Too Darn Hot

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?

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

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

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!
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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

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

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

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

• 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

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