July 25th to 27th - Fidalgo Bay

July 25^th – Thurs

 We took the bikes off the rack, cleaned them up & pumped up the tires.  They needed cleaning because we drove for quite a while after the cover was torn by dragging on a steep access to a service station.  Then we rode a really nice bike/walking trail to Anacortes – only a couple of miles away.  We initially were going to have breakfast in town but decided to eat when we got back.

We saw a couple digging clams on the beach and we had been told that we didn’t need a license for clams so Terry dug out a rake and a bucket.  We went to the beach where we talked to the people and discovered that we do need a license and a permit from the park to dig on this beach.  We drove back to ACE Hardware for our licenses, got the permit here, got out another bucket & a shovel and headed back to the beach.  It didn’t take too long to get our limit of 40 clams each and then we had to start rinsing them and mixing up salt water so they would spit out all the sand.  I enjoyed reading while Terry went visiting.

The rest of the group was eating oysters (not our cup of tea) so we had clams, salad & bread for dinner.  Turns out the group also had crab which we missed.  After dinner we went for another short bike ride the other way on the bike trail which went over a long wooden trestle – very nice.  Then we were ready for a nightcap & TV.

July 26^th – Fri

I made cinnamon rolls for breakfast and then we went to see Larry & Barb.  I chatted a while with Barb while Terry was watching Larry cook the crab that they pulled from traps this morning.  We found out that dinner today was a potluck so we had to go to a grocery store for a couple of ingredients for Kathy’s Potatoes.  Then we went to the casino where I won more money than Terry lost.  Terry was actually doing OK but I made him leave so I could get the casserole mixed & in the oven.  We heard first that dinner was at 5, then 5:30 and then 6 so I ended up turning off the oven & leaving the potatoes in to keep them warm.  While the potatoes were cooking, we both actually ate oysters that had been cooked on a grill and basted with a sauce containing bacon, butter & garlic.  Not too bad.  We also had time to visit with Dave & Dora and Art & Dava.  We met Dave & Dora in Desert Hot Springs.  Art is Dora’s brother.

In the usual manner of potlucks, we had lots of food.  We ate on a deck that went the full length of the clubhouse and the weather was perfect.

July 27^th – Sat

After coffee & leftover cinnamon rolls, we wandered around chatting and saying goodbye to quite a few of the group who were leaving today.  Then we went for a drive to Deception Pass, Oak Harbor and Coupeville.  It is very scenic and the parking lot to view the pass area was overflowing with cars when we passed it going & coming back so we didn’t stop.  We made a short stop at the casino on the way back and Terry covered my small loss this time.

I made a late lunch and then we went to Larry & Barb’s site.  Barb said we should have been there 15 minutes earlier and we could have tasted her crab cakes.  L&B’s son Jeff, his wife Becky and their daughter Amanda are here for another night as well as friends Mike & Cindy and another Mike so we hung around with them for the rest of the day. 

Terry went out in the boat a couple of times to pull crab pots and we helped cook about 30 crabs.  Of course we ate crab for dinner which ended up being quite late as we waited for the second batch of crab to come in and be cooked.  Also, Jeff & Becky wanted a tour of our rig so we fit that in before dinner.  Terry got out a buddy burner and it was 11 before he asked that the last person put the lid on the buddy burner and we headed home.

July 22nd to 24th - back to NW Washington

July 22^nd – Mon

I interspersed coffee & reading with cleaning while Terry perfected his game skills on the computer.  I made breakfast for lunch and then got the laundry read to head to the laundromat.  There is a nice, big facility in town so it didn’t take long to finish.

Terry dumped the tanks when we got back and I got out my sewing machine for a few small projects.  Then of course it was time to make one last trip to the casino.  Terry had lost his money when I made enough to cover our allowance and let us play some more.  I almost don’t like it when this happens as it reinforces our “addiction”.  Yeah, right!!

We cruised town looking for a place to have dinner and picked a Chinese restaurant (Lucky Dragon) where we had a really good dinner with leftovers to take home.  It was too late and we were too full to even have a nightcap when we got back.

July 23^rd – Tues

We weren’t in any hurry to get going this morning as we were heading north again and didn’t want to hit rush hour traffic on I5.  So we packed up and hit the road just after 9.  I don’t think I mentioned that we are joining a group that we met at Desert Hot Springs to camp at Fidalgo Bay for 4 days.  We went south to stay at Larry & Barb’s lot and will end up at Fidalgo Bay (near Anacortes) tomorrow.

Of course we did end up in a lot of traffic and some stop & go.  It just never quits on this stretch of I5.  The only rest area was closed so Terry finally had to pull off on the shoulder for a potty stop for me!  We parked in the RV parking at Tulalip Casino about 1:00 and I made lunch from the leftovers from dinner last night before we hit the casino.

I guess I used up all my luck yesterday but luckily Terry did better.  We picked up chicken strips to take to the rig for dinner.  We were amazed when we left the casino about 7:30 and it was still sunny – and hot!  After we ate, we sat outside to enjoy a drink.  Our neighbors came over to chat for while but it cooled off quickly when the sun went down so we went to our respective homes.

July 24^th – Wed - to Fidalgo Bay

While I was having a shower, Terry walked over to the casino to get a cup of coffee since we are dry camping.  Yes, he came right back with the coffee!  We drove a very short distance to a WalMart for groceries and another cup of coffee to wash down a doughnut.  I crammed everything that needed to be cool in the fridge and found spots in the closet for the rest. 

We were just about at the RV park at 10:30 which we knew was too early to check in so we stopped at a casino (!) for a while.  We played for quite a while and ended up checking in about 1:30.  We set up and started greeting all our friends.  There are 9 couples that we know and about 30 assorted sons, daughters, grandkids & friends.

We ended up at a cabin where Russ & Judy and Gilbert & Grace are staying and had drinks & snacks.  I helped – a bit – Judy & Grace make clam chowder for dinner.  The entire crowd got together for dinner at a large spot between 2 rigs parked awning-to-awning.  One of the rigs is owned by Russ & Judy’s son & daughter-in-law – Rusty & Cami – who made 2 huge pots of chili for the main course.  There were also BBQ’d wieners, 2 pans of cornbread, lovely dark bread, corn chips, onions, sour cream, etc – in other words all the good stuff to go along with chili. 

We were all stuffed and barely had enough energy to move to the deck of the clubhouse to watch several guys unsuccessfully try to start a motor on one of the boats that is supposed to be used tomorrow for crabbing.  We were back at the rig with a drink and watching TV when Larry & Barb stopped in for a chat.

July 19th to 21st - Ocean Shores

July 19^th – Fri

After coffee, breakfast and lazing around, we went to Aberdeen to check out WalMart and whatever else struck our fancy.  The WalMart turned out to NOT be a superstore so we got a couple of items and then went to a large nearby grocery store.  I had decided to make antipasto, took my list and shopped for all the ingredients.  When we returned, we put everything away and I made a couple of lovely artichokes for a late lunch.

Now it was time to return to the casino.  For a change, we both won a bit and actually left before we gave it back!  We went to Pirate’s Cove restaurant for their fish & chip special for dinner.  It was much more pleasant when they turned down the music after we were there about 20 minutes.

It was time to hit the sack and watch TV when we got home.

July 20^th – Sat

Terry played a computer game for most of the time that I was making antipasto.  It requires a lot of time consuming chopping and then I had to process the jars in 2 batches in my largest pot.  I made breakfast for lunch when I was done with the antipasto.  I got to relax, read & watch TV while Terry played his computer game for a while longer.  And then of course the casino called us again as the cool wind continued from yesterday to keep us from cleaning the 5^th wheel.

I played a long time before losing my allowance and then I found Terry doing OK.  We both continued to play on the machines that he had been on for a long time but I just lost.  Luckily he kept winning so we actually left with quite a bit of our previous losses in Terry’s pocket.

I used up leftovers for an easy dinner and then we watched TV.

July 21^st – Sun

Terry has gotten back into his computer game so while he was playing I did more cleaning.  It is somewhat embarrassing to see how much dirt rinses out of the cloth when I wipe walls! 

We stopped at McDonalds for lunch on our way to the casino.  Too bad we didn’t have a repeat of yesterday.  We picked up bananas at the grocery store and then continued on to the marina as Terry saw a sign advertising live crabs for sale.  We bought a couple and then drove around the end of the peninsula (that is Ocean Shores) and back to our spot.  Our lunch was early so we were ready for dinner and really enjoyed the crab with a salad and garlic toast.

After watching TV for a while, I convinced Terry to join me on a walk to the beach even though it was breezy & misty – make that windy & cold when we actually got to the beach. 

July 16th to 18th - Ocean Shores

July 16^th – Tues

We finished marking the travelled roads on our new atlas - one job done.  I caught up & posted the blog and replied to some emails before making breakfast.  The sky was clear and there was only a light breeze but again it was not too warm which I guess is standard for the coast.  I did think it would be warmer in the middle of July.

About noon we went for a drive along the beach.  Lots of people were parked on the sand & walking along the water but no one was sunbathing.  The people selling horseback rides seemed to be fairly busy.  We once again ended up at the casino for a short time and then stopped at the grocery store on the way home.

We had corn on the cob and tomatoes for a late lunch and then I started on another project – cleaning the inside of the 5^th wheel.  Of course I clean fairly regularly but I am talking about washing walls, light fixtures, screens, etc.  I started with the smallest area – the toilet room – which is nice to get done first.  I continued with some of the bedroom and then called it a day in time for happy hour.

Each time this evening that I thought we might walk to the beach, the wind would come up again.  Oh well, maybe tomorrow.

July 17^th – Wed

We puttered around most of the morning with coffee, computer (captions on pictures), TV & a late breakfast.  Then we went “shopping” – meaning wandering in, around & out of stores without buying anything.  There are quite a few fun shops to explore.  We checked out the beach again before coming back for R&R and happy hour.  I actually cleaned all the woodwork in the bedroom before making dinner.  Luckily we have great satellite TV reception so Terry has something to occupy his time.

The weather was overcast & cool all day so Terry managed to talk me out of any washing of the truck or 5^th wheel.

July 18^th – Thurs

Terry was awake early and turned on the TV in the bedroom.  He started watching a movie so we didn’t get up too early – love it!  After coffee, I read something on the internet about using baking soda to loosen bugs on a vehicle so I had to try it on the truck & 5^th wheel.  I spread the baking soda paste on the truck window and then both lower corners of the front of the 5^th wheel.  It was so easy to wipe the bugs off that Terry came out to help.  We ended up washing the entire truck but decided to leave the rest of the 5^th wheel for later.

By now it was time for lunch and then another trip to town.  We drove out to the beach again and then discovered many shops that we didn’t explore yesterday and I actually made one purchase.

We stopped at the grocery store for a few items, came back for HH and made dinner.  The sun actually came out for a couple of hours this afternoon but unfortunately the wind also came up at the same time.  We did decide that the overcast weather was perfect for washing the truck.

July 13th to 15th - Monroe to Ocean Shores WA

July 13^th – Sat

Larry & Barb’s son Jeff, his wife Becky and their daughter Amanda joined the rest of us for breakfast this morning.  Barb has a large dining table & comfy chairs so we all sat around to chat after eating.  It was fun meeting the “kids” so we can put faces to the names when Larry & Barb talk about them.

Larry discovered a huge wasp nest under their eave and has been trying to spray it.  The problem is that the house is on a slope and the spray barely went far enough – either up or over from the deck – so Larry hired someone to look after it today.  The guy suited up, climbed to the garage/breezeway roof and sprayed first the entrance hole and then stuck the wand through the nest and sprayed inside.  Wasps were flying all around him and dropping to the roof.  I watched from the deck until some wasps flew further from the nest.  That was our excitement for the day!

We planned baby backs for dinner so Barb & I got them boiling in the seasoned water and then we played cards outside.  We learned a new game – Phase 10 – which Larry didn’t really enjoy but ended up winning.  We played Sequence after dinner and the guys won.

July 14^th – Sun

We had a lighter breakfast with Larry & Barb – leftover homemade doughnuts and a big fruit salad.  Perfect!  Jason & Kyle are flying to Italy today so they were sorting out what was going with them and what was being left in their car.

Larry & Barb offered us the use of their lot at Ocean Shores WA so we took advantage of it.  It was not a long drive so we stopped at a casino near Shelton and then at the Muckleshoot casino which is huge.  We each had $10 towards food so we had a late lunch at the brunch buffet (so-so). Obviously we didn’t do too well at either casino as we arrived at the lot about 6:30.  We couldn’t figure out how to turn on the water and the permit on the post had no writing on it so I talked to Larry and got it all figured out.  Since we ate late, I made leftovers & snacks for dinner.

The sun was shining when we got here but there was a very cool breeze off the ocean.

July 15^th – Mon

We have a few chores to do while we are here so we worked on transferring “roads travelled” from our old atlas to the new one.  I finally talked to someone at Verizon and got our bill adjusted somewhat and gave up on a second question after at least ½ hour on the phone.  Three little deer wandered onto the lot, ate leaves and looked in the back window before strolling back out the front.  A bit later 2 larger deer showed up for a quick visit.  Terry was watching Epic RVs on TV so I had time to putter around.

We finally went out about 1 and had lunch at McDonalds.  Again it sunny but cool and while we were eating fog started rolling in.  We headed to the local casino where we spent the rest of the afternoon.  We took turns winning a bit so we had a good time.  Dinner, TV and a phone call to sister Marg filled the evening.

July 10 to 12th - to Monroe WA

July 10^th – Wed

We decided to continue west on the North Cascade Highway as we haven’t driven it for many years.  It is a beautiful drive and I took way too many pictures of mountains.  We stopped in Winthrop and were just in time for breakfast at Three Fingered Jack’s.  Winthrop is a touristy, cowboy-themed town.  We wandered up & down the main street to settle breakfast before walking back to the RV parking area and heading out again.

When we hit I5 we had just a few miles until we arrived at the Tulalip Casino where we planned to stay the night.  We pulled into one of the two large parking areas specifically for RV’s and happened to see a security guard right there who could give us a parking permit.  We went to the casino and did what we do – played slots.  I was down to very little when I found a machine that let me win a bit.  Then I played a machine beside Terry and won back everything that we had started with.  We wisely (for once) cashed out and went back to the rig for dinner.

The TV in our bedroom runs on DC power so Terry put up the antenna and let the TV lull him to sleep pretty early.

July 11^th – Thurs

We wanted to wait until rush hour traffic cleared before hitting the road so we went back to the casino for a while this morning before going to Monroe to visit Larry & Barb.  We knew there was a WalMart & service station nearby so we headed there for fuel & groceries.  The station didn’t have diesel so we picked up a few groceries and went south on I5 before going to Hwy 9.  We got off for another service station but couldn’t see an easy exit if we drove in so we took a convoluted way back to the highway.  Just before Monroe, we tried another service station.  We had to squeeze past a semi parked on the side road and then found the diesel pumps out of order.  There was another station on the other side of the road where Terry had to turn around (including backing up a couple of times) to get the pump on the correct side of the truck.  Then the credit card reader wasn’t working and he had to go in to get the pump turned on.  This involved running the credit card for $75 which he knew wasn’t enough but the clerk said he could pump as much as necessary and come back to pay for the rest.  Of course it shut off at $75 and Terry was so ticked off that we left with half a tank.

We ended up in the wrong left turn lane in Monroe (which we knew before we turned but couldn’t get out) and took a detour on a narrow road for a few miles before Terry found a side road large enough to back into to turn around.  Finally we arrived at Larry & Barb’s and backed into their driveway with no problem.

Barb made sandwiches for lunch and we had a great time catching up with news on both sides.  Barb called friends Russ & Judy to come see us and possibly join us for dinner.  Before Barb could get hold of them, the guys picked up 2 large Papa Murphy’s pizzas.  Russ & Judy did come for a nice visit but couldn’t stay for dinner so we had PLENTY of pizza.

July 12^th – Fri

We took it easy this morning as Larry was out washing windows and Terry thought Barb had left in the car.  Turns out Larry moved the car in front of our truck and Barb was making the breakfast that she had scheduled for 9:30.  Their son Jason and his wife Kyle had arrived early from Montana (6:30?), dropped off food & suitcases and left to run errands.

We had finished breakfast when Jim & Penny walked the short way from their house down the street to say hi.  Barb missed an appointment at 9:15 and we had time for another great visit before her rescheduled appointment at noon.  When she returned, we went for a drive to Fidalgo Bay RV park.  We are joining a group that will be camping there later this month so Larry thought it would be nice if we knew how to get there and we could check out the site we reserved.

We stopped on the way back and had huge ice cream cones and then made a couple of other stops looking for strawberries.  Barb cooked the chicken that she originally planned for yesterday and we added rice and a salad for a late dinner.  Jason & Kyle are here for a high school reunion so were out with friends for the evening.

July 7th to 9th - to Lake Chelan

July 7^th – Sun

I made jelly biscuits which we had with Bill & Georgia when they returned from church & joined us for coffee.  We had almost everything packed up and pulled out at 9:15. 

We headed west on Hwy 2 to end up at Mill Bay Casino on Chelan Lake.  There is a very steep, long hill down to the Columbia River so the exhaust brake really got a workout.  The casino has electric hookups at one end of the parking lot so we parked there and went in to register with security so we could stay for the night.  The slots were not very nice to us!  We had lunch/dinner about 3 and shortly after returned to our rig to relax with a drink & TV.  It was pretty hot and big dark, clouds were building.

A couple in a camper and pulling a big bass boat pulled in just down from us.  As they were eating (he sitting in the boat, she in a lawn chair), the rain suddenly started.  They ducked under the slide of their camper and Terry called to them to come over out of the rain which they did when they finished eating.

Chris & Marti are from Marysville and go fishing quite often.  Chris has a business designing & maintaining web sites which he can look after while travelling.  The rain stopped after we had a drink so we moved outside so Chris could indulge his smoking habit.  We pulled out a buddy burner and enjoyed it for a couple of hours before 2 security guards informed us we couldn’t have an open fire.  Chris warned us that they are notorious for keeping people up late and sure enough we didn’t get to bed until 1.

July 8^th – Mon

Terry was moving a little slowly this morning – I wonder why!?  We eventually decided to go back to the casino as it was senior day.  After playing slots a bit, we each got a $5 coupon for breakfast which Terry could enjoy by now.  We had planned to possibly meet up with Chris & Marti later today and got a text message on my phone when we got back to the rig saying they had gone to pick blueberries and would get in touch later.

We packed up and moved a whole 7 miles back down the road to Chelan city RV park where we stayed many years ago.  We set up and turned on the AC before going to get diesel and a few groceries.  After a steak dinner we walked all around the park which doesn’t have too many empty spots.

July 9^th – Tues

Blue skies and hot again today.  It is nice to be lazy with coffee & TV in the morning.  I analyzed our Verizon bill more thoroughly and found a couple of items that need explanation but the on-line chat button indicated all employees were busy.

After breakfast, we went to town (a few blocks) and wandered up & down the main street.  There are lots of interesting little stores and we checked them all out but didn’t buy anything.  Then we took a little sightseeing trip up to Manson which happens to be on the other side of the casino.  There are lots of orchards in this area which are hardly ever level as the whole area is hills on both sides of Chelan Lake which is 78 miles long. 

Did I mention that we had to go past the casino on the way back?  Of course we stopped in for a while – too hot to do much outdoors!  I won a bit when we started so it was more fun today.  By the time we got back it was time to start boiling the ribs for dinner.  We sat out in the shade – still hot – ate outside and then watched TV & read inside.  I never could get hold of Verizon.

July 3rd to 6th - Spokane

July 3^rd – Wed

Terry & Bill went golfing this morning and I enjoyed reading in bed before getting up & going - slowly.  I was still on the phone with sister Marg when Terry got back.  I made breakfast sandwiches for us before Bill joined us for coffee. 

I am making baby backs for dinner tonight so I had Terry get out the propane stove as it is too hot to boil ribs inside.  It is nice to have the ribs done ahead of time.

Bill was looking for a “something to fix” so I mentioned a piece of molding in the kitchen area that won’t stay attached as there is nothing behind the bottom 2/3 of the paneling.  Terry got out the liquid nails and Bill hooked up his nail gun.  Then Bill brought out a can of stain to cover the nail marks and the white end of the molding and we were all done with that small project.

We made a new leveling board earlier this spring and then I think Terry threw out the better of our 2 old boards so we needed another one.  We are always replacing them as they tend to split so I finally talked Terry into putting metal pieces across the ends of the boards.  I was helped in this argument by Bill who immediately raided his “good stuff” pile for metal strapping.  He also provided a board and we ended up making 1 board for us and 3 for Bill.  They even have straps on the sides so the guys can reach over the truck bed and pick them up easier.  We worked a bit with a bike cover for B&G’s bikes but didn’t come up with a solution.

Now it was time for snacks & red beer in the shade on the back lawn which could become a habit!  Terry cooked baby backs for dinner which we ate in the house as it was way cooler than our rig.  We played cards again after dinner.

July 4^th – Thurs

Terry & Bill golfed early this morning and I had a load of laundry on the line by the time they got back.  They invited their golfing buddy Vern and his wife Deni over for dinner so of course Georgia & I had to make another trip for groceries and wine.  We got the first bill for our changed Verizon account and naturally it was higher than expected so I spent too much time trying to get someone on the phone or “chatting” on the web site and never did talk to anyone. 

Vern & Deni arrived about 3 so we could have a drink before dinner which was hamburgers on the BBQ and plenty of accompanying dishes.  We played Sequence and I think the ladies used too much energy on the meal as the guys beat us.

July 5^th – Fri

Terry & Bill went shopping this morning and Terry came home with a tonneau cover for our truck.  Several companies have said that they couldn’t provide one as our storage box is deeper than most.  Ultimate Truck in Spokane could not only figure it out but they installed it right then.  We did have to spend a couple of hours “designing” and installing a change to the loops needed to secure the cover when it is rolled up as the original loops were under the sliding top of the storage box.  While the guys were gone, I did another load of laundry and thenbGeorgia & I went to a fabric store and then I ran into a grocery store for one ingredient for my stir fry for dinner.  Once we had given the guys all the information & help that they needed for the tonneau cover, we dead-headed flowers.  Believe it or not, we had beer & clamato and snacks in the shade again.

After dinner, we once again played cards before having dessert.

July 6^th – Sat

I got the last load of laundry in the washer before Bill & Georgia came over for breakfast.  I had plenty of time to hang the clothes on the line before we all went to play golf at 10:10.  Bill & Georgia’s granddaughter Janelle & a friend were passing through town so she stopped at the golf course to say hi and hug G-pa & G-ma before continuing on her trip to Montana.

The weather was perfect when we started our golf game and too hot when we finished.  We all had good & bad shots and had a lot of fun.

We stopped at an RV parts store for Bill to return an item, went a few miles to Post Falls ID to buy booze (cheaper than WA) and then went back to Liberty Lake for lunch at Subway.

The guys talked for a few days about washing the rigs so I suggested that today would be a good time and they went for it!  I helped Georgia with a “little” project for her granddaughter Samantha.  She made a poodle skirt for a sock hop at school but the poodle appliqués on the skirt & blouse didn’t stick too well and the “leash” totally fell off.  Georgia washed both items and we used fusible mesh to adhere the appliqués and sewed on the rhinestone “leash”.

I still was in time to clean up the spots on the windows of the 5^th wheel and squeegee off the last side that Terry was washing.  He was working on bugs on the front cap so I cleaned under the front which he hates.  Then Bill & Terry both took a break and I cleaned the underside of our awning before I earned a beer & clamato.  Georgia joined us with veggies to snack on and work was done for the day!

Neighbors Lonnie & Cindy had returned from a trip to Montana and we wanted to see their new travel trailer so we picked up chairs & washing stuff and headed across the street.  After we admired their new acquisition, they invited us for a drink in their shady back yard.  We had planned on Papa Murphy’s pizza for dinner so Georgia went to pick it up while Lonnie heated up their oven and we all ate pizza.  It was only 9 when we got back but we were all tired so we headed for home & bed.

June 30th to July 2nd - Spokane

June 30^th – Sun

Terry woke up early this morning and got up to watch TV and play computer games so he wouldn’t keep me awake.  I took advantage of it to be lazy!  The morning was gone before we knew it.  We went to Fred Meyer for a few groceries and ended up shopping for clothes at half-off sales.  I tried on a bunch and got one blouse; Terry picked up a couple of pairs of shorts and, thanks to men’s reliable sizing, didn’t even have to try them on.

Friends Mike & Mary came at 3 to visit for a couple of hours.  We had invited them for dinner but they couldn’t make it Friday, we were busy Sat and they had to get back today by shortly after 5 so we settled on a short gabfest.

July 1^st – Mon

We actually had to set the alarm to get up in time for 7:10 and 7:20 tee times this morning.  Terry played with Bill, Lonnie, Vern & Dick and I played with Georgia, Cindy & Carol.  We played at an executive course at Liberty Lake so we were done and had the clubs loaded up by 9:20.

We headed back to the rig as Julie & Larry were going to stop by to see us.  We picked up a breakfast sandwich on the way and Terry even had a very short snooze before Julie & Larry arrived at 11:30.  Julie just bought a new travel trailer to use in the summer and was very excited to show us the brochure.  They had a small motor home which they park at Bayview ID and then store for the winter so they don’t need something drivable.  Their son-in-law Brian will move the trailer in the spring & fall. 

We did some shopping after they left – Rosauers for more baby backs and other groceries and Spokane Liquidation where Terry bought shirts for a very good price.  By the time we finished, it was time to start the ribs.  Terry put out some chairs outside and I sat with him for a while but it was too dang hot – over 100.

A guy called from George Gee to say that the pump did not arrive and since the lights have stayed out in the truck, Terry told him not to bother trying again to get it.

July 2^nd – Tues

We dumped our tanks and moved to Bill & Georgia’s back yard for a few days.  When Terry was backing up to park, Bill noticed that the right turn signal was not working on the 5^th wheel so by the time Georgia & I got out they had the light assembly off and were testing everything.  Vern had dropped by to use Bill’s bolt cutter but even his added expertise (yes, there can be and are 2 fuses for the signal) didn’t help find the problem.  We still have the problem with the plug not locking so they brainstormed for a solution and decided to drill a small hole and insert a small screw that will do the job.  I helped Georgia take clothes off the line and hang up more.  One load of sheets was nearly dry by the time a second load was finished in the washer.  It is REALLY hot!

By now it was time for lunch and I had some canned chicken already mixed & ready to go so it didn’t take long to make sandwiches and have a “tailgate party” in the shade in the shop.  Georgia & I went shopping for groceries – and get out of the heat – and we found the guys sitting in the shade drinking beer & clamato juice when we got back.  We joined them for a while and then went in to start making dinner.

After dinner, we taught Bill & Georgia to play Three to Thirteen.  Georgia caught on pretty quickly and won the second game.

June 27th to 29th - Spokane

June 27^th – Thurs – Spokane

When we were coming back yesterday, the dreaded “check engine” light came on in the truck.  It was accompanied by a “service exhaust system” light & message.  This has happened a couple of other times over the nearly 3 years that we have had the truck and mechanics could never find anything wrong so they cleared the lights.

After breakfast we went to a Chev dealer (Autonation) to have it checked out again.  They were full up and said they could not help us unless we came back tomorrow and left the truck for several hours.  We continued on the Becker Buick who were also busy but the service manager hooked up the diagnostic equipment to clear the lights.  He cleared the “check engine” light but could not find a problem or clear the other light.  So we continued on to Camp Chevrolet (“check engine” light came back on) where the front line guy said that first thing they would top up the DEF even though no indicators said it was low.  So we went to their parts department and put in 2 ½ gallons of fluid.  We made on more stop at a golf store and as we were driving back the “exhaust system” light went out!

We came back to the rig where I made a late lunch/early dinner.  Then we went to another casino.  On the way back the warning light came on again.

June 28^th – Fri

Terry went to George Gee Chev early this morning to see what they had to say about the message on our truck.  I used the time to request “no mail” from junk that we received when we picked up our mail.  George Gee was able to run more diagnostics and were still not totally convinced what the problem was but figured it had to be the pump so Terry told them to go ahead and order one.  The mechanic told Terry that without a fix the system would slow the truck to 55 mph so on the way home on the freeway Terry exceeded the speed limit by a lot and the darn lights both went out!!  He called and told the guy at George Gee and they decided to go ahead with the pump if it arrived in time.

I made a late breakfast and finished getting laundry ready to go.  We had to stop at a grocery store on the way as I forgot to include the detergent.  We picked up some produce and then saw a good price on baby backs so decided that’s what we would have for dinner.  While I was doing the laundry, Terry got the truck washed and checked the mail.

After we put everything away and made the bed, we went across the parking lot to the Elks lodge to have a drink.  We ended up chatting with some nice people.  Dinner & TV filled the rest of the evening.

June 29^th – Sat

The largest 3-on-3 basketball tournament in the world (?) takes place here in Spokane and starts today.  Weather forecasters warned of high temperatures and keeping hydrated.  Surprise – Mother Nature decided to do the hydrating.  It poured last night and on and off most of the day.

We puttered around most of the morning – I got more recipes transferred to new cards – and then went for lunch.  We made one quick stop and then went to visit Terry’s brother Gary and his new wife Clare.

They live on Long Lake which is northwest of Spokane but you hardly realize that you leave Spokane until a few miles from their house.  Even though it was still drizzly, it was comfortable sitting out on the covered deck to enjoy the lake, a glass of wine and 2 more fun people.  Gary’s large English water spaniel Stormy thought we were there just to visit him.  Clare put together burgers for dinner with help from Gary on the BBQ.  We shook hands with Clare when we arrived and hugged a new friend when we left – welcome to our crazy family!

June 23rd to 26th - to Spokane

June 23^rd – Sun - Sandpoint

The weather co-operated for our golf game at StoneRidge today.  They have a deal for $44.95 per person for golf, cart and a meal.  We ate about 11:30 before golfing so Terry had breakfast and the rest of us had good lunches.  The golf course is in great condition and has many interesting – make that “challenging” – holes.  I get tired and struggle with the last 5 holes which was the case today.  Terry just plain struggled!!!

We had put stroganoff in the crock pot so Kathy & I had an easy dinner.  The weather was still lovely so we were able to sit out on the deck with a drink before dinner.  There are lots of bald eagles in the area and little swallows were quite upset that we were sitting so close to their nest.

Skip & Kathy’s neighbors came over to introduce themselves.  They are from Alberta and still farm so haven’t spent too much time here.

After dinner we played cards again.  I was very lucky and won both Wizard and Three to Thirteen.

June 24^th – Mon - to Spokane

We didn’t have far to go today so we had coffee and Kathy made a nice breakfast.  Terry put everything that we had taken into the house into the back of the truck and we were off.  We got a site at the Elks club just north of I90 on Pines.  We were smart enough to try the satellite dish before setting up as the host is familiar with a tree that can interfere with the reception.  I did a bit of cleaning as I put everything back where it belongs.

First order of business was to pick up our mail.  Then we went across the street to get license tabs for both rigs.  We continued on to Costco and of course found several items that we needed.

Terry’s phone totally died – actually would just keep “rebooting” – so we stopped at the new big Verizon store at the Spokane Valley Mall.  We left there quite a while later with 2 new phones and a mophie which is a battery charger.

I turned leftover pork tenderloin into pulled pork sandwiches for an easy dinner.  This left us lots of time to play with the new toys.

June 25^th – Tues

I sent a text message to Gloria yesterday – just because I could! – and found out that they were in Ritzville for the night.  They were coming through Spokane this morning so Gloria asked if we could meet for breakfast.  Of course!!!!  We met them at IHOP, had a nice breakfast & gabfest, hugged goodbye and they continued on their way back to Minnesota.The plug in the truck for the cable to the 5^th wheel has a broken piece that is supposed to lock the cable in place.  Terry has been using zip ties to secure the cable as we couldn’t find a replacement when we were travelling with Bill & Georgia earlier this spring.  We went to an auto parts store and bought a plug and then stopped at Verizon again.  Since contacts could not be pulled from Terry’s phone, he was supposed to get contacts from my phone via gmail.  This didn’t work so a Verizon employee copied contacts from my phone to his and we were on our way to Northern Quest casino.  First we had to return the plug which was not the same as the old one.

It started to pour just as we parked so we made a mad dash for the doors.  Terry once again found a slot machine that was nice to him so we were able to gamble for many hours.  We took a break to use a 30% discount for a late lunch.  We still had time when we got back to try to figure out the phones and found a bit of a mess with Terry’s contacts.

June 26^th – Wed

We puttered around with all sorts of things this morning – copied some papers, ran out of ink and luckily had new cartridges; tried & tried to print recipes on cards and finally realized the problem was the way I was using Print Shop and not the printer; filled out rebate forms;  and requested “no more junk mail” from several companies.  I finally made a big breakfast for lunch.

When we got going, we went to Great Clips for a haircut for me and then returned to Verizon where we decided to wait for Matthew who sold us the phones.  He was a bit baffled by the contacts on Terry’s phone so he cleared his phone, got most of the contacts from gmail and then used a Bluetooth connection to move missing contacts from my phone to Terry’s.  Not elegant but it worked.  We went to Dick’s to look at golf clubs and then stopped at WalMart for more items than we knew we needed.

After we unloaded and put everything away, I put out some veggies & dip to snack on with a drink.  Hamburgers were then ample for dinner.  I got the recipes to print correctly and spent quite a bit of time entering & printing.  I got a new recipe box & cards and will put everything in the computer and neatly print them on cards.  I soon discovered that I will be leaving out recipes that I haven’t used for years.

June 20th to 22nd - Sandpoint ID

June 20^th - Thurs – to Sandpoint ID

It was pouring rain this morning which is not the best condition for everyone to pack up & leave.  We were all wearing rain jackets and splashing through puddles to hug goodbye.  Moe & Trish left first and we caught up to them at a public dump station which we were all going to use before hitting the road.

We crossed the border at Christina Lake and had to hand over tomatoes and a bell pepper.  We stopped at a casino in Chewelah for lunch and of course to gamble a bit.  Terry did OK again while I carried on with my losing ways! 

We had to call Terry’s brother Skip to get directions to their house.  Too bad we didn’t call before we had to turn around in a cul-de-sac!  We arrived about 4:30 so it was soon time to sit down with drinks and talk, talk, talk.  We had a wonderful dinner with halibut caught by Skip.  We finally went to bed about 11:30 which is late for all of us old people. 

June 21^st – Fri

The weather continued cool & drizzly so Skip suggested heading to a casino which we did after having breakfast and finishing a load of laundry.  We went to Bonner’s Ferry 20-25 minutes north of here.  It is a nice facility with 3 separate slot areas.  We all wandered & gambled until close to 5 when Skip bought a round of drinks since he was “the big winner”!

We stopped at a grocery store on the way home to get some items for dinner.  We didn’t eat lunch so Kathy put out some snacks to eat with a drink.  We played a game of Wizard and were amazed to see that it was 10 when we put dinner on the table!

June 22^nd – Sat

It was nicer this morning so after coffee & muffins, we went to a street market in Sandpoint.  There were some very talented “crafters” and we enjoyed wandering around.  Next we strolled downtown and went to Coldwater Creek where Kathy & I shopped and the guys rested.  We checked out a few other stores before finding a place to have lunch.  We sat outside with a view of the river.

We were happy to see that there was no parking ticket on the car when we returned as we had been there much longer than the 2 hour limit.  We stopped again for some groceries on the way home.  Kathy & I did some prep for tomorrow’s dinner and we all settled into some serious card playing.  We played Wizard again and then they taught us a new game called Three to Thirteen which is a lot of fun.  Look out VVV card players!!  We also taught S&K the game that we learned from Dennis & Gloria where you pay 5 cents for each card left in your hand.

Skip used the rotisserie on the BBQ to cook a chicken to perfection for another great dinner.  We even had time for more cards after dinner and got to bed at a reasonable hour.

June 15th to 19th - Rock Creek & Jewel Lake

June 15^th – Sat – to Rock Creek

We had a short drive today.  We stopped to check out a farmer’s market in Rock Creek and wandered through “Rags, Relics & Rutabagas” which is a building stuffed with every collectible – and not so collectible – whatnot imaginable.  It started as a museum but then everyone brought in “stuff’ and it became mostly a consignment store.  We went across the street and had a very nice lunch at a rustic eatery where we sat at an outside table.

We carried on a few miles to Kettle Valley RV and checked into a pull-through site.  We went to the golf course across the road, made a tee time for tomorrow and then continued along Hwy 3 to Greenwood where we stopped at the visitor center to get directions to Jewel Lake.

There was a fishing derby at Jewel Lake so the campground was packed with vehicles but we found the owners – Jim & Caroline Harrison – and chatted for a while.  Jim & Caroline have a park model across the street from Julie & Larry in Val Vista Villages.  Darlene & Bob have stayed here a couple of times so Darlene put together a group to camp here for 4 nights starting tomorrow.

Back at our RV park, I cleaned the inside of the truck as I just couldn’t take the dust any longer.  After dinner, we wandered around the lovely lawn at the back of the RV park and enjoyed watching the river for a bit.

June 16^th – Sun – to Jewel Lake

Our tee time this morning was at 10 so we had time for a bite to eat and to pack up.  When we registered here, we mentioned that we might golf today so the lady at the office marked us for “late departure” so we didn’t have to maneuver the rig into the golf course parking lot.

The golf course is in very nice shape and we enjoyed our game once Terry settled down and found a few fairways.  Unfortunately, I ended up worse than I started.

I had left sandwich makings where I could access them with the slides in as we planned to park at a big empty area in Greenwood to have lunch.  As we entered Greenwood we saw Moe & Trish’s motor home parked on the side of the road so we circled the block, parked and walked over to where they were eating lunch.  We ended up eating there as well.

Even before we got our lunch, Darlene & Bob and Ron & Terri drove into town.  They parked a ways down and came back for a round of hugs & greetings before they went back to a pub for their lunch.  We and Moe & Trish went to the large parking area to wait for the others and to kill time until our arrival time of 2 at the RV park.  Caroline had asked us to wait until then as the fishing derby ended today and they needed time for everyone to leave after it wrapped up.  The road up to the lake is paved but narrow, steep and winding so we didn’t want to meet tons of traffic coming out.  We did meet quite a few rigs but Caroline had warned them that we were on our way.

We all set up in an area where we have lots of room for a communal gathering place between us and Moe & Trish.  We moved some picnic tables, set out lawn chairs and it was time for happy hour.  We were almost done when Dennis & Gloria and Julie & Larry drove in.  They will be staying in cabins just down the road.

 Trish & Moe and Darlene & Bob were responsible for dinner tonight so the rest of us just got to relax.  There is no burn ban here so we enjoyed a big fire.  Moe & Terry did the most “relaxing” and were the last to head for their beds.

June 17^th – Mon

Darlene had made tee times at the Kettle Valley golf course for tomorrow but the weather forecast yesterday made her change the reservations to today.  After Dennis & Gloria, Moe, and Ron & Terri came over for coffee, we decided to pick up some firewood that we had seen along the road when we came in.  Terry, Ron, Darlene, Gloria & I went in our truck and discovered that the nice rounds were from a green tree so we ended up picking up a bunch of dry limbs.  We just had time to unload the wood and load golf clubs before we had to leave again.

We all rented golf carts, loaded up & headed out.  Terry & Ron went first followed by me, Terri & Darlene.  Bringing up the rear were Dennis & Gloria and Moe & Trish.  We all had a great time.

Jim told us we could use a big shelter which sounded good after a bit of rain last night and the continued ugly weather forecast.  Six of us went to a different camping area to carry back the PVC frame – one for each leg.  Then we put on the plastic tarp roof, fastened it down and drove in some big nails so the whole thing won’t crash into Moe & Trish’s motor home if the wind comes up.

Dinner tonight was provided by Terri & Ron and Julie & Larry with some leftover ham from Trish.  Ron cooked a small turkey on their BBQ and Julie & I spent some time at their cabin cooking & mashing potatoes.  Caroline loaned Julie a golf cart to go back & forth from the cabins to our area which has come in very handy.  The rain held off for dinner & a fire.

June 18^th – Tues

Ron & Terri were the last to leave last night and luckily they put all the chairs under the shelter as it rained during the night.  Terry asked me to make jelly biscuits this morning and then only Moe and Dennis & Gloria showed up for coffee and they had all had some breakfast – but they helped us with the biscuits anyhow.  I put together 2 pans of potato casserole as it is our turn for dinner with help from Dennis & Gloria.

About 10 we went to Greenwood with Dennis & Gloria.  Gloria just wanted to wander around the little town and I needed something for dessert tonight.  We wandered, had lunch, picked up whipping cream and came back.  I made dessert – cookies & cream – before some of us walked around the campground.  While we were gone to Greenwood, Bob & Darlene went fishing, Ron & Terri did some work and then went to Greenwood and Moe & Trish went on a short hike.

We had some time to kill so we and Dennis & Gloria played Ponytail Canasta.  When you are as lucky as the guys you don’t have to be good card players!!

Before we settled in for happy hour, the guys moved the 3 picnic tables under the shelter which was enough to keep the rain away.  Terry cooked pork tenderloin on 2 barbeques, Gloria cooked both pans of potatoes in the large oven in her cabin and I made a big salad.  Trish added some carrots to leftovers from her dinner and provided peas & carrots.

Thanks to Terry’s overestimating, we had lots of food for dinner but I was amazed at how few potatoes were left.  Some of us tried singing around the fire so I finally took out the tablet & speaker.  A few of us even did one line dance!

June 19^th – Wed

It looks as if the rain has settled in.  Everyone was moving slower this morning and did their own thing for a while.  Finally we all agreed to go to Grand Forks for lunch and maybe a bit of sightseeing.  But first we had to wait while Moe & Terry had showers as they both had antifreeze on them from fixing a leak under Moe’s motor home.

Julie was not feeling well so she & Larry stayed in their cabin to read.  Darlene gave us walkie talkies so our little 3 car caravan could find a pub for lunch but it didn’t take long for the hills and curves of the road to break up the signal.  We ended up at the pub which had been recommended by someone and had good lunches.  It was still raining so we and Moe & Trish decided we would just come back.

We cleaned tables, chairs and barbeques and packed up what belonged to us.  Caroline offered the use of a large room by the office for our dinner tonight so Moe & Terry carried a couple of tables over there.

I was working on the blog when Moe came back to say that we were going to play cards at Dennis & Gloria’s cabin so I got the Wizard game and our booze bag and headed over.  Moe won the first game and I won the second and by that time others were joining us.  Trish made spaghetti sauce yesterday so we were heating it and cooking the noodles in the cabin.  Terri brought some rolls to be warmed in the oven and Trish made a Caesar salad.  Jim & Caroline joined us for dinner again as well as their employee Benita.  They offered the use of their plates & cutlery which we accepted once we knew they could be put in a dishwasher.  A fine dinner was followed by birthday cake for dessert.  Gloria had bought the cake for any of us (me included) whose birthday is not in a month when we are all together in Mesa.  Dennis washed up all the cooking pots so we could sit and have a nightcap with them before dodging raindrops on the way back to the rig.

June 12th to 14th - the Okanogan

June 12^th – Wed

We had coffee & breakfast before leaving for Kelowna to shop and see Ernie & Dianne.  But first we made a stop at a visitor center to use their wifi to check email and post the blog.  We found that our email contact list had been hacked and everyone was sent a link for a weight loss program.  I sure hope our friends don’t think we were sending a subtle hint!!!!  It took a while to deal with 127 emails – deleting stuff and responding to anyone who questioned the hacked email.  We also did a quick check of bank accounts and all was well there.

We called Ernie & Dianne when we were in West Kelowna (Westbank to old timers) and Dianne asked if we wanted to meet them for lunch in the casino.  Silly question!  We had time to gamble a bit before they found us.  We had a good lunch and a nice long visit.  The restaurant in the casino is very nice.

We gambled some more and then went to Costco for a few items.  By this time we were ready to head back.  Traffic over the bridge was not as bad as we thought it might be.  We hadn’t quite decided what to do for dinner with Aunt Jessie and after a drink and chatting we decided to eat the leftovers from last night rather than go out.  This was partly decided when we said we were leaving tomorrow and Aunt Jessie didn’t want to eat leftovers for several days.

June 13^th – Thurs

We didn’t have to get a really early start so I washed the sheets before we left.  Actually, Aunt Jessie put them in the dryer when we made another trip to the visitor center to check email again.  No new ugly stuff so I just looked after more responses & cleaned things up.

We were going to go to Vancouver via the Coquihalla as we have never travelled the portion from Merritt to Hope but decided that was a lot of miles for three days.  So we headed back to Kelowna thinking we could visit some more friends there.  We went to one really bad RV park and said no thanks.  A little further down Lakeshore Drive was a nicer park but the $62 (plus tax) price per night was a little too steep.

We decided to do the rest of our grocery shopping and went to a Superstore which took a while as I was out of quite a few staple items.  We stashed everything as best we could with the slides in, tried to decide where to go and ended up heading south again!  On our numerous trip up & down Hwy 97, Terry had noticed a park that he liked so that is where we ended up.  It is Gallagher Lake Resort between Okanogan Falls & Oliver and the $39 price was better.  There aren’t many rigs in here and we didn’t check out the trees before we put up the satellite so we don’t get many channels but it is very clean & organized.

We didn’t have lunch due to our indecision so after setting up I immediately started boiling baby backs for a treat on the BBQ.   After dinner we took a walk through the lower portion of the park to a little lake and just relaxed.

June 14^th – Fri

We did something this morning that we haven’t done in this rig – we had coffee in bed and watched TV.  There were some shows on TV that we didn’t get in the living room and we didn’t have to be anywhere so we ended up having leftover rice & Roger’s Golden syrup for breakfast in bed also!

We needed propane so Terry loaded the tank and we went north where we found a station just past Okanogan Falls.  There was only one employee and a lot of people getting fuel so we had to wait until everyone finished & paid before he could lock the door and fill our tank and another one that was there before us.  No schedule, no worries!

We continued on to Penticton to – of all things – a casino that we haven’t been to previously.  We spent a few hours there – Terry lost his allowance and I broke even which is kind of like winning sometimes.  We stopped at a grocery store to buy shredded frozen hash browns that we couldn’t get yesterday.  Once again we didn’t have lunch so we headed back thinking about steaks on the BBQ.

After dinner we went for a walk to the lake again.  We were sitting at a picnic table watching some young people in a couple of inflatable rafts when the father of a couple of them came over and we started chatting.  He (Darryl) & his wife (Wendy) have just retired and are thinking about going somewhere for a couple of months this winter so of course we had to tell him about Val Vista Villages & Mesa.  He ended up coming back with us to get phone numbers and a brochure.  It would be nice to introduce them to the retirement lifestyle that we enjoy.