Tuesday we were back to work, I can't go anywhere without things falling apart in my absence... ;)
The campground up the mountain has been overrun with, of all things, cows!
We saw at least 3 grown cows and 2 calves just at one site.
...and the smoke problem has escalated significantly while we were gone
You can barely see the big mountain on the left.
And you have to look REALLY closely to see Three Sisters in this shot.
Usually they loom large and you couldn't miss them for anything.
There are a couple of fires just north of our area but the bulk of this smoke is coming from the bazillion wildfires in BC.
LATEST NEWS
We have been offered and have accepted a new job. We will not be leaving this one until October and the new boss appreciates that we want to fulfill our commitment here.
We will be the Campground Managers at Mowhinna Creek Campground on Salt Spring Island, BC. The current Managers wish to retire in January. We are pretty excited about this opportunity. It will be very quiet over the winter but the position is year-round and the island gets crazy busy during the summer months. I will have more to say on this once we get there, maybe before.
We have done plenty of research into the island but still have plenty more to do, there are so many things to see and do. The island is very self-sustaining it appears. There is a farmer's market of 140 vendors and to be accepted as a vendor you have to have made, built or grown the items yourself. The island has a population of 10,000 which triples during the summer.
There are an abundance of arts/crafts folk on the island and the place has a 'hippie' feel, strong on environment and all that fufu without all the prissiness. From what I've read it is a very relaxed environment (too relaxed?) and only the tourists are dressed to impress. This works for us .
The only problem so far? There are no laundry facilities on the entire island and you cannot hang laundry at the campground.... thoughts anyone? I know there are some wash/spin machines but it still needs to dry somehow...
THE HOUSE SALE:
Our house sale did not close on Wednesday as expected, while disappointing its not a shock as nothing works properly in 'hell' - must be the heat. (See my point Anonymous commenter?)
So we are sorting that out.
RESORT PROPERTY
Meanwhile we have also decided to sell our property in California. Yeah, yeah, I know...
When talking about going south this winter, we decided we didn't want to end up stuck in 'hostile' territory should Trump's rhetoric against Canada/ians get worse. This is the main reason we decided to look for a position in BC for the winter in the first place.
We were planning to keep the property in California until we realized that Trump has 2 years left and will likely get a second term, leaving us paying for a site we can't use for potentially as many as 6 years. So, sell it we are. This sucks because we met some great people at the resort and we were really looking forward to seeing them again.
Suffice to say we are taking all this is stride. No kidding, it is never dull around here.
Wow ... So much information in just one blog post...LOL.
ReplyDeleteFirst let me say we are saddened the house deal did not close yet.
Secondly, glad you are back safe and sound!!
Regarding your news ... awesome!! We lived in Nanaimo and love the west coast. Salt Spring Island is famous for its little quaint shops, wine, produce etc.
It is also the electric car capital of Canada... ha ha
I checked out the campground online, and it receives high ratings for the cleanliness and facilities.
Although no pickleball courts at the campground, SSI seems to have an active pickleball community, so that is good.
Most campers seem happy with the wi-fi, so that is another plus.
Too bad about selling your Cali property so soon, but hindsight is 20/20, and at the time it seemed like the right thing to do.
Winters on the island are wet, so you will need to take caution against condensation and mold forming. It happens often in RV's. (I assume you are bringing ACE)
We are looking forward to hearing all about your new adventures!!
Take care ... TnT
We're really looking forward to getting there. Never been. Didn't know about the Pickleball... hmmm. Yes, we are taking Ace and will keep the condensation issue in mind for sure. Thanks for that reminder.
DeleteFor camping in the Pacific North Wet you will need to buy a dehumidifyer to stay comfy in your rig. When the humidy i.e. lots of rain in the fall and winter and sometimes spring we would get up to a gallon of water a day in the unit that was in the air of our motorhome. Friends of ours had their clothes get mouldy in their closets etc. For every pound of propane you burn you put out one gallon of water into the air. We bought a Danby Dehumidifyer. It does take up a bit of your walking space but better than having things get mouldy. Good luck on your new position.
DeletePerhaps they'll allow you to keep a small tent and you could hang clothes to dry in there without their being seen?
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea Anonymous, thanks!
DeleteSaltspring Island is a very nice place to winter I think.
ReplyDeleteWe'll let you know :D
DeleteIt's sad that Trump has ruined our relationship with Canada and other allies. Some of our Canadian friends have made the same decision as you. You will do well in your new adventure.
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks Bill. It is unfortunate that a lot of people are fearing the same thing, we hear it over and over again from RVers. No one wants to be stuck in 'hostile' territory or be trapped in the midst of a civil war in a foreign country. Seems odd to think of the US as a foreign country, but it is. Becoming more so every day unfortunately.
DeleteYou will love Salt Spring! I lived in Nanaimo for 20 years. Lots of hippie vibe and great well-known musicians and artists over there.
ReplyDeleteOne musician said there are 2 Salt Springs, the hippies and the rich.
I am surprised about not hanging clothes to dry! Considering how environmentally conscious the “wet coast” people are. I would have thought “solar dryers” were the norm.
Perhaps that is why there is no laundromat on the island... we are sooo excited for this new adventure.
DeleteThanks to Amazon, I have found the laundry solution! Amen. It will run us $400 but when you consider driving an hour each way every week plus laundry costs, that will pay for itself in short order.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new gig on SSI! We will be there next year, so can't wait to meet you! When you get there, please head over to Buzzy's Deli for the most amazing smoked meat sandwiches. Howard Busgang is an old friend and he just opened it to great reviews.
ReplyDeleteWell Judith as you know, we looovveee to eat out! We will absolutely try your friends place! It will be great to meet you so make sure you stop by/ stay with us at Mowhinna or message to meet up. So exciting to meet readers. See you soon.. well, next year anyway.
DeleteMany many Americans are working to get Trump out before his first term ends. An impeachment isn't out of the question given recent developments. His company's CEO was granted immunity to testify against him.
ReplyDeleteAs one who has spent many years now dealing with Politics and Law, I know, even if you don't - that it would not be unreasonable to assume his 2nd term will be finished before any of this comes to fruition. We will certainly be happy to re-purchase at our favourite resort if/when things are set right once again, in the meantime... Good Luck.
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