August 2004 Archives

Awake 5:20 am Temp outside=56 Clear sky

We leave the KOA campground in Billings @ 8:10 am. Good roads, nice day &
little wind. Most of our travel today was between the elevation of 4000 ft
to 2500 ft. We know this because our GPS shows our continuous elevation
using 7 or 8 satellites. Thru Montana the last few days, that elevation
change was between 4000 ft to 6000 ft. So far on this trip, we have been
averaging over 8 miles per gallon. Pretty good huh?

After 8+35 driving time, 463 miles, making 3 stops & averaging 9.25 mpg,
we arrive at the Ponderosa Motel & RV park in Kadoka, South Dakota @ 5:35
pm. This RV park is very small & old but it is satisfactory for our
overnight stay.

Before dinner, we take a walk around this town of 700 people for exercise.
Like the campground, the town is laid out for expansion that seems to have
ceased. The house lots are large, the streets wide & the town park
huge...and the population small.

We meet & talk with our near campground neighbors. Both couples are
farmers from Minnesota who are on holiday with their kids & 6 (four
wheelers). They spent a week in the Montana mountains using the trails.
They reported having loads of fun.

9:30 Dinner: Leftover rotini Tonnati with broccoli & fresh salad.

Before Dinner, Kathy scrutinized the maps & charts & calculated the next
mileage to Cedar Rapids, IA to be slightly over 300 miles. Then she heads
into the campground lounge to call our friends in Cedar Rapids to let them
know that we will be in their neighborhood tomorrow ....& lets get
together if we can.
While she was making that call, I began programing the GPS for Cedar
Rapids and it gave me a distance of 633 miles. Hmmm, I'd better check
those maps myself. About that time Kathy returns & reports that we are
invited for dinner tomorrow & she estimated we would arrive mid to late
afternoon. " Oh oh " I said & followed that up with a slight hint that
there may be a discrepancy in our mileage plan.
Well, we decided to leave the awkward conclusion of double & nothing alone
& we'll call en route tomorrow to Tobi & Jim & explain our tardy arrival
ETA.

Meanwhile, we watch the movie: " A stolen Life " with Bette Davis. Now
this was a sleeper movie...and Kathy did stay awake. Especially for
Seniors & yippies. Lights out: 11:58 pm

Awake 12:30 am...6:10 am & 7:20 am. Heavy rain, thunderstorms & wind woke
me up throughout the night. @ 6:10, I made my coffee, put it in the
freezer , then went back to bed.

Temp outside=64 Light rain

Forgot to mention: Yesterday we covered 325 miles to Missoula.

After coffee, I get out our telescoping ladder, clean off the debris from
our extended slides, some standing water, then Kathy retracts the slides
in the event of more rain & tree debris during our breakfast.

That heavy rain that pounded us last night headed Eastward...and guess
what...that's the direction we are heading today. I figure we'll catch up
with that rain in a few hrs.

We leave Jim & Mary's RV park in Missoula @ 9:55 am. Sure enough, 2.5 hrs
later, we are driving in that rain minus the thunderstorm. Probably for
the next 3 + hrs we went with the flow of rain. We drive straight thru to
Billings, MT with no stops & no toilet break for me. 352 miles & 6+15. The
roads were good, smooth & very scenic in spite of the lower visibility due
to rain.
Arrive @ the 1st KOA of America @ 4:20 pm. Amazing to us is this place was
built in the early 70's & it is BIG RIG friendly. How nice.
After parking, Kathy & I again walk the campground for exercise.
We have cable TV hookup here so we watch: " Brother Orchid " with Edward
G. Robinson. A good old flick for seniors.

7:30 Dinner: Rotini Tonnati(Pasta, tomato, onions, garlic, spices,
peppers, green olives & 2 cans of tuna). It was excellent.

After Dinner, we watch another Movie: " The Cincinnati Kid." Also with
Edward G. Robinson. Another good flick for seniors to watch.
Late evening I take my Dell computer up to the office for hopefully a
modem connection...and I find out they have WI FI. So I sit outside on a
bench & get a few minutes of e-mail opportunity. Lights out: 11:13 pm

Awake 5:10 am Temp outside=68 High clouds

Zack calls about needing a bed for his apartment in West Lafayette before
school starts. We both talk with him about different choices on that...he
says he'll do some more checking.

We leave the Royal City Golf Course RV campground @ 9:35 am. Drive north
on Dodson Road to I-90, East to Spokane--then Idaho & Missoula, Montana.
6+18 & 3 stops. The Interstate thru Washington was great & very smooth. We
like smooth. Idaho was not quite as smooth at WA, & Montana not quite as
smooth as Idaho. Lots of elevation ascents & descents thru the mountains &
curvey. We arrive @ Jim & Mary's RV park @ 4:15 pm. Good thing we made a
reservation last evening, they are full & have their sign out. It's a nice
friendly park, well manicured & shady....but not really BIG RIG friendly.

After parking, we walk the campground for a little exercise, then I call &
make reservations at a KOA in Billings, MT for tomorrow night.

Now we're on Mountain Time so Dinner is 8:05 pm. Stuffed peppers, toast &
fresh salad.

My driving today must have tired Kathy out...she naps off & on during the
evening time. I program the GPS for tomorrow's destination: Billings, MT.
Lights out: 11:11 pm

Awake 7:00 am

One more time...the complimentary breakfast @ the Hampton Inn. We pack our
suitcases, pay the bill & drive up the Queen Ann hill & stock up on
groceries for our motorhome @ Trader Joe's.

Leave Trader Joe's @ 9:35am. Take Mercer Ave to I-5...I-90...Rt 26...to
Royal City, WA. 3+30 en route including a fuel stop. It's another nice
day...and the East side of the Cascades, very warm as expected.

As we pull into the Union 76 fuel station area, the onion storage building
that we have stored our motorhome in is directly behind it, James, the
keeper of the key to this building is also pulling in at the same time.
What timing. James opens the BIG door & there she is: still in one piece,
our home on wheels. I tell James that after we make reservations @ the
local campground for the night & visit the office of this company, we'll
be back to transfer our groceries, suitcases & drive it away so they can
have their storage building back.

Upon entering our coach, we find.....feces from the mices! UGH! Not
again...$#@&%$#. This has happened before during storage. How to keep
those pesty critters out of our home? Anyway, Kathy gets a good cleaner
right on the job....ME...& her too. We only clean the walking areas now &
will be more thorough at cleaning in the campground. For now though, I
notice the inside temp...low 60's, outside it's already 92. I was told
this place would stay cool all summer and they were right on.

The Detroit diesel starts right up. Kathy follows me in the Suzuki to the
campground. After parking, we extend all 4 slides & do a thorough cleaning
job all around. The mices had no visible nests, but they did chew up some
of our paper towel.
Kathy drives to a local fresh veggie & fruit store to stock up on the real
tasty local grown stuff. I check the basement areas for any other signs of
the mices...none found. Then I program the GPS for tomorrows destination
of Missoula, Montana.
9:00 pm Dinner: Reindeer Sausage, fresh corn on the cob & fresh salad with
all those local grown veggies. It feels good to be " back on the road
again.
lights out: 10:30 pm

Awake 7:30 am

Again we have the complimentary Hampton Inn breakfast. Different choices
this morning & still tasteful. After breakfast, I take advantage of the
free high speed Internet connection before going over to visit Nick again.
It's another beautiful day in Seattle where the sky is always blue....only
it's cooler this day which is just my style.

Nick & Kathy have shopping plans...but they are NOT organized. Nick is
shopping for his fiance's family and only sure of 2 ideas, needs 4 more &
doesn't know where to buy them. And we're off...to the University Mall &
the next hr is a flop. We find nothing! Next we cruise the University
Avenue street shops(my idea)...another bust! Nick calls one of his buddies
on the cell phone....he recommends the Northgate Mall. Nick finds a girls
" T " shirt for Anai, the younger sister of Eriko. Nick hints that
Northgate was NOT worth the time nor the effort. OK..next to downtown &
Pike's Market where Kathy & I find a good price on our favorite wine...but
Nick...finds NOTHING! From there we walk aimlessly around the city until
by accident, we stumble upon a Mariners sports baseball store where Nick
finds a baseball cap for Eriko's nephew. That's it! We can't take any more
of this kind of shopping! Besides, the stores are all closing. Back to the
condo @ 6:30pm.
After a little libation to settle our nerves, we walk to the restaurant: "
Lumette Firefly " for pasta where Kathy & I share an eggplant parmesan
with peta bread & toast. Nick has a LARGE chicken salad. Back to the condo
where we say our goodbyes & bon voyages. What a day...like YUCK! But, we
always enjoy Nick's company, good humor & love. Lights out: 11:46
pm

Awake 6:36 am

We have a nice room with a view of downtown Seattle. Our hot breakfast is
complimentary from the Hampton Inn..and it's quite good.
Then we drive further up the Queen Ann hill to spend the day with Nick.
He's done a surprising good job of organizing his furniture: the
entertainment system, bookshelves, couch, chairs, several computers...and
other furniture in the bedroom. A very comfortable condo it is.

We hangout all afternoon casually kibitzing while watching the Mariners v
Yankees baseball game on his BIG 52 inch screen. Then @ 4:45 pm, Kathy & I
walk 2 blocks & attend 5:00 pm mass @ St. Ann's church.

Back to the condo, get Nick & walk several blocks & have dinner @ one of
his favorite Indian restaurants.." Banjara." Really good meal. Walking
back to his condo, we stroll through different areas & end up hanging out
@ the Albert Sperry Carrie Park admiring the great night time view of the
Seattle skyline & Puget Sound sights.
This small park is famous for just that: Sitting on a park bench & looking
at that view. It was a terrific day. Lights out: 12:00
midnight

Awake 6:15 am

I make instant coffee adding only milk(like a latte)freeze it for 30 min,
then join John @ the breakfast table for some early morning chit-chat.
We accompany John & Shirley to " Our Lady of Lourdes " for 8:00am mass. As
we are parking, Rochelle, Monica, Maggie & Donavan have just finished
parking themselves. Rochelle takes Monica to a dance class @ the church
utility room during services. Those children were very well behaved &
gentle during the mass. We were impressed!

Back to the Nye home for breakfast of cinnamon pull-aparts with an egg &
sausage casserole. Soon after, Rochelle drops off Maggie who will spend
the morning with us. Then...us adults & Maggie take a river walk along the
Columbia....well, actually Maggie rode in the stroller because her legs
were tired, so she said. En route back to the Nye home, we tour through
some of downtown Vancouver, WA looking at the new convention center being
built, the donated glockenspiel tower in the downtown park, the outside
renovation of St. James church with it's donated new cross on top of the
steeple..etc. Downtown Vancouver has changed quite a lot since our leaving
town in 1973.

At the Nye home, we repack our suitcases & the big box, then load them
into the Suzuki for leaving mid-afternoon.
Rochelle arrives with Monica & Donavan. Soon after this, Shirley's older
brother arrives. We yak for awhile. He lives very close to Shirley & John.
We talk with Rochelle a while longer then she & the girls have to leave.
We will see them a little later today. kathy & I both take a look at
Shirley & John's latest cruise pictures in their album. Now that's more of
what retirement is all about.
We say our good-byes & thank yous to Shirley & John for their hospitality
then drive off to spend a little more time with the Rochelle & Dean Family
in Hazeldell, WA.
Kathy reads to the girls & while I get a chance to kibitz with Dean &
Rochelle. Their kids are so cute, smart, able to make good conversation
with adults & play nice with each other....we enjoyed our short visit very
much.
Dean & Rochelle kept our Suzuki at their home for nearly 3 months while we
returned to Alaska for the summer. And that was most appreciated. Thanks
guys.

Now it's off to Seattle, WA. to visit Nick. It takes us 3.5 hrs to drive
to the Queen Ann Hill area & find a suitable hotel for the weekend. Nick's
condo has only one bedroom so we check in at the Hampton Inn. It takes 1.5
hrs to get into our room but they do have a wireless lobby so using our
computer helped make the waiting go quickly.
11:00pm dinner: Kathy's muffins, reindeer sausage & nuts.
Lights out: 12:06 pm

Awake 5:49 am Temp Downtown=57 Some clouds 16 hrs 3 min of daylight

We finish the packing of our suitcases & a big box that we will take to
the motorhome.
Gene arrives @ 9:45 am ...we take the RAV 4 to the airport for our 12:17
pm flt to SEA...then PDX. It's another beautiful day here in Anchorage. It
would be easier to leave if it were raining or snowing, but this summer
the weather has been the warmest with many extra days of sunshine.
ANC to SEA= 3 hrs 15 min. SEA to PDX= 50 min actual flying time.

Smooth flts. We actually had a meal en route. John & Shirley pick us up
with their Toyota truck at 6:45 pm. It's good to see them.

We are gracious to have the overnight accommodations at their place. We
sit in their den & gab for awhile then Shirley brings out the homemade
blackberry pie ala mode for an evening snack. It was very good.

Our assigned bedroom was downstairs so shortly after 10:00 pm, we take our
suitcases & get ready for the zzzzz's. It was still a little early for us
to turn off the light so we both do a little reading for awhile.
Lights out: 11:10 pm

Awake 6:22am Temp Downtown=65 Some clouds 16 hrs 9 min of daylight

Return Bob's heavy duty tools first thing this morning. Bob says we were
lucky to get 22 good yrs out of our septic system. Bob should know, he has
built many upscale homes in our neighborhood over the yrs.

@ 9:30 the professional piano mover Larry & his helpers arrive + the buyer
Bruce. It took them about 20 min to move that piano into their moving
truck with no problems. We bought that piano when we were first married in
1971. All the kids had lessons on it at one time or another. It is over 85
yrs of age and still sounds good.
Zack calls from Connecticut....just as the piano movers are backing their
truck into our driveway. He is in position to be in his friend Todd's
wedding on Saturday. We can't talk much now because of the activity &
agree to talk with him again soon.

Oil both motors in the equipment room...then turn on the furnace heat.
System pressure checks good; Temperature range good; All servos &
thermostats operating normal; no signs of leakage. Then I shut it down.
When the weather turns cooler, Gene will be turning on the heat but I
wanted to give it a test run to make sure it's OK before that time.

Kathy & I go to town...stopping @ FedEx to mail 2 packages to Switzerland
...and to Megagem for picking up Kathy's repaired diamond ring. We visit
our Grandson & daughter Melissa @ their condo...then back to our home.
@5:00pm Jeff calls about our septic system replacement. They will e-mail
us in stages of progress for our approval.

Kathy & I finish wrapping up the van for winter storage....then
disassemble the portable basketball backboard unit & stow it in the lower
garage.
8:05pm Dinner: Spaghetti with meat sauce, broccoli, toast & fresh salad.
Call my buddy John & say my goodbyes for now...
Call my buddy Mark B. & say my goodbyes for now...

A little more organizing with suitcase packing before bedtime.
Lights out: 11:57 pm

Awake 6:32 am Temp Downtown=52 Sunny 16 hrs 14 min of daylight

Bill McDonald & his sidekick Norman arrive @ 8:15. They are ready to use
their hydro jet system on our end cap. I have to leave for my annual
healthy check with the doctor for a 9:00 am appointment. Our Basher road
continues to be upgraded & uses a pilot car for traffic control so I am
about 4 min late getting to the office. In the waiting room, I am called
to the phone...it's Kathy. Bill, who is doing the hydro cleaning on the
leach field pipe...is having BIG TROUBLE. They report a lot of Bio mass
buildup & are unable to clean that leach piping. Not good! In short, the
septic system test failed before it was started. This means a whole new
septic system needs to be designed & build. Ouch!

I finish my checkup & return to the house @ 10:30. Having a healthy
checkup is expensive when there is nothing wrong...the insurance pays
nothing. I do it for the peace of mind & to keep track of " what's
happening to my body."

Shortly after I arrive home, Kathy takes off for a haircut & to run other
errands. Now that our septic system is deemed defunked, kaput, gone South,
yada, yada, Rob starts the well water test. He runs 5 gallons per min of
water into the woods for nearly 2 hrs which amounts to some 500
gallons...and that well water level drops only 1 ft. It passes with flying
colors.
Together with the help of the Cherry Picker, we raise the light pole,
fasten down the flange with 8 new plated steel bolts & that job is
finished. I was glad Rob was a young tough engineer to help me with this.

Call Frank in Royal City, Wa. They are attending the Redmond, Or. rally
starting August 12 & will not be home during our date for picking up our
motorhome from the onion storage building...Darn!
2:30 pm. I start winterizing the Ford Van. Using the Cherry Picker again,
I spread moving blankets over the entire van's roof, then spread a huge
tarp over the entire van itself which drapes down both sides. I only make
one circle with rope for now to keep the tarp from blowing off & I'll
finish tying it better tomorrow.

@ 4:00pm. Kathy...and following close behind...Gene & Jeri arrive. G & J
are two friends who will be house sitting our place for awhile during our
absence. We tour them throughout the house telling them every thing we
think they should know. Of course Jeri has extra questions about the
kitchen gadgets & Gene has a few more questions about the heating
equipment. Then G & J invite us out for dinner @ the Cattle
Company...their treat. Well, go ahead...twist our arms.
Dinner: Kathy & I split a filet steak with baked potato & salad. It was
good company but a little too much fat with my half of the steak. Evening
time: Kathy's on the computer & I read magazines. Lights out: 11:46pm

Awake 5:40 am Temp Downtown=52 Some clouds 16 hrs 19 min of daylight

Call Garness Engineering @ 8:20 am. Talk with Rob, my assigned engineer.
He will be up here at 10:00 to start the well & septic testing.
I need some heavy duty tools to get the well head/outdoor light flange
bolts off. Sizes 1 1/8" & 1 1/4" Meanwhile, Kathy zips down to her
favorite thrift store, Value Village, looking for bargains.

I call neighbor Rick for finding some tools. He recommends Bob...good
idea. Call Bob on Cell phone..he's working on our Atelier Road extended
today and says: " come & get em!" So with Kathy having the car, I hot foot
it over there & hot foot it back to the house just in time for Rob to
arrive. Before we do anything, I run into the house & disconnect the power
to the well pump & the outside light. Then Rob & I analyze the
situation...decide to get the Cherry Picker out & in place to help us
lower the 21' light pole after the 8 bolts holding the flanges together
are taken out. Using a 3'... 2" channel iron as a pipe extender, Rob turns
the 1st bolt...and it twists right off. Oops! Ok, he tries the 2nd bolt
more carefully...oh, it twists off too. These are aluminum bolts & all 8
seem to be frozen in place. I position myself in the Cherry Picker bucket
at the 20 ft level with rope tied around the top light pole section ready
for him to twist off the remaining bolts, then by lowering the bucket, we
carefully bring down the light pole to the ground. The light pole is also
aluminum, but has a metal pipe on the inside for extra strength.

Rob now starts the well water testing: He measures the water using a sonar
device. The water level is 50 ft. Then he get set up in the back yard to
begin the dreaded septic leach field test.

At this time, I decide to run some errands now that Kathy has returned
with the car. She came home just in time to get some " suitable for
framing " pictures of Rob & I bringing down the infamous light pole. 4
stops & 2 hrs later I have the necessary " stuff " to keep Rob working on
this project.

Kathy greets me with a disappointed look! She says the water & septic
testing has stopped & Rob went down the street to work on the Elmo Hill
septic system test. Kathy reports that they ran out of water doing the
leach field testing. They couldn't figure out why the water stopped
running but it did. That's when Rob couldn't hang around any longer & went
down the street . 30 min later, Kathy figured out the circuit breaker
thing but it was too late for Rob to come back & continue the testing.
Ahaa, my goof. I forgot to turn the breakers back on before I left to do
my errands.

Rob did tell Kathy he'd drop by later to check on us & find out what
happened.
Meanwhile, I make a rubber gasket seal for the flange connecting both the
well head & light pole. The old one literally fell apart during our
dismantling.
Rob returns: He didn't even think about circuit breakers when the water
stopped flowing. He then recommends that I call a service to hydro jet our
leach pipe tomorrow before Rob begins the testing. That end cap pipe had
accumulated a lot of dirt that is clogging the leach end pipe. I get right
on the phone & call " Ole McDonald's Hydro cleaning service. They will be
up shortly after 8:00 am tomorrow.
Dinner: BIG hamburger(on bun), leftover salmon, toast & salad.
Lights out: 11:20 pm

Awake 7:11 am Temp Downtown=56 Sunny 16 hrs 25 min of daylight

Kathy trims the lawn using the 29 yr old snapper lawnmower & the 5 yr old
hand shears. I remove some sod pieces covering my 3 test holes dug last
week...now they are settling so I add more topsoil, replace them & give
them a watering.
Mid afternoon, I exchange the Woods mower for a snowblower on the Kubota
tractor. Yes I admit, it's too early to do this but by the time we return
from our trip mid October, there's a good chance there will a snow job
waiting.

Call my Bro Don in Pa.

6:15 Dinner: Thick Pork Chop with spinach noodles, broccoli, toast &
applesauce. Kathy likes eating early & so do I. This hasn't been the norm
for the last few months tho. Evening time: computer browsing & X-word
puzzle.
Lights out: 11:21 pm

Awake 6:15 am Temp Downtown=51 Sunny 16 hrs 31 min of daylight

Kathy gets the newspaper this morning. She also makes a special breakfast
of my choosing...and that choice was french toast with sourdough bread,
real maple syrup & bacon.

Quite a few Birthday calls for me this day. My sister Mary Jo from Lodi,
CA; My son Nick from Seattle; My brother Don from Pennsylvania; Even my
son Zack from Chicago(who I might add, has forgotten a few special
occasions for family members), and e-mail from Katrina who is now in
Berlin. This all added up to making it a real noteworthy day for the 64 yr
old kid here.

Kathy heads into town on a gift buying mission. Meanwhile, I celebrate my
noteworthy day by backfilling the BIG DIG area( 4 ft X 4 ft & 4.5 ft
deep). That's a lot of dirt. In between the backfilling project, I mow the
lawn with the Kubota.
Mid afternoon, neighbor Rick visits driving his tractster. Quite a rig. He
& Matt have been working on it, giving it a new life. It looks great &
sounds like a mean machine. They may use it while hunting...
Kathy returns from her shopping..we both shower & attend 5:00 pm church
service. Afterward, we talk at length with our ole friend Martin. He is
looking good. And now...again, the Mooses Tooth for Pizza & beer. Anita &
Brett visit us briefly before their table is ready.
Back home we watch a little Seinfeld & SNL. It was a good day.
Lights out: 12:09 am

Awake 5:28 am Temp Downtown=48 Sunny 16 hrs 36 min of daylight

@ 7:40 am. Rob from Garness Engineering drives up & checks the end cap. I
had called him shortly after it was found. We hope to do both the septic &
well water test on Monday.
@ 10:15 am. We rendezvous at the Alaska Club with our gang of about 18.
Today we are celebrating the birthdays of Leo: Dottie, Gay, Jackie & I.
Lots of birthday cards & healthy food. Back home @ 12:45 pm.

Kathy & I walk our Copper Drive road to Haida road to see the Elmo Hill
house. It sold last month & the new owners are clearing away " stuff " &
trying to get a handle on what needs to be renovated & repaired. Elmo was
quite the wood worker & gunsmith with talents of home additions during his
retirement....but he died leaving a lot of projects unfinished...I mean a
lot! It does have a great location with lots of potential. The new owners
bought the place knowing what they're in for...and they are not spring
chickens..both in their late 60's. What a challenge to take on.

Go to town we do @ 2:30. Walk around 4th Av looking for an artist Kathy
talked with yesterday. Along the way, we meet Ben & his 2 daughters who we
hung out with at the Alaska Club earlier this morning. We do find the
store where the artist sells her wares but she's not there. We'll try
tomorrow.

Meet with Bill & Debbie @ Simon & Seaforts for afternoon high tea (wine) &
a light dinner. We have no problem talking. I pass along to Bill over 10
motorhome & FMCA magazines that I have finished reading. Back home @ 7:30
. 3 people call on our piano for sale. 2 people drive up to look it over
& the last visitors write us a check. It's sold.
We watch a video from the library: " Good Ole Boys." Slow, difficult to
understand the lingo & not that entertaining. We have the traditional
popcorn with the movie..and Kathy stays awake. Lights out: 12 midnight

Awake 6:06 am Temp Downtown=53 Sunny 16 hrs 41 min of daylight

I Write a few e-mails this morning. At 11:45 Kathy goes to town. She is on
the search for a gift to give the wedding couple in Switzerland + some
grocery shopping. She returns @ 5:00pm. I was glad she didn't beg me to go
along.

The (4) days that I have concentrated my BIG DIG in our back yard looking
for our septic end cap...were based on information from Ted(septic & water
engineer + inspector)who had his own business, and the former
owner/builder of our home, Dexter. Both of these fellows should know their
stuff...the location of that end cap, especially Dexter, he built the
place.

@ 2:05 Rob from Garness Engineering arrives. I show him my dig areas & the
spot that I had been told would locate the end cap. Well, Rob has
papers... that his company gathered from the municipality on this
property...showing the septic system layout with exact distance, depth &
location of the leach field & end cap. WOW! And this diagram differs from
the info I have by some 15 ft. Now why couldn't this Ted guy have looked
up the info at the Muni(he's in the business) & Dexter the owner??
Anyway, Rob & I run some measurements, then designates a spot to dig. We
talk about how the test is conducted when that end cap is located...and
Rob leaves 20 min later.

About 30 min later...at a depth of ( 1 ) ft, I find the elusive end cap.
What a relief & what a great exercise program I had finding it.

8:15 Dinner: Stuffed peppers with broccoli, toast & salad.

Watch video from library: " In the bedroom." A slow, emotional &
surprising different flick. Lights out: 11:55
pm

Awake 5:25 am Temp Downtown=59 Sunny 16 hrs 46 min of daylight

Call Garness engineering & make an appointment for septic system
evaluation & well testing. Chris the secretary thinks a man will be
available some time this week.

Call Al in Sun City, AZ. His wife Wilma is feeling much better. We talk
about a possible winter storage spot for our motorhome behind his BIG
shop. He confirms our reservation for October.

Call Frank in Royal City, WA. He gives a good report on our Motorhome.
They've checked recently that all systems are normal. We expect to arrive
in their town around the 15th of this month.

Kathy continues her EuRail pass checking both online & phone.

Our firewood supply is nearly deplete after Marty again fills her truck
with as much as it can hold with the help of 2 of her grandkids this
afternoon. Just as they were about to leave....Kevin calls. He would like
to have us bring bring some firewood to trans-load when we rendezvous for
dinner tonight. The Footes are going camping for 4 days near Denali State
Park starting tomorrow. Kathy rushes outside to set some aside for them.
Another 5 min & there would be no wood. Good timing on the call. We fill
two boxes & load in the RAV 4.

Leave @ 3:10...stop @ Sears Mall & check a native art display for gift to
be sent with Nick for the Togari family in Japan during his August visit.

A 4:30 Rendezvous with the Foote family & the senior Bob Foote @ ...where
else but the Moose's Tooth. Kevin & his father have been fishing since
Friday @ various locations...to include canoeing & deep sea fishing. Their
smiles tell the story of success. It was a nice gathering & seeing Bob
again. A quick stop for groceries at Wal-Mart & we are back home @ 7:00
pm.

@ 8:30 Woody & his wife Chong take a tour of our home. They have lived in
Anchorage for 25 yrs & have been patiently waiting to buy a home in the
Stuck-again area. In September, they will take a driving vacation to Key
West, FL. They have our e-mail address.

Watch the remainder of our movie: " The battle of the Roses." A really
good flick. Good for married couples to watch. Lights out: 11:45 pm

Awake 5:24 am Temp Downtown=55 Sunny 16 hrs 52 min of daylight

Another beautiful day for us. Kathy searches the web for EuRail pass info.
Meanwhile, I continue my BIG DIG in the back yard. My tilt trailer is full
of dirt so I use the RV parking pad & dump that dirt on a clear plastic
liner to retain my neat guy reputation. Two loads & 6 hrs of labor later,
I am a little concerned the information I have as to where this end cap
might be buried is bogus & I'm using up a lot of energy for naught. I stop
my digging for today & decide to call the experts tomorrow.

Guess what: That BIG & beautiful flower box that WE are so proud of with
it's precision engineering & construction is slowly self destructing. (66)
2 inch screws, silicone sealing, moisture proof paint throughout with
bottom holes for draining...apparently was not good enough. (11) days
later & one heavy downpour has resulted in some serious warping &
twisting. The power of warp literally has pulled the screw heads off many
of the screws & the front & real sides are pulling apart. Soooo, Kathy
meticulously transplants those flowers back into other pots, separates the
potting soil from the pea gravel, separates the pea gravel from the white
granite rock & bags up all three. Then back into the lower garage goes
the BIG box for further scrutiny & a possible winter repair. What a
revolting development!

9:05 Dinner: Fresh Salmon, spinach noodles with fresh tomatoes, toast &
salad.

Watch 1/2 of video movie from library: " The battle of the Roses." Kathy
kept falling asleep so we will finish it tomorrow night.
Lights out: 11:54 pm

Awake 6:22 am Temp Downtown=53 Sunny 16 hrs 57 min of daylight

Kathy zips off to her Value Village thrift store this morning to find
those bargains & do a little grocery shopping. A little computer time for
me early morning then continue my BIG DIG around 11:00 am. Another
beautiful day with a breeze is with us that I enjoy when imitating a
ground mole. I move a lot of dirt this day...as deep as 4.5 ft. Still I
find no end cap.

Also today we take ourselves off the FSBO market. During these 6 weeks,
over 250 fliers were removed from our sign box & quite a lot of tours. Our
time here now is just too short to get with any serious buyer.

Teresa arrives @ 7:30 to remove our lock box...then Kathy tours her
throughout the house. We chat for at least an hour. She's an interesting
person.

8:40 Dinner: " T " bone steak with leftover broccoli & asparagus in a
cream sauce, toast & fresh salad. Lights out: 11:37
pm

A 6:06 am Temp Downtown=50 Sunny 17 hrs 2 min of daylight

Today, even though it's Sunday, I continue " the BIG DIG." Keeping with my
reputation of being a neat guy, I position the tilt trailer & use that as
a dirt storage unit. Melissa & Matthew arrive around noon time for a
visit, so I take a break to see how they are doing. Melissa suggests that
I dig next to the septic tank to confirm the direction the overflow pipe
is taking..." Good Idea!" 3.5 ft down, that pipe is exposed , then I
continue digging in the area that I was in.

Kathy, Melissa & little Matthew in a backpack take a neighborhood hike.

4:45 pm Dinner: Chicken in cream sauce with broccoli, asparagus, toast &
fresh salad.

Evening time: Two separate individuals visit to look at our piano. Also,
two different couples tour our home for sale. Lights out: 11:38
pm

A 6:00 am Temp Downtown=53 Cloudy 17 hrs 8 min of daylight

Kathy ran an ad in the local free press to sell our piano...we've had
numerous calls & today, a young & newly married couple came up to check it
out....& will think about it.

Call Sam in Oxnard, CA. She is finished with her kemo & radiation
treatments & sounds sooo good. She'll be returning to CO & her husband
Glen next week.

E-mail Gigi in Switzerland about our ideas for the party skit in
September. E-mail Myrta about our arrival time in Zurich.

Call my brother Don in PA. Leave msg. Call my cousin Florentz..not home.

Kathy & I make a library stop...then drive by the competition house that
Willey had chosen over our house. It's huge...5863 square ft. Then 5:00 pm
mass @ St. Pat's...and again, the Mooses Tooth for pizza & beer. Quick
grocery stop @ Fred Meyers en route back home.

Watch video from library: " To be or not to be." Wow! kathy stays awake.
Lights out: 12:20 am

Awake 4:41 am Temp Downtown=55 Cloudy 17 hrs 13 min of daylight

Well, Kathy & I are recovering " OK " from our loss of NOT selling our
house yesterday. Things happen for a reason & we know NOT the reason. We
are anxious to " get with it " on the gypsy lifestyle...so now, plan "
B!"

This morning Kathy makes arrangements on Alaska Airlines for our flight to
PDX using some of our frequent flier miles.

Today I resume my BIG DIG...looking for that end cap on our leach field
from the septic system. This time, I use a shovel. Intermittent rain, off
& on, chases me into the garage throughout the afternoon...but I dig 3
trenches going down 2.5 feet & find nothing.

7:00 pm Dinner: Leftover Salmon, rice, broccoli, toast & salad.

A young girl, Adrienne calls about the Volvo we have for sale. Later she
& a friend come up, drive the car & say they will think about it. That to
me is a nice way of saying " no sale."

Evening: Kathy works a X-word puzzle, I read another Motorhome magazine.

Lights out: 11:28 pm