Countdown

Less than 30 days until we launch the rig and head south.  Organ Pipe will be our destination.  It was so much fun last year we decided to do it again.   There are several things that are on my list to tackle before we leave, ( oil change, differential fluid change, new front tires.  what else?.............hmm

Christmas Lights

 Colors and lights of Christmas

Merry Christmas

Today we went to the Coburg Truck Stop for Christmas dinner. 
  Good turkey
  Good Ham
  Mashed Potatoes
  Dressing
  Veggies
   Pumpkin Pie or Apple Pie
  Good Friends to eat it with
  Interesting Atmosphere

The Maple has dropped a tapestry in our yard.

Buying a Car

   I used Craigslist again.  I sold my van using Craigslist so why not.  Actually, I had been using C to look for vehicles for several weeks.  I explored many other sites on the web, but none were as straight forward as C.  The others seemed need more work to search and were filled with advertising.

     During the research period R and I did visit several of dealerships.  The front runners were Mini, Chevy HHR, Scion XB, Honda Element, and the Toyota Prius.  After driving both a new and used Prius, it became our number one.  We both liked how it drove, how it felt (it was comfortable for R) and the idea of a hybrid.

    Back to Craigslist for more searching.  I found a couple of 2005s with 70K in the Portland area that sounded good, but not good enough to travel the two hours just to drive it.  Our schedule would but us in Portland the following week and if the cars were still available, then we would drive them.  I did come to the conclusion that cars, new and used, are plentiful.  Except for a few special collector models there are always many to choose from.  So we were relaxed about the process.

   Car dealers, however, aren’t so relaxed.  They are there to get that car sold.  As I was searching and asking questions about various vehicles, I received lots of emails and calls trying to “answer any questions I may have”  “When are you going to come and take a test drive?”

    It was Saturday, Oct 30^th and I checked C list again and the same blue 2008 Prius was still for sale at a local dealership.  I called.  “ Is it still available? “  “Yes”  “What is the price?”   “Just a minute.”   After a minute I was quoted a price, I decided to go out on a limb and told the sales guy, “If you lower the price by $2000, I will buy the car.”   “I will talk to my boss and call you back”, was the reply.

    Five minutes later the phone rang.  “My boss said that we have had the car for 63 days and it’s time to move it.  If you buy it this month, you have a deal.”  I agreed with the stipulation that we still needed to come down and see and drive it before we approved of the deal.  We did and we did.  A couple of hours and signatures and initials on many sheets of paper later, we drove it home.

Selling a Car

 I went the Craigslist route.  Good choice.  Easy to list your vehicle, which I did.  Easy to update during the process.  Easy to control the responses, whether you choose to list your phone number or just have them respond to the listing.  Oddly enough I only had one response, but that was the guy who eventually bought the car.  He called me and I gave him more information about the car.  He asked for my best price and I told him and hung up.  Two days later he called and said that he and his wife were driving down from Portland ( about a two hour drive) to drive the car.  I told him ok but the car price had not changed.

    Two hours later he showed up and I showed the two of them the van.  I could not tell if they were excited or not.  After I took down his name, address, and drivers license number I let them take a test drive.  They were gone quite a while and when they came back said that they wanted the car but at a lower price.  I had decided ahead of time that if the car did not sell at decent price I was going to keep it for a while longer and try again later.  So I was not in a dickering mood.  I stuck firm on the price I had quoted on the phone.  The negotiation broke down and the two of them went back to their car and I want into the back yard to cut some limbs.  A few minutes later, his wife called my name and came around and handed me an envelope with the correct amount of cash in it.  The van is gone.  

     The next day I went to the bank and put the cash into our checking account.  The teller, who told me she had only been there two weeks and had to check if she needed approval to accept cash.  I just smiled.   It was OK.

  Good bye, Venture

The Day After

   I woke up the next day with my face so swollen that I my eyes were just slits.  My face looked like I had gone several rounds with the Big Bruiser.  Myh eyes did not want to stay open, so I spent Friday just lying around napping.  Saturday was better.  I was still puffy, but I we still went out to enjoy the sunshine.  R and I are thinking about getting a different vehicle.  We have ruled out a Mini.  So the XB and Prius were next up.  I have driven an early XB ( meaning before 2007) and like them a lot.  The later one sits better and is larger inside and out, but don't know how it drives.  I still prefer the looks of the older model XB. 
   Now the Prius.  I have always been intrigued by it.  I love the idea.  I think the time has come for us to modify our driving machines.  With that in mind, I have been thinking about getting one.  Yesterday, both of us drove a 2011.  It was the base model but still had lots of features. We liked the way it drove.  So the Prius is at the top of our list right now.
   Today we went to Springfield Toyota and drove a 2008 Prius with 40000 miles.  It still drove like a new vehicle.  It is amazing how well the Prius holds its value.  The 2011 we drove yesterday was for sale at $22600.   The 08 today has an asking price of $17995 .  It is a "higher" model with navigation system but it shows that the car holds its value really well.
   The next step was to contact given to me by a friend.  This guy, Jim, finds cars that have been damaged and gets them fixed for a fraction of the "retail price".   Fifteen minutes after I called him he called me back with info about several Prius's that may be candidates for our use.  He is going to check on them and call me back.  I will keep you posted.

Danger in the Backyard

One thing that continues whether you are home or not is growth.  The grass grows, the weeds grow, the ivy really goes wild.  Such is our backyard.  We have a service that takes care of the mowing and edging but not the weeds; not the dead tree branches that have accumulated.  The result is day of trimming and a trip to the place that takes yard debris.  The business takes our yard debris, grinds it up, and converts it to bark mulch.  So, several hours were spent cutting, sawing, and trimming, it was time to think about loading the back of the pickup.  There was just the holly bush to finish trimming.  I clipped the front area and moved to the back side to finish up.  All of a sudden I was under attack.  I felt something flying at my face.  Then, Ouch!  I've been stung!  On my left eyebrow!  More yellow jackets are flying at me!  Now there's another flying around my face and he gets me in my other eyebrow.  Pretty soon I'm moving rapidly ( see running) to distance myself from that area.  No matter, several of the little devils were chasing me around the backyard.  Finally, I ducked into the house, but had to watch out for the single that had followed me.  After we encouraged him out, I could relax.
   After I took a Benadryl, I cautiously back outside to finish up.  I decided to stay away from the back corner of our yard.  The trimming there will have to wait until the weather gets cold and the yellow jackets are asleep.  The truck got loaded and tied down, but it was too late to go dump.  That's tomorrow's adventure.

First week back

   The first week back in our home has been an adjustment period;  adjusting to a bigger space, adjusting to a new routine, figuring out where to store the items that have been unloaded from the truck and trailer. The trailer has not been totally unloaded.  Only the items that needed to be washed or were going to be used in the house, were taken out so much of the clothing ( especially summer items ) were left on board.   Foodstuffs are crowding the kitchern cabinets, and the refrigerator and freezer, but time will take care of that situation.
   The extra square footage of space that the house has over the trailer is nice, but there are rooms that I have not even gone in yet.  Do I actually need to a house this big?  My wife would disagee, but I could live in a smaller place.  It all depends on the layout.  Our house new has a small family room and kitchen together, which we used constantly, and a good sized living room with a dining room on the end that we use only if we have company.  Those two rooms could be lopped off the house and we wouldn't miss them except as place to store some furniture. 
   The other part of being back is the "home work" that is needed.  A home always needs work.  Call it painting a bedroom.  Call it fixing dripping faucets.  Call it yardwork.  The yard is what was calling to me (actually Yelling is more like it ) when we got home.  We have a yard service that mows an d edges the grass for us, but that's it.  The bushes and trees went wild while we were gone.  The grape arbor was totally hidden.  The arbor in the center of the back yard was fully covered by Wisteria vines.  Wisteria  grows at an alarming rate and can overrun a trellis and make a run for something else if you don't keep it trimmed.   We planted it on this arbor with that in mind.  There is nothing close to it to grab on to.  So grabs onto itself and gets thicker.
   So, after one day of intense wacking and another of dragging it into the back of the pickup and hauling it to the place that takes the yard debris, the back yard looks better.  It is not done yet, not by a long shot, but I can look out there and not cring now.
   It looks like half my apple tree is dead so that is my next big project, and the pear tree needs to be trimmed, and the maples out front are starting to drop their leaves, and .........
 
and so we are home..

Home again 10/2/11

The trailer is parked in the driveway.  The pickup has shed its load and is parked at the curb.  The frig is empty and turned off.  Clothes are piled on the floor of the laundry room waiting for a spin in the machine.  I don’t know if it’s good to be home, but we are here none-the-less for the next 3 ½  months.

Last Days at FOVA

    The last day at FOVA have come and gone.  Our last day was just like any other.  If I expected a party or at least a gathering, I was mistaken.  It takes such little effort to make folks feel like they are important.  Just a call or a visit means a lot.

    Our supervisor did stop to see us, at about 3:30pm he knocked on our door and came in for a visit.  He left us with a goodie bag with some mementos such as key lanyards, a stainless steel NPS cup and a few other items.  We had a nice visit.  He did mention that we were invited to return in the future.  There are plans for increasing the number of pads for VIPs.  They are thinking of locating them somewhere over in the Vancouver Barracks area.  In addition to adding the number of volunteers for the Fort, it would provide a “presence” in an area to discourage vandalism.

      It was mid-morning when I hitched up to the trailer and R returned our official keys and our volunteer shirts.  So we became hooked up and unattached at the same time.

The time at FOVA was fun, interesting, a learning experience.  We met some nice people.  We visited some new and some old places.   Fort Vancouver National Historic Park is a great place.  Be sure to visit it if you are ever in the area.  We will visit it again.  In fact, we have reservations for a Lantern Tour the night of Dec 17.  It should be great fun having a costumed guide give our group a tour of the fort by candle-lit lanterns.     

Change in the Weather

Last week the temperature was in the 90's.  This week this have changed.  Yesterday morning I dug the heater out of the storage unit of the trailer and plugged it in.  Fall has definitely arrived.  Yesterday was cool with sprinkles.  Today was cool and showers.  No sunshine in sight.  Summer is over!

A Visit from Our Kids

    Friday night we had the pleasure of a visit from our kids.  Our eldest son, his wife, and two of cutest grand daughters ever came to our trailer for supper.  It was the first time since we arrived here at Fort Vancoouver in July that we had the whole family as visitors.  The time was short but very fun.  I enjoyed a long walk and some exercise on the playground with little e.  Big E and I learned that salmon is delicious on the grill if you can figure out the right temperature to grill it. R and I learned from Little G about the experience of going to summer camp; where you sleep, what you eat, and even enjoyed a camp song.  It was obvious that camp was a sure-fire winner.
   The time ending too quickly, but was much enjoyed.

911

I knew what day it was when I woke up yesterday, but it did not really hit me until I put up the flag at the visitor center.  As I raised Old Glory all the way to the top of the pole and then back to Half-Staff I remembered that morning ten years ago.

 How it changed our lives and the world.

Old Friends

Some old friends are treasures that have been buriedand are waiting to be discovered again.

After Labor Day

   Yesterday was Labor Day.  It was a very nice warm sunny day.  Because it was Monday it was a regular workday for us.  I worked at the VC in the morning and then when R showed up, I went down to the fort.  I spent the afternoon at the ITC (Indian Trade Center) where the Native Americans came to trade their furs for goods.  They could bring in other items for trade, such as woven baskets, moccasins, wild animal meat, but the main emphasis was on furs, especially beaver pelts.  I was busy all afternoon which was fun.

   It also means that, as far as the park is concerned, summer is over.  Even though the forecast is for clear skies and temps into the 90's, the summer season has ended.  School and school related activites become paramount.  Here at the park, the two-a-day ranger programs have ceased.  The number of familes visiting the fort has dwindled to zero or close to it.  (we will have to wait and see about weekends)  It kinda sad.  The bright lights in this gloom are the special events that tha fort has planned for the next months.

   The first event is called "Campfires and Candlelight"  It happens on Sat. Sept 17th.  The Visitor Center is open its regular hours fo 9-5, but the fort doesn't open until 5.  At 4pm visitors start the event over near Pearson Air Museum.  Through a series of stops along a path, each one a representation of the certain time, like WWI, the Civil War, the Oregon Trail,  the visitors go back in time ending up at the gate of the fort in Sept, 1846.  The fort will be staffed with volunteers all in costume representing the people who would have been in the fort that evening.  It should be great fun and unbelievably, a free event.

   Other upcoming events are ;
 
Evening Lantern Tours  Oct 1 & 15, Nov 5 & 19, Dec 3 & 17
Tales of the Engage's     Oct 8 & 22
Spirits of Oregon City     Oct 22 at the McLoughlin House
Heritage Holidays            Dec 3 at McLoughlin House
Christmas at Fort Vancouver  Dec 10
Cultural Demos               Second Sat. of the month Sept- Nov.  at McLoughlin House

so there is some life here at Fort Vancouver.

Back to Goldendale

Thursday we drove up the Columbia Gorge.  We drove past Multnomah Falls, past Hood River, saw smoke rising as we approached The Dalles, drove through the smoke as we got close to TheDalles.  As we exited I-84 to visit the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center, we noticed that the west-bound Interstate was closed, to allow fire fighting equipment more room to fight the grass fire that was right next to the highway. 
   The museum was very interesting, well worth the $7 admission fee.  ($6 for seniors)  The is a theater showing several videos on the history and ecology of the area.  Three separate areas highlight different themes.  As we entered we stopped to enjoy a rapter program conducted by a volunteer.  I learned many new things about the great horned owl and red-tailed hawk.
  After several hours we left the museum and noticed that the smoke was gone, but the west bound traffic was still being routed on Hwy 30, backing traffic up several miles because of the bottle neck.  We drove on east and then turned north on Hwy 97, crossing the Columbia River and up the hill through the fields of wind generator towers.  It is impossible to know, but I swear there are more now than last year.  The area looks the same, the town of Goldendale looks the same.  We checked into our motel, grabbed a short nap before driving downtown to "The Luau" for some terriaki chicken.  Yumm.
  Following a short drive around town, before going up the hill to the observatory.  At the observatory gate we were exposed to the new Washington State Park user fee.  There now is a $10 fee to visit Washington State Parks.  Oregon's fee is $5.  
   Steve, the park's only employee, was surprised to see us, but we got a big smile from him anyway.
After everyone at the gate was checked in, we were allowed into the parking are and the program began.  Actually a few minutes after we all sat down in the auditorium, we found out that the ISS, the International Space Station, was passing over soon and so we went back outside to view it.  It showed up, as promised, right where it was supposed to be.  After the passage, it was back inside for the program.  Steve did introduce us as past volunteers to the rest of the group.  After the Power Point program we ajourned to the telescope room for the evening viewing.   Things haven't changed there.  The asrrangement that I put up in the display case is as it weas when we left.  It was fun being a tourist for a change.  

Moving

Should I move?  My boys think that it is time for us to move to the Portland area.   We are comfortable in our home in Eugene, but our kids think we would be closer to our grandkids and a lot of our old friends if we moved up to the big city.  There are many advantages and disadvantages to moving. 
   We like Eugene.  It has all the needed things; shopping, hospitals, a swimming/excercise facilities.  Our home is paid for.  So why would we want to move?  To be closer to friends and family?  There are several old friends who live in the Porltand area.  It wohld be fun to be more frequent visitors with them. 
Living in the Portland area would put us closer to our grandchildren which is good.  However, they have their own lives and finding time for us seems to be difficult.  We have been here in Portland for more than two months and they have yet come to see where we are parked. 
  In the old days families used to call to talk, to tell one another about their day.  They used to call when they got home from vacation, or from a trip, to share experiences.  Or they would call just to say "Hi".
  Now you have to look at their blogs or facebook pages to find out what is going on in their lives.  I guess that is the new society.  I kinda liked the old one.

  So should we move?  We have to think about what WE want to do and what is best for US and not listen to others.

Leaf

A couple of days ago a friend and I stopped to check out the new Nissan Leaf, the all electric car.  The first thing you notice are don't notice is that it looks just like any other car. 

Remember the Honda Insight? 









Well this car, while not beautiful, does not look odd.  It bears a very strong resemblance to the Nissan Versa.  In fact, it share the same, what the car manufacturers call, platform; the layout, brakes, etc.

So the salesman told us about the unusual way to order it.  It is done almost entirely on the computer.  You first pay a $500 deposit to get the ball rolling, then you hire a Nissan approved electrician to wire a charging station at your house.  Then Nissan starts to build your car.  The sales person told us that the price had recently risen from $34k to $37k because of demand.  (Leave it to car makers to make a buck; or three thousand bucks ) when they can.  Order time is about 9 months.
  
Details:  100 miles between charges, if you don't use A/C or heater.  Less if you do.  There is a reading on the dashboard that tells you how many miles are left on your battery.  A Leaf was recently driven from Gresham, Or up to Timberline Lodge on Mt Hood and back on one charge.  The battery was nearly used up going up the mountain, but the braking coming back down recharged it enough to get the car back to Gresham with "2 miles" left on the meter.  It would be the right car for a town car.  The batteries are going to get batter as time goes on.


  An Observation>>>>>>   Car dealers do not recognize the recession.  They continue to try to wring as much moned as they possibly can out of the individual.  The sales guy told us that a certain 2009 Civic on the lot had gone up (according to the book) $2500 in a month so they raised their asking price that much.  He said, My boss says there's an "A__ For Every Seat" so we will evidentially sell it.  HMMMM.............  No wonder I hate car dealers.

Bonneville Dam

Well we finally made it to Bonneville Dam.  It is located about 40 miles east of Portland on I-84.  We walked around the grounds of the fish hatchery, fed the large rainbow trout in one of the holding ponds, found Herman the Sturgeon in another pond.  The area is nicely landscaped and also has a large gift shop to accomodate the 500,000 annual visitors to the dam.  The dam itself is a mile from the first area and drive is intersting because the roadway travels through a guarded gate, across a narrow bridge just below the locks and then along the dam itself.  The visitor center at the dam has four levels.  The greeting area and gift shop is actually the third floor.  It is staffed by several volunteers who live in their RVs nearby on one of the islands created for the facilities.  The top level is for an overall view of the area.  The second level has two theaters, and the bottom level has the viewing windows for the fish ladders.  The fish ladders are provided to give the salmon a way to swim upstream around the dam.  How well they work is a question, but they are better than having no ladder at all.  The viewing level also contained the room that contained the person who counted every fish that swam up the ladder.  Imagine having that job!  Not the most exciting job in the world!
     2pm brought a tour complete with a ranger wearing the tradition green and gray uniform and smoky bear hat.  She, however, and the other rangers here, are employed by the Army Corp of Engineers so they have the "castle" emblem on their sleeves instead of the NPS emblem.  The talk was mostly about how the system of dams works, but we did get to walk over to the historic power house where there are eight huge turbines generating the electricity that is powering this computer as I write this.

  After finishing the tour we stopped to visit with one of the volunteers to find out information on volunteering at Bonneville.  On our way back we detoured to the picnic ground which is adjacent to the volunteer campground.  The area aeems very nice but I'm sure that it is always windy because we noticed that several folks had put up some sort of wind breaks around their picnic tables to slow it down.  Kinda like being at the coast.  The volunteer we talked to did tell us that there is also a vistor center on the Washington side as well and the power house tour there actually takes you right on top of the turbines and you can feel their vibrations.  Another time perhaps.

Camas / Wasougal

"Let's drive east on Hwy 14 and check out Bonneville Dam.   We've never gone on the tour before."

So we ended up in Wasougal before we knew it.  We saw a sign for a museum and found it right across the street from the Pendleton Woolen Mill Store.  The sign stated, "No Tours today", but we went inside to see what was there.  The store was full of anything and everything Pendleton from shirts to coats to handbags none of which seemed to be any kind of bargain.
  Then it was across the street to see what was inside the small-town museum.  The couple that were working, Joe and Dorthy, moved to Wasougal in 1947 so they were very familiar with the stories of the area.  We spent over an hour talking to these nice people. 
   It was after 1:30 and past "time to eat" and we ended up in downtown Callas, a very cute tree-lined downtown area.  Lunch at Natasia's  ( Russian Goulash for R, Chicken and Mushroom Lasanga for me).
Good choice followed by two antique stores made a great day. 

Yesterday Sunday 8/7/11

Busy day at FOVA.  A wedding on a grassy area with nearby evergreens.  The area was set up when I got to work at 9am.  The ceremony was at 2pm and the area was back to its original state by 5pm.  The transformations in this park are amazing.
  Sunday, a Concourse de Elegance ( which means a fancy car show) was staged on the grass of Officers Row.  Officers Row is a row of about fifteen homes that were built in the 1880s by the Army for their officers.  They have been restored and belong to the city of Vancouver.   Most of them are rented out to businesses, but one (the Grant  House) is a restaurant and the other (the Marshall House) is open for tours week-days and used for parties and weddings on weekends.
  As I walked the girls early sunday morning, cars were arriving and concessions were being set up.  All day long folks came and went to view the beautiful automobles and by 6pm the visitors were gone, the cars were gone, the concessionaires were gone, and just a few folks remained to complete the final clean up.  This morning, the only trace of the event was some pressed down grass in certain areas.  Another successful event came and went.

Being Near the Airport

We are about 1/2 hour from the Portland Airport.  It is convenient if you fly often, but it does have it's drawbacks.  Large commercial jets take off and climb into the skies over the Columbia River which is just south of us.  This is especially frequent in the early morning.  The flights seem to leave PDX every 10 minutes from six to eight am and then several an hour all day long.  If I lived here I would get used to it, but after a month here, I still stop to look.  I am usually walking the dogs and have been checking the departure of a plane with Southwest markings.  Six days a week it passes by at 6:45am give of take 5 minutes.

Vancouver Public Library 7.21.11

Today after water aerobics, R and I went looking for the new brand new Vancouver Public Library.  It open Sunday July 17^th at ‘C’ and Evergreen just west of I-5 in downtown Vancouver.  And what a beautiful place it is!  Five floors, lots of windows, a nice contrast of concrete and steel meeting bright colors.  The third floor is entirely devoted to kids with at least 1/3 of the floor filled with hands-on activities for young ones.   Lots of things that slid, twirled, rotated, stacked, lit up, and generally stimulated young minds.  Made me wish I was young enough to play with them.  (I did turn some wheels and move some balls.)   If you find yourself in Vancouver and have some time check out the library.  It is well worth your time.

     R and I stopped in to see if we get some reading and video items checked out.  We walked up to the counter, told the clerk what we wanted to do and her response was,  “Do you have a library card from somewhere else?  If so you are welcome to get one here.  It is a provisional card meaning you can reserve and check out books from our any of our regional libraries, you just can’t get items from outside.”  She went on to explain that regular members can request books from any library anywhere in the country!  How about that?  We filled out a form and were issued a provisional card which is good for two years.  There was no cost for this transaction.

     It is such a contrast to Eugene’s library system.  Instead of encouraging use of the library, the Eugene library system has an isolationist policy concerning personal use by folks from outside the city boundaries.  If you are not a resident of Eugene, the annual cost of a library card is $80.!!!   I think that it is outrageous!! 

Faucet

    Before we headed to our gig at Cape Blanco, I replaced the RV bath faucet in the trailer with one designed for a home bath.  It looked better and felt much better.  However, within 3 weeks, it failed and the cold water refused to shut off.  There is no Home Depot within 150 miles so I visited a hardware store in Port Orford which had a total of two bathroom faucets to choose from.  The installation went well and did not leak.  I put the defective device in the storage area for later returns.
    When we got settled here in the Portland area, I found the nearest Home Depot, which is about two miles away.  I did get the orignal purchase price credited to my account.  After listening to our story, the female clerk wrote "enternal failure" on the return slip.  Our new faucet has not failed yet.

Fort Vancouver

 

Last night I actually enjoyed a baseball game.  It was a vintage baseball game played here at the parade grounds here at the park.   The rules were those of game in the 1860’s which meant there were no gloves, no cleats, the baseball was soft, no base on balls, fly balls caught on the first bounce were outs.  The two teams were volunteers dressed in period costumes.  A good time was had by the players as well as the hundred plus spectators. 

Fourth of July at Fort Vancouver

Lots of sun, lots of activities, lots of people.

Mini Cooper Update

I drove the Mini, or should I say 'we' did.  It drove well for me, but not for R.  The steering wheel was too close to her chest when she drove.  The passenger seat was uncomfortable for R.  It caused her to hunch her back.  So reluctantly, it is no longer on the list of eligible vehicles.

  The Scion XB and the Honda Element are the next two vehicles on the list.  I prefer the way the older XBs look over the newer ones.  They have been called toasters on wheels.  A lot of inside room in a small vehicle.  I need to check out the newer ones also.

Marshall Center

   R and I found a place to resume our water aerobics while we are here in Vancouver.  It is part of the city park system so it is reasonably priced.  They have breaks for couples and seniors so we benefited two ways when we purchased our 90 day passes.  Another great thing about the pool is that it is about a mile from our trailer.  Our first session was this morning.  I am going by myself tomorrow because R has a hair appointment.  I think I will stop at the barbershop myself on the way home from the pool.  http://www.cityofvancouver.us/parks-recreation/centers/marshall/aquatics.asp
   After lunch we are going to test drive a used Mini.  I have been checking them out since I sold the Porsche so it time that Randa drives one to see how she likes it.
  It is also first Thursday which means that the Vancouver Historic Museum is free and open from 5pm  to 9 pm.  We plan to check that out also.  I will keep you informed on both items.

New Location Vancouver, Washington

   We are now at Fort Vancouver National Historic Park (FOVA) for short.  Arrived here on Friday the first of July.  Got parked and set up without much trouble.  The drive north from Eugene was uneventful, but very slow going through Portland.  Several factors caused that.   It was the start of the holiday week-end.  The traffic in Portland can be bad at certain times especially if there has been an accident.  ( We did see one just south of Albany on I-5 that had southbound traffic backed up for 15 miles.)  The other problem was caused by the Columbia and Willamette Rivers being high.  This meant that any time a ship passed under any of the seven bridges on the Willamette or the I-5 bridge over the Columbia, they had to stop traffic and raise them.  Can you believe that an Interstate Highway as busy as I-5 has a drawbridge on it?
   Saturday was our first day "on the job".   Having experience in other visitor centers meant that we know the routine.  Every place has different facilities and different people who want things done their way, but the job is pretty much the same.  You are there to greet the visitor and answer any questions they may have concerning the history, things to do, where the bathrooms are, etc.
   With Monday being the holiday, the park was the host site for a huge 4th of July celebration.  The event was organized by the City of Vancouver and seemed to be a great success based on the attendance.  There were several stages, cannon firings, food vendors, tours of several of the homes on officer row, bi-plane rides, kids games, and of course, a fireworks display to culimnate the evening.  The hours at the visitor center were Noon to 8pm for the holiday.  Saturday and Sunday visitor numbers were about 250.  The number doubled for the holiday and people were still hanging around the gift shop and visitor center right up until quitting time.  In fact, I had to annouce that " The visitor center will be closing in xxx minutes" several times to let people know that they needed to leave so that we could close up.
     Vancouver is known for its spectacular fireworks and this year was no exception.  Because we were volunteers, R and I were invited to view them from inside the fort, which we, of course, did.  The pyrotechtics were launched from the adjacent Pearson Air Park so the sights and sounds were right in front of us.  It was pretty spectacular.  I don't know how many times I said "Wow!"
  Then, while everyone else fought the traffic to get home, R and I just walked the half mile back to our trailer and went to bed.  A long but fun day in deed.

An Old Timer

Once I was needed.  Now I sit here and wait.......

Riding the Jet Boats

Yesterday, Monday was spent on the water; the Rogue River to be exact.  It was a full day.  Full of fun, smiles, giggles, splashes, wildlife, and good food. 
  There are three bost trips that are available.  They vary by length, 60, 80, 104, miles round trip.  We decided on the middle trip because it gave us some white water travel.  The longer one goes further up the Rogue.  We had an interesting trip upriver, stopping at several points of interest and well as any wildlife we saw.  The "critters" included harbor seals, otters, deer, Osprey, Bald Eagles, ducks, and geese.  John, our pilot, who has been piloting to this river since the 1980's , did seems like he knew the river and where to look for animals and where to spin a 360 turn.  That was always a crowd pleaser!  Never was I afraid, but always I was pleased, even when spray landed in our laps.  After going up river and several rapids, and splashes, we turned around and headed back to Agness.

    All of the trips stop at the little village of Agness for lunch.  Agness was the name of one of the first postmaster's daughter who was one of the reasons the miners stayed in the area and so the name did too.  There are three very different restaurants in Agness to choose from during your stop-over.  Singing Springs has a buffet, Cougar offers sandwiches, and Lucas Lodge has fried chicken.  We opted for the latter and were not disappointed.  It is served country style with mashed potatoes, corn, beans, coleslaw, rolls, and lemonade or tea.  The ice cream with blackberry sauce was a good finish.  Then it was the walk back to the dock to pick up our boat for the ride back to Gold Beach.

   The ride back was fun too.  The weather was changing and so the clouds were starting to come upriver.  It was warm and sunny in Agness so even riding in the boat a light shirt was comfortable.  The farther we traveled back west, the cooler it became.  By the time we arrived back to the harbor at Gold Beach, I had donned a fleece vest and a jacket.  The water that had been mirror smooth when we left at 8:30 was now (at 2:30) quite choppy.  Everyone was happy to be back, happy with the adventure, and happy to have arrived before the impending rain.  We headed back north on Hwy 101 and encountered that rain no more than 15 miles north.   Timing is everything.

  If you are looking for a fun, family adventure, albeit a little expensive, try the jet boats on the Rogue River.

http://www.roguejets.com

  

An enjoyable Saturday

Saturday was spent at the firehouse in Langlois, Or.  Wow! you say, but it was fun.  Wild Rivers Wool hosts a monthly spinning day there.  I paid a one-time fee of $20 two years ago for the session and all others are free.  Besides a free lunch, the day is spent spinning with other fober people from the area.  The owners of Wild Rivers Wool Factory in Langlois sponsor it and host it.  In addition to the lunch, Cindy and Sandy provide, a large amount of batts of wool, and other fiber (depending upon what is available) I came back with a batt of llama in adition to several different colors of wool. 
  The morning is spent with drop spindles.  Those who haven't tried one, it can be a humbling experience.  I was lucky and was trained by a fellow volunteer, Jan, when we were at Malheur a couple of  years ago.  It is her fault that I now have two looms and one spinning wheel.
  After lunch we broke out our wheels and started spinning.  Most of the group had not ever seen a whell like my Wee Spin.  A couple had seen it at the Black Sheep Rally.  Luckily it worked fine the whole day.
 Most of the spinners were using a wheel made by Spin O Lution.  It is a very nive wheel.  It would like to have one but they are $800.  It spins very smoothly and requires very little foot movement.  Maybe some day.  http://spinolution.com/

Cape Blanco Impressions

Here is someone's video of their Cape Blanco Light experience.  It is the only light in Oregon that you are permitted to be up in the lantern room and stand next to the light. If allow yourself to relax and just gaze at the light you will be mesmerized by it.  Watch.
http://youtu.be/QF-l-Ps_fO0

Telling the Story

It is Tuesday morning and we are sitting in the Laundromat doing a load of clothes.  It would have ben nice to have WiFi here but it didn’t happen so I will send this later.  This is our last day off for three days, but I’m not complaining.  The schedule here is very easy to handle and the work load is very easy.  Our interpretive skills are barely tested here.  There are three different positions at the lighthouse the first spot is for telling how the area is laid out and what life was like here on this windy and lonely place.  Then we send the visitors to the building attached to the tower.  In what is called the work room and the oil room where the work shift duties are explained.  Following that the visitors are invited to climb the 64 circular stairs to the lantern room where the Fresnel lens and the light are explained.  This is the only lighthouse in Oregon and one of the few elsewhere that allows visitors to be in close proximity to the Fresnel lens.  The lens is worth the trip to the top alone.  The view is just a bonus.

     The time allotment of each station is supposed to be 3-5 minutes.   There is so much to show and tell about that it is difficult to limit yourself as a docent.  As the summer progresses and the crowds increase, it will be more necessary, but now that the numbers are still low we are telling a longer version of the story for our visitors.  

Cape Blanco Lighthouse

Cape Blanco was naAguilar in 1603. He named the cape for its steep white med by the Spanish Captain Martin de cliffs. The cape lies roughly 60 miles north of the Oregon-California border, just north of Port Orford. The western-most point of Oregon juts into the Pacific in a location plagued by heavy winter rains and summer fog. Lighthouse Service engineer R.S. Williamson reported that rain at the cape was "equalled at only two other points in the United States where records are kept." Winds at the Cape have been measured at 100 miles per hour. Weather and geography made Cape Blanco a likely candidate for a lighthouse. A light was first proposed in 1864. Work began on the lighthouse in 1868. Building supplies arrived aboard the schooner Bunkalation in May 1870. The vessel was not fully unloaded when it was beached in a storm. The remaining supplies were lost, and not replaced until July 1870. The 59-tower and dwelling were completed in December 1870. The tower housed a $20,000 first-order Fresnel lens. At 245 feet above sea level, the light is the highest on the Oregon Coast. Despite the construction of the lighthouse, wrecks continued to occur at Cape Blanco. The passenger steamer Alaskan was lost in 1889 with at least 31 of its passengers and crew. In 1903, the steamer South Portland was lost. The captain of the vessel was found to be negligent for leaving on the first lifeboat, despite one comment in the inquiry that the chief mate had requested the captain lead the first lifeboat. In 1919 the oil tanker J. A. Chanslor was lost - 36 crewmen died and 30,000 barrels of oil spilled. Cape Blanco was isolated and difficult to access. Until a road was constructed in 1886, the only access was by the hazardous southern beach, or the beach road to Port Orford which was accessible only at low tide and crossed quicksand. For these reasons Cape Blanco was not a popular assignment for most keepers. Two keepers who succeeded in making Cape Blanco their home were James Langlois and James Hughes. Langlois served for 42 years at Cape Blanco, starting in 1875 as assistant keeper to Charles Peirce (formerly of Yaquina Bay light). When Peirce left in 1883, Langlois was promoted to principal keeper. It is said that he never set foot in any lighthouse other than Cape Blanco. He retired in 1918. James Hughes arrived in 1888 as first assistant and stayed at the lighthouse for 38 years.  His parents, Patrick and Jane Hughes, ran a thriving dairy business at Cape Blanco. Their Victorian home still stands. When living quarters at the station became too cramped for the Langlois family and the Hughes family, Hughes bought his own dairy ranch nearby. Hughes tended to both the lighthouse and the ranch. A second residence at the station was eventually built in 1909.
In 1936, the first-order lens was replaced by a second-order lens crafted by Henry Lapaute. The original residences were replaced by more functional Coast Guard housing. The light was eventually automated and most of the surrounding structures removed. In 1992, the lens was a victim of vandalism. Two local teenagers broke into the tower and smashed several of the prisms. The Coast Guard looked nationwide for someone to repair the lens, and settled on Hardin Optical in nearby Bandon. Despite difficulty in finding glass matching the characteristics of the original, the lens was successfully restored in 1994. In 2002-2003, the Cape Blanco lighthouse underwent a thorough restoration. The tower was restored in keeping with the original specifications. The lens was removed and restored by Hardin Optical, Inc. of Bandon, OR. Scaffolding was placed around the tower, and the old paint removed. The masonry was repaired. The brick mortar was analyzed in order to use the identical composition for repairs. The roof was replaced, and the pinnacle and vent ball restored. The interior and exterior were repainted. The light was officially re-opened on August 22, 2003 and is open for tours 10am - 3:30pm everyday except Monday.

Spring on the coast

It's spring on the coast.  The weather has not warmed up much.  It has been calm.  This is normally a very windy spot because the cape juts out into the ocean.  So it is the perfect place for a lighthouse.  The light is there to warn sailors to stay away from the numerous rocks that are scattered around the ocean below.  Many ships have been lost on those rocks.  That is why the lighthouse was put there in the first place. 

  The flags are there to greet us everyday.

 

Views of a Fresnel Lens

Crash

Right now we have a friend, Sal, living in our house.  She is needs a place and we are happy to have someone occupying it and watching over it.  It’s a good thing she is there because things keep happening.  She has replaced the valve in one toilet.  The TV stopped working while we were gone last winter.  The fire alarm has been replaced because it malfunctioned three times.  Sal wasn’t home the first time it occurred and came home to the fire department parked out front.

    So when I got a message from Sal this week, I wondered, “What now?”   It was late at night and she heard a terrible crash.  After letting her heart slow down she walked around the house looking for the disaster.  She found it in the laundry room.  An upper cabinet had come off the wall, crashed and spilled the contents all over the floor.  The bad news was that the “contents” was dishes and glasses.  Our Mikasa eight place setting,  our Phalzgraf Christmas dishes, and worse of all, our antique Fiesta Ware dishes.  Some of these belonged to my Aunt Ruth.  R and I have been gathering enough pieces to have a complete set for 12.  Our household State Farm Insurance does not cover breakage so we are on our own.   When we go home tomorrow, we will do an inventory to see how much we want to replace.  I will miss the bright colors of the Fiesta.   

Walking the Dogs

   Walked the dogs (the girls) as usual this morning.  It seems like I can’t sleep much past 6:30.  Of course they are always willing to go out and explore.  There are so many sights and sounds and, best of all, tastes, out there to enjoy as a dog.  It would be interesting, I think, to have the sense of smell that a dog has.  What would it be like?  I have heard that for person with autism, life is like having a hundred televisions, all on different channels, on at the same time.  I imagine for dogs it is the same.  My doxies are always sniffing; always “on the hunt”.  We will be walking along and one or both of them will reverse their direction and check out a spot on a shrub or something lying in the road dead, or course.  Maybe it would be such a good idea to have that sensitive of a nose.

    No matter which direction we start out going, we always seem to end up at the ocean.  There is a trail right along the cliff and we seem to get there eventually.  This morning sitting on the picnic table I noticed a small flock of Brown Pelicans feeding in the water near the beach.  Then I noticed more and then more again.  There was another larger group feeding further out.  I followed a few as they left the group and slowly made their way toward the beach.  I love to watch pelicans fly.  They fly across the water as low as they can.  If they had belly buttons they would be slightly damp. 

    Flight to a pelican seems to be the easiest thing to do.  They beat their wings for a few flaps and then g..l..i..d..e along for several seconds and then do it again.  If there is more than one pelican, they fly in formation, all the same height, all at the same speed, all with the same lack of effort.  I have heard that a group of pelicans is called a squadron.  How appropriate that name is.

     The small squadron made its way toward the beach and landed among other pelicans and some gulls.  It was time to stand around with friends and tell fishing stories while preening feathers and digesting the fish that had just been consumed

Fiesta in Distress

Fiesta in Distress

Selling memories

   R and I are parked at our property in Bandon.  As I sit here in the trailer writing this looking out the window at the tall grass blowing in the wind, my mind remembers many happy days spent at the beach with the boys.  I walked the beach this morning.  I went to the state park just south of the Sunset Beach Motel and took the trail down to the water.  It has changed very little in all the years we have been coming here.  The ocean is just as beautiful.  The waves continue to roll in, the rocks are still as magnificent.  The tunnel through the rocks is still there.  It still has a small puddle in it that you have to watch out for when you walk through it. 

   I tried to find the place where the boys and I found the cave in the rocks.  I think I located the formation, but I could not find the opening.  Perhaps it is filled with sand.  But the memories of the skinned knees and pinched fingers did make me smile.

   Our financial advisor has suggested that if we were to sell the property here, our retirement funds would be greatly improved.  Selling this place is easier said than done.  It was easier to say “Let’s put it up for sale” when we were sitting at home, than it is while we are parked here and can see the ocean from where I am sitting in the trailer writing this.  If people were clambering for beach property and the money would be extravagant, it might make it easier, but the market is weak, at best and the memories are strong.

   What to do.  What to do.

A Beach Affair 5.30.11

I had an affair this morning.  I walked the beach at Bandon.  It was just the beach and me.  (The dogs were a long ways away at the end of their leashes.)   The morning was early. The air was calm.  The beach was nearly deserted.  The ocean was there, singing to me, whispering to me, beckoning to me to come for a stroll.  And so I did.  I enjoyed the clouds vreating a multi-level quilt in the sky.  I enjoyed the sun playing on the wet sand where the waves had just been.  I enjoyed walking around the tall rock formations that thrust up from the beach and dare the ocean to wash them away.  The Pacific hasn’t yet, but it still tries.  I enjoyed looking for a treasure that the ocean has deposited there for me to find. 

   And so the beach and I had our moment together.  It was brief but it was good.  If I get crabs from it, I will cook them.  If the day turns to rainy and stormy I can still look out my window and say, “We had this morning.”

Car Dealers

   I hate going to a car dealer.  New or used they are cut from the same cloth.  If you are dropping by to increase your knowledge, good luck.  I am convinced that if it meant the sale of a car, they would tell you that the sky is polka dot.
   This week I went to find out about some of the new vehicles out there.  I was interested in the new Chevy Volt and while at a Chevy dealer, the new Chevy Cruse.  The guys at Top Gear have tested and like the new Ford Fiesta so that was on my list.  I talked to someone at Bimart who was driving a Honda Fit.  She loved it and was getting around 40 mpg, so it went on my list.  I started looking up info on the Internet.  Of course, it pumps you for your indentity.  Finally, I gave it so I could get a price.  I was contacted by the local dealer Kendall who happens to have dealerships covering all three brands here in town.  The email said that it was a real advantage because I could "come in and with one sales person, see and drive all of the cars.  And, while I was there, they would check out my current vehicle to let me know what my trade-in value would be.  Sounded to good to be true, right?  It was.
    I arrived at the arranged time and met the sales person, A.  As we exit the showroom, he asks me what cars would I like to see.  So I told him, though he should have already known.  " Honda Fit?  We don't have any in stock.  Because of the situation in Japan, they are hard to get."  So I asked him about the bronze colored one parked out by the street.  " Oh, that is a used one.  I thought you were looking for a new one."  I informed him that I was trying to find out info on several cars so see " what and if" I wanted to buy in the future.  ( See, they only know the word, 'BUY' )
   So we take the 2010 fit for a drive and it is what I expected.  Nice, but no whistles or bells rang when I drove it.  It seems fine, but I am not "blown away" with it.  Maybe that is a unrealistic expectation with cars at this price range.  Back to the dealership.
     When we arrived back A told me that he was needed inside to sign the deliver a Honda Pilot, but he would find me someone else to help me.   Hmmmm  so much for "one sales person who can show you all of the cars".   I was passed to H who should be loits of help looking at the Chevys because he used to sell Chevys.  As we are walking over we pass the new Volt.  I show interest and H proceeds to tell me all the things that are wrong with it.  We find a new Cruse, get in and H tells me how much better the Honda Civic is than this car.  AT this point I discover that I do not have my drivers license.  'A' had taken it to make a copy so we could go for a drive in the Fit and had not given it back. 
    While we were back in the Honda area, I decided to drive the Civic.  Actually, it was pleasureable.  I'm not happy with how it has increased in sixe.  Honda seems to think bigger is better.  The Civic is a nice car, but it is no longer a small car.  I did like the "Econ" feature.  There is a Ecoc button on the dash with a green tree on it.  Pushing it does some magic things to the car, like lessening the A/C, etc and the mileage is supposed to increase by 2 or 3 mpg.  On the dash on either side of the speedo, are  lights.  When you are accelerating the lights are blue, when you are accelerating, holding the speed, coasting, etc the lights are green.   I liked it because it challenges you to drive differently.  Back to the dealership and good bye to H.
   When I got home I recieved a call from the Ford dealership asking me if I wanted to test drive a Fiesta tomorrow.  " We can look your car over and give you a trade in value while to are driving.  Here is a confirmation number to use.  Give it to any salesman when you arrive tomorrow and he can look you up in the computer and know exactly what you are here for."  Can you see what's coming?
   I arrived at the appointed time.  When I presented my confirmation number, the sales guy didn't know what to do with it.  He showed me both the 2011 Fiesta and the 2012 Focus.  I drove the Fiesta all by myself.  It drives like a small car, which  it is.  Seems very nimble. ( No bells here either, though.)  When I got back the sales guy "T" showed me some the features.  The neatest part of the new Fords is the 'Sync'.  It allows you to talk to the car,  dial phone thru your cell, ask for directions to an address (Garmin without the screen) and recieve oral instructions in return.  I think he said Sync understands over a hundred commands.  Definitely, a plus for Ford.  He also ran an invoice on the car to show me just how little the dealer makes on each car.  If I was to believe him, the dealer makes only around $200 on these small cars.  I am more than a little skeptical.  Time to leave.
   Two days to investigation.  Not a total waste, but less rewarding than I had hoped.  If I do buy a new car I will probably go thru Costco.