So……. Here we are and nothing much has changed. Some construction out on Business 83, but there’s always construction on Bus 83. It’s just a little further down the road or a little closer. Lots of folks are still missing but we’re right back into the swing of things. Pickle Ball, woodcarving, crafts for Kat and the ladies, grocery shopping at the HEB (Harold E Butts) and a spot on Third St.
Thanksgiving has come and gone and we had the big potluck. The park is gradually filling up but it won’t be till after Christmas that its really full. A few people show up every day and I see familiar faces at lunch or ice cream and some of my Pickle Ball buds are showing up.
My knees feel good enough this year to try softball and I have. So far so good! But this is Senior softball with a capital S. That makes it at least on par with wheelchair basketball. I think? I’m not trying to ‘knock it’ because it has been a load of fun. I learned right away that in this league ‘effort’ or sometimes even a lack of it, count. Too much effort can lead to discomfort or even injury. Not the desired result here. You won’t see too many of us ‘running it out’, making a Kamikaze headfirst slide or climbing the fence to make that ‘Grandstand’ catch. Here its more “good try”, take another swing at it, hold up here, or take your time and don’t hurt anything”. Pinch runners are common, everybody plays and bats, there are rules to prevent sliding and contact with each other and the ground, and underhand throws from the outfield are acceptable. Which all goes to make it ‘my kind of ball’.
We play in McAllen about 10 miles away at a very nice facility. It’s an open league but I’d have to say it’s 90 percent Winter Texans and I’m probably in the middle to younger age group. There are three divisions in Texas Senior League, competitive, recreational and leisure. Until January we’re just scrimmaging and kind of sorting things out. I think I started in ‘recreational’ but last week I got moved (traded) to another team. My new team needed some pitching, which I do. There is a small premium on being able to get the ball 45’ from the pitchers mound across the plate. Anyway I asked my old teammates if they got cash and draft picks for my trade? They said “yeah! Sure! We got a dollar, two ninety eight and a guy on crutches”. This leads me to wonder if I got traded because of my pitching ability or speed from home to first base? It was the case that the first base coach put away his stop watch when I was running and got out his calendar. But I’m having fun and will let you know how it turns out in January if the knees hold out.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Same route, all new places
Other than an RV service not to forget we had a good stay in Phoenix. We took the Southwind to Beaudry RV for some needed work. Just a few things that you always have with a new coach and that we couldn’t get done earlier. I hate to rag on the service folks there but it was awful. To be fair, much of the problem was short staffing, but then that wasn’t my problem, it’s just some cover for the employees at Beaudry. I’m just going to leave it at saying ‘I won’t be going back any time soon’.
Paul and Pam are well and we had a good visit with them. Jade especially liked roaming their house while the RV was being abused.
I suppose if you’re from California you’re not impressed with the ‘Total Wine’ store. But we went in to get some adult beverages and I was, impressed that is. I would have to guess that “Total Wine’ is about twice the size of the old ‘Red, White and Blue’ grocery store where I use to get sent to get a pound of hamburger for 29 cents (or so?). I know that was a long time ago, but still…………. This was a large grocery store size facility with nothing but booze and mixer. I guess its just not something I’m use to coming from Oregon where we still have State controlled liquor stores.
Then it was off through the remainder of Arizona and then into New Mexico and Texas where we stayed at a couple of older favorites and some exotic new places like Roper Lake , Dream Catcher , Hueco Tanks and Pecos. Really they were all pretty nice. It ain’t like we haven’t been through the area but we had never stayed at these places. Roper Lake State park is just a nice place to park for a while. Flocks of Yellow Headed Blackbirds a nice setting on the lake and bicycle trails. Dream Catcher and Pecos are Escapees RV parks and they’re just good places to stay because they’re Escapees. Friendly folks, always a place, very reasonable rates and, of course, we’re SKP’s. Hueco (pronounced Waco) Tanks is a state park near Guadalupe Mountains National Park just east of El Paso. We were actually headed to the National Park but the weather turned a little cold and we (mostly Kat) chickened out! The Guadalupe mountains are the highest point in Texas and it was a little cold so I let Kat talk me out of it. Even though I do understand that ‘highest point’ and ‘cold’ are relative terms, especially when your from the northwest or a mountain state. Anyway, we’ll put it on the ‘next time’ list. Hueco Tanks was interesting. Because of the geology, water collected in pockets in the rock, and it was kind of an oasis in the middle of the desert. So it has some history. Part of that being a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach. Now it’s a place for hikers, rock climbers and campers. But if it’s not too far out of the way I’d recommend going there.
Our last stop before becoming Winter Texans again was Laredo. We walked across the border into Old Mexico and got some meds and did a little looking and shopping. It was OK. Probably not as many tourists as other crossings on the border but it was pretty clean and nice. No trouble going or coming, that is, there were no shootings between the Mexican army and the drug cartels this day, and it was a nice walk. Laredo is a busy place to drive through though. Trucks! Trucks! And more Trucks! I guess it’s NAFTA? But when you hit I 35 from US 83 going south, its crazy. Or so it seems to me. But its just a few miles along I-35 and the loop around Laredo. Maybe its just that traffic on US 83 is non existent by comparison. Still there are lots of trucks driving through Laredo. But I didn’t see any Cowboys dressed in White Linen!
Paul and Pam are well and we had a good visit with them. Jade especially liked roaming their house while the RV was being abused.
I suppose if you’re from California you’re not impressed with the ‘Total Wine’ store. But we went in to get some adult beverages and I was, impressed that is. I would have to guess that “Total Wine’ is about twice the size of the old ‘Red, White and Blue’ grocery store where I use to get sent to get a pound of hamburger for 29 cents (or so?). I know that was a long time ago, but still…………. This was a large grocery store size facility with nothing but booze and mixer. I guess its just not something I’m use to coming from Oregon where we still have State controlled liquor stores.
Then it was off through the remainder of Arizona and then into New Mexico and Texas where we stayed at a couple of older favorites and some exotic new places like Roper Lake , Dream Catcher , Hueco Tanks and Pecos. Really they were all pretty nice. It ain’t like we haven’t been through the area but we had never stayed at these places. Roper Lake State park is just a nice place to park for a while. Flocks of Yellow Headed Blackbirds a nice setting on the lake and bicycle trails. Dream Catcher and Pecos are Escapees RV parks and they’re just good places to stay because they’re Escapees. Friendly folks, always a place, very reasonable rates and, of course, we’re SKP’s. Hueco (pronounced Waco) Tanks is a state park near Guadalupe Mountains National Park just east of El Paso. We were actually headed to the National Park but the weather turned a little cold and we (mostly Kat) chickened out! The Guadalupe mountains are the highest point in Texas and it was a little cold so I let Kat talk me out of it. Even though I do understand that ‘highest point’ and ‘cold’ are relative terms, especially when your from the northwest or a mountain state. Anyway, we’ll put it on the ‘next time’ list. Hueco Tanks was interesting. Because of the geology, water collected in pockets in the rock, and it was kind of an oasis in the middle of the desert. So it has some history. Part of that being a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach. Now it’s a place for hikers, rock climbers and campers. But if it’s not too far out of the way I’d recommend going there.
Our last stop before becoming Winter Texans again was Laredo. We walked across the border into Old Mexico and got some meds and did a little looking and shopping. It was OK. Probably not as many tourists as other crossings on the border but it was pretty clean and nice. No trouble going or coming, that is, there were no shootings between the Mexican army and the drug cartels this day, and it was a nice walk. Laredo is a busy place to drive through though. Trucks! Trucks! And more Trucks! I guess it’s NAFTA? But when you hit I 35 from US 83 going south, its crazy. Or so it seems to me. But its just a few miles along I-35 and the loop around Laredo. Maybe its just that traffic on US 83 is non existent by comparison. Still there are lots of trucks driving through Laredo. But I didn’t see any Cowboys dressed in White Linen!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Park Sierra and no Joshua
Park Sierra is an Escapees Park in the Sierra foothills very near the south entrance to Yosemite National Park. So after a potluck with all the SKP’s and a day enjoying a very nice RV site we headed off to see Yosemite. Kat hadn’t been there and we were going to go to the park in the car and then later take the big rig across the Sierra’s at Tioga Pass. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. We got stopped at the south entrance to Yosemite because of a snowstorm. I had checked the weather before we came this way knowing the pass closes in the winter. It looked good for a week or more, but somebody forgot to tell somebody ‘cause it was snowing and it was ‘no chains’, ‘no go’.
So we went south!
I have been through Joshua Tree National Park but never got to stop and enjoy it and it looked kind of like something I should do. Yosemite got cancelled so here’s my chance. Wrong answer! Somebody doesn’t want me to see Joshua Tree. At the park entrance and Visitor Center no less, we start having trouble with both the frig and the transmission lube pump on the car. The pump (which allows us to tow with four car wheels down) is blowing fuses and the frig won’t work on LP gas. It starts and runs for a few seconds and then starts burping and farting and we get an error message of “NO FL”, either ‘no flow’ or ‘no flame’. So we tried all day to get things fixed to no avail. We finally made appointments in Phoenix to have things repaired. We did stay at a nice RV park and Daniel at Yucca Valley RV Park in Yucca Valley even gave us a third night free. So if your in Yucca Valley give them a try. Anyway with electricity and no towing were OK and actually we did see Joshua Tree by car before heading out. It is neat and someday I’m going to go boon dock at “Big Rocks’, but not this trip I guess. Too much spoilage in the frig.
So before leaving for Phoenix we try the lube pump after buying and replacing the fuse and talking to Jim at Remco ( Jim was very helpful). He says it sounds like the death rattle for the pump, but if you do get a ‘green’ light its OK to tow. We catch a break and we’re off. The lube pump is hanging in there. We could disconnect the car and drive separately but its 300 miles to Phoenix and that would be the pits! So it’s working and we decide to drive without turning it off until the gas runs out, well almost runs out. We had to fuel up in Quartzsite but the pump was ‘hanging in’ and continued to all the way to Phoenix. And of course the frig was done farting and burping and it was working by now on gas too.
So we went south!
I have been through Joshua Tree National Park but never got to stop and enjoy it and it looked kind of like something I should do. Yosemite got cancelled so here’s my chance. Wrong answer! Somebody doesn’t want me to see Joshua Tree. At the park entrance and Visitor Center no less, we start having trouble with both the frig and the transmission lube pump on the car. The pump (which allows us to tow with four car wheels down) is blowing fuses and the frig won’t work on LP gas. It starts and runs for a few seconds and then starts burping and farting and we get an error message of “NO FL”, either ‘no flow’ or ‘no flame’. So we tried all day to get things fixed to no avail. We finally made appointments in Phoenix to have things repaired. We did stay at a nice RV park and Daniel at Yucca Valley RV Park in Yucca Valley even gave us a third night free. So if your in Yucca Valley give them a try. Anyway with electricity and no towing were OK and actually we did see Joshua Tree by car before heading out. It is neat and someday I’m going to go boon dock at “Big Rocks’, but not this trip I guess. Too much spoilage in the frig.
So before leaving for Phoenix we try the lube pump after buying and replacing the fuse and talking to Jim at Remco ( Jim was very helpful). He says it sounds like the death rattle for the pump, but if you do get a ‘green’ light its OK to tow. We catch a break and we’re off. The lube pump is hanging in there. We could disconnect the car and drive separately but its 300 miles to Phoenix and that would be the pits! So it’s working and we decide to drive without turning it off until the gas runs out, well almost runs out. We had to fuel up in Quartzsite but the pump was ‘hanging in’ and continued to all the way to Phoenix. And of course the frig was done farting and burping and it was working by now on gas too.
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Breakfast at Libby's
It has become almost a tradition for us to stop in Fresno when we’re anywhere near the area to see Libby, our very good, keeping in touch, enjoying the lifestyle, and some day gonna’ join us for a trip, Oregon Dept of Fish and Wildlife volunteer, RV’ing friend. But I think the term tradition would diminish the fact that she is a real good friend, and, oh by the way, she fixes a really mean (meaning really good) breakfast whenever we stop for a couple of days in her driveway. This time by was no exception. Well, her driveway was a little shorter. Oh that’s right, we have a bigger, better, longer motorhome. BG!
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Reorganization, Again
So in Winters, at Toni’s, while Kat and Toni went shopping I did some reorganization, ‘again!’ It’s not easy moving all your stuff from one RV to another even if is a little bigger. It’s still different and shape and configuration matter. I can hear what your thinking, “but you’re so good at this”. Yeah well “#&$#@”. Remember there are two of us with all of our worldly possessions and what I may think is important to be accessible may not be exactly the way it is. If you take my meaning? And remember the girls went shopping, so storage priorities can change, ‘in a hurry.’
I guess if your from anywhere near Sacramento or the Bay area you would know about Apple Hill. But we didn’t know about Apple Hill and it was the right time of year to go to Apple Hill, so Tony took us. If you go east from the ‘Govenators’ house it’s probably an hour into the Sierra foothills. And it is what it sounds like. Lots of orchards and produce and the associated farms and stands to sell it. But in some cases ‘stands’ does not cover it. Some of the farms have set up autumn or harvest festival areas. I guess an October fest setting would be an apt description. Vendors, eateries, crafts and the seasonal Halloween family stuff. All very nice. We had lunch, bought some stuff and had an adult beverage or two and didn’t come back with more than we can load into my reorganized RV. No small task with Toni!
Toni is an RV’er too, but in a little more permanent mode right now with some storage and way too much ‘stuff’ and a mentality that just demands more ‘stuff’. As I implied above, she is a ‘shopper’. Now I mean all this in the nicest way ‘cause Toni may have been just Kat’s friend when I met her, but now she is my friend too and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can hear you thinking, here comes the ‘but’ and you are right. But! We have a really hard time controlling Toni’s urge to make sure we have more ‘stuff’ that we just gotta have. We did OK this time though. We controlled both her desire to share the wealth with what she already has and her desire to buy us something new. I didn’t have to empty any basement storage compartments or anything to fit it in. And it was nice to see her again. She really is a good friend!
I guess if your from anywhere near Sacramento or the Bay area you would know about Apple Hill. But we didn’t know about Apple Hill and it was the right time of year to go to Apple Hill, so Tony took us. If you go east from the ‘Govenators’ house it’s probably an hour into the Sierra foothills. And it is what it sounds like. Lots of orchards and produce and the associated farms and stands to sell it. But in some cases ‘stands’ does not cover it. Some of the farms have set up autumn or harvest festival areas. I guess an October fest setting would be an apt description. Vendors, eateries, crafts and the seasonal Halloween family stuff. All very nice. We had lunch, bought some stuff and had an adult beverage or two and didn’t come back with more than we can load into my reorganized RV. No small task with Toni!
Toni is an RV’er too, but in a little more permanent mode right now with some storage and way too much ‘stuff’ and a mentality that just demands more ‘stuff’. As I implied above, she is a ‘shopper’. Now I mean all this in the nicest way ‘cause Toni may have been just Kat’s friend when I met her, but now she is my friend too and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I can hear you thinking, here comes the ‘but’ and you are right. But! We have a really hard time controlling Toni’s urge to make sure we have more ‘stuff’ that we just gotta have. We did OK this time though. We controlled both her desire to share the wealth with what she already has and her desire to buy us something new. I didn’t have to empty any basement storage compartments or anything to fit it in. And it was nice to see her again. She really is a good friend!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Breaking it in
We didn’t get very far the first few days after Scenic Beach. Rick and Tina’s is about an hour away and then we met Toni and sisters Pat and Darlene at Ike Kiniswa State Park just off Hwy 12 near Mossy Rock and on Merriweather Lake, just another hour down the road. My apologies if I misspelled any of that. I don’t have the info in front of me at the moment and I’m not inclined to get it right now. The fact is I wrote this segment once already and then lost it to byte heaven and I’m trying to reconstruct it and I’m on a little bit of a role and don’t want to break up, “Breakin it in”! Either that, or I’m just filling space while I’m trying to figure it out.
Anyway, we got to Ike (for short) and got all set up in our new rig and got everything all lit up and running and it was cool, and bright. The Southwind has 50 amp service and just all kinds of bells and whistles, so to speak, and lights. I forgot to relate our first nights experience which is relevant right here. Right after we got the Southwind and on the way back to Scenic Beach we stopped at an RV park for one night just to try things out. It was near dark and we’re in a new rig, in kind of tight quarters setting up and its new and we’re being extra careful and then we realize we’re in a 30 amp park with 50 amp service and no 30 amp adapter. Damn! Kat went to the office but had no luck. So rather than do it somewhere else in the dark in a new rig ( our new rig) we decide to just stick it out. We are self contained and had battery for the necessities but we couldn’t try out all of our ‘bells and whistles’. And back at Scenic Beach we were running on 20 amps, so we just hadn’t been able to ‘light it all up’. Now we did!!
And it is neat! And bright! The rig has about ( I was doing a quick count) two dozen 12 volt lights in the living room/galley area and I swear if you turn them all on you need smoked glass for eye protection, well sunglasses anyway maybe? But wouldn’t you know; we had to put in a florescent light so you can see to do dishes. Go figure? So we’re making ice and playing with surround sound, making things in the convection oven, washing and drying Jade in the combination washer/dryer, and just generally trying things out. Way cool! Nice to look at, and lots of room. I played man servant for all the girls and did breakfast and dinner in the new galley. I guess things turned out OK because Toni was wondering if I had a twin brother. Maybe she was just being nice? But its all pretty neat.
So we continued an down the road and stopped in Woodburn to see Heidi and the Wendy and did a little more breaking in and organizing. We still can’t find stuff we know we put somewhere. We stopped in Lincoln City to see George and Janis on the way the down the coast and had a very nice visit. From there we had to kind of ‘beat feet’ south because of scheduling. Down through Crescent City and the Redwoods over the mountains to Redding all much too quickly. We passed too many places we would have liked to loiter a little longer. Next time! This time we needed to see some friends.
And I was just kidding about Jade.
Anyway, we got to Ike (for short) and got all set up in our new rig and got everything all lit up and running and it was cool, and bright. The Southwind has 50 amp service and just all kinds of bells and whistles, so to speak, and lights. I forgot to relate our first nights experience which is relevant right here. Right after we got the Southwind and on the way back to Scenic Beach we stopped at an RV park for one night just to try things out. It was near dark and we’re in a new rig, in kind of tight quarters setting up and its new and we’re being extra careful and then we realize we’re in a 30 amp park with 50 amp service and no 30 amp adapter. Damn! Kat went to the office but had no luck. So rather than do it somewhere else in the dark in a new rig ( our new rig) we decide to just stick it out. We are self contained and had battery for the necessities but we couldn’t try out all of our ‘bells and whistles’. And back at Scenic Beach we were running on 20 amps, so we just hadn’t been able to ‘light it all up’. Now we did!!
And it is neat! And bright! The rig has about ( I was doing a quick count) two dozen 12 volt lights in the living room/galley area and I swear if you turn them all on you need smoked glass for eye protection, well sunglasses anyway maybe? But wouldn’t you know; we had to put in a florescent light so you can see to do dishes. Go figure? So we’re making ice and playing with surround sound, making things in the convection oven, washing and drying Jade in the combination washer/dryer, and just generally trying things out. Way cool! Nice to look at, and lots of room. I played man servant for all the girls and did breakfast and dinner in the new galley. I guess things turned out OK because Toni was wondering if I had a twin brother. Maybe she was just being nice? But its all pretty neat.
So we continued an down the road and stopped in Woodburn to see Heidi and the Wendy and did a little more breaking in and organizing. We still can’t find stuff we know we put somewhere. We stopped in Lincoln City to see George and Janis on the way the down the coast and had a very nice visit. From there we had to kind of ‘beat feet’ south because of scheduling. Down through Crescent City and the Redwoods over the mountains to Redding all much too quickly. We passed too many places we would have liked to loiter a little longer. Next time! This time we needed to see some friends.
And I was just kidding about Jade.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Seabeck Addendum
As you know I like a little history and there is some here. (Well duh!) Anyway Seabeck got off to a great start in the lumber industry and for a time around the middle of the 19th century looked like it might be the center of commerce in the Puget Sound area. There were those who thought it would best or at least rival Seattle. That was, until the big fire in 1873 ( I think ?). The fire wiped out the wood mill and pretty much the rest of Seabeck to the point that it did not recover. There is still downtown and uptown though. At least that’s what the sign says. I guess you can see from the pictures that it no longer compares to Seattle. But it was a long time ago and Nancy, Harry, and Barney weren’t around to bail them out.
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