Friday, December 30, 2011

GOOD TO GO!

Yesirree!  We're ready to roll early tomorrow morning - Saturday.  Sure looking forward to that!
Moved from its locked compound.
The serious work required to check all systems, tires, slides, etc., started in earnest yesterday.  We moved our clothing from the house, packed the galley, loaded the fridge (a tiny bit), sorted the storage areas, and more.  You know the drill!
The motorcycle swivel wheel was moved up from storage area....
....and attached to the fiver.
Ready to close the slides, hitch up and park in front of our home - ready for take off!
Moving clothes!
Galley is sorted and packed to the co-pilot's liking!
The satellite dish and receiver are stored for the journey.
Our son Deni looks on as the motorcycle is warmed up and prepped for loading.
I rode it up the ramps and locked the front wheel into the chalk.
 Those of you who know us well will understand the desire to have our two wheeler with us while we spend the winter months in the sun and blue skies of southern California and Arizona.  The golf clubs are loaded too!  We would not leave without either the bike or the clubs!
Ready for the tie down ratchet straps.
Last winter's experience of driving in heavy rain through Washington State and Oregon, and through the mountain passes into California, created a royal mess requiring detail work to clean the motorcycle.  This year will be different....I trust!
The new travel cover for the motorcycle.
 We purchased another -road style - cover that Jeanette seriously modified.  It was cut up in certain places to allow for the ratchet straps to protrude through the canvas.  She then made great work of attaching some serious straps to snug the cover tightly around the bike.  Eyelets were hammered into the bottom and certain areas were slit and Velcro strips were sewn.  It is a pretty good re-customization job.  Once in northern California, the cover can be removed.  It should keep the motorcycle nice and clean. We'll report on how well it worked!
Now parked in front of our home and ready for Saturday's departure.
Final view following a complete walk about and double check to confirm all systems are go!
Well, two busy days of work and we are now ready to roll.  We look forward to journeying to the land of winter sun, sand, dryness and warmth.  Let the journey begin!
Thanks for looking in!

Thursday, December 29, 2011

More Holiday Fun!

It has been busy around our household this Christmas holiday.  But it sure has been fun too!

These remote controlled helicopters have been buzzing around our heads for the past few days.
Deni and Trevor sure enjoy their new indoor past time!  And fly they do! I have to admit that I have had my share of fun flying them too.
Nice landing on the kitchen counter.
It wasn't all about buzzing birds in the house though!  With the two guys to assist, we moved a few vehicles around, unlocked the gates to the 5th wheel compound, hooked up to the 5th wheel, pulled it out onto the main driveway, checked out the systems, then Deni and Trevor both took their turns at the wheel.  Yep, they drove the fiver around to get a feel for what it is like to pull 40 ft. behind a 22 foot truck.  These two guys are natural big rig drivers.They quickly grasped the fundamentals.  Deni even got to hitch the truck to the 5th.  It was seamless!
Here is Deni at the wheel.  Looking pretty relaxed too!
It's a nice feeling to know these two guys can hitch up and drive should the need ever arise.

The truck was thoroughly serviced the day following our return from Edmonton, pulling Ginette and Trevor's household goods.  It's ready for the trip south.
I got out to take a photo before they drove back home.
The RV is now back on the driveway.  Today will be spent opening and checking all four slides, system checks for batteries, propane, water heater, furnace, etc.  I will also replace all batteries in the smoke/fire detectors and the C02 detectors.  Following a good vacuuming, we'll begin loading clothing and other items on our check list.  The generator was started a few weeks back and it was exercised sufficiently.

What is it?
The previous blog mentioned a special Christmas gift that Jeanette and I gave each other - well, sort of gave each other!  It's a SEA EAGLE 370 kayak.  We had been exploring these inflatable boats for the past couple of years and we ordered one in early December.
I am putting it together for the first time. 
 Reading the directions and inflating the boat took me about 15 minutes.  Now that I know the routine, I am confident I can set it up in about 6 minutes.
I chose to set it up in my office.  There is plenty of room to do just that... and in the comfort of the indoors too.  It was raining outside....and the garage is temporarily serving as a furniture storage facility.
We anticipate having some nice trips on some California and Arizona rivers and lakes this winter.
If you choose to browse Sea Eagle's web site, here's the link:   Sea Eagle Inflatable Sport Kayaks
We chose the longer of the two sport kayaks offered.
Many RV'ers, who own these Sea Eagle boats (many models offered), rave about their experiences.  They are quality, sea worthy boats, made with strong materials and backed by a solid reputation. The best part is that they are quick to set up, deflate, pack in a carry bag and are easy to store.  Our boat weighs in @ 14.5 KG or about 26/28 lbs. 





So...we are looking forward to putting paddles to water soon.

Back to today's task, we are focused on getting our 5th wheel ready for departure this Saturday, December 31.  More on that in a later blog.

Thanks for dropping by