You might’ve noticed I’ve been a bit ‘missing in action’ this summer.
Assorted crappy health-ish things, combined with a couple of major self-publishing and Spirituality training summits managed to keep me otherwise occupied.
And then … Mrs Widds and I had our (what has now become annual) camping trip in our RV. This year we decided to scale down things a tad. (After our 2015 peregrination across the entire country, anything less could be seen as ‘scaled down’ – If you want to read of our adventures, scoot over there to the right and check out the ‘2015 Road Trip’ category)
A lake with a view
Otter Lake is set in a beautiful valley in the North (Canadian) Cascades about 35 minutes north of Princeton, here in British Columbia. Up in the hills the land is quite arid, but once you drive down into the valley, via one of those backroads that’s also used by logging trucks, a whole different landscape emerges. (try driving one of those winding mountain logging roads with an 8 meter (25’) trailer behind, and meeting a fully loaded logging truck coming the other way … on the narrowest part of the goat track. Nerves of steel, that’s us!!!)
Lots of room on this part of the road
I was reversing the trailer into the site and Mrs Widds was directing, when another camp-ee said to Mrs Widds as they passed by, “It’s a true test of a marriage,” to which Mrs Widds firmly agreed. We didn’t get any more than a bit scritchy with each other, but it was late in the afternoon and we were both tired, so only to be expected.
We got our trailer into our site with a minimum of fuss however, bought firewood from our most magnificent campground hosts, Betty and Jim, boiled the kettle and watched the local residents, a pair of squirrels and their spouses, or offspring, gather pinecones for the coming winter.
Breakfast of champions
One day I was walking back from the pit toilet (the cleanest, best smelling one, this side of the Rockies, thanks to Betty) when I spied Mrs Widds acting rather furtive behind the truck. She mouthed something to me and pointed over the hood.
Not getting any closer …
… Maybe a little bit closer
Betty and Jim had mentioned there was a brown bear who used the campground as its highway from its foraging grounds to the lake for its afternoon ablutions. I didn’t expect to see one this close. Bruin was busy stripping berries from the bushes on the side of the road, and occasionally glancing at us to make sure we stayed put, then it ambled through a few empty campsites and trundled down to the lake.
…
Even in the midst of the heat and the pine-beetle devastation life continued unabated.
Mother Nature never wastes a pattern
Itty bitty wild strawberry – we think
Different species got along rather well
BFF’s
…
We had some trouble with the trailer battery, so a big shout-out to Ernie in Tulameen for helping us out.
South along the lake with Tulameen in the distance
We’re getting the hang of this RV camping thing, but I doubt my cellphone camera is going to be up to the task for much longer.
…
Of course, when we got home who should turn up on our doorstep, get in our faces, demand cuddles, and then head to the nearest bed for a nap?
Coco, the Community Cat!
Widdershins Worlds 
Gotta get my tiny house and get into the habit of this!
LikeLike
Absolutely. A tiny house with wheels, and a comfy bed, and a little kitchen, and everything! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was thinking of you the other day and wondered if you were writing away and/or off on an adventure with the Missus. A nice one, you had, too. Good for you. Glad the bear was happy to stay away.
LikeLike
We’re going to try for one more week away next week. Then all the provincial parks close down for the winter, at least for our sort of camping. 😀
LikeLike
How wonderful to see the bear so close ..and in such beautiful surroundings too.
LikeLike
No-one seemed freaked out about it, or they kept it to themselves. Mind you, friend Bruin didn’t make an appearance on the weekend, when there were more people around. Smart bear. 😀
LikeLike
The biggest fully wild thing we’d see here is a badger or deer… if you are very, very lucky. I imagine there would be serious freaking at a British campsite 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Heh, heh 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
A good post to come back with. Hope your health is OK now
LikeLike
A few more results to come in, but all seems good. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on Anita Dawes & Jaye Marie.
LikeLike
What a glorious vacation you had, everything I would enjoy! Glad you enjoyed it so much too…
LikeLike
Even the heat was acceptable. It was that kind of dry mountain air that we don’t get to experience here at sea-level. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Even better…
LikeLike
Sounds like a declogging of the mind. Glad you went a-camping. Methinks Bruin wanted to be invited to breakfast. Shame on you for not extending the invitation! 🙂
LikeLike
Oh merde! Didn’t think of that! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your trip sounds fascinating, a good diversion from the hum-drum of our everyday life.
LikeLike
Thanks, Olga … we never fail to have adventures, that’s for sure. 😀
LikeLike
“It’s a true test of a marriage,” ha ha spoken like someone who knows. Lovely pics.
LikeLike
LOL … I think the world is full of RV-ers who appreciate that sentiment! 😀
LikeLike
Looks beautiful!
LikeLike
It is … it’s almost the perfect place we’re looking for. Right valley wrong location. 🙂
LikeLike
Looks like a lovely trip!
LikeLike
Even with out battery-not-charging issues, we had a blast. 😀
LikeLike
Lovely pictures 🙂
And it sounds like you had some excitement too with the bear and all 🙂
LikeLike
Never a dull moment on our adventures, peaceful, but never dull. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
[…] are the first and […]
LikeLike
[…] be Part I, Part II, Part […]
LikeLike