Ch 1 - BC and Washington

Chapter 1 – Bidding Adieu

Christmas for most people is a stressy time, and we got ourselves in a bit of a tizzie trying to entertain the family, turning the house over to the wee ones and their training staff while we sought refuge in the camper in the driveway. A week later we hosted a New Years party that kept us up far too late, then a week after that we were privileged to host a celebration of life for a departed friend and neighbour. All of this social activity kept us busy getting ready for the next event, so the elaborate preparations we had planned for the Big Trip simply didn't get done. Consequently we rushed away in a lather, hoping that we hadn't forgotten to pack any essential items (we did). Just shutting down the house and boat required quite a bit of effort and hopefully they will survive our absence. Fortunately we have good friends and neighbours keeping an eye on things, so that's very comforting.

First stop was in North Vancouver with Andrea, brother-in-law Bob's lady friend. Knowing that we were as wide as a semi, she had kindly trimmed her driveway hedge to allow us access. We (Bob, Andrea & Peter) all play guitar and sing, and we had a great evening building calluses on my unpractised fingers. Day 2 saw us lunching with our niece Katharine before shifting to North Delta to visit brother George and partner Barb. The moose stew we brought was well received (thank you Harry) and we managed to eat all the fresh stuff in preparation for the border crossing. After a visit with some of Jake's special friends and an exciting time for me in a 737 flight simulator (birthday gift), we finally headed for the border, which caused us no delay. A night with our other niece Alison and her family in Seattle was a real treat, but the next morning we were approached by the constabulary. It seems some neighbour had phoned in a report that homeless people were sleeping in their vehicle and had even plugged into the adjacent house (my niece's). The cop immediately recognized that our respectable camper posed no threat to the local populace, but seemed pleased that we were leaving soon regardless. It was our first introduction to the new level of fear that our southern neighbours seem to be experiencing these days.

We opened a US bank account, got a US chip in our cellphone, and made our way by ferry and scenic county roads to visit our friends in Port Angeles. Ope and Sharon were nicely installed in their new house, having moved from the south Oregon coast last summer. Their sailboat will be much more use to them now, close to the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands, and they were one of the few to do well out of the housing market in the States. We are very pleased for them and glad to have them based a bit closer. We saw some sights, bought wider mirrors for the rig, had some good food and conversation, and after two sleeps in their driveway with some significant weather closing in, it was time again to hit the road. Caught up with most of our must-see people (our apologies to those we missed), we are finally ready to make some significant adjustments to our latitude.