Ottawa sojourn

How fortunate we are to have such a beautiful city for Canada's capital! Ottawa is now getting closer to having a population of a million and yet, has the quiet atmosphere of a small town.

parliament buildings on a rainy day

 I love the streets lined with huge trees and the many beautiful flower gardens, the canal and the river with their wonderful bike paths, and the museums and National Art Gallery.

I arrived in Ottawa on May 5th along with spring in full bloom.
I was grateful to be able to park in my brother Peter's driveway and getting some help with building a proper bed in my RV. The pull-out couch was old and not very comfortable.

The time in Ottawa was busy. I took my 16yo niece Sierra camping for a week-end at Voyageur Prov Park , about 1 1/2hrs NE of Ottawa. It was fun having some one-to-one time with her. 
We also went for a bike ride past the experimental farm a couple of weeks later.

Sierra along one of the bike paths 

Inukshuks and a newly hatched gosling

The ride brought us past the arboretum where there are trees from all over the world.
Further along, we passed by the remains of inukshuks. They are an artistic project "The Art Of Balance" by local artist John Ceprano.
No tools are used and he builds several of these every year. In the winter, they are dismantled by the ice.

I happened to be in Ottawa during the yearly tulip festival.

It is the largest in the world with 1 million blooms and draws thousands of visitors to the capitol.

One of many beds of tulips


My plan of 1 week in Ottawa grew to 3 weeks, much of which was taken up with gardening and family time. I fell in love with their dog, "Hoover" and made me think of getting a dog myself. Many RVers have dogs or cats but I would do some research before making a decision. It was also a golden opportunity to catch up with my brother and his wife who I don't get to see often. We had many long discussions and although I didn't always agree with their points of view, I came to understand them better and also learned a great deal.
Family is precious to me and I'm fortunate to have so many talented siblings.

The Rideau canal in Ottawa is beautiful all year. In the winter it is the world's largest skating rink with 7.8km cleared.In the summer, kayaks, canoes, houseboats or other boats travel the canal and pass through its many locks. Between Ottawa and Kingston there are 23 locks which makes the trip a very long one by boat.

View of Chateau Laurier along the Rideau Canal

"Illusion is reality's border...when we stand at the border of reality, we are afraid that we will lose our identity by plunging in."
--from   "Tao" by Deng Ming-Dao

"Success is not final, failure is not fatal;
it is the courage to continue that counts."
---Winston Churchill

Ahhhhh, warm sun and sandals!

After 2 weeks of cold and often wet weather, the warmth of spring has finally arrived. The leaves are popping out and the dandelions are blooming. Those delightful little yellow flowers are like tiny suns shining after a cold winter. 

Spending some time visiting family in Toronto has given me a taste of city life with all its sensual delights, sounds and also chaos. 
I love it for a short time but then long to be back in the solitude and stillness of the desert or on a sandy beach listening to the waves splashing against the shore.

Architecture of the desert

Architecture of the city

RV living, although very appealing, has been more work than I expected.

Initially I had visions of hours relaxing and reading or hiking and exploring. While much of that has been the case, I've also spent considerable time maintaining this lifestyle.
As the day begins, I check my gauges to see the level of my tanks and whether my grey and sewage tanks need to be dumped soon. Will I need propane? How about fresh water? How are my batteries doing? (ie how much solar energy do I have for electrical needs and if enough, can I spend that night at a place with no electrical service?) 
Do I need groceries? gas? Is my truck needing servicing soon?
I then have to decide where to go that day and where the services needed are available. Places that fill up  propane tanks that are built in ,are not always easy to find. As for dumping the tanks, campgrounds have dump stations but most in Canada don't open until May or June. They also charge a fee if you don't camp there and while in Toronto, I had to drive to a campground at the city limits and was able to dump and get some fresh water for a fee of $20. I think truck stops provide the same service but I haven't tried those yet.

Staying at a campground with hook ups and often propane available, makes life much easier. Parking at a site may take a bit of manoevering. If the RV is not level, the fridge may not work well and I have levelling blocks I can use (I also have a gauge to check to see if I'm level). I then hook up my sewage hose, the hose for fresh water (including a pressure regulator and a filter), and my electrical cord with a surge protector since some electrical outlets may result in surges. My RV needs 30 amps. I may need an adapter to plug into a household current or another adapter to plug into a 60amp outlet. I then open my propane to supply my stove, furnace and water heater. The fridge runs on propane when I'm not hooked into an electrical outlet.
I put out my slideout (push button on my control panel).
This creates extra space and makes my motorhome feel like a home rather than a camper.

After that, it depends on how long I stay. I could put out my awning (manual), a mat for outside and chairs.
Then explore the campground for where everything is. Most have showers (I have a tiny shower in the RV but don't want to use up my water if I don't have to and their large showers are much more comfortable). Staying there is also a good opportunity to do laundry if they have the facilities.
Some parks provide TV cable and that needs to be hooked up as well. Many parks have free wifi. I recently bought a hotspot from Bell so I can have internet almost anywhere I go in Canada. It is a flexible cost depending on how much I use it, so it's good to take advantage of free wifi when possible.
I'll have to get a different system when I'm in the US next winter.

Making meals in my RV can be a challenge as the only counter space I have is a board my brother-in-law made to cover one of my double sinks. I could also use my dinette table.
Beside my sink is a 3 burner propane stove with a tiny oven.

Door to right leads to bathroom

 
For groceries, I usually stock up along the way to a destination.
Putting supplies away is an art in itself as I don't want anything shifting too much when I'm driving. 
Forgetting to stash my spices properly resulted in a recent crash of my spice bottles when I had to come to a quick stop. One of them broke and my floor was covered in turmeric! My motorhome still smells like a mideastern restaurant!

Freezer on top of fridge on left

Sleeping arrangements are limited. I can pull out my couch to make a bed, top it with a memory foam and add sheets and blankets as needed. This is rather makeshift and I'm now thinking of removing the couch and putting in a proper twin sized bed which would be a lot more comfortable. Instead of sheets and blankets, a down comforter might be easier. 
The goal of simplifying my life continues!
I can also rearrange my dinette to make a bed, much like those on a train.

My time at the campsite is often used to check my RV. The gas gauge, oil, and tire pressures require attention. I may get out my collapsible ladder to check my roof and clean off my solar panels.
Some of the seams on the frame need caulking and I'm presently looking into applying new weatherstripping around the door to keep drafts out in cold weather.
It would be nice to find an alternative way to power my engine to make my driving more environmentally friendly. I heard of a woman who drives her van using vegetable oil she gets from restaurants!

Before leaving a campsite, I need to check my tanks and gauges again. It's a good idea to dump the tanks since any extra weight results in reduced gas mileage. However, depending on where I stay next, I may need to keep some fresh water.

As I get used to RV living, I sometimes feel like 
"stranger in a strange land". 
It requires learning new skills, having an open mind, being flexible and tolerant, maintaining a sense of humour , and loving adventure.

My heart is filled with gratitude.

 " Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."
                                    -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."
                                        --Leo Tolstoy

Trivia: 
Researchers estimate there are approximately 6900
languages spoken around the world.
In Papua, New Guinea, the population of about 4 million speaks over 800 different languages.
( info found in "Coffee News")

And this anecdote:
Minister giving sermon: "Dust we were and dust we shall be."
Timmy : " Gee, Dad, there must be someone under my bed either coming or going! "

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