White Shepherd Stories

EXPLORING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS

We were invited for a fall/winter cruise, aboard my daughter and son-in-law's new boat, Airship. The plan was to tour some of the San Juan Islands.  We were to meet them in La Conner, Washington, on Sunday, October 25, 2020.  It is normally a three hour drive, but in the RV with some dog walking stops, and a wrong off-ramp turn it took about four and a half hours. "Not too much traffic" when you are used to Kelso traffic is a whole lot of traffic. We went through Olympia, Tacoma, past SeaTac airport, and Seattle. We arrived after dark due to one missed exit.  In La Connor, I walked the dogs and we unloaded our stuff.  The boat was even more beautiful in person. It felt huge.  Their last boat was 34'.  This one is called a 42' Nordic Tug.  With the measurements from bowsprit to davits (for the dingy), it is closer to 50'.  This boat was gorgeous when they bought it, but the improvements they have added since then are amazing.  The dogs and I were shown to our own stateroom, with its own head.  We even had access to a washer and dryer.   

Laura served me a beautiful and welcome glass of prosecco, after a long drive it was really a treat. We all live safe in this time of the pandemic. We do not go into stores or restaurants.  Nor do we visit indoors with others.  We wear masks and we do a lot of hand washing.  In preparation for this cruise, we all agreed to be doubly careful during the two weeks previous to our trip so that we did not need to wear masks with each other when we were on the boat. 

Andiamo & Lucca are making themselves at home, on the boat.  They are at the end of the galley counter watching Laura make our dinner.  We are all enjoying the wonderful smell of the homemade fresh clam chowder that Laura has simmering on the stove, along with the loaf of sour dough garlic bread in the oven. A Caesar salad accompanied it and It was heavenly!  We talked for a while, and then decided to go to bed and get an early start for Sucia Island, one of the closest islands to the Canadian Border.  It would be about a three hour cruise, smooth and beautiful with "no traffic".  

I went in the head to brush my teeth and when I returned to our room, this is what I found on my bed .....

... no room for me.  I had to reposition the boys to make a little space for my feet.  Andiamo was good about using the bottom corner of the bed,  Lucca thought that looked good, so he took the other side, with his toy stuffed tiger.  I tried to cuddle up, but needed some space for my feet.  Lucca finally decided that his comforter on the floor, next to the bed would be good.  Andi stayed where he was, which allowed me to be able to stretch out my feet.  We all slept pretty good.  It is a double bed.

The next morning we went for a long walk, then headed out of our slip, into the sound to begin our journey to Fossil Bay, at Sucia Island. The dogs were acting as if they had been on boats all of their lives. Some of my other dogs had been on boats, but not Andi or Lucca.  They followed Laura up the stairway to the pilot house and each settled on the floor of their own side where they each had a full length glass door where they could watch the water and the scenery.  It was a beautiful cruise past many other islands and with sightings of porpoise, seals and many birds.  

Above is Andiamo, sitting on what he considered his own little throw rug, in front of his chosen glass door which leads outside to the walkway along the port side of the boat cabin.   

The other side of the pilot house has a duplicate glass door out to the starboard side of the boat.  Above is Lucca, looking downstairs to the salon, before laying on his throw rug.  Both dogs slept much of the trip. 

Above, Kevin is piloting the boat while Laura takes a break to make us some brunch.  We had broiled English Muffin sandwiches made with sausages, eggs, cheese and fresh spinach.  So good!  We arrived at Sucia Island on Monday, October 26, 2020, in the afternoon.   

Here we are, docked at Sucia Island.  We walked the dogs after their long boat ride.  They were so happy to run and play for a while.  So many different scents!

Next, Kevin and I went out to the mouth of the bay, to set the crab traps.  

A friend of Laura and Kevin's, Steve Mitchell, was moored on one of the mooring balls in Fossil Bay. Steve joined us on the dock for happy hour. We enjoyed a glass of wine while watching a gorgeous sunset. We sat at a safe distance from our guest.  We talked and I enjoyed  getting to know their boating buddy. The dogs were delighted to meet Steve, as he paid a lot of attention to them.  They shared his attention and genuinely were delighted with the dock party. 

Sunset at Sucia Island was awesome.  No one wanted to miss a moment of it.  Laura and I took many pictures until it melted into the bay.  She was the winner with this photo!   

After an evening walk on the beach, we went back to our boats.  Kevin grilled some amazing burgers for dinner on his new Blaze, stainless steel marine grill. This meal was a joint effort with Kevin barbecuing the burgers with bleu cheese and bacon, while Laura was putting together all the trimmings.  After dinner we watched a movie on Netflix called "My Octopus Teacher". I really enjoyed it.

We went to bed and the dogs and I slept so good! The only sounds were of nature and the ever so gentle motion of the boat on the flat bay, to lull us to sleep.  

In the morning, on Tuesday the 27th of October,  Kevin took the dinghy for an early ride to check the crab traps.             

Oh boy did the dogs have a surprise in store for them! 

       

"What is that Andi?"  

"I don't know but maybe you should not touch it Lucca.  I saw it move!"

Lucca and Andi are watching closely as Kevin and Laura unload 4 very nice crab.  They were both warned many times, "be careful".  Nothing convinced them quite as well as when Laura held the largest one up for them to see.  It threatened them and they were impressed. 

Lucca decided to get one closeup look.  He did avoid the pinchers though.  

Once, as the dogs were intent on observing the crab, I casually laid my hand on Andi's back. He about jumped out of his skin.  Funny, I have done that myself before, when looking at something scary.  

By special request, the boys were asked to stay in the salon while the crab were being cleaned.  Andi thought he could be helpful with the hosing part.  Without their help, things went much faster.  They never took their eyes off of the crab.  

Laura brought the cleaned crab into the galley to prepare them for the best brunch ever!   I took the boys for a walk to get them out of the way.  Too much interest goes a long way.  I distracted them and we went onto the Island.  Below are two rocks that look like mushrooms.  We found a big grassy field where the boys enjoyed running and playing.

Andiamo found a good stick!

Here are the Mushroom rocks! 

Some of the trees are so interesting and leave you wondering how they got some of their decor, wedged in between their branches.  The one below is a beauty. 

The rocks also have interesting formations and designs.

Andi & Lucca are being careful not to step in goose poop, which leaves me to wonder why they find deer poop acceptable.  Well, mostly Lucca likes to roll in it. Andi rarely comes inside wearing it.  He enjoys watching Lucca though.  At home, Lucca often comes in the house wearing an impressive load of deer poop.  He even looks proud of it.  I tell him he needs a bath and he immediately heads for the shower in the laundry room.  He stands in the large shower in there and waits for me to come in and squirt it off of him.  He is resigned to having that done, but he is not sorry and he will do it again.  Funny guy.

Oh oh, poor timing on the placement of the next photo.  Sorry about that, just erase the previous paragraph from your mind. 

Look what Laura created while we were ashore!  This was the best Eggs Benedict I have ever eaten.  Made with the very freshest crab there could be, stacked with slices of fresh avocado, poached eggs and Hollandaise sauce. She even shared a couple bites of fresh crab with the dogs.  I wonder if they knew it came from those grumpy creatures that were threatening them!

After breakfast, a hike with the dogs was next on our schedule.    

Laura doing some stick throwing for the boys. 

Back at the dock, Steve was moving his boat, " Rendezvous" from the mooring ball over to the dock across from Airship. It is an Ocean Alexander 44'.  It is a beautiful boat.  

Steve docking his boat, after which we all sat on the dock and visited. 

The photo above is of Airship and Rendevous on the end of the dock, viewed from the beach. We all went for some more hiking.  Laura and Kevin took Lucca for a walk up to a viewpoint on the south side of the island.  Andi and I stayed on the green and did some easier walking and photography.  

Andi seemed a little concerned about where Lucca had gone with Laura and Kevin. 

Lucca enjoyed his special walk with Laura and Kevin. 

Another beautiful sunset on the dock before dinner.  Tonight - Kevin did some of his wonderful  BBQ ribs on the grill. Dinner was delicious!  We were so hungry we finished every rib.  We began watching "Queen's Gambit", a Netflix movie about  a woman, champion chess player.  It is really good and it was fun to be able to watch one or two installments as we managed to stay awake.  I am normally a night owl, but something about the water, the hiking and the fresh air had me going to bed much earlier than usual.  It was a wonderful Tuesday the 27th of October. Maybe the best one ever! 

Wednesday, October 28th 2020.  Okay, another beautiful day, talk about lucky!  We only had misty sprinkles once during one of the nights.  It was wonderful to listen to while comfy in bed. In the morning it was gone and we never even felt the rain.  Kevin went out to check crab traps.  Two more big crab.  I think Laura plans crab enchiladas for dinner.  We hiked a little, then we had breakfast tacos with chorizo, scrambled eggs, and sliced avocados on soft flour tortillas.  

October 28, 2020, Wednesday. We "buddy boated" with Steve over to Prevost Harbor on Stuart Island. Both boats found space on the dock. In fact, we were the only boats there!

We unloaded the dinghy, for a little tour around the harbor.  This Island is steep and the trails are winding.  

I was in the front of the dinghy with Andiamo.  Lucca was in front of Laura, with Kevin driving next to Laura.  Steve took this photo for us.  Just a short way along the shore we saw three adorable young, black river otters bouncing down a small trail to the water.  They looked so cute and the dogs would have loved to get closer. As it was, we could not get close enough to even get photos of them.  I will never forget my memory photo of them though.  

Back to the dock, a short walk for the dogs and we decided to sit on the dock and have a glass of prosecco, or two. Soon Steve went aboard his boat and brought an amazing full-size keyboard onto the table on his back deck.  If I closed my eyes I would have sworn he had a grand piano on his boat.  He played beautiful music and we were the only humans privileged to hear it in this wonderful, wild place.  Pretty soon Kevin got his ukulele and accompanied Steve.  If you, like me, have never heard a ukulele other than the little souvenir-type that are available in corner drug stores in Waikiki, this opened a whole new world.  It sounded more like a guitar.  Laura and I sat on the dock, with Andi and Lucca and enjoyed the serenade.  Kevin and Steve had an amazing repertoire. They went through nearly everything Elton John; folk music; Simon and Garfunkel, jazz; classical; and they even took requests.  The sound of the music, the softly lapping water sounds along with occasional night birds .... well, I can probably never explain how beautiful it all was.  We might have sat out there many more hours if we had not been hungry and getting a little cold.  We did not have far to go, as we were the only two boats on the dock, right across from each other.  What a beautiful evening.

Kevin and Steve making music on "Rendezvous".

Laura sitting with me while we enjoyed the musical performance.    

Sleepyhead.

Took my sleepy boys back to Airship.  Above is a very tired Lucca,  asleep on the dock.  Both dogs had  already eaten dinner, so it did not take long for them to get cozy and fall asleep again, on the boat.   We enjoyed another wonderful dinner.  Don't know how Laura does it.  We had fresh crab enchiladas, watched some more of the series Queen's Gambit, and slept amazingly sound the rest of the night.  

Thursday the 29th of October.   First we went for a nice hike with the dogs.  The trail was steep and damp.  The dogs didn't mind. I believe they were finding all kinds of interesting scents, maybe the otters were near.  We hiked a little while, then headed out for Jones Island.  Steve is going too and we will meet more boating buddies at Jones Island.  Sam Landsman and his bride, Anna Serra are planning to meet us there. Sam is Laura and Kevin's partner in Slowboat, their boating website and flotilla business. They run small flotillas of boats every summer up the inside passage through British Columbia to Alaska, and back down the outside of Vancouver Island. The 2020 summer legs of travel had to be cancelled this year, due to the border closures.  

Sam just recently bought a new boat.  "Akeeva"  is a 50' Nordhavn.  A big, comfortable boat, one of only 29 of this size made.  It is built to cross oceans and it cruises at about 10 knots.  Sam and Anna were just married this year and they live aboard Akeeva. 

We hiked a little while, then headed out for Jones Island.   

Here comes Akeeva now, She sits low in the water.

I look forward to being able to go aboard Akeeva, some day, but we do not go aboard each others boats at this time, due to Covid virus.  

Laura and Kevin on the dock at Jones Island.  This is right after Anna and Sam arrived.  Jones Island is so pretty.  It has a very narrow area about half way through the middle of the island.  The trail is a little over a half mile across.  It goes into some very tall woods to another beach on the other side of the island. 

If it seems the dogs are sleeping more than usual, it is probably due to more hiking than usual. Below, Lucca is napping Sam and Anna are sitting in front of Akeeva.  Steve is to the right from Lucca.  

Above is a photo of me, Andi and Laura, walking in the fallen leaves.  Lucca was walking with Kevin and the rest of the group. 

We enjoyed visiting on the dock and a walk across the island and back.  Just in time for happy hour and some fun conversation and visiting.  Then we went to our boat for another wonderful dinner.  Laura made two homemade pizzas which we shared.  One was shrimp with pesto and the other was Italian sausage and mushroom.  An Italian salad was a great accompaniment.   Another installment of the series Queen's Gambit was great.  It appears we ate dinner before I managed to take photos.  Everything was wonderful!

Steve Mitchell took these great aerial shots with his drone of the three boats on the dock at Jones Island:

October 30th, Friday.  We had sausage, egg, and cheese sandwiches for breakfast.  Then we headed across the island, where Laura, Kevin, Anna, Sam and Steve were going to hike the perimeter of one half of the island. 

The dogs and I hiked across the island with them to a beautiful little meadow.  I planned  to let them go on the rest of their hike without me.  Laura said it was several miles, rocky with some steep parts.  I was able to make the hike, I would have slowed them down.  Anyway, I sat on a bench and wandered around taking some pictures and enjoying the beautiful sunshine. 

Many of the trails are high, with very steep slopes down to the water.  

After looking around for a while, I could not help notice how beautiful it looked around the next point of land and how pretty and inviting the little trail was.  Even a picnic table out on the next point of land!  I decided to walk on for a ways. I walked for quite a while and began thinking that I should probably turn back.  But the trail was still good, though a little more difficult on occasion.  The dogs were so good.  No pulling or any dangerous actions where the trail was steep. We were all very careful.  We stopped occasionally and I gave the dogs some treats I had in my pocket - freeze dried liver snacks.  I was thinking that some carrot strips or an apple would have been nice, but I had not planned this hike, so I did not have snacks for me.  I also did not have water, which was probably worse.  I was not thirsty yet though.

I have a lot of hiking experience in my lifetime, (though not as much since my back problems began).  I was wearing good hiking shoes.  Eventually I got to the point where I figured It was probably going to take longer to go back than it would to keep on the way we were going.  The sun was still high and I kept thinking each new point of land would reveal the dock, and the boats gleaming in the sun.  Well, maybe the next one ....  I checked my phone and noted my battery was very low.  I had taken a lot of pictures since charging it.  I started thinking that the rest of our group might possibly be getting back to the boat by now, and I was concerned that they might be worried.  I resolved to keep moving.  Not too long after that we heard voices in back of us.  Laura and Kevin were trailing us.  They were laughing (I was happy to see) and I apologized for causing them to worry.  They were great about it and said they suspected I had done exactly what I had done.  They knew a short cut inland which involved a little uphill hike before opening to the trail that led to the beach, at the dock.  I was feeling fine with no aches or pains.  Not even a little back ache!   In spite of everything I was rather proud of myself as I have not done that much hiking for years.  It felt good and gave me such a great feeling of accomplishment.  Next time, I will take water and snacks. I will also be certain to have my phone battery charged, just in case!  Sure was fun though.  

Laura said I had probably hiked about a mile and a half.  (I am pretty sure it had to have been at least twice that.). Maybe it was just all the stepping over roots and using steps carved in the rocky hillsides.  

Dinner was grilled Copper River salmon with green curry sauce, zucchini and mushrooms.  

Saturday, October 31, 2020.  Regretfully, we left Jones Island, after a wonderful breakfast of chorizo & scrambled egg breakfast tacos.  We said goodbye to Sam and Anna.  The rest of us headed to Westcott Bay on San Juan Island to the Westcott Bay Shellfish Farm, where we all bought some fresh clams and oysters. (We purchased what we wanted online, then dinghied over to the dock and picked up our order from a cooler...no contact!)

We said goodbye to Steve and headed around the west side of San Juan Island, looking to spot some whales.  Cruising was so nice.  We passed Spieden Island and saw many, Fallow deer and Mouflon Sheep.  

There were two different types of oysters, which Kevin barbecued as an appetizer with two different butter sauces.  I am not super fond of oysters, but have to admit they were pretty good. 

 For dinner, Laura made clams with linguine and it was an amazing dinner.  I really enjoyed the fresh clams. 

Captain Laura

Returning to La Conner - Swinomish Channel

Andiamo's First Trip in the Motor Home

Journey, Andiamo & Pirate

Andiamo & Journey

Here we are on our way to the Oregon coast.  We went down Interstate 5 (I-5) through Portland and further south to Eugene, Oregon.  At Eugene we headed west to Florence, Oregon, where my cousin lives.  Once we got away from Portland, the traffic wasn't bad.  We left around 2:30 PM  on Thursday, and made it to Florence around 8:00 PM.  The most tiring part was getting through the awful Portland traffic.  Believe it or not, it is worse than Southern California traffic.  I thought it was because I was usually going through it on Fridays, or holidays, but that was not the case this time.  I have decided that I will not be driving that route again, it is just too awful.  I stopped once along the way to walk the dogs at a rest stop.  So proud of Andi, as he realized the purpose for the stop and he actually took care of business pretty quick.  

The drive through the coastal range, from Eugene to Florence is beautiful.  It is a winding road along the Siuslaw River, through the Siuslaw National Forrest - very pretty.  Florence is a small town with a population close to 9,000. It is a fishing town, and a favorite tourist spot in the summer, about halfway between the California state line and the Washington state line. 

Photographer of the picture above, of Florence, Oregon  is unknown.

The picture is of the Siuslaw Bridge, which is a short distance in from the coast where the Siuslaw River meets the Pacific Ocean.  It is such a pretty place.  

We had a very nice visit with my cousin, Dolores and even got to attend an October Festival (in September).  It was at the Green Trees Club house.  They had two bands and it was "pot luck".  So many delicious dishes and lots of nice people.  I really enjoy visiting at Green Trees.  When I am walking the dogs I never know what will appear as the road curves around in this lovely park.  We have run into wild turkeys, quail, Canadian Geese and raccoons.  I am glad we have not run into the many black bear that visit the park.  It is hard enough to handle three dogs on a walk without throwing a bear in the mix.  

On Saturday we headed north, for Yachats, Oregon.  I was going to the wedding of a friend.  It was being held at the Heceta Head Lighthouse area.  What a beautiful place that is!  I don't think anyone could find a more beautiful place.  This was one of the most beautiful and romantic weddings I have every attended.   Pictures follow:

This is taken from the Light keeper's home (now a Bed & Breakfast Inn).  You can see our motor home in the parking lot to the left, close to the bridge on Highway 101.

Looking south from the Inn - the Pacific Ocean. 

View north from the front porch of the Inn.  Lighthouse in the upper center, on the cliff. Wedding sight below the lighthouse.  You can see the chairs and the arbor where the wedding will take place.

 

Looking the other direction on the porch, past the tables that will be used for buffet, serving appetizers, and later, for dinners.

Above is an old picture of the same location when there were two homes for the light keepers.  They took down the head keepers house in the late 30's.  That leaves a wonderful lawn space for activities and for events such as this beautiful wedding. There is still a white picket fence going all the way around the property.  I believe I saw a sign saying the keepers homes were built in the 1800's.  I keep wondering why they took down the one home.  They were both beautiful.  History notes that the first house was sold for $10.  It was dismantled and taken to Mapleton, Oregon, where the lumber was used to build a store. 

A very nice gentleman was driving down to the parking lot where I parked the RV,  to give us rides up to the Inn.  It would have been a pretty good hike.

 Rhonda's sons walked her to the alter.  

Rhonda & Ray

A kiss for the bride and groom.

Back to the Inn for local wines and beer or hot drinks.   

Dinning room in the Inn.

Beautiful hand crafted stairway.

One of the Inns beautiful fire places. 

Such a beautiful wedding and a very handsome couple. 

Finally hitched a ride back to the parking lot to be greeted by some very patient dogs. We played and walked around a little after I fed the dogs - a little late.  We headed north.  I was thinking of stopping at Devil's Lake in Lincoln City, but it was late and by the time we got to Newport, I saw the Walmart parking lot and it looked pretty good to me.  We slept well and I fixed us all a nice breakfast before we headed north.  

Such a beautiful day again!  

I love this place - Bear Creek Artichoke Farm.  They have fresh made bakery goods, blueberry-lemon scones, apple dumplings with brandy sauce, fresh coffee, and dozens of tasty jams & jellies, mustards, homemade pestos, artichoke dip, and too many other things to name.  Free samples and many gift items, along with fresh vegetables and fruits.  

Back on the road again.  Beautiful dairy country - cows everywhere!  Such a pretty green country with beautiful little streams, rivers and trees.

When we got to Tillamook I was thinking a lot about the ice cream bar at the Tillamook Cheese Factory.  I was going to let the guys out for a short walk and then go inside the factory for a little shopping.  The big guys were very excited and they charged at the door as I was getting out of the RV.  I scolded them and insisted they get back and sit-stay until they were released.  I noticed that Andiamo had gotten back immediately when I yelled at them.  

I am not quite as stern with Andiamo as he is just following his big brothers and they are the ones that know better.  I use positive training in most circumstances, however when we are dealing with life threatening issues (such as trying to jump out of the RV without permission) I am much more strict with them on a "wait" or a "stay" - they know better.  After they backed up and respected my "stay" command, I noticed that Andiamo had backed up completely under the bed and was looking out at me.  I like this picture.

After a little shopping in the cheese store, I got a single scoop of ice cream in a fresh baked waffle cone. I got a double dish for the dogs and I split it three ways for them. They were very happy.  The large parking lot was emptying fast and I decided to walk the dogs and wait until the majority of people were gone.   The dogs were playing and enjoying the late afternoon sunshine.  

A nice man in a pickup truck came by and was admiring the dogs.  He asked us if we had a place to stay and I told him I had just planned to drive a little ways north and find something. He said he had an RV park a short distance north of the cheese factory. He said it had a fenced dog park where the dogs could play.  That did it!  I was so tired of leash walking them and they were just as tired of not being able to run.  It was about 5:00 PM and I was really ready for some relaxation.  He had given me a flyer and I headed north a couple blocks.  The park was so nice.  I signed in, but before we even went to our camp spot, I unloaded the dogs and took them over to the dog park.  They were in heaven.  

Pirate

Andiamo

Journey really likes our camp host, Craig.  It was quite a surprise to see Journey take to someone so fast.  He is usually quite aloof, especially toward men.  I have never seen him make friends this fast.  

The dogs played from about 5:30 to 8:30, while I sat at the picnic table and Craig threw the ball for the dogs and we talked dogs. The dogs finally seemed to wind down a bit and I thought we should get settled in our campground for the night.  Craig offered to build us a camp fire, but the dogs had not had dinner yet and we were all tired. Little Andiamo had climbed on my bed and he was out. I had to wake him for dinner.  He ate and went right back to my bed where he slept the rest of the evening.  It sure makes a difference when you have tired dogs.  I enjoyed a glass of wine and read my book for a while before I went to bed.  Andiamo did not chew up another thing that night.  

The next morning we headed for the dog park again and we still had it all to ourselves. Another hour or two of play and we were just about to leave when Craig mentioned another treat for the dogs.  He had a petting farm with goats and bunnies.  Everyone enjoyed that, especially Andi, as he had never seen anything like that up close.  

 Andiamo & Pirate

This little brown goat liked to rear up on his hind legs and pounce at the dogs.  They loved it.  

Before I knew it, Andi had his head through the wire to get a closer look.  

Kashmir goats.

"Oh boy, there is that little brown goat again.  I like him."

Craig is really a nice man and we had such a good time at his RV park, we will certainly be going back soon.  What a difference it makes to have a place to let the guys run and just relax, talking with good company.

I just about had to drag Andiamo away from the goats.  He loved them.

We loaded up and headed north to Astoria.  It is at the top northwest corner of Oregon, where the Columbia River empties into the sea.  Docked in Astoria was a huge cruise ship named Amsterdam.  It was beautiful, but I did not get a picture.  We still had about 70 miles to get home, up river, so we drove on through Astoria this time.  The dogs were a kick as we drove up our road.  They whined a little, then it got louder and more excited as we neared the top of the hills.  When I turned into the driveway it was very hard to contain them.  They were so happy.  Wonderful trip, but always nice to be home again.

That is Andiamo out checking his yard, which is almost all green again after the drought this summer. 
 

On The Road to Florence for Thanksgiving 2013

 

I decided to go visit my aunt Zelma and my cousin, Dolores.  They invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner with them, at the clubhouse in the park where they live.  We go to visit every few months.  Aunt Zelma is now 101 years old and is doing well.  I love visiting with her and her daughter Dolores.  The park where they live is very pretty. There is a small RV parking area, but we usually end up parking in their driveway to be closer to them.  It is a little scary at night as there are often reports of bear in the park.  We have been lucky enough to miss any confrontations so far.  The bear have not hurt anyone, but I prefer not to test them.  I walk the dogs a lot when I am there and I keep a good lookout for bear.  I have no idea what the dogs would do if we should come face to face with one.  

I would prefer to have left the day before, but Journey's agility class is on Tuesday, so we had to leave on Wednesday.  I suspected that the highway would be crowded on the day before the holiday.  There are several routes we could take to get to Florence, Oregon, from our home in Kelso, Washington.  My favorite is the coast route, (highway 101).  I usually go to Florence on the Interstate Highway 5, then we go home via the coast route and take a couple days to get home.  It is much too pretty to drive right through.  The weather has been pretty cold, lately.  I prefer to just travel with the dogs, but I am not comfortable leaving our parakeet alone for that many days.  So I loaded everyone into the RV and we headed south on the Interstate on what would normally be a 4-1/2 to 5 hour drive.  We were expected to arrive around "Happy Hour".  It did not take long to realize that was not going to happen.  I called Dolores and told her not to wait up for us. We would just pull in and go to sleep as it would probably be late when we arrived.  It took us about four hours just to get to Oregon and drive through the Portland area.  The traffic was stop and go, at about 2-3 mph until we got south of Portland. at Wilsonville.  Then the rest of the I-5 travel was stop and go,  any where from 15  to 40 mph.  We got to Eugene, Oregon at about 8:45 pm.  From Eugene we headed toward the coast, where Florence is located.  It is a good road, but it is two lane with many, many turns. That leg of the trip always takes about two hours to get to Florence.  By this time the traffic was not bad, but we still did not arrive in Florence until  close to 11:00 pm.  I was so tired.  Almost 9 hours on the road in horrible traffic.  I had a terrible head ache, a sore neck, I had leg cramps from sitting and having my foot poised from brake to gas to brake to gas for all those hours.  I stopped once to walk the dogs and then again to walk them and feed them.  I was actually too tired to eat.  When we pulled into the park it was absolutely silent.  I could see millions of stars while I was walking the dogs, and the Christmas lights were so pretty.  We were just crossing the road in front of my aunts place when all three dogs started barking and scared me to death.  Fortunately it was a decorated, life size snowman, not the bear I expected to see.  It felt so good to get in bed, however, after nearly nine hours of driving I kept dreaming I was still driving. Journey likes to sleep with me.  He occasionally cuddles up, but mostly he just sleeps next to me. During this trip he was apparently feeling a little cooler and he was also worried about Pirate taking his place, so he crowded next to me as close as possible.  It did not bother me, as it was pretty chilly at night.  A double bed can be a little crowded though, with two or three 90 lb. dogs sharing it with me.  

" Isn't it time for our walk?"  This is what my bed looks like when Journey and Pirate finish with a wrestling match on it. 

My cousin, Dolores, trying to untangle the dogs so we could go for our walk. 

Carol and her dog, Fargo, accompanied us on the walk.  Quest likes to walk with Dolores.

On Thursday morning we had a nice walk and then we all went to the clubhouse for a lovely Thanksgiving dinner.  They really did it exceptionally well, for such a large crowd. There were around 150 people there and they served the dinner, instead of having a buffet as in the past.  It was wonderful.

My aunt Zelma is seated on the right.  It is hard to believe she is 101,

After dinner we walked home.  Everyone was tired and I sure did not last long after dinner.  I slept much better Thursday night.  Friday we enjoyed our walks and visiting with friends of my aunts, and dog walkers in the park.  

 Pirate and Journey caught the scent of a bear in the front yard of a home down the road from my aunt's place.

Florence is a beautiful little town on the Oregon Coast.  I had considered possibly living there before I found my home in Kelso.  It would have been nice to be close to my aunt and my cousin, but a little too far from my daughter, who lives in Portland.  Where I live now, I am only about a 45 minute drive from Laura & Kevin.  I am also much closer to the dog events and activities I enjoy.

The clubhouse has two swimming pools, a large hot tub spa and a sauna.  They have pool tables, tennis courts, a comfortable clubhouse and many other things to do.  I enjoy all the birds, and especially the wild turkeys that wander around the park.  There are beautiful places to walk, by the Siuslaw River or even just around in the park.  It does not look like the mobile home parks I  was used to seeing.  It has winding roads and many of the residences look more like houses than mobile homes.  It is a very nice place, except maybe for the bears.  They are interesting, but I am nervous about them, especially at night when I would not be able to spot them as easily.   The little town of Florence is full of cute little shops, typical of the little coastal towns.  There are docks and a marina on the river, near the beaufiful old bridge that  allows the 101 highway to cross the river.

Quest in front, Journey and Pirate on the bench.

On Friday night it was a little colder than normal and I realized, at about 2:00 am, the furnace was not working.  The dogs and I were fine, but I was worried about the bird. The next morning I put the bird inside aunt Zelma's house for the rest of our visit.  I set out to figure why the furnace, and a couple electric recepticles were not working.  After reading the trouble-shooting section of the RV manual It seemed that it must be the coach battery.  (Not the vehicle battery,)  I drove to Schwab's and sure enough, they tested it and it said "replace battery" - the old one was installed in 2005.  The operation of replacing the battery was exciting for the mechanic.  He was, unfortunately, afraid of dogs.  Since there was no where I could leave them, they were in the RV.  I leashed them and put all three in the cab of the RV, tied to the seat and the steering wheel. When Vern came around the corner of the RV and looked inside, he startled the dogs and they all barked.  I quickly told him they were securely tied.  He looked a little skeptical, but his eyes gradually returned to normal size and he worked efficiently to remove the old battery and replace it with the new one.  My cousin knew an RV mechanic, (who makes house calls, YES!) and we had lined him up just in case replacing the battery did not do it.  He told me to test everything when I got back and to be sure everything worked. When we got back to my aunt's place I did that, and was delighted to find that everything worked just fine, including the parakeet's heat lamp.  

Pirate and Quest

Pirate ready to play with Quest

Quest being silly.

Journey has a very long tail ... this time he is sharing part of Pirate's tail though, and it looks even longer.

A few more walks to see all the Christmas decorations ...

"We don't think this is right, the reindeer are all going the other direction and why don't we have lights too".

Back at the gazebo.

 After one more walk, I packed up and we were ready to head north on Highway 101.  First I went inside to visit with Zelma and Dolores a few minutes more.

Hope to get back in a month or two.  I really enjoy our visits.

Our trip home began by driving up the coast past the Sea Lion Caves; the tiny town of Yachats (yaw-hots); Waldsport; and on to Newport, where I always stop for fish & chips, or scallops, fish & chips.  

 Scallops, halibut & fries with a side of salad.  Then I bought some smoked salmon, a piece of fresh, wild salmon and some fresh scallops to take home. 

Our drive was rainy and a little windy, but nothing that made handling the RV difficult. The coast can be very windy.  Sometimes bridges swing so much the warning lights go on and you are better off not trying to cross them.  I crossed once when the lights were just yellow.  It was very frightening and I cannot imagine what it would feel like if the lights were red.  

After my early dinner I continued driving until we arrived in Lincoln City.  It was getting dark and still raining.  I decided to stay at the State Park at Devil's Lake.  I found a camping spot that did not have too many puddles.  We took a short walk, then I got ready for bed and caught up with some email and Words With Friends.  It was cozy inside and nice to listen to the rain all night.  In the morning the sun kept peeking out and the blue sky kept showing through.    

Bear Creek Artichoke Farm was open when we got to it.   They have so many wonderful goodies there and lots of samples.  I love to stop.  I always get a hot apple dumpling with cinnamon sauce over it.  What a treat!  I also bought a couple of berry scones, for another day.  They make the best scones, they are never dry, just right.  I bought some of their home made Pesto and then,, best of all, the most wonderful Artichoke dip that they make right there.  I had some fresh vegetable snacks to dip in it later, if I got hungry while I was driving.  I usually get a larger flat of the artichoke dip, but I made myself settle for a small one this time.  I was sure looking forward to it.

 

Artichoke farm with a few left over pumpkins in the soggy field.

One more stop, at the Tillimook Cheese factory where I got a couple Christmas gifts in the gift shop and an ice cream cone for me and a dish with two scoops, for the dogs. I split the ice cream in the dish for the dogs and they loved it!  The rest of the trip was good -  sometimes a little stormy, but still pretty and I was enjoying a recorded book on the radio.

Nice to get home.  As I opened our gate, the UPS man arrived with a package.  I replaced the little dish of artichoke dip, that I had been enjoying, on the shelf on the dash in the RV (not on top of the dash).   I had to get out to receive the package he was delivering.  When I got back into the RV I found a very clean plastic cup, without a smidgen of artichoke dip left.  I was so disappointed and mad at someone.  I don't know who did it but they all got a lecture.  I also enlightened them about the possibility of not taking them on future trips.  They didn't believe me and I knew I would never leave them. They are the best travel partners I could ever want.  I can get more artichoke dip on the next trip.  I cannot imagine an RV trip without my best buddies, even if one of them did have a momentary memory lapse about not stealing.  I decided my lecture was sounding pretty silly, although they all seemed to be taking it seriously.  There had only been about 1/4 cup left, but well, it would be hard for you to imagine how wonderful that artichoke dip is.  I searched their faces to see if I could determine who took it.  They were all pretty much poker faced.  

Nice to be home.  The dogs set about marking their territory and setting things straight with the dogs across the road.  Rocky growled, barked and postured but I think he was happy to see them.  Rocky is an "only dog", so he directs most of his comments to Quest (our alpha dog).  Sometimes he tells Pirate about it, but if they are all outside he normally ignores Journey (the kid).  

Journey really tickles me.  He charges out when I give him access to his doggy door. He runs down to the fence at the road, full speed!  He comes to a stiff legged bouncing stop uttering grand "WOOFS", which are dramatically increased in power by the bouncing stops.  If Rocky ignores him, Journey usually goes back up the hill and tries his dramatic display again, sort of like - "maybe you didn't hear me the first time".   If Pirate and Quest are not busy they occasionally join forces with Journey, to encourage him and emphasize the drama.  That really gets Rocky's attention.   It is nice to have good neighbors to guard your property while you are gone.   Between Rocky (German Shepherd), Kona (German Shepherd) and Cody ( a large yellow Labrador), our property is under surveillance even when my three big guys are on a trip.