BAD BOYS

One of the things we like about spending a lot of time in Las Vegas is that it is so easy for our friends to come and visit us.  This week we had a brief visit from my older-than-me high school buddy Jim Iverson.  We did a nice day trip to Red Rock Canyon that included a hike which we followed up with some time in the SPA back here at the resort.  After that we went to the Monday Night service at our church.

Had a great time and hope you can come back again soon Jim.

MY MOON SHOT

Not what you might be thinking.  Not mooning anyone.  Just could not resist posting a couple of the photos I was able to take of the "Super Moon" last night.  Pretty cool to get a shot like this with my own camera.  A clear and calm desert night helped a lot too.

BACK IN LAS VEGAS

Past due for a blog update.  Since our last post in Mountain Home, ID we traveled to Brigham City, Utah which is about 50 miles north of Salt Lake City.  Then on Saturday we traveled through Salt Lake City and south on I-15 to Beaver, Utah for our last night on the road.  Sunday morning we got and early start from Beaver and arrive back here at the resort at exactly noon which gave us plenty of time to take Arlyene's car out of mothballs and get the coach parked.  We spent the afternoon evaluating all there was to do to start getting the place cleaned up.  It gets very dirty in the summer months while we are away.  Little by little we chip away at the cleanup project but we keep reminding ourselves that we have no deadline so we don't have to beat ourselves up getting it done.  We took time yesterday for a trip to the pool.  Considering that both Sunday and Monday the high reached in excess of 100 degrees here we wipe out pretty quickly with the yard work.  Today, Tuesday, it is under 90 and we are also getting more acclimated which helps.  The forecast promises cooler temps in the days to come.

Overall our trip put 3,530 miles on the motor home and about another 1,000 on the Jeep.  We came home with a cracked windshield on the coach but it never caused us any problems and we already have started the process of getting it replaced.  Otherwise the coach ran great and treated us well -  at least once I got the toilet working correctly.....

We were gone just short of 4 months and had a great time.  We connected with lots of friends and saw some awesome scenery.  Our proximity to Seattle in July also made it possible for us both to attend my brother's memorial service for which I am thankful.  Nevertheless we are glad to be back "home" here in the resort where we can relax and not be thinking about the next day's drive.  This is a great place to spend the winter, especially with so much family here.

Most likely the blog will be quiet again for a while but we are already thinking about what our plans might be for next summer.  There is a solar eclipse in August that will pass over Oregon, Idaho and Wyoming.  We may plan our schedule around trying to get ourselves in the path of that.  Us and a whole bunch of other people with exactly the same idea....

BEWARE OF THE BOUNCING POTATO

We are done traveling for the day and are relaxing at our RV site in Mountain Home, Idaho.

One of the road hazards we are always mindful of is following a truck that might have loose gravel in it.  We stay well back and if we must pass one we do so quickly.  Today we were behind a big semi that appeared to be empty.  Not so.  It had apparently had been hauling potatoes (Famous Idaho Potatoes no doubt) and there must have been one or two left over.  I heard a loud impact sound from under the coach and Arlyene said it was a bouncing rock, no, wait, it was a potato out of that truck ahead of us. - a bouncing potato.  Nothing seemed amiss so I continued to our next planned stop where I could inspect the coach and the Jeep.  I half expected to find a potato wedged in the Jeep grill or windshield but we lucked out as far as I can tell.  So now we add potato trucks to the "do not follow" list.

Tomorrow we head for Brigham City, Utah.

CHANGE IN PLANS

We are currently in Prosser, WA where we are visiting a few of the many wine tasting rooms.  Many are very close to the RV park where we are staying which, coincidentally is named "Wine Country RV Park".  Only visited two yesterday as many are closed on Tuesdays.  One was Airfield Winery which, during WWI was actually a training airfield for bi-plane pilots before it was a vineyard.  Today we hope to visit a couple more.

Wine Barrel Biplane

Our original plans were to head back up to the Spokane area before starting the trek back to Las Vegas however we have decided to skip that part of the trip and begin the trek from here.  There are several reasons for that, one being that we now have a cracked windshield.  It does not appear to be a safety concern but I will feel better getting back and having it replaced.  If all goes according to plan we should be back in Vegas sometime on Sunday.  We are looking forward to getting back - just over 1,000 miles to go.

LEAVING SEATTLE

After a busy week wrapping things up we had a nice dinner with long time friends on Thursday evening.  Friday we finished up last minute stuff and find ourselves ready to roll a day early so instead of leaving tomorrow, as originally planned we are heading out early this afternoon for Ellensburg.  That will help insure that I will have the TV set up to receive the Seahawk game on Sunday.  Anything else would be unacceptable to the co-pilot.  So we have technically started our trip back to Las Vegas although we have a number of stops to make along the way.

Nice dinner with good friends.

CATCHING UP

Time to catch up the blog since our last post from Anacortes.  Since then we had a great dinner with special friends David and Colleen in Oak Harbor.  The next day we moved back to Lake Pleasant RV Park in Bothell where we are currently.  We will be here one more week, leaving on the 11th for Ellensburg, WA and points east and then south.  We will be starting our trek back using I-90 and I-15 with stops and side trips along the way.  We expect to arrive back in Las Vegas on October 1st.

Our time here in Bothell has been a mixture of reconnecting with friends and working on cleaning up our stuff stored here.  We have especially enjoyed the fellowship of reconnecting and regret we have not been able to do more of that while here.  It has been raining now, hard at times, for two days.  We were already getting restless so we know it is time to get back on the road soon.

Our  good Oak Harbor friends David and Colleen

Amanda and her kids with Grandparents For A Day.

The plan for the route back to Las Vegas, our winter quarters.

ANACORTES OUTINGS

The place we are staying is about at the "O" in Fedalgo Island.

We have been enjoying our stay in Anacortes.  On Thursday we made a trip to Camping World to pick up a few things and then had lunch with very good and long time friends Tom and Lynn at their home in Sedro Woolley.

On Friday we walked on the San Juan Island ferry to Friday Harbor for a nostalgic ride.  We have taken this ferry ride many, many times over the years.  More recently we have been one of those sailboats that folks on the ferry wave to.  We have seen the ferry as both a pleasant ride and something to avoid - as in big time avoid.  Nothing like crossing the ferry lanes in the fog hoping not to encounter one.  In later years when we could afford radar it was much easier to stay out of the way even in fog.  The day was about as perfect as we could ask for.  The ferry was crowded as expected.

Last evening we carted our camping chairs down to the beach.  The first picture below was the main view.  Talk about a contrast!

Today, Sunday, is our last day here before heading to Seattle.  Promises to be another very nice day including a trip to Oak Harbor.

The contrast of the Tesoro Refinery with Mount  Baker.

Waiting for the ferry.  Mount Baker in the background again.

This used to be us......

This lady keeps popping up in my photos.

Busy day for ferry traffic.  This is the north end of Lopez Island.

Friday Harbor

Waiting to reboard for return trip to Anacortes.

Good Friends Tom and Lynn.

ANACORTES ARRIVAL

Looking out towards Guemes Island, part of the San Juans

A short and easy drive from Ferndale to Anacortes today.  We even had to kill some time in a rest stop so we did not get here too early.  And what more could we ask for but a nice view out the windshield and a sailboat race too!

DINNER OUT AT LAKE WHATCOM

On Thursday we had the opportunity to visit with my "first cousin once removed", Norm and his wife Karen at their home near Bellingham.  We had a delightful dinner on the balcony followed by a boat ride on Lake Whatcom in their vintage motor boat then dessert by a blazing campfire.  Had a great time and loved the boat ride even if I did have to take out my hearing aids at one point to keep them dry.

These cell phone photos don't really to the evening justice, especially in the lower evening light, but you can see the tree house nature of where Norm and Karen live not to mention the lake access.

The house. Note location of the hot tub.

Norm and the boat house in the background - where the motorboat lives.

More of the boat house and diving platforms.

The docks with vintage motorboat on the left plus other water toys.  Don't know the lady in the foreground.

Ready to ride.

Too bad you can't hear the rumble of the engine warming up.

Sunset as we approach the boat house on return to shore.

TRACTOR AND MACHINERY SHOW

Today we went to the 45th annual Tractor and Machinery Show in Lynden, WA.  Not that either of knows much of anything about tractors - especially steam operated steam tractors that are much older than we are!  There were tractors from modern day units to units from the early 1900's.  Many of the older units had been restored and were working while on display.  Sadly, these still photos do not give you the flavor of the putting and hissing sounds most of these older units were emitting.  I did get video footage but the best one is much too big to upload here using our WIFI internet.  Still, an enjoyable little outing and another nice day to appreciate more small town america.

This unit actually had steam pressure up and was running.

The "and machinery" part of the show included a number of very old washing machines.  I have video of the one on the right actually running.

Two Maytag washers.  One electric and one operated by a gas engine (on the right)

SMALL TOWN AMERICA

One of the treats we have taken advantage of on this trip is to enjoy "small town america" whenever possible.  Today we went to the parade and other festivities sponsored by the Old Settlers Association here in Ferndale, Washington.  It looked to me that just about anybody who wanted to be in the parade could be.  Partly we wanted to see our friend Sheryl with the big draft horses but we got there too late for that.  We were able to catch up with her later and snap a photo.  

It was a perfect day for a parade.

Lots of horses.

Lots of Tractors.  These were 1940 John Deer's.

This is an Olive Harvester.  It would periodically raise itself up to about twice this height.

The downtown crowd.  This is not Seafair.

We walked through the car show at the high school after the parade.

A 1930 Pheaton by Packard.

Arlyene and Sheryl.   She and her horses were pulling a wagon that was giving free rides.

I did not see any Clinton signs.  I wonder why?  Guess we are too far from Seattle.

A SURPRISE VISIT

We have made our way to Ferndale, WA where we just wrapped up a few days with friends.  It was a great time and we really enjoyed ourselves.  Today the last of them left and we were on our own.  Every time we are here I like to drive out to the home my parents built and retired to that overlooks the San Juan Islands.  They bought the property in the mid 1960's and when they did their good friends and neighbors bought the lot next to them.  One of their kids, Colin, and I were the same age.  We attended the same schools from Kindergarten through High School.  Although my parents sold their lot and moved back to Seattle, I suspected that Colin's family still owned their lot so every time we do the drive by I try to see if anyone is there.  Up to today I had no luck with that and had not been successful in contacting Colin in other ways.  We pretty much lost contact over the years and were busy with our own families and careers.  Today was different, we almost ran into each other as Colin drove out his driveway on the way to the hardware store.  We greeted each other as I blocked the road and then we went on and did the hike we had planned nearby while Colin did his errand and later we had a delightful visit with Colin and his wife Leah while we enjoyed the view and the great weather.  It was a great day for us.  Here is a composite of Colin and me with what is most likely our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, probably about 1952 or 53 and then today - 63 or so years later.

WINTHROP, WA

Yesterday's Route

Yesterday we made the trip from Sagle, ID to Winthrop, WA with our friends Larry and Linda.  The drive was uneventful however our chosen route is not one I would recommend to others driving big rigs.  Tight two lane roads following rivers in canyons with too much construction.  I was pretty tired by the time we got here to Winthrop.  Today, Saturday, we are hunkered down in the coach while under a flash flood watch because of some severe thunderstorms forming over the North Cascades, pretty much right above us.  Many campers here in the KOA have packed up and headed home and others are huddled in their tents and RV's like us.  One way or another we will head into town later for dinner and  hope for better weather tomorrow.  We are thankful for a decent internet signal here.  It's all the entertainment we've got other than a few DVD's.

Weather map looks like things are beginning to lighten up.

On the other hand it looks like we are in a good place overall.

MOUNTAINS AND CAIRNS

Yesterday we made a trip into the Cabinet Mountains in Montana to visit a grove of old growth cedars in the Ross Creek area.  It was like walking through a sanctuary in the forest.  Having been in the desert these past months it was nice to reconnect with some real trees.

A view of the Cabinet Mountains, part of the Rockies.

A real cute tree huger.  I took her home with me.

Cairns in a dry creek bed left behind by other visitors.

A close up of one of the taller cairns.

I constructed my own cairn in honor of my brother Doug.