BY BERNIE KLASHINSKY

Several years ago we were camping in Chemainus, BC with our friends Audrey and Wilf Taylor from Parksville.

They had recently bought a used (new to them) motorhome, and were enjoying the good RV life in Country Maples. I noticed that they were using an older plastic stool outside the entrance to the motorhome, and it looked very shaky, almost to the point of being dangerous.

When we went camping together, I went up the road to the mill near the Chemainus turnoff, and loaded up a whole bunch of cedar scraps from the free wood box the company has by the side of the road.

As a joke I made a very whimsical looking step out of some of the cedar scraps, but to ensure it was going to be safe, the whole thing was put together with 4” wood screws. I then labeled it as “Flossie’s Step”, which is our pet name for Audrey.

This step was such a wonderful gift, Audrey was almost in tears when we gave it to her. It made her feel so much more secure as she stepped in and out of the motorhome. During travel the stool fits just perfectly in the little well at the bottom of the door, and it also acted as a safety step so that no one would step into the well when the motor was moving.

This step was often the subject of jokes at happy hours and around the campfires with other friends. To read more, a membership is needed: Click here to subscribe