Mountain Life

Well, we are nearly a month into life in my tiny home RV. It is going better than expected and has been such a great experience as both Nash and I discover our comfortable places to pitch and enjoy each day. He doesn't seem to mind too much when I go off without him to visit with friends and family. When I return I am greeted by a chorus of mew mew mew until I pick him up and then all is right with his world. We cuddle for a little bit until he realizes I'm here to stay for awhile and then he jumps down to explore the RV again. His favorite perches are on a quilt that sits on top of my small blue wooden box that my dad built. I store my socks, bras, and undies in there. The box sits up in the loft bed next to the window. He curls up here when I'm away and when we are dirving. He also enjoys the front driver's seat when the sun is on it. He also loves this corner of the sofa next to his tent. He has nearly destroyed the tent, playing roughly and tumbling off the sofa while still inside. That makes me happy. 

He is such a lovely kitty, gives cuddles all the time, sleeps on my bed both in my arms and at the foot of the bed. He hasn't made a single mess outside the litterbox after that first night. He loves to play with just about anything and is content to play for hours on his own and then throw himself to the sofa to rest. I take many photos of him, thanks to digital technology. He comes when I call his name, as well as turns his head to his name - Nash, after Graham Nash from Crosby, Stills, and Nash, one of my favorite bands. I saw them in concert in Portland, Oregon. 

I've departed from Edmonton where I was visiting my daughter. And her roommate, and their three kitties. I've known my daughter's kitties for years and they seem to remember me still. Nash drove very well in the RV as we headed to Drumheller next. I was meant to go there several years ago with my daughter as we drove back from my sister's wedding in Houston, BC. I became very ill in Jasper and ended up hospitalized for three days with strep throat. So I finally made it, thanks to free camping from my RV dealership. It was a beautiful park set in the Badlands of Alberta, and breathtakingly gorgeous leaf display as we moved into Fall. I set up for a couple of days and did a bit of hiking, and some sewing for the first time in the RV. I friggin loved it. The space is perfect for sewing, plenty of natural light, and table space to cut fabrics, and I store all of my fabric below my seat at the table. I made a full curtain to provide privacy from the cab of the RV. I don't want to cover those windows as Nash really enjoys looking out them when the other curtains are all closed inside the house part of the RV. I keep them closed most of the time when city camping, depending on where I am parked, but do open them in the country and at the RV park. There is plenty of natural light whether the curtains or open or not as there are 4 skylights in the RV. They provide excellent ventilation as well as natural light. 

I've cooked and baked in the kitchen and in spite of its small size, it was still enough room. I could spread out to the table if need be, but otherwise, it worked. I don't need to keep ingredients out after they are added so I return them to their cupboard space after that. The oven is still a bit tricky as it's a proopane stove and there is no light indicator to tell me the temperature of the oven. The dial is measured but I'm not sure about pre-heat times, so will need to source an oven thermometer. I also want to add a backsplash of sorts around the stove as it's just painted wood, and very pourous, so need to cover it before it becomes stained. I've found a lovely blue glass tile online so just need to order that. 

I finally have the tv hooked up properly. I needed and HDMI cable to hook up to my laptop. The old method did not work well at all, and I can only use the tv when I'm plugged in as the house battery would drain too fast. I have two more batteries and solar panels to charge them, but they are not yet installed. I'm getting a friend to help me in Victoria next weekend and then I will have tons of power to do as I please. 

I've shifted my belongings around a bit to find the best place for them, based on access and frequency of use. I think I have pretty well found a place for everything and have plenty of space leftover. There is a big cupboard under the sofa but I have nothing in it. The upper cupboards also have plenty of leftover space. That is a first for me, particularily for a tiny home. I was spilling out of the Karma van, but in here, it feels just right, Goldilocks...

After Drumheller, Nash and I headed to the Okanagan Valley to visit a friend who lives on a farm near Enderby. Suddenly we found ourselves surrounded by forest, mountains, horses, turkeys and chickens. They all roamed freely at times around the RV, so provided much entertainment for us both. I found myself herding turkeys with the owner before long, which was definitely a first for me. The horses were gorgeous to watch, though a few times they startled me when I wasn't looking with a whinny or a snort from behind. I nearly pissed in my pants as that hot breath blew down my neck. My friend lives on the farm in her converted school bus, so we hung out there and in my RV. We also went for a drive to see her new place for the winter, a cute little cottage. The sky was amazing at night as we took in the lunar eclipse from the bench seats of the RV. Stunning. 

After a lovely visit, I then hit the road again for a short run to Kelowna where Nash and I are parked in front of my friends' house on a quiet tree lined street. We are here for one more night before heading out to Chilliwack next to visit another friend for a night or two. Then it's back to the island for the rest of fall and part of winter. Who knows after that....