The Adventure South / Susanville stop Friday

  Today, Friday, we took a mini trip.  We drove 60 miles south on hwy 395 to just north of Hallelujah Junction.  Just before the exit I turned into a driveway and visited a private business that sells wheels, suspension parts and springs, and axles.  While I was there I loaded a brand new axle complete with hubs and brakes, into the back of my truck.  Another hour of driving and it was back in Susanville and waiting to be installed.  By the end of the day the trailer was ready for the road.

 

 
    All that is left to do is to settle up the bill with the tow company.  Brian, the owner of the shop, and I spent about 3 hours talking to various insurance customer service personnel to try to explain the event.  For people who do this for a living, they did not seem to have a clue about RVs and what they entail.  It can't be that difficult if they would do studying, or reading, or maybe, RVing. 

Label

I found this label on a nick-nack in gift store in Canby.  Does it seem odd to you? 

 (Read all of the tag.)

The Susanville Interment or Day 3

Another day here in S.  The shop got the nut off the rear wheel using a huge air gun and then a chisel.  Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the axle was serviceable.  So the hunt for a new one was launched.  Brian, the owner of Susanville Towing knew a guy.  After much measuring and conversation Alan said that he had one.  Randa and I are driving almost to Reno tomorrow to pick it up.  We are getting an axle with conventional bearings so they can be checked yearly.  The trailer came with Never Lube sealed bearings.  Never lube?  Right !  That is why we had the problem.

This is the Dexter Never Lube bearing that failed ..




Then, as added fun, the truck started to leak anti-freeze.  So after some hunting, I found a diesel shop that had time to replace it today.  I guess it was good timing as we were going nowhere today anyway.

The Adventure Day 4

    Susanville

Today is the day we could have been driving into the parking lot of  our destination, Boyce Thompson Arboretum.  But alas, we are still here in Susanville.  Hopefully, today the trailer will be retrieved from it's lonely location out by the prison and brought to the shop to start the repair process.  I will feel much better to have it near by again.  (Of course not as good as when we are rolling down the road again! )  The drama of repair will be next.

     Yesterday was spent mostly in our motel room watching the tube.  Did you know that Hallmark channel showed continuous Christmas movies without commercials all day long ?   We did enjoy a couple of Cary Grant movies on TCM.  I really miss my own DVR and the movies and sports that I have saved. 
 
     We did have our own Christmas here.  We both had set aside a few presents to open on the road so we enjoyed ourselves in spite of our location.  We were happy to be safe and warm and together.   I hope you and your family had a happy and safe holiday. 

The Adventure South, "Trouble Ahead"

   We left La Pine a lot earlier than the day before.  Lots of rain but the miles went by.  Fuel in Klamath Falls. Yummy burgers in Merrill.  Cruising through Alturas, Ca.  We began the lonely miles south hoping to stop somewhere near Reno.  About 40 miles out of  Susanville, there is the Secret Valley Rest Area.  A welcome stop after so many miles of nothing.  As we pulled in we both heard a screeching noise from the trailer.  Coming back from the bathroom I noticed that the back wheel of the trailer on the passenger side was discolored.  It looked a lot different than the other wheel.  I figured it was brown because of the road debris we encountered, namely pumice, so I thought I would wipe some of it off.   I touched it and the wheel was HOT !!  Trouble was here.  I figured it meant either brakes or wheel bearings. Both we not what I wanted to have happen.  However, the next minute I thought, "What if we hadn't stopped for a rest?  Even bigger trouble would have occurred."
Even now I shudder to think about it.
   Now what to do.  Driving further was out of the question.  I have Good Sam Towing so I called them.  I received an immediate response on the phone, but the wrecker took longer.  Because of the height of the trailer, they claimed they could not put it on a flatbed truck.  It would have prevented future problems but the story would not be as interesting.  Instead they sent someone "to repair the vehicle."  Of course that was not going to happen.
   Art, the wrecker driver worked hard and long; jacking and chaining up the axle and removing the wheel.  So, ready or not, we had to start the trip into Susanville with a three wheeled trailer.  We drove nervously down the mountain at 20 mph with the wrecker behind us.  The song "Three Wheels On My Wagon" playing in our minds.  About 8 miles out of Susanville, the longest of the leaf springs broke on the single tire.  Another long stop, more jacking, more bracing, more chains.
   We finally ended up 6 miles from Susanville in a wide spot in the road where the trailer is still parked waiting for Wednesday when the tow facility has a full crew.  Randa and I and the boys are in a motel in Susanville safe, dry and warm.  We are not sure how long the repair process will take so we are trying to be patient.   Stay tuned. 

The Adventure South Begins Day 1

    Our trip to Arizona is about to begin.  We have been loading for several days, but the last few days were pretty hectic.  "Did you put in the computer?  How many these do we need to take?  Do you have enough jeans?  The list was long.

    Finally, out trip began on Saturday.  We headed out at 11:30.  Much later than I would have liked.  As I driving through the neighborhood, I noticed that the trailer brake was not engaging. The digital reading was there, but the brakes were not applying.  So we turned around and went back home.  The called a local shop, Millars, and they said to bring it in.  I drove over and within an hour, it was fixed.  For No Charge.  How about that?

    So by 1:30 we were actually "on our way".  The weather was a question.  Rain was coming in the afternoon so we were anxious to get over the mountains before the snow made the road impassible.  I prefer driving over Willamette Pass.  The road seems better the actual up and down thing takes less time too.  But Santiam Pass is further north and thus, closer.  So I choose to go that way.  The pass was open with just spots of ice so by 3pm we were over and down.  Through Sisters, Bend and heading south on Hwy 97, we started thinking about a rv park to spend the night.  Cascade Meadows just north of LaPine.  As we were checking in, the manager asked if we had eaten.  I said no.  He informed us, "We are having a potluck tonight so come over after you get set up."  So we did.  Ham, scalloped potatoes, yams, buns and some friendly conversation.  Santa even stopped by to talk to the 6 kids that appeared at the correct time. 

   We went to bed satisfied and happy.

Observations on a Walk

Houses.
   The boys love to walk.  They would do it a dozen times a day if I was game.  As it is, they get at least 3 but most days 4 walks a day.  Around dawn, early afternoon, 5pm and right before bedtime
 (8-9pm).  So I get to see my neighborhood a lot.  To the east is a neighborhood being built and occupied as I write this.  When the dust settles there will be more than 150 new residences.  We walk in that area right now and the changes are dynamic.
    If we go any of the other directions the homes are established and occupied for over 15 years in some areas and longer in most.  I have walked by every home in the neighborhood many times since we returned from the coast.  First of all, they are all nice, well-kept structures.  But the difference is in the vitality.  Some places are alive.  Lit up. People coming and going.  Cars in and out.  Yards nicely landscaped.  And, in season, decorated in Halloween attire, or Christmas lights and objects.  I love the colored lights or the white lights adorning the neighborhood.
    Then there are the dead houses.  Not many, but there are several houses in the neighborhood that show no sight of occupation   If there weren't cars in the driveway, I would not think anyone lives there.  I have a house nearby that I have seen a light in the window only once in 2 1/2 months.  I know there are people in there because their vehicles move, but otherwise....

Mornings from the past

Observations on a walk - Dawn

Actually the boys and I were out before dawn.  Not hard in December with the late arrival of the sun.  The sky was getting lighter in the east as we braved 27 degrees in the first walk of December 5th, 2018.  The moon was glorious; red with a sliver of white about 15% above the horizon.  Up and to the right a short distance as the morning star, actually Venus, shining as the brightest object in the sky.   Check it out tomorrow when you get up.  In the SE sky. You can't miss it.  Then the moon will be coming up a little later then today, but still should be worth a view.

Dawn is a fabulous time to be out in the world.  Quiet.  Dark, but getting lighter by the minute.  It is fascinating to be a part of the dawning time.  The light comes on so gradually that it is difficult to measure and if you are not paying attention, it's "all-of-a -sudden", light out where it was dark a few minutes ago.  It is magical.

Observations on a Walk

     Walking in the dark. 
Now that winter is close, there's more darkness than light.  That means dog walking in the dark.   Night walking at Cape Blanco State Park meant almost feeling my way around the campground.  Dark was REALLY dark.
   
Darkness in the city?  Not so much.  Add city light, street lamps, porch lights and traffic, darkness is not dark.  Pollution of the darkness is quite evident.

Lunch

Is this what is meant by a happy meal ?

Driveways part2

   So when you park your car in the driveway or garage in which direction do you choose?  I Don't know about your area, but around here there is a lot of folks who park their vehicles facing towards the street.  Some even in their garages.  I might look cooler to have the car facing out but , to me, it puts the exhaust fumes into structure rather than outside.
      Maybe military training causes them to back in.  Maybe business.  I remember that Pennzoil taught it's drivers to back our trucks into a spot when you first arrived, so unloading was easier and leaving was safer than backing out later.
     Forewards or backwards, which one are you?
 

Driveways

     There are ten houses on my side of the street.  It's a long block. One house is vacant and being remodeled.  In the remaining nine driveways, there were twelve vehicles, with four more in the street.  Every house has a double garage.  Only three actually have vehicles in them, mine being one of them.  The other side of the street is pretty much the same and the whole neighborhood as well.
      We park our $50k posessions outside in the weather and our accumulated "stuff" indoors. 
 

Observations on my walk

   There are two dogs in our family.  Dogs are great!  Always loyal.  Always there at the door wagging their trails, happy to see, when you come home.  But they do require some extra work.  Feeding, petting, and " the walk".    " Walk" is a word that know, along with "outside", "stay" ( sort of),  " come", and the other favorite word, " cookie".
    Getting to the walk.  The boys, Hunter and Quam, love to be with me, but they love to be with me on a walk even more.  The schedule is not "set in stone" but usually early morning (6-7am), followed by breakfast for them and me, 5pm, followed by supper, 9pm, followed by bed and one or two more if they give me enough hints.
    Walks mean new sights and smells.  I think the smelling part is more important part.  Also the walk allows the opportunity to mark the territory.  Some days there seems to be more marking than walking.  So the pace of our walk is leisurely at best with frequent pauses.
      These pauses allows me to observe my neighborhood.  The area is established residential.  Houses, sidewalks, driveways, mowed lawns, and fenced backyards. ( I'll talk about fences at a later date.)  However, nearby is a neighborhood under construction as I write this.  It is part of our "territory" and so is being observed as well.
     Tomorrow I will talk about driveways and what is parked on them.

   

Remember fall colors

A reminder of fall for ya'll

Coaster from the Coast

This brewery is located in downtown Coos Bay.  I had the Cranberry Cider.

Morning

Al's

The Willamette Valley is in Zone 6 so everything goes here.  That means there are lots and lots of nurseries.  Wholesale and retail.  Al's Garden Center has four locations.  Randa and I stopped by several days ago.  The inside store was already filled with Christmas decorations.  Evidently it's never too early to display for Christmas.
     

However the back patio still has plants.  Here are some.

Raanda and I really like the selection of succulents.

Lighthouse stairs

Looking back or is it looking up.

Fall leaves

Fall leaves are beautiful, even when they are on the ground.  These were in our boulevard.  The rain has added some flavor.

Hawaiian flowers

We were blessed this week with a Hawaiian bouquet sent by her sister's family.  The blooms are spectacular and so unusual.

They came from

Anuhea Flowers

Fall walk

Yesterday we went for a drive out to Champoeg State Park.  The boys enjoyed the sights and smells of the woods.  Randa and I enjoyed the fall colors.

Travel by air

    Remember when travel by air was a big thing?  My parents won a trip and flew from Minnesota to California in the late 50s or early 60s.  My uncle took movies of their loading and the takeoff.  Mom wore a dress.  Dad wore a suit.  It was a big deal to fly.
     Today?   Not so much .   Today almost anything goes.  Shorts, flip-flops, sweatshirts, of course jeans.   But when you think of it, why not?
   You stand in lines.  At the ticket counter.  At the TSA check point.  At the loading chute.   Might as well be comfortably dressed.
   And then there's the plane.  Have you ever seen the livestock trailers hauling cattle or sheep?  Notice how crammed together they are?   Commercial air travel has a lot a similarities.
   To top it off, the airlines feel free to charge you for almost everything.  Sun Country Airlines charges for bandage whether it's carry on or stowed.  Plus, you pay $7 to $15 for the seat, un comfortable as it is, depending upon the proximity to the front of the plane.   Can you believe it?
   Where's my car?
   

Memory from the Coast

The morning mist on the Oregon coast.  The beginning of another day.

Karla's Sunset

The sunset last evening.       Goodbye, Karla

Flowers again

Some thing to make a smile.

My sister would love these.

Fungi

A walk in the woods gives you peace.  A walk in the woods shows you cool fungi friends.

Nice

What happened to nice.  Being nice. Being respectful.  We are in Minnesota right now and election ads are running on TV.   NONE of them are nice.  None are respectful.   Only negative claims about the "other guy".  I am so tirwtof the negativity that abounds inour society right now.  It makes me want to become a hermit.

Look

Sometimes it's good to look up.

Changes

We are in Minnesota.  Mankato.  My sister, Karla is in the ICU ward.  Her future is short.  So it was time to go home.
   Thursday morning we had breakfast at our campsite at Cape Blanco.  By 11:15 we were packed and on the road.  We arrived back in Canby a little after 5.  After the trailer was parked, I got oline and secured tickets.  Because they were last minute, they were twice as much, but we needed go.  There were three seats left on the flight when I bought them.
   Our good friends picked us up at 4:15 and dropped us off at the airport.  The airport experience was relatively easy.  The Alaska agent was friendly.  We were pre-checked by TSA, ( the agent said it was because we were "older than him").  The flight left on time, arrived a bit early, picked up by a by a grand nephew, and at the hospital by 4-5 o'clock.  Flying is not the exciting experience it once was.  It's just like a trip in a really fast bus.  But it serves a important need.  To travel across the country quickly.   So it is a good thing.
   

Cape Arago

The Cape Arago lighthouse.  No longer lit but still is a landmark.

Early morning walk

6am   The boys and I are out for our first walk of the day.  It's
6 am and the sun has not made an impression on the darkness yet.  But it's not dark.  The moon is on the downside of full, but it still casts a bright glow.  The parts of the roadway that are not blocked by flora are well lit.  Remember we are nowhere near city lights.  So dark is really dark.  Not this morning. 
    We circle the campground, stopping many times to check out the bushes along the way and to "take care of business" several times.   There are lights in a few of the trailers and campers but I'M m the only one "on the road".   Hunter came over to the bed and convinced me to get up and dressed.  I was not really ready, but the morning walk always makes me feel better.

Auto Flush Toilets

    So we are in Bandon today.  Turning in my old phone.  ( Verizon refurbishes it and sends it the the troops in the Middle East or gives it to women's shelters.  A good thing.  Glad to have a new one.
    Stopped for lunch at Face Rock Creamery for cheess panini and tomato bisque soup.  Yummy!  On the way out I stopped to use the restroom.  From the time I closed the door in the cubicle to when I closed it while leaving, it self-flushed five times.  Now that is efficiency at it's best.  !

Today

A beautiful day at the cape.  The wind is cold and from the north.

Supper

   Tonight we went to supper with friends at a little out-of-the-way place called Ed's in Port Orford.  The choices are limited in this smsll coastal town, but pizza is available there.  So we went.  The half cheese, half Hawaiian was ok.  The atmosphere was small and informal, like a small town pub.  The conversation with our friends was extended and pleasant.
    Going out the front door we strolled along the sidewalk in front of the building heading for our truck where a lady was sitting on a small chair in front of her apartment.  With her was her dog, who appeared to be mostly Healer.  The others had gone ahead but I stopped and chatted with her and petted her dog.  She said to me, "My dog doesn't have much to do, like me."
     After a few more minutes, I said my goodbye and wished her a good evening.   She said to me, "Thank you for stopping and talking to me."  Those words are still in my head.

 

Observations in a campground

The wave.

  The campground is a neighborhood.  We all live, for a short time, in relatively close proximity.  We all have other common traits.  We love the outdoors.  We love the coast.  We are happy to be here at Cape Blanco.
   And so we wave.  As we drive by, we wave.   As we walk by, we wave.  As we meet on the trail, we smile and say hello, or stop and chat.  It is a really good thing. 

Observations of the campground

Dogs

Lots of dogs.  Big ones.  Little ones.  About half of the sites have them.  Some are sitting outside when you walk past, even when the owners are inside.  At one site on this morning's walk the dogs were in the back seat of the pickup ( all night) while the owners were in their 27 foot travel trailer.
  My dogs are family.  They are treated like family.  They don't sleep on our beds, but they are on their own beds nearby.

 Then there is the walks and the thhin that goes along with walking.  Poop!  They do it.  I scoop it.  It is my responsibility.  And it should be every owners as well. 
Well, it's not a perfect world.  Darn it !

New phone

Yesterday we drove to Brandon to get a few groceries and other chores.  One of those was to get a new phone.  Mine was on it's last month and on it's last legs, as the representative at the Verizon store put it. 
  So getting a new device is about equivalent to buying a new car.  It takes about the same time and has the same amount of decisions.  Models, options, colors, plans, insurance.  It was at least a couple of hours that could have been better spent.  At least I have a better functioning machine that is basically the same thing but has more features ( that I will never use) and a slightly higher monthly bill.   All is good !

The Cape Blanco Lighthouse 1871

Observations in the campground

   I have seen several vehicles that have removed to blacked out the brand insignia.  So why would someone go through all the work to do this?  I am not a fan of logos everywhere; team jerseys, athletic events, sports stadiums, etc.
    I am REALLY not a fan of television networks that have to tell me that I am watching their network by constantly showing their logo in the lower  corner of the screen.  And then they feel that they need to use the same area to tell me other useless information such as upcoming programs.   It is, in the least, annoying and should be illegal.
 

Scenes from Cape Arago

Observations in the Campground

Parking:
     Parking in your campsite is an easy thing, right?   Not necessarily.   Some park like I park, straight in , no big deal.  Others think it is important to position the vehicle to hide your campsite.  Like there's creepy folks peaking at you when they walk past.  There is also the added tarps and towels to add further obstructions.  If driving a VW van camper, you can park crosswise with the door facing away from the road to accomplish the same end.
     Hiding is easier if you bring lots of items with you to the campground.  The more the merrier.  There have been a couple of sites I would have liked to watch pack up.  "Can they get it all in?"

Cape Arago

Probably the only day that the wind is not pushing you around.  Beautiful sunshine.  Beautiful scenery.  Fabulous day

Observations from the Campground

I walk the campground road every day when I am walking the boys.  In my tours I have made several observations.  I will share them as the days go by.

Observation no. 1   --  Camping Units

   The occupants of the sites drive a variety of vehicles.  One site will contain a monster motorhome that cost twice what my house is worth.  Plus there is always another vehicle that is towed behind. 
   
The next site might have someone sleeping in his car. 

     Then there may be a new, just out the box, rig.  New truck.  New trailer.  Both so fresh that the wheel wells are still pristine.  Lots of gear spread about that was purchased for the new toy.

Then there will be a site with a family with two tents, a canopy, three coolers, two lanterns, several bikes and lots of other equipment.  It would be interesting to watch the packing up process.

And so it goes.  It changes every day or two.

Photo of a friend

This photo was sent to us from friends in Kansas.  This guy paused on their barn roof to say hello.  They sent it to us because he made them think of us.  How sweet!

Last of Aug

   Thursday and Friday are the last days of August and also the last days of our first month at Cape Blanco.  Saturday, Sept 1st will be an orientation class for new volunteers and and a review for us veterans.  A chance to review the past month and offer comments.
    Labor Day weekend will be busy, but after that, things will slow down a lot.  You can already feel the change.  This past week is the first time since we arrived that the campground has not been full.  September will be even slower.  If the good weather holds it will be strong, but when the rains come, there will be another slowing.  I am not looking forward to the rainy season, but we really need the rain here in Oregon and also the whole west coast.  The fire situation is awful.  Fires are everywhere.  So the wet weather will be welcome.
 

Randa took these shots.  This one from the west side of the tower.

This is looking up the spiral ladder inside the tower.

 

Cape Blanco

Cape Blanco is the western most spot in the contiguous 48 states.   The weather can be brutal.  High winds. Fog. Wind. Clouds. Wind.  Rain. Wind.  The lighthouse itself is probably a 1/2 mile out on this promontory, the cape, west of the headlands.  It is connected to the "mainland by a narrow strip of land which has a paved road to it.
    We, as volunteers, have a full service site for our trailer. next to the regular campground.  Our location is about a 15 miles drive to Port Orford.  Port Orford is the first established settlement on the Oregon coast. 

Fruit

Fresh fruit is fun.  Fun to find and pick.  Fun to eat.  I remember the last time we were here at Blanco and the huckleberries we enjoyed.  Well, it's that time again and they are starting to mature.  Pancakes with fresh huckleberries are on the horizon.  😊

Tide Pool Images

Notice the variety of creatures that make up the tidal surfaces of the rocks.  Mussels, snails, barnacles, anenomes.  It is great fun to explore.

Walport photos

low tide in Walport bay

Sand patterns

BRT

The truck is looking a lot better.  Funny how a little paint job makes you feel better about your vehicle.

If you remember how badly the hood was looking...

Now she shines !

Another Car Show

Another car show here in Canby on the Fourth of July.  There also was a parade, food vendors, kids games and generally, a good time.

Jag coming

Jag going

Does these headlights make me look wide?