Cleaning Up

August 10, 2009
Fort Telkwa, BC, Canada

The last few days have been a whirlwind of activity, although not the kind we're used to! From our Bear Glacier boondocking spot, Friday morning we continued south on BC-37 to Kitwanga, where we fueled up at the junction with Trans-Canada-16. Heading east on TC-16, we decided to stop in Smithers for lunch and found that they have a Safeway. Time to stock up on groceries! While the shopping was being done, I stopped at the hardware store for some specialized screws (have a slide lock strike plate that's loose) and checked out the route ahead. Lo and behold, there's an RV Park in the next town with a free high-pressure RV wash! Just what the doctor ordered after the last few weeks of collecting dirt. Bob & Marlene agreed, and we both pulled in for two nights. Geri was a little shocked at the sign they have by the front gate, but it turned out to be a good place to stop.

On Saturday, it was time to tackle washing the coach. I'd done the Range Rover the evening before, and I couldn't put it off any further. Having used their pressure washer on the RR, I decided to ask if it was OK to use the small one I'd picked up earlier in the trip right at our site. This would avoid having to unhook, and Geri was already doing laundry in the coach. The fine people in the office gave the OK, and I was ready to go. I started with the roof and then did all the outside, trying to work with (actually out of) the sun as it peeked in and out of the clouds. I even cleaned the inside of the bay doors (they were caked with road dirt along the bottom edge), the battery compartment, and the engine compartment. I'd have done the generator compartment as well, if I hadn't pulled so far into the site and left little room to open it. Later in the afternoon, I got the ladder and cleaned the water spots from the windows. I even washed the ladder!

While all this was going on, Geri was working hard on the inside, getting most of the laundry done and cleaning the bath and shower. When the day was done, we knew we needed another day or so to finish the inside, so we made the decision to stay another two nights.

Since Bob & Marlene were ready to roll, we said our "safe travels" and they headed out Sunday morning. We tackled the rest of the inside cleaning yesterday and spent today relaxing and putzing. Geri made dog food and cooked up some of the provisions we had in the freezer for easy on-the-road meals, then whipped up a great veal parm dinner. I started figuring out where we'll head next, recognizing that a) we're still wary of forest fires south of here and b) we're really in need of a place to chill for a couple of weeks prior to our upcoming caravan in California. I got far enough to know where we'll stay the next few nights, where we'll cross the border, and where we'll stay in Washington. Don't want to start planning too far in advance! I caught up on some bill paying and email reading as well (forgot to mention that the dish is back in operation, although our DirecTV receivers need reauthorization - have to call for TV). Overall, we're ready to hit the road south tomorrow, rain (it's rained on and off for two days - first rain we've seen in weeks) or shine.