertie’s marks the true end of the summer season. There were a lot of ‘Have a good winter, see you next year!’s I’m told the population of Dawson goes down to only about 700 in the winter!

I’m already 20% of the way to Campbell River and the non-nomad part of me is heartbreakingly homesick. But let’s not kid ourselves; the nomad part is stronger. 🙂