More Oregon

23 Aug 10 – 29 Aug 10

We are now working on all the things that have to happen before you can finalize a house purchase. Loan, insurance, utilities, where to park the RV and all the other things are taking some of our time this week, but we have had time to go look at different sites and watch the birds.

This weekend is 'Salmon Derby' in Gold Beach(GB) so we will watch some fishing also. We watched for about an hour Saturday morning, but had more fun watching the Osprey. While we were watching the score was Osprey 9 fish plus what looked like 1 eel to the fishermen's skunk. The weather was windy and the water was a little choppy, but the Osprey would take the fish out of the top of the wave. It looked like one will not be back for a couple of days as the fish looked it was a two or three pounder. I get a kick out of watching – pictures will come – of the seagulls chasing the Osprey when they have a fish. The Osprey always wins, but I guess a seagull must have won once or you would think they would give up.

After church this morning we went to the Farmer's Market at the Fair Grounds to see if they had anything good. We bought from the same people we bought corn from two weeks ago. It looks like we will have a little bit of non-store veggies, but not much. While we were there I had a chance to talk to the guy doing the selling as they were not real busy. I thought he said they were from in California, but they just have to go through California to get here. If you have ever been into California you know they have a vegetable – fruit – livestock inspection station as you enter the state. We have learned over time what they will permit and what they take so never have any of the things you will lose. Going thru the inspection station one of the things they are not supposed to permit is unshucked corn, but he had a whole bunch a couple of weeks ago and I asked if he had to husk all of it to get back home. He said NO. When he told me where they lived I even knew the place. Last December when we were staying in Cave Junction going back and forth to Grants Pass we passed his place every day. I almost put my foot in my mouth Sunday by asking if he had the place that could not spell 'corn'. Every time we went past I threatened to stop and take a picture because the was a BIG sign with big letters that said: “CRON”. I always thought it would make a good topic to make a spoof on – little did I know I would be writing about it today – no picture. He said we are across the road from the sign where they do not know how to spell corn – that is our last name.

Next week we will do more sightseeing and should have some pictures from the area.

Pictures:
Wrentit in Klamath.
Horned Lark in IA.
Do you wish you could sing like that.
All those clouds and no rain where we were.

Oregon again, Finally

16 Aug 10 – 22 Aug 10

Another week on God's wonderful earth. We arrived without incident – Miriam did drive the car as it was almost worthless to put it on the dolly for 75 miles. What a week we had – all settled in and found a church for Sunday before dark. The church was not a keeper, so we will try another in a couple of weeks. Next week we are going to go to Crescent City, CA to church and then to a quilt show they are having there.

We did move again on Monday, but stayed within the park where we are. We had the opportunity to move down closer to everything important – the restrooms and showers and we took it. This is one of the few places we stayed not having sewer hookups at every site. When the tanks get full we drive around to the dump station, but it is easier to use their showers and create less water in the tank. Now we can almost walk straight across instead of a city block or more. We are staying here for a month so this will eliminate one trip to the dump. The trip entails closing everything up and disconnecting from everything then reconnecting when finished. It is not a real big deal yet can take the better part of an hour.

We did do some driving around looking at different houses I had found on the internet at Realty.com. We saw two or three we will find a Realtor to go look at. We also have a new address – I will NOT post it, but if you send me an email I will mail it back. We spent parts of three days this week looking at houses and going out sightseeing in the afternoons. On one of our trips we saw bobcat cub – just bigger than a house cat going from the creek side of the road to the hills(no pictures). We did find some wonderful blackberries just getting ripe. It looks like I will have my work cut out for me one afternoon picking berries. These are those big Oregon berries as large as the end of any finger up to the first joint. If you find a good place to pick you can fill a five gallon bucket in less than an hour. I will make some jelly and Miriam will make some syrup. She can never get them to jell.

After much discussion and looking at more than ten different houses we went back and looked at one a second time. We made an offer Saturday afternoon and it was accepted later in the evening. It looks like we have found a home before Miriam's birthday, which was not part of her request. We have both enjoyed the weather here as it is in the lower to mid 60's without the humidity. Miriam said the other day - “Just like San Francisco weather.”

All but one picture is from earlier times and places:

On his way to Sturgis, SD
You have to name it – looks like Model A Ford running gear
Old three window Chevy pickup
1955 Chevy – that was our first car
Look at the size of the Fuchsia – over six feet tall in Klamath, CA

Back to nature

2 Aug 10 – 15 Aug 10

With three travel days in one week only to arrive where the internet is slow and I cannot upload pictures I decided to hold everything until we were in Oregon.

We spent a day in Marin County California visiting Miriam's brother and sister. Our day was one of catching up on family events – you know when you get older more happens – or you hear about more of the smaller things – I'm not sure which it is. We did not have any incidents going over Donner Summit except the one rest area where I wanted to stop and take a picture was closed. I thought I would get a picture of Miriam sitting on the rock in warm weather to go with the one I posted last November with her in the snow. No such luck!

We spent two days going up to northern California to stay a week at the same place we spent the first part of December last year. We had a wonderful time seeing what the fire is like when it was not raining. We did some sightseeing also at places the roads were closed last winter. We also stopped at one of those places that sell wood – Miriam loves wood. We bought a carved pelican for her birthday. It isn't as big as the one they had in the house when she was growing up, but it will have to do. We spent a day in the Gold Beach, Oregon area looking for a place to park when we move on Saturday. We looked at a number of places and chose the one right on the water. We will be there on Saturday afternoon and have to find a Church to attend on Sunday. It looks like I will get to make Miriam's wish come true – to be in Oregon before her birthday.

We will let you know how our first week in Oregon goes next week.

Pictures:
Goat at Rushmore – promised two weeks ago
River Otter – on the dock at Klamath, CA
Black Bear – across the river – We watched it swim across the evening before.
1964 ½ Ford Mustang – also promised
The last picture is for all you young people! That was how air-conditioning was done long ago – if you could afford it.

Mt Rushmore at night

26 Jul 10 – 1 Aug 10

Do you want to know why you should never put a man in charge of keeping track of the calendar? They think they can do it in their head – what happens – they are either early or late. We did not leave SD until Thursday because Ray had the wrong move day in his head. We had an extra day to see what all those motorcyclists see in Sturgis – I didn't find anything I would ride many miles to do or see. You can go to the county fair and see all the peddlers hawking their wares and that is what we saw when we were there.

We went on an old train ride – supposed to be steam, and it was with the caveat that they made the steam by burning recycled motor oil. I was all ready to get soot, but oil just makes smoke. The ride was still fun and we enjoyed the scenery as well as the history of some of the mining that took place in the Black Hills. Not only did they mine gold, and not a whole lot of that, but also tin. There was more money lost to fraud – nothing changes but the players – than was made in gold mining. All those get rich quick schemes – 'If it sounds to good to be true – it probably is!' played out here before the work on Mt. Rushmore even started.

We went to see Mt. Rushmore one last time this week. While we were on the train trip we overheard a lady talking about how dramatic the lighting of the mountain had been. It is amazing what you can see when you have a camera – check out the wildlife(held until next week). It is just a little higher than the top of Washington's head and about 300 to 400 yards left. We went early on Tuesday evening to see for ourselves with an Army band playing a concert for an hour or more before they did a fifteen minute presentation on the carving and why each of the Presidents were chosen. By this time it is well after 9PM and getting dark – then they turned on the lights – what a sight from seeing it with the sun of the morning lighting it. If you look close you can see all the different colors of the granite in streaks across the faces as well as the flaws.

We are in travel mode and will only do a little sightseeing from here to the coast. We go back to Casper for a couple of days to get a little R and R then on to Rock Springs, WY and Wells, NV to spend the weekend.

In Wells they were having a car show and rally when we arrived. Two weeks in a row we get to see old cars – this week not as old – but more of the ones that were popular when we were young. For all you young people – if there are cars you couldn't live without, or you thought there were, they will come back when you are older. For all you older people a question(answer below) – what was the only model car that came out with a half year designation because it was brought out in the spring?(picture held until next week.)

We will be on the left coast for next weekend – this has not been the whirlwind trip our first cross country trip was, but it seems like it has been a hurried trip. We will see family again next week and see if we can find a place where it is not 90+ all the time.

Pictures:
Mt. Rushmore - taken at almost 10PM when lit
Prong-horned Antelope – taken for Alan
RV and car in Wasatch Mrs of UT(then)
RV and car in Wasatch Mrs of UT(now)
1880 train – look at the smoke

Answer: Ford Mustang 1964 1/2