HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!

I admit, I never even heard of Canada Day before meeting George and Suzie out in the middle of the desert in Quartzite.  I don't know how I came across their blog, but I was fascinated that they did so much boondocking ... and I wanted to learn more.

I commented a couple of times before George said to come on out and meet the group ... and so I did.  That began a long friendship with several Canadians ... some of the nicest most helpful folks I've ever known.  There were a few Americans thrown in the mix ... also some of the nicest people on the planet ... and that's how I found out about Canada Day.  

It's so sad that George is gone now, but I learned a lot from him, and he wouldn't want us to be sad.  He would want us to keep on truckin' ... or RVing ... with a smile.  And so I celebrate Canada Day!!

But first, I had to meet up with friend Renate.  She's a German go-getter who rarely slows down.  She's widowed and my age, raring to go on trips in her new van.  Well not exactly new, she purchased it in December and has 13,000 miles on it already.  

She asked about the oil changes first.  You can go 20,000 miles without one.  Pretty crazy.  And yes, there is no dip stick.  If it needs oil, the dash computer will tell you so.  If not, just keep on driving.  They say the first oil change should probably be done at a Mercedes dealer.  Expensive you say?  I don't know, but my truck will take four changes every 6,000 at a cost of around $800, so there's that.

We talked battery shutoff, staying plugged in, engine battery ... all the normal stuff about when to stay plugged in.  Then I mentioned the side window shades ... they were heavy, but worked great.  No they don't she said ... they keep FALLING DOWN.  Oh yeah ... mine too until I learned they have to go on with the door open.  We both had a good laugh over THAT one!!    

I explained everything black tank, though she knew quite a bit of that already, having had a couple of disasters on her first trip.  It is surprising to me that we have the exact same rig ... hers a 2023 and mine a 2024 ... but they have changed SO much inside.  She has much more room, I have much bigger batteries and less room.  I have a big battery shutoff in the back, she has a tiny red button up front.  So the same, but different.  

She showed me where she stores all her camera gear, so that's a plus for me.  I showed her the plastic bins in my closet and about extension shower rods to hold things up and IN the cupboards.  Especially since she's leaving July 28 for Canada on a 2-1/2 month trip.  She's been before with another couple and knows some cool places to stop ... so we may go on a trip together in 2025.  

One caveat ... she wants to drive the Dempster Highway to the Arctic Ocean.  Not sure I'm brave enough to do that 400 mile (one way?) trip on a gravel road.  That can kill a rig pretty quickly, though I've seen pictures of people parked there in rigs like ours.  I'm kind of a Skagway girl, she's an Arctic Circle girl.

So after much conversation, she left and I hit the grocery store.  Prices just keep going up and up.  Here it was, Sunday around noon when the place is usually packed to the brim.  No one ... it was so empty I walked right up to be checked out.  But not until I was shocked once again by the cost of food.

Hamburger ... plain old hamburger was $9.98 a pound.  Can you imagine all the meat that goes to waste because no one buys it?  Here's the chuck roast I bought ... a 2.35 pound piece for $16.43.  I guess meat is out of the question from now on.  Just so you know, it's not the rancher who's getting rich, it's the middle man and the grocery store!!  My plan is to cut it in fourths and make at least eight meals from it.

I haven't mentioned it, but I've not had ICE CREAM in over three months.  No kidding ... that's pretty crazy!  Nor have I made cookies ... or cake.  I've been good ... but boy am I craving a big fat piece of frosting covered deliciousness!!  Five dollars for one piece was more than I could part with, so I thought I would make cookies.

Good grief ... the ingredients are outrageously priced too!  Even the lady I met at the checkout stand said the price of flour was through the roof.  Gee ... we need to rob a bank just to shop at the grocery store!!  I settled for this bag-o-cookies (I never buy these things) because it would be easy and cheap at $3.00.   

Back to tasting 101 ... here's lunch.  The second Healthy Choice thing I bought.  DO NOT BUY THIS.  It looks yummy, yes?  I swear we should be able to sue for false advertising.

Here it is.  The only thing that looks the same is the carrots.  Where's the broccoli?  Where's the luscious brown sauce?  and most important ... where's the BEEF?  Oh it's there, but I swear it's something made in a laboratory.  It didn't even resemble beef and tasted like cardboard.  I hate being wasteful, but I ate the carrots and threw the rest away.

Next up ... that famous chicken pot pie for dinner, of which I bought only one!!  I think it was $4.99.  I threw it in the oven where it had to live for 60 minutes!!  I'll report on that one tomorrow!!

We are in the middle of 100 rodeos in 100 days, so Mr. Cooper and I held the ouch down while watching some of the most impressive bucking horses and bulls I've EVER seen.  Cooper wasn't impressed with the team roping or the barrel racing, but he did bark at the bulls.

And so starts a new day of celebration for my Canadian friends ..... I wish you a HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!  I hope it's a sunny and dry one!!!