20 December 09 – 27 December 09

1 And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. 3 So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city.
4 Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed wife, who was with child. 6 So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for her to be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.
Luke 1:1-7 NKJV

Praise God for His Son Jesus the Christ.

We hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends celebrating the birth of our Lord. Is everyone getting in the New Year spirit? You do realize this is also the end of the first decade in the 21st century? My how time flies when you are having fun.

It has been slow for doing all the touristy things this week. It has been a family week with time out for Miriam to visit with old friends and see places of her youth. We are staying in a park where it is RV on RV consequently we have spent time away or with the blinds drawn.

I did hear from an elf on the other coast that my friend, we she was when we left, has been trying to find new customers, but they will only buy if she will guarantee it will remove sand.

The pictures are of places well known to the west coast.

A very smoggy San Francisco.
Marin County Administration building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.
Old St. Hillary's church. Miriam went here as a little girl. We also could look out our bedroom window at it early in our marriage.
Miriam's brother's orange tree. We have been eating oranges and they are sweet and juicy.
Our Christmas tree.

Happy New Year

13 December 09 – 19 December 09

As you can see from the last attempt with pictures I am still learning. I think I have it figured out now, they reverse the order uploaded. I promise to do better this week, as the meaning will be lost on part of them.
I promised Val Oliver she would be the star of this weeks story, so here goes. Val called Miriam on the prayer chain at church. After I retired I answered as often as Miriam and Val kept trying to sell me a vacuum cleaner. I cannot tell whether it was new or used she was selling, but this went on for a couple of years. When we left she said she was going out of business because she could not find any potential new customers. She would NEVER come and give a demonstration either.
Val, I fould a new place for you to sell vacuums. I talked to Paul the other day and he said he could use some help cleaning up after Babe. He wasn't sure it would be strong enough to do the job, but we found this little town down the road that always advertised their vacuums as cleaning anything. Miriam said she would go back down and see if they had and industrial model for you, or whether you would have to find another source of vacuums. Never let it be said I did not try and find you a new customer, though.
We are having a ball enjoying the ocean, the big trees, and all those other things you never have time to do. We have done beach walking, combing would be a little hard, I do not have a comb. We have enjoyed sitting, reading, but most of all sightseeing I told Miriam the other day as we walked on the beach I could see a hundred wind chimes laying there just waiting to be put together. Her comment was: “ Do not like wind chimes.” So true, but I could see them just lying on the beach waiting for someone to pick them up and put them together.
Tuesday is moving day. We will leave our spot on the river and go visit family in the Bay area. We wish you all a VERY BLESSED CHRISTMAS.
Alan and Ann – we walked from end to end on the beach at Loeb park. I still cannot skip a stone to the other side.
Pictures from top to bottom(I hope).
1 Paul and Babe – for all you who can remember the story.
2 Miriam with a sign
3 Sign by our place (Tsumani Hazard – Chinook RV) no fear of water here
4 Trees by our place
5 Crescent City Lighthouse ( Notice the light is on – overcast day)

6 December 09 – 12 December 09

Cleaning up the misses from the last post. I thought my description lines would be under the pictures, but you know what happens when you assume. So here goes:
1 Boat ramp
2 The drive to water(Lake Shasta)
3 More drive to water
4 My girlfriend at Donner Summit, CA. We have a slide(somewhere) of her in about the same place sitting on the hood of a Carmen Ghia taken 45 years ago. The big difference was the road – it's new now- and the amount of snow. Then they used blowers to clear the road and it was two lanes. The snow was piled about 15 – 20 feet high. For those of you who are automobile challenged: Carmen Ghia made by Volkswagon.
5 We are parked in a rest area in Utah.
We went out for a drive and walk after church. Before we stopped and took some pictures at a Yurok tribe ceremonial grounds we had a bobcat and cub walk across the road. No camera close enough. It is better now weather wise – in the 50's daytime and 40's nighttime.
Keeping up with having no where to be and all day to get there at times is a real chore. We have spent our week looking over the ocean, walking on the beach, taking pictures, and shopping. It seems like we are on the road everyday, but it hasn't been totally bad. It's about an hour to Southern Oregon and 30 minutes to Crescent City, CA.
We had an unplanned trip to Grants Pass on monday as snail mail was a little slow. Christmas I guess, we blamed it on that. While we are in Oregon we always make it a point to fill the gas tank. The difference is $0.40 and it is worth the time even on half a tank. Arnold and his taxes will kill us before we get out of CA. For those of you complaing about sales tax – how does 8.5% sound, on the other hand OR does NOT have sales tax.
Those that know we like fish, or any kind of seafood, will be glad to know I have found something I like as well as salmon. In the last week we have had crab for dinner twice. You can buy a whole cooked and cleaned crab for $10, or $5 apiece. It is a little messy getting it out of the shell, but that is part of the challenge. If you want to cook and clean it yourself it sells for $2.95 a pound or they cook it for $4.95 a pound and will clean it for tips. Cleaning a crab takes all of 2 minutes.

Pictures:
1 Redwoods on walk
2 Elk for Pastor(taken from 15 feet)
3 Harris Beach
4 Yurok house with another behind
5 Yurok Ceremonial grounds – taken right after the Bobcat spotting. That is frost on the seats and roof.

We miss you all at Windham. Found a good church and Bible study in Crescent City.

30 November 09 – 5 December 09

Going to do the writing once a week now that we are here and doing touristy things. Spent the week in Cave Junction travelling back and forth to Grants Pass almost daily, about 30 miles. Went to the ocean on Monday. I want to live here! Sunny and 60's while walking on the beach in shirt sleeves. Monday was the only day we had that was all sun, away from the inland. Every day was the same – fog and 30's with the sun in late afternoon – if it put in an appearance. The trailer was unloaded by a couple of young men with our help in two hours. One of the young men was grandson-in-law to a friend of ours. Ann – Alan, remember Bob Phillips, he was your 5th grade Sunday School teacher, it was is grandson-in-law. It it not as tight and well packed as the trailer, but no one will see it unless I open the door. We are in Klamath, California right on the Klamath river. When I say right on – it is within even my throw with a softball. About a quarter mile from the ocean. We will check out the town, twenty feet elevation and less than 900 people permanent. Have to find a church for tomorrow and see some of the sights. Next week we are planning a trip to the Drive Thru Redwood. We have a slide of that taken with our 1955 Chevrolet parked in it. If it not to expensive we will get one with the Volvo.

The promised pictures, and some others(I figured it out.)

20 November 09

Left Michigan City IN for Marengo IA. Crossed into IL 10:40am - paid the last of the tolls. Crossed into IA 2:30 pm. Arrived at Marengo IA at 4:30. An uneventful day of miles and miles of corn – some standing and some picked. Mostly a sunny day in the mid 50s.

21 November 09

Left Marengo IA for North Platte NE. Arrive in North Platte at 6:30CST 500 miles today. 54F Foggy the first hour and a half. So bad you could not see more than 200-300 ft, yet traffic was moving 60-65. It cleared up with sunshine the rest of the trip. Lots of sunglass time today. I want to know where IA gets its river names – N and S Skunk S and Middle Raccoon. We saw nor smelled either animal. Crossed the Platte R a number of times.

22 November 09

Went to church a Baptist church this morning – so-so. Big overhead with the songs and commercials while the people reading used a teleprompter. Pastor read his message sometimes with feeling but just a fair message. Went shopping and walked along the N Platte river. Went to evening service at a small Baptist church right next to the RV park – they had been in this strip mall for two months- reclaimed dance studio. Message was considerably better than this morning. It was a no travel day.

23 November 09

Left North Platte NE in sunshine but had 10 – 15 mph cross wind all day. Drove 45 miles with blowing snow and windy across the peak of the Rockies. The high temp across the Rockies was 28f with a low of 10f. Arrived in Rock Springs WY at 4:30 pm. Cold with packed snow in the RV park but it will be warm where I sleep tonight.

Corn report: IL about 60% - IA about 40% but picking everywhere – NE about 70%.

Almost 400m today.

24 November 09

Left Rock Springs WY to pass thru UT with nothing but rest stops. Told Larry this morning “If he wanted I would stop in Salt Lake and put in a good word with head Morman for him.” He declined my offer. Ask Larry for an exact quote. Went past the Moron Tab and Apple choir place and had lunch by the Great Salt Lake. Crossed from UT into NV at 2:05 pm – NV the Silver state – if you do NOT hold on tight you will leave yours with the one-armed bandits.

Arrived in Ryndon NV at 5:00 pm in mid 40's but much warmer in the sun. Walked without a jacket on.

Almost 500m today.

25 November 09

Left Ryndon NV at 6:30 PST – I will not live here – it was 8f when we left this morning. I blew it outside of Salt Lake City as I missed a time change. Arrived in Auburn CA 3:00 pm in the sunshine and low 50s.

This message is for Jim – I have the next big trip for Alliance Men – there is a huge Cabella's right on the outskirts of Reno NV. That is the third or fourth one we have seen from the road – no stopping.

400m today.

26 November 09

Left Auburn CA for Redding CA. A short driving day, but it is Thanksgiving – watch out turkeys all over the place – you will put a lot of people to sleep this afternoon. We will have pork chops for dinner – how do you cook turkey for two? Arrived in Redding CA about 1:30. A sunny day in the low 50's all day. 200m today.

27 November 09

Left Redding CA at 8:00 AM in the rain and 54f. 10:45A crossing Siskiyou summit at 4360 in a light rain and fog. Been in Oregon about 6 miles. Down the other side and about 85 miles for home the next week. Arrived in Cave Junction OR at 12:30 PM. 208 m. My how the places you remember have changed from the last time we went across the summit. This is a road we travelled many times as we went back and forth to Miriam's family while we lived in OR. For all you people in OH that wonder what a water shortage looks like I will try and put a couple of pictures with this to show what CA is suffering. Our children will remember when we went past Lake Shasta and it was up to the tree line. Today if you want to launch a boat on the north end you back your boat down the ramp about 100' of fall – then turn around and drive to the water 2-3 miles and another 400-500 feet lower. Watch out when CA comes looking for water.

Rented the storage unit for our belongings and just sit and wait for the trailer on Monday. No shortage of storage units here – there must be a half dozen different places. The one we are using has 780 units. Who has that much junk? Went to Walmart and spent the last of our money on things needed for the next few days.

For our children – we had Abby's pizza tonight.

For those who might travel – IA has the nicest rest areas of any place we stopped. Most of them had wi-fi connections – I didn't try any – everything was clean and well maintained and they were not more than 50 miles apart.

28 November 09

Cleaned up around RV and reorganized. Miriam spent the afternoon reorganizing the kitchen cabinets and drawers. I spent the afternoon in GP looking at old memories and chasing down places and people.

29 November 09

Left for church at 7:30 AM – service is at 8:30. Wasn't impressed – first half or more was a concert by somebody who is a showman – the sermon wasn't bad but was probably wasted on a lot of people, me included(wrong frame of mind after the concert) – Sunday School lesson was good. Had lunch with our old SS class after. You know how big churches are – services for everything – 8:30 – 9:45 and 11:00 with SS going on at the same time. I missed your teaching this morning Pastor. Couldn't find a local church with an evening service so will do some study on my own in Acts.

Left(L:) Braceville, Ohio at 10:30. So much for any early start. Did get my CCW license before leaving.

Lunch at Amherst service plaza from 12:15 – 12:45. All those trucks around. 45

Listened to Tia Ciferno's CDs - If you do NOT have any of these ask Janna Youngen how to get them. Great inspiration.

I finally had enough nerve to pass a slower truck about 2:30.

Drove in the rain for about an hour, but had more sunglasses time than wiper time.

L: Ohio and entered Indiana at 3:15. Toll $30.25

Time changed at 4:35 EST – love those Hoosiers – I gained an hour. It's still just as dark as the other side of the change.

L: IN turnpike at exit 39 for Michigan city and the night. Toll 18.50 48F

It looks like OH and IN are about the same place in picking corn, about 70%. They were picking in places where the weather was conducive.

Parked and started all the things needed to get water in the RV. After much reading, talking to Michael Brown, and chasing water coming out from underneath we had hot and cold water. It isn't the easiest thing to chase water with a flashlight. Ate dinner and checked for tomorrow night's stop.