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Returning the Charter modem, a sad day

Saturday, September 12, 2015: This was a sad day. We are leaving Sutherlin early Monday morning for the season and won't return until spring. That means giving up our Charter Internet which is 30+ MBPS and using our Verizon phones as "Hot spots", considerably slower than our Charter connection and limited to 12 GB of transfer per month. Our Charter connection was unlimited transfer. That means we can't watch Netflix or Amazon Prime movies and shows. Giving up our high speed Internet connection is so traumatic for me, I had to take a photo of the experience. In the photo, I'm returning the modem.

Thursday, September 10, 2015: Continued to prepare the Cameo for a skirt, then made a printer platform to fit the Lazy Daze, then cleaned out the Susuki before driving to Roseburg to retrieve my phone. The repair shop had it ready but when I arrived and the phone operation was double checked some problems showed up. The repair man thought he fixed those so I paid and walked down the street. While checking text messages, the phone went blank so I walked back to the repair shop. After some discussion, the repair shop refunded all but the examination fee. So off to Costco to replace the phone. It took about an hour and now I must set the phone up again. What I learned was never expose your phone to water. Once exposed, it's unlikely it can be repaired.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015: There are no photos today because my phone (which is also my camera) is in the repair shop. Don't let your phone get wet! On my drive to Klamath Falls, I put a "sealed" cup of water in a cup holder next to the cup holder where my phone is sitting. I didn't notice that I bumped the water cup and it spilled about half an inch of water into the cup holder with my phone. It won't charge and won't talk to my laptop. If you can believe it, I became eligible for an "upgrade" from Verizon on September 5. I checked with Verizon and learned I could have a new phone if I paid $25 per month for 24 months. I also learned I could potentially repair my current phone for $60 (potentially because the repair shop had me agree to pay for a repair "attempt" and if the phone doesn't work after the attempt ... so be it!) My choice is to attempt the repair rather than pay $25/month for a new phone. I guess I can choose to do that at any time in the future.

Today was wash windows day, trash day, wash the Prius day, wash the rugs at the laundromat and watch the quarterfinals of the US Open Tennis Matches at Flushing Meadows. I'm also preparing the Cameo for the installation of the skirt which should happen on Friday if everything goes right.

Tuesday, September 8, 2015: I was gone over the Labor Day weekend for a visit with my sons and grandkids. They were visiting Klamath Falls for a short vacation weekend. On a busy Sunday during the Labor Day weekend, we drove to Crater Lake so the kids could see a lake inside a volcano. While driving to the lake, the kids were pointing out all the volcanoes which surrounded Crater Lake. Fortunately we had a beautifully clear day to view the lake and Wizard Island. This weekend was also Noah's 4th birthday. I was nervous while at the lake because these are two very active kids and the rim of the lake is a very steep drop off to the water about 500 feet below. It's not a shear cliff but if they stepped off the edge, they wouldn't stop until they hit the water. In this photo, the rim is only a few feet behind them. Everyone was safe and impressed with Oregon's only national park.

Tuesday: September 1, 2015: We are getting a vinyl skirt around the Cameo in a few days. That will create a small room under the overhang in the front of the fifth wheel. I'm wanting to use concrete blocks to make a floor in the room and decided it would be much easier to do it before the skirt is installed. I learned I needed 54 blocks so drove to Roseburg Home Depot for the blocks. While loading the blocks onto the cart I read the information tag and found each block weighed 20 lbs. Doing the math, the 54 blocks weigh nearly 1,100 lbs. Too much for the little Susuki Samurai. I made two trips to get all the blocks back to Sutherlin. I hope to get the floor installed tomorrow but already have several items on my "to-do" list so we'll see how it goes. Click the photo to see the area I've cleared for the blocks.

Checking out a birthday gift for a four year old grandson

Monday, August 31, 2015: I completed the job of raking the rocks from under the Cameo. Then I had to watch the opening day for the US Open Tennis matches. A lot of seeded players were eliminated in the first round today. Next was a final visit to my doctor before leaving Oregon for the year. A week from today, we are traveling north for a Lazy Daze rally then south into California to visit my Mother. We won't return to Oregon until next April.

My grandson, Noah, is turning FOUR in a week and I get the chance to be with him for his birthday. I ordered several gifts for him and one of them arrived today. I had to check it out. It's a construction kit of tubes and troughs to guide marbles from a cup at the top to a cup at the bottom of the tower. The box SAYS "4+" but it seems complicated to me. However, maybe Noah will teach me how to have fun with it.

Friday, August 21, 2015: I had a package to ship to Gwen while she visits her daughter. I like using USPS.com where I print my own shipping label and pay for the postage online. The advantage is no standing in line at the post office and a 20% discount in postage. However, the Canon printer we've used for five years was out of ink. I learned I could buy a new printer (with ink) for $20 less than the cost of ink for the old printer. The additional benefit of a new printer, it's wireless. I ordered the printer from Amazon and it arrived two days later, today. It only took a few minutes to set it up. I know the Canon secret though. The ink cartridges with the printer are the small size and replacement size (XL) costs $20 more than the price of the printer I just received. If you haven't figured it out, that's where the profit is and the reason why the printer manufacturers keep printer prices low. They want you to buy their ink. For those of you who travel and have someone taking care of your "snail mail", you sometimes have the important mail forwarded to you, right? This printer is capable of scanning to a Cloud. Your "important mail" could be scanned and you could instantly view it from anywhere there is Internet access by accessing the scanned files on the cloud.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015: Music on the Half Shell has been happening in Roseburg most of the summer. Tuesday night was the last night. The group, The Waifs, is from western Australia. They have been touring the USA during the summer months and will return to Australia soon for the summer months of the southern hemisphere. I was able to share a blanket my friend Richard brought to the concert in the second row. Click the photos for additional views. A good beat to the music and the lead singer played harmonica which I always enjoy.

Spruce Goose wing in the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum

Monday, August 10, 2015: Most of the rally participants visited the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, only 3 miles from our campground in the fairground. We arrived at 10 am, checked in and waited for our private tour to begin at 10:30. I scheduled the private tour six weeks ago and called twice since then to confirm. At 10:30 we were told they were short of volunteers so we should join the public tour at 11:00 am. As it turned out, only half our group joined the public tour and by the end of the 1.5 hour tour, only 1/4 of the original group remained. Most dropped one by one as they became tired of standing and listening. The featured plane in the museum is the Spruce Goose (made of fir not Spruce). The museum is well done but seems to be poorly managed, perhaps because many of the workers are volunteers. I say that because of my phone conversations, the dropped private tour, and the understaffing of the only restaurant attached to the museum. The exhibits were interesting and with self motivation, a museum patron could learn much about the advancement of aviation. After the tour, I had lunch then saw an IMax movie attached to the museum.

After the museum, our final rally event was pizza at a local pizza restaurant paid for by the club. Fortunately, that went well with very good pizza. Tomorrow morning is "Hitch-Up muffins" and everyone goes their own way.

Click the photos for additional views.

Yamhill County Fairground parking area for RVs

Sunday, August 9, 2015: A travel day from Florence to McMinnville, Oregon. Beautiful coast driving and relaxed for only a 130 mile drive. It's difficult arriving at a fairground on Sunday because the usual staff is not present and weekend events can still be happening when we arrive. That was the case today. We were promised RV electric sites for 13 rigs but the early arrivers could not park in the usual area because a horse show was happening and the participants had all the RV spaces. Gwen and I did not arrive until 2 pm because we took our time moving. By the time we arrived, a half dozen of our group had electric service but the rest of us sat in the heat waiting for a space. Finally several, including us, decided to set up a dry camp without power. The rest had power by 6 pm. We needed power only for air conditioning. It was 87, so warm inside the Lazy Daze without air conditioning. With the last gasoline fill-up I added a fuel system cleaner to the gasoline so I wanted to run my generator anyway to clean the generator fuel system as well as the Ford V-10 fuel system. The Lazy Daze generator puts out enough power to run the air conditioner so our cabin was cool in a few minutes. Everything else we need is powered by solar. The photo was taken at dusk. We have parked at many fairground locations which are usually very pleasant. This one has a gravel parking area for RVs and supply electric only, no water or sewer. In a fairground, we normally experience large, grassy, open areas with plenty of shade trees for the animals to roam. They have those areas here, just not near the RV parking area. Apparently they expected the horse group to leave before we arrived but that plan did not work. It also has a very unusual method for charging for parking. They charge by the calendar day so I was told the fee covered from 12:01 am to 11:59 pm. If a person arrives on a Sunday then leaves the next day, they must pay for TWO days because they have occupied the space a portion of two days (rather than charging for ONE night). So my fellow travelers were not happy to arrive finding someone else in "their" space. We are staying Sunday night and Monday night but must pay for THREE days since we are not leaving until Tuesday. None of us have ever experienced a fee structure like this one. Tomorrow, most are visiting the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum where the Spruce Goose is kept.

Saturday, August 8. 2015: 15 in our group took the hour long dune buggy ride. We had reservations but more decided to go than we had seats so Gwen and I rode in a second dune buggy which followed the rest of the group. That gave me the chance to photograph their adventure as well as ours. I also did a short video to document the trip. The video shows a descent down the steepest and longest dune of our ride. The tour gave everyone a great view and the feeling of riding the dunes. Click all the photos for additional views. This ride has been planned for more than a month and everyone just the right amount of dune riding.

First day of a four day Escapees Chapter 9 rally

Friday, August 7, 2015: This was a travel day from Sutherlin to Florence, Oregon for an Escapees Chapter 9 RV rally which Gwen and I are the "Wagonmaster". I failed to get a photo of the group during our happy hour meeting so the above photo will have to give you the idea. We have 14 rigs with 27 people in the rally. The coffee pot is set up for free coffee in the morning. Another member is an early riser and promises to turn on the pot at 6 am. I hope I'm not awake that early. The drive over was with friends and we stopped in Elkton for breakfast at a location recommended by our friends. In this meeting we talked of our plans for tomorrow as a group then went on talking for another 3.5 hours about everything else.

Our final hike on the coast, into the Hemlock forest

Tuesday, August 4, 2015: We've returned home today so this is a travel day from Waxmyrtle Campground to Sutherlin, Oregon. Before we left, we did a last hike into the Hemlock forest east of the Waxmyrtle Campground. This trail went over the hills and through deep valleys to Siltcoos Lake. As it turned out, as we got to Siltcoos Lake, we found remote campsites where backpackers could settle next to a remote side of the lake. These campsites would also be available to boaters on the lake. We figured this would be a 3 mile hike, Morgan's limit but it turned out to be 3.5 miles so she was pretty tired. The huge Hemlock forest made the hike worthwhile.

Monday, August 3, 2015: We did it. I let enough air out of the tires so that we were mostly successful driving on shallow, flat sand. In the deeper sand and on any incline, we got bogged down in the sand. The photo at right is on a slight incline with deeper sand. We could no longer move forward but fortunately able to back down the incline in the direction we came. Sand riders must stop at 10 pm on this set of dunes but south of Winchester Bay, the dunes are open 24 hours. We got to view a few sand riders but didn't dare get onto the dunes ourselves. I suspect I might be able to do more with less air in the tires but I don't have my air compressor with me and must drive ten miles to Florence for air on tires with 18 lbs of air in each tire. Click the photos for more views.

Sunday, August 2, 2015: Another hike today looking for OHV routes hoping to see some dune riders. We are tempted to try the OHV routes ourselves with the Samurai. We learned from the signs and literature that a flag is required above the vehicle to be legal on the sand routes. After going to five stores, I found a flag and installed it. I did a test drive and got only 100 yards before getting stuck. I knew I would have to let air out of the tires but thought I would give is a try first. According to the Internet, I should have only 15 lbs of air pressure in the tires. I might give it a try tomorrow if I can figure out how I will re-inflate the tires.

Saturday, August 1, 2015: After breakfast we walked from Waxmyrtle Campground to the ocean/dunes to see the dune riders. Last night the noise from the riders was loud and I wanted to learn what was making all the noise. I thought we would be able to see the riders in action. Instead, we only saw a few ATVs where the riders were having lunch. We learned the riders must follow access sand trails a long distance to the dunes where all the action takes place. They can also ride on the beach but we saw few doing that. I believe the dunes are far more exciting. We were not able to see the dune riding since there was no access without an ATV to get there. Click the photo for a view of the staging area for the beach riders. The vehicles are suppose to be tested to limit the sound to 93db but from what I've heard, I believe they are much more than that limit.

Waxmyrtle Campground near Florence, Oregon

Friday, July 31, 2015: This morning we met with Tom of Tom's RV Repair. Our air conditioner on the Lazy Daze would only work for about 20 minutes before the air flow was restricted. I learned something about air conditioning this morning and now know how to make the repair myself. The forecast is for 106 degree temperatures in Sutherlin so we packed up and drove toward the coast, only an hour drive. We expected to camp in Winchester Bay but learned all the campgrounds were full because of "Dune Fest". Now we had our sights on Waxmyrtle Campground near Florence. It is a National Forest Service campground so we get half off the fee with our Senior Access Pass. We were fortunate getting the last site which would fit our motor home. Click this photo to see the floating restaurant in Winchester Bay where we had a bowl of clam chowder after learning we couldn't camp there.

Thursday, July 30, 2015: Another travel day from Lincoln City, Oregon to Sutherlin, Oregon. So, leaving the pleasant temperatures on the coast to return to the hottest we've seen inland. We chose to return through McMinnville, Oregon so we could inspect the Yamhill County Fairground where we will have a Chapter 9 rolling rally in a week. As it turned out, the county fair was happening so we didn't get to view the camping area. We did stop in Corvallis (home of the Oregon State Beavers) Fred Meyer for grocery shopping. Since it was near 104, after parking, I started the on-board generator then the air conditioning to keep the animals cool while we shopped. Yes! This is not earth friendly but we had little choice with this weather. Click this photo to see the view from our street in Sutherlin. A wildfire has started about 25 miles south of Sutherlin and creating its own weather pattern. The forests are tinder dry and explosive. At last report, this fire is growing at 1000 acres per hour. This is devastating to our forests!

Wednesday: July 29, 2015: This is a travel day from Pacific City, Oregon to Lincoln City, Oregon and the Devil's Lake State Park in the center of the city. We were here 9-1/2 years ago in our King of the Road during a month long December coast tour. This time we are here to visit with David and Brook. David is Gwen's son. We took a beach walk but the 20 - 30 mph ocean breeze about blew us off the beach. We also took a walk down to the Devil's Lake dock where David and Brook plan to launch their kayaks. Unlike our December trip, the campground is full in July. This time, many of the campers are probably here to escape the heat wave currently visiting he inner valleys. Unfortunately, we must return tomorrow to a forecast 106 degrees.

Monday, July 27, 2015: The first full day of our Lazy Daze rally began with breakfast in the clubhouse. Volunteer cooks fixed a very good breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon and juice. After that came a book exchange followed by a "tech group" just before lunch. I had a long list of questions for the tech group like, how do you put the water heater on electric, where is the exterior 120 volt outlet, does the Onan generator work at high altitude, does anyone have experience with airbags on the rear axles, how do you remove the hubcaps, what is your experience with two six volt house batteries, which valve stem goes to the inner rear wheel, how did you get 120 volt power to the entertainment center. During the afternoon, several men visited to show me the answers they had come up with and we did a "hands-on" removal of the hub caps. The day ended with a very good potluck and bingo following that. Click the photo for a whole row of Lazy Daze. (just a portion of those at the rally)

Sunday, July 26, 2015: A travel day from Florence, Oregon to Pacific City, Oregon where the Lazy Daze rally will happen for the next four days. It was a very busy traffic day, took nearly an hour just to get through Lincoln City. Apparently autos are allowed onto the Pacific City beach a favorite spot for tourists from Portland and from the state of Washington. Behind the photo is a gray Lazy Daze, an unusual color for Lazy Daze. There are 20 rigs here for the rally which began with ... guess what ... FOOD. This is a popular RV park with every space taken and kids everywhere. There are also bunny rabbits, so we will have to work to keep Annie inside, she is a bunny hunter!

Saturday, July 25, 2015: Continuing to travel north along the Oregon Coast toward Pacific City. We have a favorite location in Bandon, Oregon for fish and chips. This is Saturday in July so very crowded and a 40 minute wait for our lunch but it was worth it. Behind the Chowder House photo is the Bandon Light House. We are staying in Florence, Oregon tonight at he Elks Lodge. The Elks club has a 40 space RV park which we have visited before but since this is just an overnight stay, decided to try the lodge parking. There are 20 space and all are taken. The fee for electricity and water is $15. Behind the lodge photo is Gwen shopping at an indoor farmer's market in Bandon.

Friday, July 24, 2015: Travel day from Eureka, California to Brookings, Oregon. This is on highway 101, a major coast road through California, Oregon and Washington. This stretch of the road varies between four lane freeway driving and narrow two lane, winding road driving. We are trying the Brookings Elks club RV parking for the first time. With this parking comes water, electric and a sewer dump station for $18. It doesn't feel as crowded as Eureka because there is space beside the RV for auto parking. It is in a quiet location which we always appreciate.

Thursday, July 23, 2015: Gwen and I took Morgan for a walk on the Eureka Marine Trail. It's a short 1.5 mile, paved trail along the Humbolt Bay. It is a popular trail with cyclists and painters on this perfect weather day. Three miles is Morgan's maximum hike which became better for her because she took herself for a dip in the bay water to cool off. Click the photo on the left for another view.

Wednesday, July 22, 2015: I took myself for a walk in old town Eureka. I found a bed and breakfast on the left, a house moved here from San Francisco. I also came across a sailing lesson with three chase boats which give instruction and help rescue those who might flip their sailboats. Some of the students did well but it was obvious that some did not get the hang of sailing. Click the left photo to see the sailing lesson.

The Carson house on the right has been purchased by a private club then restored. Carson was a lumber man, no doubt making his fortune by cutting and marketing the redwood in the area. Click the photo on the right for a larger view of the Carson house.

Tuesday, July 21, 2015: We have arrived in Eureka, California at the Eureka ELKS club. There are 22 full hook-up sites at this club for a fee of $25/night. The RVs are parked closely together but we've learned that Elks travelers make very quiet, friendly neighbors. It is about 30 degrees cooler here than in the valley to the east. That's a good thing since our air conditioner works only about 20 minutes. I've already made an appointment back home for the repair. The road here was highway 299 with many steep climbs and descents and plenty of sharp curves. The views were outstanding. Additionally, much of the road followed the Trinity River and reminded us of the drive from Grants Pass, Oregon to Brookings, Oregon along the Smith River, highway 199. Click the photo for a view of the entire park and the Elks Lodge.

Forest Service Free camping near Hayfork, California

Monday, July 20, 2015: This was a travel day from Calpine Elks in California to a forest service campground near Hayfork, California. We expected to get an early start today but were delayed because Annie (our cat) escaped from the motor home shower window and did not return until after lunch. Our goal was to get to the coast, Eureka, California because we have a Lazy Daze RV rally to attend in a few days in northern Oregon. Our air conditioner has stopped working so we want cool weather ... coast weather in our travels to the rally. We picked some back roads between Red Bluff, California and Weaverville, California. Fortunately, we were on pavement but we chose the wrong road which became a single lane with 15 mph switchbacks. I knew there was a campground on this road which we found around 6 pm. The dirt parking lot in the campground was just big enough for our rig but NOT big enough to turn around so we unhitched to spend the night. The area was SO remote, we decided this must be where the movie "Deliverance" was filmed. We actually did not discover we were on the wrong road until the next morning when we intersected the road we thought we were on. Click the photo for a view of our "wrong" road. This is a no-fee campground.

The Great American Craft show in Graeagle, California

Sunday, July 19, 2015: We are visiting Ralph and Janet who are spending the summer in the Graeagle, California area. We expecting to travel with them to Alaska next year and wanted to make some plans. While visiting, the Great American Craft show is in the town so we wanted to learn what crafts are shown. Janet and Gwen were mostly interested in tye-dye shirts but couldn't find exactly what they wanted. About half the booths sold jewelry so must be popular. I found a few items of interest but must save our dollars for the Alaska trip. Click the photos for additional views.

Saturday, July 18, 2015: This was a short travel day from Verdi, Nevada to the Calpine Elks club just west of Portola, California. This is a great little Elks club with three RV parking spaces. We are the only members present a good thing, since two of the spaces are filled with firewood. The club asks for a $15 donation per night which we were happy to provide. The club provides power and water. The firewood is a fundraising project where the club will sell raffle tickets and the winner receives three cord of firewood. We visited this club several years ago for spaghetti night (another fund raising event) and learned how friendly the ELKS are.

Friday, July 17, 2015: In the left photo, Lucy and Noah are cousins. I believe they are infatuated with each other. Noah is showing Lucy how to use an iPad. It appears she is catching on quickly. Click the photo for another view.

In the right photo Lucy likes to water the plants (and everything else). Click the photo to see Lucy with my daughter, Mindy. They are hiking the Lake Tahoe area.

We are moving again tomorrow.

Thursday, July 16, 2015: The Gold Ranch RV Park in Verdi, Nevada is our favorite place to stay when in the Reno area. We are here only for a quick visit then moving on. The drive here from Klamath Falls is by a back two lane road, Highway 139, very scenic but challenging driving in many ways. Click the photo for a view of the better part of the road.

Tuesday - Wednesday, July 14 - 15, Travel Day from Sutherlin to Klamath Falls, Oregon to visit with Gwen's daughter Lesa. She has a long driveway, perfect for our Lazy Daze, she also has a huge backyard but the landlord does not want any parking in the backyard.

Stepping on the accelerator rather than the brake?

Sunday, July 12, 2015: About a week ago I got an email from the park saying the lights would be out in the mailbox area of the office for a while due to an accident. Then a few days ago I was at the mailbox area when the State Farm claims agent was accessing the damage. The office knows who did the damage but is keeping it a secret which is near impossible to do in this park. Anyway, I don't know who caused the damage. The claims agent went on to say, "sometimes people step on the accelerator when they mean to step on the brake". I immediately thought to myself, "especially if you are in your 80s". I know a lady a couple streets over in our park who did just that and did a lot of damage to her motor home. I wonder if it was her who ran into our office building? When you walk inside the building it appears the wall has moved inward by a foot. I just saw an ad for pills to improve memory. Perhaps this person should take those pills to remember where the brake pedal is located. We are leaving for another trip on Tuesday so I worked today beginning to transfer items into the Lazy Daze. Tomorrow a new steering damper arrives for the Lazy Daze, I'll install it when it is cool outside.

An event on the main street of Sutherlin

Friday, July 10, 2015: I took a walk downtown to investigate the first, what is advertised as, a "push race". Two vehicles without engines are pushed down the street by two teams of racers. I didn't get to the event to see the race but I did see the car show. A 1947 Nash was one of the most interesting along with a 1958 Corvette convertible. In 1958, I was a paperboy in Ontario, California. My boss, who was probably in his early 20's, bought a brand new 1958 Corvette convertible and gave me a ride in it. It was my first time to be in a car with power. He purposely accelerated down the street and the acceleration pushed me back into the seat, a sensation I still remember. There were also many vendors set up in the street but they were selling nothing of value, IMHO. (In my humble opinion) Click the photos for more views.

Thursday: July 9, 2015: What a lazy day today. It was nice and cool this morning (rather than roasting) so I sat with the dogs on the patio with a cup of coffee. The three of us watched the Quail walk by (well, Pearl tried to chase them as far as her leash would allow). Gwen went to the dentist for a cleaning and said she got a "Jodi" cleaning. What she meant by that ... we had a hygienist in Grants Pass, Oregon who was exceptional so we judge ALL other hygienists by the "Jodi" standard. The cleaning Gwen just got was from a substitute for the usual hygienist who was on maturity leave. We both decided we are so frustrated with hygienists we have made appointments next April with the REAL Jodi even though it's a drive of more than an hour. So why can't we find a good hygienist nearby? What do you do ... try a different one every six months? Every damn dentist wants to do a "complete exam" before they will let their hygienist clean your teeth! Later, I took the dogs for a walk to the motor home parked in storage (because I wanted to check on a replacement vent cover I just bought). I put the two leashes together and Pearl towed Morgan the whole way, even pulled off her collar several times. Better Morgan get towed than me, I thought. This was also the day I met with all the rolling rally folks and when I came out, the weather had changed to dark and threatening rain. By the time I got to our patio it was raining so the dogs and I sat under our awning watching the rain drops.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015: Today began with a Chapter 9 breakfast and short meeting. Then I took the Lazy Daze downtown for an oil change and to check the chassis battery to be sure it was good. It is a 3 year battery on its fourth year. It tested good. Of course, now, I can solar charge it everyday. Next, I did some Lazy Daze interior cleaning then exterior washing before parking in our storage area. In the left photo, Morgan is with Pearl, the dog we are "sitting" for another three days. Pearl has a lot more energy than Morgan so we must keep her on a leash. She likes to chase the wild turkeys and rabbits we have at the park. In the right photo, a friend is selling her Class B RV. I haven't seen the inside but for someone who might want to get the feel of an RV experience without spending lots of money, this seems like a good choice to me.

Tuesday, July 7, 2015: We see wild turkeys all the time at Timber Valley Park. They are NOT well likes by the residents because they are noisy and make a mess of turkey poop. In theory, they should attract predators which might attack our pets but I've not seen any carnivores. This morning I saw Mom hen with her chicks. This is my first time to see chicks. We are dog sitting a CockerPoo (Pearl) and while I was watching the chicks I was also trying to attach a leash to Pearl. She broke away and took out after the turkeys. They ended up in the trees about 200 yards away with me chasing after Pearl. It was our second time today to have to chase Pearl down. That's Morgan's swimming pool, of course Pearl has enjoyed it too.

Friday, July 3, 2015: Every year Escapees Chapter 9 holds a "Home Rally" at Timber Valley Park. I usually involves lots of food, games, and July 4 parade and skits. The photo shows the Mexican potluck from last night. Today we had pizza followed by entertainment skits in the clubhouse. Click the photo for a view of one of the skits. Tomorrow is a decorated golf cart parade with a patriotic theme. The parade will be followed by another potluck in the afternoon.

Meanwhile, Gwen and I will be driving to Redmond tomorrow to help Gwen's daughter, Lesa load a U-haul to move to Klamath Falls.

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy at the Roseburg Half Shell

Thursday, July 2, 2015: Tuesday began "Music on the Half Shell" in Roseburg with Big Bad Voodoo Daddy. This is a band we were introduced to about 12 years ago when we attended a Britt Festival in Jacksonville, Oregon. My friend Richard invited us to join him and his wife down front. Richard lays out his blanket at 4 am to be sure he gets in the second row. We enjoyed Big Bad Voodoo Daddy again, I made a short video as an example.

Legal in Oregon

Wednesday, July 1, 2015: Today is the big day. Cannabis (marijuana), became legal to possess and grow (four plants to a household). It is NOT legal to buy or sell yet. That will happen in 2016. You can check the Q & A for Oregon Cannabis here. I don't know anyone who plans to take advantage of the new freedom but I'm sure I'll find someone as time goes on. This has been in the news the last couple of weeks. I'm in favor of the new freedom because the old "prohibition" made criminals of people who should not have been criminals. I'm hoping the courts and law enforcement will have more time to solve real crime. Of course Cannabis has negatives, just like abuse of alcohol and nicotine, abuse of Cannabis can ruin a life.

Old Town Florence from the Florence bridge

Monday, June 29, 2015: Our last day in Florence. This is old town Florence from the bridge crossing the Siuslaw River. It is a draw bridge and the control room is at the left of the photo. It is unoccupied today. Perhaps the gas station attendant runs down her to raise it if a sailboat mast is too tall. There are several nice restaurants, gift shops, art galleries and T-shirt shops in old town Florence. Click the photo for a view from the north end of the bridge.

Sunday, June 28, 2015: Florence, Oregon is a special place on the Oregon coast. Enthusiasts drive from long distances to explore the dunes with their dune buggies or to rent or ride in an ATV. Gwen and I explored the Sutton Recreation Area hoping to find our way to the beach or onto the dunes. What we found was the back side of the dunes with the ocean on the other side. Click the photo to see a stretch of dunes north of Florence.

Thursday, June 25, 2015: Back from five days of backpacking, I'm working on the photos to publish as soon as possible.

Today, I explored the Siuslaw Public Library for hiking books and found exactly what I was looking for but learned I couldn't check it out without a $15 fee. I decided to look around the library for other treasures and found their CD collection. I will visit with my computer and explore the collection before leaving Florence. Click the photo to see the Oregon State Football bus also visiting Florence for some reason.

Thursday, June 18, 2015: This is a travel day from Tillicum Beach Campground to the Elks RV Park in Florence, Oregon. Yesterday we had the time to drive 20 miles north to Newport, Oregon. Newport is a much larger coast town but still has an "Old Town" next to the bay and a much better developed marina. All the buildings in old town along the bay are involved with commercial fishing in one way or another. But on the opposite side of the street is one seafood restaurant which we can't pass up. Click the photo to look down the street of Old Town Newport.

Wednesday, June 16, 2015: We picked a name off the map, Missouri Bend BLM Recreation Area. Sounds like a place on the Alsea River we might camp in the future. However, when we arrived, we learned the Missouri Bend BLM Recreation Area is a day use area managed by the BLM. So there is no camping but a beautiful area of the river. This is an impressive river at the mouth but turns to a trickle only a few miles inland. The weather turned clear after a heavy overcast for two days.

Monday, June 15, 2015: After a lazy morning (at least for me, Gwen walked the beach with Morgan before I got out of bed), we walked downtown Yachats. There aren't many stores to visit so we spent more time in each store. We came to one of our favorite Yachats restaurants and decided to have lunch before returning to Lazy Daze. The Drift Inn is decorated inside with umbrellas, appropriate for the Oregon coast, and mermaids. The lunch was slow, every table filled, but good and we weren't in any hurry. Click the left photo to see the umbrellas. After lunch, we visited the grocery store for breakfast items we could fix for ourselves tomorrow.

Parked at Tillicum Beach Campground, near Waldport, Oregon

Sunday, June 14, 2015: So the yard sale is over and we are off to the ocean. This time, further north to the Tillicum Beach Campground located between Waldport and Yachats (pronounced YA-HOTS). We took a chance on getting a parking space since this is the time of year most sites are researved. We DID get a site CLOSE to an ocean view. We had to bring both cars because I am leaving Friday for a backpack trip with friends and Gwen does not want to be without a car. The Forest Service would not allow two cars in a camp space and would have charged us an extra car fee but had no place for us to park and extra car. Eventually, they rented another camp space to us JUST FOR THE EXTRA CAR. That meant using both our Senior Access Passes because they would not give the discount on TWO camp spaces unless we had TWO Senior Accss passes. I got to use the two stabilizer jacks purchased at the yard sale for $2 each. The ground dropped behind the Lazy Dase so had to put lots of waffle blocks to support the jacks. I'm also using the external propane tank connection for the first time. It's a 5 gallon tank but must be supported in some way so I'm using a plastic milk carton container. Walport is where the Salty Dawg restaurant is located. It's small local restraunt but Gwen believes they have the best home made clam chowder on the coast. Click the above photo for another view.

Saturday, June 13, 2015: This day began very early, 6 am, and plenty of buyers showed up but virtually none purchased MY valuable stuff. Hopefully, I'll remember the slow sales and NOT try this again. Next year we plan to spend the summer in Alaska so I won't be near the yard sale. Click the left and right photos for additional views.

Preparing for the Timber Valley yard sale

Friday, June 12, 2015: After the last time we exhibited at the Timber Valley yard sale I swore we would never do it again, however, a couple years later and here we are again. Actually, Gwen has volunteered to help sell donuts and coffee for the activity group so I will be in my little booth alone most of the time. I originally decided to exhibit because I wanted to park my truck at the sale with a big "For Sale" sign on it. But it has been sold. So has nearly everything I listed in CraigsList. I have about two dozen little things to sell and a few bigger items but that's it. Even my list of items I wanted to buy has been shortened. I either found them at other yard sales or I shopped early and found what I was looking for at this sale. Still, I DO have items on my list which I would like to find. Usually, the prices at this yard sale are 10 cents on the dollar or better. For example, I found the coffee maker I paid $50 in Arizona, nearly new here for 75 cents. I bought it for the extra parts. Some of my items I'll be giving away too but a few I'm willing to move back to my lot if they don't sell. Click the above photo to see the few items I have to sell.

	Tuesday, June 9, 2015: After spending most of the morning whacking weeds on the side of the hill behind our fifth wheel, I got an idea to improve the sales of the items we plan to exhibit at the Timber Valley Yard Sale this coming weekend. I photographed then listed
many of the items on Craig's List. The photographs (when you click these two) show four of the items we have for sale. The floor jack I chose to sell because it's too heavy to move around, designed to be on concrete, not gravel. These are made of aluminum how so I might try aluminum later. The firepit is being sold because our park is making it difficult to use. The ice chest is far too large for any of our vehicles now that we have sold the truck. Behind the ice chest is a bin full yarn, apparently Gwen has too much. Anyway ... the jack and firepit have already been sold and other items spoken for but no money recieved yet. Gwen is worried we will have nothing left to sell at the yard sale. I hope so!

Monday, June 8, 2015: I had a giant list of "to do" items for today. Here is a sample of the list. Visit State Farm to remove the Dodge pickup and make other changes to my auto policies. Go to the bank. Check prices to have the differentials and transfer case of the Samurai serviced. Have Les Schwab rotate the tires on the Samurai and while there, have them adjust the hand brake and replace the weak, rubber valve stems with metal valve stems, go to Diamond Equipment to choose a string trimmer to "wack" the weeds on the hill behind our fifth wheel and shed, check prices at the pet store to learn if canned dog food is cheaper than the special gastrointestinal canned dog food we get from the vet, get an extra Lazy Daze door key and ignition key made plus a "hide-a-key" so we don't get accidentally locked out of Lazy Daze, go to WalMart (don't read this Brooke) for a hard plastic wading pool for Morgan to lay in during this hot weather. Click the photo to see the new metal valve stems.

I really hate yard work unless I'm running a machine to do it. The weeds behind our trailer are 3 feet tall so I decided it was time to take care of the problem myself rather than wait for the park management to do it. I had a long discussion with Diamond Equipment concerning the care of a string trimmer. I know it will sit for as much as six to eight months without use so Diamond told me how to treat it so I wouldn't have trouble from the long periods of non-use. I already own the special face guard helmet with ear protection so I'm ready to hit the weeds tomorrow morning.

I've picked a service company in Roseburg to service the Samurai so plan to do that early Thursday morning. I also learned today that it cost VERY LITTLE to reduce our vehicle comprehensive deductible to $0 so I did that on the three vehicles (with motors) we still own. We had to pay to replace the Dodge windshield and I can tell you that ONE windshield cost ten years worth of comprehensive premiums on all THREE vehicles so I think it is a losing bargain for State Farm.

Sunday, June 7, 2015: We happened upon a garage sale today and I spotted a real snare drum with stand, music stand, music and drum sticks for only $25. I intend to give this to my grandchildren, Noah and Chloe. Their father, Ben, was in the high school band, in percussion so I hope Ben can teach the kids how to use the snare drum. I'm sure Ben is going to appreciate me getting the kids a real snare drum. Oh, I don't think Ben reads RVeCafe so it will be a surprise to the whole family when I deliver the drum in October. Ha! Click the photo to see the carry bag which came with the drum and equipment.

Saturday, June 6, 2015: The most significant event today was the sale of Big Blue. We purchased Big Blue in November, 2004 and then spent 11 years making her into the perfect tow vehicle. I knew it was going to take a special person to appreciate her and fortunately, Tyler recognized the value. He drove from Vancouver, Washington this morning to see her (a three hour drive, one way). I showed how well she worked and the extras I added to make her the perfect tow vehicle. He was convinced and paid cash. Our goal was to pay for the Lazy Daze by selling both the Alumascape and Big Blue. We accomplished that goal with cash to spare and spend on our trip to Alaska next year.

Happy Hour campfire

Wednesday, June 3, 2015: So what do you do at an RV rally the day after a long jet boat ride. You rest and then enjoy a 4 pm happy hour around a smokey campfire. But that's not all since rally's always involve food. You all go to the local pizza restaurant to fill up on pizza because tomorrow is departure day and most of us will head back to Sutherlin.

Wildlife and fishermen were the views along the river.

Steep canyon rocks just before disembarking for lunch

The return boat arrives for the trip back to the dock

Tuesday, June 2, 2015: The entire Chapter 9 group boards the jet boat for a tour up the Rogue River for a lunch at Agnus. These jet boat tours are made fun by the personality and entertainment skills of the "jet boat pilots". Somehow they are able to entertain with witty banter, spot wildlife and pilot the boat at the same time. Our boat had more than an entertainment purpose, we delivered the mail to the community of Agnus. The fee for a 64 mile round trip ride is $50 not including the price of lunch. So a full boat can net Jerry's Jet boats some good money. As entertainment goes, I believe the ride is worth the money. The weather was perfect, wool blankets provided to keep passenger warm at 50mph. Our lunch stop, Agnus, is a tiny community with two lunch locations. Our group chose the buffet while the rest of the boat chose Barbeque across the river. Click each photo for additional views.

Parked in Gold Beach, Oregon, Indian Creek RV Park

Monday, June 1, 2015: The Escapees Chapter 9 rally is at the Indian Creek RV Park in Gold Beach, Oregon. The mouth of the Rogue River is 1/4 mile while the Pacific Ocean is about 1 mile. We are surrounded by trees so it's a good thing I left the satellite dish at home, I don't have to try to point it through the trees. It has been pouring down rain all day so the canopy is erected at an angle so the water rolls off at the far end of the awning. Our first event is a 4pm "Happy Hour" in a nearby gazebo ... still raining. Click the photo for a view of Happy Hour. We have full hookups here (the first time in full hookups for us) so I plan to do a good flushing of the blackwater tank while we are here.

Sunday, May 31, 2015: Our one full day in Winchester Bay was today. Our morning breakfast view is on the left. Most of this day was weather perfect but the evening turned overcast. The temperature mid-fifties and changed little. Click the left photo to see what may be the solution to leveling the motor home quickly. Morgan and I took a walk in early evening. It seems half the boats in the marina are used very little. One third of the boats seem that they were moored here years ago then forgotten. I can imagine the owners are thinking, "someday I'll get down to the marina and spend some time on the boat". OR ... the owner is now elderly and everyone has forgotten about the boat, the wife just automatically pays the mooring fee without thinking about it. This level of boating has got to be the most expensive hobby per hour spent on the boat. Click the crusty boat so see another example.

Park at Salmon Harbor Marina in Winchester Bay, Oregon

Saturday, May 30, 2015: We are in route to an Escapee Chapter 9 rally in Gold Beach, Oregon. We started late today so stopped in Winchester Bay. This is one of our favorite locations to come when the weather gets warm in Sutherlin. It's only 1 hour drive along the Umpqua River to reach the Pacific Ocean. The fee is only $15/night for the view and lines on the pavement to park between, no hookups. We thought we would stop at our favorite restaurant, the Lighthouse Bakery and Cafe, but we were too late. So we drove a bit further to the Tyee Grill on the Umpqua River. Click the photo above for a view of Gwen on the deck overlooking the river.

Wednesday: May 27, 2015: Just back from a backpack so working on the photos. I had time today to install new tail light lenses replacing the fogged lenses on the Samurai. I ordered from eBay from a company in Mumbai, India. The cost for all lenses including shipping, $24. Apparently there are many Samurai in India, no other source for the lenses. Click the photo on the left to see what they looked like before they were replaced.

Replace the faulty gas piston

Friday, May 22, 2015: The Samurai has a rear door held open by a gas piston but the piston was faulty. I consulted the Internet finding several discussions of Samurai owners looking for the same piston but not finding it. I found a great site where I could search for length and the eyelet ends I needed. I found one which seemed perfect made for the Audi hood. I received it today and, indeed, it is perfect. Now the door won't be closing on our fingers when the wind blows.

Our tow vehicle is for sale

Tuesday, May 19, 2015: Now that we are back in Sutherlin, we've put our tow vehicle up for sale. We've sold the Alumascape and don't expect to move the fifth wheel. We have plenty of friends who travel with a fifth wheel so if we need to move ours, we'll call on one of them to move it. Over the last ten years, this has been made into the perfect tow vehicle and I've described that in "autotrader.com" and in "craigslist". Here is a link to the craigslist ad.

Parked in the street, Redmond, Oregon

Sunday, May 17, 2015: Sunday and Monday are travel days. First, Sunday was traveling from Boise, Idaho to Redmond, Oregon to deliver Lesa back home. This time, rather than drive through John Day and Prineville, Oregon on highway 26 we drive highway 20 through Burns, Oregon. According to Google Maps, it is shorter and faster. This time, we don't fit in the driveway so we park on the street in front of the house. Monday is traveling from Redmond, back home to Sutherlin. This time, we drive through overcast skies but no serious precipitation so both vehicles stay relatively clean.

Our parking location in Boise

Tuesday, May 12, 2015: Dave and Brook just moved into this roomy rental only to have the owner put it up for sale a few weeks after moving. This is a very comfortable, roomy, home with a long driveway, quiet neighborhood and lots of shade. Besides the long driveway, making it nice for us to park, the owner must have had an RV because there is a 50 amp outlet in the garage. I have a 50 amp adaptor plug for our 30 amp Lazy Daze so we are comfortable with lots of power.

Hiking the Boise foothills with Pam, Brook, Lesa and Gwen

Monday, May 11, 2015: Today was hiking day for Pam, Gwen, Lesa, Brook and me plus the two dogs, Bell and Snow. We hiked 5.5 miles, so too far for Morgan. This is a Boise recreation area, very popular with hikers and bikers. Brook chose the trail because of the gentle grades and views of Boise. The day was mostly overcast but warm so easy to work up a sweat. All the hikers and dogs finish strongly. Pam was particularly excited about the hike because she was new to hiking and found it fun and a new adventure. She is talking about finding a group of hikers in Gig Harbor, Washington, her home town. Click both photos for aditional views.

Sunday, May 10, 2015: Brook's family is still visiting so we went on a short hike before breakfast. The photo shows Brook, Dave, Heath and Jill. Heath and Jill are Brook's brother and sister. The Boise River is only 1/2 mile from our location so we were able to hike the Star Nature Trail at the end of the street. After the hike, we gathered everyone and drove to Meridian, Idaho for an excellent brunch. Lesa, Gwen's daughter is on the right along with Brook and more of Brook's family, behind. After brunch, we visited the Village Mall, only one block away. It's a relaxing, outdoor mall, popular with families.

Saturday, May 9, 2015: Today we attended the BSU (Boise State University) graduation. Three thousand were graduating today but Boise had excellent planning and presentation. This was an exciting graduation due to the quality of the speakers and the rapid reading the the graduate names. This is Brook's graduation day so the whole day was celebrating her achievement. Click the photo for another view. This is the Taco Bell Arena where the BSU basketball team plays.

Pinning ceremony for Brook

Friday, May 8, 2015: After driving from John Day, we arrived in Star, Idaho to visit Dave, Gwen's son. Dave's partner, Brook, is graduating from Boise State University with a BS in nursing. What a promising career she has ahead of her. We are parked in their driveway, so we have full power, water and dumping our gray water in their backyard. Brook has a "pinning ceremony" tonight and the whole family attended. In this photo, Dave is taking the photo of Brook with her sisters and brother after the pinning.

Gwen and Lesa hiking along the John Day River

Thursday, May 7, 2015: We left Sam connected to Miss Blossom so we did a lot of walking today. Downtown John Day is only 1/4 mile but we walked all through town more than once. We also walked Prospector's Trail along the John Day River as it passes along the Grant County Fairground and across from our camping location. Morgan also did a lot of walking today and she is plenty tired tonight. Note that Gwen and Lesa are dressed warmly, it's about 50 with a good wind so feels colder. Both Gwen and Lesa are competing with friends to be physically fit so they are doing a lot of hiking and eating a healthy diet.

Wednesday, May 6, 2015: We left Sutherlin today on a trip to Boise, Idaho. Our first destination was Redmond, Oregon to pick up Gwen's daughter, Lesa. We had typical Oregon weather for this time of year, clear skies, then rain, snow and hail. Poor Sam is covered with road spray and sand. After Redmond, we drove to John Day, Oregon. I planned to stay at the Elks Club but the parking lot was full so we drove around the corner to a large field owned by the Grant County Fairground. We have stayed here several times. The fee is $11/night for boondocking. It's our contribution to Grant County. I left out our cold weather equipment, like our propane heater and my winter weather hats thinking it would be warmer but I was sorry because it's colder here than I was expecting. The Lazy Daze batteries would not hold a charge long enough to run the furnace even a short stretch so I had to turn on the generator to run the furnace. It's easy to do by pushing a button inside the coach. I also could not run the television on the battery but I believe that's because of the long DC run between the batteries and the TV. I believe I have a solution but I won't know until the sun goes down and we aren't getting solar power. It's working with solar. Click the photo for a wider view of our field, the Grant County Fairground in the distance and the residential area of John Day to the left of the photo and the community garden is in the foreground.

Thursday, April 30, 2015: After the failed attempt ten days ago to deliver our new refrigerator, it finally arrived today. The Whirlpool was hauled off when they tried to deliver the first refrigerator. It was purchased using an American Express card because American Express advertises they will double the warranty period if their card is used. I was skeptical, but it worked. American Express refunded our entire purchase price about a week ago. The new refrigerator is a Frigidaire from Canada (we learned) and slightly larger than the Whirlpool. When Home Depot learned that the black model we ordered was damaged and a replacement would not be available until the end of May, they offered the stainless steel for the same price. It is usually 20% more than the black. Of course the refrigerator was delivered with the doors opening on the wrong side. It took me 30 minutes to switch them to the correct side. As it turns out, the Frigidaire is shorter than the Whirlpool, I will build a frame to cover the opening. Click the photo to see the new refrigerator in place.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015: This is the underside of the Florence bridge across the Siuslaw River. It was built in 1935 for less than one million dollars. Gwen and Jeanne are inspecting the bridge, one of Jeanne's favorite locations to show visitors. We were on a hike in old town Florence where the bridge is at one end of old town. The bridge is scheduled for renovation due to its age. Click the photo for another view.

We follow Gary and Jeannie onto the beach

Tuesday, April 28, 2015: Finally, we take Sam off road. In this case, we followed Gary and Jeanne onto the beach south of the South Jetty. Apparently the four wheel drive works because if it didn't someone would have to tow us off the beach. We drove two miles south on the beach, then parked for a short hike looking for treasures. Sam did well in the sand, next, the mountains. Click the photos for more views.

Gwen and Morgan hiking the Sweet Creek Trail

Monday, April 27, 2015: We spent the day with our friends, Gary and Jeanne. Gwen picked up a tourist guide titled, "101 Things to do on the Coast". Number 59 was a hike on Sweet Creek Trail where it was promised we would see eleven falls in a three mile round trip hike. We couldn't pass up this opportunity. We actually lost count of the number of falls as we hike the creek in this pristine area of ferns, moss, Cedar, Douglas Fir and Oak trees. We were also pleased with the catwalks along the steep creek banks making this an easy hike. We began at the "Homestead" trailhead, otherwise we would have missed "the Gorge" which was the most scenic and included the catwalks. Morgan came along on the hike (probably the maximum she can do at her age) and so did Gary and Jeanne's dog, Hershey. We packed in our lunch and found the perfect location to watch the water plus have lunch at the same time. Click all the photos for additional views.

Gwen strolling Baker beach next to the Paciific Ocean

Sunday, April 26, 2015: Gwen, Morgan and I went for a hike to the ocean on Baker Beach near our campsite. As we approached the beach, we came across signs forbidding dogs on the beach so I stayed with Morgan on the hill overlooking the beach while Gwen hiked to the water's edge. The sun was getting lower in the western sky so Gwen is a silhouette. Click the photo for a 180 degree view of Baker Beach.

Gwen is observing the Darlingtonia plants

Saturday, April 25, 2015: Our first day in Florence and we thought ... we need a dog and cat water dish ... let's visit the (many) garage sales which must be happening in Florence. None were listed in Craigslist so we picked up a local paper and found only four. Such a disappointment. We visited all four and can you believe it, did not find a water dish suitable for our needs. We came across Goodwill and went shopping finding exactly what we were looking for. We later decided we could have found what we were looking for at the Dollar store, cheaper. Now it was time for a hike so we visited the Darlingtonia State Wayside to see the Darlingtonia plants. I've seen these elsewhere and they are always very interesting. These plants actually capture and "eat" insects. Click both photos for other views. The photo behind the Wayside description explains how the Darlingtonia "eats" insects.

Miss Blossom towing Sam on our first trip

Friday, April 24, 2015: After working all week cleaning up the Alumascape for sale, moving everything from the Alumascape to the Lazy Daze then getting the Samarai ready to tow, we are taking our first trip in the motor home and towing Sam. We want a short trip for the first trip so we are going to the coast, Florence, Oregon. It's about 1.5 hours driving time. This time we are staying in an Elks club park, a large 40 space park, 5 miles north of Florence. We've not stayed in an Elks location for a couple of years and decided it was time to make good use of the Elks club membership. This is a very nice park, rural, quiet, with power and water at each site and a dump location within 100 yards. We are enjoying the power by using our air conditioning unit as a heat pump. This was my first time to drive Miss Blossom fully loaded. I was anxious to find a weigh station to learn if we were overweight but no such luck. It was also my first time to tow the Samarai (Sam). I noticed the sluggishness of the Lazy Daze on the hills compared to what I experienced driving it from Sparks, Nevada to Sutherlin, Oregon. I also noticed the cars piling up behind me, something I didn't notice before. We must learn how to live smaller with Miss Blossom. Click the photo for a view of our campsite at the Elks park.

	Wednesday, April 22, 2015: What a day! The new refrigerator arrived at 8 am but ten minutes later the delivery person reported it was damaged and could not be delivered. Then he spent another 45 minutes trying to figure out what to do about it. He finally found the correct form where I signed to refuse the delivery. He also gave me the phone number to call to learn about the replacement. When I called, I learned the replacement would not be available for six weeks. I was given the opportunity to cancel the order so did so. Gwen and I revisited the Home Depot selection of refrigerators and decided the model we ordered was still the model we wanted so would try for the only other color which would be acceptable, stainless steel. So off to Home Depot to solve this new problem. I spent over an hour with Brian,
the Assistant Manager. He made arrangements to supply the stainless model (usually $60 more) for the price of the black model we originally purchased. When I stepped into the store, the refrigerator could be delivered on Friday but it took so long to figure out how to do it, now it won't be delivered until next Wednesday. Note the shoulder and neck harness the delivery men are using to move the old refrigerator to the truck, interesting.

The home fifth wheel must have a new microwave and refrigerator

Tuesday, April 21, 2015: During my trip a couple of weeks ago to visit with my grandkids I got a message from Gwen saying the microwave had died. Only a few days later, I got another message saying the refrigerator had died. Today, I finally tested the fuse in the microwave I thought was the problem, it wasn't so Gwen bought a new microwave which I installed tonight. You can see the empty refrigerator bay to the left of the microwave waiting the delivery of a new refrigerator. You can see the corner of the old refrigerator. We purchased the Whirlpool refrigerator less than two years ago and used it only one year since we have been gone much of the time. We purchased from Sears in Eugene using an American Express card because AM advertises to "double the warranty" period if their card is used. We have submitted a claim and have been told we must wait nearly 3 weeks for a determination on our claim. We will soon know if American Express stands behind their advertising. Tomorrow, a new Frigidare refrigerator will be delivered. We are fortunate to have enough RVs with working refrigerators to be able to store our food.

My son Ben, granddaughter Chloe and Grandson Noah on the beach

Wednesday, April 15, 2015: I've returned to Sutherlin after a time with my son Ben and his two kids, Chloe and Noah. On this day, we went to the Pacific Ocean for a barefoot walk on the beach sand. They spent most of their time looking for sea shells but this wasn't the beach for shells. Click the photo for a view of Noah's walk in the sand.

Monday, April 6, 2015: Only last week we came across some friends from my college employment days. They have moved from southern Oregon to Florence, Oregon on the coast. Florence is only a 1.5 hour drive for us. We learned they purchased a beautiful Class A motor home and have been towing this Samurai but recently purchased a Jeep so the Samurai is for sale with all the towing gear. The price was right and we couldn't pass up the opportunity. We are calling this the "fun mobile" for the moment. It's four wheel drive and good for the back roads. We expect to use it for the fun drives. Let's see how this changes or activities.

Saturday, April 4, 2015: I learned yesterday that the manufacturer of RotoChoks is out of business due to the passing of the owner. These are the best wheel locking choks ever made and guess what ...? I no longer need them for reasons I will explain in a couple of weeks ... or perhaps you will understand, in a couple of weeks. So .. since I don't need them ... I'm selling them. And since they are in such HIGH demand and aren 't manufactured any more .... I think I'll double the sales price. I happen to own two sizes of wheel blocks to fit two sizes of trailer wheels. The distance between the two wheels decides the size of wheel blocks needed. Today I pinned a notice to the Timber Valley announcement board offering to sell a pair for $125.00. Actually, they cost me considerable MORE than what I'm offering. Someone in Florida has advertised to help Rotochok owners help sell. I've emailed them and asked for a suggested sales price. Maybe I'll adjust the asking price once I hear from them. So ... if the RotoChok is your greatest desire, send me an email but do it quickly! Click the photo to see how the RotoChoks are placed between the two trailer wheels.

No cheaper propane

Friday, April 3, 2015: One big benefit to returning to Timber Valley is the good price on propane. The price is at least a dollar more anywhere else in town but at the park, we pay on the cost of the propane, the park does not make a profit. If you are an Escapee and traveling to Oregon, save your tanks to fill at Timber Valley.

Wednesday, April 1, 2015: We are back to our beautiful lot at the Timber Valley SKP RV Park in Sutherlin, Oregon. The animals have already settled in, the Alumascape is partially cleaned and the shed awning is erected. It's been raining since we arrived but Oregon needs the water nearly as badly as California. It's good to be back to "home base". Oh ... and the weather station is back online.

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