Chilkoot Lake

Chilkoot Lake

Chilkoot Lake

So we took a trip to Chilkoot Lake one more time before I left Haines. Had heard the bears were out early (they were late going into hibernation – crazy winter for the bears too!). But we saw no bears.

View from Oceanside RV Park

Looking at this photo from Oceanside RV Park, seeing how green it is… is hard to believe that this is in February. A land without snow.  Its going to be a bad summer for fires with no snowpack.

View from Picture point

View from Picture point looking toward Skagway

View from Picture Point toward Chilkoot

Its so strange to see no snow folks. It is really strange.

Brigid, Evelyna, Suki (dog) & Cheri

Great friends in front of ferry terminal to see me off.  As they were posing, a lady walked up to Cheri saying “Cheri?”. I did not get the whole conversation as I was laughing with Brigid and Evelyna. But as small worlds happen when you least expect it… the gal knew Cheri from when they were in Anchorage years ago. Love small worlds…  I will see these three down the road.  Evelyna is going to weave me two small rugs for my rig – I am so excited about that!  Cheri won’t weave me a double weave shuttle holder – laughing here, as she wants me to make my own. Ha!  And Brigid is just fascinated by anything weaving… but does not weave. Yet! Great friends.

My ship

It was a great trip south on the ferry.  Totally relaxing. Girls and boys basketball teams were in route to various games between Haines and Ketchikan. After they all left… it was so quiet, it was almost eerie.  Very soothing… watching the beauty before my eyes on each passing mile.  No sightings of whales or swans – still a little early for either.  I was just mesmerized, so relaxed on this trip. Happened to strike up a great conversation with a commercial fisherman out of Petersburg, then met his wife – an amazing basket weaver. Had long conversations with both, lots of laughter, shared contact info and I will see them again down the road.

Head of the line on ferry to Port Townsend

Onward to Port Townsend

If you double click on the above picture. You will see a boat. Behind the boat is a steam/smoke stack. That is just south of the ferry terminal in Port Townsend. Its the Olympic Mountains in background. Very little snowpack. They have the same fears for the approaching summer as Alaskans do.  Let’s hope it doesn’t happen.

Well, the trip was great and on arrival at the Escapees Evergreen Coho RV park – went about the task of putting water in my rig and get this jump started. Well… not so fast. Filled the water tank. Went to purge air from all the faucets – nothing happened. Dang. Oh jeez Melinda, I forgot to turn on the water pump. Silly girl. Did that. Nothing happened. Turned if off. And what do I hear? Water running. Double dang (trust me, that’s being polite). A split second later, water is flowing fast out of the cabinet below my kitchen sink. I scramble trying to find anything to sop up the water. I’m drenched kneeling on the floor trying to unload the cabinet to see what is going on. When they de-winterized my rig in Haines (or perhaps when they winterized it), they tampered with my water filter…somehow. As turning on the water, blew out the bottom of the water filter.  Normally, this is a no brainer task to getting the container out of the bracket to replace the filter. Except this time it will NOT BUDGE.

I gave up that first night. Went for a walk around the park in the dark, came back and went to bed. I was too tired to articulate what I needed to do.  Got up this morning. Again tried to get the thing out of the bracket. Tried tourniquet, tried banging it, tried twisting nothing is budging this darn thing. The bottom just won’t screw back in while in the bracket.  So no water…. talked with a few folks, got a recommendation for Blue Sky Mobile RV – but he doesn’t work weekends. So I’m stuck until Monday. Ho hum…

So I spent the day, doing laundry, unloading my rig into my shed. Trying to call to rent a car – they are not open on weekends either. Tried to remember to grab a towel to go take a shower… was sidetracked all day… gave up on that. Hate being discombobulated… but find myself laughing over this whole darn thing. Welcome back to full timing Melinda. hahahaha. And the journey continues.