May 27th – Fri – 100 Mile
It rained again this morning so we didn’t do anything constructive. Marg left about 11 to go to Williams Lake with her friend Jane. After lunch the rain quit so we changed from the bucket to the forks on the tractor and went to work removing an old snake (zig-zag) pole fence that we will replace with a page wire fence. There are a lot of trees in the area so Terry had to put his driving skills to work to maneuver the long poles through gaps that were shorter than his load. We had to get out the chain saw and cut some poles in half as they were in an area with too many trees. We got the whole fence removed just in time for chores, happy hour & dinner. We still have to clean up bark, rotten parts and accumulated debris before we put up the new fence.
May 28th – Sat – 100 Mile
I thought a tractor tire looked odd yesterday and it turns out that a young man using the tractor bent the tie rod. Also, Marg forgot to tell us that the same young man had abused the tractor enough that the power steering hose fittings were leaking and she had ordered new parts in Williams Lake. Marg & Terry took the tractor to a neighbor who has a 500 pound press as he thinks he can straighten the tie rod.
Marg was helping with a fund raiser in town this today so I helped Dad finish the planter. After lunch, Dad put verathane on the planter while Terry & I went to town. We went to the visitor center to get some information for Terry’s brother Gary but it was closed. We made a couple of stops to find some mats for our rig to save the carpet from all the dirt we track in while we are here and then came back. Quille arrived about 3:30 with a boned, marinated, rolled leg of lamb to put on the BBQ for dinner. It was supposed to be done on the spit but Marg couldn’t find all the parts this morning. So we put a rack over a pan of water, tented the meat with foil and put it on the BBQ.
Gail and Rick (Quille & Gail’s neighbor) arrived for dinner before Marg got home. The Hospice fund raiser consisted of 15 teams of 4 competing in The Amazing Challenge which was based on The Amazing Race from TV. They started at 9 and the last team did not finish until 3 so they were all very tired. There was a minimum contribution of $200 per team so even though it took a lot of planning and volunteers, it was a good event for Hospice.
We had a thunderstorm & a downpour before the meat was done so Marg turned the BBQ around so it was under a little roof by the back door and we could continue cooking without getting soaked. Terry is not fond of lamb so we had a steak for him and we all enjoyed a great dinner and good company.
May 29th – Sun
There was a little fog this morning but it soon turned warm & sunny and stayed that way – lovely! - so Marg & Quille went fishing at Ruth Lake. We didn’t get much done in the morning but got busy after lunch. Terry & I washed the truck as you could barely see what color it was under the mud. It is amazing how heavy rain does NOT wash mud off a vehicle! Then we mowed & used the weed eater in & in front of the garden and in the picnic area in the back. We couldn’t get the self propelled lawn mower to start so we got some exercise pushing the other mower.
We helped Dad prep some boards for another planter and left him to start building it while we took an ATV for a tour around the property. We found a dead calf twisted up in the back fence so we had to open a gate to interrupt the power to the electric fence, remove the calf and restore the power. When we got back, Dad was not at the shop and his ATV was not at the house so we took another little ride to look for him. We crossed paths and he came back with Sage (Marg’s dog) who had heard him & left us.
Marg got home just after we finished dinner and right behind friends Francis & Nichole. She brought home 3 Kokenee and 1 trout from a good day fishing. Marg made some phone calls about the dead calf and got a return call a bit later. We were kind of embarrassed when the calf turned out to be a moose calf. It was a light tan color and its legs were all tangled in the wires and obviously we didn’t really look too close. It explained why a mother cow wasn’t hanging around as I thought it should be.
Monday, May 30, 2011
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 23rd to 26th - Logan Lake to 100 Mile House
May 23rd – Mon – Logan Lake
After breakfast made by Pat, I put in a load of laundry and we hung around until their grandchildren Landon & Ryleigh had been dropped off by their Dad and picked up by their Mom. Next we drove to town and went for a walk around the lake. We drove so we could stop at the grocery store on the way back – and I also had to check out the Bargain Store.
Pat made lunch and then the guys napped while Pat & I put food together for a gathering this evening. Rick had just fallen asleep when Claude & Val stopped by for a short visit. They had been in Whistler to watch their granddaughter win a dance competition and were picking up their dog Tucker from “babysitters” Lynden & Charlie.
About 5, friends Ian & Patsy and Lynden & Charlie came over for appy hour – ie “lots of snacks make up dinner”. We had our usual great time. After they left about 10 and we cleaned up, Pat wanted to play cards and Rick was nice enough to extend his bedtime for 2 hands. We will finish the game tomorrow.
May 24th – Tues – Logan Lake
We had coffee and banana/chocolate chip cake with Pat for breakfast, Terry & Rick dug out all our golf clubs and we went to Kamloops. First, Rick had a doctor’s appointment which didn’t take long. Then we went to Princess Auto to get some fencing items for Marg and went next door to check out Price Matters, a Big Lots type of store. We wanted some items but decided to come back as our list included frozen food.
While we were shopping, it started to rain so we decided to cancel the golf game and go to the casino where Pat got to play a while before losing her money but Terry & I just donated quickly. We ate the lunch we had packed, went back to Price Matters, stopped at The Superstore for diesel and a few grocery items and headed home.
We had a roast in the crock pot so Pat put veggies in to roast in the oven and we finished our card game – a win for Pat & I - and played another game where the guys were back to their good luck with wild cards and won again.
Rick taped DWTS from an eastern TV feed so we watched the “good parts” of the 3 hour finale in about half an hour. Then we watched the end of “Idol” and called it a night.
May 25th – Wed – to 100 Mile House
We had coffee with Pat & Rick and headed north about 9. It rained last night and off & on today. We encountered heavy fog for a few miles before Ashcroft. We dumped our tanks in 100 Mile and continued to sister Marg’s in heavy rain. We drove into her place by the “back way” (old power line easement) so we could drive into our parking spot and not have to turn or back too much and possibly dig ruts and get stuck. It took a while to get parked as her yard requires several boards under one set of tires and a lot of extension on the front jacks to get us nearly level. We left the rest of the setting up until after lunch.
I helped Marg with a spreadsheet on her computer that she uses for her tax information and before we knew it it was time to leave for ladies’ day golf. The rain had stopped and we had not cancelled by 2:00 pm so we felt obliged to play. While we were waiting on the first hole, we huddled under a tree as a downpour passed over. Unfortunately we couldn’t hide from all the rain so we got fairly wet. It was “3 clubs & a putter” which is fun. Golf was followed by dinner & prizes – Terry got to reheat leftovers for him & Dad. Terry & Dad dumped out a jigsaw puzzle, turned over all the pieces and got a start on the edge.
May 26th – Thurs – 100 Mile House
Marg was planning on going fishing today but Quille had forgotten an appointment so they cancelled. Good thing as it rained most of the day.
The water pump at the corral had quit working so we had to pull it up. It is quite a procedure as the submersible pump is attached to the plastic hose and you pull up everything with a rope attached to the pump. Terry pulled it up with the rope, Marg guided the pipe up & over the fence and I pulled the 100 feet of pipe out into the field as it came up. We detached the pump and Marg & Terry took it to town to be tested. They did a bit of shopping and picked up a new fridge that Marg had ordered to replace one in the basement that quit. While they were gone, I worked on a large planter with Dad in the shop.
After lunch it just kept raining so we didn’t do much besides work on the jigsaw puzzle that Terry & Dad started last night. I did get a load of laundry done and ran back & forth several times to the rig to bring in stuff that we will need while we are here. Marg went to Quille’s so I made dinner for Terry, Dad & me.
After breakfast made by Pat, I put in a load of laundry and we hung around until their grandchildren Landon & Ryleigh had been dropped off by their Dad and picked up by their Mom. Next we drove to town and went for a walk around the lake. We drove so we could stop at the grocery store on the way back – and I also had to check out the Bargain Store.
Pat made lunch and then the guys napped while Pat & I put food together for a gathering this evening. Rick had just fallen asleep when Claude & Val stopped by for a short visit. They had been in Whistler to watch their granddaughter win a dance competition and were picking up their dog Tucker from “babysitters” Lynden & Charlie.
About 5, friends Ian & Patsy and Lynden & Charlie came over for appy hour – ie “lots of snacks make up dinner”. We had our usual great time. After they left about 10 and we cleaned up, Pat wanted to play cards and Rick was nice enough to extend his bedtime for 2 hands. We will finish the game tomorrow.
May 24th – Tues – Logan Lake
We had coffee and banana/chocolate chip cake with Pat for breakfast, Terry & Rick dug out all our golf clubs and we went to Kamloops. First, Rick had a doctor’s appointment which didn’t take long. Then we went to Princess Auto to get some fencing items for Marg and went next door to check out Price Matters, a Big Lots type of store. We wanted some items but decided to come back as our list included frozen food.
While we were shopping, it started to rain so we decided to cancel the golf game and go to the casino where Pat got to play a while before losing her money but Terry & I just donated quickly. We ate the lunch we had packed, went back to Price Matters, stopped at The Superstore for diesel and a few grocery items and headed home.
We had a roast in the crock pot so Pat put veggies in to roast in the oven and we finished our card game – a win for Pat & I - and played another game where the guys were back to their good luck with wild cards and won again.
Rick taped DWTS from an eastern TV feed so we watched the “good parts” of the 3 hour finale in about half an hour. Then we watched the end of “Idol” and called it a night.
May 25th – Wed – to 100 Mile House
We had coffee with Pat & Rick and headed north about 9. It rained last night and off & on today. We encountered heavy fog for a few miles before Ashcroft. We dumped our tanks in 100 Mile and continued to sister Marg’s in heavy rain. We drove into her place by the “back way” (old power line easement) so we could drive into our parking spot and not have to turn or back too much and possibly dig ruts and get stuck. It took a while to get parked as her yard requires several boards under one set of tires and a lot of extension on the front jacks to get us nearly level. We left the rest of the setting up until after lunch.
I helped Marg with a spreadsheet on her computer that she uses for her tax information and before we knew it it was time to leave for ladies’ day golf. The rain had stopped and we had not cancelled by 2:00 pm so we felt obliged to play. While we were waiting on the first hole, we huddled under a tree as a downpour passed over. Unfortunately we couldn’t hide from all the rain so we got fairly wet. It was “3 clubs & a putter” which is fun. Golf was followed by dinner & prizes – Terry got to reheat leftovers for him & Dad. Terry & Dad dumped out a jigsaw puzzle, turned over all the pieces and got a start on the edge.
May 26th – Thurs – 100 Mile House
Marg was planning on going fishing today but Quille had forgotten an appointment so they cancelled. Good thing as it rained most of the day.
The water pump at the corral had quit working so we had to pull it up. It is quite a procedure as the submersible pump is attached to the plastic hose and you pull up everything with a rope attached to the pump. Terry pulled it up with the rope, Marg guided the pipe up & over the fence and I pulled the 100 feet of pipe out into the field as it came up. We detached the pump and Marg & Terry took it to town to be tested. They did a bit of shopping and picked up a new fridge that Marg had ordered to replace one in the basement that quit. While they were gone, I worked on a large planter with Dad in the shop.
After lunch it just kept raining so we didn’t do much besides work on the jigsaw puzzle that Terry & Dad started last night. I did get a load of laundry done and ran back & forth several times to the rig to bring in stuff that we will need while we are here. Marg went to Quille’s so I made dinner for Terry, Dad & me.
Monday, May 23, 2011
May 20th to 22nd - Summerland & Logan Lake BC
May 20th – Fri – to Summerland BC
We packed up, dumped the tanks and were on our way at 8:20 under beautiful, clear skies. We stopped at the duty free store to get a couple of bottles of booze since we had left everything behind and didn’t have any problems after a 5 minute wait at the border. We did have to throw out the few veggies that I hadn’t taken to Georgia but we knew that would happen. Terry hoped that if we had a few things to throw out that we wouldn’t be subjected to any kind of search – seems like it worked.
We stopped for a hamburger for lunch and were set up in Auntie Jessie’s driveway shortly after 2. We checked out her house and were starting to catch up on everything when cousin Cheryl and her 2 daughters Ashley & Drew stopped by for a while. Then it was time to make cabbage rolls for dinner.
May 21st – Sat – Summerland
Auntie Jessie had been up for hours by the time I went in for a shower. We weren’t that late, she usually gets up very early. First I had to put on the shower head and after the shower had to wipe up the floor as the shower curtain was not installed. Auntie Jessie moved back into her house after having it rented out and there was a lot of damage and more work than she can handle in a short time. She had a shower curtain which was too big so after coffee we cut it in half and I took it to the rig to sew the raw edges so she now has 2 curtains. Terry & I made short work of putting up the rod & curtain. Next we moved one picture and hung a new one – again easy for us but not so easy for Jessie. Then it was on to the garage where we carried her winter tires and a small freezer into the basement.
Auntie Jessie had to go to a grand re-opening of the bakery in town that she & Uncle Tom used to own and we had to take her since her car was blocked by our 5th wheel. We left her to cut the cake and walked to cousin Cheryl & her husband Paul’s natural food store where cousin Terry also works so I was able to chat with her for a while.
Next on the list was shopping trip to Penticton. I won’t include the whole story but after lunch and a stop for Jessie to buy bras (!!) we finally got a mattress, box spring and a frame loaded on our truck and headed back – with a stop for produce on the way. We carried her old mattress & box spring downstairs (split entry, 2 sets of stairs), dismantled the old head/foot board and took it downstairs , carried in the new mattress and set it up on the new frame from which we had to remove the casters as the bed was too high for petite Jessie to get up on easily. Then we reassembled the head/foot board and set up the bed in the basement.
We didn’t have too much time for a short break and dinner prep before cousin Glen, cousin Kelly & wife Sam and Cheryl, Paul, Ashley, Drew and youngest daughter Adrianna arrived for dinner. We had lots of hugs – hello and goodbye - and a good dinner.
May 22nd – Sun – to Logan Lake
It poured rain last night and was cloudy this morning when we left just after 9. We parked our truck & 5th wheel in a WalMart parking lot in Westbank where Ernie & Dianne (met in Mesa) picked us up for breakfast. They are not familiar with Westbank so we drove over the bridge to Kelowna where they live and had breakfast at a De Dutch restaurant. The restaurant was very busy which was great as it gave us time to chit-chat. We were back at our truck and on our way across The Connector to Merritt at 11:20.
Cousin Pat was at a movie with daughter Morgan so Rick helped us wiggle our 5th wheel into their back driveway. Our slides are so close to the porch on one side and the fence on the other that we have to walk around to the front door rather than down the side of the rig to the back door. After Rick had a sandwich for lunch, we all went for a walk. No matter the route, you always have to come back uphill to the house so we all took a little rest to look over the town on the way back.
After drinks and a good dinner (thanks in part to Rick!) we settled down to a serious game of Hand & Foot Canasta. The guys won and I thought their luck and the women’s bad luck could not possibly last so suggested another game. You would think I would know from casinos that bad luck does last so the lack of wild cards for Pat & I meant the guys won again. Oh well, we are here for a couple more days so a rematch is possible.
We packed up, dumped the tanks and were on our way at 8:20 under beautiful, clear skies. We stopped at the duty free store to get a couple of bottles of booze since we had left everything behind and didn’t have any problems after a 5 minute wait at the border. We did have to throw out the few veggies that I hadn’t taken to Georgia but we knew that would happen. Terry hoped that if we had a few things to throw out that we wouldn’t be subjected to any kind of search – seems like it worked.
We stopped for a hamburger for lunch and were set up in Auntie Jessie’s driveway shortly after 2. We checked out her house and were starting to catch up on everything when cousin Cheryl and her 2 daughters Ashley & Drew stopped by for a while. Then it was time to make cabbage rolls for dinner.
May 21st – Sat – Summerland
Auntie Jessie had been up for hours by the time I went in for a shower. We weren’t that late, she usually gets up very early. First I had to put on the shower head and after the shower had to wipe up the floor as the shower curtain was not installed. Auntie Jessie moved back into her house after having it rented out and there was a lot of damage and more work than she can handle in a short time. She had a shower curtain which was too big so after coffee we cut it in half and I took it to the rig to sew the raw edges so she now has 2 curtains. Terry & I made short work of putting up the rod & curtain. Next we moved one picture and hung a new one – again easy for us but not so easy for Jessie. Then it was on to the garage where we carried her winter tires and a small freezer into the basement.
Auntie Jessie had to go to a grand re-opening of the bakery in town that she & Uncle Tom used to own and we had to take her since her car was blocked by our 5th wheel. We left her to cut the cake and walked to cousin Cheryl & her husband Paul’s natural food store where cousin Terry also works so I was able to chat with her for a while.
Next on the list was shopping trip to Penticton. I won’t include the whole story but after lunch and a stop for Jessie to buy bras (!!) we finally got a mattress, box spring and a frame loaded on our truck and headed back – with a stop for produce on the way. We carried her old mattress & box spring downstairs (split entry, 2 sets of stairs), dismantled the old head/foot board and took it downstairs , carried in the new mattress and set it up on the new frame from which we had to remove the casters as the bed was too high for petite Jessie to get up on easily. Then we reassembled the head/foot board and set up the bed in the basement.
We didn’t have too much time for a short break and dinner prep before cousin Glen, cousin Kelly & wife Sam and Cheryl, Paul, Ashley, Drew and youngest daughter Adrianna arrived for dinner. We had lots of hugs – hello and goodbye - and a good dinner.
May 22nd – Sun – to Logan Lake
It poured rain last night and was cloudy this morning when we left just after 9. We parked our truck & 5th wheel in a WalMart parking lot in Westbank where Ernie & Dianne (met in Mesa) picked us up for breakfast. They are not familiar with Westbank so we drove over the bridge to Kelowna where they live and had breakfast at a De Dutch restaurant. The restaurant was very busy which was great as it gave us time to chit-chat. We were back at our truck and on our way across The Connector to Merritt at 11:20.
Cousin Pat was at a movie with daughter Morgan so Rick helped us wiggle our 5th wheel into their back driveway. Our slides are so close to the porch on one side and the fence on the other that we have to walk around to the front door rather than down the side of the rig to the back door. After Rick had a sandwich for lunch, we all went for a walk. No matter the route, you always have to come back uphill to the house so we all took a little rest to look over the town on the way back.
After drinks and a good dinner (thanks in part to Rick!) we settled down to a serious game of Hand & Foot Canasta. The guys won and I thought their luck and the women’s bad luck could not possibly last so suggested another game. You would think I would know from casinos that bad luck does last so the lack of wild cards for Pat & I meant the guys won again. Oh well, we are here for a couple more days so a rematch is possible.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
May 17th to 19th - Spokane
May 17th – Tues – Spokane
The rain did not materialize today so we didn’t get any more pictures scanned. We made a trip to Costco to pick up some new contacts and have a hot dog, picked up the mail and got Terry’s new driver’s license, got a new trial contact from Shopko and dropped off our bikes to get them tuned up.
We went to Skip & Kathy’s (Terry’s brother) for dinner. We always have a good time and a good dinner with them and today was no exception. We also got to see our nephews Shane & Nick for a short time. Terry had a little bit too much fun so I got to drive home.
May 18th – Wed – Spokane
I baked muffins this morning while Terry played games on the computer. Then he went to see his brother Gary at White’s Boots and took him to lunch. I defrosted the freezers, talked for quite a while to Julie and watched TV.
When Terry got back, we went to WalMart and then picked up our bikes which we checked out with a little ride around the parking lot when we returned. It was $152 well spent. Bill & Georgia let us know that they would be later for dinner than we expected so we had time to go to the Elk’s Lodge for a drink. Except that the first time you go in for a drink, the second drink is free so of course we had 2 drinks.
Bill & Georgia came over just after 5 for dinner. I thought we would play cards but we seemed to have a lot to talk about so never got around to cards. We sent a box of booze home with them to store for us as we have too much to take into Canada.
May 19th – Thurs – Spokane
We had to get color ink for our printer this morning and then took more booze and some vegetables to Bill & Georgia. Claude told us that they had to give up all their vegetables at the border so I would prefer to give them to Georgia. We made a quick stop at Fred Meyer on the way back.
Larry & Julie (met in Mesa, live here) came over for lunch. We helped them buy a park model earlier this year when we returned to Mesa for a week. Lunch & drinks lasted until after 5. Mary stopped by to pick up a jacket that she left when they came for dinner on Saturday.
I had kept a few beers for lunch but we didn’t drink them so Terry took them to a small group that was having a pot luck dinner at a covered shelter near our rig and chatted with them for a bit.
Because of our late lunch, we had a very light dinner and relaxed with TV.
The rain did not materialize today so we didn’t get any more pictures scanned. We made a trip to Costco to pick up some new contacts and have a hot dog, picked up the mail and got Terry’s new driver’s license, got a new trial contact from Shopko and dropped off our bikes to get them tuned up.
We went to Skip & Kathy’s (Terry’s brother) for dinner. We always have a good time and a good dinner with them and today was no exception. We also got to see our nephews Shane & Nick for a short time. Terry had a little bit too much fun so I got to drive home.
May 18th – Wed – Spokane
I baked muffins this morning while Terry played games on the computer. Then he went to see his brother Gary at White’s Boots and took him to lunch. I defrosted the freezers, talked for quite a while to Julie and watched TV.
When Terry got back, we went to WalMart and then picked up our bikes which we checked out with a little ride around the parking lot when we returned. It was $152 well spent. Bill & Georgia let us know that they would be later for dinner than we expected so we had time to go to the Elk’s Lodge for a drink. Except that the first time you go in for a drink, the second drink is free so of course we had 2 drinks.
Bill & Georgia came over just after 5 for dinner. I thought we would play cards but we seemed to have a lot to talk about so never got around to cards. We sent a box of booze home with them to store for us as we have too much to take into Canada.
May 19th – Thurs – Spokane
We had to get color ink for our printer this morning and then took more booze and some vegetables to Bill & Georgia. Claude told us that they had to give up all their vegetables at the border so I would prefer to give them to Georgia. We made a quick stop at Fred Meyer on the way back.
Larry & Julie (met in Mesa, live here) came over for lunch. We helped them buy a park model earlier this year when we returned to Mesa for a week. Lunch & drinks lasted until after 5. Mary stopped by to pick up a jacket that she left when they came for dinner on Saturday.
I had kept a few beers for lunch but we didn’t drink them so Terry took them to a small group that was having a pot luck dinner at a covered shelter near our rig and chatted with them for a bit.
Because of our late lunch, we had a very light dinner and relaxed with TV.
Monday, May 16, 2011
May 13th to 16th - Spokane
May 13th – Fri – back to Spokane
We packed up, dumped our tanks at the dump station, headed back to Spokane and stopped again at the 50,000 Silver $ bar for a good breakfast. We are staying at the Elks club just north of I90 & Pines. It is on a hill with quite a nice view of the city and is $95 for a week.
After we set up, we ran a couple of errands which included a grocery store as we invited friends Mike & Mary to come for dinner tomorrow. We also got an email from Neil & Robin (met in Mesa) which said they would going through Spokane on Sunday or Monday so I called to say we would be here and would love to see them. They said they should arrive late tomorrow.
The weather is lovely with a storm coming in so we put baby backs on the BBQ for dinner. Then Terry was antsy so we went to Northern Quest casino. We had been there quite a while when we ran into Mary. Anyone who knows the size of the casino knows that it is quite a coincidence to see someone there by accident.
May 14th – Sat – Spokane
I watched some cooking shows on TV this morning while Terry played games on the computer. I did some dinner prep before we found a laundromat and washed a couple of loads. I was on the phone a couple of times with Robin. They were making good time and were going to be here about 6:30 so Terry went to a grocery store for some more pork chops so they could join us for dinner.
Mike & Mary arrived right on time at 4. We showed off our home and had drinks and snacks before Neil & Robin got here at 6:30. We all enjoyed each other’s company and dinner. Mike & Mary had to leave fairly early so we played Wizard with Neil & Robin. On one of our phone calls, I had asked Robin if they would like to stay overnight with us and they said yes so we all finally went to bed about 12:30.
May 15th – Sun – Spokane
We got up fairly early and enjoyed a cup of coffee before all going to Shari’s for a good breakfast. When we got back, we taught Neil & Robin how to play Sequence – and Robin & I showed the guys how the girls win 3 out of 4 games! Neil & Robin left about 11.
It was very windy all last night and remained windy but fairly warm today. With rain in the forecast, we headed for the CDA Casino where it took us several hours to lose our allowance. We had to run through a heavy rain back to the truck.
We spent the rest of the afternoon & evening listening to the rain, watching TV and working/playing on the computer.
May 16th – Mon – Spokane
The word for the day is RAIN. I goofed off & watched TV while Terry played games on the computer this morning. In the late morning, we decided to actually do something and resumed our job of scanning pictures from our albums into the computer. We took a break for lunch and then worked all afternoon to finally finish one album – 567 pictures. It feels good to get that much done. We have 1 ½ albums left to go so if the rain continues as forecast, we may actually finish in the next couple of days.
We packed up, dumped our tanks at the dump station, headed back to Spokane and stopped again at the 50,000 Silver $ bar for a good breakfast. We are staying at the Elks club just north of I90 & Pines. It is on a hill with quite a nice view of the city and is $95 for a week.
After we set up, we ran a couple of errands which included a grocery store as we invited friends Mike & Mary to come for dinner tomorrow. We also got an email from Neil & Robin (met in Mesa) which said they would going through Spokane on Sunday or Monday so I called to say we would be here and would love to see them. They said they should arrive late tomorrow.
The weather is lovely with a storm coming in so we put baby backs on the BBQ for dinner. Then Terry was antsy so we went to Northern Quest casino. We had been there quite a while when we ran into Mary. Anyone who knows the size of the casino knows that it is quite a coincidence to see someone there by accident.
May 14th – Sat – Spokane
I watched some cooking shows on TV this morning while Terry played games on the computer. I did some dinner prep before we found a laundromat and washed a couple of loads. I was on the phone a couple of times with Robin. They were making good time and were going to be here about 6:30 so Terry went to a grocery store for some more pork chops so they could join us for dinner.
Mike & Mary arrived right on time at 4. We showed off our home and had drinks and snacks before Neil & Robin got here at 6:30. We all enjoyed each other’s company and dinner. Mike & Mary had to leave fairly early so we played Wizard with Neil & Robin. On one of our phone calls, I had asked Robin if they would like to stay overnight with us and they said yes so we all finally went to bed about 12:30.
May 15th – Sun – Spokane
We got up fairly early and enjoyed a cup of coffee before all going to Shari’s for a good breakfast. When we got back, we taught Neil & Robin how to play Sequence – and Robin & I showed the guys how the girls win 3 out of 4 games! Neil & Robin left about 11.
It was very windy all last night and remained windy but fairly warm today. With rain in the forecast, we headed for the CDA Casino where it took us several hours to lose our allowance. We had to run through a heavy rain back to the truck.
We spent the rest of the afternoon & evening listening to the rain, watching TV and working/playing on the computer.
May 16th – Mon – Spokane
The word for the day is RAIN. I goofed off & watched TV while Terry played games on the computer this morning. In the late morning, we decided to actually do something and resumed our job of scanning pictures from our albums into the computer. We took a break for lunch and then worked all afternoon to finally finish one album – 567 pictures. It feels good to get that much done. We have 1 ½ albums left to go so if the rain continues as forecast, we may actually finish in the next couple of days.
Friday, May 13, 2011
May 10th to 12th - Spokane to Missoula
May 10th – Tues - Spokane WA
Terry got up early to golf with Bill, Georgia rode with them to the golf course and walked back and I shampooed our carpets with Georgia’s carpet cleaner. I also hung Georgia’s laundry on the line and got a load of ours in her washer before they all returned.
Then we were off to run errands – mail, licenses, etc. Terry had to renew his driver’s license and was afraid that they would make him change from our mail box address as that is what happened to me last year. But the guy just verified that the address hadn’t changed and gave him a new one. We went to the social security office so I could apply for retirement. After waiting for ½ hour, I was told that they could make an appointment for me to do so and it would be in about 2 weeks – or I could apply by phone or on the internet. When we got back, I filled out the online application and when I was done it informed me that I would have to take my green card to a social security office to finish the application!!
We had another shared dinner made mostly by Georgia and then we all went for a walk to check out the sewer construction. After dessert went home to watch TV as Terry wasn’t going to last long.
May 11th – Wed - to Missoula MT
We have a fridge recall and some small warranty items to get done on the 5th wheel so we are making a trip to Missoula. We could have had the work done in Spokane but we have been really happy with the service department in Missoula and so-so with the one in Spokane. We may not get in until Friday but we are nervous about not being able to get out of Bill’s yard if excavation gets started.
It was a beautiful day for the 180 mile drive. We stopped at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar (used to be 10,000 – guess that’s inflation!) for breakfast and set up at Bretz RV. We gave our “laundry list” to the service department and he said he could get us in on Friday.
We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with neighbors & reading, then dinner & TV.
May 12th – Thurs – Missoula
We were being lazy and watching TV in bed this morning when a guy with a tractor came to take our 5th wheel into the shop – what happened to our Friday appointment? They probably thought we were terrible as it was 9:20 local time but only 8:20 on all our clocks. After Terry was sure that they knew what the problems were, we went to find a social security office to show them my green card. We got an address from a phone book and drove 4 ½ miles to find a new address posted on the door. Wanda took us back nearly to Bretz for the new location. But it was not very busy, the employees were very nice and we were done in no time.
Next was a stop at WalMart where I ended up getting a much needed haircut. Then fuel stops – first for the truck and then for us. A bit later, Terry was antsy so we made a trip to Costco for some items that we didn’t know we needed.
Back at Bretz, I read while Terry wandered & paced. We looked at some new 5th wheels like ours and found some changes that we did not like. About 4 our rig was done & back in the parking spot. A neighbor, Steve, came by and we had drinks with him. I had him bring over his computer & camera to put a picture on his wallpaper and then had him stay for dinner since his wife is visiting grandkids and he is here alone.
Terry got up early to golf with Bill, Georgia rode with them to the golf course and walked back and I shampooed our carpets with Georgia’s carpet cleaner. I also hung Georgia’s laundry on the line and got a load of ours in her washer before they all returned.
Then we were off to run errands – mail, licenses, etc. Terry had to renew his driver’s license and was afraid that they would make him change from our mail box address as that is what happened to me last year. But the guy just verified that the address hadn’t changed and gave him a new one. We went to the social security office so I could apply for retirement. After waiting for ½ hour, I was told that they could make an appointment for me to do so and it would be in about 2 weeks – or I could apply by phone or on the internet. When we got back, I filled out the online application and when I was done it informed me that I would have to take my green card to a social security office to finish the application!!
We had another shared dinner made mostly by Georgia and then we all went for a walk to check out the sewer construction. After dessert went home to watch TV as Terry wasn’t going to last long.
May 11th – Wed - to Missoula MT
We have a fridge recall and some small warranty items to get done on the 5th wheel so we are making a trip to Missoula. We could have had the work done in Spokane but we have been really happy with the service department in Missoula and so-so with the one in Spokane. We may not get in until Friday but we are nervous about not being able to get out of Bill’s yard if excavation gets started.
It was a beautiful day for the 180 mile drive. We stopped at the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar (used to be 10,000 – guess that’s inflation!) for breakfast and set up at Bretz RV. We gave our “laundry list” to the service department and he said he could get us in on Friday.
We spent the rest of the afternoon visiting with neighbors & reading, then dinner & TV.
May 12th – Thurs – Missoula
We were being lazy and watching TV in bed this morning when a guy with a tractor came to take our 5th wheel into the shop – what happened to our Friday appointment? They probably thought we were terrible as it was 9:20 local time but only 8:20 on all our clocks. After Terry was sure that they knew what the problems were, we went to find a social security office to show them my green card. We got an address from a phone book and drove 4 ½ miles to find a new address posted on the door. Wanda took us back nearly to Bretz for the new location. But it was not very busy, the employees were very nice and we were done in no time.
Next was a stop at WalMart where I ended up getting a much needed haircut. Then fuel stops – first for the truck and then for us. A bit later, Terry was antsy so we made a trip to Costco for some items that we didn’t know we needed.
Back at Bretz, I read while Terry wandered & paced. We looked at some new 5th wheels like ours and found some changes that we did not like. About 4 our rig was done & back in the parking spot. A neighbor, Steve, came by and we had drinks with him. I had him bring over his computer & camera to put a picture on his wallpaper and then had him stay for dinner since his wife is visiting grandkids and he is here alone.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
May 6th to 9th - Hillsboro to Spokane
May 6th – Fri – Hillsboro
After a nice late breakfast, we went to Costco to renew our membership and buy a few items. Then we found a Chevy dealer which was really close. When we were driving here, the “check engine” light came on. A lot of the information for this light in the manual mentioned emission control so we thought it might have something to do with the new DEF. The service guy was very nice and they weren’t super busy so they were able to get the truck right in and on the computer. There were 3 suspect sensors but apparently they were all “electrical” rather than a problem so they flashed (reset?) the system, took it for a test drive and sent us on our way. It was also all covered under warranty so that was good.
I wanted to find a WalMart but when we started following Wanda’s directions we realized how long it would take us and decided to go to a closer Fred Meyer instead. It was raining when we got back so we just hibernated and watched blossom petals from a huge tree behind us fall like snow.
May 7th – Sat – Hillsboro
It was cool & rainy this morning so we stayed late in our cozy bed. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, worked on the computer a bit and then we went to see Terry’s Mom and her husband Don. They now live in a small, detached “apartment” behind Terry’s sister Cindy’s house. It was being built when we were last here and it is lovely. Terry’s Mom is in a wheelchair so it was designed – by Cindy’s husband Tim – to be wheelchair accessible. We spent a few hours with them, left for a bit to get propane and a couple of grocery items and then went back to have dinner with them, Cindy and Cindy’s friend Kimberly.
It is very nice to be staying at the Elks as we are only about 4 miles from Cindy’s rather than the 20 miles when we stayed here last year.
May 8th – Sun – Hillsboro to John Day
I got up early to make Danish Puff and Pigs-in-a-Blanket for brunch at Cindy’s. The Danish Puff takes an hour to bake so I had to get an early start even though we didn’t leave until just after 10. Terry’s nephew Trevor and his wife Janine dropped by to say hi before we ate. Of course EllaMae & Don were there as well as Cindy’s daughter Amy, her husband Ryan and their 2 month old baby boy Cillian (hard C).
After brunch, we sat around & visited and were entertained by Cillian. We decided to leave about 3:30 and also decided to get out of Portland today rather than fight rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. So we fueled up and were on the road at 4:30. We stayed at the Corp of Engineers park on the John Day river which was great for the overnight stop – especially since our Golden Age pass halved the cost to $11.
May 9th – Mon – to Spokane
We dumped our waste tanks on the way out of the park and headed east on I84. We called Bill & Georgia to see if the “Hughes RV Park” was open for the season and they said we were welcome to stay but to be aware that road grinding for a sewer project was beginning on their street today.
We stopped for fuel and lunch in Connell and arrived at B&G’s around 2:30. We had set up and had a beer in the lovely sunshine when Bill & Terry went for a walk to check out the construction and met B&G’s son Dennis coming to get his boat out of their garage. Unfortunately, it was directly behind where we parked so we had to move the 5th wheel. This took us up to dinner time which Georgia provided. After dinner, we walked down the street and watched the grinding process – yes, they were still working and didn’t stop until about 9. We watched DWTS at B&G’s and headed back to our rig.
After a nice late breakfast, we went to Costco to renew our membership and buy a few items. Then we found a Chevy dealer which was really close. When we were driving here, the “check engine” light came on. A lot of the information for this light in the manual mentioned emission control so we thought it might have something to do with the new DEF. The service guy was very nice and they weren’t super busy so they were able to get the truck right in and on the computer. There were 3 suspect sensors but apparently they were all “electrical” rather than a problem so they flashed (reset?) the system, took it for a test drive and sent us on our way. It was also all covered under warranty so that was good.
I wanted to find a WalMart but when we started following Wanda’s directions we realized how long it would take us and decided to go to a closer Fred Meyer instead. It was raining when we got back so we just hibernated and watched blossom petals from a huge tree behind us fall like snow.
May 7th – Sat – Hillsboro
It was cool & rainy this morning so we stayed late in our cozy bed. I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast, worked on the computer a bit and then we went to see Terry’s Mom and her husband Don. They now live in a small, detached “apartment” behind Terry’s sister Cindy’s house. It was being built when we were last here and it is lovely. Terry’s Mom is in a wheelchair so it was designed – by Cindy’s husband Tim – to be wheelchair accessible. We spent a few hours with them, left for a bit to get propane and a couple of grocery items and then went back to have dinner with them, Cindy and Cindy’s friend Kimberly.
It is very nice to be staying at the Elks as we are only about 4 miles from Cindy’s rather than the 20 miles when we stayed here last year.
May 8th – Sun – Hillsboro to John Day
I got up early to make Danish Puff and Pigs-in-a-Blanket for brunch at Cindy’s. The Danish Puff takes an hour to bake so I had to get an early start even though we didn’t leave until just after 10. Terry’s nephew Trevor and his wife Janine dropped by to say hi before we ate. Of course EllaMae & Don were there as well as Cindy’s daughter Amy, her husband Ryan and their 2 month old baby boy Cillian (hard C).
After brunch, we sat around & visited and were entertained by Cillian. We decided to leave about 3:30 and also decided to get out of Portland today rather than fight rush hour traffic tomorrow morning. So we fueled up and were on the road at 4:30. We stayed at the Corp of Engineers park on the John Day river which was great for the overnight stop – especially since our Golden Age pass halved the cost to $11.
May 9th – Mon – to Spokane
We dumped our waste tanks on the way out of the park and headed east on I84. We called Bill & Georgia to see if the “Hughes RV Park” was open for the season and they said we were welcome to stay but to be aware that road grinding for a sewer project was beginning on their street today.
We stopped for fuel and lunch in Connell and arrived at B&G’s around 2:30. We had set up and had a beer in the lovely sunshine when Bill & Terry went for a walk to check out the construction and met B&G’s son Dennis coming to get his boat out of their garage. Unfortunately, it was directly behind where we parked so we had to move the 5th wheel. This took us up to dinner time which Georgia provided. After dinner, we walked down the street and watched the grinding process – yes, they were still working and didn’t stop until about 9. We watched DWTS at B&G’s and headed back to our rig.
Friday, May 06, 2011
May 3rd to 5th - Brookings, Florence, Hillsboro
May 3rd – Tues – Brookings
We made a quick trip for a few groceries and I did some dinner prep before making breakfast. Craig came to the RV park about noon and we went with him to golf at Salmon Run GC where we were joined Bill, a friend of Craig. The course is very different and, if possible, too challenging. It is narrow with a lot of blind holes, creeks across fairways, gullies and steep side hills. You have to keep carts on the paths so in several places where you want to lay up for a shot across a creek, you have to walk quite a ways to your next shot and then walk back to the carts which really slows down the game. Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people on the course but with the guys constantly hunting for balls in the rough – OK, I lost some too – the round took us 5 ½ hours.
Cathy and her dogs Maya (an adorable Papillon) and Ryan (an exuberant Boxer) were waiting at the RV park when we returned. We had a lot of catching up to do so it was nonstop talking, eating & drinking until they left just after 10. Luckily, Cathy doesn’t drink alcohol so Craig left his truck and Cathy was the designated driver.
May 4th – Wed – to Florence OR
We got a fairly early phone call from Craig asking if we found Cathy’s cell phone as she couldn’t find it. Sure enough, it had dropped from her pocket when she was sitting at the table so we put it in his truck as they weren’t coming in until after we were planning to leave.
The drive along the coast was beautiful. We stopped at a casino in Coos Bay for breakfast and lost $20 in slot machines.
There were no other rigs in the Elks RV parking so we got a huge pull-through spot, registered and got set up. We found a car dealer where we bought DEF for the truck as the warning message told us we had 300 miles left before our speed would be restricted. It was quite cold & windy which, as everyone knows by now, meant a trip to another casino where we each got $10 free play. I went up & down on my free play and gave Terry more money when he lost his allowance. As often happens, he started winning and by the time I was starving and ready to go, he had more than covered our losses for the day. As we were walking out, I saw a favorite machine that I wanted to try (!!!) and he sat down at one that we had never seen before. I lost my $5 and he turned his into $25 so we headed back.
There was a Papa Murphy’s pizza right across from the Elks lodge so I talked Terry into pizza for dinner. This is one of the few types of pizza that he sort of likes.
May 5th – Thurs – to Hillsboro OR
Terry filled up the DEF and we headed north again for more lovely scenery along the coast. We turned inland at Lincoln City and stopped at Spirit Mountain Casino which is much larger than the last time – several years ago – that we were there. We were going to stay overnight but after gambling for quite a while and having lunch, we decided to continue on to Hillsboro which is a suburb of Portland. Again, we are at an Elks lodge, this time for $10 a night. By the time we set up & registered, it was time for happy hour, dinner & TV.
We made a quick trip for a few groceries and I did some dinner prep before making breakfast. Craig came to the RV park about noon and we went with him to golf at Salmon Run GC where we were joined Bill, a friend of Craig. The course is very different and, if possible, too challenging. It is narrow with a lot of blind holes, creeks across fairways, gullies and steep side hills. You have to keep carts on the paths so in several places where you want to lay up for a shot across a creek, you have to walk quite a ways to your next shot and then walk back to the carts which really slows down the game. Luckily, there weren’t a lot of people on the course but with the guys constantly hunting for balls in the rough – OK, I lost some too – the round took us 5 ½ hours.
Cathy and her dogs Maya (an adorable Papillon) and Ryan (an exuberant Boxer) were waiting at the RV park when we returned. We had a lot of catching up to do so it was nonstop talking, eating & drinking until they left just after 10. Luckily, Cathy doesn’t drink alcohol so Craig left his truck and Cathy was the designated driver.
May 4th – Wed – to Florence OR
We got a fairly early phone call from Craig asking if we found Cathy’s cell phone as she couldn’t find it. Sure enough, it had dropped from her pocket when she was sitting at the table so we put it in his truck as they weren’t coming in until after we were planning to leave.
The drive along the coast was beautiful. We stopped at a casino in Coos Bay for breakfast and lost $20 in slot machines.
There were no other rigs in the Elks RV parking so we got a huge pull-through spot, registered and got set up. We found a car dealer where we bought DEF for the truck as the warning message told us we had 300 miles left before our speed would be restricted. It was quite cold & windy which, as everyone knows by now, meant a trip to another casino where we each got $10 free play. I went up & down on my free play and gave Terry more money when he lost his allowance. As often happens, he started winning and by the time I was starving and ready to go, he had more than covered our losses for the day. As we were walking out, I saw a favorite machine that I wanted to try (!!!) and he sat down at one that we had never seen before. I lost my $5 and he turned his into $25 so we headed back.
There was a Papa Murphy’s pizza right across from the Elks lodge so I talked Terry into pizza for dinner. This is one of the few types of pizza that he sort of likes.
May 5th – Thurs – to Hillsboro OR
Terry filled up the DEF and we headed north again for more lovely scenery along the coast. We turned inland at Lincoln City and stopped at Spirit Mountain Casino which is much larger than the last time – several years ago – that we were there. We were going to stay overnight but after gambling for quite a while and having lunch, we decided to continue on to Hillsboro which is a suburb of Portland. Again, we are at an Elks lodge, this time for $10 a night. By the time we set up & registered, it was time for happy hour, dinner & TV.
Tuesday, May 03, 2011
Apr 30th to May 2nd - Eureka to Brookings OR
Apr 30th – Sat – Eureka
We went to Old Town, wandered through stores and checked out the harbor. It was still windy & cool but not bad for strolling. When we got back, our neighbor was cleaning his 5th wheel so Terry figured he should dry wash the truck while I worked on the computer. The next thing I knew, Terry was also cleaning the 5th wheel so I took pity on him and washed the outside of the windows.
By now it was time to relax and have dinner. This RV park also includes cable TV so we can find something decent to watch.
May 1st – Sun – to Brookings OR
It was a lovely morning for a short drive along the coast. We can certainly tell that we have moved into a rainy part of the country with all the greenery everywhere. We set up – we are the only rig in the Elks RV park – registered and had lunch. We went for a little drive, stopped at Fred Meyers to pick up one small item and came out with a basket full. When we bought our 5th wheel, we had the king bed exchanged for a queen and had to buy a comforter. The one we got was inexpensive and not exactly the right colors so I remedied that today!
We came back to drop everything off and then since the wind came up we went to a casino again! Terry finally found a machine that paid some money so we left a few hours later with $40 ahead, 2 small soft cooler bags and 2 6-packs of pop.
May 2nd – Mon – Brookings
I intended to walk to Fred Meyers for doughnuts this morning but it started to rain before I was ready to go so we drove. There is a laundry room with 2 washers & dryers here at the Elks so I got a bit of exercise by walking back & forth to get 4 loads done.
We are planning to see friends Craig & Cathy while we are here. They stopped in Medford on their way home from their usual winter “south” and Craig called about noon to say that he stopped for fuel and then his truck wouldn’t start but he was waiting for AAA. A couple of phone calls later and he said they were on their way with new batteries. The old ones turned over but wouldn’t catch. We had offered to go to Medford and tow their 5th wheel to their home in Gasquet but luckily – for them – that wasn’t necessary.
The weather cleared up so we went exploring. This included a stop at the Azalea Garden for a walk & pictures and a drive along the waterfront at the Coast Guard basin.
We went to Old Town, wandered through stores and checked out the harbor. It was still windy & cool but not bad for strolling. When we got back, our neighbor was cleaning his 5th wheel so Terry figured he should dry wash the truck while I worked on the computer. The next thing I knew, Terry was also cleaning the 5th wheel so I took pity on him and washed the outside of the windows.
By now it was time to relax and have dinner. This RV park also includes cable TV so we can find something decent to watch.
May 1st – Sun – to Brookings OR
It was a lovely morning for a short drive along the coast. We can certainly tell that we have moved into a rainy part of the country with all the greenery everywhere. We set up – we are the only rig in the Elks RV park – registered and had lunch. We went for a little drive, stopped at Fred Meyers to pick up one small item and came out with a basket full. When we bought our 5th wheel, we had the king bed exchanged for a queen and had to buy a comforter. The one we got was inexpensive and not exactly the right colors so I remedied that today!
We came back to drop everything off and then since the wind came up we went to a casino again! Terry finally found a machine that paid some money so we left a few hours later with $40 ahead, 2 small soft cooler bags and 2 6-packs of pop.
May 2nd – Mon – Brookings
I intended to walk to Fred Meyers for doughnuts this morning but it started to rain before I was ready to go so we drove. There is a laundry room with 2 washers & dryers here at the Elks so I got a bit of exercise by walking back & forth to get 4 loads done.
We are planning to see friends Craig & Cathy while we are here. They stopped in Medford on their way home from their usual winter “south” and Craig called about noon to say that he stopped for fuel and then his truck wouldn’t start but he was waiting for AAA. A couple of phone calls later and he said they were on their way with new batteries. The old ones turned over but wouldn’t catch. We had offered to go to Medford and tow their 5th wheel to their home in Gasquet but luckily – for them – that wasn’t necessary.
The weather cleared up so we went exploring. This included a stop at the Azalea Garden for a walk & pictures and a drive along the waterfront at the Coast Guard basin.
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