The Eugene Curse Continues

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

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

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

Click here for a slide show of our daily commute.

Nice.

2011 Collier Memorial State Park

2011 Collier Memorial State Park, a set on Flickr.

Our daily commute to the park store.

Hosting at Collier Memorial State Park

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