Sun and Sand and |Kites

This was a wonderful day in every way.

Beautiful Sunset at Canon Beach in Oregon

I took about 18 pictures so it is hard to choose which ones to post.

Sumpter Train

This is one picture of the wonderful little train that runs all around the restaurant.

Baker City

Baker City Interpretative center. Three of the many pictures I took.

How to make a morning FLY!!

Wednesday September 12/2012 How to make a morning fly!! Get up, have breakfast and then gather kites etc and head for the beach. Make sure it is a beautiful sunny day with just enough wind. Then get out your delta kite and get it up quickly and easily. The beautiful day draws you to the water so you go in and paddle around for awhile. You are a little wet so you decide to get out your new prisim kite and fly it while you dry off. It misbehaves a little but you consider it a challenge and you have fun with it. Next you get out the crazy box kite that you have never flown before. It has knotted strings and it is very complicated. You spend almost an hour figuring it out and assembling it. Then you finally get it to fly after several adjustments. You look at your watch and discover it is after one… you have made a morning fly!! That is how we spent our morning. We returned to the rig and had lunch before we headed for Astoria. It was an unbelievably day. We headed for the Astoria Column. It is a special monument made to commemorate to completion of the railroad. It is really a beautiful structure. We took a lot of pictures and then we went into the city. It is small but seems to have everything including three museums. We will have to return one day. We did some shopping, returned to camp, had another wiener roast and called it a day. Tomorrow early we will head north .We will spend Thursday night in Marysville and then back to Abbotsford and reality on Friday.

We are at the Safeway store in Astoria, I could cut and paste my journal but will not be able to post pictures until we get home on the weekend. Having a grand time.

Tuesday September 11/2012

Tuesday September 11/2012 We got all hooked up and decided to make one last visit to the beach. It was beautiful again. We walked along the tide line and then went down to the next entrance instead of returning the way we came. Once back at out rig we did a final check and headed out. This was about eleven o’clock and so we decided to have lunch at Fort Stevens, our destination. We met a lot of construction and several flaggers so the 40 mile trip took almost 2 hours. But it was a beautiful day and the drive and the stops along the ocean were enjoyed. We are at a very nice site here and after getting settled we had lunch and drove to the shore. This place is on a spit of land and on one side is the Pacific Ocean and on the other side is the Columbia River. The wind was very strong but that did not stop the Para sailors. We climbed high into the dunes, out of the wind and watched them fly and land their kites. It is an amazing skill and I am sure youth and fitness are requirements. We drove around and stopped for photos at several spots. Then we returned to the rig and Ken built a very nice fire. We had a wiener roast and a nice glass of red wine for supper. We got out a 3 year old bag of marshmallows and when we opened it we discovered that they don’t keep all that well. Even unopened they were sticky and not at all appealing. They went to the garbage. We called it a night and went off to bed. Another grand day.

Journal for Monday

Monday September 10th How do you say perfect day? This was a most beautiful day. We slept later than is usual for us .We had breakfast and because it was quite cool we decide3d to go shopping this morning and go to the beach later when it is warmer. We went for a drive into Tillamook. We shopped at Fred Myers and of course I had to find something special for the babies.I bought a hoodies for each of them. Emmie’s is gorgeous with pink hearts. It is made of a pile like fabric. The one for Leo is red and black and white. We got groceries and gas. Then it was off to the cheese factory. We can’t come here without going to the cheese factory. We shared a club house sandwich for lunch and then went to the gift shop. Shockingly I didn’t find anything I wanted and we didn’t buy ice cream. I think, no I am sure that is the first time. We checked the book and I have been at Neihelem 12 times now. Anyway we did not get any ice cream or fudge,I know I will be sorry when I get back to Abbotsford. We came back to the campground, unloaded our goodies and we got the kites to the beach and one was missing a strut so we were able to fly only one of them. But it was such a wonderful day we didn’t care. Ken played in the waves for awhile. I even went into the water which is not usual for me. We returned to the rig and decided to go to Cannon Beach, to Moe’s for dinner. Going for clam chowder at Moe’s is another tradition. So away we went. We had a wonderful drive along the shore. I had my September fries and clam strips. Ken had a combination fish platter. Then we were treated to the most amazing sunset!! I took dozens of pictures. Then we returned to the park. It was a perfect day.

Journal for Sunday

Sunday September 9th It was stinking hot all day Saturday and as much as I tried I could not stay in good humour. I get so cranky when it is hot. Usually it has cooled off at night but for some reason it did not get cooler last night. The wind blew hot and even with the air conditioning on in the trailer it was almost midnight before it cooled off enough to sleep. For awhile we considered staying here at Hot Lakes for an extra night or 2 but the heat has driven us away. Ken doesn’t want to spend another day with a crank and I don’t want to be a crank for another day so we are leaving tomorrow. Sunday morning we had a continental breakfast. Actually it was all of the food that was left over from other breakfasts. Again the extra groceries were given away. I got a half loaf of multigrain bread for us. Everyone packed up and said their good byes. Janet Trout couldn’t say thank you enough times. She and Bob had a grand time and they are so glad that we invited them. That was a good thing It was about ten o’clock when we finally were all hooked up and said our good byes. It was hot already and I was happy to be in the vehicle with a breeze blowing. We travelled a route that was parallel to the Columbia River most of the way. I looked out at those brown hills, saw the temperature gague rise higher and higher, the wind blowing dust around and thought of those people on the wagon train and the horrors of that passage. The truck and our wonderful trailer is such a better mode of travelling out to the coast. We made good time and we arrived safely at Nehalem Bay State park at about six o’clock. We got set up and had our supper on board, played cribbage (Ken won again) and called it a n

Journal only, pictures later

Saturday morning and we have an amazing breakfast of hot cakes and a wonderful egg casserole Actually that was Friday, get mixed up when I don’t blog right away. This is Saturday and we are off to Baker, Oregon. It is about 35 miles away from the park and so we are in line and underway by nine o’clock. The country side is very rolling and very brown. We are headed to a Lewis and Clark OregonTtrail interpretative center and so as we drive my mind goes to those time when the wagon trains were rumbling across this countryside. Before too long we arrive and we are greeted by a park guide. The first activity is gold panning and we didn’t go because we had panned in the Yukon. I am glad that we declined. This center is totally amazing and there are so many exhibits and films that we never could have seen it all if we had panned. As it was we saw only one of the movies in the main theatre. We left with a great appreciation of what these people had done. Next the convoy was underway and we were on our way the Sumpter Junction Restaurant. They were waiting for us so the service was almost fast. The cute feature of this establishment is the toy train. There is a train that runs all round the diner. It is mainly near the ceiling with level changing heights in two places. It was so much fun to watch and almost all of us were taking pictures. We came back to the park and before we knew it the time had come for Happy Hour. The evening was highlighted by a catered meal. It was amazing and so very tasty. There were lots of left overs and we had the chance to take the leftovers with us. I got 2 pieces of chocolate cake for ken. The golf prizes were given out and we four ladies all got a gift. I got a club cleaner. Carol Foxx got the Baffy this year. All to soon a long day came to an end. Tomorrow we hit the road again.

His Art

Here are 2 pieces of many that I liked

David Manuel

I pose with David and his latest creation. It will be complete in about 3 weeks. I just love it.

We watch them pour the bronze

Bed and breakfast rooms

Some amazing art

Friday September 7th was an unforgettable day. The group went to Hot Lake Springs Resort. This was the site of a hot spring and in 1864 it was a thriving community center complete with stores, a post office, a sanatorium and all of the services needed at that time. It went through various changes and several different owners. In 2002 it went from grand to ramshackled and the building was in a mess. There was no roof and no windows. Then The Manuel family bought it. The famous bronze artist and his wife Lee and there 6 children are now in the process of renovating this 100 thousand square foot facility. There is a bed and breakfast with 22 rooms all decorated in the period of the 1860s, a restaurant, a gift shop, hot spring facilities, a museum,a spa,an art gallery, a foundry, a theater. and most important of all this is where David Manuel works and creates his amazing art. We were fortunate enough to have been there to see bronze being poured. The biggest treat was to be there to meet and chat with David Manuel himself. He is world famous and his art is on display in such places at The White House. We were privileged to see the work he is creating right now. I certainly would have purchased it if money allowed.The piece has a presale price of 10 thousand dollars. It will be interesting what it might sell for in ten years time. We arrived at Hot Lake Resort at around 9:30 and it was 2:30 before we left. We could have stayed much longer. It was an experience to remember. then was happy hour and a potato and salad dinner with ice cream bars for dessert. We were beat because of the heat and so we called it a night.

Thursday was another wonderful day. We began with breakfast in the rig and then we all lined up to convoy to a grand pioneer museum in Union Oregon. The building looks quite simple from the outside but the exhibits inside were amazing. It is hard to believe that they have such an extensive collection in such a small town. We had to drag Ken out because he loves museums but we had to leave.

We came back to the RV for lunch and soon we were on the road again. This time we went to visit a glass artist. His work was lovely and we were sorry that he did not have any Xmas ornaments for sale... perhaps we were glad because we would have bought some for sure. The one thing he has that attracted attention was a bag of shredded US currency. He gets it from the mint and uses it in some of his creations.

The day finished with happy hour; a Taco meal at the meeting room. It featured hard and soft Tacos.The Grand Finale was a campfire and smores!! What a full day it was.

Proof that I played Buffalo Peaks!! See the hills!!

Well today was scheduled golf day. It was arranged for us to play at Union Buffalo Peak Golf course. The person in charge of making the arrangements is not a golfer. This is a links course. Perfect for professionals but way beyond anything that could be handled by duffers such as ourselves. It took we 4 ladies over 3 hours to play nine holes nd the men played 18 and it took them about 5 hours. Most of the time you could not see the flag. I am so glad we had carts because you would have to behalf mountain goat to walk it. But we did finish it and I have a couple of pictures to prove that I played it. I had to come back to the rig and have a nap afterwards.

All of the awnings are out to try to keep us cool.

We left Toppenish at 9:20 and we stayed connected with Bob and Janet using the CB on channel 3. We soon found out that Our light were not working properly again. We traveled through the rest of the beautiful Yakima Valley and then crossed into Oregon. This is mainly grassland and so the countryside is all brown. They grow grain here and harvest is finished. It was quite hot before noon. We got a message from Janet saying our lights are back to normal.??? We stopped at the Wal-Mart at exit 209. On our way into the store we met Phil and Judy... the other Abbotsford couple. Anyway we all shopped and I got a deal on yarn for the toques and a new tee shirt. We had lunch in our rigs and soon we were on the road again. Ken lead and Phil drove shotgun. We arrived here at Eagles Hot Lake R.V.Park around three. We got all set up. The awnings went out because it is VERY hot. We were assured that it cools off at night. They were right... at this moment my hands are cold as I type. Anyway we had a good Happy Hour and then everyone went into LaGrande for dinner. As usual the portions are huge and we end up bringing over half of our servings back to the trailer. When we left the restaurant we could feel it was cooling off. We just relaxed and then called it a night, everyone is tired after travelling in the heat.

The Yakima Valley and some of its orchards

There is nothing quite as nice as a cool refreshing dip after travelling.

The Yakima Canyon is amazing to be sure, Add water and you have the makings of EDEN

We rose early and had breakfast on board. Then we went shopping at Wal-Mart. We needed to get items for the pot luck supper and for happy hour. We bought the few items and then headed out. Ken had me check the lights and they were not working properly so he spent about an hour checking everything out. We left with only some of the lights working. We headed down I5 and the traffic was very light indeed.We had no trouble going around Seattle.We stopped for lunch at the Indian John rest stop. We decided to travel the canyon route. It was truly amazing. The air was clear and the Cascades were just beautiful. The canyon is narrow and it proceeds along the river. There were people on tubes floating down the river. The hills are brown brown brown and it looked so barren and so desolate but next to the river there is green grass and sometimes there are trees. Suddenly the canyon ends and it opens to a broad valley.The valley is fertile and green and orchards and farms abound. This is an amazing fruit growing area and it is so very beautiful. We arrived at the Yakima Nation RV Park around one.When Ken backed into our spot we discovered that all of the lights are working the way they should??? We unhooked and then we went to the pool for a swim. We were still at the pool when Janet and Bob arrived. The four of us went to the Casino and enjoyed the buffet. We got a coupon for free decks of cards so we took advantage of that. Full and happy and tired after a busy day we returned to our rigs and called it a night. Ken figured the times and we will be leaving around nine in the morning.

Here is a picture of the rig . Note Tulalip in the background. We had a nice quiet night. We did not go over to the Casino. We relaxed and played a game of cribbage before we called it a night. Ken won the game ,:-(

We did get away from Abbotsford at 3:03. We were aiming at four o’clock so we didn’t do too badly. To our shock and surprise there was no one in line ahead of us. We got right through BUT they made us go for an agriculture check. We declared that we had no fruit or vegetables on board and it was a good thing that we were telling the truth. Because they searched, if they had found anything we would have been fined 300.00. They checked the trailer for food and checked the truck for fire wood. We picked up our mail, the box was stuffed because it had been so long since were had picked it up. Soon we were underway again. It was an absolutely gorgeous day. The air was so clear and the mountains that still had snow sparkled brightly and were so beautiful. The traffic was heavy and steady but there were no tie ups. State patrol was everywhere. When we arrived at the Outlet mall there was no way we could have parked . Thousands of shoppers had the lot full as well as the overflow and the grass along the side of the road on the back was also being put to use. We proceeded on to Tulalip Casino and after circling twice we settle on a place on the gravel lot at the very back. That is where I am right now. We will spend the night here and then leave early in the morning. We want to get around Seattle before the traffic there gets nuts.

Well we are about to leave on another RV trip. We are going with the Oregon Travel Club. The rally is in LaGrande Oregon. It begins with early arrivals on Tuesday and then golf on Wednesday. I have signed up for golf. I will let you know if that was a mistake. Two other couples from our circle of friends will be there also so it should be a lot of fun. It is not a cruise but it will do quite nicely:-) The rally ends on Sunday next and if the weather is good we will go out to the coast for a few days. We have to get our annual dose of salt air, Bluenosers require it for survival. I will post whenever I can

I forgot to finish this, Yes it cooled off and we had a good sleep. We met the group at Marysville and then headed home. We are back here and settling in to chores. We hit the road again in September. Till then.

Sunday, and Monday

It was so very warm yesterday that I was glad we would be travelling today. The air conditioned truck was a real blessing after yesterday. Ken checked on Tom’s rig and together we got everything done and buttoned down . Then we went around and said good bye to some friends. We pulled out at 9:35 which wasn’t too bad . We drove until eleven and then we stopped for a stretch and a trip to the rest rooms. Then away we went again. This time we travelled until almost two. Then we stopped at a rest area and I found a nice picnic table in the shade and with a nice breeze. By now it was 31 degrees outside. Then we hit the road again. Between Lacy and Tacoma we ran into stop and go traffic. It was terrible in the heat and the traffic, but fortunately it lasted only about 45 minutes and we were in the clear again. We arrived here in Marysville around 5 or 5:30. We decided to stay at the Casino at Tulalip. Harry and Susan are going to meet us at the Walmart just down the road at around 11:00am. The problem here is going to be the fact that there are no hook ups and there will be no air conditioning. The people next to us said it cooled down really well last night so we are keeping our fingers crossed. After we got parked and then we walked over to the Casino for the buffet supper. It was so very good. There was no humanly way a person could have a taste of it all even if you had just one spoonful of each. It was 19.95 per person and included everything. Seniors get a 15% discount, so including tip and tax we got away with 40 dollars for a very fine meal. Next we did a walking tour of the casino. It is really lovely. The art work and décor especially light fixtures and furniture are very special. They have 2 great gift shops with wonderful native art for sale. We returned to the trailer and much to our relief it is beginning to cool off. Perhaps we will get some sleep tonight afterall.

TOO HOT!!!!!

It was over 100 degrees today. It was so hot that it seemed difficult to breathe.But it has cool off this evening and I am sure we will be able to sleep. We plan to leave here and head North first thing in the morning.It is beautiful here,and we enjoyed seeing old friends. It was relaxing and we are glad that we came. Dick and Carol did an excellent job of planning this and they made certain that we all have a wonderful time. Many will return next year but we will be in Nova Scotia, God Willing!!

I'm Back!!

The internet has been out but now I'm back. It went out early yesterday . Anyway, we went golfing again this morning and I lowered my score by 10 points, walked a half mile less and did not loose any balls so I improved greatly. I felt much better as well. I was really tense about going on Wednesday but I was more relaxed today. I have to stop making excuses and reasons to say no when Ken asks me to golf. I really do enjoy it when I go. But 3 games in 2 years just doesn't cut it. It is really hot here today but luckily tere is a breeze. The group is having a pot luck today and I planned to bring a salad. I am so glad because I would not want to be cooking in here today. The AC does work and I could turn it on if need be. Our friend Tom went to emergency and he did fracture a couple of ribs when he fell. I guess his son is coming tomorrow and he is going to take Tom back to his place in Washington. He will leave his rig here and then come back for it when he is feeling better and is no longer on powerful pain medication.. Ken will help him hook up and move his rig sometime tomorrow. We have been to the pool twice and both times we had it to ourselves. We were going to go again this afternoon but it is quite full of people so we had a nap instead. Last evening we had an amazing full moon and I took a few pictures, they are good but they do not do it justice. That is all from here for now.

Happy Birthday to Ken

Wednesday August first was Ken's seventieth birthday. The club had planned a spaghetti dinner for the evening so it was perfect, I was able to arrange for a birthday cake and a card. Everyone signerd the card, sang Happy Birthday and shared the cake. Ken loves chocolate so it was a chocolate cake with chocolate moose filling and chocolate icing. It was absolutely delicious. Carol had made home made ice cream and it went perfectly with the cake. After supper we went for a walk around the park and watched some science shows on TV. A great day. The climate here seems perfect. It is cool at night and actually in the morning I wear a sweater. Then it warms up and about when it begins to be too hot a wonderful breeze comes up. Then in the evening it cools off again. Just Perfect.

Beautiful Golf Course

It is a beautiful course in this little community. Buy Boy it is a difficult one.

5 More

There are 5 more Boo Boo Bunnies in West Fir tonight.

Busy day again!!

So far we are having a very nice mix of rest and activity. Yesterday i taught 5 of the ladies to make Boo Boo Bunnies and in the evening the group went out for Pizza. Ocean Park pizza is still our favorite, Today I went golfing for the first time in years. It was a full sized course, but only nine holes which was a good thing. Even though we had a cart, at the end of the game my pedometer registered 3 miles. I did a lot of zig zagging and ball hunting. But I did have fun and hopefully I will get to go again real soon. The group went to lunch together. It was taco Tuesday in town. After golf Ken and I spent some time in the pool. Soon it was time for happy hour. Then after supper we went for a walk around the grounds and did a lot of visiting. Another day comes to an end.

See it!!

I thought you might like to see the RV Park where we are staying.

Off to Oakridge

We woke around eight, went over to Starbucks and had a breakfast sandwich and then headed out again. The trip has been grand so far. The weather has been perfect. Not too hot. The sky was overcast a lot of the time and so we did not see the beautiful snow capped mountains that are part of this magnificent area. But the wild sweet peas are magnificent . Oregon is known for its roses and they are blooming along the freeway. It really adds to the beauty of the country side. We arrived at the campground around one o'clock. It is as beautiful as I remember. The park is right on the Willamette River and the resort in manicured to perfection. It was wonderful to see so many good friends that we have't seen in awhile. Happy hour was filled with hugs and laughs. After supper we went for a walk around the park, stopped and visited with Les and Linda. They gave us a tour of their new motor home. It is amazing!! Now I know why they call them diesel pushers, it is strange that it never accured to me before???DUH!!!

On the Road Again

We are on a RV trip to Oregon. We left Abbotsford around ten on Saturday morning. Actually we arrived at the end of the line at 10:36 and we arrived at the booth at 11:06. That is the longest that I have ever been in line. We picked up the mail and headed out.We gassed up in Lynden and then We stopped at the rest stop outside of Marysville and had lunch.We were there almost an hour and We left there around 2:00 and we were at exit 79 on I-5 around 5:00. We had coffee at Starbucks, shopped,and had supper around seven. We went for a walk around the lot and called it a day around 8:30.It was nice and quiet and we slept well.

The Group of Eight

Well this will be the last post for a little while. It was a wonderful cruise and we are so very glad that we went. We made new friends and had a wonderful time. Here is a big thanks to our table mates. The Fabulous group of Eight!!

We Disembark

Well we are home. I can't believe how quickly we got home. The disembarkation went so smoothly. We waited in the wheel house bar until it was our time to disembark. We saw Bill and Linda and Marion and Joan there but we did not see Gordon or Barbara . As soon as our group was called we proceeded to the gangway and about 15 minutes later we were in a Taxi headed for Kerri's. Everyone was super effecient. We were met by a porter right away and he helped us find our suitcases, he loaded them on a trolley and he took us to the taxi area and hailed a van for us. That was the best ten dollar tip we could have spent. It was so easy and we did not have to lift a finger. Soon we were at Kerri's. Leo had gone down for his morning nap but Emmie was awake and so we got to visit with her. We were shocked by how much she has grown. She chatted with me and was ever so pleasant. We headed home with Wayne and Carol in the back seat and again our luck was great. There were no tie ups and we were home in a flash. We delivered Wayne and Carol to their door and then we were on our way home again. When we arrived at the door there was a parcel waiting for us. Someone was oh so kind and they dropped off an old Television to add to Ken's collection. I don't know who you are but I WILL get you. This cruise began with lots of smiles, continues with more laughs than we have ever had in a 2 week period and ended with a good laugh as well. Thanks Matt!!

Gordon shows us his GOLD Card and then he gets his slippers and beer courtesy of our Black card.:-) Thanks you Gordon for the wonderful memories and smiles.

Our assistant waiter George

Our head waiter Dan.

Our room Steward John

Well our last day was busy with packing and saying good bye but having fun none the less. It was raining and the wind was blowing and it was cold. Actually it was quite nasty but since we had to pack it wasn't so bad. Our dinner on the last night has the parade of the chefs and the Baked Alaska which is traditional with Princess. We enjoyed our last dinner with our new friends. After dinner we gave our tips to the waiters and said our good byes. Service was exceptional and they really did deserve the extra tips. After dinner we went to the Internet Cafe where Carol tried to help Barbara get her boarding passes printed. While they were on the computers Ken and I presented Gordon with 2 bottles of beer inside a pair of Princess Mules. Teasing him about the perks of the Black Card.. So much laughter was had this week. Next we went to the theater for the evening show. We finished the evening in the usual way by having a specialty coffee at the International Cafe. That was the end of our card. We had timed it just right. Tomorrow we disembark:-(

Sunny Ketchikan

Sunny Ketchikan They continue to state that this is the place on the planet that gets the most rain, they measure the rain in feet!! This was our 6th day in Ketchikan and the sun has been shining every time. The ship docked around ten, Ken and I and Joan and Marion disembarked around 10:30 and we headed for Creek Street. I was very lucky in that there was one pair of earrings to match the pendant I bought last week. I was so pleased. Joan bought a pendant, earrings and a ring in the Australian opal. Marion said nothing. We separated and Ken and I shopped a little more. We had one more gift to buy and I found a very nice pin of native art. We had lunch back on the ship, first we were with Bill and Linda and then we finished lunch with Barbara and Gordon. They are always so much fun. Marion and Joan invited us to come to their suite for a before dinner drink, which we did. Dinner tonight was scallops and they were divine. I decided to splurge since the cruise is almost over and I had cheese cake for dessert instead of my usual sugar free choice. After dinner we all went to the theatre to see the Illusionist. He blew our minds again. We finished the evening with a night cape of special coffee at the International Café. It is so hard to believe that tomorrow is the last day of our cruise and we go home on Saturday.

Raining in Juneau

Well, we knew it couldn’t last. It was raining today. We had planned to go up on the Mount Robson Tram but that will have to wait till next time. This was the night of the Captain’s Circle party and so it was formal night again. We had sent Ken’s white shirt out to be laundered but it did not get back in time so he had to wear a colored shirt. I was surprised by how good it looked. Before dinner we were invited to go to Marion and Joan’s cabin for pre dinner drinks and goodies. Ken and I brought our bottle of wine and some goodies. It was a great visit. Lobster was on the menu so everyone had the same thing as usual. After dinner we went to the Captain’s party. All of the ladies decided to have the green cocktails, blue Curacao and orange juice and Vodka. None of us won the bottle of Champagne. Then Wayne and Carol and Ken and I choose which of the old fashioned pictures to buy. The choice was not easy at all. To close of our evening we went to the Piazza and we watched the band Indigo as they performed Irish music.