April 27th - Sun - Spokane
Days are starting to run together as they are much the same and not too exciting.
Don & Cindy left early to see EllaMae. I had a nice long chat with Marg and checked email before making breakfast and heading to St Luke’s. Gary (Terry’s brother) and his wife Suzanne stopped in while we were there so it was nice to see them for a bit. We took Cindy to the airport about 4 for her 5:45 flight home. The previous week it took her a long time to get through security so she did not want to leave it until too late. Of course, this time security took 5 minutes and then Cindy had to sit on the plane for an hour while a computer problem was corrected.
Another late dinner when Don got home after settling EllaMae for the night. I finally caught up with my brother Doug to wish him a belated Happy Birthday. All is well with them. Doug is off work right now due to a mill shutdown but he likes the break and stays very busy.
April 28th - Mon - Spokane
Did laundry and checked on medical insurance on the internet this morning. Terry’s brother Harry Jr is here for a couple of days. He, Don, EllaMae and 2 therapists came to the house about 11 so the therapists could do a home evaluation to see what has to be done in order to accommodate EllaMae’s limitations when she comes home. We thought EllaMae would balk at returning to the rehab center but she didn’t.
I had taken a turkey out of the freezer to thaw shortly after we got here so I put it in the oven and then we went shopping. Had a complete turkey dinner for Don & Harry Jr when they got back. Caught part of “Dancing with the Stars” and CSI before Don & Harry Jr crashed.
April 29th - Tues - Spokane
Decided it was time to vacuum this morning. We left our Oreck vacuum with EllaMae and I thought it was taking too much effort to push it. So I checked and the belt driving the rotating brush had broken. Put on a new belt and redid what I had worked so hard to do.
We had an appointment at 11 to complete our insurance application and then stopped to see EllaMae. Gary was there so he, Harry Jr and we went to the cafeteria for lunch when EllaMae went for her lunch. She has been having meals in her room but they wanted to do an evaluation today. Don went to work this morning and he showed up just after lunch as Gary was leaving. EllaMae had a couple of hours of therapy so we left her in Don & Harry Jr’s capable hands and went to check out some equipment for when EllaMae comes home.
Lovely, easy, leftover turkey dinner and DWTS.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
April 22nd to 26th - to Spokane
April 22nd - Tues - to Rochester, WA
We lollygagged around this morning so we wouldn’t hit rush hour traffic on I5 - and it worked, the traffic wasn’t bad at all. We arrived at the Lucky Eagle Casino, where we stay when we come to visit Dean, at about 11:30. I immediately got a roast in the crock pot as Dean is coming for dinner. Jennifer is sick and the kids are busy with practices and homework so we won’t get to see them this time. Dean is leaving for Bend on Thursday after work to help his mother move so we had a pretty narrow window to get together.
We spent some time in the casino after we registered for our RV spot and then had a nice dinner and visit with Dean. The weather is still cold and rainy.
April 23rd - Wed - to Spokane
We figured that freezing weather should be done so feel safe heading for Spokane to see what we can do to help out with Terry’s Mom. She is still in St. Luke’s rehab. Cindy (Terry’s sister) was able to take 4 weeks off work but had to go back to work last Monday. She works 4 days a week and will be flying to Spokane for the next 3 weekends to be with her Mom. Don (Terry’s step dad) has been spending his days with Ella Mae at St. Lukes.
We had a little delay on the way here in the form of a tire blowout on the 5th wheel. We were about 25 miles from Spokane and getting new tires was near the top of our to-do list while we are here. Didn’t quite make it!! Terry changed the tire - and of course it had to be on the “cars and trucks rushing past” side. A police officer stopped when Terry was partly done and his flashing lights got vehicles to move over a little better.
We arrived at Ella Mae & Don’s house shortly after 5 and used the hidden key to make ourselves at home. We didn’t know how to contact Don to tell him that dinner would be ready for him when he left the rehab center so we just hoped that he didn’t stop for something on the way home. He stayed until Ella Mae was settled for the night so we had a late dinner but one that was much appreciated by non-cooking Don.
April 24th - Thurs - Spokane
Don left early to be with Ella Mae while we stayed in bed a while longer. Then Terry went to get tires for the 5th wheel and I did some cleaning for Don and laundry for us. Next we were off to the rehab center . Ella Mae is improving slowly and she had a full schedule of rehab sessions today. Every half hour someone else was coming to wheel her away in her wheelchair for OT, PT, RT and ST (occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy and speech therapy). She finally had 1 ½ hours free for a rest before dinner so we took the opportunity to get an emission test on the truck, Don to get a haircut and meet back at the house for a quick dinner before Don headed back. Cindy is flying in tonight so Don stayed at St. Luke’s until he had to go to the airport.
April 25th - Fri - Spokane
Don & Cindy left early again (6:30!) and we ran errands, made to-do lists, made phone calls and did more laundry. We got to St. Luke’s shortly before lunch. Don was given an extra lunch so Cindy, Terry & I went to the cafeteria. It was a nice day so Don came back to the house with us and mowed the lawn while I trimmed around 11 round stepping stones in the back yard. While dinner was cooking I reloaded the operating system on Ella Mae’s non-functional computer and got it going & set up again. We held dinner until Cindy got back at 7:30. At 10:10, Ella Mae phoned and was all upset about something and said she needed to come home. So Terry & Cindy drove back to St Luke’s (about 15 minutes with no traffic) and Cindy ended up staying all night. The nurses set up a cot for her so she could get some sleep. Don was sleeping by the time Terry returned so we taped a note to the bathroom mirror explaining what was happening.
April 26th - Sat - Spokane
Don was going to go to work this morning but he woke us and said he was going to the rehab center so we did not need to relieve Cindy which was the plan.
We met our good friends Bill & Georgia for breakfast and a gabfest. A couple more errands before heading to St Luke’s. Looks like this will be the routine for a while! Ella Mae got a break today with only respiratory therapy so we took her for an “outing” to the cafeteria and outside for a quick breath of fresh air. She is regaining movement in her left arm, slight movement in her left leg and is getting some strength back in other muscles. Seems like a long way to go but she improves daily.
Don did go to work after Cindy got back from cleaning up & changing clothes. He returned to see Ella Mae again so we left, picked up some baby backs and had dinner ready when they got back at 7:30ish. Sure makes for a short evening when we eat late.
We lollygagged around this morning so we wouldn’t hit rush hour traffic on I5 - and it worked, the traffic wasn’t bad at all. We arrived at the Lucky Eagle Casino, where we stay when we come to visit Dean, at about 11:30. I immediately got a roast in the crock pot as Dean is coming for dinner. Jennifer is sick and the kids are busy with practices and homework so we won’t get to see them this time. Dean is leaving for Bend on Thursday after work to help his mother move so we had a pretty narrow window to get together.
We spent some time in the casino after we registered for our RV spot and then had a nice dinner and visit with Dean. The weather is still cold and rainy.
April 23rd - Wed - to Spokane
We figured that freezing weather should be done so feel safe heading for Spokane to see what we can do to help out with Terry’s Mom. She is still in St. Luke’s rehab. Cindy (Terry’s sister) was able to take 4 weeks off work but had to go back to work last Monday. She works 4 days a week and will be flying to Spokane for the next 3 weekends to be with her Mom. Don (Terry’s step dad) has been spending his days with Ella Mae at St. Lukes.
We had a little delay on the way here in the form of a tire blowout on the 5th wheel. We were about 25 miles from Spokane and getting new tires was near the top of our to-do list while we are here. Didn’t quite make it!! Terry changed the tire - and of course it had to be on the “cars and trucks rushing past” side. A police officer stopped when Terry was partly done and his flashing lights got vehicles to move over a little better.
We arrived at Ella Mae & Don’s house shortly after 5 and used the hidden key to make ourselves at home. We didn’t know how to contact Don to tell him that dinner would be ready for him when he left the rehab center so we just hoped that he didn’t stop for something on the way home. He stayed until Ella Mae was settled for the night so we had a late dinner but one that was much appreciated by non-cooking Don.
April 24th - Thurs - Spokane
Don left early to be with Ella Mae while we stayed in bed a while longer. Then Terry went to get tires for the 5th wheel and I did some cleaning for Don and laundry for us. Next we were off to the rehab center . Ella Mae is improving slowly and she had a full schedule of rehab sessions today. Every half hour someone else was coming to wheel her away in her wheelchair for OT, PT, RT and ST (occupational therapy, physical therapy, recreational therapy and speech therapy). She finally had 1 ½ hours free for a rest before dinner so we took the opportunity to get an emission test on the truck, Don to get a haircut and meet back at the house for a quick dinner before Don headed back. Cindy is flying in tonight so Don stayed at St. Luke’s until he had to go to the airport.
April 25th - Fri - Spokane
Don & Cindy left early again (6:30!) and we ran errands, made to-do lists, made phone calls and did more laundry. We got to St. Luke’s shortly before lunch. Don was given an extra lunch so Cindy, Terry & I went to the cafeteria. It was a nice day so Don came back to the house with us and mowed the lawn while I trimmed around 11 round stepping stones in the back yard. While dinner was cooking I reloaded the operating system on Ella Mae’s non-functional computer and got it going & set up again. We held dinner until Cindy got back at 7:30. At 10:10, Ella Mae phoned and was all upset about something and said she needed to come home. So Terry & Cindy drove back to St Luke’s (about 15 minutes with no traffic) and Cindy ended up staying all night. The nurses set up a cot for her so she could get some sleep. Don was sleeping by the time Terry returned so we taped a note to the bathroom mirror explaining what was happening.
April 26th - Sat - Spokane
Don was going to go to work this morning but he woke us and said he was going to the rehab center so we did not need to relieve Cindy which was the plan.
We met our good friends Bill & Georgia for breakfast and a gabfest. A couple more errands before heading to St Luke’s. Looks like this will be the routine for a while! Ella Mae got a break today with only respiratory therapy so we took her for an “outing” to the cafeteria and outside for a quick breath of fresh air. She is regaining movement in her left arm, slight movement in her left leg and is getting some strength back in other muscles. Seems like a long way to go but she improves daily.
Don did go to work after Cindy got back from cleaning up & changing clothes. He returned to see Ella Mae again so we left, picked up some baby backs and had dinner ready when they got back at 7:30ish. Sure makes for a short evening when we eat late.
Monday, April 21, 2008
April 20th & 21st - Neskowin OR & Vancouver WA
April 20th - Sun - to Neskowin, OR
We got a late start this morning as I took time to check email, pay a bill and talk to Marg for 40 minutes. Short drive today, rained on & off all the way. The RV park is mostly dirt & grass so we made a lovely muddy rut as we turned into our drive-through spot. I wanted to walk the ¾ mile trail to the beach but I am sure glad that we didn’t as there was no way that we could have timed the walk there and back to miss a downpour. So Terry enjoyed a large selection on cable TV while I read a book and we listened to the rain and hail pounding on the roof.
April 21st - Mon - to Vancouver, WA
No sense in sticking around waiting for the weather to clear so we can enjoy the coast - looks like clouds and rain are the long term forecast. There was slush on vehicles this morning and we drove through a snowy landscape as we headed inland. We stopped at Spirit Mountain casino for breakfast. It is a very large, nice facility.
We set up in an RV park and went to find a furniture store that specializes in Flexsteel furniture for RVs. Didn’t find the chairs that I have been dreaming about so didn’t have to make a decision about buying them. Hit a WalMart for a few items and then a grocery store for a stock-up shopping trip. Dashed through rain and puddles the whole time.
The power just went off in the whole RV park and surrounding area. I will finish my blog entries and turn off the computer before the battery runs down. It appears the wifi is also down so posting the blog will have to wait. I exchanged some books at Coos Bay and I can read a book with a battery powered light but Terry is SOL regarding watching TV. Of course, this has to be the evening when I want to watch “Dancing with the Stars”!
Power just came back on so will post the blog quickly in case it goes out again.
We got a late start this morning as I took time to check email, pay a bill and talk to Marg for 40 minutes. Short drive today, rained on & off all the way. The RV park is mostly dirt & grass so we made a lovely muddy rut as we turned into our drive-through spot. I wanted to walk the ¾ mile trail to the beach but I am sure glad that we didn’t as there was no way that we could have timed the walk there and back to miss a downpour. So Terry enjoyed a large selection on cable TV while I read a book and we listened to the rain and hail pounding on the roof.
April 21st - Mon - to Vancouver, WA
No sense in sticking around waiting for the weather to clear so we can enjoy the coast - looks like clouds and rain are the long term forecast. There was slush on vehicles this morning and we drove through a snowy landscape as we headed inland. We stopped at Spirit Mountain casino for breakfast. It is a very large, nice facility.
We set up in an RV park and went to find a furniture store that specializes in Flexsteel furniture for RVs. Didn’t find the chairs that I have been dreaming about so didn’t have to make a decision about buying them. Hit a WalMart for a few items and then a grocery store for a stock-up shopping trip. Dashed through rain and puddles the whole time.
The power just went off in the whole RV park and surrounding area. I will finish my blog entries and turn off the computer before the battery runs down. It appears the wifi is also down so posting the blog will have to wait. I exchanged some books at Coos Bay and I can read a book with a battery powered light but Terry is SOL regarding watching TV. Of course, this has to be the evening when I want to watch “Dancing with the Stars”!
Power just came back on so will post the blog quickly in case it goes out again.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
April 18th & 19th - Gasquet, Coos Bay
April 18th - Fri - Gasquet
Another morning of coffee, a yummy breakfast and lots of talking. The guys joined a friend of Craig’s to go golfing again while Cathy & I were free to do what we wanted. First, Cathy reset some mole traps and dug some “Gasquet potatoes” (rocks) while preparing a bed for flowers. The whole area where they live was once a river bed so there is more rock than dirt - hence the rock walls built by Cathy.
Then Cathy & I drove to Brookings for a little shopping - barbeque, propane tank & groceries with a failed attempt to find some shorts for Cathy. This was the first time I can remember shopping for clothes and asking “do these come in a smaller size”!
After another good dinner with contributions from both of us, I worked with Cathy on her computer. She uses Picasa for her pictures so we figured out how to back them up nicely and worked out a system for her to clean up her files. Then a bit of time with both Craig & Cathy on email and it was bedtime.
April 19th - Sat - to Coos Bay, OR
Shared coffee & breakfast has become a habit here - and a nice one! We packed up, said goodbye and hit the road at 9:45. Fueled up in Brookings and got some propane. The attendant at the gas station said we would be seeing snow at any point on the road above 500 feet and he was right. It was actually sticking on the road for one short stretch but didn’t cause us any problems.
We are staying at Midway RV park (PA) just out of Coos Bay. We made a couple of trips to a nearby RV supply store to get a new vent cover and a couple of other small items. A “couple of trips” because the first time we didn’t know the style/model of vent cover. Who knew they were not pretty much all the same? We did our little fixes before checking out the local casino.
Our money actually lasted too long at the casino so we weren’t eating dinner until 10 o’clock since I had a small pork roast out for dinner.
Terry’s Mom is still in rehab and her recovery is slow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) had to return to work so Don is, probably temporarily, not working so he can spend time with Ella Mae and take in clean clothes for her.
Another morning of coffee, a yummy breakfast and lots of talking. The guys joined a friend of Craig’s to go golfing again while Cathy & I were free to do what we wanted. First, Cathy reset some mole traps and dug some “Gasquet potatoes” (rocks) while preparing a bed for flowers. The whole area where they live was once a river bed so there is more rock than dirt - hence the rock walls built by Cathy.
Then Cathy & I drove to Brookings for a little shopping - barbeque, propane tank & groceries with a failed attempt to find some shorts for Cathy. This was the first time I can remember shopping for clothes and asking “do these come in a smaller size”!
After another good dinner with contributions from both of us, I worked with Cathy on her computer. She uses Picasa for her pictures so we figured out how to back them up nicely and worked out a system for her to clean up her files. Then a bit of time with both Craig & Cathy on email and it was bedtime.
April 19th - Sat - to Coos Bay, OR
Shared coffee & breakfast has become a habit here - and a nice one! We packed up, said goodbye and hit the road at 9:45. Fueled up in Brookings and got some propane. The attendant at the gas station said we would be seeing snow at any point on the road above 500 feet and he was right. It was actually sticking on the road for one short stretch but didn’t cause us any problems.
We are staying at Midway RV park (PA) just out of Coos Bay. We made a couple of trips to a nearby RV supply store to get a new vent cover and a couple of other small items. A “couple of trips” because the first time we didn’t know the style/model of vent cover. Who knew they were not pretty much all the same? We did our little fixes before checking out the local casino.
Our money actually lasted too long at the casino so we weren’t eating dinner until 10 o’clock since I had a small pork roast out for dinner.
Terry’s Mom is still in rehab and her recovery is slow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) had to return to work so Don is, probably temporarily, not working so he can spend time with Ella Mae and take in clean clothes for her.
Friday, April 18, 2008
April 16th to 17th - Gasquet,CA
April 16th - Wed - to Gasquet
We have a short drive today so took our time getting going. We stopped at the “Trees of Mystery” and this time went on the walk & gondola ride. You start on a trail through the redwood forest with special trees highlighted with signs. “Family tree” with 12 trees growing out of the limbs of the “mother”, “Cathedral tree” - 7 trees growing very closely in a semicircle and used as a spot to perform weddings, “Lightning tree” with 3 nearly 90 degree bends in the trunk and a huge tree that was estimated to have fallen 3000 years ago and the exposed roots are not rotted.
The gondola is beside the “Brotherhood tree” which is 327 feet tall and 19 feet in diameter. Each gondola holds 6 people and it is a seven minute ride to the top. Wooden walkways and steps lead to a viewing platform with mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. Back down in the gondola and another trail takes you down. This one goes through a area that was logged in the 1950’s. Then there is a section with carved panels & figures spaced along the trail. Lots of fun.
We stopped at Safeway in Crescent City for baby backs before continuing to Gasquet where we will be staying with Craig & Cathy Johnson. They led our little caravan to San Carlos and stayed in the RV park before moving to their lot.
Craig was at a class when we arrived so Cathy showed us where to park and we got set up. Their property abuts an airstrip and we are between their house and the airstrip which is not used regularly. Our interaction with Craig & Cathy in Mexico was always in large groups or on the golf course so it is wonderful to be able to sit and talk. Cathy had curried chicken underway for dinner so I suggested we would have to stay another night to allow us to make the baby back ribs for the next night! Craig does not have to go to class tomorrow as he had originally thought so we will be able to play golf.
April 17th - Thurs - Gasquet
We enjoyed coffee & breakfast and marveled at Cathy’s gardening and rock wall building skills before heading to the golf course for our 11 o’clock tee time. The morning was cool and breezy but by the time we teed off it was warm. Craig was the only smart one and wore shorts. We all struggled a bit but had fun. Cathy & I only played 9 holes and then took one truck back to the house while Craig & Terry made a hash of the back 9. By the time they returned, I had boiled the ribs and had a salad prepared.
After a great dinner, Cathy set up her camera and took a picture of the 4 of us to send to some friends. While she was on the computer, Steve Holder called on Skype so we all said hi.
Craig had a movie that we decided to watch but he couldn’t get his DVD player to work. We moved to our rig and watched the movie here.
We have a short drive today so took our time getting going. We stopped at the “Trees of Mystery” and this time went on the walk & gondola ride. You start on a trail through the redwood forest with special trees highlighted with signs. “Family tree” with 12 trees growing out of the limbs of the “mother”, “Cathedral tree” - 7 trees growing very closely in a semicircle and used as a spot to perform weddings, “Lightning tree” with 3 nearly 90 degree bends in the trunk and a huge tree that was estimated to have fallen 3000 years ago and the exposed roots are not rotted.
The gondola is beside the “Brotherhood tree” which is 327 feet tall and 19 feet in diameter. Each gondola holds 6 people and it is a seven minute ride to the top. Wooden walkways and steps lead to a viewing platform with mountains on one side and the ocean on the other. Back down in the gondola and another trail takes you down. This one goes through a area that was logged in the 1950’s. Then there is a section with carved panels & figures spaced along the trail. Lots of fun.
We stopped at Safeway in Crescent City for baby backs before continuing to Gasquet where we will be staying with Craig & Cathy Johnson. They led our little caravan to San Carlos and stayed in the RV park before moving to their lot.
Craig was at a class when we arrived so Cathy showed us where to park and we got set up. Their property abuts an airstrip and we are between their house and the airstrip which is not used regularly. Our interaction with Craig & Cathy in Mexico was always in large groups or on the golf course so it is wonderful to be able to sit and talk. Cathy had curried chicken underway for dinner so I suggested we would have to stay another night to allow us to make the baby back ribs for the next night! Craig does not have to go to class tomorrow as he had originally thought so we will be able to play golf.
April 17th - Thurs - Gasquet
We enjoyed coffee & breakfast and marveled at Cathy’s gardening and rock wall building skills before heading to the golf course for our 11 o’clock tee time. The morning was cool and breezy but by the time we teed off it was warm. Craig was the only smart one and wore shorts. We all struggled a bit but had fun. Cathy & I only played 9 holes and then took one truck back to the house while Craig & Terry made a hash of the back 9. By the time they returned, I had boiled the ribs and had a salad prepared.
After a great dinner, Cathy set up her camera and took a picture of the 4 of us to send to some friends. While she was on the computer, Steve Holder called on Skype so we all said hi.
Craig had a movie that we decided to watch but he couldn’t get his DVD player to work. We moved to our rig and watched the movie here.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
April 14th to 15th - Klamath, CA
April 14th - Mon - to Klamath
We had considered driving on Hwy 1 along the coast but after our drive yesterday and speaking with a lady at an information center, we decided to stick to Hwy 101. Just getting to Hwy 1 from Santa Rosa involved mostly narrow, windy roads with overhanging trees trimmed by trucks & RVs. Terry found several PA parks in Klamath so that is where we headed.
We stopped in a rest area where I made lunch while Terry had a break from driving. Found diesel at $4.39 in Klamath which was 10 cents less than we had seen along the way. We went into the PA park that we had selected and they said they don’t honor PA any more. We had checked online as our book is old and it still wasn’t up to date. We continued just a little ways and saw a hand-painted sign on a small park that said “Day $10” so pulled in and paid for 2 nights. We are backed right up to the Klamath River. The highway is right on the other side of the park but the owner says it is very quiet at night.
We could not get any TV with the antenna so Terry set up the satellite dish while I downloaded a new program from the internet. We were surprised to even have an internet connection here. By the time we finished setting up & updating, it was time to have dinner and kick back.
Just before we left this morning, Terry noticed a large hole in one of the vent covers that is on the high portion of the ceiling. We never open the vent so don’t know how long it was there. He tried duct tape but it wouldn’t stick. As we were driving I remembered some sticky clear plastic so Terry put some on when we got here as some clouds looked a little threatening.
April 15th - Tues - Klamath
Had a few raindrops last night - enough to mess up the dust on the truck. The highway was quiet until about 5:30. We both woke early and wanted to just watch TV but we don’t get satellite in the bedroom. So we pulled out the hide-a-bed, brought down the still-warm covers from the bedroom and didn’t finally get up until 10:30! Of course I had to make coffee, fetch coffee, take out the dog and check email.
When we got going, I made a big breakfast/lunch. I spent quite a bit of time sorting out expenses and making sure the bank was handling the extra charge from our airline ticket fiasco. Then we went for a drive towards Crescent City. We stopped at the “Trees of Mystery” tourist stop where we walked through the large gift shop and Indian artifact museum. The museum had an incredible number of items from many different tribes. We decided not to go on the trail and gondola ride as Terry did not have a very warm jacket and the breeze was quite cool.
We stopped for some groceries in Crescent City and looked unsuccessfully for a place to buy a new vent cover. Then we added to our player card collection by stopping at a casino! We were given $20 each to play on our cards so it didn’t end up costing too much for the stop.
Steve Holder called to chat. Pat & Rick are there for a couple of nights so they just wanted to razz us about something. Nice to hear from him. He had some questions for Terry about our satellite system so Terry did some checking and called him back later. Steve put Pat on the phone and I had a nice chat with her. They are having a good time with Rick’s Mom who joined them in Las Vegas on the 6th.
We had considered driving on Hwy 1 along the coast but after our drive yesterday and speaking with a lady at an information center, we decided to stick to Hwy 101. Just getting to Hwy 1 from Santa Rosa involved mostly narrow, windy roads with overhanging trees trimmed by trucks & RVs. Terry found several PA parks in Klamath so that is where we headed.
We stopped in a rest area where I made lunch while Terry had a break from driving. Found diesel at $4.39 in Klamath which was 10 cents less than we had seen along the way. We went into the PA park that we had selected and they said they don’t honor PA any more. We had checked online as our book is old and it still wasn’t up to date. We continued just a little ways and saw a hand-painted sign on a small park that said “Day $10” so pulled in and paid for 2 nights. We are backed right up to the Klamath River. The highway is right on the other side of the park but the owner says it is very quiet at night.
We could not get any TV with the antenna so Terry set up the satellite dish while I downloaded a new program from the internet. We were surprised to even have an internet connection here. By the time we finished setting up & updating, it was time to have dinner and kick back.
Just before we left this morning, Terry noticed a large hole in one of the vent covers that is on the high portion of the ceiling. We never open the vent so don’t know how long it was there. He tried duct tape but it wouldn’t stick. As we were driving I remembered some sticky clear plastic so Terry put some on when we got here as some clouds looked a little threatening.
April 15th - Tues - Klamath
Had a few raindrops last night - enough to mess up the dust on the truck. The highway was quiet until about 5:30. We both woke early and wanted to just watch TV but we don’t get satellite in the bedroom. So we pulled out the hide-a-bed, brought down the still-warm covers from the bedroom and didn’t finally get up until 10:30! Of course I had to make coffee, fetch coffee, take out the dog and check email.
When we got going, I made a big breakfast/lunch. I spent quite a bit of time sorting out expenses and making sure the bank was handling the extra charge from our airline ticket fiasco. Then we went for a drive towards Crescent City. We stopped at the “Trees of Mystery” tourist stop where we walked through the large gift shop and Indian artifact museum. The museum had an incredible number of items from many different tribes. We decided not to go on the trail and gondola ride as Terry did not have a very warm jacket and the breeze was quite cool.
We stopped for some groceries in Crescent City and looked unsuccessfully for a place to buy a new vent cover. Then we added to our player card collection by stopping at a casino! We were given $20 each to play on our cards so it didn’t end up costing too much for the stop.
Steve Holder called to chat. Pat & Rick are there for a couple of nights so they just wanted to razz us about something. Nice to hear from him. He had some questions for Terry about our satellite system so Terry did some checking and called him back later. Steve put Pat on the phone and I had a nice chat with her. They are having a good time with Rick’s Mom who joined them in Las Vegas on the 6th.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
April 10th to 13th - Monterey, Santa Rosa
April 10th - Thurs - to Monterey, CA
This was a busy and slightly stressful day.
We left Buellton about 8:45 and arrived at the Hearst Castle just before 11. We were not able to get on a tour until 1:10 so we watched the 40 minute “Building the Dream” movie first. Then we walked back to the 5th wheel and I made a nice lunch. I really enjoyed the castle tour while Terry put up with it for me!
The castle was different than I expected. Mr. Hearst had collected all types of things from Europe & England - statues, carved ceilings, church choir seats, doors, windows, paintings and tapestries for example - and incorporated everything into his buildings. We saw some of the main house - the Casa Grande - and one floor of one guest house. The interiors were very dark and “castle-y”.
When we left the castle, we went north along Highway 1 which goes along the coast. We were not aware that it was sometimes hundreds of feet above the water so there was a lot of climbing involved and we got ourselves into a short fuel situation again. The 3 service stations along the way did not have diesel and when we finally filled up we took almost 32 gallons in our 34 gallon tank.
We are staying at the Laguna Seca Recreational Area which is run by the state parks but includes what looks like a private race (car) facility. It was my choice as it costs “only” $30 per night as opposed to $50 to $70 in other parks in the area. We turned off the highway and immediately saw a sign for a 16% hill to get here. Terry was impressed with my choice at that point!
There are 2 areas with hook-ups and one without. We selected a spot near the road and then took a drive around the other loop. There were lots of people there and a forest of tents with kids so we decided to stay by the road. There is a one way road around this loop but several of the sites are backwards to the line of travel so you would have to go the wrong way around the loop to back into them. We are going to spend most of tomorrow in Monterey so figured the road would not bother us.
Terry’s Mom is back in the hospital with pneumonia. Don says her attitude is still pretty good and they are hoping she will be back in rehab by Monday.
April 11th - Fri - Monterey
The RV park was very quiet and dark last night. Had a great sleep.
We went first to the Monterey Aquarium this morning. It is a huge, two story building and is very impressive. We seemed to be 15 minutes too early or too late for feedings but enjoyed seeing everything.
Next we walked down “Cannery Row” and browsed through several stores without buying anything. Back to the truck to drive to Fisherman’s Wharf where we window shopped, had clam chowder in a bread bowl for lunch and watched sea lions basking in the sun on a dock.
More California “sticker shock” - you have to pay for parking everywhere in Monterey, 75 cents for ½ hour or each part of ½ hour.
The RV park is not in a town so we drove to Salinas to a grocery store for a few items. When we got back to the RV park, trucks & trailers were constantly going past to the race track with their cars for races tomorrow. Terry took the opportunity of basically no rules in the park to clean the bugs off the 5th wheel and wash the truck.
There were some trial car races going on so we decided to walk up the park a little for a better view. Just as we started out, all the trucks/motor homes and trailers started pulling out of a staging area and heading past us to go around to an area where they would be staying. Many, many dollars rolled past us!!
April 12th - Sat - to Santa Rosa
We thought about staying another night so we could watch the car races but decided to carry on. Terry did not want to drive through San Francisco so we headed over to I5, through Stockton and then drove north of San Francisco back to Hwy 101. One long section of highway was narrow 2 lane with posts on the centerline to stop cars from passing. A subsequent section had a concrete barrier down the centerline. There must have been a lot of accidents for that extreme measure.
We stopped at a rest area so I could make some breakfast. Just started cooking when the wind changed a bit and the large feed-lot hidden by a semi parked beside us became evident. We ate in a hurry and got out of there.
We are staying at an RV park at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. Our PA book said you could stay three nights at the PA rate but we were informed that as of March 1st it was changed to 1 night.
We set up and then went to find a bank and a grocery store as it seemed time for baby back ribs. Stopped on the way back for me to get a haircut and then relaxed and enjoyed dinner. But then we had to check out a casino about 15 miles away. As we drove north on 101, we could see a large, well lighted building on a hill to our right. It turned out to be the casino which you reached by going past it and over a bridge and then along a very windy, narrow road through farm land. There were 2 huge, multi-level parking garages and a large casino. We played for a few hours before losing our allotted amount.
April 13th - Sun - Santa Rosa
The RV park provided a great magazine of “101 things to do” in this area. So after checking email (yes, there is wi-fi at a fairgrounds RV park!), eating breakfast, paying for another night and visiting with neighbors, we went exploring.
We drove to nearby Sebastopol and found a street with whimsical junk sculptures in many front yards. Searched for a flea market that turned out to be only Costco clothing for sale and then headed for Bodega Bay, passing through Bodega where much of the movie “The Birds” was filmed.
We continued on up Hwy 1 to Jenner, stopping a couple of times to take pictures. There were lots of cars on every available parking area near paths to beaches and lots of people on the beaches. It was cool (62) and breezy but people were sunbathing and wading in the surf.
We stopped at a flea market in Guerneville and then succumbed to ice cream. We walked through the most amazing collection of junk for sale at the flea market. It was in a rickety, long, narrow building and was totally mind boggling. I kept trying to think of something that I could ask for but didn’t come up with anything weird enough!
Did a couple loads of laundry while Terry tried to figure out what our destination should be tomorrow.
This was a busy and slightly stressful day.
We left Buellton about 8:45 and arrived at the Hearst Castle just before 11. We were not able to get on a tour until 1:10 so we watched the 40 minute “Building the Dream” movie first. Then we walked back to the 5th wheel and I made a nice lunch. I really enjoyed the castle tour while Terry put up with it for me!
The castle was different than I expected. Mr. Hearst had collected all types of things from Europe & England - statues, carved ceilings, church choir seats, doors, windows, paintings and tapestries for example - and incorporated everything into his buildings. We saw some of the main house - the Casa Grande - and one floor of one guest house. The interiors were very dark and “castle-y”.
When we left the castle, we went north along Highway 1 which goes along the coast. We were not aware that it was sometimes hundreds of feet above the water so there was a lot of climbing involved and we got ourselves into a short fuel situation again. The 3 service stations along the way did not have diesel and when we finally filled up we took almost 32 gallons in our 34 gallon tank.
We are staying at the Laguna Seca Recreational Area which is run by the state parks but includes what looks like a private race (car) facility. It was my choice as it costs “only” $30 per night as opposed to $50 to $70 in other parks in the area. We turned off the highway and immediately saw a sign for a 16% hill to get here. Terry was impressed with my choice at that point!
There are 2 areas with hook-ups and one without. We selected a spot near the road and then took a drive around the other loop. There were lots of people there and a forest of tents with kids so we decided to stay by the road. There is a one way road around this loop but several of the sites are backwards to the line of travel so you would have to go the wrong way around the loop to back into them. We are going to spend most of tomorrow in Monterey so figured the road would not bother us.
Terry’s Mom is back in the hospital with pneumonia. Don says her attitude is still pretty good and they are hoping she will be back in rehab by Monday.
April 11th - Fri - Monterey
The RV park was very quiet and dark last night. Had a great sleep.
We went first to the Monterey Aquarium this morning. It is a huge, two story building and is very impressive. We seemed to be 15 minutes too early or too late for feedings but enjoyed seeing everything.
Next we walked down “Cannery Row” and browsed through several stores without buying anything. Back to the truck to drive to Fisherman’s Wharf where we window shopped, had clam chowder in a bread bowl for lunch and watched sea lions basking in the sun on a dock.
More California “sticker shock” - you have to pay for parking everywhere in Monterey, 75 cents for ½ hour or each part of ½ hour.
The RV park is not in a town so we drove to Salinas to a grocery store for a few items. When we got back to the RV park, trucks & trailers were constantly going past to the race track with their cars for races tomorrow. Terry took the opportunity of basically no rules in the park to clean the bugs off the 5th wheel and wash the truck.
There were some trial car races going on so we decided to walk up the park a little for a better view. Just as we started out, all the trucks/motor homes and trailers started pulling out of a staging area and heading past us to go around to an area where they would be staying. Many, many dollars rolled past us!!
April 12th - Sat - to Santa Rosa
We thought about staying another night so we could watch the car races but decided to carry on. Terry did not want to drive through San Francisco so we headed over to I5, through Stockton and then drove north of San Francisco back to Hwy 101. One long section of highway was narrow 2 lane with posts on the centerline to stop cars from passing. A subsequent section had a concrete barrier down the centerline. There must have been a lot of accidents for that extreme measure.
We stopped at a rest area so I could make some breakfast. Just started cooking when the wind changed a bit and the large feed-lot hidden by a semi parked beside us became evident. We ate in a hurry and got out of there.
We are staying at an RV park at the fairgrounds in Santa Rosa. Our PA book said you could stay three nights at the PA rate but we were informed that as of March 1st it was changed to 1 night.
We set up and then went to find a bank and a grocery store as it seemed time for baby back ribs. Stopped on the way back for me to get a haircut and then relaxed and enjoyed dinner. But then we had to check out a casino about 15 miles away. As we drove north on 101, we could see a large, well lighted building on a hill to our right. It turned out to be the casino which you reached by going past it and over a bridge and then along a very windy, narrow road through farm land. There were 2 huge, multi-level parking garages and a large casino. We played for a few hours before losing our allotted amount.
April 13th - Sun - Santa Rosa
The RV park provided a great magazine of “101 things to do” in this area. So after checking email (yes, there is wi-fi at a fairgrounds RV park!), eating breakfast, paying for another night and visiting with neighbors, we went exploring.
We drove to nearby Sebastopol and found a street with whimsical junk sculptures in many front yards. Searched for a flea market that turned out to be only Costco clothing for sale and then headed for Bodega Bay, passing through Bodega where much of the movie “The Birds” was filmed.
We continued on up Hwy 1 to Jenner, stopping a couple of times to take pictures. There were lots of cars on every available parking area near paths to beaches and lots of people on the beaches. It was cool (62) and breezy but people were sunbathing and wading in the surf.
We stopped at a flea market in Guerneville and then succumbed to ice cream. We walked through the most amazing collection of junk for sale at the flea market. It was in a rickety, long, narrow building and was totally mind boggling. I kept trying to think of something that I could ask for but didn’t come up with anything weird enough!
Did a couple loads of laundry while Terry tried to figure out what our destination should be tomorrow.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
April 6th to 9th - Hemet to Buellton
April 6th - Sun - Hemet
Spent some time this morning looking up RV parks on a possible route north. We are heading north a little too early again, especially if we hit higher elevations. Not only might we run into cooler weather but a lot of the attractions and even parks are not open this early in the year. We paid for a week of internet access when we arrived so just as we were ready to leave and get some breakfast, our internet connection was dropped.
Barry & Yvonne continued being excellent tour guides and transportation today. We went to Diamond Valley Lake which is a man-made lake specifically for the purpose of storing water for domestic use by Southern California cities. Water is pumped in from the Colorado River and then gravity fed to cities as needed. A natural bowl in the hills was dammed in low spots and excavated to deepen it and then filled with water. No body contact is allowed in the lake. You can boat, fish, canoe & kayak but do not touch the water.
In the process of excavating, many fossils were uncovered so paleontologists and archeologists worked long hours to fully uncover, catalog and transport the hundreds of fossils and artifacts that were exposed by huge, earth moving equipment. We went to a museum that contains these fossils and has a couple of films documenting prehistoric life in the area and the fossil recovery process during the building of the lake. It is all very impressive and interesting.
Barry made his “family famous” lasagna for us for dinner and Yvonne again offered the use of her washer & dryer which I gladly took her up on. Another lovely day & evening!
April 7th - Mon - Hemet/Riverside
Our turn to make dinner tonight so we got out early to purchase ingredients. No baby backs at Smart & Final so we switched the menu to pork tenderloin. I put together Kathy’s (sister-in-law) potatoes, prepped salad & meat, made breakfast, vacuumed, washed the kitchen floor and gave Terry a haircut before Barry & Yvonne picked us up at noon for yet another outing.
Today they took us to nearby Riverside where they had lived for 30 years. We went to the Old Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. It is an historic, huge inn that is beautiful. We were lucky and got into the chapel and rotunda which are not normally open. We even peeked into a room being cleaned as it is still used as a hotel. They drove us through many different housing areas, through a large park, past golf courses amd down lovely streets lined with palm trees. There were flowers blooming everywhere.
Barry & Yvonne dropped us off and went home to look after their dog Kirby. We had time for Terry to get diesel & propane and for me to get dinner under way before they came back. We then looked at Mexico pictures and watched “Dancing with the Stars”.
Terry has come down with a cold today and is sniffing like crazy. Wonder how many Contac D he can take so I can sleep??
April 8th - Tues - Hemet
I got out my new sewing machine this morning and finished shortening 3 tee shirts. I had also purchased material for “baby back rib napkins” so I cut out 6, hemmed 2 and quit when the thread snarled on the third.
Terry was not feeling too well but we had a golf date with Barry & Yvonne so I made a late breakfast, we checked email at the park library and we went golfing.
It was cool today. Mostly cloudy but it was the wind that made it feel cold. The golf course was nice and very reasonable - $14 per person including a cart for super twilight which is after 1:00 pm. Terry & I did not play well. At least Terry had an excuse with a runny nose and watering eyes. I blamed my showing on the cold! Yvonne did not play as she has a sore back and was hurting after our game on Friday. She figured she better not irritate it any more.
We all went to a Chinese restaurant for a buffet dinner before parting with hugs all around. We won’t see them for a quite a while if our current travel plans actually happen.
April 9th - Wed - Hemet to Buellton
Barry & Yvonne helped us with the best roads to take today and we got to Buellton (north of Santa Barbara) at about 1:30. There are miles and miles of orange groves on the way and hundreds of acres of yellow flowers on many hillsides. Beautiful!
Terry went to get an RV site and I joined him as he was recovering from the price. The site is $52 plus tax for a total of $57! It is the only RV park in the area and we are staying here so we can go to the “Danish” town of Solvang. The Trailer Life RV park book showed prices a couple of years ago at $28 to $40 so we were shocked with the price. Then we drove into our spot and were even more unimpressed. It is not large enough to park the truck entirely off the road. We have to park towards the back so our slide clears the utility box. The site is a “hill” so we can’t put down our rear stabilizers as we don’t have enough blocks or boards to reach the ground. We didn’t even try to use the front stabilizer since we had to drop the front end so much. Oh well, it is just one night.
We left for Solvang in a hurry as stores close early. I grabbed an address in Wanda (GPS) and we went about 12 miles instead of 3 to get there! Just not our day. We wandered around the town for a while and tried the trademark abelskivers which are round pancake/dumpling things served with raspberry jam and powdered sugar. Quite good.
Terry is still feeling kind of puny so he rested while I spent time on the computer & internet.
Spent some time this morning looking up RV parks on a possible route north. We are heading north a little too early again, especially if we hit higher elevations. Not only might we run into cooler weather but a lot of the attractions and even parks are not open this early in the year. We paid for a week of internet access when we arrived so just as we were ready to leave and get some breakfast, our internet connection was dropped.
Barry & Yvonne continued being excellent tour guides and transportation today. We went to Diamond Valley Lake which is a man-made lake specifically for the purpose of storing water for domestic use by Southern California cities. Water is pumped in from the Colorado River and then gravity fed to cities as needed. A natural bowl in the hills was dammed in low spots and excavated to deepen it and then filled with water. No body contact is allowed in the lake. You can boat, fish, canoe & kayak but do not touch the water.
In the process of excavating, many fossils were uncovered so paleontologists and archeologists worked long hours to fully uncover, catalog and transport the hundreds of fossils and artifacts that were exposed by huge, earth moving equipment. We went to a museum that contains these fossils and has a couple of films documenting prehistoric life in the area and the fossil recovery process during the building of the lake. It is all very impressive and interesting.
Barry made his “family famous” lasagna for us for dinner and Yvonne again offered the use of her washer & dryer which I gladly took her up on. Another lovely day & evening!
April 7th - Mon - Hemet/Riverside
Our turn to make dinner tonight so we got out early to purchase ingredients. No baby backs at Smart & Final so we switched the menu to pork tenderloin. I put together Kathy’s (sister-in-law) potatoes, prepped salad & meat, made breakfast, vacuumed, washed the kitchen floor and gave Terry a haircut before Barry & Yvonne picked us up at noon for yet another outing.
Today they took us to nearby Riverside where they had lived for 30 years. We went to the Old Mission Inn in downtown Riverside. It is an historic, huge inn that is beautiful. We were lucky and got into the chapel and rotunda which are not normally open. We even peeked into a room being cleaned as it is still used as a hotel. They drove us through many different housing areas, through a large park, past golf courses amd down lovely streets lined with palm trees. There were flowers blooming everywhere.
Barry & Yvonne dropped us off and went home to look after their dog Kirby. We had time for Terry to get diesel & propane and for me to get dinner under way before they came back. We then looked at Mexico pictures and watched “Dancing with the Stars”.
Terry has come down with a cold today and is sniffing like crazy. Wonder how many Contac D he can take so I can sleep??
April 8th - Tues - Hemet
I got out my new sewing machine this morning and finished shortening 3 tee shirts. I had also purchased material for “baby back rib napkins” so I cut out 6, hemmed 2 and quit when the thread snarled on the third.
Terry was not feeling too well but we had a golf date with Barry & Yvonne so I made a late breakfast, we checked email at the park library and we went golfing.
It was cool today. Mostly cloudy but it was the wind that made it feel cold. The golf course was nice and very reasonable - $14 per person including a cart for super twilight which is after 1:00 pm. Terry & I did not play well. At least Terry had an excuse with a runny nose and watering eyes. I blamed my showing on the cold! Yvonne did not play as she has a sore back and was hurting after our game on Friday. She figured she better not irritate it any more.
We all went to a Chinese restaurant for a buffet dinner before parting with hugs all around. We won’t see them for a quite a while if our current travel plans actually happen.
April 9th - Wed - Hemet to Buellton
Barry & Yvonne helped us with the best roads to take today and we got to Buellton (north of Santa Barbara) at about 1:30. There are miles and miles of orange groves on the way and hundreds of acres of yellow flowers on many hillsides. Beautiful!
Terry went to get an RV site and I joined him as he was recovering from the price. The site is $52 plus tax for a total of $57! It is the only RV park in the area and we are staying here so we can go to the “Danish” town of Solvang. The Trailer Life RV park book showed prices a couple of years ago at $28 to $40 so we were shocked with the price. Then we drove into our spot and were even more unimpressed. It is not large enough to park the truck entirely off the road. We have to park towards the back so our slide clears the utility box. The site is a “hill” so we can’t put down our rear stabilizers as we don’t have enough blocks or boards to reach the ground. We didn’t even try to use the front stabilizer since we had to drop the front end so much. Oh well, it is just one night.
We left for Solvang in a hurry as stores close early. I grabbed an address in Wanda (GPS) and we went about 12 miles instead of 3 to get there! Just not our day. We wandered around the town for a while and tried the trademark abelskivers which are round pancake/dumpling things served with raspberry jam and powdered sugar. Quite good.
Terry is still feeling kind of puny so he rested while I spent time on the computer & internet.
Saturday, April 05, 2008
April 3rd to 5th - Hemet
Apr 3rd - Thurs - Hemet
It is amazing how much organizing and tidying I can get done when Terry is not around. I left about 12:45 to pick Terry up at the airport (2:55 arrival time) so I would have some time for a bit of shopping at Ontario Mills mall. A freeway slowdown wiped out a lot of that time. For about 8 miles the traffic was solid and moved no faster than 20 mph. I had agreed to wait in the mall parking lot for Terry to call when his plane landed since I didn’t know if there was a cell phone lot (where you can wait for someone to call and say they are on the curb to be picked up) at the airport. Terry called before his plane arrived at the terminal so I got there just as he was approaching the doors and he had to run to get to the truck before I was kicked out of the taxi parking area. Cell phones are great!
We paid for another 3 days here since we haven’t had any time for golf with Barry & Yvonne. We will be leaving on Wed the 9th. We just relaxed the rest of the afternoon, took a walk around the park, had a nice dinner and crashed.
Terry’s Mom is doing OK. She is going to be moved to St. Luke’s rehab tomorrow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) is taking a 3 week leave of absence from her job to help her Mom.
Apr 4th - Fri - Hemet
We had a late morning tee time with Barry & Yvonne at a course about 15 miles from here. They came to our place so we could throw all our clubs in the truck and ride together. It was another short course with no par 5s. Some really wicked par 3s with deep sand traps on either side/front of the elevated greens. Perfect weather - warm but not hot with a nice little breeze. Very affordable green fees - $20 per person including a cart.
Lazed around, had some dinner and then did our taxes. The printer needed black ink so we made a trip to a nearby Staples, bought the wrong ink cartridge, went back for a new cartridge and finished our taxes.
Apr 5th - Sat - Hemet
Terry was on the computer this morning when Claude sent a message via Skype. So Terry called and spoke with him using Skype - kind of fun!
Then I got to spend time trying to get a refund for an extra airline ticket charged to our credit card as a result of the online reservation system with US Airways that did not complete. Ended up having to send an email so we’ll see how long this process takes.
We went to Barry & Yvonne’s at noon as they offered to take us on a drive to Idyllwild which is a small town up in the mountains towards Palm Springs. We wandered through shops in the town and then Barry asked for directions to a small casino at Anzo. We had a nice lunch when we got there and then spent some time (and money, of course!) on the slot machines. Barry is not much of a gambler but there were a lot of TVs and he could watch one of the “final four” basketball games while he kept an eye on Yvonne.
It was nearly 7 when we returned. Spent a bit of time trying to plan a route out of here and of course email and blog and here it is nearing bedtime.
It is amazing how much organizing and tidying I can get done when Terry is not around. I left about 12:45 to pick Terry up at the airport (2:55 arrival time) so I would have some time for a bit of shopping at Ontario Mills mall. A freeway slowdown wiped out a lot of that time. For about 8 miles the traffic was solid and moved no faster than 20 mph. I had agreed to wait in the mall parking lot for Terry to call when his plane landed since I didn’t know if there was a cell phone lot (where you can wait for someone to call and say they are on the curb to be picked up) at the airport. Terry called before his plane arrived at the terminal so I got there just as he was approaching the doors and he had to run to get to the truck before I was kicked out of the taxi parking area. Cell phones are great!
We paid for another 3 days here since we haven’t had any time for golf with Barry & Yvonne. We will be leaving on Wed the 9th. We just relaxed the rest of the afternoon, took a walk around the park, had a nice dinner and crashed.
Terry’s Mom is doing OK. She is going to be moved to St. Luke’s rehab tomorrow. Cindy (Terry’s sister) is taking a 3 week leave of absence from her job to help her Mom.
Apr 4th - Fri - Hemet
We had a late morning tee time with Barry & Yvonne at a course about 15 miles from here. They came to our place so we could throw all our clubs in the truck and ride together. It was another short course with no par 5s. Some really wicked par 3s with deep sand traps on either side/front of the elevated greens. Perfect weather - warm but not hot with a nice little breeze. Very affordable green fees - $20 per person including a cart.
Lazed around, had some dinner and then did our taxes. The printer needed black ink so we made a trip to a nearby Staples, bought the wrong ink cartridge, went back for a new cartridge and finished our taxes.
Apr 5th - Sat - Hemet
Terry was on the computer this morning when Claude sent a message via Skype. So Terry called and spoke with him using Skype - kind of fun!
Then I got to spend time trying to get a refund for an extra airline ticket charged to our credit card as a result of the online reservation system with US Airways that did not complete. Ended up having to send an email so we’ll see how long this process takes.
We went to Barry & Yvonne’s at noon as they offered to take us on a drive to Idyllwild which is a small town up in the mountains towards Palm Springs. We wandered through shops in the town and then Barry asked for directions to a small casino at Anzo. We had a nice lunch when we got there and then spent some time (and money, of course!) on the slot machines. Barry is not much of a gambler but there were a lot of TVs and he could watch one of the “final four” basketball games while he kept an eye on Yvonne.
It was nearly 7 when we returned. Spent a bit of time trying to plan a route out of here and of course email and blog and here it is nearing bedtime.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Mar 31st to Apr 2nd - Hemet
Mar 31st - Mon - Hemet
As my “loyal readers” will know, I caught up on our blog this morning before Terry & I left for Ontario which is about 60 miles from here. We needed to buy a carry-on size suitcase and Yvonne told us about a large mall near the airport. So we found the mall, purchased a carry-on and had lunch in the food court. The mall (Ontario Mills) is huge with a lot of outlet versions of well known stores so we wandered through the rest of it after lunch and then I dropped Terry off at the airport with lots of time to spare.
I have not driven the truck much since we started traveling so it was a bit different driving 60 miles on unfamiliar roads. Luckily I could stay on I-10 nearly all the way so just had to worry about traffic and not turns. I spoke with Terry after I got back and he heard that his mom got to have a shower today so that sounds like good news.
I did a little grocery shopping before Barry & Yvonne picked me up to go to dinner at one of their favorite little restaurants. We sat and chatted after eating and I got back in time for “Dancing with the Stars”.
Apr 1st - Tues - Hemet
Where does the time go?!
After a nice long phone chat with Marg (sister), I had a lazy morning doing email, chores around the rig and giving Dolly a bath and a haircut. Barry & Yvonne picked me up at 1:30 for golf. We played at a short, pretty 9 hole course. The weather was cool in the morning but warmed up perfectly for a long pants golf game.
Got back to the rig about 3:30 and very shortly after started working on my pictures to get captions on them and get them posted to the internet. The internet access here has not been very fast and I had a heck of a time sending all the pictures. I ended up moving the computer all over the 5th wheel and finally found a spot on the bedroom dresser where the pictures would load. I finally finished posting the pictures just after 7:00.
Terry’s Mom is improving. I guess having all the “kids” there was a bit of a shock to her - like they all knew something about her health that she didn’t - and she had a rapid heart rate episode. But that was controlled and they went back to see her before some other tests had to be done.
Apr 2nd - Wed - Hemet
More email and puttering around before going to JoAnne Fabrics and Albertsons. I got some vinyl for a new tablecloth and groceries for dinner tonight. I have invited Barry & Yvonne for dinner.
The afternoon was taken up with final trimming on the dog, more email, messing with the new tablecloth and dinner prep. My company arrived at 5 and left just before 9 after a good dinner and some TV watching.
Terry’s Mom started some physiotherapy today and should be moved to rehab on Friday or Saturday. As if she did not have enough problems with her strokes, the hospital lost her dentures! Small comfort that the hospital will pay for new ones - the ones she had fit so well and looked so good that you didn’t even know she wore dentures.
As my “loyal readers” will know, I caught up on our blog this morning before Terry & I left for Ontario which is about 60 miles from here. We needed to buy a carry-on size suitcase and Yvonne told us about a large mall near the airport. So we found the mall, purchased a carry-on and had lunch in the food court. The mall (Ontario Mills) is huge with a lot of outlet versions of well known stores so we wandered through the rest of it after lunch and then I dropped Terry off at the airport with lots of time to spare.
I have not driven the truck much since we started traveling so it was a bit different driving 60 miles on unfamiliar roads. Luckily I could stay on I-10 nearly all the way so just had to worry about traffic and not turns. I spoke with Terry after I got back and he heard that his mom got to have a shower today so that sounds like good news.
I did a little grocery shopping before Barry & Yvonne picked me up to go to dinner at one of their favorite little restaurants. We sat and chatted after eating and I got back in time for “Dancing with the Stars”.
Apr 1st - Tues - Hemet
Where does the time go?!
After a nice long phone chat with Marg (sister), I had a lazy morning doing email, chores around the rig and giving Dolly a bath and a haircut. Barry & Yvonne picked me up at 1:30 for golf. We played at a short, pretty 9 hole course. The weather was cool in the morning but warmed up perfectly for a long pants golf game.
Got back to the rig about 3:30 and very shortly after started working on my pictures to get captions on them and get them posted to the internet. The internet access here has not been very fast and I had a heck of a time sending all the pictures. I ended up moving the computer all over the 5th wheel and finally found a spot on the bedroom dresser where the pictures would load. I finally finished posting the pictures just after 7:00.
Terry’s Mom is improving. I guess having all the “kids” there was a bit of a shock to her - like they all knew something about her health that she didn’t - and she had a rapid heart rate episode. But that was controlled and they went back to see her before some other tests had to be done.
Apr 2nd - Wed - Hemet
More email and puttering around before going to JoAnne Fabrics and Albertsons. I got some vinyl for a new tablecloth and groceries for dinner tonight. I have invited Barry & Yvonne for dinner.
The afternoon was taken up with final trimming on the dog, more email, messing with the new tablecloth and dinner prep. My company arrived at 5 and left just before 9 after a good dinner and some TV watching.
Terry’s Mom started some physiotherapy today and should be moved to rehab on Friday or Saturday. As if she did not have enough problems with her strokes, the hospital lost her dentures! Small comfort that the hospital will pay for new ones - the ones she had fit so well and looked so good that you didn’t even know she wore dentures.
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