pieces of them were everywhere! Some were in the sink; some were intact, others broken into chunks and many into shards. All those lovely cups, save one, were fragments, as were glass casseroles. Fortunately the fridge had not opened and added to the collection. Aſter the cleanup was complete, we sat in our site, drinking a


well-earned beer and discussed why we had lost so many dishes. We had not travelled on any gravel roads so we attributed the problem to the greater sway of a rear kitchen. And it hadn’t helped that the upper cupboards had no dividers, allowing everything to slide from one side to the other. Also, due to a shortage of lower cabinets, I had stowed some heavy pots up top, and their momentum had clearly contributed to the mess. But this was an exploratory


journey—exploring how our new unit performed and also exploring the Cowichan Valley. Soon we were unhooked and on our way to try and find Nitinat Lake. Somehow we must have taken some wrong turns and missed this large body of water in virgin old-growth rainforest. Still, it was a pleasant aſternoon. Te next day our destination


was better mapped—we decided to drive the Pacific Marine Circle route. Tis approximately 250- km route was all paved or had surface-treated roads. Wending through mountain


valleys where logged-off areas sported a new mantle of wildflowers and young trees, into older forest, we stopped at many forestry sites and points of interest. Te Harris Creek spruce tree, reputed to be the largest spruce in the world, was worth a look and lakes with such names as Lizard and Fairy all warranted a stop, a walk, or a picnic lunch. It continued to drizzle much of the day but we still wished we had brought a canoe for a leisurely paddle on these secluded lakes. We fell in love with the San Juan River area near Port


Renfrew, which is also the head of the popular West Coast Trail. Wandering the beach for hours, we watched a boat running for harbor ahead of the brewing clouds. From Port Renfrew we travelled toward Jordan River, which


is an awesome surfing spot when the seas are high. Tere are also entry points for day hikes along a marine trail between


Port Renfrew and Jordan River. All too soon, we were in Sooke, (Sheila’s neck of the woods) outside Victoria, and on our way back up Highway 17 for our return to Lake Cowichan. Tere were so many things we could have seen, including the Sooke Potholes, but we had elected to take this tour in one day. Several days are recommended. Te next morning we pulled out of our site in Gordon Bay


Park and decided to stop along the trestle trails and explore the Skutz Falls area just outside Lake Cowichan. Len and I spent several hours walking different sections of these trails. Te trestles are beautifully restored and afford wonderful views of the river below as well as the lushly treed slopes. We returned home, feeling


refreshed and excited about having rejoined the travelling RV gang. Little did we know that the next time we took the 5th


wheel out, it would be to live


in. I had retired a year earlier but I have always thought the semi-retired life was a good mix so I accepted a four-month contract of employment. Tis meant uprooting our home from Vancouver Island to the beautiful Brae Island Regional site in Fort Langley. While I went to work for the


day, Len amused himself making modifications to the 5th


wheel. He The giant Harris Creek Spruce Tree.


built separating compartments for the dishes, and repaired some other minor issues. He was also in charge of water hose insulation, propane acquisition and meal preparations. Pretty good life for me! We had been a little leery about living in an RV during the winter


months but soon found that our unit with its winter package was super comfortable. Our biggest challenge came one evening when the wind whipped our awning enough to shake the entire trailer. So in went the awning, which was kind of a shame since it had given us a sheltered front porch. We had three different sources of heat: propane furnace, heat strip, and an electric oil heater. We rarely used more than the latter, even when the mercury dipped to the minus double digits, unless we wanted to give the place a quick warm-up aſter a weekend absence. Once that experience was over, we hauled the 5th


home again


where it waits for its next journey. I like to think it can hardly wait—I know I can’t. 4


RVT 143 • SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 23


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