The Story of Patches

Sewing on Patches.

Today’s post is the life story of a pair of well-worn and patched sweatpants that I’ve had for about 45 years. In a way, it’s my story too. And "sew" the tale begins.

According to her faded “birth certificate” label, Patches was born in the States into the Tultex active wear clan. In the early years, Patches didn’t have a name. She was new and light green in colour. During the mid-70s, I was a teacher in Bellflower living in Lakewood, California. Mornings and evenings I would jog the tree lined streets or head to the Jack LaLanne gym around the corner. Patches joined me on many occasions.

Patches moved with me to a Cerritos condo in the late 70s. My teaching job morphed into a quasi-administrative position so running was put off to weekends. That meant we had nights to relax in front of the gas fireplace and eat pizza from the little shop around the corner.

Patches sports her first blue patch while gardening in 2008.

Patches moved to Pomona when Wayne and I got married. She spent many of those years in semi-retirement in the bottom drawer (my space) of Wayne’s dresser. While there, she had a harrowing experience. Pepper, the cat I adopted while teaching kindergarten, got stuck in the drawer when Wayne and I were packing for vacation. Uncle Bill agreed to cat sit, but couldn’t find Pepper until he heard a faint meow two days later. Fortunately for Patches, Pepper was able to wait until she got out to head to the litter box. What a relief for everyone!

More patches while painting new bathroom furniture in 2011.

Patches (still without a name) made it into a moving box to head for our Pomona townhouse. She got through the pre-move closet purge because of her utilitarian value. In the beginning, there was lots of gardening to be done and painting fifteen years later to prepare for yet another move. I can still see the smudges of honour on her cuff.

Patches helps out with firewood log splitting in 2013.

In 2001, Wayne and I discovered float cabins on Powell Lake in British Columbia and purchased one on the spot. Back at our California home I packed four large cardboard boxes and sent them via UPS to Powell River. In amongst sheets, blankets, and kitchen supplies was Patches. She made good packing material and would serve as my first cabin work clothes.

Patches gets gumboots to help with wood gathering in 2016.

Patches was glad to have a new purpose in life. If I was gardening, she was there. If I was gathering or chopping wood, she was there. If I was doing cabin maintenance, she was there. She even got to go on fun fishing trips in our tin boat.

Then later that year Patches helps paint a friend's roof.

In Spring 2008, she earned her first patch to cover a hole worn through her left knee. It was a proud blue badge for a job well done. And it earned her a well-deserved name.

Sporting her new maple leaf patches in 2018.

Since that first patch, many have been added. After blue came green. Then I found Canadian maple leaf pillow cases at the Economy Shop. The clerk knew they wouldn’t stay on the shelf long. Little did she know they weren’t destined for my bed, but a much grander purpose. In August 2018, Wayne and I (along with Patches) became Canadian citizens. Now she wears her maple leaves with even more pride.

Patches still going strong repotting blueberry bushes in 2019.

I don’t know how long Patches will have an active wear work life, but I continue to add to her collection. Hopefully our partnership will last for many years to come.

Patches today, becoming more patches than knit.

 Do you have any special clothes that have made the cut through successive closet purges? What story do they have to tell? -- Margy

Why do we call the ocean the chuck?

Image from www.gutenberg.org

When Wayne and I came to Powell River in Coastal
BC we had a lot to learn. We spoke American English (California style). Canadian English has some words spelled and pronounced differently (British style), but basically it's the same. However, a few words are unique.

First Nations peoples of the Pacific Northwest are seafarers. Mutual trade up and down the coast was established using language commonalities. When Europeans arrived, there were no similarities. Exploration was a focus, but trade was desired.

Without language, trade is difficult. A pidgin language was already used among First Nations. It was later expanded to include words from English, French and Spanish.

A pidgin language combines words from different languages. It's not a primary language. It's used for people with differing language backgrounds to communicate. Grammar is simple and vocabulary limited.

In the Pacific Northwest it's called Chinook Jargon (chinuk wawa). In 1863, George Gibbs compiled the Dictionary of Chinook Jargon, or, Trade Language of Oregon (New York: Cramoisy Press). It's available free online at the UBC Open Library and Gutenberg Project.

The first Chinook Jargon word we heard was chuck. Chuck means water and can be combined with other words for precision. Saltchuck is saltwater or the ocean. Chuck for short.

Out on the chuck, motoring through Seymour Narrows.

Skookum is strong, so skookumchuck means strong water. Aptly named Skookumchuck Narrows near Egmont at the mouth of Sechelt Inlet has strong tidal currents that result in dangerous standing waves. Here's a drone video by Jorgen Bjerke.

Powell River is in the traditional territory of the Tla'amin First Nation.  We are working through reconciliation for atrocities imposed on indigenous peoples across Canada. To help create better mutual understanding, the Tla'amin Nation reached out to the Powell River community through the Hɛhɛwšɩn canoe carving project.

Canoe carving was conducted at Willingon Beach park in town.

 Two canoes were completed, one large for tribal journeys and one youth sized.

The small canoe blessing was held at Powell Lake in February 2018.

I feel lucky to live in a place with such rich cultural history. Do you have any unique words where you live? What do they mean? -- Margy

Strait of Georgia Fair Weather Clouds

Halcyon Days in the Powell River North Harbour.

Wayne and I are back in British Columbia. We'll be here through summer living in our float cabin.

When we're in the States, we have a rolling RV. Up here we have a floating one, a Bayliner 2452 we call Halcyon Days.

Powell River is on the east side of the Strait of Georgia. From our moorage in the North Harbour we can easily set out for cruises on the salt chuck, chuck for short. That's what locals call the ocean.

John backing Halcyon Days into his driveway.

Last week we got our Bayliner back into the chuck after spending the winter up the lake at the cabin. But first there was a stop at our friend John's house for maintenance.

Then he took her down to the North Harbour for us. He's a full service kind of guy.

We'd prepared the boat for the cruising season while it was still up at the cabin so we decided to take her right out on a trip.

Our five day cruise took us island hopping north and west of Powell River. We started in Campbell River on Vancouver Island, then Heriot Bay on Quadra Island and finally Gorge Harbour on Cortes Island.

The narrow entrance into Gorge Harbour.

There were beautiful blue skies with fair weather clouds to enjoy and add to our photographic images. The seas were calm except for one day while in Campbell River.

A sampling of our fair weather clouds.

Oh, I forgot to mention. While John was doing maintenance he installed an arm for my chair. When the seas are rough, it's like riding a bronco. Now I have something to keep me from getting bucked off.

If you would like to read more about our cruise, stop by the Powell River Books blog. There you'll find out more about our trip and destinations. -- Margy

Lake Pleasant RV Park, Bothell WA

Blue skies over Site 12 at Lake Pleasant RV Park, Bothell, WA.

If you follow my blog, you know Wayne and I recently purchased an RV. In addition to winter "snow bird" trips to the Southwest, we wanted an RV to attend sports events.

This weekend we took our Forest River Sunseeker south to Seattle for the NCAA Women's Softball Regionals at the University of Washington (UW). Seattle doesn't have many RV parks. The closest I found online was Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell.

Our "rent-a-toad" from the Enterprise in Bothell.

Our motorhome is 25' long and we don't have a toad (a car towed behind). Bothell is 13 miles from Husky Softball Stadium.

Public transit was complicated. The Uber estimate was $38-$50 per direction for three games. We decided to use "rent-a-toad." That's my nickname for Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Total cost was $125 for three days with unlimited miles. The Bothell office also provided free pick-up. Deal done!

We enjoyed the wide pad and grassy lakeshore.

Lake Pleasant RV Park lives up to its name. The RV spots surround a long lake in a forested hideaway in the middle of the city. We got one of the prime lakeshore spots for $44 per night for full hookups.

The park is well maintained. Sites are paved, wide, level and divided with trees and hedges for privacy. Green grass adds to the natural ambiance. Each site comes with a picnic table. There are no wood fires, but portable propane fire pits are allowed.

Fellow Canadians made us feel at home.

The laundry, restrooms and showers are immaculate.  Long-term visitors can arrange to receive mail and packages. Propane is available next to the office. There's also a library with a small store.

Lake Pleasant is a nature preserve. It's home to Canada Geese, ducks, and at least one heron. We loved sitting in the sun and waking to the sounds of nature rather than traffic. This trip we missed hiking the forest trails surrounding the park.

We will be back for sure, every time we attend a University of Washington game, professional sports or other event in the Seattle area. Reservations are highly recommended, especially during the busy summer months.

University of Washington vs Mississippi at Husky Stadium.

The combination of the Lake Pleasant RV Park and Enterprise Rent-A-Car make it the perfect spot to stay any time of the year. -- Margy

The Old Edison Inn in Edison, WA

From Bellingham, take Chuckanut Drive to Edison for a scenic excursion. When you get there, stop at The Old Edison.

This historic restaurant was established in 1934 and continues to provide good food, drink and entertainment for locals and travelers alike.

The Edison has two things I really love, beer and oysters. They have local micro-brews on tap, now that's a little bit of heaven.

You can get fresh oysters from nearby Samish Bay as an appetizer, burger or a meal (my choice). Of course, there are steaks, burgers, salads and other good stuff -- but the oysters are for me.

Prices are reasonable and the old-time casual atmosphere makes it comfortable. Want to eat outdoors on a sunny day or warm evening? There's a huge grass area with tables out back.

Like entertainment? There are two very popular shuffleboard tables. And there's live music with dancing on weekends.

Tidal reflections as the ocean reaches all the way to Edison in the Samish Delta.

Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. Closing is 11:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and midnight on Fridays and Saturdays. Edison may be a bit off the main drag, but well worth the scenic side trip.

You can also get to Edison from the I-5 Freeway. If you are heading north or south take the Bow-Hill exit and head west (click here for directions). You can't miss it. -- Margy

Wayne and Margy's New RV Adventure

Site 45 at Lost Dutchman State Park.

In January and February, Wayne and I went on a Rental RV Road Trip from Bellingham, Washington to Arizona. We were gone for 25 days and loved the experience. You can read about that trip by clicking here.

When we got back, we started looking for an RV of our own. We really liked the Coachmen Leprechaun we rented. It had a comfy layout for a small 24' overall length Class C. We wanted small for easier driving and parking in restaurant and shopping lots.

We looked at several other brands, but kept coming back to the Coachmen Freelander 21RS with a bed slide-out. Our rental had a rear corner bed. While we were leery of the mechanics of a slide, we wanted increased sleeping comfort.

Since Poulsbo RV is the only Coachmen dealer near us, we went to one of their RV shows. And guess where it was, in the Bellis Fair Mall next to our condo. Seemed like kismet. They only had a larger Freelander display, but did have a Forest River Sunseeker 2250SLE. After much thought, we decided it was even better. Forest River is the parent company of Coachmen so we knew the quality was similar.

What changed our minds was: a Chevy 4500-322HP V8 gas engine, more interior storage, a bathroom sink in the living area, a functional dinette, well laid out kitchen, omnidirectional antennae and tank heaters. To put the icing on the cake, they gave us an extra discount for purchasing the show model. We were happy and Kevin, the salesman, was happy.

Inside our new Sunseeker 2250SLE RV.

We drove 30 miles down to the Poulsbo RV in Mt. Vernon to pick her up after detailing. Having the dealer relatively close is nice. Jacob was the mechanic in charge and he gave us a detailed tour of the coach and all of her systems. Like we did with our rental adventure, we took our new rig to the Bellingham RV Park for the first night to test everything out.

At the Bellingham RV Park for our first night.

When you live in a condo, you have to make alternative plans for RV parking. We chose secure Gotcha Covered near Bellingham. You have a choice of outside parking, or under cover with electrical hookups. We chose the latter. It's close enough to our condo for easy packing.

Parked at Gotcha Covered for storage.

On day six day we started our first New RV Adventure. Come along with us and see what we found. Please note, the posts have been reordered for easier reading. -- Wayne and Margy