Jean-Pierre's Escape and further adventures.

Enfin!  Ma demande d’admission à l’université est acceptée et je me suis inscrit à deux cours: Le Canada et les enjeux du développement international et Politique et mondialisations, des cours de première année.

À ce rythme de deux cours par session, ma graduation aura lieu dans seize ans. 

Tout le monde est invité!

Ma soeur et moi avons passé pas mal de temps à naviguer le programme d’inscription aux cours. 

PAS ÉVIDENT.

Mais, nous avons fini par comprendre. Je crois.

Pourquoi ce retour aux études à mon âge? C’est bien simple. Mon plaisir. Un vieux défi que je crois enfin pouvoir affronter et apprécier sans parents malades et sans les vieilles rancunes qui me suivaient depuis trop longtemps.

Certains font leur Camino, d’autres des mois dans le désert ou l’Atlantique.

Que ce soit le Camino ou autre chose, j’aurai sans doute des périodes de fatigue et de questionnement et on verra bien comment tout ça se passera.

As I was saying. I am back in as a student at Ottawa U and registered for two courses. As luck would have it, classes are on the same day.

Registering for these classes was hellish and frustrating. I felt that it was a first rite of passage and that if I could not deal with this stupid piece of software then I had no business here. With my sister’s help and a cup of tea, we finally figured it out.

I am not expecting an easy deal and I am looking forward to the challenges ahead of me.

Hopefully, writing here will  help me understand what they are and the effect they are having.

There will be close 50 years between myself and my future classmates and if all goes according to plan I will graduate in about 16 years.

Laughing!

Escaping? Still am!

Right now, I am escaping from the doldrums and looking to get a bit of excitement by doing what come naturally to me…creating my own new challenges!

I have decided to go back to school after a few years off.

I was well into an honours International Development and Globalization program at Ottawa U  when exhaustion did me in. No need for details, but I needed a break.

Maybe it has something to do with reading too many articles on keeping one’s brain fit at a certain age.

Or, just the need for a challenge,

I had to reapply for admission and my application is now being reviewed.

Retour aux études! J’ai hâte de reprendre le chemin de l’école après quelques années de repos. 

Mon dossier est à l’étude et je compte bien reprendre mon programme de Développement international et mondialisation au mois de septembre.

À suivre.

It is common knowledge that with all of their electric, plumbing, HVAC and mechanical systems, trailers are more complicated than just a box on wheels and they can make their owners very nervous.

Nervous while driving, backing up or just parked.  Just read an owners’ forum, any one will do, to find out what drives us batty.

So, an unexpected abundant snowfall this week was sufficient reason for a short drive to check on T-Boo at the Navan hibernation yard where she sleeps.

T-Boo is the first in a line of lounging trailers, in fact she is the bearing the brunt of westerly winds. I had expected she would have been protected as she is in the #2 spot but #1 is vacant and at this point in the season will no doubt remain so.

With a few inches already fallen and with expected rain later in the day, I wanted to clear as much of the soon to be heavier snow as possible.  The snow was also preventing the solar panel from doing its job.

After some research a few months ago I decided to leave the batteries in the trailer. They are quite heavy and require storage in a warm place with a connected charger.

I read they can be left in place as long as there is a power source maintaining a charge.

At least, that is what I think after struggling though the many differing and occasional condescending opinions.

Having a trailer stored by the house can make life easier because it can be plugged in.

Shore power it is called.  You can plug an appliance or a lawn mower into an exterior outlet and that is what it is, an outlet.  But, if it’s a travel trailer or a semi it becomes shore power. Perhaps Airstream started this when it introduced its Land Yacht model. I don’t know.

Unable to shore power, I drive out to Navan a couple of times every week to clear off the solar panel after a snowfall.  It’s not a big deal as it takes me around 15 minutes to reach the yard.

The snow removal procedure involves a step ladder and a telescoping aluminum pole on which I have fitted a window squeegee. I wonder which international agreement determined that sticks and poles would be threaded in such a way to accept any number of attachements.  If only the electronics industry could agree on their power cords.

T-Boo’s snow clearing gear is permanently stored in the truck, at least until April if I am lucky.

Once the snow cleared, the little meter showed the panel was back at work.

Judging by the lack of tire tracks in the yard, I seem to be the only person out there checking things.

I could be obsessive or just missing a piece of crucial information on trailer electrical systems. Perhaps T-B’s neighbours have removed their batteries or don’t really care.

I just don’t know.

Tickety-Boo is now safely stored and hibernating for the next…what is it?…six months.

I think I made the whole process overly complicated because it is the first season and I am totally new to this.

However, I did the usual extensive research and it paid off if only because I was satisfied with the result. Time will tell.

Everything went according to plan with the winterising which is basically blowing all of the water out of the pipes and then inserting RV antifreeze.  These are usually “either or” methods but I did both.  Both Jim and Marc helped me out at different points and I am grateful.

Next year, if stuck, I’ll be able to do it on my own.

The first few days T-B was alone the temperature plunged, really cold, close to -20º C with the wind. I went out to check at the worst of it and there was a little puddle of antifreeze close to the toilet with more around the base. At first I thought it may have come from behind the toilet, from a connector, but now I think that water around the seal expanded and seeped out. Probably no actual damage but I will keep an eye on things in the spring.

My real concern though was the state of the batteries in the deep cold because I had added water sometime this summer. I was afraid I had put too much in and that it would freeze destroying them. Well, that did not happen because there is acid in there and it is no longer water.

Still, I have been kicking myself ever since. Another example of not sitting down and thinking things through…all of the things!

I was a little shocked by the amount of gear that was in T-B. So much stuff that I never actually used, particularly in the kitchen department.  That must be reviewed!

I have to say I really enjoyed camping at McLaren and I will be returning asap next year. I want to visit Cape Breton and perhaps New Hampshire in August. The rest of the family will be in Ogunquit and I can camp close to them. Somewhere TBD.

My sister and daughter dropped by for a visit today with Farm Boy burgers and sausages cooked on the Weber charcoal grill. Excellent wine too!
Lots of birds dropped by including a pair of Baltimore Orioles that unfortunately kept to the top of the trees without serenading us with their song.
I had not seen one for decades. As for their song…You Tube!

Minutes after my guests left, two park staffers donned their security gear and began serenading us (not a pleasant tune) with their weed whackers. Close to 90 minutes now.
They seem to have finished.

Relative quiet now.

I am happy to be back at McLaren campsite and fortunate to be in a fabulous spot right on the water.
Granted, there are no services but none are actually required. Sites on the water have none, just a view.
“Just”, he says.
It is quite a view from where I am sitting, water and trees.
The water is weedier than a few weeks ago and the river bed is muckier. Perhaps it has something to with all of the rain and the ensuing run-offs from fields. Or not.
The park is far from being full, there are lots of empty sites, nice ones.
People have been stopping enquiring about the E, some asking how much it costs. I don’t mind telling them because they can find the information on the internet anyway.
There are lot of folks from Quebec here, some seem to think they own the place while others complain that not everyone speaks French. I do not go there.
Most campers enjoy a chat and some offer a chair and a beer, younger people are too preoccupied wrangling children or pets to offer more than a quick hellohowareyou.

A lady in a kayak going by and signing “il était un matelot…”, that's all I got as she was going at a fair clip and I really cannot run, or care to, along a rocky beach to find out what that sailor had done to be the subject of a song sung by a local gondolier.

Time for a glass of wine. Chilli for supper.

I just don’t know…this morning anyway…how my parents could pack themselves, three kids and my cousin Claudette, luggage and a picnic lunch or two into a tiny (at least by today’s standards, Fiats excluded) Peugeot 403 for cross-continent trips.

And, how did they wrangle all of four us into our allotted spots in the back seat? How. Did. They. Do. It. ??

I am thinking about these adventures in travel because I feel a little overwhelmed preparing for my 6 nighter at McLaren Island which starts today.

I am not of course because the gear, food and so on is either in the truck, the E (as I have begun referring to Tickety Boo) or by the door.

It just feels that way.

Well, I have been thinking about my new solar panel and if, how and when I will open the box. Which terminal and colour is positive?

And then there are the cats (back to two for a few days) and that I have to begin transitioning Jasper to his new food which is also grain free with fish but with less calories and also less expensive because it is made in Canada.  This is difficult because I am about to leave. I’ll have to figure that one out in a few minutes.

Of course there are the normal jitters with hooking up, driving ( not far, 90 minutes) and parking once there.  I must not forget to scope the terrain, plan the approach and just do it.

I will stop by the local school and practice for a bit. This worked well the last time I parked in my driveway.

Travelling in an RV involves contingency plans because there are so many “what ifs” with all the different systems involved.

I will dedicate a cache of tools once I get back though. That’s a given.

Yesterday I rented a winter storage spot yesterday, about 15 minutes from home.  I had to take it from September 1 because it’s first come, first served and this particular yard had 2 or 3 spots left.

It will cost $40 plus tax and that is a good deal as a place in town wanted $100 which is totally nuts. It is fenced, gated and off the beaten track so hopefully thieves will stay clear.

It is what it is.

Ah, I am feeling good these days!

I will be returning to McLaren Island next Tuesday for a week and the long range weather forecast is looking good indeed.

My friend Jim from Rockland will be camping on the site next to mine.

He is vegan, (a vegan?) and I want to find out how he feeds himself. We plan having at least one corn roast on a camp fire or BBQ.

I am working on my own menu. I have a couple of containers of turkey chilli in the freezer. That is not enough.

Jim is a seasoned traveller and he returned from a long journey through the southern US a few months ago. He is returning sometime in December I believe.

People ask me if I have similar plans.

I don’t….now. Never say never! I sure liked Arizona….

I want to spend some time in the Eastern Townships in the fall. It’s only about three of four hours from Ottawa and the scenery is gorgeous.

I’ll be checking the usual pamphlets (I must have something somewhere) and the tourism websites over the next few days.

Next year, Nova Scotia. I am in a (light) discussion with Carlos, a Montreal friend who picked up his E-19 the same day I did.  They are planning for September ’18 and I’ve been told that is the best time to visit Cape Breton…less people…more colour!  There are also family discussions over Ogunquit in early August.  How much Atlantic can I take?

My to-do list includes finding a winter storage park for the trailer. There is a place about 10 minutes away and I will check it out soon. I guess that sometime in October will be “until we meet again” time.

Actually, I will probably be out there fairly often to check it and remove any snow from the solar panel as it will be keeping the batteries charged…research on that topic is necessary along with vermin as little furry buggers like to set up shop in trailers for the winter gleefully eating plastic. Mouse traps?

I am tentatively registered for a memoir and travel writing course this fall at Carleton University. I am enjoying writing the blog and I wish to explore further.

Also, I plan on taking a HAM radio course also this fall.

Mondays for talking and Tuesdays for writing!

A technical issue with the trailer lingers. My camera is still AWOL and Jim and I will figure this one out next week.

I was having problems with my water supply systems that was constantly burping and farting and supplying water with little pressure.  Escape Trailers provided a quick and easy cure, tightening a small plastic cover over the pump’s filter and it took me 30 seconds.

Some (not me) Escape trailers with a certain model of refrigerator (mine) have been plagued by an electrical problem that knocks the fridge out.  It seems the source of the problem has been identified and is easily remedied by turning a certain switch off while on the road.

The switch operates an external fridge fan that cools it in very hot weather.  The physical quirks associated with driving cause hot road air to be drawn into the unit while driving with the fan on and blowing a fuse designed to protect the fridge from overheating.

I suspect similar quirks drove a small nail into the side of my tire on my way west in April and that stone into the windshield as well (transport truck helping out).

Stuff happens fast on the road and I hate it when traffic bunches up.  I was in an 80 car pile up on an icy road years ago. I was fortunate, able to slowly pull off to the side while cars disintegrated around me.  Driving always takes lots of concentration and more so with a trailer, even a fairly agile one like the Escape.

I just slow down when there is too much happening.

Time for my work-out.

The trip home from the McLaren Island Campground was uneventful.  I stopped and I practiced backing-up for close to an hour in the local school’s empty parking lot.

That was a good idea as I managed to get the trailer into the driveway quite handily! It helped that the street was clear of cars and people I suppose. I think the two most important things to remember besides the dozen or so other ones is to position the trailer’s wheels where they have to pivot and to keep my hand on the bottom of the steering wheel pushing in the direction the rear of the trailer has to go. It happens incrementally with a few zigs and zags.

I enjoyed my short vacation and after hearing from other campers that they would try and secure the spot I was in later in the season, I promptly went to the park’s website and reserved perhaps the last remaining block, 6 nights, in August. This was an exciting process with Rogers cell service being fairly erratic by the water (at one point I received and ATT signal…YIKES! US roaming fees! Who wants those?).

I just had to do it as I just felt so good after two days. I will be better prepared the next time with a list! And my bread and frozen vegetables.

It will be interesting to see how the water (with grey/black tanks) and electricity management work out.  All part of that learning curve.