SEEING THE OGOPOGO AND HANGING OUT WITH SNOWBIRDS

Oct 17/09

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been here at Swan Lake Resort for over a week. We’ve kept busy with routine things around home as well as trips to town, to the library with our new “BC One Card” and just out and about. We hiked at Ellison Park on Thanksgiving Monday when it was clear but cold.

We walked over the top of a rocky point and spotted some unusual turbulence in the waters to the north. We watched it for quite a while speculating that it was a school of fish or perhaps, the Ogopogo.

We got our lunch out of the truck and walked to the north beach where we saw that the turbulence was moving into the bay, closer to shore. It moved inside the swimming buoys and we finally figured it out—it was scuba divers!! Who would be crazy enough to go diving in those frigid waters at this time of year!!

We had some problems with our microwave/half-time oven and took in into Kelowna Truck and RV for repairs. It is under warranty and they are going to have someone local try to repair it. If it can’t be done under a certain amount of money, the whole unit will be sent back to the manufacturer for repair. The option to give us a new one isn’t offered so it could be awkward getting it returned to us, as we don’t know where we’ll be. Not having a microwave is an inconvenience—you don’t realize how often it gets used.

Back at the RV resort, it seems like everyone is getting ready to go south for the winter and they all are looking forward to it so very much. Each day we talk with someone new who, after years of experience, has a favourite destination and a favourite route to get there. As snowbirds are limited to no more than 182 days per calendar year in the United States, everyone calculates how late they have to stay in B.C. before going south of the border.

Our neighbours on one side live in a park model here during the summer and store their trailer in Yuma. They left on Tuesday for a 4 day drive to pick up their trailer and then will go to Mexico and stay in the Mazatlan area. They’ve done it before and the fellow speaks fluent Spanish, but they are a bit concerned about the increase in violence in Mexico.

We aren’t sure when we’ll be able to head south ourselves as I am awaiting a doctor’s appointment to be scheduled in Kelowna. Hopefully, it won’t be too long from now and then we’ll be able to make some plans. In the meantime, we are looking at maps and different routes to the sunny south. So nice to dream!!