Checking out 50+ Feet Parking Spots

The reason for our extended stay here in the Victoria area is to visit with our son, DIL and their new baby.  There is also his Baptism or Christening on November 13th, which we are looking forward to and after that we will be free to travel south.  Yesterday we went shopping for an outfit for his Christening and luckily obtained one small enough - he is now 10 lbs but still seems so tiny in our arms.

The Black Ball Ferry, which Rick and Paulette will be travelling on this morning, is right in the downtown area of Victoria. It is a great ferry with friendly staff, but navigating the narrow downtown streets and possibly having to park ( yikes ) with a rig that is 50 feet long, can be problematic.  We hope to overnight in their parking/loading area and catch the morning ferry.  It is free, and so easy and handy except for one thing: you have to arrive exactly at 4:00 PM in order to enter their yard. You would think that would be easy, but not so with traffic on the Island. So, the other day we 'scouted' areas nearby to park in case we had to.

Black Ball Ferry yard December 2010

Today we are off to W*mart to pick up some pictures and maybe drop in on some friends.

rainy days

Typical for fall on the Island, but still depressing.  Tomorrow's weather forecast is for sun, and our plans are to visit the Black Ball Ferry office in downtown Victoria to see if we are still welcome to overnight in their parking lot prior to a morning ferry departure.

Our oldest son, Nathan, was in Vancouver for a Foo Fighters concert last night.  We offered to pick him up from the ferry terminal, rather than his wife and baby organize themselves to do so.  We were rewarded by a lovely delicious Chicken Fajita supper - thanks!

Our RV park is just great, with a half decent weekly rate.  I hope to get some pictures tomorrow if that weather forecast proves itself to be correct. Well, better that there be pictures of the park, rather than the laundry that I intend to be doing.

On the road - whoo hoo!

We left the North Shuswap on Sunday afternoon, spending a night with a dear friend in Kamloops.  Well, we had to pick up some coffee in Costco, too!

Yesterday we travelled over the Coquihalla highway to Vancouver, and yes, we hit a snowstorm at the high point.  Hopefully, that is the first and last snow we will see this winter.  It was still early afternoon, and the weather was pleasant in the city, so we kept on going to the ferry and managed to hit the 3:00 pm crossing.  Sunny skies, calm ocean.... you have to like that.

We are parked on the Island for 3 weeks, visiting our kids, the new grandbaby, and his Christening on November 13th.

Our 5th wheel is getting some work done here - the electric switch on the hot water tank is not working.  Our overhead interior ceiling lights have been burning out quickly and we need them looked at ( again ).  Hopefully these are all minor easy items, and then we will be ready for the big trip south.

only about 6 things left on the list

All the storage items have been moved from our rented storage locker, and we have made a trip to the dump of the small bit of construction refuse and household garbage.  Don has now washed out the back of the truck and tomorrow the fifth wheel hitch goes back in - whoo hoo!

I think we are T-2 now!

countdown is on....

Today, our little building was finished by our builder.  We have some more painting to do next spring and a deck to build on the front of it, but we are extremely pleased with how it turned out.  It is the 'bees knees' of a storage building.

From this .....

to this!

The rest of the week we will be cleaning up the construction mess, a trip to the dump, recycle centre and moving items from our rented storage to this new blue ' doll house".  We hope to be ready after the weekend to get 'outta this popstand!

The shed is hooked up just like an RV

The nights have been very cool and yet, we still have roses growing and blooming.  It is wonderful.  Kim has cleaned up the gardens and the garden hoses have been disconnected.  We are looking forward to being on Vancouver Island, the pumpkin patch fields, and of course, to see our new little pumpkin!

Lake Huron, Collingwood Ontario. October 2011.

Safe travels to all who are back on the road!

The Dollhouse

The construction of our little storage building is continuing, and now we can see the end.  The inside has been drywalled and today Kim put the primer coat of paint on inside.  We may not get to the final coats of paint prior to having to leave.  The outside has only one wall left for siding, the gable vents are in and the soffits are being done.

A few very rainy days has set us back and that mud is not very much fun.  The excavator and trucks were coming and going, and that has disturbed the ground around the building. 

The storage locker people have been informed that we no longer need the storage garage at the end of the month, so between cleaning that out, moving the few boxes that are in there, cleaning up the lot, and cleaning out the 5th wheel - man we'll feel like heading south for sure!!!!!  Speaking of heading south, we have extended our booking in Desert Hot Springs for a little longer as we are having more company!  Don's sister and brother in law, whom we spent some time with last February in Vegas and Lake Havasu, are coming there for the month of January - whoo hoo!  They have rented a Park Model there, and perhaps we can talk Don's other sister into a visit as well. 

No pictures of the little " dollhouse" to post, as it is too messy.  Anyway, that's what the neighbours are calling it - The Dollhouse.  Just wait till it has a red door, flower boxes and gingerbread trim. 

we're back in the saddle

A busy couple of weeks - with each of us going our own ways in travels.  Kim is back from the Toronto area, with great visits with family.  Don is back from some northern BC travels for appointments, and is busy with the little building project.

Since we didn't get home till late last night, more updates and pictures, later!!!!

A big helooooooo to Uncle Bob - yes, we have finally posted!