June 2005 Archives

Awake: 6:35am Temp 60 Partly cloudy Overnight @ Ashland, OR

Casual morning for us: Kathy watches her favorite TV programs in the
bedroom while doing some ironing and I do my time on our computer in the
living room. We like this set-up…we each have our own space to do our own
thing; the air-pocket door separating the 2 rooms is rarely closed.

After lunch, we drive to the town of Jacksonville, OR (30 min). This town
began as a gold mining camp in the early 1850’s &, by 1859, had grown to
be the largest city in the state of Oregon. Later with the advent of the
railroad & because of its location, Jacksonville was by-passed & Medford
was born in 1886.

During the depression, Jacksonville folks survived by digging tunnels
under the town & mining the gold that is still there. The entire town is a
National Historic District & a visit there is like a giant step back in
time.

And stepping we did; 3.0 hrs worth….we signed in @ the visitors info
booth, picked up a walking tour map of the entire town area & started our
search for that gold. Turns out, a lot of the brick buildings downtown
under which the gold still might be were closed on a Monday. We did do a
thorough job however of identifying each downtown building by looking up
the original business owner’s name & the type of businesses that structure
had over the decades + other items of interest. These towns’ people kept
their records well. Our list of significant structures numbered close to
100. We didn’t take the time to see even half but we did go into the
Fisher Bros General Merchandize Store(my idea) which opened as a tent in
1856….& later, became the Marble Corner Saloon & now, Scheffeld’s toys.
This was a scary move on my part because this very well stocked store
carried a pretty full line of Brio railroad items + the Thomas Wooden
Railway selection & the Playmobil toys. I could see that look in Kathy’s
eyes & feel the wheels turning toward our grandson Matthew’s direction?

Anyway, this town is…by no means, a ghost town…each downtown building &
the outlying homes + other structures were as one would expect to see
after a many decades….without being modernized.

Next we do a, not so thorough, driving tour of the town…including a
curiosity drive through their cemetery up on a hill. This was a surprise
experience: they had sectioned off areas for: Jews, paupers, Catholics,
Masons, city dwellers, country folks, etc. The place was huge! We nearly
got lost just driving around. I had to back-track to get back on track &
find my way out! Kathy could have stayed longer as she really enjoys the
history to be found in a cemetery, however, I feel I’ll be in one of these
places soon enough so why tarry longer than necessary.

En route back to our camper, we find Harry & David’s Country Village, a
big Medford operation; we signed up for a tour tomorrow morning.

7:30 dinner: Pecan stuffed pork chops, broccoli & cauliflower in Boursin
cheese, fried red potato chunks & rice + a mixed salad & my garlic toasted
bread.

Late evening: we watch an antenna signal from PBS on: “Unusual buildings
in America.” So interesting, we nearly fell out of our chairs!

High temp today= 74 Lights out: 10:58pm

Awake: 6:35am Temp 58 Clear…then cloudy Overnight @ Ashland, OR

After breakfast we talk about walking around this county park to enjoy its
beauty & activities. Before we leave the coach however, we call Katrina in
Anchorage & leave a message.

During our 1 hr walk, she returns our call. One might say: we talked the
walk, we walked the walk & we walked & talked! I know it’s goofy but I
couldn’t resist.

There is a lot of activity around the lake & in the lake today: Power
boats, sail boats, pontoon boats, ski-doos, canoes, crew teams practicing,
& fishing boats. Families are having picnic lunches and dinners, kids are
swimming in the roped off swimming area. We can see all of this happening
from our motor home & during our walk.

Katrina is doing her last hr packing: she’ll leave her condo this evening
to be at the airport for her 12:05am flight to Denver tomorrow. She’ll
spend a little over a week in Denver, attending a teacher’s conference &
maybe looking for housing. Then fly to Minnesota to attend a friend’s
wedding, followed by a flight to California to be a bridesmaid in another
friend’s wedding, and finally she will join us in San Francisco on July
17th to begin our flight to Japan on the 18th….busy girl.

6:15 dinner: Parmesan crusted fried chicken, homemade coleslaw, tomato and
mozzarella fans, + garlic bread.

@ 7:15pm we drive into Ashland & listen to the free music preformed in the
courtyard…then walk into the Angus Bowmer Theatre for the 8:30 play: “Room
Service.” We picked another good seating area & a great, entertaining
show.

If laughter is the best medicine, then tonight’s heavy dosage of comedy
should keep us healthy for a long time. It was a really funny performance.

High temp today=78 Lights out: 12:36am

Awake: 6:00am Temp 61 High thin clouds Elevation 2302 ft Overnight @
Ashland, OR.

Call my sister Corinne in PA. She’s doing well & we talk for about 20 min.
She gives me my brother’s cell # & I call him & leave a msg.

Make reservations for Park, Sleep & Fly @ a hotel near the San Francisco
Airport for July 17th.

Melissa calls from Chickaloon, AK….some 40 miles east of Palmer. After
completing the upgrade work on their van/trailer, they are making slow
progress.

Mid afternoon, we drive our tow car into Ashland & talk with a lady
working @ the theater info center. We ask for a Catholic Church location &
what theater plays are available for the next several days. We attend
5:00pm mass @ Our Lady of the Mountain…then back to the theater box office
where we select 2 plays: “Twelfth Night” @ 8:30pm tonight (available only
because someone cancelled) & “Room Service” @ 8:30pm tomorrow night.

We order a sandwich to go from the Green Leaf Restaurant on North Main,
then sit on the grass @ the small park outside the theatres & watch a free
show of interpretive dancing to Duke Ellington music while eating our
dinner of: ½ chicken sandwich + a pickle.

The Shakespearian play: “Twelfth Night” is performed @ the outdoor
Elizabethan Stage. The place is packed to capacity. We have good seats:
7th row center. The acoustics are excellent, the actors terrific & the
experience overall, outstanding. It was a great evening!

En route back to our campground, we stop @ Albertson’s for Kathy’s milk.

High temp today=74 Lights out: 1:06am

Awake: 6:23am Temp 57 Sunny Overnight @ Sutherland, Oregon

After breakfast I make a tire pressure check on both front tires….they
both read 130 psi which is “right on.”

Leave the Timber Valley SKP Park in Sutherlin@ 10:52am. About 40 miles
down the road on I-5, we stop @ a rest stop. I want to take another front
tire pressure reading. Also Kevin has called and I want to talk with him
on the cell phone while not driving the coach.

Both front tires are now reading the same: 140 psi which is higher due to
road rolling resistant heat & that’s fine.

Melissa, Kevin, and Matthew left their condo at 9:30pm on Thursday with
trailer fully loaded. After a short farewell visit with Katrina at her
apt, they were on their way; moving out of Alaska. Kevin tells us they
spent Thursday night in Palmer, Alaska, as well as most of the day today;
they have been making calls & arranging to have an equalizer & sway bar
system attached to their van & trailer for better handling. Kevin has
questions relating to using the van’s transmission for gearing on downhill
braking + tips on driving with a slightly overloaded trailer. Melissa also
has questions for the nurse re. a rash Matthew has developed. She and
Kathy agree it’s possibly Prickly Heat; she will try to keep him a bit
cooler and observe for changes.

Arrive @ the Jackson County Park & the Point RV campground just 5 miles
Southeast of Ashland, Oregon @ 2:30pm. They only have 32 full hookup sites
but this place is all new, big rig friendly & the price is right + seniors
get a discount; it’s beautiful here. We park on the high road site
overlooking 12 miles of shoreline on Emigrant Lake.

Today’s travel: 2+57 time 129.7 miles 19.25 gal 6.74 mpg 46.0 avg speed.

8:10 dinner: Kathy’s homemade crab cakes with brown & wild rice, mixed
salad with fresh, crumbled Stilton blue cheese and blue cheese dressing &
garlic bread.

Late evening: Reading magazines in bed.

Today’s high temp=84 Lights out: 10:52pm

Awake: 5:35am Temp 55 Partly sunny Overnight @ Sutherlin, OR

Kathy sorts through her vast wardrobe this morning to get rid of the
clothes she’s not wearing any longer…which was a nice bundle. Then she
drives into the town of Sutherland (3 min)(population 5820) to donate this
bundle to the Saint Vincent De Paul thrift store & do some light grocery
shopping.

During her absence, our Alaskan mail arrives at our site # 88 via
FedEx…..nice!
I spend a great deal of time going through that box of mostly good
mail....only 1 bill.

7:00pm dinner: Sautéed tuna steak with garlic sauce, asparagus with
mozzarella cheese & broiled portabella mushroom and Boursin cheese over
spinach.

Call Stacy in Anchorage…she is not home yet so will call tomorrow.
Late evening reading in bed for both of us.

Today’s high=? Light’s out: 11:30pm

Awake: 6:45am Temp 59 Cloudy Elevation 590 ft Overnight @ Sutherlin, OR

After breakfast, Kathy models her newly purchased clothes for me…one
outfit @ a time. She’s looking good: nice fitting & nice matching colors.
I am impressed with her fine taste in clothing. Then she takes a walk &
scouts out the park’s clubhouse…a mere 2 min walk. When she returns, she
de-briefs me on the clubhouse layout & today’s activities. She also brings
3 movies to choose from if Turner Classic Movies on cable tonight doesn’t
show a good one.
I try to call our friend Eliza in Sacramento, CA. No answer.

Kathy has all the energy today…..because now she brings in the ironing
board, sets it up in our bedroom & does ironing while watching some of her
favorite morning TV shows & then……slips in a video & watches ½ of the
movie: “Gi-Gi.”

Meanwhile I check my e-mail & find a note from Eliza to try a different
phone #. This time my call goes thru & we talk for maybe 25 min. We met
Eliza in Singapore in 1996 & have been trying to keep in touch ever since.
Now she is in Sacramento for a few weeks & our planned rendezvous timing
is off. She will be in the states for a few more months so we will have
another opportunity in August and/ or September to meet in Pennsylvania.

Before Kathy begins dinner, we walk the campground for 50 min of exercise.

8:45pm dinner: Sweet Italian sausage from Johnstown PA with spaghetti
sauce, whole wheat noodles, spinach salad & garlic toast.

We watch some cable TV on ballroom dancing, then later I watch some
interesting coverage on the history channel about the Volkswagen Beetle
before WWII & afterwards. Turner Classic Movies evening selection was
science fiction, not to Kathy’s liking.

High temp=81 Lights out: 11:48pm

Awake: 5:35am Temp 64 Partly cloudy Overnight @ Portland, OR

We drink no coffee & skip breakfast. Leave the Columbia River Campground
RV Park @ 5:55am to beat the I-5 early rush hr traffic….& we did.

We enjoyed the people we visited & the visitors that visited us during our
11 days here in Portland. We should do this more often….it was fun.

The traffic moved along I-5 @ the speed limit until around Albany, then
road construction stalled us for 15 min….but 30 min later, we pulled into
a rest area & then had our coffee & breakfast.

We arrive @ our 1st destination an hr early with the good help of our GPS.
Kaiser Brake & Alignment shop on Taylor Street in Eugene, OR was ready for
our arrival. They just had a cancellation this morning so they took our
coach in earlier than scheduled.

What to do with our idle time while they align the bus? Kathy has a genius
of an idea: Let’s go clothes shopping for her! What a great idea &
something different!! Our detached Suzuki is ready to roll, 1st to Old
Navy….prices too high. Then to Trader Joe’s…for groceries as it was within
walking distance of O N. Next to Target…not enough choices. Then the Ross
store: Bingo! This was the place. She found 2 pairs of Capri pants, a
sleeveless top & matching sweater, silk blouse & a pair of slippers…. &
most of these items had been marked down. Oh, how she loves a sale!

Paul from Kaiser calls just before noon. They are not quite finished so
after their 1hr lunch break, they will finish up. We also need a lunch
break because Kathy is not quite finished. We each have a slice of pizza,
and then Kathy resumes her hunt for the good deals. Sears was next with no
good deals there so it’s back to Kaiser Shop.

The alignment is finished. It needed a couple of shims to make it right.
We pay the bill which surprised us by being so reasonable.

Kaiser does not do tires so Paul gives us an option on local truck tire
shops they do business with: we choose the Wyatt's Tire Company…..a mere 7
or 8 blocks away on 11th Street in the downtown area. Then Paul draws a
simplified map on paper to show us the way….because of many one-way
streets in Eugene, it could be challenging to get there from here. I am
tempted to program the GPS but the simple drawn map looks easy enough.
Kathy follows me in our Suzuki & we figure we’ll be there in 15 or 20 min
because of traffic. On my 2nd left turn, I heard a loud noise in the
galley area...I quickly glanced back to see a jar that crashed to the
floor, spilling out food with the freezer door open. Realizing I have 4
more left turns coming up….I check my mirrors, pull into the middle
turning lane, turn on the flashers, set the brake & run back to close that
freezer door. How did this happen, the auto lock was already locked & the
freezer door was open. It must not have been closed entirely when I
started the engine….that is when the refer & freezer doors locks
automatically. Anyway, about 30 min later we finally pull into the small
parking lot of Wyatt's Tire Co.

The guys were ready for us: Blocking the wheels, lifting the driver’s side
of the coach, removing the front tire & rim…. & moving it back to the tag
axle. Removing the tag axle & rim, they mounted a new tire on that rim &
re-installed it on the left front. These guys are good & very efficient.
After paying the bill (a little pricier than the alignment) we were “back
on the road again” in a little over an hr & heading south on I-5.

We arrive @ the Timber Valley SKP Park @ 6:50pm in Sutherlin, Oregon. I
had called this park during our time @ Wyatt's to confirm a site for
tonight.

Today’s travel: 5+26 time 214.2 miles 29.8 fuel 7.29 mpg 43.9 avg speed

8:30pm dinner: Italian sausage, red pepper, & Parmesan scramble over
sautéed spinach with garlic, olive oil, and Mozzarella cheese.

Today’s high temp=? Lights out: 11:39pm

Awake: 5:14am Temp 59 Foggy then partly cloudy Overnight @
Portland, OR

After breakfast, Kathy makes a few phone calls to change our Alaska
address, then organizes the inside of our bus making ready for travel.

Meanwhile, I extend the telescoping ladder, clean off 4 slide tops,
retract the slides & detach all the umbilical cords except shore power &
cable TV.
During our prep, Howard, our neighbor from across the street, walks over
for a chat. He knows Frank & Kay, the people who let us store our coach
for 3 months in the onion storage building last summer. Howard & his wife
belong to the same Snowbird rally group as do F & K…. & will see them
tomorrow. I ask Howard to send a “BIG Hello” to them from us.

@ 1:15 pm, we walk over to Dick & Christine’s camping site, then the 4 of
us motor down to the Widmer Brothers Brewing Company to have a beer with
lunch. The waitress warns us that the portions are huge so K & I each have
a KGB Stout beer & share a bowl of Goulash soup. D & C each have a beer &
a meal of Weisswurst. Wow! That waitress wasn’t kidding. D & C both order
a BIG doggie bag before leaving.

Next we visit the nearby Nike outlet store….just looking. En route back to
our campground, since C is graving a piece of fruit, Dick makes a quick
stop @ the Mini-mart on Marine Dr. No fruit, so why not an ice cream bar!
Back to their bus @ around 4:30pm. While Kathy and Christine visit, I
accompany Dick to the campground office where he signs up for another
day’s stay in the park. We enjoy another hour of kibitzing with them in
their living room before returning to our bus. We were glad this
mini-rendezvous worked out so well with D & C coming over from Newport to
Portland for the weekend.

Next, we hitch up our Suzuki tow car to the bus; we are now ready for that
quick & easy early morning departure.

7:25 Dinner: Healthy snacks while watching FOX news: Assorted cheeses,
Triscuits with roasted garlic, mixed nuts & Bing cherries. Our lunch was
quite filling!

Late evening when it’s much cooler: We walk the campground for 50 min of
exercise & Kathy gets 32 min of talking 1st with Kevin, then with Melissa
about: “How goes the moving experience?” They planned on being finished &
driving out tomorrow but….that’s not going to happen. “It’s the little
things yet to do” they say & we say: “We’ve been there!”

Even later evening: I call Stacy in Anchorage….a close friend of Gordon &
we talk about selling our RAV 4.

High temp today=87 Lights out: 11:33pm

Awake: 6:15am Temp 56 Clear Overnight @ Portland, Oregon

Kathy makes sourdough pancakes with bacon & eggs for my Father’s day
occasion.

@ 11:00am Darren, Leslie, their son Josh & daughter Meredith visit us @
our campground site. They haven’t seen a motor home like ours before so I
give them the special basement tour 1st, opening all the secret doors &
powering out the auxiliary generator to try to keep their interest alive.
The children actually have several questions. Then Kathy gives them an
inside tour & does her best at using the distraction method when pushing
buttons or moving toggle switches.

We sit in the living room & talk for hrs. Josh & Meredith give us riddles
to solve & tell us some….not too shabby, homemade jokes. These kids are
sharp & Meredith is so cute with her: “I have a question” routine.

Around noon time, Katrina calls from Anchorage for my special day. All of
her school books (41 boxes) have been shipped to her new school in Denver,
CO. Now she is working on packing her personal things.

Around 1:30pm we are all getting a little hungry, so plan “A” is to walk
around the campground for a little leg stretching, then a visit to the
clubhouse & then, a drive to Costco for lunch & some last min shopping for
us.
Just before leaving in Darren’s car, Nick calls for my special day. Nick
has been shopping…which he abhors…like his dad, for a ring for Eriko. If
he finds something resembling the description that Eriko has given him, he
e-mails the design he has found to her in Japan & she gives a yea or a
nay. He has not received a “yea” yet!

@ Costco, Kathy & I split a chicken Caesar salad while the rest have their
fill of many different dishes. Then K & I do some quick last min shopping
& return to our bus @ 4:15pm.
We continue our visit & talk for a good 40 min with Darren & Leslie inside
our home on wheels before they leave for their town of Keizer, Oregon. It
was nice getting to know them and their children better.

5:00pm Dinner: leftover Pork stir-fry, whole wheat noodles + Bing cherries.
Then we drive our Suzuki over to Vancouver & enjoy another visit with
Dean, Rochelle, and children before we leave on Tuesday. While Kathy plays
in the backyard with the girls, I talk with Rochelle & Dean inside. Then I
play a game of Junior Monopoly & read 2 books with the girls while Kathy
talks with Dean & Rochelle. We like this family a lot; Monica Kathryn is
our special godchild, and Maggie and Donavan are adorable. I’ve known
Rochelle since she was a child; her dad & I were good buddies. We simply
enjoy spending time with this delightful family of five.

We did have a short discussion before leaving about the possibility of
storing our motor home on their property but realized: They would need to
wire in a 50 amp service; excavate & level the side yard; knock out a 12
foot section of concrete & buy at least a 20 ft section of their
neighbor’s property. I think maybe this is an idea before its time!
Back to the bus @ 8:45pm.

Zack calls from Seattle for my special day. He had a call from Kevin who
had tried to call us earlier & didn’t get through so Zack thought he would
wait & call later. Zack was taking a break from playing Bridge with his
buddies.

Next I call Kevin in Anchorage & we wish each other a “Happy Father’s
Day.” Kevin has been busy but still has the time to alert me to a notice
for Jury duty August 21st , which I hope to delay til sometime next yr.

Then I call Gordon in Anchorage & we discuss the sale of our RAV 4.

High temp today=81 Lights out: 11:27pm

Awake: 6:00am Temp 56 Overcast then sunny breaks Overnight @ Portland, OR

Kathy does 4 laundry loads today…& we do a mid-morning e-mail check.

@ 12:15pm Dick & Christine pick us up to have lunch @ Le Happy, a French
restaurant on the Northwest side of Portland. The GPS is programmed in 15
min & we are on our way. En route someone asks: “Is this place open for
lunch?” I make a cell phone call & listen to the recording: “Open Saturday
5:00pm to 12:30am.” We continue our drive to the Pearl district anyway,
park the car and walk in search of a restaurant.

This area was once an industrial, seedier part of Portland, but today it
has been transformed to a more upscale living area, with old buildings
refurbished to lovely condos and apts, with gardens and courtyards. It is
a beautiful, mostly sunny, warm day, tho Monte reminds us there are clouds
looming in the distance.

Christine had just reminisced to Kathy how lovely it is in France (where
she’s from) where restaurants with outside dining line the streets, when,
lo and behold, they spot what looks like sidewalk diners down Johnson St.
Ah, there is one vacant outside table left at “Piazza Italia.” We enjoyed
a delicious lunch of salad, lasagna and Italian beer while soaking in the
ambience of an almost European dining pleasure. While sitting under our
table umbrella, we hear different speaking accents from other diners
adding to the “European flavor.” What a delightful eating and talking time
we had with Dick and Christine.

Next we program the GPS to take us to the Northwest Nob Hill area…park the
Honda Odyssey & walk up & down 21st Street. Many of the large older homes
have been modified as boutiques, restaurants & other businesses creating
an interesting, eclectic area, which draws much auto and pedestrian
traffic. We stop & eat a scoop of Gelato (Italian Ice Cream) along the
way… it sure tasted like more. It was a most pleasant afternoon hanging
out with Dick & Christine. Back to our campground @ 4:00pm.

Then a change of clothes & Kathy & I drive to Vancouver, WA where Kathy
does some grocery shopping @ Fred Meyers while I talk with my buddy Ray on
the cell phone in Ocean Park, WA. We then attend 5:00pm mass @ Saint
Joseph’s church….afterwards, a little more grocery shopping @ Safeway.
Back to our bus @ 7:00pm.

The evening weather & temp are great so we walk the campground 30 min for
exercise.

8:30pm dinner: Leftover stuffed pepper, Triscuits & Bing cherries.

Late evening: Watch HBO movie on cable: “Surviving Christmas” with Ben
Affleck. A different twist for an…out of season…Christmas flick.

Today’s high temp=78 Lights out: 11:49pm

PS: Happy Father’s Day tomorrow to all of our friends and family who are
fathers, grandfathers & godfathers.

Awake: 6:25am Temp 55 Partly cloudy Overnight @ Portland, OR

After breakfast & now that the streets are fairly dry from the overnight
rain, Kathy & I start walking the campground for exercise….23 min later;
another wave of rain showers and we seek shelter back in the bus.

After lunch, I begin looking up phone #’s of potential people & places we
need to call to change our address & phone # to….now that the Foote’s are
leaving Alaska. An hr & one half later, with Kathy’s help, we have a list
of 33 #’s. Then….I start my calling; mostly on the East coast & mid west
states working the time zone factor. After 9 calls, Kathy suggests we
continue our walk now that the sun is shinning again. “Good idea!” I say.

During our walk, Kathy stops to ask a fellow about his Zephyr (meaning
mild, gentle breeze) motor home. This ends our phone calls & walk for the
day. These two people, Stan & Bev were so interesting to talk with, it
just felt right to hang out with them for awhile & simply, talk the walk &
forget the walk. Stan & Bev are from PA, no wonder they’re such nice
people.

When we finally return to our bus, we begin talking with Jim & Lorraine,
neighbors next to our site, about their lifestyle. J & L are goodwill
ambassadors for Camping World, an RV supply chain throughout the 48
states. C. W. sends them to different states where RV functions are being
held & covers their expenses along the way. As we continue our visit, a
BIG & high powered motor home roars past our site: It’s Dick & Christine
coming in from Newport, OR. Dick makes a few turns & then stops to say
hello…& to invite us to have dinner with them & his family tonight.

Dick has a Honda Odyssey with a GPS system. It took us only 20 min to find
our way to Stanford’s Restaurant & Bar on S.W. River Drive , but it took
Dick & me 30 min to program the route. Hey, we may be slow guys but we’re
thorough…. & we’re seniors.

Dick’s wife, Christine, elected not to join the clan tonight due mainly to
motion sickness from Dick’s driving. Oops, that doesn’t sound so good….but
Dick couldn’t help it! He was caught in accordion traffic (stop & go)
coming in to Portland for over 2 hrs & Christine had…. “had” it for today.
We all missed her company.

So it’s Dick, his son Brian & wife Jan….their daughter Erin & son Ian.
Also Dick’s 2nd oldest son Dave & his wife Tammy….+ Kathy & me @ the
table. Kathy & I split a filet with baked potato & mixed salad. We really
enjoyed meeting Dick’s family….nice people without a doubt. Dick should be
a proud father. We say our goodbye’s to his family & head back to our
campground with little GPS programming necessary.

Today’s high temp=65 Lights out: 11:17pm

Awake: 5:20am Temp 60 Cloudy Overnight @ Portland, Oregon

Casual morning for us, talking to each other & checking our e-mail.

Leave @ 12:30pm for the Hollywood district on Sandy Blvd in Portland to
finish up our paperwork with Mailboxes Etc. Now that is done! Then a quick
stop @ Trader Joe’s to buy some more organic milk for me. Next, we spend
over 2 hrs @ Value Village looking & trying on clothes. We spend about
$10.00 each.

Next we drive to Gresham where we thought there was a Wal-Mart Superstore
as indicated in the phone book. Not yet! The expansion is under
construction & slated to be finished by October this yr. Kathy had quite a
grocery list she wanted to fulfill so we were both a little disappointed.
We return to our campground via Marine Drive….very scenic; to our right
the Columbia River and Vancouver beyond and to our left, the PDX airport.
As we pass by the Portland International airport, dark clouds open up &
the heavy rain begins.

In our campground @ 4:50pm however, only drizzle. Our nearby campsite
neighbor was grilling dinner outside so I advised him that heavy rain was
on its way. The airport is only 3 miles from this campground but that
heavy rain didn’t arrive until 7:00pm…..& then it rained heavy until after
11:00pm.

7:15pm dinner: Pork stir-fry, whole wheat noodles, garlic toast & some of
John’s freshly picked Hood strawberries.

Late evening: I watch the history channel: “Modern Marvels” showing film
clips of the Japanese & German aircraft in flight tests (Jet fighters &
Bombers) which were far more advanced than anything the USA had during the
end of WWII. Very enlightening & scary…. Perhaps the outcome of the war
would have been much different if the enemy would have had another 6
months to perfect those new jet fighters.

Kathy watches the history channel also, but not as intently as I, and also
reads her novel.

High temp today=66 Lights out: 11:37

Awake: 5:33am Temp 50 Clear sky Overnight @ Portland, Oregon

Kathy makes an artichoke spread 1st thing this morning…even before having
her coffee.

@ 1:00pm Shirley & John from Vancouver, WA visit us @ our campsite. It’s
such a beautiful day, so instead of sitting around & talking, we suggest
taking a walk on the Columbia River trail that follows the river and
parallels the Portland airport...S & J readily agree to this marvelous
idea.

Before we go, John & Shirley present us with a package: inside are some
good looking, great tasting Hood strawberries picked by John. Good tasting
strawberries are something we rarely have in Alaska. That was very
thoughtful & we sure did appreciate the surprise box.

We drive 2 miles in our Suzuki to where the trail begins, then walk & talk
for an hr of jaw & leg exercise. Our walk ended too soon….S & J have 4
rental units over in Vancouver & one of the renters requested John’s
assistance today in making a minor repair inside his rental. When Kathy
brought out her freshly made artichoke spread & I brought out the thirst
quenching wine & a special & healthy Lindt candy bar, S & J did stretch
their time limit a bit longer to a 3:25pm leave time to return to
Vancouver.
We enjoyed their visit and wish it could have been longer.

@ 3:50pm Kathy & I decide to visit the Trader Joe store in Vancouver & do
some other things. As we approach I-5 to go northbound, we see the
traffic already backed up for miles going over the Columbia river
bridge….so we nix that plan & head southbound on I-5 to Sandy Blvd & the
Hollywood district where the local traffic is still moving quickly.

1st a FedEx Kinko’s stop to make copies of our drivers license & passport,
then to Mailboxes etc to get our papers notarized & faxed to Anchorage.
Next we do some light & healthy snacking + grocery shopping @ Trader
Joe’s…then to Costco where we do some light & healthy snacking + grocery
shopping ….then fill our Suzuki’s fuel tank @ 122nd & Halsey for $2.13 per
gallon….then back to the bus by 7:15pm.

No official dinner tonight: Kathy’s artichoke spread & the store snacking
is sufficient. Later though, Kathy finds a few small pieces of chicken
breast to munch on & I eat 2 slices of my garlic bread…plain, not toasted!

Late evening: Kathy reads her novel….then checks her e-mail. I check our
credit card receipts….then read my motor home magazine.

High today=69 Lights out: 11:11pm

Awake: 6:02am Temp 55 Light rain…then some sun Overnight @ Portland,
Oregon

Call the DMV in Anchorage & talk about the seasonal waver procedure.

Call Dick @ Kaiser Brake & Alignment in Eugene, OR & make an appointment
for Tuesday the 21st. We have a front tire that is wearing improperly.
Dean brought it to my attention on Sunday when I was giving a tour of the
outside of our motor home. Naturally I consulted with the Newell experts
in Oklahoma 1st, then spoke to someone at a recognized motor home
manufacturing plant here in Oregon who recommended a reputable alignment
shop in the area.

Early afternoon, I give Kathy another haircut: Her 3rd medal for bravery
is then bestowed upon her after she showers & carefully scrutinizes the
results…then gives a “thumbs up!” Whew! Then she gives me a much needed
haircut being careful not to cut too much from the top.

After some late afternoon rain showers, we drive 2 miles east on Marine
Drive, park the Suzuki & walk for an hr for exercise on the walking trail
just west of the Portland Airport runways.

7:50pm dinner: Homemade crab cakes, asparagus with parmesan cheese, 4 bean
salad & a mixed romaine lettuce salad.

Late evening: Kathy reads her novel while I read my motor home magazine.

High temp today=71 Lights out: 11:44pm

Awake: 5:40am Temp 58 Partly cloudy Overnight @ Portland, OR

We leave @ 9:30am & drive our Suzuki to Ocean Park (107 miles) to visit my
ole buddy Ray. We’ve know each other since 1967 when we were young, single
& tough. We spend 4 hrs with Ray catching up on his busy retirement
lifestyle.

He tours me through his newly organized garage in which his young wife
Sharon can now actually park her car. Next the ham radio room: "this place
is going through a transformation period" Ray explains. "It’s going to
take more time."

Ray also demonstrated the new accessories he’s gotten for his new laptop
computer…like a wireless mouse; a sleeve bag from e-bag.com, a flash
memory card & a USB hub for extra ports.

Ray has become quite the computer guru in his retirement. He showed us
some nifty stuff (like the RSS….real simple simplicity program) he
downloaded on his laptop that was most impressive & would be nice to have.

We leave Ocean Park around 4:30pm, make a 5 gallon fuel stop in Astoria &
we are back in the bus @ 7:55pm.

The evening weather is fair so we walk 35 min around & around our
campground for exercise.

Quick dinner @ 8:55pm: we split a chicken breast & egg roll, Triscuts,
mixed nuts & some fresh local Bing & Rainier cherries.

Late evening: Watch the history channel “Great Inventions that failed.”
Interesting!
High temp today? Lights out: 11:45pm

Awake: 6:15am Temp 53 Sunny breaks Overnight @ Portland, OR

Call Outdoor Resorts Campground in Newport, OR to check for space
availability for this next weekend. We were entertaining the thought of
visiting Dick & Christine over there but then find out they are expecting
over 100 motor homes from the Safari group & cannot accept any
reservations @ Newport for another week.
Call Dick @ Newport & let him know about the Safari group rally…he reports
that he wasn’t planning on being in Newport this weekend anyway….he’ll be
in Portland. Great, so we’ll try & rendezvous over here in Portland.
We sign up for an additional 4 more days camping.

@ 4:05pm Rochelle, Dean & their 3 children, Monica, Maggie & Donavan visit
us @ our campsite. They haven’t seen our home on wheels before so Kathy
gives them a tour of the inside; then I tour them on the outside. Rochelle
& Dean are two casual & relaxed parents but can be firm when needed….as a
result, their kids are well mannered, well behaved & play nicely together.
Monica, the eldest, is our Godchild but they are all special to us. The
girls are really cute & very smart + Donavan wore a winning smile during
the entire time of their visit. It was a neat experience having them with
us.

7:45pm Dinner: Parmesan crusted lamb chops, fried yellow potatoes,
broccoli in Boursin cheese sauce, mixed salad & garlic toast.

No movie tonight…..nothing worth watching. Evening reading is our norm
unless there is an intelligent movie.

Today’s high temp=71 Lights out: 11:04pm

Awake: 5:30am Temp 56 Periods of rain Overnight @ Portland, Oregon

Ray calls this morning from Ocean Park, WA. I had e-mailed him & asked
what day next week would be convenient for a visit from 2 wonderful
seniors? He selected Monday.

My brother Don calls: they are en route to the Outter Banks, North
Carolina for a family gathering for 1 week. We talk for 13 min.

Call John & Shirley…leave msg. Call Rochelle: They will visit with us
Sunday mid afternoon.

Kathy does 1 laundry load & works on the 2003 photo album & paperwork with
Mailboxes etc.

We attend 5:00pm mass @ St. Joseph church in Vancouver, WA (a 15 min drive).
7:45pm dinner: Stuffed peppers, mixed salad with Stilton blue cheese &
toasted garlic bread.

Call John & Shirley again: We make plans to rendezvous on Wednesday.

Late evening: Watch movie on cable: “Secretary “with Maggie Gyllenhaal &
James Spader. Different but entertaining….& not for children.

Today’s high temp=64 Lights out: 12:08am

Awake: 6:15am Temp 59 Light rain Overnight @ Portland, Oregon

Late morning grocery shopping @ Trader Joe’s on Sandy Blvd in the
Hollywood district. Next we seek out the closest Costco (just east of the
PDX airport) & do more grocery shopping.
After a late lunch, I spend over 3 hrs doing stuff on our computer & today
was the perfect day to so such a thing….cloudy with intermittent rain.
Meanwhile, Kathy puts the food away, rewrapping the meat into smaller
packages; reorganizes the freezer and refrigerator to make room; and makes
homemade crab cakes (NOT from Costco).

Early evening appetizers: A taste of Kathy’s Homemade crab cakes & they
are excellent!

7:45 Dinner: Wild Alaskan salmon from the Taku river, wild rice with
cranberries, asparagus in Boursin cheese & a spinach salad.
Late evening: reading.

High temp today=66 Lights out: 11:15pm

Awake: 7:35am Temp 51 Sunny Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Today we decide to travel south to Portland....earlier this morning I had
called our destination campground to confirm a fairly good weather report.
As we are prepping our coach for travel, Ed & his wife Charlene stop by to
say their goodbyes. Then another Ed stops by to wish us bon voyage. Later
as I am up on the telescoping ladder cleaning off the slide tops, Dick &
Ann walk over to exchange e-mail addresses & take photos of each other. We
hadn’t planned on leaving today so it is a surprise to some of the people
we were hanging out with that today’s the day....if we are going to miss
the rain drops in our travel south.

This campground & its friendly people have made it a delightful experience
for us these past 3 weeks, along with visiting our boys in Seattle, Joe &
Nancy + Winky & Torgey in Sequim. We will miss our boys & the people we
enjoyed hanging out with.

We leave the Evergreen Co Ho Resort in Chimacum @ 11:32am. It’s a nice
travel day, with broken clouds, little wind & some very scenic views
especially on hwy 101 to Tacoma.

Arrive @ the Columbia River RV Park @ 3:22pm. This park is BIG rig
friendly with clean parking sites & a small lawn + patio separating the
parking spaces.
Today’s travel: 3+50 time 194.6 miles 23 gal 8.64 mpg 50.1 avg speed

After parking & extending the slides, I call Mailboxes etc in Anchorage to
have them fax info on their mail services. Then I call Kenny here in
Portland to find out if the Aurora Aviation Country Club is holding its
monthly meeting tonight? It is & he is leaving in 5 min. He gives me quick
directions, then change clothes & get back on the I-5 freeway. Kenny says
they are eating earlier than usual tonight because of a large attendance.

It’s been over 30 yrs since I’ve been to the Aurora airport. En route
south on I-5, I couldn’t help noticing the length of the northbound
parking lot…..from the I-5 bridge over the Columbia river, it stretched
south past the Tualatin Exit….at least 15 miles! Maybe I-205 traffic
merging onto I-5 south was the culprit. I had plenty of time to observe
this northbound traffic as the southbound traffic slowed to a turtles pace
& it took me about 1.3 hrs to reach the parking lot for our gathering. As
I was creeping along in traffic, I began to wonder just how many people I
would know after some 30 yrs, if any.

Once inside the building, Kenny met me in the food line & pointed out my
table & seat he had reserved. Would you believe, the guy on my left is
Lyle….who in 1967 checked me out for my 1st aviation job flying a North
American Navion for the American Can Company. Lyle is 80 now, looks like
68, talks like 58 & still flies his “V” tail Bonanza airplane a lot. I
didn’t have time to visit other tables in search of familiar faces because
I was busy eating my steak, baked potato, corn & green beans + ice cream
dessert.

Then the club meeting was under way…& then the keynote speaker: Del Smith,
founder & president of Evergreen Airways who gave a very impressive
presentation: a DVD history of the company projected on a wide screen. Del
would interrupt & expound on the various updates & “what’s new” in these
cities & countries literally spread around the world. Evergreen Airways
has been housing the famous “Spruce Goose” built to Howard Hughes
specifications during the early 1940’s in their Aviation museum in
McMinnville, Oregon. This also is a fantastic sight to behold.

So I only had time to talk in depth with 3 people during my visit but we
all had something in common to talk about….our wings & it was a nice
feeling being surrounded by so many friendly wings again.

Back to the bus @ 10:15pm where Kathy was hooked on a thriller movie: “The
Jackle” with Bruce Willis, Richard Greer & Sydney Poitier & yes, I did get
hooked on the last half of this thriller too.
Today’s travel high temp=81 Lights out: 12:15am

Awake: 9:50am Temp 53 Light rain Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Call Corinne for her 57th birthday….we talk for some 20 min. She sounds
very relaxed & ready to celebrate later. Early afternoon, Kathy calls
Corinne from the clubhouse, they talk much longer….maybe 40 + min.

The young couple Gary & Rosemary from PA call: They are looking for an
update on “what’s happening” up North….so we exchange updates.

Mid afternoon, I call the Columbia River RV Park in Portland to check
availability….”come on down” the young man says.

7:30pm dinner: Tuna steak, brown & wild rice, zucchini with tomatoes in a
parmesan /mozzarella cheese sauce + a spinach salad.

During my cleaning the dishes time, Kathy calls Melissa in Anchorage to
find out: “the latest scoop” of “how’s it going?” Kevin did purchase 4 new
5 ply tires for the 84 Ford van. They have a system: Melissa packs boxes
during the day, tho perhaps not as many as she would like, since Matthew,
tho being a good guy, still needs her TLC and Kevin transports the boxes
to the trailer in the evening.

Late evening: Watch movie from the video library:” The Thomas Crown
Affair” with Pierce Brosnan & Rene Russo….a thriller flick, without a
doubt!

High temp today=59 Lights out: 1:05am

Awake: 7:02am Temp 52 Partly cloudy Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Mid morning e-mail check….then drive over to Bainbridge Island again to
catch the 2:05pm ferry to Seattle. Before boarding, I call Mark in
Anchorage & get the phone # for Mailboxes etc., then during our ferry
ride, I call & get some idea of how their mail service is handled & the
related costs.

Arrive in Seattle @ 2:45pm. From pier 52, we walk to 3rd Ave & Marion St.
which is a nice grade uphill & good exercise for us…then take the free bus
to Ken’s Camera where I was hoping to find a battery for my classic
Rolli…NOT. We make a 15 min stop @ the Nordstrom Rack to check for lower
prices in the men’s dept….not yet.

Then a 20 min walk to the bottom of Queen Anne hill (1st Ave West) & visit
our cruise specialist Mary Berry for over an hr. We give Mary some forms
that needed to be sent in & talk more in depth about the various shore
excursions available. We also meet our cruise director Ellen, who will be
on our October cruise with us. Mary Berry couldn’t help but notice us
eyeing up a fruit pie in the break room & cut us each a slice. The pie was
good & this was an interesting visit to see the cruise specialists in
operation.

Call Nick @ Isilon & arrange a 6:00pm rendezvous @ his condo. More good
exercise for us as we walk up Queen Anne hill…we have our wine time with
Nick & more talk about wedding plans before walking over to Pete’s Pizza
for dinner. Nick treats us for an early Father’s day dinner and after more
good talking, we say our goodbyes & catch the # 2 bus…at Spring we
transfer to the # 4 bus, take it to Marion St. & then walk 10 min downhill
to pier 52…wait for an hr & take the ferry back to Bainbridge…drive for an
hr & we are back to our campground around 2:00am. We took our umbrellas to
Seattle today & the Seattle sprinkles gave us good cause to use them quite
a bit.

High temp today? Lights out: 2:48am

Awake: 7:18am Temp 47 Cloudy-then rain Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Nancy left a cell phone message indicating they would like to visit us
this morning. Actually, we forgot to turn our cell phone on earlier &
this message wasn’t picked up until about 11:00am. Kathy returns her call
and they agree on a 2:00 pm visit.

It’s no problem: I have my housecleaning finished outside & Kathy merely
does a little dusting & organizing & now, the inside is fine.

Around 2:00pm Nancy & Joe, Winky & Torjey arrive & we greet them outside.
I open a few basement panel doors for them to see the water filtration
system & marine pump; then another basement door to look @ the Aqua Hot
system, and another door to see the bank of 6 batteries for our standby
power supply, and then run the auxiliary generator out for them to look
over. Most people are curious about: “what’s behind that door?” so I cover
those bases for those who are not so familiar with the bus type of RV.

Once inside, Kathy gives a tour of our living room, bedroom, closet, etc.
Winky esp. carries on about the coach, so Kathy takes a few pictures of
her; different poses in different rooms and a special one on the bed.
Kathy will send her copies to “wow” her friends. We talk, laugh, and “tell
lies” for over 1.5 hrs, then walk over to the campground clubhouse where
they check it out rather well. We’ve been planning on this rendezvous;
trying to fit it into our schedule & their home building schedule &,
amazingly enough, today worked out great. They are very nice people and a
lot of fun.

7:10pm Dinner: Stuffed pork chop with balsamic glaze, broccoli with
Stilton cheese & apricot, a spinach salad & toasted garlic bread.

Mid evening: Watch a movie from the clubhouse video library: “Girl
Interrupted” with Angelina Jolie & Winona Ryder. Based on a true story;
Susanna Kaysen committed herself voluntarily during the 1960’s. You won’t
nap during this flick, Kathy sure didn’t!

High temp today=65 Lights out: 12:08am

Awake: 6:43am Temp 51 Light rain Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Kathy calls Melissa in Anchorage for an update, “How are you today?” They
talk for some 45 min.

Then…we start driving to Bainbridge Island to catch the 12:20 ferry to
Seattle. Early January,Melissa & Kevin purchased our 1984 Ford van &, last
week, sent us the title to sign & return for their signatures. So we
utilize the FDX Kinko’s again on 3rd Ave.

We ride the free city bus to the Nordstrom Rack where I call both boys on
their cells phones & invite them to join in the hunt for new guy threads.
Nick is not interested & will continue to work on his exam; Zack will join
us in 30 min. I buy 2 tee shirts, Zack buys 3 shirts & a pair of shoes &
Kathy merely buys a scarf. We exit the rack around 5:00pm & walk over to
Zack’s apartment which is maybe 15 min away.

Zack gets a cell phone call from 2 of his pals from Purdue; they are in
the area & want to visit Zack & maybe have dinner with us. He asks for our
OK & we agree. In the meantime, Nick calls & is getting hungry + Kathy
would like to visit the Trader Joe’s store @ the top of Queen Anne hill to
stock up on some groceries only found @ Joe’s… + she would really like to
do this today. Not long after Zack’s Purdue friends call, they arrive.
Zack has a plan: Take Kathy up to Trader Joe’s, drop her off, then call
Nick and have him wait 20 min, then pick Kathy up & bring themselves down
to his apartment. From there, we’ll all walk to Ivar’s for dinner.

8:00pm dinner: Kathy & I split a salad and wild Alaskan Salmon which was
very good. We 6 exchange a lot of dialogue during the next 1.5 hrs….then
say our goodbyes to our boys for now + to Zack’s friends. We catch the
9:45pm ferry to Bainbridge Island…& return to our bus just before
Midnight.

Today’s high temp=? Lights out: 12:24am

Awake: 9:43am Temp 51 Cloudy Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Nick calls & leaves a message: his e-mail final exam has arrived but he
invites us to visit him today anyway. We were reluctant to visit him this
day if he had his final to complete…but now, we’ll make a crossing to see
the boys again.
Talk with Kevin in Anchorage 3 times this morning about their cargo
trailer, the 84 Ford Van & our Publix storage unit in Anchorage. They have
volunteered to empty out our “storage stuff” today but they want me to
call Roger @ Publix ASAP. I call Roger; he wants me to fax a termination
letter for our storage unit with my signature so I won’t be charged for
the June rent. “I’ll do it this afternoon” I tell him.

Call & leave a message for Katrina. We find out she has gone bike riding &
then later, camping.

We drive to Bainbridge & catch the 2:10pm ferry to Seattle. A FDX-Kinko’s
is conveniently located at 3rd St. & Marian, so we send a fax to Roger.
Then take the city bus to Queen Anne Hill & visit with Nick for 1.5 hrs
before attending Mass @ St. Anne’s church @ 5:00pm. I forget to shut off
my cell phone in church… & 5 min before Mass begins, it rings a song.
Outside, I talk with Melissa; they are finished clearing out our storage
unit + Roger received our fax & our unit is done with. Now they want to
inventory our things: what to keep & move to PA & what to donate to
Salvation Army? Kathy calls them after mass & gets tough on donating some
good furniture & other good things to the thrift store. We are impressed
with the Foote's progress.

@ Nick’s condo now, Zack, our birthday boy, joins us in looking @ pictures
of Nick growing up….from baby to adult….some very funny & all interesting.

8:30pm Dinner @ India Bistro: Kathy & I split a Tikka Masalla. Delicious!
What was it? Chicken pieces with a few sliced onions & sauce of some sort
& rice but it was very good.

Zack drops Nick @ his condo & then returns us to Pier 52 for the 10:50pm
ferry for Bainbridge. Back to the bus @ 12:22. Another great day!

High temp today=? Lights out: 1:20am

Awake: 6:46am Temp 50 Light rain Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Kathy pays Marsha our camping fee for another week’s stay. Then leave @
11:38am to catch the 1:10pm ferry to Seattle. Something different: we have
a bowl of clam chowder @ Ivars before walking to the Nordstrom Rack for
Kathy to look for appropriate dresses for Nick’s upcoming wedding & for
our cruise in October.
During her shopping time, I visit a few kitchenware stores in search of a
better cheese slicer & nut grinder. A good slicer I find, but no better
grinder. On my returning to N.R. to meet Kathy, I spot a Radio Shack & ask
Eddie the clerk if they have a Mobile Phone Data Cable that will fit my
cell phone…even though I have one on order from the Radio Shack in Port
Townsend. Eddie searches their rack of cables but nothing to fit my phone.
“Are you sure Eddie?” I ask. “Could you check the inventory somehow?”
Eddie gets on the store’s computer & within a few minutes tells me they
show (1) in stock. Oh, my heart starts beating an extra thump! Eddie
returns to the rack of cables & starts opening the cable boxes…. & then:
Eureka! He finds the cable to fit my phone misplaced in another box. Eddie
is my hero. I buy the cable & software with a BIG smile on my face.
Back to N.R. & meet Kathy. She lures me to the basement level & models 3
dresses. They are beautiful & like $12.00…. $14.00 & $30.00. All marked
down from over $100.00. It’s a buy, all 3! From here we walk 40 min to the
Queen Anne District & call Nick’s cell phone from outside Isilon. In a few
minutes, both Nick & Zack come outside to greet us. Both our boys look
very content & relaxed. After some talk, they escort us into the Isilon
Company for a tour of their respective cubicles. We also meet a few of
their coworker buddies: Rob, Neal, Pete, Scott & Qichu….all very young,
sharp & congenial guys.
Then we walk to the bar/restaurant, Ten Mercer, for a glass of wine before
dinner. Next Zack drives us to the Outback Steak House where we celebrate
Zack’s 23rd birthday a day early. Not planning on being with the boys
tomorrow. Kathy & I split a filet for dinner.
Next, Zack drives us to his apartment building & gives us the $5.00 tour.
We spend some time here watching the boys play a computer game & some
episodes of Smallville, Superman’s home town.
Zack takes Nick to his condo & then takes us to pier 52 to catch the
12:10am ferry back to Bainbridge. Return to the bus in Chimacum @ 2:22am.
It was a great day!
High temp today=? Lights out: 2:48am

Awake: 7:08am Temp 52 Sunny Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Mid morning e-mail check + we’ve been eyeing the local weather this am
trying to decide if this will be a good day to visit & tour Port Angeles.
Around 10:30am, the Northwest sky brightens; the low clouds dissipate so @
11:10 we start driving the Suzuki to Port Angeles (50min). 1st stop, the
tourist information center downtown where Kathy arms us with local maps,
brochures + vocal directions on the latest things to see about town, some
of which have an early closing time today.
We visit the historic Carnegie Library that is now a museum & has a
closing time of 4:00pm. This was a good start of getting to know how & why
the town of Port Angeles was founded, protected & what keeps it alive &
well today. We spend 1.5 hrs in the museum reading stories & looking @
photos of the early pioneers, military men, loggers, etc in their
struggles to make a life, living & defending this part of the country.
Their exhibits were well done as well as their dioramas. This Carnegie
Library was built in 1919 & we found out Carnegie and company went around
the states building Carnegie Libraries similar to the one built in P.A.

Around 4:00pm we eat a healthy snack in our Suzuki, then return to the
visitor’s center to watch a video of what else Port Angeles has to offer
nice touristy people like ourselves.

I take a few minutes during the video, walk outside & call Rosemary in
Nicktown, PA to wish her & Herm a happy 60th wedding anniversary. She &
Herm were happy that we remembered.

Next, we start doing an auto tour of downtown P.A., slowing down to admire
the individual old buildings but….this was not good timing. I think the
lumber mill workers were punching out from the day’s work & racing back to
their homes. So, we park the Suzuki & do a walking tour of the town….going
to the upper level (106 steps) for exercise & curiosity. Along the way we
stop in the Corner Photo store to buy a new battery for my Rolli which
they didn’t have. But, the fellow did have a Rolli just like mine & gave
me an address where I can get a good overhaul of my classic camera
sometime.

En route back to our campground, we do some light grocery shopping @
Safeway and Wal-Mart & fill the Suzuki with fuel @ Costco....then on to
Port Townsend, where we both get our milk supply. Then….the BIG surprise:
when we call Kevin for his 30th birthday wishes, he informs us that we are
going to lose our forwarding mail service! That’s not good, but it’s
great! Kevin has a job waiting for him in Indiana, PA @ the University &
they will be moving soon. WOW!

Healthy snacks for dinner @ 9:15pm while watching the video: “Abe
Lincoln;” a good review of history from a 1930’s made movie perspective.

High temp today: low 60’s Lights out: 12:47am

Awake: 7:00am Temp 53 Cloudy Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

We’ve been in this campground for 12 days now &, today, I learned
something new. 1st of all, I’ve made 3 different attempts this morning to
get into the e-mail room (every 30 min) to no avail + carrying our
computer & umbrella because of threatening rain I might add. Each time,
someone was either using the phone or modem line. On my 3rd visit, Ed the
assistant manager of the park says: “Monte, why don’t you try using the
other e-mail room in the clubhouse?” “There’s another e-mail room?” I
ask!

Late afternoon, the sun shines & we walk the campground for 1 hr of exercise.

Late afternoon, I call John in Vancouver, WA & wish him a “happy 72nd
birthday.” Both John & his wife Shirley sound like they are doing well.
Soon we plan on a visit with them.

7:30 Dinner: Chicken stir-fry , spinach salad & toasted garlic bread.

Nick calls after 9:00pm. He’ll be free Friday evening & wonders if we
would like to get together in Seattle. “You bet!” I tell him. He will call
Zack & pass the word. 30 min later, Zack calls to let us know that he is
keeping Friday open for our visit.

Late evening: Watch movie from the video library: “Grand Canyon” with
Steve Martin…. a reminder of the harsh realities of contemporary urban
life in a BIG city, & yes, it was worth watching...and Kathy did stay
awake.

Today’s high temp=64 Lights out: 12:18am

Awake: 6:28am Temp 54 Light rain Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

2 days ago, I retrieved another batch of photos from our basement storage
area, the 2003 coverage. This morning Kathy begins placing them into an
album in chronological order. Before long, Kathy asks me: “Do you remember
where this picture was taken?” I bet we spent 40 min looking through our
files & papers trying to establish “where” that photo originated. The
evidence was weak but convincing. In looking back @ our older photos, I
think we’ll be doing this kind of sleuth work a few more times before the
album is filled.

@ 1:05pm we start walking in the sunshine for exercise….20 min later, we
are moving fast…back to the bus in a heavy downpour.

Kathy & I take turns checking our e-mail in the e-mail room. During her
check time, I sashay over to the clubhouse & scrutinize rows of videos
…it’s my turn to select movies to watch.

Around 5:30pm the sun shines again, the streets are dry & we walk another
40 min for exercise.

7:25 Dinner: Crab cakes from Costco, broccoli & red peppers with parmesan
cheese + mixed salad & toasted garlic bread.

Late evening: Watch movie from the clubhouse video library: “Crocodile
Dundee.” We should have more guys like C.D. living in New York City.

Today’s high temp=60 Lights out: 12:07am

Awake: 6:54am Temp 57 Cloudy Overnight @ Chimacum, WA

Mid morning e-mail check for both Kathy & me @ different times + Kathy
pays a bill using the internet.

Early afternoon, we walk 40 min around the campground for exercise.

@ 2:00pm we join the campground crowd @ the clubhouse for the Memorial Day
dinner. Pay our $4.00 each, look around the huge dining room for a seat &
realize…there are no 2 seats together to be had. Lesson learned….arrive
early to get seating. These events are obviously very popular. Shortly
after we arrive, another couple who we just met yesterday is in the same
predicament as we are, on time for dinner but late for seating. We are
told that more seating is available outside in the pavilion…so we join up
with Ann & Dick on the outdoor pavilion seating. It was fine + Dick & Ann
entertained us for nearly 2 hrs with their interesting & amusing stories +
quick wit.

Lunch serving: Grilled hamburger, potato salad, baked beans, carrot salad
+ all the condiments for our burger + apple pie or chocolate cake for
desert. This good meal was set up, prepared & cleaned up by volunteers of
the campground....impressive!

@ 4:00pm we get our long handle telescoping brush, Windex cleaner, soft
cloths, 20 ft water hose, sprayer nozzle & continue our house cleaning on
the driver’s side of the coach. Kathy, being the shorter one, cleans and
dries the lower sections. Then I get the window cleaning duty…removing dry
water spots from our 32 individually framed windows is the highlight of
the whole process….it signifies we’re nearly finished. Kathy cleaned the
inside of those same windows. During my glass cleaning time, Katrina calls
from Anchorage & talks with Kathy….when I finish the window job, it’s my
turn to talk. With Katrina’s planned move to Denver, and all that entails,
incl. finding a place to live; a wedding party to attend in Minneapolis;
being a bridesmaid in her friend’s wedding in Santa Rosa & attending her
brother’s wedding in Nagoya, this girl is going to be really busy for the
next 3 months.

We finish our house cleaning @ 7:30pm & now the process begins all over
again. How to travel & keep our home from getting too dirty too soon?

9:00pm Snacks: Popcorn, a variety of different cheeses & Triscuits while
we watch a movie from the video library: “Ever After” with Drew Barrymore;
an interesting re-telling of the Cinderella story.

Today’s high temp=63 Lights out: 11:30pm