At last... finally... and yahoo! Our date of departure approaches. Yes, you are correct in figuring out we didn’t leave on Dec. 27th ...couldn’t find little Lucy in the snow, never mind get ‘er down the driveway. It’s now 13 days later and looking much better. Starting tomorrow we expect to see our usual rain (which is OK by far) and safer travelling conditions. Just in case it gets icy, ol’ Ricky is pointing downhill on the driveway.
It was winter alright and the snow fell like I’d never seen before; knee deep by noon. Kathy was working in Vancouver and I needed to check the boat. Chuck (Ricky’s predecessor) was parked at the top of our driveway. We were at a different address then, with a steeper driveway... and, like this one, it had a slight curve in it. The main difference between the two is that the one we have now has flat land on either side and the worst you can do if you wander off it is crush an automatic sprinkler head or two. Not so the previous house. That driveway had a fairly steep slope. It had a garden of sorts, filled with evergreen shrubs and such on one side... and a VERY steep ravine, maybe a foot away, on the other side; deep enough to easily roll a small truck at least once around on the way down. Being new to ravines and curved driveways I had not applied much physics or even a touch of brain power to how and where I parked Chuck (the truck). He was nestled in at the top of the driveway, facing up, just the way I’d parked him since we had moved in October. Thinking only of how the boat must be faring with all the snow, I warmed Chuck up and proceeded to back down the driveway like I’d always done. It didn’t go well at all.
As soon as we got moving the truck started to slide... not straight backwards mind; that would have been ok. But, with a gentle yet firm slew (is that a word?) the front end began to swing left and slither and slide. The physics I mentioned earlier came screaming into my consciousness. The truck was now mobile, totally out of control with the front end creeping quickly towards the aforementioned ravine. Gravity was winning the battle and there wasn’t much I could do to counter act it. Bailing out my driver’s door didn’t seem like a good idea so I did what any ‘out of other options’ driver might do and slammed the truck into reverse to get as far away from the ravine as possible. Chuck decided to respond and we bounded backwards and skidded right off the driveway and half way into the steeply sloped, shrub covered, garden on the other side. Safe from the ravine? Yes. Out of the woods? Not yet. When all the action came to rest, Chuck was broadside to the slope with my door being on the downhill side. Not a good idea to exit I decided as we were balanced pretty precariously, so I carefully crawled up and out the passenger side door. The sight that awaited me was very embarrassing. Ruined garden and stranded truck where no truck should be. Luckily I didn’t have to go inside and change. I was younger then J
There was nothing left to do but get some help. The woman on the other end of the BCAA phone wasn’t all that sympathetic (I didn’t tell the whole story, just that I needed a tow truck to help remove a truck from my garden. ’nuff said, right?). The driver arrived, didn’t laugh too hard, and dragged old Chuck around and down through the sloped garden (I had wanted to plant rhododendrons anyway). He then lined Chuck up with the road and bade me farewell.
Imagine my chagrin when I finally got to the marina to shovel off the boat... and found no snow. Lesson #2 was about water level and freezing temperatures. Oh, and the rhododendrons I planted that spring looked great and are doing very well to this day (I check on them from time to time as we don’t live far away); and I added a parking pad at the bottom of the driveway before the next winter.
Now then, back to our present situation. Ricky is indeed pointing downhill and now you know why. Lucy waits patiently. She’s clean and dry and rarin’ to go. The Rubbermaid bins have been packed for weeks and the lists have been re-written and re-checked umpteen times. We’ve practiced ‘Arrive Can’ and have finally received our Booster invitations. Ferry reservations are set for January 18th all going well. We’re so ready we’re going to head to Victoria on the 17th and stay at an RV park so as not to have to deal with the Malahat on the morning of our departure. Now all we need is the days to pass peacefully between now and then.
We’re also hoping all is well with each of you and wish you all the best in this, the new year... 2022.
Stay tuned.
I’ll be in touch. Adios for now... CJ
