Two Days and a Wake up (12/24/14)

   Yesterday was the day to work outside.  Lubed the fifth wheel hitch.  It is the type that teeters both front to back and side to side, so areas need grease smeared on them.  There is no way to accomplish this without getting grease on both hands and sometimes your clothes as well.  Plastic throw away gloves help a lot.  So that is done.
   Hooking up the trailer was fun.  It meant that time was close.  Time to hit the road.  Now if the snow gods will hold off until Friday night, we are good to go.

 

3 days and a wake-up

Yipes !   Time is flying by.  We are in the midst of packing.  I have all of my clothes packed, I think.
R is getting there.  The front of the trailer is packed, so that I can close the bedroom slide.  Then I will hook up and pull the trailer out and park it in front of the house.  Then we can pull the dining room slide out to finish loading the food into the kitchen cabinets.  Food takes the longest because of all the little stuff.
  Better get to it. 
       Can you hear the trailer calling to me.   "Hurry up and get the truck.  I"m inchin' to go!"

Nine days and counting

    So when do I pull the trailer out of the spot along side our garage and onto the street where I can totally open it up?  It sounds like rain is going to be with us for the next several days so waiting for a dry day is out of the question.   Living in Oregon it's not like we haven't been in rainy conditions before.
    Clothes can start being packed as well as equipment.  Food is a different matter.  Freezer stuff yes.  Staples sort of.  Milk, butter, bread etc. not until the day.  We have started to stage some items in a certain place in the garage and in the closet to help us. 

In the loading process there are several rules of travel that will happen, 
     1  There still will be last minute packing on the morning of...
     2   Some "important" item or items will be left behind.
     3   Several items taken will never be needed or or even touched during our entire summer.
     4   One or two new items will be added to the mix during our travels either as replacements for    ones broken or as something we previously didn't know that we needed.

  

Getting ready to get ready

It's Monday Dec 15, 2014 

    Ten days until Christmas, eleven until the rig heads south.  Wow!  It does not feel all that long ago that we parked the trailer in the driveway after being at Fort Vancouver for August and September.  It is not raining and actually some sun is showing so I will pull out the bedroom slide and start checking items that go in the closet and under the bed.  Because we are only staying at ORPI for 3 months and then coming home for the month of April, I don't need as much warm weather clothing onboard. We plan to park the trailer in the Reno area after ORPI and come back to Canby for about a month and then pick up the trailer and drive uphill to Lake Tahoe.  Our stint there begins about May  11th so we will arrive the weekend before.
  Anyway, the call is,  " Let the packing begin".

Dog part 2

    My next door neighbors have a new dog, Lady, that they found at the pound.  As I perused the Clackamas County Animal Services webpage, I noted that the facility had a Labadoodle.  Wow!  We met some folks from New Mexico who had one and it was very smart and loving.
So yesterday we drove to the facility.  Three corridors of lonesome dogs.  Heartbreaking!
    We walked all three while many sad eyes watched us.  There were many chihuahua-types and many pit bull types and many "heinz 57" types.  The mixes are OK but I don't want either of the first two.  Jake, the labadoodle was cute, but sported a "I've been adopted" sign so we moved on. 
    Near the end of the next row was Nigel.  He was one of the few dogs that was not barking.  A lady was talking to him and he seemed to respond.  He sat when she commanded and licked her fingers.  She moved on and we approached.  He came right up to us as we talked to him.  After a few minutes the worker stopped by and we asked if we could take him for a walk.  An hour later, after starting to fall for this big guy, we decided it was time to see how Mollie would respond.  I fetched  her from the car and we introduced them.  Of course, Mollie was her usual self when she meets another dog,  she is all gruff ( short barks, hair up) and then it usually subsides.  Nigel was not aggressive, but was VERY excited to meet her.  Too excited probably.  He was so much bigger that her. 
  Between her reluctance and Nigel's large size and the danger of him hurting her, just in playing, we decided that Nigel would not be a good fit for us.  It is funny how quickly we became attached to this creature.
     If you are thinking of getting a dog, try this place.  It is clean and the staff seem to really care about their canine friends.  The staff has a say in who they allow to adopt their dogs.  I applaud their devotion.  I am going to inquire about volunteering when we return home.
   Donations of food, dog beds, leashes, or money are always needed, by the way.

 http://www.clackamas.us/k9man/adoptpet.jsp  Nigel

A Dog

"A Dog or not a dog, that is the question".  Actually, it is another dog or not another dog.  We already have Mollie, but do we get another and if so, what should we get?

  1.  First of all, rescue only.  NO breeder dogs, there are too many others out there that need homes.
  2.  What breed.
         Mollie is a Doxie.  We know what to expect with them. 
                   Stubborn,  existin bad habits may exist and a challenge to correct, loving, small and easy to carry, good lap dogs, short hair, little sheddin, small piles in the yard.
        
         Greyhound - Had one before, Winnie.  Wonderful dog. loving, tender, easy to pet ( did not have to bend over)  large dog so more space required, some training needed if adopting a ex-racer, big piles.

         Mutt  from the Pound. Unknown breed (you get what is available)(mixed), unknown background,  various sizes available.  Plenty of love and affection.  Some training needed no doubt. More piles.

3  When to adopt
        It would be unfair to bring a new menber into the family and into our home and then hit the road in a week or two so we have decided to wait a while. 
        Either in April when we will be home for a month, or in October when we get back from Burns for the rest of the year.
  It would be better to wait until then but I don't think I can wait that long.

Thursday Dec 11, 2014 Where have I been?

    I am sitting here at my desk watching the storm as it blows the clouds rapidly in our direction.  Twenty minutes ago it was sunny  Now it is windly and clouds have covered the sun and are taking over the sky.  The weather people this morning made it sound like a Nor-Easterwas coming but it is coming from the southwest.  High winds, lots of rain.  Oh boy!
    It has been a while since have typed at this keyboard.  With a smart phone, a laptop isn't needed to check emails, look up information, order something on Amazon.  Also I can do it from the car, the backyard, or the family room and not go to the den and fire up the HP. 
   In addtion, there were many chores ( there still are ) that needed to be done outside and so in this country, if the weather is ok, you better get it done now because it may rain tomorrow.  So the fence got repaired, the fruit trees trimmed ( actually since they have not been trimmed back for many years, they got cut Way back ), gutters cleaned (twice), chalking done and the shed finished. 
   The shed was a major project. Athough nicely finished on the outside, the interior was bare bones.  Just the outside wall and 2x4s.  After numerous trips to the Habitat for Humanity "Rehab" store, the walls and roof had been insulated and the walls and ceiling covered and painted white.

There is an upper cabinet high up on the the far wall and bathroom sized vanity cabinet supporting a workbench along the wall under the window.  The wall opposite has shelving along most of it. 
   The end result is that I have a building that is not as cold in the winter, not as hot in the summer and stores twice as much as the unimproved model.  Next year I will do something with the plywood floor.
  

Ecola Beach

Thursday, sunny,  better to go to the beach between rainy days.

A Sunny Sunday

Today was probably the last sunny Sunday this year.  So we decided to show my sisiter and her husband the Columbia Gorge.  So after church we packed a lunch and headed up I-84, turned off at exit 22 and drove east on old Highway 30.  The route dates back to the early 1920s and it was quite an engineering marvel as it winds and twists along the walls of the Gorge, peaking at the many waterfalls and blinking at the sunlight that flickers through the trees that line the roadway.  It is what I like to call a "Porsche Road".  The perfect road for a rear-engine sports cars with the Targa Top off that allow views of the mossy cliffs over your head.

Airplanes

Wednesday was going to rainy so my brother in law and I went to the Evergreen Air Museum in McMinnville.  Three beautiful buildings, two great museums and a theater. 
   Lots of airplanes.  Lots of walking around airplanes.  Lots of info about airplanes.  Lots of airplanes photo opportunities.  And then there was the Spruce Goose.  The world's largest wooden airplane.  An amazing engineering feat.  It it actually flew.  Well, up to 70 feet, anyway.  Did I mention that it was huge!  Most of this super large hanger space is dominated by this machine.

  Another day I will visit the second hanger.

Sunday Sept 28, 2014

Today is a glorius Indian Summer Day.  Warm, but it feels like Fall.  Lots of folks out enjoying the great weather, probably the last we will see of the sun.  We opened the doors of the hanger to let the sunshine in.  I thought the lighting made the hanger was bright inside until the hanger doors were open and the netural light came in.  The difference was amazing!
  Our interesting couple today was here for the first time.  They are a couple of years away from retirement and beginning to think about the future.  We talked about the opportunities presented  by volunteering in state and federal parks.  They left filled with thoughts and enthusiasm.

Sat Sept 27, 2014

   This morning I switched shcedules with my wife so that I could attend a special event at the Canby fairgrounds.  The Oregon Flock and Fiber Festival is held Friday - Sunday on the last weekend in September.  It is a chance for those interested in the fiber arts to show their stuff and others to buy more stuff.  Barns held Angora Rabbits, Angora goats, sheep of many breeds, and Llamas and Alpacas. 
   Add to this nearly a hundred booths selling fleeces and processed fiber and all kinds of "do-dads" unique to the industry.  Lots and lots of people. Lots of equipment.  Lots of sights and sounds.  Lots of fun for all.   Check in out next year.  www.flockandfiberfestival.com

Saturday Sept 20, 2014

Saturday September 20, 2014

 

Today is warm and sunny.  Probably the last warm Saturday this year.  83 visitors today.

     One of the early couples visiting today were farmers from south Texas, near Corpus Christi.  I told them that I thought there were only ranchers in Texas.  They chuckled at that.   

   Cotton is their crop and it is ready to harvest, except that the heavy rains that have been hitting Texas lately have flooded their fields so they cannot get into them.  Instead of fretting they decided to take a trip to get away.  As she said, “There’s nothing we can do right now except wait it out.” 

    A healthy attitude to have.

Friday Sept 19, 2014

Friday Sept 19. 2014    97 visitors

 

    Our second day at the Pearson Air Museum since the Visitor Center was closed for remodel.  Visitors are still drifting over after seeing the signage at the other location.  The PAM is a newer and nicer facility than the old VC and we and the park employees are settling into the building being open 7 days a week and having an increased amount of traffic.   

   Part of the fun is finding out a little background on our visitors.  Yesterday, two couples came in the spent time looking around.  One of the wives lingered in the hanger that displays aeronautical history of the Pearson Air Field.   I went out to talk to her and found her near the B-17 display.  She told me that her father was a Marine bombardier on small bomber in the Pacific.  Our museum does not have any information to help her so I Googled it on my phone.   She now has an airplane to ask her father about, the B-25.  He does not talk about it so maybe this will help her to start a conversation. 

   She left with a sense of accomplishment on her face.  I hope it helps.

Back to Normal

If there is such a thing as normal.  We are there.  Nearly three weeks ago our world changed immensely.  Our son was shot twice while making a routine traffic stop.  They say that there are no "routine" traffic stops and that was proof.  After some care and expertise by the doctors and nurses at OHSU, he is back recuperating at his home in Klamath Falls.  The response from family, friends and even total strangers was overwhelming.  Prayers and kind thoughts were being sent from literally all over the world.
   The law enforcement communtiy is a botherhood and they proved it with their love and concern.  It was heart warming to witness.
   With him back home, our life went from daily trips to the hospital back to daily water execise classes and volunteering at Fort Vancouver.  It may not be exciting but sometimes dull is good.
Volunteering at the Fort is fun and very easy.  There are so many ways to volunteer from working at the VC, to gardening, to doing living history demonstrations in costume.
  The current Visitor Center closed on Monday and visitor information has switched to the Pearson Air Museum.   The old VC will be gutted and completed remodeled on the inside.  The bathrooms will now have insde entrances because of trouble with people abusing them.  Last week the pipes in all the toilets were stolen during the middle of the day.  Maintenance had to replace the fitting on one toilet for each bath for the remaining open days.  The original plan was to keep the restrooms open during the remodel as a service for vistors and picnic users but the damage soured that idea and they are now closed until the remodel is completed.  It is unfortunate that a few can spoil it for the many.

Vista Point

 Vista Point closer up

Multnomah Falls further down the highway.

Potato Monument

Yesterday a gentleman came into the visitor center and asked if I knew where the potato monument was located.  After he assured me that he wasn't joking, he told me about it.
   Ulyses S Grant was the Quartermaster, (Supply Officer), stationed at the Columbia Barracks in 1852 as a Brevet Captain (Lieutenent) and then later a Captain.   Now when you read the inscription you will understand.

Grant did not have a stellar military career here at Vancouver.  He was separated from his family and was unable to bring them here to be with him.  His unhappiness caused him to take to drinking which did not help either his mood or job performance.  He was transfered to another fort in northern California and then resigned his commission until he was called back for the Civil War.  

Exploring Day

   Wednesday was an exploring day.  A day to forgo projects and look around.  We have been recommending to our visitors at Fort Vancouver that they spend a day and take a trip up the Columbia Gorge.  It was time to take our own advice: both for pleasure and as an information gathering venture.
    Late morning, we drove out I-84 to exit 22, then up the hill through Corbett to Hwy 30 and turned east.  Lots of curves and lots of trees as Hwy 30 travels along the edge of the gorge, when the trees alllow it, providing great views of the Columbia Gorge just to the north. 

First stop was the Women's Forum State Scenic Viewpoint.  In 1912 the Chanticleer Inn was built there to provide food and lodging for overnight travelers. The inn burned down in 1930.  The Portland Women's Forum purchased the property in the 1950s to preserve the viewpoint from commercial exploitation.  I'm glad they did.

   From the spot the you get a good view upriver with Crown Point in the distance.  If you look further upriver into the smoke, you can spot Beacon Rock on the Washington side 20 miles away.

In the second photo the distance gets shorter thanks to the camera's zoom.  The building is lots of fun to visit.  I will write more later and include photos taken there.

Take a day.  Do the drive. 

Back at Home

It's Tuesday morning.  Up early.  Letting the cool morning air come in the den window.  Will soon eat breakfast and get ready to head to the pool for exercise.  Then its home to take on another project.  There's one more door to replace with a bi-fold, the pantry.  The replacement is easy, the refinishing is trickier.  Trying to get the finish to match.  We are not that fond of the woodwork color in this house.  It is similar to what I remember as blond from the 50's and 60's.  Not at all what we would have picked if we had a choice, but when you buy used.................

Remembering a friend from Tahoe

Phillip Foster Farm

    If you have been on Foster Road and wondered where the name came from, go visit the Phillip Foster Farm.  It is a bit of a drive east of town between Estacada and Eagle Creek.  Foster and Barlow were partners in the Barlow Road which was a toll road that brought early settlers around Mt Hood and into the Willamtte Valley without floating down the Columbia.  Foster conviently located a store at the end of the trail to offer supplies to the new settlers.  I thought it was interesting that the Fosters came to the area by sailing around Cape Horn and then coming ashore and traveling to this area.
   The farm is owned by a trust and operated as a museum to demonstrate farm life in that era.  The barn is mortise and tendon construction from the 1860s and is filled with farming and ranching tools and equipment.   Costumed volunteers do demonstrations on some of the items.  Even though the place is not on the beaten path it is open Tues - Sat.  There are upcoming special events, such as an apple cider squeeze coming up so check the webpage.  The original house is gone but the Foster house from 1883 is open for tours. If you notice the large bush that hides the right side of the house, it is a lilac bush that was brought by Mrs Foster on board the ship from the east coast.  So it is over 170 years old.  We purchased a cutting from that heritage Lilac and it will be planted in our yard.
    The farm is both history and education and is worth the pleasant drive into the country.  It was made more pleasurable bacause we found fresh produce on the way home.

the Hoover-Minthorn House

Last Thursday we drove to Newberg for the day.  Had a great lunch and a short walk around the downtown area.  Need to go back.  The highlight of the day was the stop at the Hoover-Milthorn House.  It is the house that Herbert Hoover lived in from 1885 to 1895 with his aunt and uncle John and Laura Minthorn.  The Minthorns were in charge of the Quaker Friends Pacific Academy ( now George Fox University) which he attended.  The structure and the grounds are owned and operated as a museum by the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America which is an organization that I need to do some research on as well.  The tour guide was interesting and we had a good interaction with her soaking in the information.  I would suggest a stop there when you pass through Newberg.   I know very little about President Herbert Hoover, but now I know more.
   

Thursday Aug 14, 2014

   Door #1   This week I have been a door man.  Not what you think.  The door on the shed has been sagging.  I noticed it last year before we went south but decided the repair could wait.  Tuesday was the day.  I purchased the piece of lumber from Canby Builders and removed the storm door and the old rotted trim wood around the door was split and did not hold the screws that attached the storm door.  The reason the wood rotted is because when the building was built  flashing was not installed above the door and that means when it rains the water runs down the walls and goes behind the trim, which it did, and caused the rot.  Well, it's fixed.  I pulled off the old and replaced it with new wood.  It took me twice as long as it would have for a carpenter, and it still needs to be caulked around the edges, but it is done.  :)
   Door #2  Tuesday I also received a call from Home Depot that my special order bi-fold doors had arrived.  We picked them up yesterday and I installed one in the laundry room last night.  The problem with the old door was that it opened into the laundry room and rested against the sink.  To get to the sink you had to skute around the door and close it to wash your hands. 
    With the bi-fold, it folds against the wall out of the way.  Ta da!   Now we need to figure what kind of finish to apply so it will blend in.  The door to the pantry is next.  It opens into the hallway and blocks or restricts passage so its replacement is on the garage waiting for another day.  Not today.  We are going to explore Phillip Foster Farm near Eagle Creek.  Tell you about it later.

Homework

   Another day of work. Home work.  Days at home are busy trying to get the place squared away.  Certain chores piled up while we were gone, maintenance jobs like painting, chaulking, weeding, bush trimming all pile up.  Then there are the chores that are required to make this place more the way we would prefer.  We replaced a door in our master bedroom with bifold one that takes up a whole lot less space and aloows us full access to the closet.  We have to wait two weeks for two more bi-fold doors from Home Depot because one size is a special order.  The final results will be worth it.
   The front door got a second coat of shiny black paint today and it is slowly drying as I type this.  Oil paint takes 6-8 hours to dry but it supposed to be much more durable than latex. 
    I also bought a drip irrigation kit so that I could cover the plants on the east side of our house.  They are looking a bit dry right now.  The previous owner did not use the existing inground system so it has needed some repairs and some tweeking (and still needs more) to function properly. Luckily drip irrigation is not rocket science so I think I succeeded.  I will go out tonight when the system cycles on and check it.  ( Fingers crossed.)
    

Monday Aug 4, 2014

   It is the first Monday in August.  The trailer is parked in the assigned spot for VIPs (Volunteer In the Parks).  The satellite is hooked up.  We have gotten used to ( or mostly gotten used to) the sound of aircraft taking off from the Portland Airport.  I only stop occasionally, and watch as the large cylinders climb the sky over the Columbia River just a half-mile south of here.
   Our first week-end was uneventful.  Relearning the routine was easy because the job is easy.  Relearning the proceedures for opening and closing the visitor center took just a few minutes.  Over the week-end there were many activites happening.  Three weddings all on Saturday evening and one on Sunday evening.  A car show yesterday in front of Officer's Row brought lots of visitors and interesting vehicles.
    Today is a sunny and warm summer weekday with spurts of busy periods with lulls between.  Every day I meet folks who are here for the first time.  Some are actually from out of the area.  It is amazing that we travel hundreds or thousands of miles to see attractions and miss those that are close to home.
   Yesterday's guest included a mother and her two sons who are spenting the summer visiting every National Park site in all 48 states.  Quite an accomplishment for her and an fabulous experience for her children.

One of the programs at Tallac

One of the programs that we put on at Tallac is called Vintage Vatican.  The Pope family called their summer home the Vatican Lodge.  Our late afternoon program offers our visitors an opportunity to come as a person famous in the 1930s and have hors doeuvres with Mrs Pope on the porch of the Pope house.  Expamples of the guest list include Albert Einstein, Georgia O'Keefe, Douglas Fairbanks, Henry Ford, Gourcho Marx, Mary Pickford, Greta Garbo, Eleanor Roosevelt, and others.  It is great fun for the volunteers and guests alike.

Home

Home.  After 7 months away, we are back home.  I was good to see that it was still standing and none the worst for wear.  OK some of the bushes and trees needed trimming.  The grass in the front yard was a little underwatered, but all-in-all, it looked pretty good.  Our friends have been keeping an eye on it and doing a good job.
  
   I miss Tallac and the great weather and beautiful location, but most of all I miss the family of friends that we made there.  The sitting around chatting and laughing and telling stories, both real and exagerated.  ORPI is remote and far away.  Tallac is a lot of work. But we go to those places for the people.  We go there because we are all are interested in each other and what is happening in each other's world.   We will go back next year for the companionship and love.

Old Guy

An old guy that we found at the Nevada State 

Museum in Carson city. To me he was worth the price of admission.

Vroom

How about a ride around the lake?

A Visitor

Two nights in a row we had a visitor walk through our campground.  You can see how big he is by seeing how tall he is compared to the dumpster.

Monday afternoon

Sitting here in the shade of the rig enjoying the warm temps.  I finally downloaded the driver to allow me to view the photos on my camera.  Here are two. 


The lake.

The pool.

Monday June 9, 2014

   It's Monday morning.  Mollie let me sleep until 6am today.  Normally she awakens around 5am and her nails click-click-clicking on the bathroom vinyl floor wakes me up.  I get up, throw on my sweats, and take her out to smell the world.  After that she gets fed and happily goes back to bed.
   Being Monday, we are soon off to the pool for excercise.  Tomorrow, we head to Carson City as a group to visit the Stewart Indian Museum.  It is the field trip for the First Session.  I will tell you about it tomorrow with a couple of photos too.

Monday 6/2/14

   Our second day off.  Sunny and nice.  70 today.  Water aerobics at the South Lake Tahoe city pool.  One hour of hard work makes you feel a lot better.  We get wet on Monday and Tuesday because those are our days off.  Sundays finds us loafing around ejoying the fact that we do not have to get up at any specific time.  CBS Sunday Morning is part of our routine.  I have recorded it on our DVR so we can view it when we want.
   Last Sunday afternoon, we took a short hike up to Fallen Leaf Lake which is a mile or two south of our location.  Taylor Creek runs out of it and flows north and becomes one of the tributaries of Lake Tahoe.  The Upper Truckee is the other major one along with Eagle creek and others.  The lone outflow is the Lower Truckee River









Suring our hike we explored the remains of a large home that was built in 1921 for Anita Baldwin.  The footprint shows that this summer home was more than 4000 sq ft. with the front porch built to overlook Fallen Leaf Lake.  Notice the chimney for the double sided fireplace.

Saturday Night 5/31/14

   Last day of our third week.  Wow, have we gotten a lot done!  Today we have started being open 7 days a week.  I conducted two tours of the Pope House today.  I had 10 visitors on my first tour and 5 on the second.  I was a bit nervous on the first tour, but I think I am pretty much back up to snuff.  I remembered most of the facts and figures and my first day tours are behind me.  I will have the same situation when I conduct the servant tours, but the first one is not until June 27th.
    The weather has been sunny, but the temperature is not warming up much.  Night-time temps have been in the middle 30's, so nights are nippy.  It still is hard to believe that a week ago it looked like this.

Lamb's Ears

These blooms are popping up all over the woods.

Friday May 16, 2014

   One week has passed since we left Fallon.  Our trip from there to here has stopped only by a visit to the Costco at the bottom of the hill, right before Hwy 50 climbs up to the lake.  We arrived at our spot about 1:30 and by supper time we were set up except for aiming the dish, which I did on Saturday right before the snow started.  It snowed for a couple of hours but it did not stop the potluck get together at 4:00 pm, it moved it indoors.  There is a single wide mobile home nearby that serves as the volunteer laundry, storage, and meeting place.  The social interaction here is what makes this place special.
   Monday morning found all of us in the Baldwin Museum for our first meeting.  Lots of hugs and smiles and stories later, we found out about the upcoming season.  Memorial Day is coming soon so we all got to work.
   This facility is totally closed down during the winter so every one of the two dozen plus structures need to be uncovered, cleaned, and set-up for the visiting public.  A big chore, but with many hands, it goes relatively quickly.  Every window has a cover over it that has been removed and stored.  The ones needing repairs or painting have been taken to the maintenance shop
   On Wednesday we begin our four day schedule with Wed - Sat our work days and Sun - Tues, our days off.  Lots to do next week before the Memorial Week-end.  All or most of the buildings will be ready by then, I hope.

After work every day, Mollie and I take a walk. It usually ends up at Taylor Creek which runs down from Fallen Leaf Lake to Lake Tahoe just a few hundred feet west of our campground. 

 

Caliente to Fallon

Mollie got me up early, so after our walk and her breakfast, I checked email.  I found out that Bob was online, so I had a nice chat with him via Skype.  Skype is a great tool.  I wish my kids could use it so we could keep in touch better.

We left the campground before 9am, traveled through Caliente and was slowly climbing the pass west of town on Hay 93 when I thought of our airbed.  We had not deflated it prior to leaving this morning!  Altitude changes affect the bladders in the airbed and to prevent a split seam (which is what happened the last time we left ORPI and drove to Williams (1600ft. to 7000ft.).  So we pulled off the road, and tried to figure out how to deflate the mattress, which requires electric power to run the pump.  I finally ended up starting the generator and, using an extension cord, was able to deflate the bladders.  A half hour wasted.  Back on the road.
 
Our trip across the Extra Terresterial Highway went well.  We saw no evidence of aliens,which just could mean that the cloaking shields were working well.  About 10 miles from the junction of Hwy 375 (the ET Hwy) and US 6 we came upon a older Class C motorhome at the edge of the road. Two people were pouring gas into the tank from a 2 gal can.  There was no place to pull over so we went past, but I was concerned because 2 gal was not going to be enough gas to get the 54 miles to Tonopah.  When we got to the junction, we pulled over and had lunch.

About 15 minutes later the rv arrived at the junction, turned, and pulled in behind us.  Three young men got out and came over to talk to us. There were four guys and a gal from New Zealand traveling together in the camper.  I would have loved to have had time to hear their story.   They weren't out of gas but were below a quarter tank.  I told them that Tonopah was 47 miles from there and we all were a bit concerned.  I told them to head out and see if they could make it.  If not I would pick them up on the way.  So they did

We finished our lunch, walked Mollie, and headed out.  We came up on the camper quite quickly as they were driving slowly to conserve fuel, I guessed.  We followed them at 35 - 50 mph for the next 25-30 miles, but they made it and pulled into the first station they came upon in Tonopah.  We honked and waved as we passed by. 

  The rest of the trip was uneventful, which is not bad.  Arrived in Fallon at 5:30, fueled and found an RV park just west of town.  It is 70 miles to South Lake Tahoe so we should arrive there nice and early.  We will hit Costco before we travel "up the hill" on Hwy 50 to the lake.

Heading West

It's 6:15.  Mollie and I just got back from our morning walk.  She's had her breakfast and is napping under a blanket in her bed.  Life is good.

I am sitting at the table watching the sunlight fill up this valley.  Nippy this morning.  My thermometer shows 33 degrees. The  high will be 65.  Quite a change from ORPI but we need to get used to the cooler temps because the elevation of Tahoe makes for cool days and even cooler nights most of the year.

We load up this morning and head down 93 to Crystal Springs, get on 375, the so called Extra Terrestial Hwy through Rachel, then pick up 6 into Tonopah.  Fuel up at Giggle Springs Station in there, get on 95 and end up in Hawthorne, NV this afternoon.  300 miles of almost nothing.  I will, of course, be on the lookout for UFOs and if you never hear from us again, you will know why.
 

Eastern Nevada Flora and Fuana

Cathedral Gorge State Park

Eastern Nevada between Pioche and Caliente. A lowly populated ranching area.   Relatively small park, 1600 acres.  One of the first four Nevada State Parks. Very neat and tidy.  Picnic ground, group area, and well laid out campground that offers every site the option of electricity.



Several hiking trails take you out into the eroded landscape that is the remnants of an ancient lakebed.