holiday outside the box (or inside the box)

Now here’s an idea that, upon first look, seems kooky.  Vacation in prison.  But, having lived in South Korea for many years, I know that work can take its toll on a person.  The busy busy busy, go go go, workaholic lifestyle wears a person thin.  Enter: Prison.  Well, a place that apparently resembles prison.

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arrived at Fernie, BC

I’m here.  I arrived at Fernie yesterday afternoon.

The place I’m staying at is actually someone’s apartment with the largest bedroom for their guest (me).  The rest of the apartment is shared.  They spend most of their time in their own rooms.

There is a music festival here this weekend, but I haven’t heard any yet.  I don’t even know where it will be.  I’m sure I’ll catch wind of it sooner or later.

It rained pretty much all yesterday and this morning.  The sun has come out now, in time for the festival.

More later.

Aizlynn’s Fernie gift

Aizlynn asked me what I was doing for my birthday.  I had nothing planned.

I know it seems weird to think that that question seemed weird.  But it did.  “Nothing …”  I felt a bit…  Anyway, in an email a few days later she offered to pay for three nights at a B&B in Fernie, BC during their Harvest Feast & Fest.

At the time, BC was rife with forest fires.  Last year it was mid-September before a state of emergency was lifted.  So I thought this year there would be no point in making reservations.

I also thought I’d be employed by then, but I’m not.

So I’m going.  I’ll be there from Sept. 13 to 16, 2018.

dismantlement of Alpine Sprite

I began this afternoon the dismantlement of the Alpine Sprite 400 caravan (camper trailer).  I didn’t use it last year and haven’t this year either.  Its contents; two 6-volt deep-cycle batteries (12-volt in series), 140-Watt solar panel, 2500-Watt inverter, 3-stage charger, fresh- & gray-water tanks, water pumps (pressure & draw), 16,000 BTU propane forced-air furnace, on-demand propane water heater, 1000-Watt microwave oven, stereo & speakers, two propane tanks with auto-switch-over regulator, sink, faucet, shower, LED lighting, and a few other things; will all be used somewhere else.  The shell of the trailer will be up for grabs.

  8/9/2018  3:38 PM     96051610 Sprite Alpine 1965 20180809_153453 dismantlement.mp4
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Sweetgrass

Yesterday I went with O to Sweetgrass, Montana, USA.  He had to apply for a work permit, and doing it online would take minimum 45 days.  It was a really nice drive there.  We talked politics, religion, culture.  I told him about various places to see, but he didn’t seem to interested in tourism.  Just the same, it made me want to get out on the highway again and see the countryside.

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puncture resistant tube, cycle in dry coulees

I got on my Giant bike this morning to cycle up a sweat only to find it anaeris.  I patched the rear tire yesterday but apparently missed a small hole.  Canadian Tire sells a puncture resistant tire tube, so I bought one.  It’s quite heavy, but with all the add-on stuff, the bike’s heavy anyway.  Better to be heavy than weak.  That’s why I have a full mountain bike, not a hybrid.

To test out my new tire, I went for a ride in the coulees.  Wow – very dry, hard, dusty ground out there.

more:

cycle in dry coulees 20170901_190303 panorama.jpg
cycle in dry coulees 20170901_190321 Allan.jpg
cycle in dry coulees 20170901_190334 Giant bike.jpg

Lot of fun.  The tire survived.

Sask-Man didn’t happen

I didn’t actually get to Saskatchewan or Manitoba.  I went to BC instead.  I heard Father was in hospital again.  He’d had a seizure a few days previous but was home from hospital the same day.  When I got there this time, he was just going in for routine preparation for more radiation on his tumour.  They kept him in for a few days and was still there when I left.

I’d intended to be on my way the next morning but wasn’t able to.  Someone I planned to meet wasn’t available until late in the day, so I didn’t leave Chilliwack until after 5pm.

On my way back home I stopped at Othello Tunnels the first night, Arosa Rance B&B the second, and Pass Creek Campground the third.

It looks like I won’t be making it to Manitoba after all – at least not this time around.