5C's Que Pasa

I have to be at the airport at 5:00AM sharp to catch my plane to Edmonton.  It is time to leave my cozy home and deal with what living in the North entails.

Way way North. Of course the plane takes a different route but I wanted you to see how much further North Edmonton is.

This is the local forecast for Kelowna. Lucky Colin, he still has some jobs to do.

Yikes...this is where I am headed in the morning. Do you see those -20C and -18C temps and that is without the winds or windchill factor.

Translation for my American readers. Still looks bad doesn't it?

I am certain that it has been between 20 – 25 years since I have driven in the snow.  Actually I have no recollection of driving in the snow 😥   I do remember standing at the bus stop freezing despite 3 layers of gloves and mitts and 2 pairs of socks and good quality boots and 2 scarves wrapped around my face.  Maybe I never did the actual driving but was driven.  Well guess what?  I just might have to learn.  Carumba!!!!  Yes that deserves  4 exclamation points.

I asked a few people when is the time to start plugging in the vehicle.  My sister said not until -30C, others said not to bother.  My online research came up with plugging in from -10C to -20C.  What to do?  Again I ask for your input.  I must preface that by explaining that Dad’s van in parked in an underground heated enclosed parking area.  Cripes, just driving the van sets my nerves on edge.  I actually was lucky these past few months and never even encountered rain but now with snow in the forecast not to mention accumulated snow on the ground, gives me the willies.  To drive that huge vehicle in the snow….yikes.  I never saw a snow brush.  Carumba!  Just called my sister, she said to use my sleeve!!  I wonder if I should bring my boots, purchased 10 years ago but never worn.  Hey at least I have rubber soled closed toe shoes!  Where is the Isla when I need it?

You might want to read this short article sent to me today by my reader Rocmoc.  It affects not just us Canucks but also those of you south of the border.  I also read online in the Mazatlan Messenger that there is the possibility of yet another tropical storm descending on the Mazatlan area, check that article here.

I admit to being 48 hours behind and had expected to be better organized but it did not happen.  My Dad has been foremost in my mind while I have been home.  Calls from Edmonton, talking to a lawyer, stock people, the bank, etc.  All very time consuming.  In my mind I know that this needs to be done so that we can at least leave and spend a few months on the Isla but yet, it is preventing me from preparing for the Isla.  I do have our business caught up, well I would if Colin would just stop working.  Nothing I can do but take it one day at a time.  Once I get to Edmonton my mind is totally focussed on Dad and I will forget all about Mexico and getting ready.  That job will fall to Colin this year, well and me when I get back.  Worse case scenario, we will just leave later than the 27th.

Dad is not doing so great.  They drained his lung again yesterday and it created a huge amount of pain.  Apparently Dad says that he wanted to die, it was so bad.    So at 11PM I am calling the hospital insisting that they call the MD for an order of morphine to ease his pain.  They did and it was ordered.  but why do I have to do these things from here?  Another chest x-ray today….not so good.  My timing is perfect for heading North.  The snow not so perfect but it is what it is.

Well it is 6:40PM PST and I have to pack, make dinner and hit the sack.  8:00AM is mere hours away.  Meanwhile I am hanging onto every word and photo that Rae is posting about the Isla.  My inspiration to keep on putting one foot in front of the other.

… I have been at my desk for 11 hours of work and now working in the 12th hour.  I am 48 hours behind and there is nothing I can do about it.  Doing the best I can and I am holding my own.  Sorry for my short email replies and lack of response to individual comments.  Please know that I appreciate each one of you and your communication to me, no matter what form it comes in.  I hope to do better in a few weeks.

I wasn’t  totally serious when I mentioned yesterday that I might take a break from posting this winter.  I only said it so that more of you would share Rae’s journey into Mexico and give me a break from posting so often.  After all we will be in the same place all winter and seeing it through her new eyes will be much more exciting than my old same old, same old. But you should know that I am addicted to you all  😉

I’ve already learnt something new today from her, that we should be tipping at each fuel up at a Pemex.  Perhaps Colin and I have been living in the dark ages  😳

Thanks so much for all of your input re our departure from Canada on the US Thanksgiving Day.  I admit to being tired and worn out right now and you really all gave me some great ideas.  This morning I did some research and made some calls.  First off we are not new to overnighting in a Walmart, we have been doing this for 15 years now.  Nor is cold weather camping new to us.  One year, end of October in Edmonton, we had to break ice on the top of the slide outs to getthem to come in.  That same trip our sewer hose disintegrated from a sudden freeze.  A few days later in Saskatchewan we could not open the door to get out as it was frozen shut.  Last year in Ely, Nevada on Oct. 31st we had frozen slides that required boiling water to solve the problem.  Click here for that story.  My concern is that we are going to be in Ely a month later this year but we will deal with that at the time.  Who knows what the weather will be.

We usually overnight in a Walmart so I can get some much needed shopping done at the same time.  Not sure how that will work out this year but one day at a time. Actually I have an extra ‘problem/breakdown and repair day’ scheduled near Lake Havasu so I can so my shopping then.  So I took your advice and we will stay in a Home Depot in Moses Lake, Washington.  They are closed on the 27th, the day ( night ) we arrive, it will be a 252 mile first day drive.  However they do open at 6AM on Black Friday.  I expect we will be out of there by 7AM.  Great idea about Camping World in the Boise area.  It actually cuts that day’s usual drive down from 406 miles to 353 miles and they are closed at 6PM and do have a few plugs in available so we might get lucky and snag one.  However we have no problem running our generator and heaters as needed.  The next day’s drive is increased to 327 miles and we end up at an RV Park in Ely Nevada.  This year we will be smarter and pull in the slides at bedtime so the metal does not freeze open.  Next day we are in the sun and heat of Las Vegas which is where I get most of my vino.  Thanks again for your input.  I appreciate you all.

We do, we do, we do.  I am so excited even though I have no idea how I will ever get ready in time.  All I can do is take it one day at a time, hour by hour.

Before I give you the scoop, we have a new to Mexico blogger on the scene.  I met Rae through my blog and her blog and she is on her way to the Isla where through me she has rented an apartment for the winter.  She is an RVer but for now has driven down in her truck and is taking it one step at a time.  This is Rae’s first time in Mexico and her blog posts are wonderful, so great to see her adventure in print.  She has a great way of writing and seeing the world.  Please check out her first first to post to Mexico here and follow her along post by post.  Right now she is doing multiple posts per day.  She is in limbo in San Carlos waiting out Hurricnae Vance which is supposed to hit Mazatlan sometime in the next 12 hours.  I am seriously thinking of taking a vacation from my blog and let you experience the Isla through her eyes this winter.

Now back to me and Colin and the girls.  We are planning to leave here on Thursday November 27th.  The plan is to spend Nov. 27th at a Walmart in Moses Lake,  Washington and Nov. 28th in a Walmart in Mountain Home, Idaho.  We do have a reservation at an RV Park in Ely, Nevada on the 29th where we know it will be freezing.  No we do not have dual pane windows which will be a real pain.  From there we will be back in the heat of Las Vegas and further south.  If all goes according to plan and you will have to keep checking in here to find out, we should arrive at mi casa on the Isla de la Piedra on December 8th at approximately 12 noon.  Yes we even have a time.  Well we have done it often enough that we have it down to a science  😆

I require your input, whether you are an RVer or not.  Do you think we will be okay crossing the border on the US Thanksgiving and also staying at the Walmarts?  Not sure how Black Friday pertains to Walmart.  I really would appreciate your input.  Are we crazy to travel during what you Americans call ‘the holidays’?

It was a chilly -3C/26.6F morning yesterday.

The girls did not appreciate the frost on the lawn.

The leaves are falling faster and faster.

I guess this person is spending the winter here and using the free leaves to cut some of the wind under their RV. It's cheap insulation but will it work?

When we were away from the breeze off the lake and in the sun, it was pleasant enough. Can you spot two doxies?

Lots of sniffing going on. Nice for the four of us to spend some time together.

The Mountain Ash trees are full of berries.

I have heard that it is supposed to be a very very cold winter.

The perfect day to have homemade lentil soup for dinner. It was excellent even if I say so myself. I have been trying to prepare some good meals while here, we both need something nurturing.

Sadly Dad is about the same.  Weak and tired and not eating much at all and he continues to receive IV antibiotics.   Still in isolation with everyone being required to gown and mask.  However apparently he and his entire bed were whisked to x-ray this afternoon for more chest x-rays.  Does that make sense to you?  Certainly not to me.

…thanks to Nancy & Doug, blog readers ( and writers, click here for their blog ) who travel to Mexico and who found us through Kevin and Ruth, who are not yet in Mexico but in the US after a one month visit to Korea,  we have a great link to stunning webcam from the El Cid Resort in Mazatlan.  Please click here to check it out yourselves.  It is great day or night as you can actually see the action of the waves.  You are right Nancy & Doug, it is relaxing and brings me peace of mind.  Hope to meet you one day, somewhere in Mexico.

Once again click here for the Mazatlan webcam.