Feb 3, 2022 | Flotsam
Hello there all of you followers of the crew of two (2.5 if I include the Pig). Firstly, a very Happy New Year just a little late, I know! I started writing this post almost two months ago and when I revisited it I realized so much of what was then, is no longer valid…so I’ve done a little rewriting.
RED II has gone in for her seasonal check and winterizing. There was a short list of repairs, little defects to be fixed while still under warranty. One was a faulty brake actuator which also meant we had to replace our vehicle connector….which…ahem!…may have been due to something we did incorrectly. Busy time at our local car repair because of snow tire instalments meant a delay in bringing our home-on-wheels back for the winter, but she is now here and comfortably installed right where her water-based predecessor RED used to reside.
For a while, travel opened up modestly, people were generally behaving and vaccination rates increased which allowed for visits from away. We do enjoy showing off our little corner of paradise and playing tourist in our own backyard which led us to an autumn revisit of a local winery for some sipping and fine dining.
Le Caveau
We’ve enjoyed watching the seasonal change of our feathered friends. Most of our flock of starlings has changed plumage colour from dark browns to winter beige and paler brown freckles. Even Skippy our one-legged fella seems to be managing quite well in spite of his obvious limitations. You may have noticed that I like to name things, like our crow in the lower right – Russell and another frequent flyer, Robert Junior, our Downy woodpecker. Well, enough about silly me.
Skippy
Even though we don’t feed them, directly that is, Duck Pond is constantly filled with at least two or three dozen Blacks and Mallards. By directly, I mean that when they need to supplement insects and green shoots in and around the water, they wait below the bird feeders for the occasional droppings…but not always patiently with tribal infighting common. We keep watching for the annual pair and we think it’s either a new pure Mallard couple or Beatrice and Andre are back this year. Because of their distinct personalities we think it’s the latter.
Duck Pond
We’ve seen an increase in winter storms. Six nor’easters to date. Because we seem to live in a more vulnerable area for power outages which can create issues needing to pump water from the well into the house (toilet flushing an obvious concern over several days), our electrician wired a second panel to run the generator. This past summer F created a shelter for the Generator and now all we need to do is flip a switch and we have heat, refrigeration and of course running water. The only thing it doesn’t run is the hot water tank but hey, if you’ve kept up with our adventures you know that we’ve functioned quite nicely bathing in the frigid Saint Lawrence waters (AT REST IN PARADISE).
Me and my Beauty
My daughter was involved in the rebranding of the non-profit company she now works for that provides camping experiences for kids with special needs and illnesses. Recently she invited us to the launch and fund raising event in Halifax. As this was our first large gathering outing since the beginning of the pandemic and it felt a wee bit strange at first. It was however a spectacular success and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
Sargent-at-Arms
Next on our event agenda was Remembrance Day. Our local legion held a stationary parade with music from a local marching band. We all still had to respect social distancing rules but a fine crowd of locals gathered for the ceremony.
Decorating for Christmas this year for some reason has been a lot more fun than usual. It’s the first year since moving in four years ago that we paid any attention to outdoor lights. Our two hydrangeas now boast 600 lights per bush. A little over-kill perhaps but it does give a wonderful glow arriving home after dark.
F mentioned last year that he really likes those candle type window lights and thought each window should have them this year. So I rose to the challenge with enthusiasm and purchased several to display in our thirteen windows upstairs and down. I opted for battery operated but clearly didn’t think it through. Each of those babies uses three AAA batteries, but oh how lovely they look when darkness descends on our little home by the sea.
By the Fire
I think every fireplace needs a mantle…just so there can be a display of some sort at Christmas. It’s a childhood thing for me. So last year I asked if F could create one and I love it!. It’s simple and functional and we now have a place to hang stockings should Père Noël decide to pay us a visit.
Noel by the Sea
It’s unlikely we will be travelling this year but my son-in-law secured a chalet nearby to house a few of the family members able to join in for Christmas. The perfect place for feasting, tree-trimming and cookie decorating.
Tidal Bore Resort
Cookie Decorating
Letters to Santa
I think that’s about it for now. F is heavily into model building , inching his way to finishing the Pinta and I, working on my latest galley project…sourdough bread making.
La Pinta, 1492
Wishing you all a joyous and healthy 2022.
…peace and love…
Mar 19, 2021 | Flotsam
“The earth has music for those who listen”
March is here. One of my favourite months. When winter is less wintery. When things planted last year begin to poke boldly through the still cold ground. If they can be so optimistic then for sure so can I. After all, the ground hog said it would be an early spring back in February. There will no doubt be more white stuff dropped on us I’m sure, although this has been a very mild couple of months, even by east coast standards.
Brave Souls
It’s been a year now since the pandemic entered our lives and ensuing restrictions descended on us….a year like no other. I remember with clarity that time last March when celebrating my son’s birthday, friend’s invited to make it more festive, those comfortable enough with human contact came. Cake with lit candles. Traditional wish made. Candles blown. It was at the very moment that I realized that something as common place and customary as a puff of breath over cake shared with others to extinguish a candle would forever change.
That Moment
It’s been a year to reflect. A year to decide who and what and where we wanted to be. In essence, a year to return to factory default settings. When you are two retired folks living in a seaside country village, reset is minimal. We focused on things we love…F, his plants, his terrain, his construction projects….me, who spends a good deal of time in the kitchen, I focused on improving my culinary interests and planning for and designing future renovation projects.
We keep in touch with our small group of friends, locally known as the Hubbards Hooligans, because with exception of one short period of restricted groupings we have been allowed gatherings of ten consistent friends….and one family bubble.
RED II
So now we are springing forward to our next phase of retired life. RED II landed in Canada just before Christmas and has rested safely at our local RV dealer for the past three months. We visited once to gather the keys, secure an appointment to install the ‘extras’ to make us and her road-worthy….and to have a peak at her. Even though she is a few inches shorter than our dear RED (sailboat), she looks so big by comparison. Twenty-three feet of indoor awesomeness that we can actually stand upright in with not just one but two sinks with running water, a real porcelain flushing toilet and an actual refrigerator. I’m in land-based heaven.
I know I will miss sailing…and RED… but that feeling of loss will fade with time. We continue to get updates from RED’s new owners who were consummate camping folks before buying our water baby last year (they are our mirror image). They have been a great resource for what to do in the camping world…and what not to do. I can’t imagine it being too much different from being on the water. Most of my galley gear will come aboard our land trawler and we’ve been collecting bits and pieces to make our little home on wheels more ‘homey’. Being ‘on the way’ or in a storm on the water will be similar to land travel, making sure things are secure. We have friends who are a few steps ahead of us who warned to take care to stow the ‘pretty things’ before heading out. She said when they reached their destination it looked like a cyclone had descended inside her home on wheels. Message received!
Crash Course
When we went to bring our baby home last week, the getting-familiar-course was rather intense but our technician John was very patient giving us a thorough run through both inside and out.
Supervisor Pig
Major Pig (ret) has gone from First Mate to Supervisor and he continues to perform his duties in his usual dependable quiet watchful manner.
Road Ready
RED II looks quite fine coupled with our tow beast but this will be our first road venture with 4000+ pounds of dry weight and it’s a little unnerving although my Captain remains confident. Total length is actually a touch shorter than RED on her trailer but RED II runs wider by about two feet.
Coming Home
Parking our baby at home base seemed a lot easier than parking a sailboat and the mast stepping and un-stepping process (AKA coupling and uncoupling) took no more that 30 minutes from parking to unhooking to levelling to where’s the wine. This is the type of ease of operation I was hoping for. I can see us doing this for many years to come.
Happy Couple
So here we are, very excited, very happy and we can’t wait for our first real adventure. We have some ideas of where we would like to go…after a bit of nesting at RED by the Sea while waiting for warmer weather of course…but there is a life time of wonderfulness to experience not too far from our front door while we wait for this virus thing to be gone. Remember, in Nova Scotia, we are never more than sixty kilometres from the ocean no matter where we go.
The Ovens (photo cred Tourism Nova Scotia)
Because prime sites book up quickly, I secured three days at a nearby campsite called the Ovens Natural Park (https://www.ovenspark.com) a mere hour drive down the coast from us to begin the season with a roar. The site boasts not only of coastal hiking trails, of natural sea caves to explore, of chances to pan for gold on the beach but the best will be the spectacular view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean and hearing the sounds of the waves as we drift off to sleep.
Camping with a View (photo cred Tourism Nova Scotia)
Thanks, as always, for stopping by. We love it when you do. Stay well and please drop by soon to catch up and see what’s happening in our little corner of the world.
Peace and love
Jul 26, 2020 | Flotsam
“We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep.” – William James
How he found us, we may never be entirely sure. A true mystery if there ever was one. Vibes in the universe? Some sort of transfer of energy? It’s just basic physics after all. I do ramble on don’t I? All of this to say R.E.D. has a new home.
We splashed for the season. Decided to sell. Posted sale notice. Received an email. I responded with our contact number. Within minutes the phone rang. ‘Hi this is Stanley’ …. Deal sealed in principle. Our heads were spinning.
Never realizing what we had set in motion by advertising a 2013 MacGregor 26M for sale, we were overwhelmed with the interest. Yeah OK, R.E.D. is kind of famous….and pretty….pretty and famous. The blog has a very healthy following. We’re the Crazy Canucks after all. What about the time anchored near Boldt Castle in New York during the fourth of July fireworks and someone yelled out “Hey there’s R.E.D.”? Or in Ramouski, Quebec when someone approached us saying they had read an article about us in The Port Hole? Or the most epic of all, that moment we were photographed in front of the statue of liberty, the only Canadian vessel, in a flotilla of 145 boats, with the great French ship Hermione?
Hermione flotilla
Aside from feeling out of breath, I no longer feel sadness. Belly butterflies, yes. Sadness, all gone. R.E.D. has found a new family. I think that really it was our hearts that chose them. And believe me, there were easier options. Two other serious buyers and local at that.
The change over was going to be anything but simple. The buyer lives in the Yukon. You read that right. Way the heck on the other side of the country. Almost 7000 km away. But where there’s a will, there’s a way.
First of all we needed to hatch a reasonable plan. Transport. And I felt we really nailed one that suits both parties. We haven’t trailered R.E.D. a lot in our seven years other than bringing her home from Hamilton, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec. The second time was when we brought her from Montreal to Trois Rivière for our first summer adventure. The last time of any distance was when we moved from Montreal to Nova Scotia three years ago. But we were confident a good tow beast could handle it and that the trailer didn’t have any significant mileage. We did however have the trailer inspected to make sure it could safely haul longer distances and it passed that first hurdle.
Final Haulout
Secondly, we decided to offer to bring R.E.D. part way. We do love our road trips and it just felt like the right thing to do…at the very least. So, crossing four provinces, we agreed to meet in North Bay, Ontario for the final hand-over.
First Leg
Keep in mind this is all happening during the Covid19 pandemic. As of the writing of this, we in Nova Scotia currently have no active cases. Yukon has no active cases. But there’s a whole lot of stuff happening in between. We all will have to be extra careful. Once back home we’ll be quarantined for fourteen days as per Public Health orders. As Francois said: ‘Kathy, sometimes you need to choose to do the right things for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons’. I’m still not clear which of the two we have chosen but I know in my heart it feels right.
Final Leg
So, the plan was set and agreed upon by both parties. We set off for North Bay, Ontario, stopping once for the night, buyer grabbing a gruelling long flight from Whitehorse. We arrived all positive and excited. Francois immediately jumped out to inspect. Cursory first look. All good. A more thorough check showed excessive cupping on one trailer tire. Not the positive proud presentation we had hoped for when we met the buyer the following day. Keep in mind this deal was sealed, sight unseen. The reputation based purely on the merit of this blog (and believe me, I blog the good, bad and sometimes ugly) and a strong sense of two honest trusting parties.
Tire Wear
As if the buyer didn’t have enough to worry about…jet lagged, humongous rental tow beast to get used to and trailering a 26’ sailboat 5000 km through six provinces safely over seven days by himself. Without going into too much detail, and the fact that it was a Friday in a cottage country/ RV/boating region in the middle of summer, we took our chances and trailered to a nearby tire expert. It was obvious he didn’t have the time, but he took the time. We asked a multitude of questions, had him mount two new tires and hoped this would be enough for a safe journey home. A million thank you’s Alex for making it right for us all.
On to the closing details…
The Pen
This is the pen I purchased for Francois several years ago while in Paris. It has been used for significant milestones in our life. When we purchased R.E.D., our tow beast, our condo buying and selling, our little RED by the Sea purchase. It was first used during the handover of Francois’ military command in Shawinigan, Quebec so it seemed very fitting that it be used for this final handover….one captain to another.
My Motor
Francois’ Trailer
Stanley’s Boat
We feel honoured that the new owners are keeping R.E.D.’s name, her original home port of Montreal and the poppy logo referencing Francois’ military service. It’s part of what gives her soul, part of who she is. Because of this generous gesture there is less finality and more of a continuation…a passing of the torch so to speak.
Registered Trade Mark
As a final act, I hid her heart somewhere inside the cabin for them to find. A little something to keep her safe on her long journey, a little treasure hunt for when R.E.D. reaches her final destination.
R.E.D.’s Heart
It’s a pure silver Canadian minted coin we bought in 2012 just after signing the contract to purchase R.E.D. In the centre is a Swarovski garnet red crystal we chose because of it’s significance of safety, strength, prosperity, abundance, and gratitude.
Final Details
…so many details! Trying to fit in answering as many questions as possible before departure I can imagine we left R.E.D.’s new captain with an exploded head.
Friendship
After all the rushing and stress of it all to make it right and safe, we bid Stanley farewell with a promise to stay connected. Strange how this simple act of selling a boat has put into action a tidal wave of new possibilities for us all. Even Piglet and new buddy Yukon Beaver are forever linked.
Pig and the Beave
Stanley and family, we felt such a wonderful and immediate kinship with you. We wish you nothing but good health and continuing adventures aboard R.E.D.
Post Script:
I delayed publishing this post until I had word from R.E.D.’s captain that all was safe. He seems to be enjoying the attention R.E.D. is garnering on this epic journey back to Whitehorse. May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your face…and may your compass always be true….and may those tires hold out at the very least till you’re safely home.
New adventure. New direction (click on image for final departure)
