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Howard Prairie Lake Resort
2007 Season in our RV
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Our first night of the 2007 season
April 9, 2007: We have moved from the wonderful spring weather in Applegate back to winter at Howard Prairie Lake Resort. Unlike last year, there is little snow but the lake is full and the weather is threatening. Gwen must return to work today so we moved to the lake last night. If you pass your pointer over the photo, you will see how we were greeted this morning. Our plan is to stay next to the lake until next week when we will either leave early in the week for Salem to trade for our Cameo or leave later in the week for the Spring Escapade in Stockton, California. The resort has always been a pleasant change for us but this year we are both struggling with moving back to winter conditions.
April 10, 2007: Around the lake are elevated wooden baskets designed to be nesting areas for geese. This keeps them safe from predators. The Canada Goose in this basket felt very secure, it would not move even when Morgan and I were viewing close by. This basket is about 50 feet from the shoreline.
Gwen sitting with Morgan watching Howard Prairie wildlife April 11, 2007: Gwen has started her own blog. Gwen reads much of her spare time. She certainly reads much more than I do. She is also a better and more passionate writer than I am, probably because she does so much reading. Finally, you'll get Gwen's point of view of our RV adventure. You can find a direct link to Gwen's blog at the site map as well as direct links to all my other stories.
April 12, 2007: This morning greeted us with a fresh snow fall. Both the Internet satellite dish and the DISH TV satellite dish must be toward the lake to clear the trees nearby. This morning the whole area including the two dishes was covered with five inches of new snow. Yes, this happens every season at one time or another but it always seems to surprise us. A week ago, we lived in spring weather, now we are back to winter. Next Tuesday, we'll be driving out of winter again. New snow fall this morning
The Marina is empty only for a few more days
April 13, 2007: Pass your cursor over this evening photo to see the Marina and slips. They will stay empty only for a few more days. The resort officially opens in two more days and the boats will begin arriving soon after. There will likely be more storms so most boat owners will wait a few more weeks before docking their boats here but some will arrive on Sunday for sure. The opening day of fishing is a week from tomorrow, Saturday. It is always a packed house on opening fishing day.
Removing the computer keyboard tray April 14, 2007: Tuesday we will be packing up and leaving Howard Prairie Resort for Salem to trade our King of the Road for the new Carriage Cameo. Some of my KOTR improvements must be dismantled to be reinstalled into the Cameo. One of those is the computer keyboard tray I installed where the TV compartment was at one time. I already have a plan of where this will go in the new Cameo. We have already purchase Gwen a new desk for her computer workstation. The next removal job will be to remove the LCD TV I installed to one of the kitchen cabinets.

Hyatt Lake at dusk
April 16, 2007: This is our sister lake to the south, Hyatt Lake. Hyatt Lake is much small than Howard Prairie lake and 500 feet higher. This is essentially a fishing lake since it is limited to 10 mph boat speed. Since it is higher, it will often be frozen in the winter when Howard Prairie Lake is not frozen. In this photo, the sun is dropping behind the mountains to the rear of the camera.
April 17, 2007: Our last day on the lake front and the day we must pack and leave for Salem to trade the King of the Road came with a snow storm. Packing and moving in a snow storm is not much fun. Click on the photo for a short movie. My packing list is nearly finished. You can download a copy if you wish. The items with the lines through the words are completed. We will be boon docking tonight. Our appointment for the trade is 9am tomorrow morning. snow storm on the lake or last day
April 28, 2007: We squeeze into our usual space, Y50 at Howard Prairie Lake Resort. We expect to be here until at least mid-September. The deck I built last year for the King of the Road had to be moved to match the new door location on the Cameo. The height will also have to be changed. The deck has been pulled into a temporary location while I figure out how I'm going to move it into the permanent spot.
A tight squeeze for the Cameo into space Y50
The French door keeps Morgan and Annie out of the bedroom. May 10, 2007: One of the features of the new Cameo which we enjoy is the French Door between the living area and bedroom. This keeps Morgan and Annie in the living area and out of our bedroom. Yes, we had a pocket door in the King of the Road, however, Annie could open the pocket door. We tried blocking it, locking it and jamming it but nothing would keep her out. She can't open the French Door. This door opens into the hallway with the large window ... we have the choice of allowing natural light into our bedroom or pulling the blinds closed to keep the light out.

My daily view as I commute to Medford
May 11, 2007: Every morning I must drive off the southern Oregon Cascade Mountains 3,500 feet into the Rogue Valley for my job in Medford. It's about a 50 minute commute one way. It's just NOT the same as a typical commute. I don't have traffic to think about and take a look at this view I see each morning. Across the valley is the Mt. Ashland Ski area. It's closed this time of year, the the trails are still visible and will be for another month. Still, I'll admit, this is my third year for this commute and I'm getting weary of the long drive. It's still worth the travel time however, to be above the valley heat and congestion.
May 15, 2007: This morning, I found this parked in the resort parking lot. Looks like it was made with Manzanita branches and patio deck boards. I wonder if the trailer is included for the $5,000 price tag? Click the photo for a larger view. This boat is a bit different from Pepper. Want to sail the lake in this?
the mountains are covered with purple this time of year May 17, 2007: My commute up and down the Cascade Mountains to work and back to the resort each day takes me through the purple hills to the east of Ashland each day. For about four weeks, I get to see and smell these purple wild flowers.
I've seen these visual treats before and many other treats during my commute. But I'm still amazed at how these hills can change there appearance with the season. Click on either of these two photos for a larger view. closeup view
I get a loaner car, 1972 Mercedes May 22, 2007: My commute car is a 1992 Toyota Camry with 256,000 miles on it. All I want from the Camry is another 30,000 miles and then I hope to no longer have a need for a commute car. I dropped it off today with Aaron, a young mechanic with a list: oil leak onto the exhaust manifold, right
CV boot, fan does not work when the car gets hot, and front brake rotors are warped. I just wanted a quote so I could decide about replacing it with another cheap car. Aaron gave me a 1972 Mercedes for a loaner car. My 15 year old Japanese car has electric everything including a moon roof. This 35 year old German car has crank everything but didn't have to close the windows before turning off the engine. Still, I'll be surprised if the Toyota is still running in 2027.
Our first try at grooming Morgan ourselves It's easier when she is on the table
May 26, 2007: Every year we must groom Morgan for living at Howard Prairie Resort. That means cutting off all her fur. After doing this the first time, we learned, her buzz cut lasts nearly the entire summer and sticks, pitch, stickers, etc. don't stick to her like they do when she has longer fur. She also stays cooler. Granted, she no longer looks like a Golden Retriever and she is embarrassed about that but gets over it in a few days. The electric trimmer cost less than a groomer so we decided to try it ourselves this time. It took a good hour but from now on, it's all profit for us.
This is much better for Howard Prairie, things to stick to her this way.
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