New look Betsy - Ready for the road.
Trip Start
Jan 30, 2008
1
6
63
Trip End
Ongoing
Gibsons,
British Columbia,
Canada
Friday, March 14, 2008
We have now spent almost four weeks on the Sunshine coast, BC, just north of Vancouver by an hours ferry ride (the only way to get to the area) across millpond coastal waters weaving through islands shrouded in cloud. Simon's Dad Eric and his wife Bernadette live up here in a beautiful log cabin of a home.
Log cabin house and view
Its half way up a mountain, complete with a snowmelt-filled creek rushing through the 5 acres of land, their very own well serving fresh spring water straight to the taps and local bears and cougars to keep you on your toes (I haven't seen any of the fauna though as I think they are still hibernating). There is also a full workshop with world of tools and materials: carpentry, metals, car bits and pieces, haberdashery, art and any other stuff you can imagine with which to play. Eric is a sculptor and general DIY/mechanical expert so we have been lucky to have a patient and creative tutor who has helped us with a bit of R&R on Betsy in what is a stunningly peaceful location.
Spring is on the way
Our project to get Betsy ready for the road suffered from a "little requirement creep" - our list of things to do seemed to grow daily rather than shrink, we hit one or two problems and so the project has slipped to the right by a week or so which has been frustrating but necessary! And time is not the limiting factor here.
Betsy before the makeover
Betsy during the makeover
Simon at work
However, a relative mechanical novice, I have now (with some help) changed spark plugs, fashioned and attached exhaust brackets, removed, treated and resculpted bodywork as well as doing all the soft furnishings. Simon has completely rewired the van, given her a mini tune up and we have added a few home comforts and some interior and exterior artwork - check out the new paint job as well as the previously advertised MP3 hands! We are almost done now and both think that Betsy looks pretty brand new. Fingers crossed she will also drive as well as she looks.
Betsy after the makeover with grass effect
Watch those tiger seats...
The hands of zen
Apart from the 9-5 job above (no kidding...every day) we have been chilling up here and have managed to squeeze in some reading, Spanish study, cooking sewing, one or two jigsaw frenzies (!!) and lots of sleeping. Plus I have annoyingly managed to get into the latest US version of Survivor so am dying to know who wins. Sadly
(not!) I'll never know as we should be on the road by next week. We have also seen a little of the Sunshine coast although mainly on the way to and from Canadian Tyre (think Halfords crossed with B&Q). We have managed a couple of walks along the sea front near Gibsons and Roberts Creek and have visited the local hostelry
at Molly's Reach where they filmed Beachcombers apparently. Its lovely up here in Gibsons and apart from the fact you can't get anywhere unless you have a vehicle (and ours has been off road for most of the time), I can imagine living somewhere similar at some time...sea views, no pollution and lots of nature everywhere with the possibility of getting to Vancouver relatively simply if you need to.
Jim as diplomat meeting the locals
...not quite so diplomatic!
So next stop is Simon's Mum's again for a brief stay then off to Mexico , via the states. We can't wait to
be on the road!
