November 3, 2013

10/19/2013

We have now moved up to St. Helena for a few days and are staying at Chis Herdell's beautiful restored 1930's bungalow vacation home.

Yesterday we finally got some straight answer's from our insurance company.  I called them and was told the company thought we had picked up the rig and living in it.  Where the heck they got that information we don't know.  After a lot of discussion, we were told that  they wouldn't cover anything on this claim, including paying for our hotels costs due to the claim to being a covered loss.

Next, we talked to the repair shop and found out that the order for the new tank had not actually been placed until Oct 14th.  That means we would not get the tank until sometime after the 28th.  Well Tonto, that ain't gonna work!  We have to be in southern California on Nov 1st.

So, the bottom line is we are going to have the tank repaired, get back on the road and on with our lives.  Quality RV Repair does repair work on tanks all the time and we are firmly convinced that we will be alright.  Kellie said she will work us into the schedule early this week so we hope to pick the rig up on the 23rd or 24th.  We'll then stop by Glaspey's RV Park for a couple of nights then head south.  Done!  Final answer.

Now the letter writing campaign begins.  Heartland say's they won't cover the problem even though the tank was improperly installed and we are out of warranty.  Kellie at the repair shop said she will write up a narrative explaining the issue and provide us with some pictures.

The next letter will go to our extended warranty company.  They told us that our policy won't cover the tank or repair because the damage was caused by a manufacturing defect.  What the heck?  Someone please explain why that makes a difference.

We are going to write a letter to management at our insurance company as well.  We didn't expect them to pay for the tank but we thought they would at least pay for any damage caused by the leak and cover our hotel costs through our Trip Interruption coverage.

On a very positive note, I finished reading "Killing Jesus" by Bill O'Reilly.  I'm not going into a long review of the book but suffice it to say, if you enjoy reading historical books, this one is for you.

Another book that I recently read was "Dog's Run" by Nick Russell, a full-time RV'er who also publishes the Gypsy Journal.  Nick has a way of developing character's in his books that make them come alive.  If you want books that are very easy reading, with interesting stories that will keep you wanting for more, check out Nick's writings.

10/20/2013

Yesterday Joyce and I along with family walked downtown to check out the Harvest Festival celebration.  Not much going on except booths selling stuff and a couple of wine auctions.

During our walk we did stop and admire some of the beautiful homes in St. Helena.  Many are being restored helping make the town keep the 1930's feel.  This home in town, owned by Frank (Joyce's brother) and Joann, is going for $795,000:  http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/1509-Tainter-St_St-Helena_CA_94574_M18340-04401?row=34  They expect this house to sell very fast.  Interested?

 This old winery in Conn Valley was the site of a murder back in the late 1800's.

10/25/2013

On Wednesday we left St. Helena heading north to pick up our house from the repair shop in Springfield, OR.  We spent one night at the Seven Feathers Casino in Canyonville and finally got the rig picked up at 3:30.  After a stop at Les Schawb to have the cracked wheel replaced, we made the drive to Oakridge and into Jim and Jeanne Glaspey's RV Park. 

If you are in the Eugene, OR area and need work done on your RV, be sure to call Quality RV Repair.  It's a small operation and you will probably need an appointment but the wait is usually minimal.  Kellie, one of the owners, went out of her way to get us back on the road as fast as possible despite Joyce and I making changes during the process.  She made phone calls to Heartland, our extended warranty company and our insurance company on our behalf and did everything she could to get someone to pay for the damage done by the leaking fresh water tank.  While the rig was on their lot, they kept the refrigerator plugged in and Kellie even babysat Joyce's plant.

Cody, the mechanic that did our work did yeomen's work getting everything done in record time.  He even did a modification to the frame so that the tank's neck would not rub anymore.

So, we plan to be here today and tomorrow and the head down to Fresno for a few days to visit my family.

10/29/2019

We left Glaspey's RV Park and made the run down to the Elks Lodge in Redding, CA, arriving about 3:30.  Just after we pulled in and got set up, several other rigs arrived.  Note to self:  Arrive at Elks Lodges early in the afternoon.

We visited to lodge's lounge and had a couple of toddy's and since it was Sunday with all the football games going on, they we serving sandwiches for supper.

After a good night's sleep, we left there around 9 AM and made the long drive down to Fresno, CA where we are parked at the Blackstone North RV Park.  We'll be here for a few days then head down to El Centro Naval Air Station.

11/02/2013

After a quick one night stop at the Ontario, CA Elks Lodge, we are now at the Palm Oasis RV Park and Resort on El Centro NAS.  The RV park has 91 sites all with full hookups.  There is also fairly fast free WiFi and our Verizon MiFi Jetpack which we have connected to a Sleek amplifier is getting five bars of 4G service.

If you haven't driven the CA Highway 99/I-5 down from Sacramento lately and are driving a motorhome or pulling a trailer, you are in for a rude awaking.  I thought that I-20 through Mississippi or I-80 through Pennsylvania were rough.  Heck, those roads we could consider smooth compared to what we experienced the last couple of days.  Hope we don't have to do that again anytime soon.

NAS El Centro is a very small base with the major activity happening in January when the Blue Angels arrive to train for their summer tour's.  There's a small Commissary and Naval Exchange that we checked out yesterday, a lap pool near the Club and a few other amenities. The Mirage Club Lounge is open every day and they serve lunch and dinner during the week.  We've heard that retired folks can eat breakfast in the dining hall as well.

That's all for now.

Barry & Joyce

October 18, 2013

10/02/2013

Good morning all!

On Monday we moved down to Eugene and spent one night at the Armitage Campground so we could be closer to the shop that would be working on our furnace.  Armitage is a really nice Lane County park just north of Beltline on Coburg Road.

Early yesterday morning we hooked up and got the 5"er to Quality RV in Springfield about 8:30.  After explaining the problem we dropped the trailer and then headed to Shari's for some breakfast and then to Wally-Mart to pick up a few things.  While Joyce was shopping I hung out in the truck and at 10:30 the shop called to say our home was ready for pickup.  The mechanic said that the gas nozzle inside the burn chamber was partially clogged with some debris, possibly a bug.

After a very wet drive up the hill to Oakridge, we're now at Jim and Jeanne Glaspey's RV Park.  Last night we all along with Gary and Marcia Stevenson went out for pizza in town.

10/11/2013

As I write this we are still at the Glaspey's RV Park in Oakridge.  On the 4th I discovered that there was water collected in the belly of our trailer.  Jim and I got under the rig and partially pulled down the membrane that covers the underside trying to determine if it was something we could fix right away.  Jim quickly made the determination that this repair was going to take some professional attention.

I called Quality RV Repair and made an appointment for Wednesday the 9th, the earliest slot they had.

On Friday the 4th I woke up very early in the morning and found that our furnace wasn't working again.  After some troubleshooting I found that our propane pressure regulator had not switched to the full bottle when the other one ran empty causing the furnace not to light and locking it's self out.  Manually shifting the regulator didn't help so it was off to Springfield to get a regulator.  Got that installed with some changes to the plumbing due to the new regulator's configuration but the furnace still wouldn't startup.  In fact, nothing worked at all.

When we finally got the trailer into the shop on Wednesday the mechanic found that the furnace's control board was bad which has been replaced.  That was covered under out extended warranty minus our $100 deductible.

Yesterday we got a call from the shop bringing us some very bad news.  The mechanic working on our rig found that the fresh water tank's fill neck had rubbed against the trailer's frame and over time caused a hole.

We had some options including trying to repair the tank but the technician could not guaranty the fix.  So, we took the option of replacing the tank.  That is now on order from Heartland with an expected delivery to us the week of the 21st.  Quality RV is trying to get the tank drop-shipped to us rather than it being sent to Heartland and then set to us from them.

Just when we thought we had all the bad news we could stand, our extended warranty company is not going to cover the tank and repairs.  We are presently working with our insurance company to get some of this covered.  More on that later.

Jim and Jeanne have offered to let us stay in their trailer for the duration for which we are very grateful.  Joyce and I are blessed to have their support through all of this mess.

10/17/2013

Where do I start?  The past week has been hectic and very stressful.

On Friday the 11th, we drove down to California and to Travis AFB.  Since it is going to take so long to get our rig back on the road, we decided to come down here and visit our family and friends.  We stayed in the base hotel one night and have since moved into a beautiful two bedroom, two bath Chief's Suite.

On Sunday we decided to drive up to Saint Helena to visit Joyce's family.  We made a stop at the base exchange on the way and while walking up to the doors, I had some pain in my calf's and some weakness in my legs.  In fact, I have been having some minor pain in my legs for a month or so now and blew if off as just getting old.  Bad assumption on my part!

After finishing up at the exchange and driving toward Fairfield I started getting a little light headed so we turned around and headed to David Grant Medical Center on Travis.  Of course, they immediately took me right into the ER and hooked me up.

After a couple of hours and a lot of blood work, the doctor came in and said they couldn't find anything wrong.  But, he wanted to admit me anyway for one night just to be sure.

After I got upstairs the doctor's decided to do a cardiac catheterization but since Monday was Columbus Day, the test couldn't be done until Tuesday.

To make a very long story short, the procedure was done and nothing significant was found.  Dr. McGregor put me on some additional medication including Nexium to help control acid reflux due to me having a hiatal hernia.

So, we are going to hang out here at Travis until tomorrow and then move up to Saint Helena.  Joyce's good friend Chris Herdell has offered her vacation home for us to stay in for a few days.  Much thanks Chris!

Joyce and I are sorry that we didn't get to see everyone we would have liked but  time just got away from us.

That's all for now folks.  We're in the holding pattern for now.

Barry & Joyce

September 30, 2013

09/11/2013

Today in the 12th anniversary of the attack on our country that forever changed the way we live.  As I reflect on that day and the years since, I feel an overwhelming sadness at all the lives that were lost on that day.

Never forget!

On Monday we went up to Astoria to spend a couple of days just goofing off.  We got a room at the Holiday Inn Express that had a jetted tub so of course she had to take a bath.  In fact, she took a couple of baths.

The Oregon Coast, September 2013

09/16/2013

Nehalem Bay is one of the busiest parks in Oregon, especially on the weekends and during fishing season.  The salmon are running right now and some of our guests have been catching a few.  Then, there are some that haven't even gotten a bite.

09/19/2013

The Glaspey's along with Jim's sister Donna and her husband Dwayne arrived on Sunday for a visit.  Then on Monday Gary and Marcia Stevenson came over.  That evening we all went down to the San Dune Pub and had a delicious dinner.

Max & Little Bitty Glaspey

09/22/2013

Rain, rain, rain!  It all started yesterday and now the weather front that is moving through has turned into a major storm.  The wind started blowing about 11:30 this morning and as I write this at 12:30, we're getting sustained winds around 20 MPH with gusts well over that.  We were able to get our yurts cleaned early but the campground cleaning is just going to wait.

There are some tent campers still here but a couple of them have seen their tents blow down.  I have even seen some awnings still out on a few RV's if you can believe that.  Not a good idea folks!

09/29/2013

After reviewing all the weather reports yesterday morning and seeing that the north coast of Oregon was going to get hammered, we decided to pack-up and and head inland.

The drive north on Hwy 101 north to the Hwy 26 junction was terrible.  Heavy rain coupled with very high winds made for slow going.  Once we turned east on 26 and drove just a few miles, things calmed down some but it was a 40 to 45 MPH kinda drive.

We had planned to stop at the Phoenix RV Park in Salem but on the way over the hills Joyce called Champoeg State Heritage Area in St. Paul.  The ranger she talked with said the park was having a lot of cancellations and they had some open sites.  We arrived about 1:30 PM and took one of the last two RV sites.  The good news is this is a free stay for us with our Disabled Veterans Pass.

Our plan is to hang here the day and ride out the next wave of storms moving into the area today and then drive down to Eugene tomorrow.  On Tuesday we have an appointment with Quality RV in Springfield to have our furnace checked which started acting up earlier this week.  We hope they can get it up and running quickly or at least early next week.

On Tuesday afternoon (hopefully) we going up to Jim and Jeanne Glaspey's RV Park in Oakridge.  We plan to stay there until Sunday and then head south to Redding, CA and then on to Calistoga.

09/30/2013

We survived the storm!  It rained very hard most of the day and night Sunday with some high wind gusts but not nearly as bad as it did on the coast.  Then yesterday it did the same but not nearly as bad as the forecaster's predicted.  The weather front did hold off long enough to give us time to do our laundry in Newberg.

Today the weather report is not nearly as bad with just scattered showers this morning and then a little more rain in the afternoon.  The really good news is that the winds are not going to be gusting to above 30 MPH.  So with that news, we're headed down to Eugene for one night.

More soon!

Barry & Joyce

September 9, 2013

08/23/2013

Yesterday Joyce had to get up at 4:30 AM and drive to Eugene for jury duty.  She got picked for a trial but was released after sniveling and whining about the 2.5 hour drive each way.  Go figure!

08/24/2013

After getting our yurts and campsites cleaned yesterday, we drove over to Spirit Mountain Casino to meet up with Jim and Jeanne Glaspey.  After a very filling crab dinner, the girls played bingo while Jim and I relaxed.  They are going to spend two nights there and then head over here to Devils Lake for five days.

08/27/2013

The Glaspey's arrived on Sunday and on Monday we drove down to South Beach State Park.  We wanted to check out the parking sites for our stay there in October and discovered that our parking site was very narrow and had a large tree limb blocking part of the pad.  I might be able to maneuver around that but then again, I might not.  So we will be canceling our stay there and make to run to Glaspey's RV Park in Oakridge on 1 October and staying through 5 October.

It rained most of the day yesterday on the central Oregon coast and throughout the night.  The weather guesser's are saying it's going to clear ups some tomorrow and then more rain is in the forecast.

08/31/2013

Today we're going to hookup the rig and head up to Nehalem Bay State Park for our September hosting gig.

09/02/2013

After a very rough start on Saturday, we're now settled into site F-32 here at Nehalem Bay State Park.

While getting everything ready leave Devils Lake, we had several thing go wrong including a leak in our black tank fresh water flushing line, our bedroom slide refused to go in and a couple of other small issues.  The good news was the weather was sunny and warm for the drive up the coast.

We had the "Kumbaya" meeting with Shelley, our Host Coordinator and all the other hosts yesterday morning and then cleaned a couple of yurts.  As you can imagine, the park is pretty much maxed out for the Labor Day weekend so we had some litter picking to do.  We expect most of the "weekend warriors" will leave today but the park will be still be very busy on the weekends with the fishing season getting into full swing.

Because our D-Loop hosts won't be arriving until September 4th, Shelley asked us to switch our days off (normally Monday and Tuesday) to Wednesday and Thursday.  No problem.

09/03/2013

I believe yesterday was the hardest day we have had since our hosting hosting in Oregon State Parks began six years ago.  To begin with, the hosts that are going to be working in D loop won't be here until tomorrow so Joyce and I have been assigned to clean not only F and the Horse loops, but also D & E as well.  Also, we had to check paper and cleanliness of two sets of bathrooms.

Yesterday we had 123 campers checking out and 43 arrivals and 3 yurts to clean.  There is no way that we could get all of that done in four hours so we prioritized and only cleaned the sites that folks were checking into last night.  Also, the sites were for the most part very trashy so we had to spend extra time picking up paper, cans, paper plates, etc. in the sites.  Couple that with cleaning out fire pits in each site, we put in seven hours yesterday.

In most parks where we have been hosts, we don't mind putting in a few extra hours now and then.  However, here at Nehalem Bay and the very messy folks that were here for the Labor Day weekend, we got a little frustrated.

09/06/2013

On Wednesday, we made a road trip up to Costco in Warrenton and of course, spent way too much money.  But, we needed some gloves, a few bottles of wine plus some other necessities that we have been putting off buying until they went on sale.

While we were in the area we decided to do some geocaching in Astoria.  Our first stop was at the Astoria Column where we found three caches.  Joyce wanted to climb to the top of the Column but I was afraid that my old legs would give out.  Maybe next time.

Astoria Column

Looking north west at the Columbia River and the Astoria-Megler Bridge

View to the south west.

Next, we drove down to the waterfront and found a cache near the Columbia River Maritime Museum.  We visited this museum a couple of years ago which is a "must see" when you visit Astoria.

Fun Ride!

View of the Columbia.

Next, we went to another cache located in the Bumble Bee Museum, operated by the Hanthorn Cannery Foundation.  Due to the late hour, we didn't have a chance to tour the museum so that is on our list of things to do next time we're in town.

And guess what is located next door?  The Rouge Ale Public House of all things.  Of course we had to stop in and say Hey!

Yesterday we drove down to Tillamook to do some shopping at Fred Myers.  On the way back up the coast it started raining with a few thunderstorms thrown in for good measure.  The forecast is for more of the same today.

09/08/2013

Joyce and I have Verizon Wireless accounts for our phone and internet service.  We both have smart phones and a Jetpack router.  Our plan is a two year contract with unlimited talk and text with our data usage set at ten gigabits for the billing period.

On Thursday, we got a text notification from Verizon that we had reached 75% of our allowable ten gigs.  I thought that this might be a little early in the billing cycle to use that much data but didn't do anything at that time.

The on Friday we got a 90% used alert from Verizon followed very shortly by an overage alert.  I immediately called Verizon and was routed over to tech support who upped out allowable data to fourteen gigs, at no cost to us.  After a lot of discussion Mike and I came to the conclusion that the data drain was coming from my Mac and he suggested that I get a virus scan program and check it out.

When I initially set up my Mac, I set the computer not to download any updates automatically and have done the same for all programs installed since.  Or, so I thought.

After downloading a virus scanner and running it, there was no problems reported which I expected.  So, what was draining the data so fast?

My next thought was to check each program I have installed to make sure there were no updates being done in the background, even though I just knew I had set everything to not do that.  Well, guess what?  The Garmin Express program had been downloading an update to the maps for our GPS!

So, if you are using a MiFi device or tether your computer to a smartphone, make sure your programs and apps are not set to update automatically.  This is especially true for operating system updates.  Those files can be huge.

Enough for now.

Barry & Joyce

August 21, 2013

08/04/2013

We're settled in here at Devils Lake State Recreation Area for the month of August.  This is our third time hosting here and the second in site B-1, the primary Yurt Host position.

D-Lake is a very busy park this time of the year, as all parks are on the Oregon coast during the summer.  If you want to visit a Oregon state park on the coast between June and September, we highly recommend making a reservation nine months in advance.  Every day we see several campers turned away and having to find a place to stay at the last minute.  Devils Lake is full 98% of the time, with the full hookup sites at 100% reserved.

With the high occupancy rate we have here, you can be assured we have some noise issues to deal with.  So far we haven't been called out late at night as the rangers are in the park until 10 PM and they usually deal with the rude campers.  However, we'll more than likely get a knock on the door very late at least a few times during the month.

Our camping site is under a lot of trees so our roof-top Winegard satellite dish can't get a signal so we're using the cable TV provided.  It's not very good but hey, at least we have television.  Also, our cell 3g service for is slow to nonexistent during the mid part of the day.  To get a 4g signal you have to be at the north end of town.  See what we have to put up with to do this hosting thing.

08/08/2013

We didn't have anything special to do on our days off so on Monday we did a little Geocaching here in the Lincoln City area.  If you have never tried Geocaching, we highly recommend you consider giving the sport a try.

One of the cache's was here:

 There are actually three in this area

One is placed in this beautiful area

08/14/2013

On Monday we took a drive up the coast to Tillamook to pick up our mail.  After getting that chore out of the way, we drove over to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company to have lunch and pickup some of their great brie cheeses.  Of course we just had to get a piece or two of the delicious truffles.

Next we did some shopping at Fred Myers.  After that very trying ordeal, for me anyway, Joyce noticed that we had $.10 a gallon fuel points available so we decided to top off out tank.  To our surprise  we actually had a $.30 savings points accumulated, bringing the cost for diesel down to $3.58 a gallon.  Wish we had a hundred gallon tank!

Next stop, the Tillamook Country Smoker to pick up some of their pepperoni sticks and jerky.  They have some really good smoked meats but for my money the best is Taylor's in Cave Junction, OR.

Yesterday, Joyce had a "date" with Joe, the maintenance host here at Devils Lake to play bingo at the Chinook Winds Casino.  Joe was a winner but Joyce made a donation to the welfare fund.

08/15/2013

Yesterday turned out to be a very sad day when I learned that I lost a brother Air Force aviator and friend, Chief Master Sergeant (Ret) Fred Lewis, in an airplane crash near Paradise, CA.  I flew several missions with Fred and worked with him to get FAA Professional Flight Engineer certifications for Air Force flight engineers.  Fred became the first Check Airman at Travis AFB.  I will miss you Fred.  RIP brother.

Last evening it started raining here in Lincoln City and as I write this it looks like today is panning out to be more of the same.  Of course, I started washing the rig on Tuesday and planned on finishing yesterday.

08/21/2013

On Sunday we welcomed Rick, Patty and Hunter (their Golden Retriever) Stills to Lincoln City.  Since we are booked solid just about every day here at the state park, they are staying at the Elks Lodge RV Park about six miles south of town.  It's not real fancy out there but it is very peaceful with some beautiful views of the hills.

On Sunday evening they came over to have a pulled pork supper with us at the park and then on Monday we went out to their house.  While Joyce and Patty did some shopping at the outlets, Rick and I did some geocaching.  Rick had heard geocaching  but had never had the opportunity to participate in the sport so we grabbed two easy cache's near the RV park.

When the girls got back, Patty fixed a delicious brat and sauerkraut dinner followed by a  killer cheesecake desert.  We all ate way too much but I can tell you, we were happy!

Yesterday we did some sightseeing here in Lincoln City.  One of the stops was at Roads End State Park where we had a picnic lunch and then let Hunter play in the water.

We weren't sure who was having the most fun:

We then went to the Abe Lincoln statue to show them where another geocache is located.  Since that landmark is next to the Elks Lodge we decided to stop in, say hello and have some refreshments.

Joyce and Patty at Abe's statue

 

And Rick & Patty

 Rick and Patty at Selitz Bay

When then made a couple of stops and eventually wound up at Gracie's Sea Hag, a local landmark on this part of the Oregon coast.  Gracie's wasn't there to play the bottles but the bartender on duty did a great job to playing The Chicken Dance song.  Here is a video of the bartender doing a song posted on Youtube sometime back:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IE9eN93R0gQ.  We had a delicious seafood dinner before heading back to the Elks campground where we had to say goodbye.  Rick and Patty are heading back to their home in Idaho today.

I get a daily RVing tip newsletter from rvtravel.com and have learned a lot of great things that have been very useful.  Here is today's which can be very helpful and not just to RVer's:  http://www.rvtravel.com/?q=daily-rv-tips-issue3129193

As you might know, Joyce and I are planning a trip to Alaska next summer.  Our friends and Oregon State Parks co-host's, Bill and Carol Smith are on their second trip and are having a ball "communing" with the bears.  Check out their blog at:  http://bearsnob2.blogspot.ca/

Just had to throw a couple of pictures of the grand babies in for good measure:

Abigail's first day of 2nd grade

 

Skyler's first day in day care

Until next time, have fun!

Barry & Joyce

August 2, 2013

07/27/2013

Yep, time really does fly!  As I write this, we only have four days left here at Smith Rock and then we will be moving over to Devil's Lake State Park in Lincoln City.

Last week we welcomed our good friend Rick Stills for a night stay while on his way down to California.  Rick and I served in the 7th Military Airlift Squadron back in the 70's.

Storms Over Smith Rock

The Twins are growing up.

So are the young quail.

07/31/2007

This is our last day here at Smith Rock.  We can't believe how fast the time has flown by but as always, good things must end.  Now, it's time to move over to the Oregon Coast for a couple of months.

I have been pretty busy doing some initial planning for the trip to Alaska next year.  There is a pretty good chance that we'll get out of here around July 15th if our friends Bill and Carol Smith can relieve us here at Smith Rock.  It that happens, we'll be able to visit Banff and Jasper National Parks in Alberta, Canada before heading up to Dawson Creek.  That would really be cool.

Yesterday we had a few hours with nothing really important to do so we drove up to Sisters.  Did a little people watching and some shopping.  Joyce got a new hat and I got a pair of Wrangler's.

After goofing off there, we headed to Crooked River Ranch and the Sandbagger Saloon to meet our co-hosts for supper.  Why the heck we have never been to this great place is beyond me but now that we have, you can rest assured we'll go back.  They have several good brew's on tap and killer food at reasonable prices; a combination that we like.  Thanks Dave and Debi for turning us on to this place!

Speaking of Oregon State Parks, the proposed fee changes for next year are out.  There are some modest increases for camping including full-hookup sites ($4), electric and water ($2), yurts/cabins ($1 to $4) and extra vehicle ($2).

Peter Skeen Ogden State Park

Some of the rocks.

The black dots in the middle are Golden Eagles nests.  We call them The Condos.

08/02/2013

Good morning from Devils Lake State Recreation Area in the heart of Lincoln City.

Yesterday Joyce jumped on her scooter and made the 202 mile ride over the Santiam Pass, through Salem and then to the coast.  She ran into some rain and very cool temperatures on the way over but arrived in one piece.  I waited for an hour or so and then made the drive, passing Joyce who had stopped for a "rest stop" at Spirit Mountain Casino.

It's foggy and raining here this morning, not unusual for the Oregon coast.  Hopefully, it will clear up in the next few days.

More later.

Barry & Joyce

July 11, 2013

06/18/2013

Our time here at Smith Rock is flying by way too fast.  It seems like just yesterday that we arrived and it already past the middle of June.

Folks painting at Smith Rock

We have been pretty busy for the past couple of weeks.  Joyce and I both had doctor appointments at Bend Memorial Clinic.  I had a "procedure" done and Joyce met her new doctor then got a full physical.  I have a physical scheduled on 10 July as well.

In addition to all of that, we visited our dentist for the annual check-ups and cleanings and I got some new glasses.

07/04/2013

Happy Independence Day everyone!

Jim and Jeanne Glaspey came over to visit us on Friday.  They had just purchased a brand new 40' Fuzion 5th wheel toy hauler and were out for their break-in voyage.

Smith Rock RV Park.  Call for reservations.

Our co-hosts, Jerry & Marylyn Howlett work on the Rim-Trail railings.  They are having way to much fun!

I had an amazing experience the other day.  Our nesting Bald Eagles have two chicks in the nest that we have to check on every day.  When I walked out to the rim to check on them, I saw that one of the chicks had fledged, leaving the other one still in the nest.  The male adult was perched on a rock near the top of the canyon rim.  The female then flew back toward the nest with a mouse in her talon's, flew around the nest several times and then flew to the rim where she landed and started calling the chick still in the nest.  He still didn't fly so the female gave up and then took the mouse back to the nest.

Last year we were talking about going to Alaska but put it off one more year due to the high cost of fuel.  So now we're talking about going next summer.  Although this trip is in the initial planning stages, we hope to leave Smith Rock next July, do the Alcan Highway, then visit Fairbanks, Denali National Park, Anchorage, Homer and Seward.  We want to be back in the Bend area no later than September 15th, give or take a few days.

At this stage of planning, we have decided to store our home and buy either a small trailer or cab-over camper.  We want to have the option of camping in Provincial parks in Canada and State Parks in Alaska which, in most cases, would not be possible with our Landmark 5'er.

07/08/2013

The evening of the 4th all the hosts had been asked to be out in the park making sure that no one sets off any fireworks.  Since it has been so hot and dry in Central Oregon any little spark could cause a fire and would most likely spread rapidly in the high winds we were experiencing.

After checking cars in the parking lots for passes, we drove down to the north end to visit with Jerry and Marilyn for a few minutes.  I then got a call on my private cell phone that there was a fire near the entrance to our large parking lot.  We headed down that way, me driving as fast as our old Gator would go and Joyce on the phone with the 911 operator.

The fire was spreading very rapidly with trees erupting like Roman Candles and flames climbing up the telephone pole.  Of course we couldn't fight the fire ourselves so we just stopped cars and prayed that the fire department would get there soon, which they did.

The two "hot shots" got the fire contained in very short order.  They were joined by a Oregon State Trooper, two Deschutes County Sheriff officers and a short time later by two more fire trucks from Redmond.

While the firemen were getting that fire out, another one broke out about 100 yards to the south.  They quickly got that one under control as well.

So, what caused the fires?  Someone intentionally set it with a firework.  After the fire was out, we found the "grenade" laying exactly where the fire started.

07/11/2013

On Tuesday we had planned to spend the day in Sisters, OR.  However, after having lunch we decided to make the drive over the McKenzie Pass-Santiam Pass Scenic Byway (Hwy 242).

This is the first time we have been over this highway and I can tell you that the views of the mountains are spectacular!  At the summit of McKenzie Pass is the Dee Wright Observatory and a "must stop" on the highway.  Hint:  take a flashlight with you.  The plaques in the Observatory are very hard to read in the low light.

Mt. Washington. The burned trees are from the fire that burned in 2003.

 North and Middle Sisters.  Little Brother is on the right.

 Scott Lake.

 Anyone know the name of this wildflower?

 Another shot of the Sisters.

Happy Birthday to my mother Helen, who was 83 years young yesterday.  I love you Mom!

That's all for now folks.  More later.

Barry & Joyce