OFF TO VANCOUVER ISLAND FOR WINTER 2022

Feb 8, 2022: Well we are here after a rather eventful trip. When we drove down our road, there was an emergency truck parked outside! Fortunately the sewer backup was next door! But too close for comfort. Then the key was not in the lockbox! Fortunately the guy who looks after the house for the UK owner answered his phone. He thought we were coming next weekend! Had taken the key for some reason. He also had not been in the house so it was cold and damp (kept at 14 degrees when nobody here!!) The fridge had been turned off but not left open so full of black mold! I had to scrub that out before we could put anything in it!

Before that of course there was the drama of the first day driving to BC. We didn’t leave til 11am!!! Ted finding all sorts of stuff to do…….I checked the roads - all open. But we hit Castle Junction and - road closed! So we had to go to Radium and add almost 2 hours to our trip. Driving in the dark on wet roads, Ted was exhausted when we got to Kamloops by 9pm. We were too tired to go looking for food, just ate the nibbles and stuff I had with me, I had a hot shower and fell into bed. 

  I found out from the BC road report Sunday that Field had a ‘major incident”, we saw emergency vehicles heading to Banff so not sure if it was avalanche or road accident…they never tell you.

  Sunday a short drive, better to enter Vancouver on a Sunday afternoon than Friday rush hour like last September! Stayed in Richmond, arrived about 4pm and went straight to a not very good brew pub but pizza/beer hit the spot. Again a hot shower and fall into bed. 

  No delays on 11am ferry - but took ages to load and unload despite very light load of passengers. Maybe short of staff. 

  Yesterday did a big shop and bought fresh halibut (last night) and sablefish (tonight) and we washed it down with a bottle of wine and some port that was left for us here at the house. Passed out at 10pm and slept til 8am! But had to be up and dressed as a new dishwasher was installed this morning!! They apparently have a fridge on order too. 

  I bought my own toaster oven from the RV and our Dyson vacuum, both my go-to devices!

  It is a lovely big old house in Deep Cove, on the water looking west, a 10minute drive north of Sidney. The hummingbirds have already been to welcome us here. BUT it is now pissing with rain and we will have fog all day tomorrow! Then sun for the foreseeable future - I hope. Bulbs are up in our garden so that will be cheery when they bloom.

  So there, now you have all the news.

 It is warmer in Calgary then here but that should change very soon. 

Our car took a beating from truck traffic on the detour to Radium and all the mess on the newly rebirthuilt Coquihalla Highway.