Author: Contessa Jewall

It was a glorious day today. Everything was just perfect.

We even found diesel for $4.359/gallon. Compared to what we paid two days ago when we crossed the border@$5.59/gallon we saved $83.67. We used a Maverick Fuel Station near Twin Falls, Idaho. I don’t know if there are Maverick stations outside of Idaho???  We also discovered that they have a special card that if you sign up, you get a further 2 cents off per gallon as well as other perks.

We had lunch in the RV but Colin said he would have preferred to have egg salad sandwiches than the left overs we ate. “When have I had time in the past few days to do something like that”?  Did you know that you are not allowed to take eggs from Canada into the US? No idea why? However I still have not had a chance to do any grocery shopping 🙄 Soon Colin, soon 😎

The girls enjoyed their day, especially the hot sunny weather as we headed south. They were acting very twiny ( ?? spelling, is this even a word ?? ) today. They did everything together.

We arrived in Ely, Nevada about 4:15 which gave us some time to put more things away that belong in the RV. Colin finally played his guitar and I got a chance to read a few chapters in my book.  I was on page 50 but had to go back to page 1 as I had forgotten the storyline of the novel.

We drove 334 miles today. Tomorrow promises to be another wonderful day. Sorry no photos today, taking a break from too much time on the computer.

Blue days, all of them gone. Nothing but blue skies from now on!

Thank you all for always being there for me.  Hugs to you all.

The past two days have not gone quite as expected. At different times we both mentioned to the other that perhaps we should cancel Mexico and go back home and sell the RV. The emotions were through the roof.

First off, I too love my new hair style. I know Colin does cuz he tells me many times throughout out the day. However how come not a single one of you noticed my new eye glasses??? I love those as well and I think that with the two combined things are looking up – well not right now 😮

The plumber showed up Monday on time for the first time in years to blow out the house. However for some reason we had more and more stuff to load into the RV.  Finally got it all done and hit the road to begin the next adventure.

The girls were so happy to be in the RV and kept giving us kisses over and over. Once out of the city and driving along the lake they settled down and napped.

The border crossing this year was very smooth with just the usual questions about food, meat, veggies and fruit and eggs, drugs and  guns and how much money we had and of course the amount of alcohol we had on board. We are always honest. Colin went in and paid only $7.00 for the 34 bottles we declared. Of course an Agricultural officer had to come on board and check the fridge and freezer and other areas of the RV. To this day I still have no idea why checking foods is so very important to the Americans. They take our word on drugs and guns and even the amount of alcohol we have on board but not the food.

Next stop was to fill the RV tank and we were happy to see diesel @ 5.09 per gallon.

So down the road we went. We stopped about 3PM to feed all four of us. It was mostly sunny and we were happy to be on the way to our new home. We were descending down the steep and windy road to Soap Lake. Our destination was 30 -40 minutes further south at the Walmart in Moses Lake. Perhaps about 1/2 mile to Soap Lake Colin said that someone behind us kept flashing their lights so we stopped. Colin got out and met the fellow who got out of his vehicle. The back passenger tire of the Jeep was pretty much shredded, it had also done damage to a few parts of the Jeep. It was exactly 5:02PM. In another 30 minutes we would be setting up our home for the night and starting to relax. Colin took a photo and showed me Thun loaded the Jeep to get the spare tire out. The only thing we know about our helper is that he is from Texas and was out this way to go hunting. He refused to let Colin do any of the work. Within 25 minutes the tire was changed and he left. He turned down any payment. Meanwhile I spent the entire time on the phone calling around to various tire shops. I even had a friend doing some research for me.

It was now 5:30PM and all of the shops closed at 6PM. A fellow in Moses Lake said we should go to Ephrata as it was only 10 minutes away from where we were. We got to the Les Schwab 7 minutes before closing. Of course I was on the phone with them as we drove, asking about tires and doing the Jeep. I was happily surprised to see a staff person outside directing us where to park. Things moved quickly. Long story short we had to get all four tires replaced as the Jeep is an all wheel drive and in order for the system to function the tires all need to be at the same tread. Once we approved the $1400.00USD cost the tires were changed and balanced within 15 minutes 😯

Colin reloaded the interior of the Jeep and hooked it up. We were finally off heading to Moses Lake.  It was dark by now. A sign said next right to Moses Lake. There was a right turn but it looked like a private driveway with no sign saying to turn. So Colin kept going. Again long story short, we were driving along a narrow farm road towards Spokane. No place to turn around. Our only saving grace were the new bright lights that we had Erik install in the front bumper of the RV, last winter. We could really see where we were in the pitch black. Finally 30 minutes later we across a place to turn around. Oh well yet another delay to our overnight stop.

We parked as usual and dumped the air. Another problem. Some of the jacks would go down but not others, so hit store and try again and over and over. Then others would go down but not the  original ones that went down. Colin tried banging with a shovel and later sprayed WD40. He then did wipe the spray off. We live in a very hot and dry climate and things dry out. Finally after almost an hour we got the jacks to go down. The girls were taken out and then fed.

By then I was was totally done. My solar plexus was aching. Colin went across the street to pick up a tuna Subway for dinner. When he got back I was in bed and so were the girls. However I really did not sleep most of the night as I could not shut my mind off. All I had eaten that day was a small piece of quiche.

Yesterday was a long day and we only drove 278 miles.

It was difficult to get up this morning. I was so tired. We did all we usually do and were ecstatic when the jacks came up properly. Colin went out to do his final check around the RV when he noticed another serious problem. The chrome tail pipe was missing. Once again it was time to make numerous calls. Only this time there was no one in the area who was able to help us. Colin thought that we should just go ahead but I suggested that we call Erik in Mazatlan. He said that we should not drive as the exhaust from the muffler may melt the fibreglass of the RV and/or cause a fire. Back to more and more phone calls for help. Finally a receptionist suggested we call someone who used to work there. He had gone out on his own. Colin spoke to him and he figured after looking at some photos that he could fix it. So off Aaron went to buy parts and then came to us at Walmart.  Within ten minutes he was gone. So was $300.00USD cash, but we were free to travel again. At this point we are over two hours late getting on with the day.

Last winter on the way to the Isla we somehow ended up arriving without a working muffler. Erik replaced the muffler before we came home this year. Somehow with all the miles and bumps it came loose and choose Monday afternoon to fall off. A light bulb went off this morning. Once the tail pipe dislodged and fell off the RV, it went under the car and that is likely how the tire became damaged. Well at least the situation came together. Now we know the reason why the tire became so shredded.

Today Colin called our insurance company and put in a claim. All the Jeep body damaged ($3000.00 give or take ) by the shredded tire will be covered. At this time we are not sure if they will cover the cost of the new tires ($1400.00 ). The call with the insurance company took a very long 45 minutes adding to our accumulated delayed travel time today.

It was prefect driving day today, no wind, nor clouds but lots of sunshine.

Idaho has a one hour time change but we ignore that as by tomorrow we will be back in our usual time zone. So we did finally arrive at the Mountain Home, Idaho Walmart about 8:10PM PST which is 9:10PM MST. despite taking so ling to diver today we did arrive. Even better the RV jacks and slides worked perfectly. We drove our usual 408 miles today.

Once again tonight, we are tired. Most especially Colin who just kept plugging along, problem after problem and hour after hour. Right now it is about 11PM PST. Colin and the girls are in bed. But I just had to share our past two days with you. Tomorrow we hope to wakeup to sunshine and no problems for the entire rest of out trip south 😎

 

 

 

 

Thank you for your comments and thoughts about our new home to be. We don’t know what we will be arriving to other than that it will be sunny and hot 😎 . Someone was supposed to purchase a tinaco for us yesterday which I presume will lead to it being installed and filled.

All the laundry is done including all the dog blankets, the business is shut down until May. The RV has been sitting in front of the house since midday Thursday. The two big blog posts are done. And we have been loading and loading and loading. Even a 40′ diesel pusher has weight limits and space restrictions 😯 The freezer is full. Still much more to do today, clothes, shoes, toiletries etc. Remember last year I forgot bar soap, the kettle and the vacuum cleaner, well those are all in the RV. Hopefully we won’t forget anything.

We are a bit behind ( more drama of course ) in that Carlie had a medical problem but we were able to get her into the vet yesterday ( Saturday ). She will be fine but we need to get the crystals out of her urine. The only reasons  ( thanks to Dr. Google ) we think she has the problem is because she eats too may legumes ( raw green beans from our garden ) and holds her urine too long. Often up to 12 hours at a time. The next problem was this morning when Colin could not call forward his cell phone to our home phone. We have a lovely feature that sends all phone calls to an email for us to check. You may recall that several months ago I got all these really great mobility plans. Colin was switched to a pre pay plan which we only found out today does not allow for call forwarding. Between us we spent close to 5.5 man hours sorting this out. He is now back on a post pay plan for the same amount of money. Only he has no data and has to pay an extra $5.00 per month in order to call forward.

So now it’s back to packing, loading and unpacking. The rain showers stopped so Colin has moved the golf cart and my car to the empty storage spot that the RV was in. They will both be covered  for the winter. The to do list just keep getting more and more added to it 🙄

Yesterday morning we woke up to a totally empty lake.  No geese nor ducks, not even gull. It was rather strange. This morning I thought I saw a turtle but it was merely a floating leaf. However about three days ago I saw a Blue Jay and Mr and Mrs Flicker. Perhaps they were just passing through.

Definitely time for us to leave if the water fowl have left. It has been chilly the past week, lovely during the day when the sun is out but otherwise brrrrr. We decided that we would leave even earlier next year.

All of the upheaval began less than two weeks before we were to leave the Isla and drive back to our home here. One of the first things we did was drive about 90 minutes north to Celestino Gasca to check out Villa Celeste. We have stayed there many years ago for short periods. The beach is each lovelier than the Isla’s, mostly because there is no one on it. However the only site that we could have was in the middle of the park near the washrooms with no view. Plus the closest city is Mazatlan. Celestino Gasca is a pretty small village.  On the drive back we talked and did a great deal of thinking. Much as the place was lovely I just couldn’t leave the Isla and all my friends. It was enough to have to give up my garden, my trees and my view. Colin understood that.

The next day Colin was driving around the Isla and saw a ‘Se Renta’ sign. There was a fellow in the empty lot and Colin stopped to chat with him. It turns out that the for rent sign was for the upper floor of the house next door. However the lot was not for rent but then the fellow said it was possible to rent it. He called the owner and it was decided to rent the lot to us because they liked the idea of someone staying there for security.

The lot is actually three separate lots purchased by the owner for him to build a large home on when he retires. He runs a very successful business in Monterrey and has no plans to retire in the near future. So that is how we found our new home. A rental price was negotiated and they would create three RV sites. They would create a septic system – which they will complete this week. Both water and electric run to the edge of the property and they would bring those to each of the three sites. We aren’t sure who is paying for the electric set up because it will set up for 50AMP and 15AMP so there will likely be extra costs involved. The first thing they did was build a wall ( shorter then I would have liked ) but any wall to fence in our property is better than none. They have offered to put in a gate as well. We are very fortunate to have fallen into this situation.

Many meetings back and forth. Rent was sorted out. We will be paying much much less that we did at the RV Park. I started to sort out my plants and pots. I did dig a few plants out of the ground as I had large enough empty pots. Right now I honestly can’t remember but I think it was close to 30 pots that Colin moved to a friends home so they would be watered over the winter. Sadly I had to leave many of the larger ones in the ground. There was no way to dig up my five palms that I had planted back in 2010. We also had to leave behind the mini front palapa and the long side palapa. Over the years we have had to reroof the palapas. We even paid to bring in our own pea gravel to cover the dirt and keep the dust down. All in all we think that we might have put in $20,000USD, give or take, to create our ocean front paradise.

So now we will start to do to create a new site. Some work is being done prior to our arrival. Everything was to have been completed long before now. But Mazatlan has has the hottest and most humid summer in history. Most people were not inclined to work in those conditions. Then the rains and the winds came. Fortunately Mazatlan was spared the hurricanes this season. Not sure what will be completed before we arrive but we will just go with the flow.

No sense sharing with you all of our plan, as things may change a bit or a lot. Instead once we get there you will see as much as we see. And of course watch it all come together.

It has been the perfect Thanksgiving weekend. Sunny and warm with many fall colours all around us. Our garden just keeps giving and giving.

Colin and I are thankful for the wonderful life we live and most especially our two wonderful chocolates. And I am personally glad the the company business has been put to bed until next May. As we are leaving one week from tomorrow we have been crossing things off the to do lists. However I created two more lists today 😉  Final grass cut today and clean up both inside and outside. I need to check my recipes to be sure I have all those odd ingredients I can’t find in Mexico. A final grocery shop over the next few days at about four different shops. The girls know something I up. We plan to being the RV here to the house mid afternoon Thursday. That will help them figure out what is going. I did five loads of doggy laundry today, five dog beds and 28 blankets. Yes they are spoiled and I love it.

We are both eager to get back to Mexico. Another thing I sorted out today were the dinner meals I had to make in the RV while we were boondocking as we head down to the Isla. No sense pulling out the portable generator and setting up up for a short period of time.

Sadly there is yet another Tropical Storm, soon to be Hurricane, bearing down on the Mazatlan area. Her name is Lidia.

In other news the fund raiser for those unfortunate dachshunds has hit just over the 50% mark.

One more thing, I have had to make my last blog post (October 2nd) private for a variety of reasons. However if you never saw it, let me know and I will send you the password. Part two coming very very soon.

UPDATE : password only required for part 1 – in case you missed it. Part 2 will not require a password

 

Will these ducks stay or go?

 

 

What can I say other then busy busy busy?  We leave in 16 sleeps including today, the last day of September 😯 Where has the month gone? Fortunately the RV is perfectly ready to be on the road. Somehow we just need to load it and figure out where to put all of our stuff. Colin is already saying that I can’t bring this nor that 🙄  Well, time will tell.

I have done some special food shopping for things that we can’t get there. I know that we can get some vegetarian items there but I am not current on that and I am certain that there are many I am not aware of. As you know over the past few years I haven’t been very mobile because of my knee so I need to get out there and check things out. This is probably a good time to let you know that I have not done my kinesiology exercises for 7 days. Yes please tell me that I am bad. Somehow I have to find the strength and time do to them everyday. Otherwise there will be no beach walking nor shopping for me. Colins has been suggesting I do them but honestly I am way too tired. I will try again tonight 😥 I can feel the difference in the strength in my body if I don’t do them.

The girls are mostly sad and unsettled. We just don’t have the time to spend with them as much as we usually do. They nap more than usual but I catch them with their eyes open just watching us. I am looking forward to driving way and holding them in my lap all day. When I say the word “beach” they go crazy, so hopefully they are understanding what this is all about.

In medical news I have a cataract growing on my right eye ( if I have told you this already, I apologize ). So the wait is 6 – 12 months to see a specialist. I have yet to see anyone for my right knee issues which kept me grounded all last winter.I have been trying to see someone since this past April. They will not book me an appointment for May 2024 so I will have to start all over once we get back.  Heck even the government is willing to wait for both the company taxes and our personal taxes!

I did get in to see the EENT specialist ( amazing how quickly that happened ). He confirmed that my left ear is hearing much less than my right ear. The nerve endings in my left ear Cochlea are damaged. Surgery will not help. He does want to see me again in six months ( it will be closer to 8 months before we get settled back here ) to see how fast the nerves are deteriorating. Looks like I will be getting hearing aids once we return. The other option is putting a screw into a bone in my head so that I can screw on an amplifier 😥 Looks like hearing aids it will be be. He also said that my ear canals are the smallest he has ever seen. So why does my body not reflect my ear canals?

A very special thanks to a blog reader ( E, nice to know that you are still there ), who was able to direct me to the eye drops I will need in Mexico. I am relieved that that worked out for me. You are all there for me and are a huge help in keeping me functioning. I can’t thank you enough.

I need to get going on my post about our new home on the Isla. We are for certain going to be on Stone Island / Isla de la Piedra but in a different location. A door closed yet another opened (much much better for us ). Keep checking back for those posts and of course photos.

Glad you all liked the red shed doors. I think the house front door will be next. Once we get back from Mexico.

So I am finished writing this post. Took me close to 120 minutes. I am happy that I was able to do this. So now what? Do I go cuddle the girls ( Colin is working today ) or do I go do my exercises?

 

 

 

When I went to start to put these in my blog last January I realized that I did not have the photos on my desktop. And then of course I forgot. So here are the first three and cover photo to catch us all up.

January 2023

February 2023

March 2023

 

A few days ago a tragedy has become public. A dachshund breeder about 60 miles away, had their 30 dogs seized by the SPCA. Apparently someone left the tip on an animal help hot line.They were all dachshunds. In fact one of those dogs gave birth to five puppies late today. Such deplorable conditions.

It is a horrific story to read but please do. This link actually includes a video. It is hard to believe that this can actually happen.

‘Terrible living conditions’: BC SPCA seizes 30 dachshunds in Okanagan

The Kelowna Dachshund Club (https://www.facebook.com/groups/727014434042198) of which I belong to, are doing everything we can to help. At this point we are raising monies to held care for these dogs and feed them. The SPCA has seized the dogs and they are being held somewhere here in Kelowna. At this point we have started a fundraiser in order to pay the vets who are working to save these animals as well as gathering supplies and food. So many in our club have already offered to adopt a doxie or to foster one. As we all have this breed we know what that they need, what their personalities are and their various  idiosyncrasies.

Can you please make a donation? $10.00 will go a long way.

Is it true what they say? That as you get older the days go by ever so quickly! Remember when we were children on a sunny summer afternoon and it seemed like we had hours and hours left to play. Tick tock 😮  We must make the best of every day and every hour and every moment of that hour.

Life is certainly speeding up for us. I am trying to slow down but the earth keeps turning. As we say in Spanish, poco a poco.

I have had a lot on the go including my hair breaking, falling out and not growing. The Blissy pillowcase helped a bit but me and my hairdresser are baffled. At this point I might have to cut it short and add no colour. Use the winter to try and get it healthy. I have new shampoo and conditioner which makes it feel nicer for a day or two. I had some bloodwork done for other reasons and there were a few indications of what possibly might be affecting my hair. So I am on some supplements. I am doing all I can.

Last week I had my annual eye exam. I had gone in, in early June, as I had burning eyes. My doctor did a good check then including checking my eye prescription. She also gave me three different eye drops to use. One is a sort of antihistamine that has helped. Only $60.00 for a tiny 10ml bottle which is only two teaspoons. I have checked and these drops are not available in Mexico. They are the only thing that takes the pain away. My eyes have been better these past 2 -3 weeks. So all I can do is get one bottle ( they expire very soon after they have been opened ) and keep it on hand. So when I saw her last week she was surprised to see that my vision in my right eye had changed quite a bit in just a few months. Did you guess it? I have a cataract forming at the back of my right eye which is supposed to be the worst type possible . Both my parents had cataracts so I guess this is to be expected. Wait list so see a surgeon is 6 – 12 months so I am now on the list. Nothing growing in my left eye.

Speaking of medical wait lists. You likely recall that I had right knee issues all of last winter. I saw my orthopaedic surgeon there and had an MRI, that I paid for. I can’t afford to pay for knee surgery like I did in January of 2021. So once I got back this spring I saw my MD and she said that none of my Mexican tests will be accepted here in Canada 😥 Then I had to wait almost two months to get an X-ray which was needed to forward my case to the local orthopaedic guys. I just now found out that they can’t see me until after January. Also they will not book me an appointment for next spring. I have to go to the back to the line once we get back from Mexico 😯 So not logical.

We have to find out about applying to the medical system for so much much ( not a lot ) per month once we get to Mazatlan. I would be seen in a matter of days and have whatever treatment I needed. Can someone remind why everyone thinks our Canadian health system is so great?

Colin has finished working for this year. I am just tidying things up and pre paying a bunch of taxes etc so I don’t have to worry about it once we get to Mexico.

As of today the large fire in Kelowna, the McDougall fire, is considered held and everyone has finally been allowed to return home.

We have been enjoying various ducks passing through as they head south. The geese were plentiful last weekend and were practicing their ‘V’ formation. We have only seen a few these past few days. I guess we won’t be too far behind. We leave in 25 sleeps.The fall colours are peeking out and one can smell fall in the air.