Vancouver to Cache Creek via Seattle July 26 to Aug 3/10

July 26/10

And the great adventure begins! We’re on the 9:00 ferry on an enviable west coast day We’re looking forward to a few days with Eliz and Chris before they head for Ontario—new stuff is afoot! I’m really happy we will see them for awhile in late September, but headed north by going south from here to Seattle to the opera! First of all to pick up the Guppy from Tammy and Reace and then to install ourselves at Burnaby Cariboo RV Park—easier said than done as the spaces are more than a little narrow! With the help of the “helper” I backed into a cedar hedge and scratched the car—poor car, but we’ll worry about paint later—like November.

For readers who haven’t heard—Eliz has finished her MFA in poetry and Chris has a very generous scholarship to start his Masters at York U in Toronto.

July 27/10

We spend the morning squirming into the Guppy with enough stuff for 3 months. Thanks to Tammy and Reace’s planning, we get nearly everything in and still have room in the van (our tow vehicle 2009 Dodge caravan) to seat 4 people!

Supper with Eliz and Chris was amazingly collected and a great visit! They are really well organized--Eliz followed David’s good work in helping me set up this blog. Clearly, by the length of time it has taken me to get posting, there were some aspects I didn’t get. Here’s hoping!

July 29/10

The big anniversary –a nice round 10 years for Eliz and Chris. Lots of memories of events 10 years ago—how can it be so long! Especially since the top layer of the wedding cake is still in my freezer!

Before supper we meet at Queen Elizabeth park and join up with Patrick and Julie, Barrie and Margaret, Trevor and Gitai, and Jeremy. David will join us later at the restaurant, Crave, and Matthew is unable to trade off his work shift.

What a fabulous dinner—great food and even better company! It is heartwarming to see that Elizabeth and Chris are part of such a gifted and promising group! We have lots of great pics—just a couple here!












































Jim and I return to the RV Park to prepare to leave in the morning. David will stick around and do last-minute helping for the big move! Lots of hugs—it will be awhile!

July 30/10

Wagner calls—off to Seattle to see Tristan and Isolde. The Ring cycle last summer (09) seems to have made Wagner fans of us—at least Seattle Wagner fans!

We stay, as per usual on Opera jaunts, at the KOA in Kent, just south of Seattle. The breakfasts are as good as ever and the couple of work it have their son back from Afghanistan. One always wonders. . .

July 31/10

Had an extra good sleep this am and got ready to go to the Pre-opera lecture for 5:00. It was a good thing we went—The director took a very interesting turn from the point in the story where Tristan and Isolde take the death potion which seems to turn into a love potion for most of the rest of the opera. The director interpreted the events after the taking of the potion as a stretching of time such as happens in “Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge”—a story in which a northern spy is being hung off a bridge by a party of Confederates who find him. They kick the board out from under his feet and he falls, but the rope breaks and he slips into the water and swims away to safety, eventually making his way to his wife who is waiting on the front porch of their home. Just as he reaches to embrace her joyously, the rope around his neck reaches the end of its travel and his neck snaps. So all the intervening events were all an extension of thoughts in time. So. . . the opera director interpreted events between the taking of the potion and the deaths of the lovers as being part of their mind-processes in the interval. As a result the set changes very little. Only the costumes which where bright red in the beginning change as the life drains out of them. At the end the costumes are white with only a red sash.

There is a great deal of standing still and singing—it is interpreted as a very introspective opera—quite a change from ‘wagner’s Ring Cycle last summer. The voices, as usual for Seatle, were stunning and engaging.

And at the end of the opera the Question and Answer period was taken by the director and by Speight Jenkins. The latter is a real blessing to the opera, for both his musical expertise and for his courage in supporting new opera and new interpretations.

Aug 1/10

Into the familiar pack-up routine and off to Belingham, via a wonderful visit with Liliane and Herb, as well as Ron and Caroline plus Bonnie and Jim. We had a great lunch and visit—reminded me of feeds on the prairies! Lots of good advice about travel in the North. Ron and Caroline have a son and family in Alaska and know the roads well! Herb has done a lot of hunting.

Bellingham RV park is ok. It is devoid of trees, but well run and the wash and laundry rooms are spotless.

Aug 2/10

We stay in Bellingham to have lunch at Birch Bay with Caroline and Ron, Bonnie and Jim, and cousin Max. Great restaurant with tasty food and more conversation—hadn’t run out yet! Bonnie had excellent pictures of the previous day’s gathering all set to examine. Max drove his restored Packard—what a neat car. Maybe I’ll get a ride next time! Back to Vekved’s for a famous Caroline pie and coffee! What a solid send-off to the north.

August 3/10

We head for Cache Creek—an uneventful border crossing. Actually the Duty Free adventure was more exciting! The entrance to the parking lot (at Sumas) is unclear (I do say!) and I went “in” the “out” while towing the trailer—made for a rather messy turnaround, but two cars obligingly moved to help out! Then a rainstorm complete with thunder and lightning broke! Man!

We drove up the Fraser Canyon as a change from the Coquihalla. It is a beautiful route, especially in an air-conditioned van. Jim and I were exchanging stories about how hot it used to get going through there: Terpsichory (Pomeranian) lost all her hair from the heat on one trip. I used to get a Coke ice cream float in Kamloops!









We start to “feel” Canada. There are two trains (CN and CP) on two different tracks. The weight of the rumble of the trains is just a hint of the extent of the nation.
But the sky is gray and there is the smell of smoke in the air. The sun, when it breaks though in the afternoon, is an eerie red—forest fires as far away as Stewart.







At Cache Creek we stay at Brookside Campside—still here from 1995 when we tented here with the kids-ages 13, 10 and 7. Seems an eternity ago. The Campsite is very comfortable with amenities and lots of trees! The couple next door warn of highway closures in the east (Hwy 37) and dense smoke!