A month at home? What's with that?

So, we've mostly been at home since our last post.  The weather is mostly to blame.  Not that it has been that bad at all, but usually I can spot a nice week or so of beautiful weather at one of my preferred camping areas.  This time, there were very few temptations, and ridiculous fuel prices made it easier to resist frivolous travel, tho most of my roaming could be likely classified as such!

 

On the home front, the local fibre optics installation process has been dragging on a long time, with multiple companies each doing only a portion of the work, and often having to wait for one step to be complete before the other starts.  It originally seemed that we would be up and running by spring, but fall and the first snows are upon us, and even though the majority of the work seems to have been completed, there is no completion date in sight. 

 

So, there is still survey stakes and pin flags everywhere, which provides a convenient excuse not to mow the grass! 

 Although a lot of the underground work is done by horizontal drilling, there is still a need for multiple backhoes and hydro-vac trucks to dig holes, before filling them in again.

Not sure why this conduit has two sides?  The strand of wire is there so that the cable can be traced once it's underground.

One of the larger drills used to install the conduit.  Workers told me they had buried the conduit 17' below the bed of our small river!

One of the many backhoes at work digging holes - but they are pretty good at filling them in again.  I know some areas will require a bit of work in the spring.

 Even though I seem to have won the earlier battle with Amazon, and they now (knock on wood) have been delivering to my door, it seems like that was not the only issue to deal with!  I recently ordered a renewed iPad from Amazon - and it was delivered to my door!  Unfortunately, it had a minor issue with some of the sound functions, so it was to be returned.  Amazon agreed to the return, but said I would have to pay the costs upfront and they would refund me.  I then ordered a replacement one that arrived before I could return the first one.  With my luck, my laser printer refused to print out the return label - because it was low on YELLOW!  Eventually, I revived a back-up printer, and got the label printed, as well as the convenient customs declaration that the Post Office would require.  NOT!  Not anymore, it seems!  Now, you have to scan a QR code and fill out all the information on your phone.  I guess people without phones are screwed? And next, ANOTHER QR code, where you have to download another app, and fill in all the information again, so that you can pay a bloody TARIFF to return the item to where it apparently originated from a week earlier!  And then, the app wanted a photo (!) of what you are sending!  So I took a nice pic of my package on the counter at the post office.  Well, no way that is going to suffice!  Do I now have to unpack my carefully packaged iPad in the post office, take photo of it, and then go looking for tape?  Lucky for me, I had the replacement iPad out in my truck, and used a photo of it to satisfy them!  Then they wanted a mandatory phone number of the recipient!!  Anyone know how to get the phone # for the Amazon return center in Vegas?  I surely don't.  I pulled another random Amazon ph # out of my hat and that seemed to satisfy them.  So, after paying the post office $27. and the TARIFF App $57., off it went.  Whew.

Of course, then I discovered that the replacement iPad had exactly the same issue as the first one.   Oh joy!  Of course, I had to call Amazon again and remind them that they were going to refund me for the shipping costs, and they demanded a photo of the receipts.  I had to explain to them in language that would not end the phone call, that the $57 was to an app that doesn't issue receipts.  I did show the billing on my credit card and eventually convinced them to pay me.

When they suggested that I return the second defective iPad, I politely told them where they could shove that idea!  I think I made my point to their supervisors rather forcefully, and to their credit, I do seem to have a substantial gift card balance now..... 

Later in the month, Bailey and I did get away for a few days up along Abraham Lake and the North Saskatchewan river to some of our favourite 'local' camp spots.  Even with school back in session, there were still quite a few people out camping.

 

There is a nice little 8 km (5 mi) hike to Siffleur Falls I like to do at least once a year when in the area.

Siffleur Falls

(view from the camper window)

 (Bailey has been working on his hunting skills around home.)

After years of having almost no mice or anything getting into the 5th wheel, this last year has been a bit different.  A Packrat invasion while in California seemed to have started things, and this summer while at home, the red squirrels have seemed to have found a way partially inside.  Fortunately, none of the intruders have found a way into the living or food storage areas of the trailer, but the enclosed belly has provided plenty of space where I am unable to get at them.  I was at wits end trying to figure out how they were getting in, as I have been under the rig multiple times with a can of foam, sealing up even the smallest crack.  Of course, I was missing the most obvious spot - the open end of a part of the frame that should have led nowhere.  Finally, I saw Bailey chase a squirrel under the rig, and it disappeared there, and I could hear it running around inside the belly liner!  What!  That frame member leads inside?  So it was quickly sealed with foam after the squirrel was evicted, and here's hoping that end all invasions in the future!

 (Squirrel not impressed by being locked out!)

 

 

 

While no decision have been made as to the timing or direction of future travels, I think it is safe to assume that there will be no more posts till we hit the road.