Bruce and Jenna's RV Adventures

2012-01-27T14:57:00.000-08:00

We've spent almost two months in Tucson now. Our third winter here now. Not so much in tourist mode now.

We continue our tradition of purchasing furniture in Arizona. This time we replaced the rickety RV chairs in our dining section [room is too grandiose] with normal chairs.

We also returned to the Sonora Desert Museum for a stroll through the aviary and a meal at the cafe.

Now we begin a round of theater and dance events at the University and elsewhere. [No, we' re not dancing. We are not lithe nor supple.] A little Argentinean tango here, some Columbia dance there, and a play by the Second City comedy troupe. Pretty soon, we got culture!

Oh yeah, don't forget the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. It rocks!

Otherwise, we sit around, typing and looking at the desert. A little shopping, some [a lot of] eating. Mostly we just enjoy the days without snow. After all, we're on vacation. Soon enough we will return to our jobs at our Park Sierra.

Bruce

New RV

2012-01-20T21:38:00.000-08:00

After looking at the several RVs mentioned in my most recent post, we decided to sell our truck and trailer and just go simple. Besides, Jenna has wanted a car for years now. And Bruce wants Jenna to be happy.

Better fuel economy, no more crummy RV furniture. This one has it all.

Bruce

RVs - Just Lookin'

2012-01-17T11:39:00.000-08:00

We are still looking at new RVs. Not to buy one...exactly. Since we live in our RV, and travel in our RV, we run the risk of crashing our RV. Instantly changing our status from "affluent homeless" to just "homeless." Which is not why we retired.

In such an event, we should already know what we want to buy for a new home. Similar to looking for a house, one must examine a lot of factors. Tho I don't remember considering the axle rating of any of our nine houses.

Jenna is in her element. I am in my withdrawal.

Jenna burns up her new laptop, looking at manufacturers' websites and studying the RVConsumer database. I walk the dog.

This month, we toured fifth wheels on dealer lots in Tucson. Had a brief infatuation with the Redwood line, till we decided it wasn't built well enough for year round living. We are now considering the Hitchhiker "Discover America" line. Twelve floor plans and a page of options - oy.

We want to see a new Excel too, to learn how much they have improved the quality of construction and features. Hard to find one with so few dealers. Biggest strike against Excel is the wood construction, which adds weight. The others have aluminum frames, thus weigh less.

I apologize to readers without RVs. I lost interest after paragraph #2.

Bruce

The System Works!

2012-01-09T12:54:00.000-08:00

So I called the owner of RVUpgrades.com about using my RV picture on his website. [See 1/7/12 post.] He was quite surprised and contrite. He promised to find out who violated their practice of paying for such pictures.

He sent me a gift certificate for my troubles. Very nice resolution of an otherwise nasty business. Now I must look for other work for my law firm.

To Ric and John, whom I credit this unexpected windfall, I promise a finders fee on all bribes received from my prior post. And the thanks of a grateful nation for maintaining integrity in an otherwise corrupt Capitalist System.

Bruce, the Wealthier

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Plagerism

2012-01-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Today our friends inquired whether we are selling our RV now. Seems that they saw a picture of our truck and trailer on a sales website.

In the masthead. Like this.From this post no doubt.

Looks like our financial troubles are over, what with the multi-million dollar lawsuit and all. Once I own this business and fire all the staff, I'll hand out used RVs to people who have been nice to me in some big way.

For those who have not already taken this step, do not despair. It's not too late to start now. Consult my Amazon Wish List. The BIG one. Or just search for RV or Automotive products over $50,000.

It's the right thing to do. For me.

We thank you...someday.

Bruce

Sign of the Times in Tucson

2011-12-26T21:57:00.001-08:00

No Peeing in the Alley!

Don't make me tell you again.

Tucson, Our Winter Roost

2011-12-18T11:47:00.000-08:00

We be roostin'. Regular readers with nothin' else to do know that we like Tucson in the winter. Lush desert, abundant culture, great Jewish kosher deli, not much wind.

But nix the wind comment right now. Since our arrival two weeks ago, we have endured wind or rain almost every day. As if it followed us from Death Valley.

Thus we have only ventured out coupla times so far. First evening, we headed straight for our other favorite restaurant, Tiny's, the local cowboy bar. Gimme those pork ribs and beer! Aaaah!!

A few day ago, we drove to central Tucson for some hunting and gathering. Stopped at the aforementioned deli for corned beef and pastrami. No beer. And we also dropped by the Pima County Democratic HQ to volunteer our immense talking and typing talents for the Obama campaign. They gave us a week to learn Spanish. No hay problema!, as long as we have Google Translate.

We are also happy to see our several RV friends whom we met at this park last year. Even a couple we met at an RV park in Astoria, Oregon this past Spring. We told them about this place and now they are parked right across the way.

Stay tuned for something interesting.

Bruce

The Road to Tucson

2011-12-05T19:21:00.000-08:00

From Death Valley, we drive to Laughlin, Nevada, a casino town. Steve and Sandy lead us to a casino RV park. The casinos are a shock of sorts after a week in the remote desert and months in the hills of Park Sierra. But we keep our tongues in our mouths, except when we feast at a casino buffet.

The next day we attempt to drive through Las Vegas. The city highways are a mass of construction and detours. Immediately we find ourselves heading north rather than east. We drive our RVs down the Strip.
Pass an Occupy Las Vegas encampment. [Sandy takes the pictures. I am busy avoiding gamblers on cell phones.]
Eventually we regain the highway.

We reach Quartzsite, AZ by nightfall and park in a free BLM desert campground. Then part company with our friends, who will remain in Q for another day or two.

The next day we reach our chosen campground in Tucson, where we will spend the winter. We consider this our yearly vacation after three months of host work in state parks this summer, as well as working at Park Sierra during Spring and Fall. In Tucson we have no responsibilities.

Bruce

Death Valley Adventures Part 2

2011-12-02T19:11:00.000-08:00

The construction continues for three days. Bruce writes a long letter to the National Park Service, to send when we return to civilization. We feel better.

We stay for five days all together. All four of us visit many outstanding sights, particularly Badwater Basin
and Zabriske Point.

Dry camping proved easy with proper use of our water and free electricity from the sun.

Bruce

Death Valley Adventures Part 1

2011-11-29T19:02:00.000-08:00

From Park Sierra, we drove two days to Death Valley National Park. The largest national park in the lower 48 states, Death Valley offers serene views in every direction. From 200 feet below sea level, the mountains on either side of the valley rise as high as 11,000 feet. The park offers many hikes, natural wonders, and historic places. This was our second visit in three years.

We stayed at a new quiet campground, 200 feet [sea level] above the valley floor.
Just a handful of RV and campers here, mostly due to the prohibition on generators. Our trailer is the longest in the campground, even bigger than the hosts'. All the more apparent with 15 foot travel trailers parked on either side of us. I didn't say that we were the quietest tho, due to the presence of you-know-who's-big-mouth.

We also greeted friends Steve and Sandy one day after our arrival. This is just our latest rendezvous on the road. We have met them at different times in Washington state, California, and Arizona.

The first day, we met two new wannabe fulltimers, Bill and Terri. They were enjoying their maiden voyage in a truck camper. At breakfast, they were talking about learning about liquidating and living on the road, for, as we agreed, "It's a rat race and the rats are winning." Suddenly we were telling them about fulltime RVing and the Escapees Rv club. We may hear from them again.

Then the fun began. The morning of day two, the aforementioned quiet is shattered by a construction crew breaking ground on a new bathroom building. One hundred feet from our RV, we hear the beep-beep of heavy equipment, see the haze of desert dust, and smell diesel fumes. We decide to see how things go on day three.

That afternoon, we learn of a wind storm approaching the park. Two days of blowing dust with wind gusts to 70mph.

Day three we move our RV down away from the construction. Would move to a different campground, but the other ones will likely see worse winds than we will. We pull the slide in, then go out with Steve and Sandy for a nice day at Scotty's Castle and the Furnace Creek [fancy] motel. We return to our RV, which is shaking so badly in the wind that we hitch it up to the truck for added stability. Also want to avoid damage to the newly repaired hydraulic jacks.

"What, you don't have any RV repair dealers in the middle of Death Valley? Or a bus size tow truck?"

Bruce

On the Move and In the Groove

2011-11-26T19:27:00.000-08:00

Today we departed Park Sierra after a glorious Thanksgiving feast. We shared a meal with 210 of our closest friends.
Well maybe we didn't know a few....

The Park started this community dinner just last year and 160 people showed up. Apparently they liked it, cause they brought their friends and family.

The Park provided turkey, dressing, gravy, and mashed taters for $4 each. Then each person brought a side dish. Picture a 50' table of green beans, sweet potatoes and yams, olives, salads, you name it. Plus a large table of pies, cakes, and pies. Ooof!

Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. No fights, no spitballs. And we all cleaned up. Jenna and I helped serve the meal.

Today we drove 250 miles to Inyokern, CA, just outside of Death Valley. Alert readers may recall we tried this same trip last year and were blown off course by a raging storm.

Weather forecast for the next few days - sunny and 80 degrees. Yeah, in December.

Happy Holidays!

Bruce

Report from The Front

2011-11-16T04:41:00.001-08:00

Recently I engaged in a fact-finding mission, reconnoitering behind enemy lines. In other words, I was talking with a small group of women. These representatives of their world got around to their usual subject - men. I assumed a Contrarian position.

"Why do men save old copies of Playboy magazine?" one wondered. They all agreed that they knew men with this habit, some intimately, others as acquaintances.

One participant suggested that they [the men] like the pictures. "But really, all those naked women look the same after a while," she said. Others agreed.

No one could posit a better theory tho. And so they turned to me.

I admitted that I had saved the magazines as a teenager, at the bottom of our closet, until my mother apparently found them and silently tossed them in the incinerator. We lived in a one bedroom apartment, so I found no better alternatives. [This harkens back to the days before the Internet, as do many of the readers of this blog.]

I also admitted that I had not saved them as an adult, but still felt qualified to furnish the correct answer.

"No reasons come to mind?"

"Not really."

"All right then," I offered. "I'll reduce this to a multiple choice question."

A. Pictures of naked women.
B. The articles.
C. The cartoons, featuring pictures of naked women.
D. The silverfish that gather among molding magazines.

"The answer," I said, "is A, with C a close second." They all snickered and nodded among themselves, obviously enjoying some secret joke common among their species.

I immediately sent a telegram back to my fellows, telling them not to expect to emigrate from Mars anytime soon.
Find no progress.
The Venusians remain primitive and uncivilized.
Keep the magazines.

Bruce

Spring Behind, Fall Ahead

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we set our clocks back one hour to satisfy the 1% elites who want to control every part of our puny lives. Not content to force the working classes to rise early each day to labor in sweat shops and Walmarts [redundant], they make the rest of us dance to their tune by changing the time of day every six months. Have they no decency?

Which is why I'm voting for Herman Cain, a plain spoken tea drinking multi-millionaire. His 9-9-9 plan guarantees that I can stay in bed until 9am. And go back to bed at 9pm. And still earn $9 every working day, minus 90% for taxes. [The 90 didn't sound as good with the three 9s, but you see it in the fine print.]

Has anyone else looked at the 9-9-9 plan while standing on your head?

But I digress.

Conventional Wisdom holds that you gain an hour of sleep on Sunday after adjusting your clock back one hour.

Conventional Wisdom does not live with a dog. Conventional Wisdom surely does not live with a terrier, or Conventional Wisdom would be called Conventional Idiot.

Only a 1% watch dog can afford a battery-driven atomic-clock-adjusting Internet-checking watch. A 99% dog must rely on his own internal clock to know when to sleep and when to awake.

Which is why Clancy now gets up at 6AM instead of 7am.

Which is why I am writing this at 6am.

Which is why I'm going back to bed now.

Bruce

News from Park Sierra, our Autumn Roost

2011-11-06T20:12:00.000-08:00

Not much to report lately. Still at Park Sierra.

Attending weekly community dinners. Last weekend we all celebrated 20 years since "lot draw" after the senior members of the Escapee chapter in San Francisco built this park out of the forest.

We saw a slideshow of pictures taken during construction. Amazing. About 40 members are still here. They told of the hard work and fun times on the project. For which we are all grateful. Bruce participated in a skit dramatizing the four days when the new members selected their sites.

Jenna has worked with the new Advisory Council to formulate a long term plan for the park. Also worked on the Election Committee and the Marketing and Promotion Committees.

Bruce contined his efforts on phone and internet systems. He also proposed the formation of a new Computer Services Committee to maintain the computer hardware and software owned by the park. And to consider creating a new park wide network. Which means he will serve as the Chair of that [currently] two person committee. [In fact the second guy isn't even an official member yet. He's on the waiting list, but has pitched right in.]

We plan to depart after Thanksgiving. If the weather permits, we stop in Death Valley National Park for five days before returning to Tucson for the winter.

Bruce

Doubts Dashed

2011-10-28T22:02:00.000-07:00

Apparently some doubt that one can tow an RV with a Buick.

I'll go you one better.

Behold! Click here

Bruce

Caveat Lector

2011-10-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

A problem has come to my attention.

Certain unnamed readers, well only one actually [Tom!], inexplicably believed the two most recent posts about acquiring a new tow vehicle, AKA the Buick. Irrationally thought I was writing an honest thoughtful post about our lives.

I don't recall ever promising any degree of accuracy in this blog. In fact I conducted my own review of entries and found fewer than 50% with any credibility at all. Fewer, meaning maybe far less than 50%.

I think an apology is in order.

I'm waiting.....

Bruce

PS The truck was in the shop.

Return of the One Ton

2011-10-25T20:39:00.000-07:00

We decided not to keep the Buick after all.

It's too small. Not imposing enough. I had to wait to make left turns at traffic lights and lost fights for parking spaces. Faced with a one ton dually truck, they all move aside.

And too many people insisted on washing the car windshield. These guys could never reach the windshield on the truck. Costs went up as they demanded payment for unrequested services rendered. Cheaper to drive the truck.

I guess a car just isn't practical. Maybe I should compromise on a Hummer. With 50 cal machine guns, just as it was designed. No one will approach those windows!

Bruce

New Tow vehicle

2011-10-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

After five years of driving that one ton Ford truck, we just purchased a new tow vehicle.

This baby is comfortable, yet still does the job.
Stylish too, even matches the trailer.

Open the trunk when you want to move the RV.

Close up and it looks like any other luxury sedan.

Wait, there's more! We have so much spare power that we can pull our golf cart too. I know that double towing is not legal is all 50 states. But who cares when you're driving a Buick!

"That's all right, officer. Send the ticket to GM."

Motor home owners always act so smug driving their little Jeeps around town.
In...your...face!!! Hahahaha!

Bruce

Return to the Collective

2011-10-04T13:22:00.000-07:00

We returned to Park Sierra after watching the hot weather fade via a weather website. Two days after our arrival, the temperature only rose to 58 degrees. One week prior, it reached 95 degrees. Life is timing.

Now we can enjoy a rest from five months of travel through California, the Oregon Cascades, up to the San Juan Islands, and down the Oregon Coast. Good to hit the road, good to stop for a while. Give us a month or so and we'll get the itch to travel again.

After some doctoring over the next few weeks and attending the community annual meeting, we coast into Thanksgiving. Then we expect to turn south for the winter in Tucson.

Don't know what we did to deserve this life. Still trading on our good looks and suavity.

Bruce

Insulated Window Shopping

2011-10-03T13:21:00.000-07:00

Today we looked at new trailers at Toscano's RVs in Los Banos CA. [No jokes please. I've already made them.]

We do not plan to replace our current RV. Tho Lord knows, as well as long time readers of this blog, that we have been provoked on numerous occasions. At this point, we have fixed all the serious problems with our RV, and only face the normal pesty maintenance of any other afflicted RV owner.

Rather we are looking at the market in case we must suddenly buy a new one. Such as after a serious accident, natural disaster, or party of geezers gone wild. That kinda thing.

So we looked at Carriage Cameos and a Redwood fifth wheel. They did not sell any Excels, our current trailer. We left impressed with improvements in the past four years, such as LED lighting, thin screen TVs on the walls, and longer model names. But nothing to convince us to upgrade. The sales tax alone would cover a lot of improvements and repairs on our current trailer, let alone the depreciation on a new model.

We went home and had our carpet cleaned. All better now!

Bruce

What's That Up in the Road? A Head?

2011-09-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Almost.

Seen along highway 101 south, north of Brookings, OR.

Full story here - ancestry.com

Bruce and All His Bones [For Now]

Gold Beach, OR

2011-09-25T22:55:00.000-07:00

We have returned to Irelands Ocean RV Park in Gold Beach, OR. Been two years since our last time here. Picture a small RV park about 10 foot above sea level nd 100 feet from the beach.

Hear the ocean waves crashing.
Smell the sea mist all around.
Assemble a tsunami emergency kit.

Perfect!

And Clancy. He so enjoys running around in circles on the beach, unfettered by the short leash I use on him. Running up to strangers, leaping into the air, squealing madly. Dog life is good.

In return, now he sometimes comes to me when I call him. Almost like a regular dog. Certainly like a terrier.

Today we walked under the Isaac Lee Patterson Bridge, which spans the Rogue River at the north end of town. Yet another Art Deco style public works project of the WPA. Would that we could put forth such an effort today to improve our national infrastructure, rather than just the bottom lines of banks and Wall Street firms.

A detail

Bruce

Chapter 9 Escapees Rally in Lakeside, OR

2011-09-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

The latest repairs on our hydraulic system turned out as a minor adjustment to the control valves. Hopefully we will see no more problems with that system. Now just relatively minor problems to attend to, like a leaking water heater and a malfunctioning water pump.

This week, we dropped in on an Escapees chapter rally in Lakeside, a scant 30 miles south of Florence. I'll make it short, cause it was. The rally lasted three days. Jenna already felt ill before we arrived, and felt no better during the rally. Bruce started feeling puny towards the end too. Thus we really didn't participate in the rally much at all.

This chapter is based in the Escapees park in Sutherlin Oregon, the only park in the state. Similarly governed as a coop. We have visited there twice in the past four years, each time just for a few day.

South.

Bruce

On Vacation, But Need Repairs

2011-09-17T11:18:00.000-07:00

From Astoria, we moved on to Florence, OR. In the past, we have not stopped here. But we've scheduled further repairs on our hydraulic system with a fella in town. The hydraulics work OK now, but not 100%. Maybe this guy can fix it completely.

Friends Toni and Doug told us about Harbor Vista County Park here in Florence. Indeed it is lovely here, with sites surrounded by tall huckleberry and rhododendron bushes. Even tho the ocean is 3/4 miles away, you can hear the surf and the foghorn all day long. Serene.

As one who grew up at the Jersey shore, Jenna always says, "You know you're on vacation when you have sand in your bed."

Behold.

Bruce

The Fur Flies at Fort Stevens State Park

2011-09-13T22:18:00.000-07:00

We returned to Fort Stevens State Park for a few days. We like this park a lot, and know it well, having spent three months working here in 2009.

Different groups put on reenactments in the the historical area of the Park. In 2009, we worked at a reenactment of the WWII Allied landing at Normandy Beach.

This time we saw a fur traders' encampment, commemorating the first permanent American settlement in the Pacific NW in 1811. Men and women dressed authentically and worked at crafts of the time, such as blacksmithing, bead trading, wood working, and gun smithing. A very colorful event.

OK, OK. I was too tired to take more pictures. We had hiked almost three miles to get there. All I could think about was the three miles back! And that our fool dog would immediately want to play ball upon setting paw back in the RV. Which he did.

Bruce

Off the Island

2011-09-08T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today we departed Moran State Park and Orcas Island. Back to Terra Attacha. Never noticed the feeling of being surrounded by all this land. Hemmed in!

And all these people!! Where did they come from? [Don't answer that! I took Phys Ed too.]

From here, we drop by Sedro-Woolley, know locally at Woolley [ha ha!], to visit friends. Then on to visit more friends in Olympia before turning south and west to the Oregon coast for the remainder of the month, awaiting the return of Fall to Park Sierra.

Bruce

Jenna Hikes with Two Poles

2011-09-03T21:19:00.000-07:00

Today we hiked around Mountain Lake here at Moran State Park.
Mountain Lake link

You could not find a more beautiful scene, with pure clear water sparkling in the sun, three small islands dotting the surface, chipmunks chattering and fish splashing, and us sauntering amidst pines and spruce trees in sunlight and shade.

Jenna used her new hiking poles for the first time on a long hike. Not bad for a senior citizen only two years in remission from lymphoma.

Bruce

Out for a Sail

2011-08-31T18:00:00.000-07:00

Today we went a'sailing off the coast of Orcas Island on a 33 feet long sloop.

Six of us plus the Captain. The weather gradually turned clear and sunny.

That's not us. Just some other guy in a much bigger boat. I think it's called a sailboat too. The bow is on the right. His sails are too short for the mast. Musta got 'em on sale [Hahaha!!].

OK, one more pic.

We had a lovely time on the water and met a couple from Texas fleeing the blasted heat for a short while. Fellow Texans foolishly living in Texas this time of year.

Blue water, fresh breeze. No sharks, no pirates. Perfect.

Nothing to Report. It's an Island after all.

2011-08-21T16:16:00.000-07:00

What's there to say of late? Well, nothing actually. We sit outside to watch the chickens and deer in the meadow, and reflect on the quiet life. Given the hot air in the other Washington and the heat wave throughout the country, we think we have it pretty good.

Some days we work at the Friends Gift Shop. Some days not. Bruce works on the Friends's new computer and the Gift Shop cash register. Jenna works on necklaces to sell at the shop.

In a few days, we'll go kayaking around the island. Next week we'll spend a few hours on a sailboat.

We plan to leave our assignment after Labor Day, on September 8. See a few friends in western Washington, then on to the Oregon coast, where we will wait out the heat in California.

If you have any ideas on activities for us, please send them our way. But remember to add postage for the high cost of shipping things out here.

Bruce

Moran State Park pics

2011-07-29T22:16:00.000-07:00

Further evidence of the beauty of our present volunteer assignment at Moran State Park.

Easterly view from Mt. Constitution on a clear day, with Mt. Baker standing tall in the Cascade range.

Northerly view of same range.

Our gift shop. Formerly a fire lookout living quarters.

Picture two rooms chockablock with nice souvenirs, clothing, and park information.

Bruce

Nomads on an Island

2011-07-23T20:18:00.000-07:00

One week on Orcas Island now. A moment's reflection. Plenty of time for reflection, actually. Comes naturally in such a place. Peace and quiet. Fresh air. Times Square [look it up.]

Orcas Island, the largest, by one square mile, of the San Juan Islands, contains under 5,000 inhabitants. Filled with pastoral valleys and hills, lakes and ponds. Topped by Mt. Constitution, the tallest mountain in the islands, our worksite.

We have seen just two of the few towns on the island. EastSound sits on the connecting point of this horseshoe shaped island. It combines the charm of a small town with the [slight] bustle of a summer tourist community. One food market plus a food coop, two local hardware stores, a bakery. Many restaurants and gift shops, tho most are probably open only in summer. Not one franchise business in the place; no fast food, no shopping center.

Olga is a tiny town. Two sentences will do.

As for our home, we have parked on the south side of this popular state park. We enjoy walking through a meadow just below our site, where several deer often graze next to the chickens our park ranger host keeps.

Two or three times per week, we drive to the top of Mt. Constitution, to work at the small Friends of Moran gift shop and information center. In the two days we have spent so far, we've seen a steady stream of visitors come through. Happy people enjoying a day hiking, biking, or just relaxing on the mountain, enjoying the spectacular views.

With a 270 degree view, pictures cannot do it justice.

We can endure.

Other benefits - highs in the 60s while most of the country roasts under record setting heat. Just down the hill is the lake side swimming beach.

More pics in the future.

Bruce

Island Times

2011-07-15T20:09:00.000-07:00

We have veered north. Way north, to the border of the contiguous United States.

We found a hosting job with the Washington State Park Service. We will work as gift shop and information hosts at Moran State Park on Orcas Island in the San Juan Islands! Haha!! At the 2,400' top of Mt Constitution. Hahahahaha!!!

What a lucky break. Those of you who have traveled to the San Juan Islands can furnish your own superlatives. From the sublime ferry boat ride to the amazing opportunities to view Orca whales and dolphins and puffins to the chance to visit Victoria Canada, this place can't be beat.

Those of you who have not seen the San Juan Islands need to get your priorities in order. I'm talkin' to you!!

We will have no cell phone or internet service at our site. We have been promised service at the top of Mt Constitution, so will conduct our business, phone calls, and blogging from there.

Onward and upward!

Bruce

Jacked Up in Olympia

2011-07-13T20:04:00.000-07:00

Don't you get tired of reading about our repairs? Well, think about my feelings when I write about them!

While in Astoria, we found that the problem front hydraulic jack was not working well enough, even after the bozo repair one week ago. Didn't support the weight of the trailer.

Discovered this after unhitching. Thus might not hitch up again. You know, like at Collier State Park and Tucson. Luckily the jack did work, tho I put a bottle jack next to it just in case.

And scheduled a repair in Olympia, our next destination. They [hopefully] fixed it today.

Oh yeah, also a [costly] repair on the truck brake controller today.

Poorer and no wiser. Onward.

Bruce

Passing Thru Nehalem Bay State Park

2011-07-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Nehalem Bay State Park for our two month volunteer position. And discovered that our assigned RV site was too unlevel to enter and to use. Way too unlevel!

The park staff could not fix it or give us a different site for the duration. We would not take the chance of damaging our trailer. So we departed after only a week.

Too bad. It's a beautiful state park right along the beach. And we enjoyed our few days working in the information booth. Too few days to even take a picture.

And so we have revised our plans.

A few days in Astoria, visiting friends from our prior volunteer job at Fort Stevens, as well as meeting friends from Olympia.
Then a stop in Olympia to visit other friends.
Finally on to an Escapees park in Washington on the Olympic Peninsula, southeast of Port Townsend. Tho we have traveled through that area many times during our seventeen years as Washington residents, we never saw this park. Time to remedy that oversight.

Serendipity.

Bruce

The Eugene Curse Continues

2011-06-29T20:38:00.000-07:00

Regular readers of this blog, meaning Jenna and I and miscreants sentenced to harsh public service, know that we must always stop for repairs when traveling through Eugene Oregon.

It is ever thus.

This time we needed new parts for one of our hydraulic jacks, i.e. cylinder and valve. Seems I been a'talking about the hydraulic system a lot...years actually. Don't expect this focus to end anytime soon. We have an appointment in September for another part of that system.

Starting out from Collier Park, we couldn't. We needed a tow truck to leave . One of the jacks wouldn't move. A control wire had come loose, the result of my efforts to stem the flow of leaking fluid. If the jack won't move, we can't hitch up, or unhitch. Tow truck arrived without the bottle jacks I specified. Friend and I jacked it up.

And so it began.

The following day, we returned to the dealer who last year moved the table that hit the basement switch that opened the awning that hit the city bus. We are both forgiving and stupid.

For this visit:

First they said they would not risk using jacks to raise the trailer to unhitch. Too dangerous. I used their jacks to unhitch.

Then they said that could not install the jack cylinders, as they did not have the right equipment. What?!

Then they said that the hydraulic company did not authorize installation of the valve alone. Bogus!

Then they said that the new valve did not fit. "No, I didn't say that valve is leaking. This valve is leaking. See the fluid?"

Then they bypassed the wiring for the new valve without telling us, disabling part of the function of the hydraulic system. You think I wouldn't notice?

Then they said that we must return next week for several days to install the wiring correctly. I promptly fixed it correctly in 10 minutes.

Then we left, never to return to that dealer again.

From there, we returned for some relaxation time to the mall where we were dry camping. Until 9:30pm when the security guard told us to move to another part of the parking lot...immediately. They needed to use our area for an event the next morning. Likely they had planned that event more than 2 days before we arrived. The event had not started when we left the next morning.

Just a typical day for us in Eugene.

Bruce

Crater Lake in Snow

2011-06-22T20:27:00.000-07:00

We returned to Crater Lake today. We last visited in September of 2009. Much different now after heavy snowfall this past winter. Even in June, we had this

The sky was so blue against the white snow and evergreens. I apologize for the number of pictures, but I could only get them down to these eight.
Click here for our Crater Lake Slide Show

Bruce

Collier Memorial State Park Living History Day

2011-06-19T17:39:00.000-07:00

Father's Day marks the biggest day of the year here at Collier Memorial State Park. Park staff and volunteers come out of the woods to demonstrate logging techniques of the past.

There goes one of the original steam tractors, that helped start the Westinghouse Corporation.

There's an early caterpillar diesel tractor!

A steampowered shake mill.

Bluegrass singers, cloggers. Fun for one and all.

A truly unique experience.

Pictures here - Living History Slide Show

Bruce

Our Daily Commute

2011-06-16T22:21:00.000-07:00

Click here for a slide show of our daily commute.

Nice.

2011 Collier Memorial State Park

2011-06-16T22:17:00.001-07:00

2011 Collier Memorial State Park, a set on Flickr.

Our daily commute to the park store.

Hosting at Collier Memorial State Park

2011-06-05T22:50:00.000-07:00

One week now at our June assignment at Collier Memorial State Park. This park differs some from a typical state park. Some years ago, a local logging businessman collected and donated logging equipment to preserve the history of this important industry. The state created a museum, with one of the country's largest collection of such equipment.

On the opposite side of the road is a very nice campground, with forestland all around, as well as confluence of two rivers. So far, we've seen few campers here, thus an uncrowded and peaceful place to stay.

We work in the gift shop and information center. For several days, the temperature hovered in the 40s by day and freezing at night. Which holds more significance when your only source of heat is a wood stove from 1854. In a building with gaps in the roofing. It's authentic, after all.

We share duties with three other host couples, all of us in spaces close by. Quite different from our first hosting experience at Fort Stevens, where the volunteers were spread out throughout a large campground, with little interaction among them.

Tomorrow starts our first two days off. We plan on touring Klamath Falls, some 30 miles south. With only 20,000 souls in town, it won't take long. Nearby Crater Lake National Park reportedly has 12' of snow still on the ground after this wet winter. Maybe we will get up there next week.

Bruce

Lake of the Woods, OR

2011-05-31T14:07:00.000-07:00

Three days now in this charming woodsy campground at 5,000' elevation in the southern Cascade Mountains.

Built in the 1920s in the midst of what is now the Winema National Forest, this resort offers wooden cabins, a rustic lodge with bright red Adirondack chairs, a marina/store, all up the hill from a two mile long lake.

They tell us that the freezing nights and daily snow showers is unusual for this time of year. So we've spent most of our time indoors, enjoying the velvet green scenery and resting up for our new jobs.

Snow this morning

Looks like we've escaped the summer heat.

Yes, that's right. We're going back to work [Ha ha ha ha!]. On June 1, we start four hour shifts in the gift shop of Collier Memorial State Park.

We've most often heard three things about this park: mosquitoes; good fishing; and mosquitoes.

More to come....

Bruce

Medford Oaks RV Park

2011-05-27T14:04:00.000-07:00

We stopped overnight at this RV park principally to visit a couple from our former life. Bruce's life actually, as he worked at Western State Psychiatric

Hospital with the male portion of this couple. We shared stories of RVing, [our former] work experiences, and dreams to come. They want to travel more, but annot sell one of their Seattle homes during this depressed housing market. Which just reminded us of how lucky we were, and are.

Bruce

Ashland, OR and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

2011-05-26T16:52:00.000-07:00

We spent four nights at Emigrant Lake County Park on a beautiful lake. Since we had stayed at this park before, we reserved the primo site.

Unfortunately we endured rain and wind after this first partly sunny day.

But no matter. We stopped at Ashland principally to attend live theater again at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival. People from around the world attend productions in this four theater complex. We bought tickets six months in advance, and found half of the productions sold out.

Despite the name, most of the plays are not written by Shakespeare. We saw the following shows:
The Imaginary Invalid - Moliere's last play. Rewritten with a 60's flair, it was delightful and unexpected, with satire, music and dance, and clever plot twists.
August: Osage County - a Pulitzer Prize winning tragedy about a dysfunctional family reunited over a death. The story was somewhat familiar, but the acting and direction were superb.
Julius Caeser - by you-know-who. Well conceived and unique. Even to the point that the title character was female.
The Language Archive - the weakest play of the four. The author couldn't seem to make up his mind if he was writing about love or communication. And the ending, indeed the final words, referred to a theme unmentioned to that point.

But then, everyone's a critic.

Bruce

Cold Snap - the Sequel

2011-05-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

We were enjoying a rare episode of travel without repairs. Made it almost one thousand miles without incident.

Then the refrigerator door fell to the floor.

Truth to tell, we were not surprised. The first time the hinge broke, we had used it less than one year. We received a new door under warranty.

The new one lasted about one year. That time I fixed the hinge with epoxy. Which lasted about another year. This time requires another replacement, at our expense.

The good news - the local dealer got a new door in just one day.

The bad news - we paid for it.

Oh, and don't ask me about the truck right now.

Onward!

Bruce

The End

2011-05-21T17:00:00.000-07:00

Taken on a sidewalk in Grants Pass today, the day the world will end, according to California radio preacher Harold Camping.

So we are actually in the End Time, with five months left till the total destruction of the world.

I'll do my part. I'm voting for Sarah Palin!

Bruce
Seen the light

Garberville and The Redwood Forest

2011-05-18T20:00:00.000-07:00

What's not to like about the Redwoods? They're red and made of wood. It's a perfect combination.

We have visited this forest at least three times in the past eleven years. The first time during a motorcycle trip down from Washington State to Garberville. The second two years ago on our way north like now.

The Humboldt Redwoods Visitor Center Link to Park page on the Avenue of the Giants road thru the forest contains a fascinating exhibit about Charles Kellog, a naturalist who lived from 1868 to 1949 Wikipedia article. He traveled the country in vaudeville shows, imitating birds by singing from his throat rather than whistling. He traveled in an early version of an RV, made of a huge hollowed out redwood log mounted on a truck frame - no slides tho.

Later in life he campaigned for to protect the California redwood forests.

This day, we returned to the Founders Grove. Our impressions
Light rain descending.
Looking up into the trees, small drops against the background of the trees, mingled with large drops from the branches.
All heeding the siren call of gravity.
Rain falling on the clover below, making them quake and dance from the impact.
And all around, only the sound of the birds.

Which is why we return to this forest.

From Woody Guthrie's THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND
From the redwood forest,
To the fresh tank waters,
This RV's made for two or three [Clancy].
Bruce

Healdsburg, CA

2011-05-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

We dropped in on Healdsburg, CA today. Their motto, "Where women go to shop." In other words, Hell.

Many wine shops where you can try samples from the local vineyards. Too fancy schmancy for us, we ate at the local brewpub.

The most unique shop there? The Hand Fan museum http://handfanmuseum.com/

Wherein you learn the history of fans down through the ages. Who knew?

Next up is the Ball of Twine Museum. http://www.darwintwineball.com/

Bruce

Santa Rosa, CA

2011-05-14T21:33:00.000-07:00

Why Santa Rosa, you might ask? What, do you not know about the Charles Schultz Museum and Research Center? Remembering Snoopy and Charlie Brown and the rest of the cast of the beloved Peanuts cartoon series?

Schultz lived in Santa Rosa for many years. Wandering around this city of 160,000, you come upon statues of characters from the series.

Still, why? Jenna grew up in a Snoopy household. Her mother collected Snoopies in all forms. Jenna and her sister carry on the tradition.

Thus

For this, we worked 30 years.

Bruce

Monterey and Carmel-By-the-Sea

2011-05-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

After five days drycamping at San Simeon, we drove to Monterey, CA. Stayed at Laguna Seca, a race track that hosts the American Le Mans race, among others. With nice RV spaces around the perimeter of the racetrack. Quiet place to stay outside the scheduled events. And just ten miles from Monterey and the ocean.

John Steinbeck wrote about Monterey in his classic novel, Cannery Row. We toured that area, now mostly surrounded by boutique shops.

Plus a stroll on Fisherman's Wharf, tho nary a fisherman in sight. Instead you find seafood restaurants, one after the other along the pier.

The next day, we drove further south to Carmel-by-the-Sea, on the southern end of famous Pebble Beach Golf Course. A very upscale community. I counted five Ferraris during the few hours we spent there. The town sits in the center of the shoreline of Monterey Bay. Blue green water, greenery all around, flocks of pelicans and seagulls diving for fish, yellow-white crunchy sand. Nice.

You may know that Clint Eastwood served as mayor of the city in 1986 We ate lunch at The Hog's Breath Inn, once owned by Eastwood. Decided not to try the Dirty Harry burger.

Bruce looking notorious

Then on northward.

Bruce

San Simeon State Park and Hearst Castle

2011-05-06T21:43:00.000-07:00

We moved north 30 miles to San Simeon State Park, along the ocean again, and just a few miles from Hearst Castle.

160 sites in this park, and only a dozen occupied. Dry camping - no problem for us with large holding tanks and solar panels. So nice we don't know when we will leave.

Today we toured the Hearst Castle, a joint venture of the Hearst Foundation and the California State Parks. Whadda place! William Randolph Hearst, one of the wealthiest men in the world at the time, this before the Arabs got smart and raised the price of oil, spent 15 years and spared no expense building this huge estate [90,080 Square Feet in all, with 56 bedrooms] and filling it with art and antiques from around the world. And accumulated a vast holding of 250,000 acres of ranch and coastal land. Orson Welles classic film Citizen Kane was a fictionalization of William Randolph Hearst's career.

The tour guide said, "It's hard to take a bad picture here." But take a quick tour with a large group, and you won't get a chance for a good one. Here are just a few, almost all outdoors.

Bruce

San Luis Obispo - Too Hot!

2011-05-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

Upon our departure from Park Sierra, we drove southwest to San Luis Obispo. [They call the city and county SLO. I guess they live too fast to say it slow.] Nice little California town. The downtown area reminded us of Eugene Oregon. And the Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas.

Jenna at the gardens near the mission church.

But each of two days there, the "unusual" 90 degree heat drove us out to the coast.

First day we relocated to Pismo Beach, a prosperous beach town with a small boardwalk and a fishing pier. And great fish and chips at the Pismo Beach Fish and Chips, natch.

Second day we fled in the opposite direction to Morro Bay, a smaller community with a nice state beach next to Morro Rock, a 581-foot "volcanic plug ." This is a great time of year to travel the California coast, just before the tourist season begins. We spent hours on the beach with few sharing it. Listening to the foghorns [on a bright sunlit day?!], the waves crashing, the smell of salt air, seagulls screaming overhead. The best.

Bruce

On the Road Again

2011-04-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

We've worked the last few days preparing to spend five months on the road. Worked ourselves so hard that we have delayed our departure one day.

No need to hurry. And this is the nicest time of the year at Park Sierra. Fragrant lilacs, blooming flowers. Called the Yellow Season, because of all the pollen in the air. Aaachoo!

Black tank repair worked out well. Two 6 hour days crawling around on our backs with drills and screwdrivers and staple guns. Appears successful. We will test the work shortly.

In honor of our trip, a song [of course].

To the tune of "Born to be Wild."

Get that big rig runnin',
Head out to the campground,
Looking for a good spot,
Better get out of my way.

[Chorus],
I want me that 50 amp service,
Sure need me some wifi near,
A pool and a sauna for sure,
Plus good food and beer.

I like all the birdies,
See my cat ahunting,
Let my dog out on the beach,
Pooping where he wants to go.

[Chorus]
I want me that water and sewer,
And always cell service see,
A long pull thru that's for real sure,
And I want it for free.

I like smoking turkeys,
Build a great big fire,
Leave it burning when I go,
Do what I desire.

[Chorus]
Run my truck up and down the whole beach,
Like a big NASCAR race,
Fire all of my guns in the woods,
Get in everyone's face.

I'm a true nature's child,
I was born, born to be wild,
I sure live so high,
Never want to cry.

Not Bruce

Stage Coach Daze 2011 at Park of the Sierras

2011-04-19T21:16:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, the park held our big fund raiser of the year. Stage Coach Daze. Almost 300 people, including about 50 guests, attended four days of fun, food, and general geezer fun. Many hands worked for months to plan and implement this event.

Bruce acted in the traditional melodrama, as John Trueheart, a dumb kid aspiring to earn a scholarship to Harvard. While the landlady conspired to evict the family from their home, trying to force John to compromise his [dumb] principles. You had to be there.

Jenna and friends spontaneously created the John Trueheart Fan Club, waving signs and trying to tempt John into sin. Unfortunately sin was not in the script.

Bruce also played a part as sheriff during the festival, arresting anyone seen without a name tag, or for any other reason he chose.

And played the part of a horse in a horse race.

Jenna sold tickets to one of several raffles.

She also sold her beadwork and held a workshop on making jewelry.

And you wonder if we are having fun.

We plan to depart on May 1. Head up the California coast a ways, then inland. THen somethin' somethin'. Eventually land in Ashland, Oregon to see some live theatre before arriving to volunteer at the first of two Oregon state park for the summer.

Bruce

PS Thanks to Lorna for these pictures.

Speedy Alka-Seltzer Anew

2011-04-08T20:11:00.000-07:00

Readers of a certain age (old) will recall Speedy Alka-Seltzer singing this jingle.
Youtube video

Plop, plop,
Fizz, Fizz,
Oh what a relief it is.

Now change just one letter
Plop, plop,
Wizz, wizz,
Oh what a relief it is.

Different ending.

2011-03-27T19:35:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? [Nowhere, actually. It's all an illusion. Or it's not.] Two weeks now since the last post and not much to report.

Here at Park Sierra, we are busy making plans and preparations for our upcoming Harvest Daze, a four day festival and fund raiser. Dinners, lunches, hayrides, games, more hayrides, more food, more hay. You get the idea. Plenty to eat for people and plenty to eat for horses.

Jenna is making jewelry for a craft table. Bruce is rehearsing for the title role in an evening melodrama, The Saga of John Trueheart.

Too much fun to believe.

When out of ideas, try a song.

With apologies to Tennessee Ernie Ford
And thanks to Steve for inspiration.

Some people say a man is made outta crude,
A RVer's made outta septic and food,
Septic and food 'round skin and bones,
A mind that's a-weak and a truck that's strong.

You load 16 thou, what do you get?
An RV that won't move, and you're deeper in debt.
St. Peter won't you help me, cause I can't go,
My slide won't move, and I need a big tow.

I retired one mornin' and the sun sure did shine,
I picked up my paycheck and I walked off the line,
I was working no more and sure feelin' just fine,
Didn't know that my RV would take all of my time.

You load 16 thou, what do you get?
An RV that won't move, and you're deeper in debt.
St. Peter won't you help me, cause I can't go,
My tire's gone flat,, and I need a big tow.

I woke up one mornin', it was drizzlin' rain,
Raining on the inside, oh my rugs were all stained,
Dishes all soaked and my clothing was too,
I squished when I walked cause the rain's got in my shoe.

You load 16 thou, what do you get?
An RV that won't move, and you're deeper in debt.
St. Peter won't you help me, cause I can't go,
My jacks won't move and I need a big tow.

If you see me comin', better move aside
A lotta drivers didn't, a lotta drivers died.
My brake's fading fast and I'm sleeping at the wheel,
If my tires don't a'hit ya, then my awing sure will.

You load 16 thou, what do you get?
An RV that won't move, and you're deeper in debt.
St. Peter won't you help me, cause I can't go,
My truck won't move, and I need a big tow.

Bruce

Busy Doin' Nothin'

2011-03-13T10:40:00.000-07:00

Almost four weeks now at Park Sierra. Busy, busy, busy are we.

How do we occupy our time? Besides fixing our RV?

Of course any homeowner spends time making home repairs and improvements. We do too. We occupy a lot in our community and work at maintaining and upgrading it. Cutting a small lawn, fixing up a small shed. A decoration here and there.

We also participate in community activities and chores. This is a cooperative community, which means that we maintain it ourselves. Fix the roads, repair the utilities, manage the rental system, offer community entertainment, elect officers and provide governance. All the work that a homeowner pays taxes for public services. Instead, we rely on ourselves.

Right now, Jenna is serving on committees and is making some jewelry for a fundraiser. Bruce is running around the park fixing computers and phone systems. Clancy is bothering people. We all have our jobs.

In our spare time, we read online content and walk the dog. Clancy shows no interest in the Internet. He has better things to do. We don’t.

Bruce

Then It's Something Else

2011-03-04T20:16:00.000-08:00

Good news first
Slide room seems to work just fine now, after a long voyage to proper repair. Needs a little adjustment with a bottle jack and a screwdriver, but [hopefully] that will prove minor.

Bad News next
Our black tank is leaking. Has been occasionally for a year now, but gettin' worse, despite two repairs.

How does one know that the black tank leaks? How you tell that a septic tank is leaking? Now think of that tank leaking in your basement. Got the picture? Now color it black.

Replacing the black tank requires many hours crawling around under the trailer with implements of destruction. I plan to hire an RV guy to help, as in do most of the work. It won't be pretty, but at least we are.

Bruce

PS Clancy is fine.

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

2011-02-28T09:27:00.000-08:00

In the last post, I warned readers of the futility of reading this blog for words of enlightenment. Or even value for time expended.

Not one reader posted a comment. Apparently they had already reached this conclusion. Nirvana at last.

Farewell, good friends. Enjoy the rewards of watching Fox News.

Bruce

Another Apology. Another Clancy Song

2011-02-24T09:12:00.000-08:00

One week now back in Park Sierra, our home away from traveling. Only about half the members are here now, many of them full time residents. Others will return in the next month or so. We're just getting settled in, catching up on tasks and maintenance we've put off till our return. Haven't started our visits to doctors yet, but that will start soon enough.

Of late, a few people we have met in our travels have expressed interest in reading this blog. Apparently they think they will learn something of interest, that their time will be well spent. They could not believe that we would make all this effort for so little result. Some people take a lot of convincing.

Now that you are reading, you understand. What can we say to comfort you?

"At least you're not watching television."

That's it. It doesn't get any better. Other than the occasional picture of our dog, Clancy.

Speaking of whom, here's another brief dog ditty.
To the tune of Lookin' for Love in All the Wrong Places

I was looking for food in all the wrong places,
Licking the lips of too many faces.
Searching your thighs, looking for traces,
Of what I'm dreaming of.
Hopin' to find a steak or a muffin,
Dog bless the day I find stuffin',
Need another nose, for lookin' for food.

The Aforementioned Dog

The actual song here

Bruce

Death Valley Plans DOA

2011-02-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we drove up to Inyokern, CA, with plans to enter Death Valley National Park today. Started out this AM only to find a winter storm joining us. Serious winds, with snow and rain just behind. Ever read about warnings for drivers of High Profile Vehicles? That's us.

We turned around. Returned to our nice enough country park. Tomorrow we hope to make a run for home in between snow storms.

We normally travel through the Tehachapi Pass, a 4,000' high slot in the Sierra Mountains. Not this time. We'll drive 25 miles south and try to head west at a lower elevation.

Likewise nix the plans for Morro Bay on the California coast. We'll hunker down at Park Sierra, if we can get there.

Shoulda stayed in Tucson. In hindsight, dang it. Still, while three big winter storms roar through much of the country this winter, we wore suntan lotion in 70 degrees desert. We'll live.

Bruce

Lake Havasu City, AZ

2011-02-12T17:48:00.000-08:00

This city sounds familiar, doesn't it? Some years ago, a guy moved the famed London Bridge to Lake Havasu City. Those crazy Arizonans. Well, must admit it did prompt us to visit. And a lot of others too.

We saw a radio controlled boat race next to the Bridge.

Just to prove we were still in Arizona, a picture of friend Steve.

Surprise! Faux skydiving!!

2011-02-09T20:39:00.000-08:00

Today Tucson friends and I went flying in a skydiving wind tunnel in Eloy, AZ at Skydiveventureaz.

We had BIG FUN flying and flailing around with an instructor to guide and control us.

My experience making about 250 free fall jumps from 1973 to about 2005 didn't help at all. I was clearly out of practice. But also, flying in a confined space is a lot harder than in open sky. Tho this didn't seem to bother the two teams we watched in the trainer after our time.

The surprise is that I have no pictures right now. We purchased a video from the center, and I must wait a month for my copy in the mail.

Breathe in. Hold it.

Bruce

Tucson Departure

2011-02-09T08:10:00.000-08:00

For two days and nights, we camped outside of this fiberglass repair facility. You see why we enjoy this life so much!

Today we take our leave of Tucson, after two months of fun, sun, and friendship.

Watch this space for a surprise activity! Ha ha!!

Bruce

Tucson in Twilight

2011-02-02T20:07:00.000-08:00

You step into a restaurant. Everything seems normal.
Couples laughing.
Families eating.
Couples eating families.
Little do you know what awaits you...when nature calls.

You get up. You walk down the hall. You about to enter...The Bathroom Zone."

Do do do do, do do do do.

I am not making this up [for a change].

So I open the door to the Men's Room and hear a woman's voice. Whaaa? Did I get it wrong?

Oh wait. It's just a loud overhead speaker with a woman singing some mindless song.

I go over to the urinal, get to my business, and what does she start singing?
"Oh, it's so nice being here with you."

Now I understand why Arizonans carry weapons in public.

Bruce

Fixie fixie? Fixie!!

2011-01-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

Today I finally finished fixing the accursed hydraulic system.

Technician had already replaced the entire main pump and valve system. Today I checked the ground wire and replaced an additional control valve for one jack. No more problem with jacks and slides moving on their own!!

We can now move...onto our next set of repairs. But those are minor by comparison and have obvious answers.

Thanks to all who offered advice. We shall not forget you, cause we will undoubtedly need help again.

Bruce

Fixie fixie? No fixie

2011-01-24T19:31:00.001-08:00

So the long awaited day arrived. Local RV technician installed a completely new hydraulic pump, with hoses and wires everywhere. Very impressive, but ultimately futile. No change in problem. Slides and jacks moving on their own without specific instruction.

And so we remain fixed to our spot, waiting for further instructions. It's a nice spot tho. Easy living, beautiful surroundings, good friends.

Could be worse. We know worse. The first time our hydraulic system failed a few months ago, we were 40 miles into the Yukon wilderness. Tucson is better.

Bruce

Officially Retired Now

2011-01-22T07:52:00.000-08:00

Today I reached age 62. The great SSA now allows me to collect an early social security retirement check.

Thanks.

I have a friend who eats bacon only on his birthday. One pound of bacon only on his birthday. Now that's a tradition.

Let the discounts begin.

And send presents. No Metamucil.

Bruce

Sonora Desert Museum and Mt. Lemon

2011-01-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

We returned to the Desert Museum for another dose of flora and fauna in this beautiful desert, along with friends from the park. This time we arrived early enough to see the morning raptor free flight exhibition.

Horned Owl

Chihuahuan Raven at Desert Museum

Parrot at Sonora Desert Museum

Another day, we also drove up the Mt. Lemon road, starting at 2,800' and reaching 8,000'. As we climbed, we could see an everchanging view of the Tucson valley. At 7,000', snow covered the ground up to the road, and children played on sleds and discs.

Bruce

Back To Tubac and Other Activites

2011-01-16T15:12:00.000-08:00

We returned to the art shops of Tubac, site of last year's star crossed attempts to decorate our living space. No more success this year. Comes from too little surface areas to cover and even less wall space. We were tempted by a copper javalina yard ornament that looked like a dog. But even the head bobbing on a spring...no. Guess we'll live for another year with wallpaper you'd find in a prison time-out room.

What else? Saw a comedy show "My Mother's Italien, My Father's Jewish, and I'm In Therapy." Really. Went to our favorite Jewish Deli again, The Fifth Street Deli, for corned beef and pastrami sandwiches, this time with a group of friends here in the park.

And started making plans for the next two months. Assuming success in our hydraulic jack repairs, we depart Tucson on February 5. Drive north and west past Phoenix and Quartzsite, then turn north along the Colorado River to Lake Havasu, which we have not seen before.

Then maybe return to Death Valley National Park for a time. Possibly squeeze in a side trip to Morro Bay before returning to Park Sierra in early March.

Let us know if you're in the neighborhood.

Bruce

When Can We Possibly Leave?

2011-01-07T20:57:00.000-08:00

More work today on our misbehaving hydraulic system.

Technician worked with a factory engineer on the phone to determine the source of the problem as the main pump (we hope). Now we wait for the factory to make a replacement pump and ship it here.

We hope the new pump will work, and will work in time for our intended departure in early February. Otherwise, we must remain to sort this out. We can't risk this problem worsening, possibly failing in an inconvenient location. Like Death Valley.

Best not to follow us too closely. You don't want to waste your time dodging parts falling off our RV.

Bruce

Kitt Peak National Observatory

2011-01-07T09:00:00.000-08:00

Two friends, Larry and Doug, and I attended the Nightly Observing Program at Kitt Peak National Observatory southwest of Tucson.

After enjoying a beautiful Arizona sunset,

we scampered off to the Visitors Center for several hours of education, including views through a .5 meter telescope. We saw Jupiter and two of her moons, our own moon, a globular cluster of stars, a spiral nebula, and other far away stuff I can't now recall. Plus learned to use a star wheel to identify visible stars throughout the year. And peered through night time binoculars. A good time was had by us.

A few of the twenty-four optical and two radio telescopes.

Bruce

Our 30 year Anniversary

2010-12-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

Not Clancy! The humans...Jenna and Bruce! [Pic in Alaska]

Thirty years of marital bliss. Plus the first unsanctioned year, when we were practicing, if you know what I mean. In the first 27 years, we lived in four states [NJ, AZ, AR, and WA], in which we owned nine houses and held too many jobs. Living as nomads for the last three plus years. Many dogs, coupla cats, and uninvited mice.

How have we lived together thru all this change? Without separating or straying? After all, we have a lot of differences, in our communications styles and heights and numbers of head follicles. And different genders, with all that entails.

Well, maybe we're more similar now than we were at first. But more importantly, we share the same values of honesty and compassion and adventure and simplicity. And a loving commitment to our relationship, through thick and thin. [Not that we expect to see "thin" again.]

For example, we thought only of each other at ten years when Jenna was ill. At twenty years when Bruce was unemployed.

Now we're retired, through a combination of luck, planning, and hard work. Make no mistake about it, you need all three.

Thirty years. More to come....

Bruce

Thoughts on the Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice

2010-12-21T00:03:00.000-08:00

Watching the total lunar eclipse in the Tucson night sky lying back in our loungers. Thinking of the mysteries above us, how what we know constantly changes and leads us to further questions and new temporary knowledge.

Thinking of the Man on the Moon watching his solar eclipse. Does he wonder why those earthlings know so little and can't just get along on such a beautiful planet? And he thinks, "Probably doesn't matter, as they won't be around much longer anyway."

The Moon will emerge from darkness intact. Will we?

Bruce

Children's Store Converted to Jewish Temple

2010-12-16T09:55:00.000-08:00

Still working on that Star of David tho.

[Seen in El Paso, Texas.]

Don't get it? Try reading this Definition of Oy Vey

Bruce

Tucson 1

2010-12-13T20:20:00.000-08:00

Finally we achieved our destination. Beautiful, stimulating Tucson AZ. Mature readers will recall our last winter in this fair city. Hope so, for as my mother would say, "I don't sell my cabbage twice." [What a comedian! Now you know where I get it from.]

After one week here, Jenna's sister, Pat, who lives in North Carolina, arrived for a visit. Tomorrow we will head off to Las Cruces, New Mexico to visit their brother and his GF, who lives in El Paso, Texas.

What, you say? No more repairs? Fear not. We are still waiting for the hydraulic pump, as well as some fiberglass work left over from the Unfortunate Awning Incident. More challenges ahead.

Sure like them tires tho!

Bruce

Quartzsite and Casa Grande, AZ

2010-12-05T17:04:00.000-08:00

We spent one night drycamping in Quartzsite and visiting our Lake Tyee friends Steve and Sandy. Saw the cute Christmas lights parade through town.

Steve and Sandy introduced us to Howie and Nora, friends of theirs. First words out of Howie's mouth, "I like the way you change tires." Uh oh! Blog reader!! I was just kidding!!! Don't throw away those lug nuts!!!! You may need them!!!!!

Tonight we drycamped at the Escapees Park in Casa Grande, where we met up with our Canadian friends Doug and Toni. And parked in front of owners of another Excel. We traded stories of repairs, as do all RV owners. Heck, Doug and Toni, who have an SOB [Some Other Brand] regaled us with their adventure of blown tires and a broken axle while recently traveling in Georgia. We felt better.

Tucson ahead.

Bruce

Prepare to Repair and Then Some

2010-12-01T16:47:00.000-08:00

First we stopped south of Fresno to replace the equalizers [suspension system] that we just replaced with locally available but inadequate parts in late August. This repair went well and we left without incident.

From there, we drove to a Lippert plant in Rialto CA to repair our broken slide once again. We expected this repair to take a few hours. One thing led to another. And another. They had never worked on a fancy trailer like ours before. We spent two days and nights at the plant. Dry camped in the cul-de-sac, then sent the RV inside, while we spent our days at the local park.

Back in August, in Canada, we ran into a problem with our hydraulic slides. As in this post. Now, in the last month, this problem has worsened. By time we arrived in Rialto, the problem slide was moving in and out when I raised and lowered the jacks. And vice versa. Entertaining in a certain way, but ultimately frustrating. So the Lippert guys spent a third day working on this problem and we went back to the local park.

Turned out to be a leaking hydraulic pump. Which they did not have in stock. Lippert Central promised a new one in two weeks (!). So we left for Tucson with the promise that Lippert would ship the part there and pay a local technician to install it.

The hydraulic pump was covered under warranty. No cost.

The slide repair took 30 man-hours. But the plant manager felt badly about the length of time to repair everything, as well as forcing us to camp on the street for three nights. He didn't charge us at all! Ha ha ha!! I didn't ask him what it should have cost. But I can estimate $3,000, or even $2,000 if they knew what they were doing the entire time. Whew!!!

Have a nice day indeed! Now if these repairs will only work.

Bruce

Installing Tires for Dummies

2010-11-26T09:49:00.000-08:00

Since installing those tires on my RV, people keep asking me questions. Like
* Why did you install them yourself? Couldn't find the wheels locally.
* Don't those tires weigh too much to handle? No! Just use my technique!!
* Are you some kinda dummy for trying it yourself? Yes!
As a public service, I'll describe the methods I used for an easy and safe tire installation on our RV.

1 Select the correct tires and rims. This involves learning the boring technical requirements of tires and wheels. And ingestion of high quality beer. Suggestion: buy wheels with more than the original number of lug nuts, in case you lose your nuts in the grass.

2 Raise the rear wheels of the trailer. This is actually easier than it sounds, by using leverage. [Mathematically, this is expressed by M = Fd.]

- Pull down on the trailer king pin. You may need an extra strong rope.
- The trailer will pivot on the front axle [the fulcrum], lifting the rear axle off the ground.
- Tie off the rope to a heavy object, like a park bench. If none around, find a heavy friend. Safety first!

3 Now pull out your new tires. Each tire weighs about 110 pounds - very heavy to work with. Then I noticed that the tires were inflated to 110 pounds per square inch. That can't be coincidental. This undoubtedly means the tire contains 110 pounds of air. That's too much! So I let some out, reducing it to 70 pounds. That's better!

4 Remove the old tires and mount the new ones as usual. Now you appreciate having those extra lug nuts, don't you?

5 Tighten the lug nuts with a good torque wrench. Ooof, that's a lot of pressure. Wait a minute! I need 110 foot pounds. Another coincidence? I think not. [Remember, this is a tire system .] I reduced it to 80 pounds [70, + 10 for safety again.]

6 Lower the trailer slowly and carefully. Find a new friend. Don't let him talk to your old friend.

7 Raise the front wheels of the trailer by reversing the process. Tell your new friend to stand on the back bumper. Tie your new friend to a heavy object so you don't damage your bumper.

8 Install front wheels.

9 Then I realized that all those pounds of air pushing against the inside of the tread must cause the tire to wear out prematurely. So I reduced the pounds of air to 60, and the lug nuts to 70 [60 + 10 remember?] Should be enough, I reckon. If not, I'll let some more air out later.

That's it really. Oh, wait. I also wondered how to keep those tires as clean as they look now. So I looked on the Internet [naturally].

Motor oil! Coat the tires with motor oil. Same color as the tires! But what rating? Turns out oil weight refers to the weight of the tires. [Some people think it refers to engine operating temperature. Why would they call it "weight??" Now who's the dummy?]

Couldn't find 50W oil, so I lowered the tire pressure to 40 and used 40W oil on them. [Don't forget the lug nuts!]

So that's it! Tow safely!!

Bruce

PS Just throw away those extra lug nuts. You won't need 'em now.

Happy Thanksgiving, American Style

2010-11-25T12:58:00.000-08:00

Didja see the Macy's Thanksgiving day parade on TV? Floats with happy children, marching bands, and Spiderman!

In the same frame, sharp eyed viewers would also spot a billboard on a building in the background. A woman in a Victoria's Secret bra. Ha ha ha!

"Oh look at Mrs. Santa Claus! As well as her errant daughter!! Gosh, they look so much alike!!!"

The Sacred and the Profane.

More News you can't Use.

Bruce

Tires On. Move On.

2010-11-24T12:10:00.000-08:00

At last I have reached the end of the month long saga of installing new tires on the RV. Slapped them on with a lot of help from my friends. Sorry no pictures of the operation. But certainly one of the result.

Oooooooo!

Now we be ready for the road again! Weather of late has been cold and rainish. But of course we will wait for our community Thanksgiving dinner! And the leftovers luncheon on Saturday!!

Monday we depart for southern California for a final (ha ha ha!) repair on our slide. Then Tucson bound!

Bruce

Tired of Tires

2010-11-15T21:04:00.000-08:00

People without RVs think that people living in RVs lead simple lives. True enough in some respects. We don't mow the lawn, pay property taxes, or...ummmm...mow the lawn.

We do work on home maintenance just like normal people. And then some. Two electrical systems, appliances with multiple fuels, effluent duties. There are some differences.

Which brings me to differences between a car vehicle and a recreational vehicle. When normal people buy tires, they drive over to the tire store. "Gimme a set of tires," they say. Maybe they choose a brand, like the ones made by the fat funny looking cartoon, who rates restaurants on the side. ["I'll try the steel belted radials with a side of roadkill."] Or tires sold by George Foreman. After all, what did the heavy weight champion of the world know about electric grills?

Not so us. We need new tires on our trailer. Which lead me to consider buying heavier wheels and bigger tires so we can carry more toilet paper around the country. Which lead me to discover that you can't find such wheels easily now, what with cutbacks in production due to creeping socialism in the aluminum industry.

To make a long story short [too late!], I ordered four tires and wheels from Ohio. Shipped by FedEx freight. And so I await delivery of a 450 pound box of rubber and metal. How much does this cost? Don't ask.

Watch here for pictures of the Blog Writer wrestling 100 pound tires into position. Followed by pictures of the aforementioned Writer entering his chiropractor's office, driven there by Mrs. Writer, who is saying to him, "I told you so!"

Bruce

Summer Plans Already

2010-11-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

We lead a life of serendipity. Meaning whatever we want as long as it doesn't cost too much and our health doesn't interfere and Clancy agrees. But sometimes we plan ahead.

Like planning for summer, when working people dream of taking a break and enjoying themselves too. They resist the Capitalist Manifesto, which requires people to work more for less so a few can work less and have more. Which is why the few recently took even more, so people would lose their jobs and stay home instead of going on vacation. If they still had homes.

Of course, when they lose their homes, they feel unencumbered and travel more, looking for work. Thereby living their dreams after all. So it all works out...for a few.

Where was I? Doesn't take much.

Last year (2009) we worked as volunteers for the Oregon Parks Department. This year, we did not secure positions at Fort Stevens for 2011. Instead we will spend June at Collier Memorial State Park in the Cascade Mountains near Crater Lake. Then July and August on the coast at Nehalem Bay State Park , 10 miles south of Cannon Beach. In each park, we will work in the Information Center, dispensing brochures and wisdom about the local attractions and the closest wifi service. No selling firewood or cleaning campgrounds. Sounds great!

Yet life has a way of working on its own. Check back in eight months to see if it works out.

Bruce

Three Year Blog Anniversary

2010-10-25T10:53:00.000-07:00

As is our habit, we reprise the last year of travel and adventure. After all, what else do we have to do?

Clancy completed his second year of life and as part of our little family. Fortunately for all concerned, his terrier behavior has improved some to the point of tolerable. Others with terriers tell us that age three is the magic number for a companionable dog. And so we pray.

We broadened our travel horizons, with journeys to Tucson, as well as Death Valley and Joshua Tree National Parks. And then the RV Trip of a Lifetime to Alaska via Canada, several National Parks thereabouts, a visit to the Arctic Circle, and other experiences too numerous to type. Read the blog.

We faced challenging RV equipment failures, but never let it get us down. Adds new meaning to "You can't take it with you." Apparently you can, but it will cost ya.

We feel fine and look good. [No, you don't get a picture to make your own judgment.] What more can you want? World Peace? A woman for President, other than Sarah Palin? We'll get back to you next year.

Bruce

A-OK Inside and Out

2010-10-23T15:40:00.000-07:00

We have completed most of our internal updates and prognosis is good. Jenna met with her oncoman. They decided to discontinue further treatments, since she remains in complete remission. Which will give her more time to recover from two years of chemotherapy. All is well well well.

No findings for the male side of the duo. Stay the course.

Now we have entered the hosting phase of our remaining time here at Park Sierra. Friends Russ and Dee from Lake Tyee are visiting right now. eFriends Tom and Donna will arrive in a few days for a few days. Other Lake Tyee friends Steve and Sandy will visit in a few weeks. Fortunately all these folks bring their own homes, as we left our spare bedroom in Washington.

This week, we entered the 21st Century with the purchase of two Nook eReaders by Barnes and Noble. Suddenly the world of literature has opened to us in convenient no-cost no calorie form. Less time reading blogs, more time reading Kafka and Mark Twain. It's a good trade-off.

Bruce

An Apple a Day

2010-10-13T02:29:00.000-07:00

So begin our contributions to the financial health of the Fresno medical community. A poke here, a prod there. Scan scan, gurgle gurgle, cough cough. Oww!

Jenna will see her cancerologist next week for a six month review of her condition. They will decide on whether she should submit to one more round of potions, or just call it good for now.

Bruce

Too Darn Busy

2010-10-07T20:42:00.000-07:00

We live in a cooperative. We (the Coop) expect everyone to contribute to maintaining and improving the park. Works pretty well actually, which you would see if you visited. [You never visit!] Clean faciltites, structures in good condition, an active social life.

Last year I volunteered to help with the park phone and computer system. Worked out pretty well last Spring, just going around fixing up wiring and installing a few internet routers.

For this Fall visit, I volunteered to write a maintenance manual for the phone and computer system. Didn't know how soon I would need it.

Within a week, the most active member of our little communications group died. Another knowledgeable fella went on a three week holiday. Two others left for the week. Which left just two of us where seven once tread.

One week into it, we lost power in a lightning storm. God damn! Which started three days of heavy rain. Which plays havoc with aging phone/computer wiring.

Know the one about the one arm paper hanger? I feel his pain. Piller to post, hither and yon, you get the idea. Suffice to say, I'm busy.

In other news, we've made progress in arranging a repair on our misbehaving slideout at a southern CA facility on our way out of town. No trip to Kansas in our plans, we hope....

Breathe!!

Bruce

Too Darn Hot

2010-09-30T08:32:00.000-07:00

The title says it all. Days of 100 degrees here in our paradise in the mountains. Temp records broken all over CA. 113 degrees in Los Angeles, the hottest temperature ever recorded there. In fact, the thermometer quit recording at 113, and CA is probably too broke to buy another one.

In the future, aliens will find this blog in the ashes of civilization and wonder what the fuss was all about. By then, 113 degrees may seem cool.

Bruce
Speaking truth to heat.

Return to Kansas?

2010-09-24T22:46:00.000-07:00

Uh oh. Latest word today from RV fix-it land - no slide repair in southern CA. If this proves true, we must drive to Kansas again this Spring. During tornado season, just like last time.

And the good news? Ummmm...mmmm...we're not driving to Kentucky.

Further clarification this coming week.

Bruce

Return to Park Sierra

2010-09-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Sung to the melody of My Blue Heaven
Woodpeckers call, planting acorns real small,
Just hurry to my...broken...RV

Just turn left and right, the space is real tight
Will lead you to my...broken...RV.

You'll see a smilin' face, no fireplace, a cozy (very small) room,
That little pest that barks and groans if there's no food real soon.

Just Jenna and me,
And Clancy makes three (at least)
We're back now in Park Sierra.

And so we have returned to our lovely lot here in the Sierra Mountains after 9,000 miles and four months to and from Alaska and points Canadian.

We enjoy living in our trailer with all slides extended again. Living large, as it were.

Latest word on repairing our big slide. We may arrange a fix near San Bernadino, CA, on our way to Tucson in December. Much easier than a jaunt to Kansas. More to come....hopefully not too much more.

Bruce

Eugene Charm

2010-09-12T02:35:00.000-07:00

You can say what you will about Eugene, Oregon. We have, "cursed...vindictive...evil." Well, maybe I exaggerated a bit on the last two. But given our experiences here, can you blame me?

Yet, we also enjoy this city. Even more so this time, during our enforced stay. Today we attended a dog show, an exhibit on the history of the Hippie culture here, an excellent downtown farmers market filled with Hippies, and a McMenamins brewpub celebrating local microbrews. Plus a local expresso bar, natch. It's kinda like Olympia, our former hometown. What more could you ask for?

A fully functioning RV? Hey, let's be realistic!
----------------------------------------------------------------

On an entirely different subject, check out the 9/11/10 edition of Rex Morgan, MD comic.

First box, Morgan and nameless female shown walking down a hospital corrider.

Female says to Morgan, "The only possible source of a leak could be the urologist." Ha ha! Wait, that's not supposed to be funny. Ha ha ha!

Bruce

The Eugene Curse

2010-09-10T19:05:00.000-07:00

In our last post, we reprised our misfortunes in Eugene Oregon. The scene of numerous troubles which bear no repetition here.

This visit started well. We had a new solar panel installed at wonderful AM Solar in nearby Springfield. Good, good.

Then we towed our trailer over the Sutton RV, the dealer that repaired our big slide a few months ago. "The slide sticks during retraction now," we said. "I'll have a look at it," in reply.

Short answer - bad. The metal frame for the slide room that moves in and out is failing. Metal cutting in on metal. Matter of time before it will move in no longer, causing profanity and gnashing of teeth, both metal and bone. "I've never seen anything like this in 23 years of working on RVs." Small comfort.

Solution - likely another trip back to the factory in Kansas. Our faithful reader will recall our prior trip there, escorted by numerous tornados. Forgot about it? See this post

Service manager is exploring a local alternative, but we will not know till next week.

And so we sit in Eugene. Two nights camped again behind a shopping mall, next to the beautiful Willamette River. Then we will move to the local county park again, where we stayed during our last ill-fated visit.

We will try to enjoy the sights and events here in Eugene this weekend. But we may take taxis. No sense tempting fate. And I think we are not welcome on the city buses.

Bruce

Eugene again

2010-09-08T20:01:00.000-07:00

Don't we like to press our luck, going back to Eugene. Long time readers with good memories will recall that a few months ago, we drove into Eugene with a slideout hanging out. After repair, we drove by a Eugene city bus and rammed it with an out-of-control awning. Much earlier in our short full timing career, we left an installer ill prepared and drove through town with a slideout partially open. The fun never ends in Eugene.

A superstitious person would feel uneasy returning to such an ill-starred town. But we don't believe in blind superstition. We pursue blind stupidity.

This time, we will get a second solar panel installed on our roof by AM Solar. Then we return to the same Excel dealer, because our same slideout ain't working up to specs. It didn't break like the last two times. But it is not pulling the slide in with enough force, thus requiring Bruce to push too.

Pray for us.

Bruce

Happy Birthday Clancy

2010-09-04T22:06:00.000-07:00

Clancy, our cute Australian Terrier, is two years old today.

Here he is on day one.

And today, a mench at last.

It was touch and go for a while there. First year was hell, you betcha. Since then, he has shown steady improvement to the dog he is today.

And so, in his honor, a new song for Clancy!

Inspiration comes from Ricky Nelson, Travelin' Man

I'm a travelin' dog,
And I've dropped a lot of poop on most of the states.
And in every park I try to wizz and bark,
Plus I'm always lookin' for steaks.

Chorus
Oh my sweet Dachshund down in Berlin town,
Makes my tail start to yearn,
And my little Shih Tzu makes me want to poo,
Then she'll take her turn.

I've a pretty Hairless Dog just awaitin' for me,
Down in old Mexico,
But there's too many fish swimming in the sea,
And I don't like those refried tacos.

Chorus
Oh my sweet Shepherd down in Germantown,
Makes me think of my food,
And my Pekingese makes me want to sneeze,
And think thoughts so crude.

Pretty Irish Terrier from yon over the sea,
I remember July,
When we romped in the woods and did all that we could,
Then I turned around and bid you goodbye.

Chorus
Oh my Pappillon down in gay Paree,
Makes me feel so all aglow,
She just shows her rump and gives it a bump,
And I want to go.

Pretty Westie Terrier from down over next door,
I remember the night,
When we wizzed on a log and I called you my dog,
Then I turned around and gave you a bite.

Chorus
Oh, I'm a travelin' dog.
Yes, I'm a travelin' dog.
Bark bark bark bark bark bark
Grrr grrr grrr whine whine whine whine.

Give him a cookie!

Bruce

Miscellaneous Impressions of Our Alaska and Canada trip

2010-09-02T21:50:00.000-07:00

Rugged people.
Salmon.
Three legged dogs.
Shot out highway signs outside Anchorage.
Fish and chips or hamburgers. A bargain under $20.
Colorful Canadian money.
Bear spray.
Endless displays about the construction of the Alaska Highway..."Mile after mile of mile after mile."
Native corporations and First Nation lands.
Grizzly bear greeting our tour bus.
Gold rush, gold rush, gold rush.
Bald eagles and seagulls scavenging on the beach.
Beautiful overnight camping alongside the road.
Ice blue growlers from the Columbia Glacier.
Brown bear scat versus black bear scat.
Dying spruce trees in BC from the spruce bark beetle.
Yukon Brewery, "Beer worth freezing for."
The Alaska-Kansas border, according to Verizon Wireless.

Bruce

Back in the USA

2010-09-01T21:37:00.000-07:00

Five days travel from Dawson Creek to Anacortes WA put us back in country. Land of money we understand and miles per gallon.

We stopped at Whiskers Point Provincial Park for coupla days, as we did on the way up. Then in the Fraser Canyon, we found a great little park, Skihist Provincial Park, for a night.

What a great trip! We figure we drove about 7,000 miles from the Washington border through Canada, throughout Alaska, and back to Washington. Which does not count 1,000 miles each way from our Park Sierra in California. By mid-September, we will have driven about 9,000 miles in four months.

Want to try it yourself next year? You can contact us via this blog or our personal email address for information on expenses, as well as a copy of our GPS data in Alaska, BC, and the Yukon.

Today we took one of our favorite trips - a ferry ride from Anacortes to Friday Harbor in the San Juan Islands. With our friends Steve and Sandy, whom we see once or twice each year since meeting them at Lake Tyee, our first home since starting fulltime RVing.

Bruce

From Whitehorse to Dawson Creek

2010-08-26T20:39:00.000-07:00

We dry camped our way down the Alaska Highway for four nights of five nights to reach Dawson Creek, BC.

Spent one night at the Continental Divide. Here you dump your RV tanks in the parking lot and the fluid flows in opposite directions. Ha ha ha! Tasteless RV joke!! Ain't we a riot?

Spent one night at Liard Hot Springs Provincial Park, at one of the largest natural hot springs in the province. Nice, nice.

We thoroughly enjoyed the crafts and history exhibits at the Teslin Tlingit Heritage Centre. We particularly like their style of masks and clothing among all the Native tribes.

We noticed the fireweed going to seed on August 23. Traditionally this signals the end of summer, with "termination dust" (the first snow) following soon thereafter.

Now we're spending two nights back at Dawson Creek Mile Zero campground. Tomorrow we take the trailer to the local suspension shop for some (hopefully) minor maintenance to the trailer springs.

The wildfire situation along our route has improved markedly. Thus south we go!

Current itinerary
- Four days to Anacortes, WA, where we will join friends for a ferry ride to Friday Harbor. One of our favorite pass times in past times.
- Fifteen miles to the Camping World at Burlington, WA. Finally replacing the awning that the city bus snatched from our home last May.
- One day to Olympia, WA, our former home, to see friends and the local Costco, in that order.
- One day to Eugene, OR, for a second solar panel on the roof.

Bruce

Show Me the Way to Go Home

2010-08-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to drive east and south back to the US, we have become acutely aware of wildfires along our path of travel.

We have already given up taking the Cassiar Highway, which was closed today due to a month long fire. Other wildfires menace that highway further south.

Smoke from hundreds of wildfires in southern British Columbia cover a wide area. Even taking a 500 mile detour to Edmonton will not help, as the smoke reaches that far east.

Current plan - drive the 900 miles to Dawson Creek, BC, north of the fires. Which will take us about one week. At that point, review the situation for the road ahead.

When we return home, I will write a letter to our Embassy. Surely the Canadian government must take some action to protect American citizens from inconvenience. I smell Lawsuit!

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore."

Bruce (mad)

Dawson City, YT

2010-08-16T21:20:00.000-07:00

We thoroughly enjoyed our four days in Dawson City, home of the Klondike Gold Rush at the end of the 19th century. Unlike some theme parks, this town combines historic buildings protected by the Park Service and year round residents living on tourism and gold mining.

We arrived at the start of the Discovery Days Festival, a legal holiday in the Yukon Territory. The town held a parade, pictures of which you can see here, along with others of the town. Pics here. The parade offered an unusally eclectic and inclusive view of their lives mingled with the past and present.

We also took tours of the historic buildings and saw the floor show and cancan girls at Diamond Tooth Gerties (the only legal casino in the territory). Visited the cabins of Robert Service, the "Bard of the Yukon," and Jack London, who wrote Call of the Wild and White Fang, among others.

We drove the famous Top of the World Highway to the Alaska border. The Taylor Highway on the west side of this road was mostly closed, cutting traffic on the TOW Highway to a trickle. We saw maybe 20 vehicles on our roundtrip from Dawson.

We attended the Danoja Zho Cultural Center, which presents the culture and traditions of the local First Nation people. They lived in this area for millennia before the stampeders displaced them downriver.

And so we turn south to Whitehorse and the gradual journey home. We hope to take a different route, the Cassiar highway, if we can get past the fire which has blocked the road for almost one month now.

Bruce

Criminal Behavior on the Way to Dawson City, YT

2010-08-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

We arrived at Dawson City without incident. Spent one night on the way in the parking lot of the tiny Visitors Center in Stewart Crossing, YT. We parked between two of the three "No Overnight Camping" signs.

We were desperate. The local campground had closed. No one in this town of 45 bothered us, tho Jenna woke up early with visions of SWAT teams descending on us.

But still. What if the Mounties arrested us and deported us via the nearest border, i.e. Alaska? As convicted felons, we could not reenter Canada! How would we drive back home?

So we slept in our clothing, put a muzzle on Clancy, and fled from town at first light. Close call that one. We live on the edge!

More about Dawson City in our next post.

Bruce

Down at Fox Lake

2010-08-11T18:33:00.000-07:00

After three days on the road, we settle in for the night at a lovely little pullout on Fox Lake, on the Klondike Highway toward Dawson City. Ten feet from the lake, water lapping at the shore. Nice!

In the morning, we ready ourselves for departure, only to discover that one of our front jacks won't retract. Uh oh, can't go down the road like that.

Next day, Bruce backtracks 40 miles to the city of Whitehorse, where he searches in vain for a technician to make a service call out there. Phone service problems throughout the Yukon, coupled with an upcoming holiday, throw a spanner in the works. He returns home with instructions on a temporary fix.

Fix works - drain the fluid from that leg, which raises the jack. Ha ha! Then we drive back to Whitehorse where we find someone to fix it. Turns out as faulty wiring in the hand control for the hydraulic jack system. Fixie fixie we hope.

Back on the road tomorrow.

Bruce

Bruce and Jenna's RV Adventures

New RV

RVs - Just Lookin'

The System Works!

Imitation is the Sincerest Form of Plagerism

Sign of the Times in Tucson

Tucson, Our Winter Roost

The Road to Tucson

Death Valley Adventures Part 2

Death Valley Adventures Part 1

On the Move and In the Groove

Report from The Front

Spring Behind, Fall Ahead

News from Park Sierra, our Autumn Roost

Doubts Dashed

Caveat Lector

Return of the One Ton

New Tow vehicle

Return to the Collective

Insulated Window Shopping

What's That Up in the Road? A Head?

Gold Beach, OR

Chapter 9 Escapees Rally in Lakeside, OR

On Vacation, But Need Repairs

The Fur Flies at Fort Stevens State Park

Off the Island

Jenna Hikes with Two Poles

Out for a Sail

Nothing to Report. It's an Island after all.

Moran State Park pics

Nomads on an Island

Island Times

Jacked Up in Olympia

Passing Thru Nehalem Bay State Park

The Eugene Curse Continues

Crater Lake in Snow

Collier Memorial State Park Living History Day

Our Daily Commute

2011 Collier Memorial State Park

Hosting at Collier Memorial State Park

Lake of the Woods, OR

Medford Oaks RV Park

Ashland, OR and the Oregon Shakespeare Festival

Cold Snap - the Sequel

The End

Garberville and The Redwood Forest

Healdsburg, CA

Santa Rosa, CA

Monterey and Carmel-By-the-Sea

San Simeon State Park and Hearst Castle

San Luis Obispo - Too Hot!

On the Road Again

Stage Coach Daze 2011 at Park of the Sierras

Speedy Alka-Seltzer Anew

Busy Doin' Nothin'

Then It's Something Else

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Another Apology. Another Clancy Song

Death Valley Plans DOA

Lake Havasu City, AZ

Surprise! Faux skydiving!!

Tucson Departure

Tucson in Twilight

Fixie fixie? Fixie!!

Fixie fixie? No fixie

Officially Retired Now

Sonora Desert Museum and Mt. Lemon

Back To Tubac and Other Activites

When Can We Possibly Leave?

Kitt Peak National Observatory

Our 30 year Anniversary

Thoughts on the Lunar Eclipse on Winter Solstice

Children's Store Converted to Jewish Temple

Tucson 1

Quartzsite and Casa Grande, AZ

Prepare to Repair and Then Some

Installing Tires for Dummies

Happy Thanksgiving, American Style

Tires On. Move On.

Tired of Tires

Stage Coach Daze 2011 at Park of the Sierras