Medicare Notes

Next week I come under the umbrella of Medicare. My 65th birthday isn't until the last day of the month but M becomes effective on the first day of the month you turn 65. And so I since we got home in November I have been trying to get my horses in order. Easier said than done.
Because of down-sizing I took early retirement from Pennzoil in 2001 and have been under their retirement wing for medical coverage since. Over the years I have been told by persons on the phone from the provider that when I was eligible for M that this current coverage would become a suppliment. After 2 months of telephone calls and not getting answers, I recieved a phone call yesterday informing me that my retirement medical coverage would end when I became eligible for M or in 8 days.
Luckily I have been to see an agent that handles Medicare insurance. I immediately called and got an appointment to set up a M supplement program and a drug program. It helps to talk to professionals about this part of your life. I did also meet with a volunteer from SHIBA (Senior Health Insurance Benefits Assistance who provided me with more information and a booklet that is made for Oregon residents. I think they have one for other states too. This is called the Oregon Guide to Medigap, Medicare Advantage, and Prescription Drug Plans. It shows the various companies that operate in Oregon and their health plans and costs. It helps to talk to someone of knowledge before you try to travel down this curvy path called Medicare.

Holiday

Today is Christmas eve day. A quiet day for R and me. It is just the two of us for the holiday. The pool is open until Noon so we will go for an hour or so and do our own exercise thing. Christmas Eve candle light services at out church are at 7pm so we will have our traditional oyster stew dinner before we go.
Then we will come home and watch the movie, "Christmas Eve". It is a 1986 made for TV movie adapted from a 1947 George Raft flick of the same name. This movie starred Loretta Young and Trevor Howard. Ms Young is a wealthy grandmother who is trying to get her estranged family home for Christmas Eve without telling them that she is near death.
The schedule is to have our family together next week Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday for our "Christmas". All of us have not been together for a long time. It is interesting how your family traditions change over the years. How priorities change as children go up and move away. What were fun annual family activities are just memories now.

May your holidays be active and fun-filled.

The Chiropractor

Until a few weeks ago I was a chiropractic virgin. Never been. My sister goes regularly, but me no. Never needed it. Even though I when I worked for Pennzoil moving cases of motor oil and drums around, didn't need it. Of course I was much younger and stronger.
So one morning while we were on San Juan Island, I woke up with a pain in the neck. It was on the left side sort of where teh neck joins the shoulder. I must have slept wrong. I have had them before once in a while. But it didn't go away. It persisted for weeks and I started to get headaches too.
When we returned to Eugene, I made appointments to check it out. Optometrist, new glasses.
Doctor for annual physical. (He didn't seem concerned.) So I decided to go to the chiropractor that R had used in the past.
Same kind of office. Same look. Went into the examining room and talked with him for a short time and then he had me lie on the table. He immediately felt the jammed up muscles and inflammation where my top ribs join my spine. Evidently the inflamation is the problem. It pushes everything around and presses on the nerves causing discomfort and, in my case, the headaches.
So the following happens on my visits:
1 I go in and lie on my stomach my my face in a special donut shaped pillow. An aid gives my whole back a massage with an electric machine that feels like a car buffer. It makes my back all soft and warm.
2 The doctor comes in and feels my spine and "the spot". He presses my spine in several places and I can feel movement and hear little snaps.
3 Then he has me roll unto my back and moves my spine by moving my arms in front of me and pressing on my elbows. It seemed quite odd the first time, but there was movement when he does it each time. He tells me that the movement it easier now showing that things are getting better. The inflammation is lessening. Movement is what is needed to get rid of inflammation. Movement allows the body to reabsorb the tissue that had become the inflammation. I told him that I had seen an ad on TV for a arthritus medicine that goes, " A body at rest tends to stay at rest. A body in motion tends to stay in motion." The meaning is obvious. Stay active even if it it is uncomfortable. My chiro confirmed. Use it or lose it.

No New Car

Well, I didn't get the car. It is a great car. Sporty, looked to be a good shape for a 2003. The dealer dropped the price by a $1000 when I inquired but it did not happen. I would have driven to Bend and picked it up immediately, but R did not think it was a good idea. "It would just sit in the garage while we are gone." A good argument, but so did the Porsche and things were OK. So I relly don't know the reason for her reluctance. Her final response was, "Go ahead and get it if you want." Well I knew her well enough to read between the lines and let the dealer know that the buying or shopping process was over. Too bad because it was a cute car like the picture above.

Buying a Car II

This week-end we went to Portland. We were there to visit family and friends but an opportunity to check out cars in the metropolitan area. How did it compare to car shopping in Eugene? Actually, it was just more of the same.

Black Friday morning, while the girls were shopping, I called about a XB at a lot. "I want to come and see it. I will be there in a half-hour." "The boss's wife is driving it but it will be here when you get here." Guess what? It wasn't. I waited around for another half hour and still the "boss's wife" hadn't arrived and I was "outta there" never to return.

Another promising car was sold 15 minutes before I called about it. So nothing on Friday. NO shopping on Saturday. So today, Sunday, on the way home, we stopped to check out a Mini Cooper in Salem. Interesting,2002, bright blue with a white top, 90k miles, automatic, a little on the rough side, which means that it shows some wear. It is probably not fair to judge a car that is eight years old, but it has more wear for a 02 than my van does for a 03. Of course there is no owner's manual. I hate that. Why do all used car lots throw away any records from used cars? Finding out how to adjust the clock or what that button does when you move it.

So what does this car need? New tires ( three looked sorta good and one fair. How do you get four tires that way?) The seat belt light is lit. The oil is dirty. ( no big deal) The battery needed a jump to get started. ( Again no big deal) So what next? This car could be OK as a replacement for the Porsche if we choose to go that route. BUT, for that to happen, the dealer has to accept a low-ball price that I have in mind. It is the amount that I sold my Porsche. If it works out, I will have a fun driveable car that I can improve upon. So think positive thoughts. Tell that dealer that he needs to get rid of that car at a semi reasonable price of $7500.

I will let you know how it goes.

Selling a Car

I'm in the midst of selling my family car. I would much rather just trade it in but for two reasons; money and car dealers. Actually, they are basically the same reason. We would all have more money if we could avoid car dealers all together.

I sold my Porsche using craigslist with little or no hassle. But you have to admit that there is a big difference between a 78 911SC Targa and a 2003 Chevy Venture Van. And so the story begins.

I listed the van on Craigslist a week ago. Wrote a nice description, included four pictures just like I did with the Targa. Nothing. No response.

I have visited several dealerships checking out various cars that were on my "short list" as possible future members of my "fleet". We are looking at cars with an automatic transmission. My favorite so far is the Mini Cooper or "Mini" as it is known.

It was once a British car that is now owned by BMW. It is a small, nimble, sporty car that is cute and fun to drive but pretty much useless as a family car. As a second car, perfect. As the only car, not quite as perfect.

So moving on. What else is interesting?

PT Cruiser. No Doesn't seem to be well made. Built on Neon Chassis. Plastic interior. Seems cheap

HHR I don't think so. I like the looks but it is built on a Cobalt chassis. Plastic inside.

XB ---- Made by Scion. I like the looks, drives well, lots of goodies inside.

Prius Toyota Like the car but too expensive to buy new. Not sure about used battery

CRV

Forester

Rav4

Element

I will keep you posted on the hunt. The best so far is the XB. I like the looks of them especially thru 2007. The later ones are sleeker and bigger, but not as unique.

Voyager

I am a Trekkie. Have been since James Kirk fought his way across the galaxy. I have enjoyed all the Star Trek movies. The TV series; Generations, Deep Space Nine, Voyager.
Now, while we have been here on San Juan Island, I have had access to the entire collection, all seven years of Star Trek Voyager. Captain Janeway, Tuvok, Ensign Kim, Paris, and my favorite Seven of Nine.
If you are not a trekkie, or have forgatten, the starship Voyager has been thrown a gazillion light years away from home. Janeway and her crew are traveling through uncharted space encountering unknown aliens and un-thought-of situations along the way back home.
This morning as I was walking the girls, I came to the conclusion that R and I are a lot like Capt. Janeway and her crew. We spend a lot of time alone in a far away place, meeting new people, eating new food, visiting strange lands on our trips to and from our homeland.

We are fellow voyagers!

Live Long and Prosper!

Monday Oct 25, 2010

Our first Monday off duty.

The other volunteer couple, who were parked nearby, left the island Saturday. It’s lonesome around here. They took the early ferry to try to get the jump on the winter storm that was threatening NE Utah and southern Wyoming as they traveled I-84 and I-80 heading east to Michigan. Today should be their crux travel day. Because the elevation of the Interstate is over 6000 ft for the whole state, it the weather can play havoc on travel through that area from now until late spring. It is bad enough traveling in snow and ice, but doing it with a large trailer attached to you makes it even more interesting. Good luck, Bob and Mary.

The rainy weather is upon us. Saturday was actually quite nice, with lots of sun in the morning, almost warm but becoming mostly cloudy, cool, and windy in the afternoon. Listening to the weather forecast made us expect rain and wind for the whole day so when the forecast was wrong, nobody complained. The wind, however, did pick up during the night. It blew in about sunset and left before morning, but it made the darkness even darker with its ebbs and blows during the time in between.

This morning, Monday, as I said before is our first Monday off. Prior to this, we worked Sat, Sun, Mon, & Tues. and Bob & Mary worked Wed, Thurs Fri, & Sat. That way there was a volunteer couple at the VC to augment the ranger staff. Now that one couple is gone and we leave on the 31^st and the visitor count has dropped considerably, the winter schedule has been put into effect. The VC is closed Mon & Tues. and hours cut from 8:30-5:00 to 8:30-4:30. Wed. R and I start our last four day stint. It has been a good run.

We have learned a great deal. We had never been to the San Juan Islands and had not even heard of the Pig War or the politics of the time in this area. Learning the “story” and the history of the place is always stimulating. But the real fun comes in learning what Paul Harvey used to call “The rest of the story”. The pleasure was in the finding out about the small stories that occurred behind the scenes, the characters that were players in the drama, and the seemingly innocuous occurrences that changed everything or prevented a larger possibly disastrous event from happening.

Examples:

One of the rules of the joint occupancy was the limit of 100 soldiers from each country on the island at one time. So when the British Engineer came to English Camp to survey the site for the placement of buildings, he came in civilian clothes so he would not affect the count.

The arbitrator sent by President Buchanan, General Winfield Scott was selected because of his successes as a negotiator in previous actions. But the poor man was not fit to travel especially in those times. To travel from the East to the West meant a journey by ship down the east coast, a hurried 5 hour train trip across the Isthmus of Panama (hurried because of the fear of getting yellow fever), followed by another ship journey up the west coast. The trip took six weeks. Scott was a big man! He stood 6’5” and weighted 385 lbs. He suffered from gout, pleurisy and had broken his collarbone falling off a horse a short time before his trip west so he was probably not happy to be selected for the task. Because of his mobility issue, he never set foot on land while he was here and did all of his negotiations aboard ship. Going from one ship to another required climbing ladders which was not possible so he was lowered in a basket from one to another. Even with all his physical difficulties, General Scott was able to negotiate with British Admiral Baynes and James Douglas, Governor of Vancouver Island, to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. No war.

Fog

The word for today is fog. (The picture was taken on a better day.) It was a star filled sky when I walked the girls last night. The fog moved in overnight and was a thick as soup this morning for our walk. Morning fog is not unusual this time of year, but at 2 pm it was still thick enough to prevent us from seeing the nearby prairie, let alone the water. Watching the boats trolling back and forth along the coast is a what makes sitting at the breakfast table is a treat. Not today. I had to imagine that I could see even a tree.
I am writing this at 4:14 from the library and it is still foggy out there. No relief today. The weather is going to get wetter and windier through the week-end. Winter is getting closer.

A Fall Morning

The walk to work in mid October. The air is as still as a church on Monday morning. The birds are still having their morning coffee. The sun is drifting through the fog looking for the ground. It is going to be one of those days that you would like to bottle up and save for the middle of January.

Rosario

What is Rosario?

It is the name of the place, a resort on Orcas Island that dates from the early 1900’s. Robert Moran was a man who owned a ship building company in Seattle. He arrived in Seattle penniless and built a shipbuilding empire along with his two brothers. Moran become Mayor of Seattle in 1888, after the Great Fire had destroyed the downtown district. He dealt with the problems of the city while building his shipbuilding business. Through his outstanding efforts the city rebuilt better and stronger and he was easily re-elected. His company built all sorts of ships from fishing vessels to warships. The high point of his business career was when his shipyard built and launched the flagship of the Navy's "Great White Fleet", the USS Nebraska built in 1904 and used through WWI.

In 1904 Mr. Moran health was in danger. The doctors gave him only a few years to live, so he gave up the business life and moved from the city to Orcas Island where he started to complete his retirement home which he named Rosario. It was hub for visitors, congressmen and business alike. Rosario became known as a resort for the rich and influential. (Incidently, the island life was good for him because he lived until 1943).

Today it is still a resort. http://www.rosarioresort.com/ You can still stay at Rosario. You can get married there. 22 “rooms” are available. All of the accommodations are detached but close to the “house”. Some are motel suites. Others are individual home units. All have gorgeous views of Cascade Bay and the surrounding hills.

The main building houses the offices, meeting rooms, and a couple of restaurants on the main floor and a spa and pool in the lower level. The second floor has been left mostly like it was when Mr. Moran lived there. Stained glass is dispalyed in the windows and lighting. The woodwork is amazing! The floors, built-in drawers, even the doors with their unusual hinges reflect the attention to detail that is prevalent through out the structure. The second floor also contains an auditorium that contains a huge 1900 Steinway Grand Piano and an enormous pipe organ dating from 1913. Free concerts are held in this room at regular intervals that feature both instruments. During the fall the concerts are held at 4pm on Saturday. It would be a joy to attend.

It’s a Thursday. Laundry Day so as we sit and wait for machines to do their thing, R reads and I write. At least for a time. It is a late morning so we will have to go for lunch before long. Maybe to try out a new restaurant. It might be a good day for fish and chips. You would think that on an island, fish would be easy to find. I have heard that in the summer you can purchase fresh fish on the docks. But like everything else, the off season has affected the number of fishermen in Friday Harbor. Now is a good time to come to the island if you are trying to get away from the summer hoards. No lines at dinner. No long wait at the ferry landing. Empty roads and beaches. No reservations are needed at the hotels and probably the B & Bs. Of course the temperatures are cooler and the sun is more hidden, but this area does not compete with Cabo or Rio for warm sunny days during any time period.

You come here to get away. Maybe it is from the hustle and bustle of Seattle. Or the signs of corporate or commercial America, the Wal-Mart’s, Home Depots, McDonalds, or Starbucks. Maybe it is for the beauty that surrounds you. Maybe it’s the water, which also surrounds you. Whatever the reason, it is a special place. Not only this island, but any of these San Juan Islands and any of the other island that dot the charts of this area. The people who live here are different. Different from you and me. Different even from those who have a “place” on this or another island that they come to occasionally. I’m not sure if I can explain, but they look at things just a little differently. If you were to move here, it would take quite some time for you to be truly accepted as an “islander”. All of that being said, as we have roughly two weeks left on our "duty" here, when the time comes, we will be ready to "move on". I'm ready to be on the mainland again. I'm ready to resume our water aerobics routine. I miss our Wednesday night dinner and a movie. It will be nice traveling with out planning around the expense and limited time frame of the ferry. I miss Costco hotdogs!

Sunday at American Camp

It’s Sunday morning. There are four of us here at the Visitor Center waiting for the first person to come through the door. Three of us have set up a guess as to when the first person will walk through the door.

RW 10:15

JB 10:25

JW 10:35 (ps RW won. It was 10:10)

Hopefully we will actually have some visitors today. Since the calendar has switched around to October and the weather has switched around to fall, our attendance has dropped off dramatically. September was still good. R& I were stationed at English Camp on Sat & Sun and had about a hundred visitors each day. I really enjoyed being there. It has a totally different “feel” there. It’s much more scenic and serene and more historic buildings (four). Building and keeping up the fire in the fireplace at the barracks was a highlight for me and visitors too. Many of them commented on seeing the smoke from the chimney and smelling the fire drew them in. When you think of it, open fires are becoming a thing of the past. Most fireplaces are being ignored or are converted to gas. Gas fires are ok but they don’t crackle or pop or smell like real wood fires.

Speaking of buildings, American Camp is about to increase its number of buildings by one. Currently there are two historic buildings on site. The laundress’ quarters and one of the officers quarters. The laundress was the wife of a soldier who was paid to do the laundry for the soldiers. A portion of each soldier’s salary was deducted from his salary to provide her pay. It was hard work but it provided a nice boost in income to the her family. She was required to be married. If her husband died she had 60 days to remarry or she would lose her position and her house. With all the unattached men on a military base finding a new husband would have not been a challenge.

Here you can see the officers quarters, the laundress house on the far left and the visitor center in the background.

The other building on site is one of the officer’s quarters. It is a duplex in design with a hallway in the middle and a couple of rooms on each side. The outside is has been restored and painted white. The interior waits for its time. An extensive white picket fence surrounds the entire camp area but the building sits by itself. But not forever. Soon, another building will be placed next to it. Currently named the Brown house because of the man who purchased it long ago, it sits on a corner in downtown Friday Harbor. Since being moved from American Camp in the 1870’s it has had many uses, being remodeled and added on to several times, finally ending up as an art gallery. The owner of the building wanted a new building so instead of just tearing the building down, contacted the NPS to see if they were interested in it. So the NPS is getting the historic building by moving it off the property and the landowner does not have to pay to have it demolished. It will sit right next to the existing officer building. It’s truly a win-win situation. The moving day has not been given, but it will be a momentous occasion.

Foxes

If you love foxes this is the island to come to. The fox is not native here. They were introduced to produce furs, but when that fizzled the foxes remained. They are beautiful creatures, but man has spoiled them. The foxes here at the park are used to humans. Too used. The public has loved them so much that they have fed them to get them to come close enough to get good pictures. But...a fed fox is a dead fox. Because when the winter comes and the tourists don't come, a fox used to taking scraps, will starve. So feeding wild animals is not a good idea.

That being said, red foxes are fun to photograph. There are two color variations that I have seen around here. One is more of the traditional color of red. The other is what is called, a silver fox; black with silver or grayish hair on its flanks. (You can click on the picture and bolw it up to see it better)

The rain woke me up this morning. Rather the plop, plop of rain drops on the roof of the trailer. I love the sound of rain on the roof. It makes me want to cuddle. But I am less fond of the plop, plop of drops of water falling off the tree canopy overhead. In an open area, you know when the rain starts and stops. You know when it increases and decreases. Under a tree canopy it is similar but different. The drops are delayed and extended. When the actual rain has subsided, the drops continue; plop, plop.

Walking the road in the morning after a rain is time to count the worms as they do their stretching exercises. I hope they are done and have gone back underground before vehicle start using this pavement.

This moisture was predicted for today. 40% the NOAA weather report said. That part was correct. But the forecast also predicted winds last evening and through the night with gusts up to 35mph. On that item the report was full of hot air.

Yesterday was the first Thursday of the month, which meant that the San Juan Island fiber group met at the library. Spinners. When we get to a new area, I am always on the lookout for a spinning/weaving group. Being a guy interested in fiber makes me one of a few, but it’s ok. The females are tolerate of us males.

Usually, the gatherings are just that; gatherings of fellow spinners who get together to spin and talk about what they are spinning, etc. This group is that and more. They are actually interested in increasing their knowledge of new ideas and methods using spinning wheels. There was a short presentation about Mohair; what to look for, different types, etc. Mohair is the fleece from an Angora goat. (Angora comes from an Angora rabbit).

The second part of the program was an explanation of the making of Boucle’ Yarn. Basically it is fuzzy, bumpy yarn that is fairly expensive to buy in a yarn shop. After the presentation, the group was given access to a large amount of Mohair fleece which we carded and then proceeded to play with. I borrowed some thread and spin it, allowing the loose fibers to adhere themselves onto it as it wound into the spindle of my wheel. The next step would be to run that thru the wheel again, spinning in the opposite direction, while plying a binding thread onto the yarn. The end result is boucle’ yarn. I need much more practice; much much more practice.

Neighbors

We have neighbors. Actually they have a nest nearby, that has yet to seen by me. Ranger Josh claims that it is nearby, but he is somewhat vague as to its actual location.

The other evening, as I stood and talked to the other volunteer couple, who have a trailer parked in the same area as ours, a sound was heard that stopped the conversation cold. It was ths sound that only an eagle could make. After some searching in the treetops over us we spotted the originator sitting on a branch enjoying the sunshine on its feathers. So now, where was the mate? We searched high and low and eventually found it sitting in the same tree about six feet higher. Notice his one foot perch.

My day was made.

Orcas Island

Thursday dawned bright and clear. It was a good day to travel so we didn't sleep in, but got up and made the 8:30 inter-island ferry to Orcas Island which is the other big island in the San Juan Island group. As the crow flies, it is about 5 miles from ferry landing to ferry landing, but because Shaw Island is in the way, it takes about 45 minutes to get there.

Although, Orcas Is. is about the same size as SJ ( actually a few square miles larger) I felt totally different there. Scenically, I believe it offers more to do than SJ, of example, the large Moran State Park and Rosario and Eastsound areas and several small village areas such as; Olga, Deer Harbor and West Sound. Because of the several large bays there is more shoreline on Orca also. Its population is 60% of SJ so it feels much more rural to me. The precentage of "normal" homes is greater on Orcas I bet. [ Normal being houses that are of normal construction and not designed by an architect, but still overpriced because of having to be brought from the mainland. Aslo normal houses are occupied by the owners full time and not just a "vacation home" to lived in for a a couple of weeks or months a year. ]

We drove up the great curving road to the top of Mt Constitution and took in the great views, snapping numerous pictures. The clouds cleared during the half-hour we were there. Mount Rainier was visible to the south and Vancouver, BC to the north. Mount Baker was almost touchable to the east.

Then it was lunch at the Olga Cafe. Good organic locally grown food, slow service, not inexpensive. On to Rosario. Rosario was the home of ship builder Robert Moran, who build the mansion with arts and crafts in mind. The craftsmanship is amazing, the woodwork beautiful, the stained glass fabulous. There are 22 rooms and suites available for rent, a spa, and restaurant. The building is over one hundred years old but is still quite beautiful. Walking around inside is like a trip to a museum.

Mr Moran donated over 5000 acres of his land to the state of Washington to become Maron Stae Park, the fourth largest state park in Washington. The parks contains many miles of trails and over two hundred small campsites.

By 4:00 we were in line at the ferry landing waiting for our trip back to SJ. A pleasant day trip.

This morning

This morning I awoke around dawn to walk the dogs. It is a time when all is quiet and new. As I tried to move along, hampered by their frequent stops to smell and taste the environment, I enjoyed the clear skies and even spotted the silhouette of Mt Baker in the distance. It is the first time I have seen it in the morning. Fog or clouds usually prevent the sighting. The girls are done so we head back to the trailer. Its time for breakfast for them, one of their favorite times. Then back to bed for a nap.

I thought that going back to bed might not be a bad idea for me too. I glance at my bed. There’s someone in it! I’m sure of it! Wow! I quickly disrobe and slip in. What do I do next? As I lay there waiting for my breath to slow down, I slowly slide closer to the sleeping form. I snuggle up to her. She wraps an arm across me. Soon we are entangled, warm and close. It is a good thing. As I lay there, it seems that this woman is familiar. Her feel, her smell is something I remember. Then it comes to me. I have slept with this woman before! She may have even bore a couple of my children!

I fall asleep with a smile on my face

An Indian Summer day

Today we took advantage of the sun and went exploring the island. We stopped at the downtown market (Kings Market) to check on the selection of soups in their deli. The soup selection was depleted so we had lunch at the nearby China Cove. The Wednesday lunch special is Teriyaki Chicken. It was quite good.

After lunch R & I hopped in the truck and drove out north of town to find some unexplored roads. We drove down several always having to turn around because, other than a few through routes, most are dead end roads, ending at any of the many residential areas along the coast of the island. There are so many fabulous home sites here. One of the sites that many people recognize is the Lime Kiln Light. It is located on the west side of the island. That is Vancouver Island in the distance. The name Lime Kiln comes because lime was quarried on the island and burned. The powdery residue was lime which is the primary ingredient used in concrete. Much limestone was quarried and hundreds of cords of wood were cut to provide fire for its processing.

We did see our first raccoon today, hobbling from the edge of the road into the woods. We were driving out to the county park at the end of Rouleau Road. Reuben Tart by name. A tiny park almost at the end of the road. A steep walk down to the water. A small bit of grass, rock, and a gnarled tree pointing out into the sound. A secret place that most visitors do not know about.

I found a treasure today. We stopped at a local thrift shop on our travels. In a pile of recently donated pots and furniture, I spotted a folded rug. Its colors reminded me of something I had seen in Arizona. I picked it up and unfolded it. It was Navajo, an old one. I can tell by the simple design and earthy colors. Several holes in it that say that it has not been a just a decoration. I wonder what story it would tell me. I just had to have it.

Now the question, what do I do with it? Should I have it cleaned and repaired or just enjoy it as it is? I did run it for 15 minutes in the dryer at no heat and got a lot of hair and dirt out of it. I think it look pretty good, don't you?

A Walk to Grandma's Cove

The sun came out and it was time to take a walk. Roving is what it is called. You are in uniform walking the trails checking for litter, seeing that the information booklets are fully stocked, and visitors are having a good time.

So off I went. The sun was shining, with a good breeze from the west. It became stronger as I approached the cliff overlooking the water which was the Strait of Juan de Fuca with the snowcapped Olympics to the southwest. Then, there amongst the white caps, I saw a black shape. Then there was a spout of breath like from a whale. Wow, there's another.

I found a spot on the hill and sat down and pulled out the binoculars. For the next fifteen minutes I watched the pod (of about 6 or 7 animals) swim past. It was great fun. I do not remember even noticing the wind other than it was difficult to hold the binoculars steady. After they had moved out of sight, I further explored several beaches nearby looking for that perfect piece of driftwood. It is still out there.

Night Walk

Last night I took the "girls" out for their walk before going to bed. In past nights it has been so dark that I walked out to the road, I needed to look up to the sky to tell that I was on it. I could not see the girls I just knew that they were there by the tugs on their leashes. If we were walking along and I would feel a tug, I knew that it would be for one of four reasons; poop, pee, taste, or smell. Life is simple for a dog.

But last night so some reason, it was not as dark. The stars were not visible but maybe the moon was making the clouds lighter. I could see where we were going. I could see the girls and actually watch them explore the roadside as we walked.

First Impressions of San Juan Island

After four days on the island several words come to mind.

Money Lots of it all over this place.

Green Lots of green trees, grass

Water Everywhere. You cannot drive very far in any direction without seeing it.

Whales Orcas They swim close by in the Haro Strait and the Strait of Juan de Fuca

Cost of Living High, High, High Everything on the island has to come by ferry.

Gas is high, Food is high, home prices are ridiculous

Shopping is strange.

There are only three places to buy fuel on the island. Two in Friday Harbor one block apart and owned by the same guy and (they tell me, but I haven't seen it) one in Roche Harbor. Two food markets in FH both owned by the same outfit. One is on teh main street and basically for the tourists and one is on a back streeet and for the locals because it does not even have a sign on the outside of the building with a name on it.

Restaurants and businesses are tucked here and there around the town and the island it seems with the understanding that if you want them bad enough you will search for it.

There are about 6000 residents on the island, with the population doubling in the summer. So there is a small town feel here. Most people know each other.

Like everywhere there are plenty of real estate signs to see as you drive around. Even at reduced rates home prices, especially those near water, are high.

No chain stores. No Arches, No box stores, no fast food. The only signs I have seen that are corporate are Shell on the two gas stations, and Ace on the hardware store. That part is great! The island works very hard to keep it that way.

Cell phones are semi useful. With the hills and distance from towers, AT&T coverage is spotty at best. (Verizon too)

Schools

I have heard that it is a good school system here. Possible because the expensive homes have created a high tax base giving good school funding. One high school on the island with busing in from the outer areas. High school students from Lopez ride the ferry every day and walk the three blocks from the ferry landing to the school.

All that being said it seems like this place is a good place to raise a family.

Rainy Day

It's a rainy Labor Day. Off and on periods of heavy rain followed by periods of mist. No sky just gray. I'm sitting at the table in the trailer listening to a radio station from Vancouver, Canada playing 60's and 70's music that sounds just like the ones American stations play. Wow!

The RV park has emptied out with about 60% of the rigs gone. The spots are quite close together so not having someone right next to us is a good thing. The WiFi works again too. Too many people during the week-end.

Yesterday we drove around the Deception Pass area. It is very beautiful. The state park has a campground, but it was put in when rigs were smaller. The road through the campground winds up and down the hills and between some trees that would present a challenge to navigate through without adding addtional pinstripes to your unit, not to mention repositioning a roof vent.

Anyway the skies were blue, the sun bright and warm and scenic vistas abounded.

Seattle

Seattle

What I know about Seattle could fill a thimble. It is a very large city in a picturesque location near lots of water. It has a temperate, albeit rainy, climate that allows lots of green trees and blooming flowers. It has major businesses, Boeing, Micro Soft It has three professional sport teams, the Mariners, the Sea Hawks, and the Sounders. It also has traffic that would scare a Californian.

So we went there today. Why? It does have a major airport, SeaTac and my sister was departing back to Minnesota. So the plan was to go early, do some shopping, and drop her and her husband off at a hotel near the airport. So we did, we did, and we did. Shopping was at Pike Place Market near the waterfront in downtown. A great experience! The place contained fresh fish,potato chips cooked on the spot, small craft vendors, street performers, lots and lots of beautiful fresh cut flowers and hundreds of people enjoying the place with us.

The only “fly in the ointment” was the parking. Lots of cars, not much parking. We got there fairly early and found a lot with several spaces available. What we didn’t know is method of payment for the spot. I assumed that the self-service pay station out front was the one for the lot. After putting in my credit card and printing a sticker to put in the window, I realized that it was for parking on the street. Seattle does not use parking tickets. Instead these stickers are purchased and stuck to the inside of the window to prevent a parking ticket. Well that sticker will not provide you with parking time at a lot. It is a self-service booth is located over in the corner of the parking lot away from the other booth. So I was offered the opportunity to donate money to the city of Seattle as well as the lot owner by buying both stickers.

I felt really stupid when I figured out what transpired. Then I felt angry because the situation is one that preys on visitors. Locals and frequent visitors would know about the situatuion, but tourists would not realize it until it was too late. When we were done shopping and returned to the lot, another individual had just done the same thing. I walked over to him and informed him of the situation. He felt as happy about it as I had been. He came to the conclusion that we had gotten ripped off just a little. Because he now belonged to my club, I offered him my parking sticker and the 45 minutes remaining on it and we left.

Ferry to Friday Harbor

You want a fun day at a reasonable expense. Take the ferry from Anacortes, Washington to Friday Harbor. Park you vehicle at the ferry terminal, and purchase a walk-on ticket. It is about $13 round trip and takes a little over an hour. So you can stroll aboard at 9:00, get to FH at 10:00, walk the streets of town for several hours, buy a t-shirt or a painting, have lunch, hop on a return trip and be back to your car before supper. A great day I would say

Bellingham

Bellingham WA is an interesting place.

We spent four days in the Bellingham area. Google it and you will find out that it is a city of 80,000 about an hour north of Seattle and a half hour south of the Canadian border. It has a lot going for it. Lots of water nearby (lakes, and the sound) the Alaska ferry docks there, lots of trees and hills and flowers. A vibrant college ( Western Washington University ) An interesting downtown complete with a Saturday Market and a shopping experience called Hardware Sales.

Hardware Sales started small and now occupies five buildings in the downtown area. Think of your favorite hardware store when you were a kid. This is very much like it. A rabbit warren with tools. If you are a tool person or just curious this is a must see when you are in Bellingham.

Another is NW Handspun Yarns downtown Bellingham at 1401 Commercial St. Meg Jobe has just bought the store, but she has worked in it for several years. It is a great store if you are a knitter, spinner, or weaver. It looks like a town I could retire in.

Oregon to Washington

The trip from Malheur to Bellingham took two days. The first day we left M at 9am, had lunch and shopped at Costco in Bend and drove as far as Brooks Memorial State Park which is in the mountains about 20 miles north of the Columbia River on Hwy 97. Many wildfires had been burning in the area so it was smoking from Bend to there. It was 100 as we crossed the river but it did decrease to 95 by the time we stopped. However, by the time we were set up and R was inside with the A/C running, it had cooled down considerably. The next day dawned clear and bright and off we went; through the Yakima Valley and up over the mountains to the north. Then through the valley and Ellensburg and up and over the mountains to its north.

The next stop was Leavenworth, a very pictureques town nestled in a narrow valley with mountains all around. It looks very much like the Bavarian village that is its theme. Parking for an RV is limited to a lot on the west edge of town so we did not get to explore the downtown area. Next time maybe. So after lunch at a place called Rudloofs Pizza and Dogs, we motored west on Hwy 2 up and over Stevens Pass. It was long tedious stop and go adventure passing through Monroe because the Evergreen State Fair was happening. As we climbed up Stevens Pass, we encountered clouds and rain by the time we reached the summit and it was wet until we passed Monroe. But as we neared I-5 the clouds broke up and the pavement was dry as we turned north. Our destination was Bellingham an hour north. We took the appropriate exit and pulled into a parking lot so that we could have supper before looking up our relatives. We were a day early so we did not want to ariive early and say, "What's for supper?"

After parking, I took the girls for a walk and, on the way back to the rig, I noticed that one of the tires on the trailer was flat. Not low, but flat. How long it had been, I don't know. We had stopped at a rest area less than an hour ago and thigns were ok, but there it was. Luckily, across the street was a Discount Tire Store. I hurried across the street because it was 5:45 hoping that they were still open. They were and so I went around the blockk again and pulled the rig behind the store. The store was closing at 6pm, but stayed open to take care of us. The tire was damaged beyond repair and looking at the other tires, another was well worn. I had replaced one tire before we went south, so we ended up replacing the other three. With all the mountain driving we did that day on two lane highways I have to believe that Someone was looking out for us.

Time to Go

Tomorrow is our last day here at Malheur. Twenty four days have come and gone quickly. I feel guilty only staying for this short time, but our supervisor knew about this last year. When we found out that we were going to spend two months at San Juan Is Nat Hist Park ( or SAJH for short) I originally told Carla that we weren't coming to Malheur this year because we could not be here for the full term of the ranch opening. Carla replied that she was willing to work with our time schedule. "How about you come the first of August and help setting up the ranch?" So that's what we did. Actually, we worked more days than if we were just hosting at the ranch. 171 hours converts to 21 days. If we were working the normal three day on, four day off schedule a month would be 15 days so I don't feel so bad.

The trailer is almost packed and ready. The satellite dish still needs to be taken down and the truck backed under the trailer and attached, but that can wait for a while.

I just looked up and the moon is about 5 degrees above the horizon and smiling at me. It must be full tonight. Awesome to look at, terrible for star gazing.

Just went outside and fought the misquitoes to dump the tanks and finish packing. Some of the work will have to wait until tomorrow. The bugs won tonight.

Before I came in tonight I checked out the sky. I easily found Venus. It is the brightest thing in the night sky besides the moon. Its about 60 million miles from us and getting closer. I also spotted Saturn and Mars nearby. Soon it will be late enough to see Jupiter come up in the East. I miss looking at the stars and planets.

Sunday Aug 21, 2010

Sitting here having a piece if toast figuring what I want to do with the rest of my day. It is our last day of rest at Malheur before we leave on Wed morning. Last night we were invited into Burns to have dinner at our supervisor's home. Good food, good conversation, good company made for a good time.

Up at 6:30 this morning to take the girls on our mile loop. After my Cheerios I decided it was time to "do Susan" again. I have cassette tape that I made from a Susan Powder video many years ago I used to do it regularly before breakfast. I knew it well enough to be able to watch a soccer tape or the news and excercise at the same time. I had the tape set up and turned on the TV on the morning of 9/11 and watched the plane crash into the second tower. It's a moment that I will never forget.

So I did Susan here in the screen porch of the Rec Building across from our trailer. It is very soothing to look out at the landscape while you work out. It's been a while since Susan and I have sweated together so it was good to do it again. Now I'm back in the trailer writing this. The forecast is for clear with temps in the 70's today with lows in the high 30's and then a slow warming trend for the next few days. Today sounds like a good day to clean up the truck and put a coat of wax on it and the front of the trailer. I don't like starting out on a trip with a dirty vehicle.

Weaving

Today we drove to John Day. The 70 miles up over the Strawberry Mts. are very enjoyable. Lots of ups and downs; two passes to go over. Winter driving could be dangerous. Lots of curves. Lots of great scenery. John Day is a quaint town. Mining history in the nearby Canyon City. We stopped at a couple of antique shops and the Grant County Museum. It's worth the $3.50 admission.

The best part of the day was the stop at Skeins, a knitting, spinning, weaving shop. Teresa recognized us when we walked in. She greeted us like old friends. We spent an hour in the shop talking about colors, yarns, weaving styles, and looms. R had to buy a book, of course. It's titled "Woolbur". Great children's book. Read it if you find it at the library or book store. Teresa remembered when R read this book out loud to her and me last year when we were there. We all smiled at that.

We left with $75 worth of yarn, books, and memories.

Fuana Musings

1. 10000 White Pine Butterflies gave their lives today as we drove up Hwy 395. It looked like a snow shower as we drove along. I will need to rewash the front of my truck.

2. Yesterday at the ranch must have been snake day. Three bull snakes were seen. A visitor pointed one out to me. Rand I were walking along a saw another. The third was encountered by R as she walked to the barn. She screamed, the snake hustled one way, R hustled the other. Don't know who was more frightened.

3. A small brown weasel ran across the road on the way out to the ranch yesterday.

4. There are five pronghorns hanging out by water on the refuge. The herd has been there all week. I hope they stay there until hunting season is over.

5. There are several Herons that are still using the nests in the Cottonwoods at the ranch. They are fairly quiet until one of the parents shows up with food I guess because all heck breaks loose. There's all kind of squacking and sputtering as Junior tells Mom or Dad that he wants dinner NOW! The noise continues until the adult flies away.

6. This morning, for the first time this year, I heard a sand hill crane calling. We have yet to see one this year. Last year they were everywhere. Not many ducks or geese this year either, but White Faced Ibis are very numerous. Any flocks you see here are these black birds with the wings in the middle and down-curled bills.

7. Lots of carp were caught in the Blitzen River on Saturday. Unfortunately just a drop in the bucket. They are more than a pest here in on the refuge.

8. R and I are getting acquainted with the cows at the ranch. Several that were there last year already come running when R walks up to the corral in the morning.

9. It is a full-time job keeping the hummingbird feeder filled here at our trailer. It is great fun to watch them jockey for position to get the sweet liquid. Some work so hard to guard their feeder. Others work equally hard to pester the guard. Sharing is not in their vocabulary.