Livin' the Sunbird Life: How to not enjoy wine country

May 27, 2009
Kelowna, BC

Stay stuck in the RV park (no matter how nice the park), that's how. Even though it was repaired last Friday, we're still waiting for the Range Rover to be returned to us. Since we've been getting the runaround from the dealer and the Roadside Assistance people, we're sort of caught in a trap. With each round of calls, it sounds like it'll be taken care of so we avoid grabbing a rental car, only to find out that the return hasn't been arranged. Add in a holiday in the US (I know, we're in Canada and the Memorial Day holiday shouldn't make a difference - but it did), and here we sit. I can't wait to get the customer satisfaction survey on this one.

So, we're making the most of our time here. I spent some time yesterday (it was cloudy and showery until late in the day anyway) working on a new map for the blog, and today I'll take care of finances for the next few weeks while the internet connection is working. We relaxed and recharged, and took the pups for some longer walks between the rain showers. The weather cleared late yesterday and it's supposed to be nice for the rest of the week, so we need to get out and about. It looks like I'll be heading for the car rental agency later this morning if Land Rover doesn't deliver (pun intended).

We're in a small park (only 24 spaces) and it's nicely laid out. There are a couple of perma-rigs, and several that house to a crew working on a road improvement project in the area. They all work for a company that "recycles roads" - they strip up the old asphalt, grind it up, mix in some additives, and lay it back down as "new" all in one project. It's part of the whole "green" thing - takes less material and energy to recycle than to remove and lay new asphalt. Good approach, if you ask me.

We may be the only "short-term" folks staying here right now. We met a couple at Fairmont who knew of this park and were planning to stay here later in the summer, and they recommended it. It's quite different from the park at Fairmont, since we're close to the main drag (PH-97) and there's a lot more "stuff" around. But we're here, we're safe, we have a spot where we could get satellite access, and we're happy. The owner, Mary, is quite nice and is always puttering around the place. The sites are large back-ins and she's planted flowers and a string of grapevines between each site. She said that last year they harvested about a hundred pounds of Gewurztraminer and had a local vintner make wine from it. The daffodils

are out/coming out this week, so I've been out with the camera and will do so again.

Of course, in addition to the flowers, there's a lot of pollen in the air. There's a tree pollen (pine?) that spreads this yellow dust all over everything - yep, we're covered with the stuff. We'll have to allocate part of a day for a thorough dusting of the inside of the coach before we head out next Sunday. We're probably overdue for that anyway...

Last night, we got out the grill and I made a pork tenderloin while Geri made a nice saute of potatoes and carrots with a demi-glace glaze made with broth and apple jelly that was excellent. Tonight, Mary's invited us to a pasta (pass'-ta in these parts) dinner with all the park residents, so that should be fun.