Morning 8/31/21

 This is the last day of our first month here at Bonneville Dam.  I can't believe how quickly the time has passed. 

This was my view as Hunter and I walked around the "neighborhood".  Nice.

Hood River Fruit valley

Yesterday we drove south of Hood River on Hwy 35 into the Hood River fruit area.  The area is a unique micro-climate,  Undulating hills morphing into mountains covered with fruit trees.  Produce warehouses here and there.  Fruit boxes stacked in their parking lots and scattered orchards.  

   Then there are the fruit and produce stands.  The valley has many.  Every one the same. Every one of them different.  Yesterday, peaches, pears and nectarines were in the sale bins.    Apples are a few weeks not ready yet.  Oh, and gourds too.  Big ones and littles ones.  A rainbow of colors.

Pacific Crest Trail Days

 This past weekend saw the Pacific Crest Trail Days in Cascade Locks, Or.  I found out about it on Friday so several of us from here decided to meet up at the event in the nearby town.  The PCT crosses the Columbia River on the Bridge of the Gods which bisects the town.  ( It's 40 miles west or 30 east to the next crossing opportunity.)

   We went after work so we arrived about 6pm.  The area was down by the river near the marina.  We knew we were in the right area because there were lots of young people wearing backpacks and boots.  We met up with our friends and headed into the display area.  Canopies on both sides displayed tents, shoes, and other outdoor necessities.  Backpacking has changed, modernized .  The packs are better.  No more external frames. Boots are different.  Leather is almost non-existent.  (The Danner booth had some leather boots.)  New tents.  There was even a insulated hammock.  Not much good in the plains.

  A couple of discoveries.

  1.       The Blue Mountain Trail.   A brand new 565 mile trail in NE Oregon. Very difficult and very remote. 

   2.  Pee Cloths.    Evidently these are used by women hikers to clean themselves on the trail.  (They are "cleaned" by rinsing the creeks along the way and then hanging to dry on the pack.)  

Even though I no longer back pack, it was fun to see what's new and bring back some nice memories.

AFS

Yesterday I gave a tour of the Washington facility to several adult chaperones and 15 foreign exchange high school students that are attending SW Washington high schools.  A couple of weeks ago I was asked by the AFS coordinator if I would show them around and I said, "Sure".   It was great fun for me and, I think, educational for them.  I was surprised that they were all females.  I was also surprised by their master of the English language.  I doubt that I could ever speak any foreign language as well as they do. 

   I showed them the turbines.  I explained how electricity is made from water using simple props such as a bottle of water, a magnet, a pinwheel, a chunk of wire.  It is quite simple and it makes it easier to explain to the public.

Hydropower

Hydropower is generated from water.  Flowing water.  Actually falling water.  Water wheels were that first hydropower generators and that energy turned belts which turns machines.  Or it turned grinding stones for mills. 

Today water turns turbines which turns rotators which pass magnets which generates electricity. 

These 8 generators are in Powerhouse 2 on the Washington side of Bonneville Dam.  If you look closely you will see the light on the nearest unit.  That means that it was operating when I took this photo.  If you look more carefully , you can just make out that the last generator is also running.  The reason for that is that the running units expel water on the low side of the dam.  The salmon coming upstream are drawn to moving water and head that it.  The fish ladders are located at each end of Powerhouse 2 so the Salmon can find a way to get around Bonneville Dam and continue their journey upriver to their spawning ground.   Some of these fish swim over 500 miles to return to their birthplace. I met a visitor yesterday that worked at a remote hatchery in Idaho almost in Montana.  Their fish pass through the Bonneville Dam on their way home.

 

Bonneville Training

 Today is the third and final day of my training.  Randa completed  hers while I was in Minnesota. Yesterday we learned about the Washington side of the facility.  Meg gave us a thorough tour including areas we never saw when were volunteered here two years ago.  It was fun and  interesting.  

    There is a tremendous amount of information to absorb and learn.  We will never learn it all.   

Training also includes where the information is located.  When were at the front desks, we are targets for questions, so that is where most of the info is located.  Also rangers are close by if we need them.  Volunteers on duty allow rangers to have time to do other duties. 

Gotta get ready for work.  Photos to come soon\.

Bonneville Rv Site

This is our Bonneville Dam RV site on Robins Island.  There are seven of them nicely spaced.  

This is the view from our front door steps looking Northeast downriver.  If you in the distance, you can just see the Columbia River.  If you look sharply you might get a glimpse of an approaching tug

The tugs aim at our island and turn just as they get close, then ease into this channel which is the approach to the gates of the lock.  The tug pilots ease their monster barges into the locks expertly and gently. 

 

Bonneville Dam

 We are back !!  Back volunteering at Bonneville Lock and Dam  We were here two years ago.  So. like I said, "We are back".  We packed up on Sunday and drove the 50 miles here Monday morning.  Spent the rest of the day getting set up.  It took longer to set up than to drive from home.

   Tuesday we drove back to Canby to get some items that we forgot.  Didn't put them on the list.  Got a couple of groceries and returned.  Watched a couple of episodes of Brookenwood.  Pretty good.

   Today was our first day of work, our first day of training.  It was brand new information for the three other couples  and a good review for Randa and me.  There is a huge amount of data at Bonneville,  Most of it is buried in the back of our brains.  Today some of that info started oozing out of the back ,

  Yesterday I saw our first tug and barge.  Today the first cruise ship.  Freight goes on, but cruise 

ships have not been plying these waters during Covid.

Enjoying the views.

  

One of Life's Challenges

 Friday Randa and I spent the day visiting funeral homes. How about that for fun?   All of this was prompted because I lost my brother in law in Minnesota on Wednesday.  This caused the idea to start in the back of my head.  It actually has been brewing in Randa's head as well.  So last week I started the ball rolling by contacting a company that does this kind of thing.  I salesperson visited our home to tell us about their service.  

   We visited the funeral homes to get a "feel of the land".  It was interesting.  They were similar, but all different.   The possibilities for funeral arrangements are only limited by the size of the check to be written.  Some of the options:  Lunch catered through the funeral home.  $1000 + or -.  We are planning on cremation so that eliminates casket, vault and burial fees ( I can't imagine how expensive that would be.)  If you want  a service at the facility, figure on another $1000.  How about an urn for your ashes, because they come back from the crematorium in a cardboard box.  The cheapest wooden box or china or resin urn was $275 and they went up from there.  When we got home I looked online and you can get a hand carved rosewood box from...yup, you guessed it, Amazon, for about $40.  Also Walmart. com and many others.

  Now we sit back and think about it.  The salesperson that visited us quoted $5000 each for the whole package;  Handling the body, cremation, urn, hosting a service in their facility, catering a lunch ( No that was $995 extra).  delivering the Urn to  Williamette National Cemetery for a short military ceremony and then placement in special area.   

   That was one option.  There are several more to consider.   Hmmmmm.