Christmas Time, My Favorite!

The Christmas season started off with us attending our church's Children's Christmas music. Our Nick is on the top row, second from the right (blue striped shirt, wearing glasses). Choirs from age 3 through 5th grade performed that night, and it is a treat even if you don't have any family participating. With Nick in 5th grade, he'll move on up to middle school choir next year. Hayden will then take his place in the 3-year-old choir; now that's hard to believe! The biggest chuckle of the evening came as one of the younger choirs ended, with one little boy clearly stating (right into the microphone), "Now, we go!" It brought the house down.

As always, another one of our favorite times is the Sunday morning Christmas music from the Adult Choir & Orchestra. Of course, having Russ on trombone and Randy on saxophone gives us a 'personal stake' and, not only blesses us, but makes us extremely proud to see that they have continued to use their musical talent into adulthood.

The day ended with us having Sunday evening supper as part of the Youth (Middle School) Christmas play, where Hunter was "Scoop". (We forgot the camera!) The name of the play was Uncle Phil's Diner, and, for us, the best part was when the group sang a 'version' of the 12 Days of Christmas - diner style. Hunter's part came just after "five onion rings. . . . ." and although I never quite caught just 'what' was flipping (probably pancakes), she had to do a 'cartwheel' every time it came to her. By the time they got to "Day 12", she was plumb tuckered out!

Back in late November, Russ & his business partner, were treated to a trip to the Pinehurst Golf Club/Retreat Center by one of their suppliers. He looked right at home there - and had a great time!

This year their big projects have been the new addition to the Deer Creek High School and the new Fine Arts Performance Center at Choctaw High School. As I write, they are working on a church in north OKC>

With the tough economic times around us, we continue to be thankful for the Lord's provisions for our boys & their families.

Home remodeling just seems to follow Roger. A few months ago the boys decided to install central heat & air in the old home place. So while all three of the guys were working on that, Grandma Twylah got the joy of 'corralling' Hayden for a Saturday. Thankfully, Hunter was available to help. As you can see, Hayden is at his happiest when big sis gives him her undivided attention.

Hunter can't stay at 'ground level' for very long, for Hayden is gaining on her fast. It won't be long before little brother passes up big sister in size. Think he only has about 25 lbs. to go!

His vocabulary continues to grow, and one's heart just melts when he takes his little hand and makes a "come here" gesture, saying "Help Me!" Any self-respecting grandparent would follow him anywhere! Usually the 'help' he wants is to start one of his favorite movies (currently Monsters, Inc. or Wall-E).


At home & at Great-Grandma's house, Hayden has his own chair. So I had been looking for one, but wanted something that would last a bit longer than one of the 'kiddie' ones. I had spotted these small 'miniaturized' recliners at a couple of stores, but did not want to part with the $100+ asking price.

But the other day, while out with Roger trying to finish up our Christmas shopping, we spotted some at the Big Lots store for $40! We put it in the Grandkids Room at our house and, as you can see, Hayden knew exactly what to do. He even has the "Grandpa Roger" pose down! That is exactly how Roger sits in his recliner much of the time, right down to crossing his legs.

Right in the middle of all the Christmas music rehearsals, etc. was the State Pom Pon competition - thankfully here in Oklahoma City. With Mom (DeAnna) working, Dad (Russ) at orchestra rehearsal, Grandma Twylah volunteered to be the stand in cheerleader & taxi driver. No problem you say! Wrong!

She had to be there at 7:00 a.m. (it's not even light yet!), so she spent the night at our house. Now remember, I raised two boys! The next 'challenge' was the 'hair do!' How difficult can that be? Seems her hair had to be french-braided to the 'left'! I never braided my OWN hair as a kid, and 50 years ago we had never even heard of a FRENCH BRAID!

Now, I have always said, you can find anything on the internet, right? And I did . . . and after watching it through several times, I gave up and called on Aunt Shelly! Like a good aunt, she came over and braided Hunter's hair. Of course, then we had the debate on whether "to the left" meant Hunter's 'left' - or our 'left'!

With the hair challenge solved (I thought!), we called it a night. I even dug out an old slip to put over the pillow case so the braid would make it through the night . . . and it did in fine style.


So you can imagine my chagrin - and the knot in my stomach - , when we arrived at the OCU Field House to see not one, not two, but three moms grab Hunter and start redoing her hair. In spite all our efforts, it was going the wrong direction! (Now I know why God gave me boys!)

After it was all over, I snapped a picture of her hair so we would have a 'visual reference' next time!

It was all worth it, though, for our girls took home not one - but two - first place trophies for the Pom Pon routine and their Jazz Dance routine.

Hunter is the first one on the bottom row, left to right (in the hot pink). We finally headed home about 1:00 p.m., with this Grandma resolving NEVER to attend another competition without taking along a 'cushion' to sit on! Field House seating may be nicer than 'bleachers', but they were never intended to be 'sat in' for 6 hours straight!

OK! OK! I'm Updating!

Have had some comments - even from my kids - that my blog has not been updated in a good long time. You are right! Life at home is not near as eventful as life on the road. I've been going to physical therapy 3 times a week for the past two months - and it's beginning to feel like I've been 'set free' on Tuesday & Thursdays - so I (or we) run around all day!

The physical therapy is getting much more involved and I find my sleep once again interrupted, by waking up in pain with my arm. I know it is just the muscles complaining; they haven't had to work this hard in a very long time. Looks like the therapy will continue until the end of January - according to the therapists. I'm hoping my doctor will be so pleased with my progress that he will shorten that a bit. I'll see him next week.

So, now to catch you up on the happenings at the Hughes house.

We had a really nice day for Roger's folks 80th birthdays. Roger & his sis, along with all the grown grandkids, went together & purchased them a new BIG, flat screen TV.

It then took Roger three days to get it all set up with external speakers, remotes, etc. so Grandpa could hear it (he's deaf as a post!) - and Grandma could stand to continue to live in the same house - without going crazy! We had a surround sound system we were not using and, with that, Roger was finally able to get it all working to please Grandpa.

THEN - we stopped by yesterday only to find Grandpa complaining that "It's not working!" Finally Grandma 'fessed up' that PERHAPS Hayden (she babysits our 2-year-old grandson 4 days a week) may have 'punched some buttons while she wasn't looking!'

So Roger got it working again - and then put a child-safety lock on the cabinet doors - to keep both the gray-headed children - and the preschooler - from messing with the settings again!

We'll see how long that lasts!

This year we bypassed my family's Thanksgiving reunion (the Saturday before Thanksgiving) to take in our high school football playoff game. We do love our football. They won that day - and went all the way to the finals, before losing. Our alma mater has won 7 state titles in the last 14 years - so I guess you could say we are a bit spoiled. But we love our Titan football! (And on that note: Boomer Sooner! What a year it has been for Oklahoma football!)

Thanksgiving Day we were back at the Hughes home place. Roger's sis, Judy, makes the 'cush' (that's what the rest of us call 'dressing'), I do the noodles & hot rolls, and our boys cook the turkey.

Sure turns out mighty tasty! Randy watches the pot, Russ does the prep & carving, and Roger just sits and keeps them company! Think they cooked a total of 5 this year (2 for the Hughes, 2 for DeAnna's family, and 1 for Randy & Shelly's frig!)

An on-going game of dominoes ("Moon" is the game) begins right after the turkey. This year Hunter began learning the game (with help from Dad looking over her shoulder).

We missed having the oldest grandsons (Wes & Nick) with us, but they were in Pennsylvania visiting their Dad & his folks - and enjoying lots of snow!

They flew home the Saturday after Thanksgiving and we had them all over for a mini-Thanksgiving on Tuesday evening - complete with a fresh pot of Grandma Twylah's chicken & noodles.

As always, the girls took over the dining room table and checked out the Black Friday sales. I opted out of the early morning madness this year. The last few years I was the 'line stander' for Shelly - but Randy was available this year.

Turns out Randy & Shelly were just short of getting tickets for a great laptop deal, but Russ & DeAnna reported that they got some great buys for their mornings work.

You never know - I might be right back with them next year.

Our Christmas shopping has been done in bits and spurts this year. Just can't seem to get my 'master list' together and get it all done. With a bitter blast of cold air coming our way next week, we did manage to get the bulk of it finished up yesterday. Just three more gifts to find, and we'll be done for this year.

Well, it's Friday morning, December 12, and time to cook a bite of breakfast for Roger and then it's off to therapy! Surely with Christmas coming, I'll have more to share before another 6 weeks flies by!

Back In the Groove of Things!

Can't believe it's actually been over a month since I have 'blogged'! The month of October was 'lost' to me, as I had surgery #8 when I had my left shoulder replaced on October 9th. Eight surgeries in seven years is not a record I am proud of - but it is reality for me. But as I get older, I'm finding that the recovery time gets longer each time.

Struggled a bit with depression this go round. Kept telling Roger & the doctors that I was just feeling 'off center'. A nurse friend 'reprimanded' me, reminding me that all of these surgeries have been 'major' - and just because they send you home that day - or the next - it still takes the body & spirit time to recover. She encouraged me to give myself at least 3 more weeks before getting seriously concerned. And sure enough - I began to see a difference with just the passage of one more week. I still struggle with a lack of energy & stamina, but I'm feeling much more like myself once again.

I began the long process of physical therapy - and it is a bit of a drag having to go three times a week. But I'm hopeful that this will help restore a much bigger range of motion to my left arm - which I really need - with the limitations of my right arm.

The end of October always brings Halloween - and this year I only had to alter one costume - Sponge Bob.


Hayden is Sponge Bob's #1 fan - but the smallest costume his Mom could find was for an older child. So Grandma Twylah went to work with the scissors & sewing machine and got it reduced down to a bit more manageable size.

This little guy just continues to put a smile on our faces! Today we went over to 'spell' the great-grandparents (who babysit him on a daily basis) so they could go vote. You would never have convinced me that I would ever see Grandpa Roger acting so silly with a grandchild. In the 30-45 minutes we were left 'in charge', Grandpa Roger played 'chase', got on the two-seater swing, ran circles around the tree to see who got dizzy first and provided the 'motion-lotion' for a wagon ride! He was plumb worn out!

After all that, it was back home to go back to work on our house. Still working to get completely 'settled in'. Now we have a 'deadline' as we are hosting the Fall Sunday School party on the 14th - so have to make sure we get all the corners clean and the rest of our pictures hung, etc. I finally got around to making the curtains for the living room door. I had the material, I just could never seem to get in the mood to do it. Having a deadline has always been good for me - I just seem to need that extra bit of motivation.

It's hard to believe that November is here - and a busy month it will be for us. Roger's folks will celebrate their 80th birthdays on November 16 & 27 - and two big Thanksgiving family get-togethers to cook for! At least we have passed the 'honor' of cooking the turkey on to our boys. They did such a good job of deep-frying it last year, they won the job for good!

Grandkids . . . Ya Gotta Love Em!

Our days are kept interesting with frequent visits from the various grandkids. More evenings than not, we have someone stopping by to keep us company, and we enjoy every minute of it.

Nick & Hunter always like to 'double up' on us, which is fine with us, as they keep each other entertained. They are good about 'switching off' when it comes to sleeping on the couch. It's not unusual for one of them to inform us that "it's ok with Mom & Dad if you want to invite me to spend the night!"

Lately we've been working on our spare bedroom, trying to get it cleaned out and 'ready' for overnight visitors. After much shopping and deliberation, we finally purchased a high end futon, that will double as a queen size bed and/or a couch for the kids to use when hanging out here. Now we have to get our TV updated in that room so they can get the channels with their favorite programs. It also works well when Hayden spends the day and needs a quiet place for his nap. Pop in a "Veggie Tales" video, a sippie cup of milk, and he's soon 'out' for a 3 to 4 hour nap. That boy runs on high speed every waking minute, and, like a young puppie, has to 'recharge' his batteries often.

On Sept. 20th he turned 2 years old. We celebrated with a party at the local park, and his 'favorite' present of the day was a Little Tykes 'coupe'. It's 'foot-powered' which suits him just fine - unless he can get sis - or one of his big cousins - to provide the 'motion-lotion'.

He also loves to hitch a ride on Nick's scooter. He climbs aboard and yells "Go!" . . . and Nick better do just that!

Our driveway has become a 'favorite' as it is a great place to ride their 'wheels'.

Our oldest grandson, Wes (13), is a skateboard fanatic, and has spent many hours trying to perfect his latest trick. However, about 3 weeks ago he banged his head on the concrete, which resulted in a mild concussion. Hoping that would slow him down a bit, but it did not. Mom & Randy decreed that a helmet was now - not an option. So back on the board. Then just last Monday, while at a local skate park, he took a tumble, only to dislocate his right shoulder and crack his upper arm in a couple of places. At least they didn't have to cast it, but he will be in a sling for the next 6 weeks - and undergo some pretty intense physical therapy to strengthen the muscles, so it doesn't 'pop out' again.

Of course he doesn't get a lot of sympathy from this Grandma, but I did loan him my ice pack!

The Oklahoma weather continues to be beautiful. Think we've seen the last of the 90's, and that is just fine with me.

Roger's latest 'hobby' has been waging war on our gopher population. This neighborhood is plagued' with them. We've tried poison - with no success - so he broke out his 22 rifle. After mowing, it doesn't take them long to start building their mounds again. He sits on the porch in his lawn chair, and when he sees one starting he gets his rifle and 'stands guard' over the mound. It's not long before they show themselves, and he patiently waits for them to get braver and bolder. So far he's got two 'notches' on his belt! We just call him the 'great white hunter!'

Guess that pretty much brings you up to date with the 'happenings' of the Hughes clan. Until next time!

Back To The Operating Room

Well, just as we thought . . . it's back 'under the knife' for Twylah, hopefully for the last time for a very long time!

The pain in my left shoulder has gotten increasingly worse all season, so I knew I had to take action this fall. The doctor took a couple of x-rays, and then it took him all of a couple minutes to say,

"Whow, you need a new shoulder!"

He then scheduled an MRI, so they could determine just what type of replacement I needed. Then back to the doctor, who took a look at the MRI film and said,

"The shoulder joint ball is supposed to be round; what you've got looks like you are trying to put a square peg in a round hole!"

Whatever . . . I just know it 'hurts like hell!' I've been told so many times that I have a 'high pain tolerance', but this is beginning to really wear on me. Apparently I have a 'type' of arthritis that is often referred to as 'pseudo-gout'; for some reason (it's in the genes, maybe?) calcium crystals form in my joints and 'wear away' the cartilage, and then starts in on the bone! Isn't that lovely? So far it has affected both my knees and left shoulder. If I hadn't done my 'pirouette' in the mud last year, it would have probably eventually got my right shoulder too!

So it's looking like mid-October for the surgery and yet another winter of physical therapy. Oh, joy!

Roger often says that we have to get everything 'fixed' in our 50's, so we will be in good shape for our 60's, 70's & 80's. All I know is I'm running out of time! Eight surgeries in 7 years is a bit much!

But on to brighter things!

Football season is in full swing here in Oklahoma and we are enjoying every minute of it! Thursday evenings are spent at the middle school games were our attention - or mine anyways - is focused on the side line where our 11-year-old Hunter is 'doing her thing' in the pom squad. Now I'm not prejudiced . . . BUT . . . she's the best! You can tell she is loving it.

Fridays we get 'serious' as we take in our high school games. Our alma mater has won several state championships, and it's fun watching them make yet another run for the golden ball.

Of course, Roger watches EVERY football game on TV that he possibly can! I join him for the college ones, but 'check out' when it comes to the pros. Although, he did get me interested in a Dallas Cowboys game the other night.

He came in the other day complaining that I spent ALL my time on the computer. My answer was, "Not one minute more than you do watching TV!" I've been doing a bit of 'e-baying'; guess you could say that is my form of 'gambling'! I don't win often, but it's fun trying! At least when I do win, I have something to show for my money!

The Oklahoma weather has been absolutely gorgeous! It's one of the main reasons we love being home in the fall. . . although I have to admit to missing the beautiful fall colors of the Northeast that we had grown accustomed to seeing each year as we wrapped up the season.

The neighbors that have been 'camped' in our RV spot for the summer (while their new house was being built) will be 'moving out' soon. The finishing touches are coming together and they are so anxious to move in. They've been great 'renters', but it will be nice to have our entire 'yard' back.

Saturday we celebrate birthday # 2 for Hayden. How time flies! He absolutely 'makes our day' when he comes toddling down the hill for a visit.

Traditionally we always enjoyed Sunday morning breakfast out with some - or all - of our kids & grand kids. However, since returning home this season, we've found that our Hayden has embraced the 'terrible two's' with a vengeance's! He is what you would call 'socially unacceptable' when it comes to sitting quietly in a restaurant! So, for now, we made the decision to 'change our tradition' and do Sunday lunch - at Grandma's & Grandpa's! I pop something in the crock pot - or oven - before we leave for church and everybody gathers here for lunch. Sometimes it is only long enough to eat, but we'll take them for however long we can get them!

So, that's life with Team Hughes these days. Not quite as 'glamorous' as life on the road! A bit boring at times, but we'll take it!

Ice Cream & Heinz 57 Sauce!

And that's exactly what I got for my birthday!

I received lots of birthday wishes from friends & family. One of those calls came from Randy - inviting us to join them at the 'new' Braum's Ice Cream store in our neighborhood in honor of my birthday. Never one to turn down an invite, off we went.

Along with the ice cream, came a pretty package & a beautiful miniature rose bush. Turns out the pretty package was a joke - one that Roger & I were a bit slow in understanding. I opened it to find my very own bottle of Heinz 57 sauce! Now, since I've been cooking quite a bit since we returned home, I thought it was some kind of 'hint' that they wanted me to cook something for them again! Then Randy & Shelly said, "Aren't you 57 this year?" Duhhhhh!

Well, here's to hoping that being 57 adds a little 'zest & spice' to our lives! Frankly, I find it to be "too young for Social Security . . . and too old for everything else!"

Home - via the Beartooth Highway!

Yes, we are home!

The last few weeks of the season went by pretty fast. We arrived in Billings, MT (our second home) on August 19th, did the review there & then spent a week with meetings at the KOA Home Office and visiting with friends. Getting to do this is a bit of a 'bonus' of having the West Coast territory.

One evening we shared a meal with Lani Wallace, 1/2 of a former KOA Field Services Team, that makes their home in Billings. Her other half was off on a driving tour of Yellowstone in his new convertible. Her daughter, Nicole & hubby, Steve, joined us and we really enjoyed catching up. Sorry we missed you, Keith!

One day was spent (mostly by Roger) getting the truck serviced, and chasing down new tires for the truck & fifth wheel. I spent the day sleeping! It was wonderful - for me anyways!

Friday afternoon found us connecting with yet another former KOA Field Services team (Garry & Lois Quay from Michigan) that was returning from their summer trip to Alaska. Since neither of us had ever been up & over the Beartooth HIghway, our boss 'ordered' us to spend Saturday doing just that. It seems we are always in Billings at the wrong time of the year and the highway is never open due to snow.

So with a beautiful sunny day, the four of us headed out. Had to begin our day with breakfast at the Cracker Barrel and then headed south to Red Lodge. We love Red Lodge - such a fun place to browse the shops, but we found it to be overflowing on this particular day. Seems Willie Nelson was in town and the town was packed.

The one gas station that sold diesel had lines waiting for gas - haven't seen a sight like that since the gas shortages! Of course, Roger is not one to wait in line, so we ended up driving the length of town, not finding anywhere else, so turn around and go back . . . and wait in line! Gassed up, bladders emptied, we headed up the mountain.

WOW! what a drive. Garry snapped 163 pictures! It is indeed a gorgeous drive and we were all glad we decided to do it. At the other end of the highway is Cooke City. It truly looks like something straight out of the Old West! It was also overflowing with tourists, mostly bikers, taking advantage of the great weather. Wandered through the General Store and then decided to catch a bite of lunch at the Soda Butte Lodge before heading back over & down. A full day and we both headed straight to our rigs to relax at the end of the day.

Garry & Lois headed on east Sunday morning and we didn't even stick our big toes out of the trailer. A much needed rest day for both of us.

We wound up things at the Home Office on Monday - picked up our computer - and then 'connected' with some more friends (Steve & Barb Rabesa from New Hampshire & Colorado) over a long & leisurely dinner at the Olive Garden. It's not often that we 'close a place down', but we did that night. They are currently one of the Business Development teams, & had flown in to Billings to make some Montana campground visits.

One of the really neat things about this job is literally having friends all over the country. There is not many places we go that we do not know somebody!

Tuesday morning (August 26) it was time to head home. Had thought we might stop in Rapid City, SD to see old friends, but once we got rolling, we decided to just keep on rolling to Belvidere, SD, where we stopped for the night. Lost an hour - back in Central Time now - and made it all the way to Salina, KS on Wednesday before calling it a day. When we get to Kansas, we can almost 'see' Oklahoma, and we pulled in to home about 2:30 Thursday.

Shelly & Wes were the first of the family to welcome us. I had already been 'planning' what I could throw together for supper for everyone and it was so good to find ourselves in the middle of 'chaos' once again. For that is exactly what it is with grandkids stretched from 13 to 2 - and we love it.

The Oklahoma heat welcomed us too - and we are slowly getting the fifth wheel unpacked. We worked a bit, then decided to go pick up some Del Rancho steak sandwiches (it's an Oklahoma thing) and take lunch to Roger's folks. A nice visit with them, then back home & back to work. With school out for the Labor Day Weekend, Nick & Hunter decided they wanted to spend the night. No cooking for Grandma Twylah that night (Hot Pockets for the kids, chicken pot pies for the grown-ups).

We claimed Saturday (or so we thought) for running errands & stocking the freezer. Stopped by my sister's for a short visit & to pick up 3 months of mail - and then on to Sam's Club. Too hot to leave food in the car so we headed back home to unload, before heading back to town. But not to be.

Arrived at the house to find Roger's dad waiting on us. (Heaven forbid that he actually call to see if we were home!) Know he misses Roger terribly when we are gone. Seems he had decided that Saturday was THE DAY to trace an underground wire to see why our big night security light wasn't working. (Seems it had not been working all summer, but it definitely was NOT a priority on Day 2 of being home after being gone for 3 months - for us anyways!) With temperatures nearing 100 degrees, Roger made it very clear that it could wait a few weeks until the weather was cooler . . . and we were a bit more 'settled in'. So I made lunch for all of us . . . Dad got some time with Roger . . . and we'll finish our shopping another day.

Saturday evening was tailgate party time at Russ', with the first OU Sooner game on pay-for-view TV. The 'clan' gathered, Russ cooked out and it was chaos once again. Hardly before the game got underway, Wesley (13) crashed on his skateboard and bounced his head off the concrete driveway. A trip to the ER for Randy & Shelly - a concussion for Wesley - and a long, sleepless night with them waking him every 2 hours.

Glad to say he is back to his 'normal' self Sunday evening (as normal as being '13' can be) when the family gathered one more time for Grandma Twylah's homemade chicken & dumplings. Nick had been asking for them every day, and I'm a push-over. But I did make sure eveyone knew that Grandma Twylah's kitchen was "closed until further notice", as they headed out the door.

We've agreed to host our fall get-togther for our Bible Study group in October, and we have got to finish 'moving in' and do some deep cleaning before we will be ready for that!

Land of the Huckleberries

News Flash! Roger has found his huckleberry ice cream!

We found the first of it in Whitefish. Having scheduled two days at this park - thinking we would take time to drive in to Glacier Natl. Park, we had a 'day off'. But the more we talked about it, the more we decided we were just too tired to spend our day off 'driving' again. We checked out the tour bus schedule, but found that the one we wanted (the evening one when all the animals are out & about) had ended on July 31; we were one day too late. So - we'll add that to the list of things to do next year.

After heading south to Kalispell to get a prescription filled, we headed back north to the town of Whitefish. Spent some time strolling the sidewalks - and snooping in the shops. Roger continues to 'search' for that perfect wall 'something' for our living room. No luck, but we did spot "Mrs. Spoonfulls", a small ice cream parlor on one of the side streets. Stopped in for our first taste of huckleberry ice cream. It was 'ok' - but not as good as I remembered it. But Roger was happy.

Got back to our rig, talked about just driving in to the park ourselves, but then talked ourselves out of it. Decided to just take advantage of not moving for the rest of the day.

From there, our route took us to West Glacier - a beautiful park just at the entrance to the park. Must be the cooler weather up here, for the flowers are just beautiful! I swear I don't know how they get them to grow like that! Must be Miracle Grow twice a week - or something!

Since we couldn't go 'over' to St. Mary (on the east side of Glacier Ntl. Park), we had to go 'down & around'. Driving along, when what should appear - but our second 'bear' of the season -.just lopping across the road. Thinking to cut some miles off our route, we took a turn on to Hwy 49 north to St. Mary. Only to discover after about 5 miles, a very small sign that says "No vehicle over 21 foot in length allowed on this road". BUT, also, no turn around spot! So onward & upward! It was one of those times when, after it is all said & done, you would never do it again - but we made it, only getting 'honked at' by an approaching vehicle one time. Thankfully - not much traffic - and it was easy to see why! Roger keeps saying "It wasn't so bad" - but he'll not take that route again - with me anyways!

Another big park to walk, and Roger found his second bowl of huckleberry ice cream. Better than the first, but still not what I remembered.

South to Choteau (I have to keep a calendar in front of me to remember just where we have been!), then Great Falls. Got an offer from the owner there to fly to Billings for dinner for the evening - (yep, that is fly like in an airplane) but since we only have one night - and I'm no fan of flying in airplanes, let alone small ones, I declined - for both of us. We did find a Sam's Club (the only one in Montana, I'm told) and got caught up on some computer work. Had a nice evening with the managers there - over dinner - and then lunch with Loren & Jane (the owners) the next day.

August 7 found us in the big town of Townsend, and just as we finished our walk-about the wind started blowing and we had a downpour. We had forgotten it could rain! Then up a bit & over to Deer Lodge, where we received a royal Hawaiian welcome from the owners there. Mo is a 'transplanted islander', but he hasn't lost his warm, friendly island spirit. We had hardly got parked, before he came over and told us not to eat lunch - he had just ordered a pizza. So we got acquainted over pizza and I decided this was as good a place as any to do my laundry, especially since they had all new front-loader machines. My timing was good, for I had just got it going, when the wind whipped up and we had another afternoon down pour for 45 minutes or so. My tired was catching up with me by the time I finished 5 loads, so Roger gave me a break and did the walk- about here. It was a small park, so don't feel too bad for him!

Started thinking about fixing supper and then realized it was Friday - and they do a hamburger cook-out on Friday nights. (I could get spoiled not having to cook!) So our Friday evening fare was a delicious grilled burger & Hawaiian-style baked beans . . . topped off with a piece of Cass' homemade carrot cake. We finished our evening watching the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.

Life is good!

Just down the interstate a bit to Butte. In the middle of doing the walk-about, when it turned dark, the wind started blowing, the pool cleared, and everyone made a dash to their trailers. Our third afternoon rain storm in as many days! Are we in Florida? We're beginning to think so!

Had to finish up our walk-about after the rain, but we're getting our schedule adjusted so we have evenings off to watch some of our favorite events - swimming & gymnastics. Enjoying the beach volleyball, too, but can't understand why the girls have to wear skimpy swimsuits . . . and the guys wear baggy shirts & shorts! Does anyone else out there wonder why?

Next stop - south to Dillon, where I added yet another 'stuffed moose' to my collection. He was just too cute to resist! Then over to Alder (near historic 'sister' gold mining towns of Virginia City & Nevada City). These towns are old - for real old - not some 'built for tourists' towns. Pretty little park here and the hollyhocks were in bloom everywhere!

A 'dip' into Idaho, enroute to West Yellowstone. Tourist traffic is way down this season, but it is still a busy park. Had to go back the way we came (south & west) before we could go north to Bozeman, due to major construction on Route 191. Still a very nice drive. Stopped in the town of Ennis (one of those towns where all the roads merge) and Roger needed gas. Not much to choose from, so we had pulled over in a parking lot to wait till the congestion at the only station cleared out. Just as Roger saw his chance, a big truck pulled off the road and right up to the pump! Here we had been sitting for 15 minutes or so, for our rig can't just go to any pump! We did finally get our chance - and the truck driver apologized profusely - for he didn't realize he had cut us off - until he saw Roger pull in behind him, barely off the road. That town definitely needs another station or two!

What a delight to pull into Bozeman, to find a beautiful pool & splash park has been added since our visit in 2002! Stood and watched a little one (about Hayden's caliber) have a ball at the splash park. Sure makes us homesick! Over supper I told Roger we were going to have to create our own homemade splash park at 10900 while the weather is still warm enough.

We can see the 'light at the end', with only 6 more parks left to go! If all goes well, we will land in Billings next Tuesday (8/19), do our last review, and then 'sit' for 6 whole days! That will be our longest 'stay' anywhere, since we were home in May. Friends to catch up with - meetings at the Home Office - and our plans are to head south the morning of the 26th. We plan to take three days enroute to home, stopping in Rapid City to visit more friends, over to Grand Island, NE and then straight south to OKC from there! We can't wait! Home before Labor Day!

Oh, & I almost forgot! We finally found the REAL DEAL - and it is Wilcoxson's Huckleberry ice cream! Out of this world!

Made It To Montana!

Rolling, rolling, rolling . . . keep this fifth wheel rolling! Isnt' there a song that goes something like that?

Since I last wrote, we have finished up our Washington coast visits, caught the last one in Astoria, OR, survived the Seattle traffic, been buried in the southeastern hills of the Blue Mountains, trekked through Spokane . . . and are now in Montana!

Bay Center, WA - a great little park off the beaten path, but right in the heart of 'clamming' country. This is the first park we've found that actually rents out 'clamming rakes'. They also have a neat pathway right out to the coast, which turns into 'mud flats' when the tide is out. Perfect for clamming! Thought we would never get here over the ever winding Highway 101 - but it was better than facing Seattle traffic.

Illwaco, WA - new owners here, turning a very old, tired park around. Found a newly remodeled laundry and did my least favorite chore. They still have some work to do, but they have accomplished so much already.

Astoria, OR - this one was just across the bridge - but what a bridge - over the Columbia River. A very large park, but the staff graciously loaned us a golf cart to do the 'walk-about', which saved us so much time! Reminded us of our campground days, as they had the same log building that we built in OKC - only the bigger version.

Seattle - or bust! Had been dreading this one - not the park - the traffic getting there. Actually, it wasn't quite as bad as we had been told, but it must get that way, for there were digital highway signs that flashed the projected travel time to the towns along the way. The best thing was finding a Sam's Club just a couple of miles from the park and we stocked our freezer to the brim, to hold us till we see Oklahoma again. Roger took time to schedule an oil change for the truck. What should have taken only a couple of hours turned into 4+, for after the truck was finished, he was to stop and pick up a couple of things we couldn't get at Sam's. The drug store I had found on the internet wasn't open yet, then the WalMart that Sylvia (our GPS) sent him to had closed . . . needless to say, it wasn't Roger's day. Guess he had quite a 'tour' of the surrounding area before he finally found a WalMart. I ended up doing the exit review at the campground without him, but it went fine.

A full day of driving to Dayton/Pomeroy/Blue Mountains KOA in southeastern Washington. This is a small conversion park, formerly called "The Last Resort" - which is very aptly named. We drove through miles of wheat fields. It reminded us of western Oklahoma - only with lumps! The wheat fields roll up and down over the hills for miles on end. By the time we reached the park (19 miles off the 'main' road, which is not exactly what we call 'main'! GREAT folks in the middle of their Hawaiian weekend festivities -and we finished our day with a pineapple/coconut ice cream sundae at their evening social.

Felt like we truly had been 'buried' for we had no cell tower for our phones - on either phone - and only strong enough internet to get e-mail in and out.

When we pulled out of The Last Resort, we were directed to take a 'secondary, secondary' road to cut off some miles. The only problem, it was a gravel road - and it went straight up! I swear it felt like the fifth wheel was sliding sideways. The road was very aptly named: Blind Grade Road! It was one of those that is basically one-lane around the curves. Thankfully we only met one car - and he pulled over to let us by! Roger kept saying "No problem!" Maybe it wasn't for him, but it was for me! The road was such a 'washboard' that it nearly bounced our coffee pot off the counter . . . and it is tied down! So glad to get to pavement finally, and we made it on into Spokane without a hitch. Next time though, we'll drive the 19 miles - if I have my way!

Pulled into Spokane about 1:45. When Roger went in to register, the owner indicated he would be free in about 15 minutes and he wanted to do the walk-about with us. Before we even had a chance to get our rig set up, he was at our door. I grabbed my paperwork and off we went on our walk-about. Finished up about 3:30 and headed back to the trailer to do the printed report. Roger threw some pot-pies in the oven for our supper and we met back with him at 6:00 for the exit review. That is the fastest review we've done this season! This guy is so full of energy - and so proud of what he has accomplished - that there was no slowing him down. Another older park that has made some much needed improvements; its been in the family for 30+ years, but the next generation has taken over, bringing new energy & enthusiasm.

Our drive on Tuesday took us through Idaho - where I actually saw a moose! I was gazing out at the scenery as Roger was driving and spotted a small RV park off to the side. Then I realized that the four-legged creature trotting across an open meadow was a young buck moose, complete with antlers. What a thrill! I had given up on seeing a moose - and of all the places - Idaho!

As we approached our destination of Missoula, Montana, we spotted another 'sight' that brought a sparkle to our eyes. . . a Cracker Barrel! Gosh, it's been quite some time since we've seen one of those. We immediately made plans to have breakfast there on one of our mornings in the area.

'Cashing in' on a bit of a bonus from our boss Monday evening, we checked with the staff here at Missoula for their recommendation on a nice place to spend a quiet evening & supper out. Their recommendation was unanimous: Lolo Creek Steakhouse in the nearby town of Lolo. We ran a couple of errands and headed out.

Arriving there about 4:15 (not having lunch & ready for an early supper), only to discover that they didn't open until 5:00. A beautiful log building, with a full front deck, which we put to good use waiting for them to open.

The meal was everything that had been promised! Roger had the steak & seafood special, while I opted for strictly steak - and it was delicious.

Now, for all of you who have known Roger for very long, know that he does not TOUCH any type of dressing on his salad. I just about fainted when he asked what type of 'vinaigrette' they had! He then proceeded to order the house special 'huckleberry'! And went back to the KOA telling the staff how good it was!

He liked it so well, he had them special ordered two bottles of it for him! THIS IS NOT THE MAN I MARRIED! In fact, this rates right up there with seeing Roger's dad eat nacho flavored Doritos (he has been an avowed 'cheese hater' for his entire life!

We were remembered by some of the KOA staff as the 'inspectors' that LOVED huckleberries - from our first visit there in 2002. After this year we will always wear that title. In 2002 we brought home a gallon of huckleberry topping; this year we picked up 4 gallons. Roger has all kinds of plans to make homemade ice cream, slushies, etc. with them. I'm sure every 'special occasion' will have me making some kind of huckleberry concoction!

I even have a jar of "Huckleapple Butter" tucked away for the first special breakfast occasion that comes along.

The only thing missing from our time in Montana so far, is that he hasn't found anyone offering huckleberry ice cream yet - but he will. We still have the month of August to find it.

Where's the Heat!?! or Christmas in July!

We had been told by several that our drive from Revelstoke, BC to Hinton, AB would be gorgeous . . . and I'm sure it was! We just couldn't see it for the clouds and SNOW! They say only in Alberta!

We awoke that morning to cool temps and as we enjoyed a pancake breakfast with the owners at Revelstoke, it began to rain - and get cooler. The owners here are South Korean. Although Mom & Dad are the financial backers, the son & daughter-in-law (Sung & Lily) manage the park. After our meeting, Sung loaned Roger an umbrella to go get the rig, while I waited (nice & dry) in the store.

And the day did start out beautiful. We made our way towards Lake Louise and then turned north. Right at the start of our trek north a Big Horn sheep darted across the road in front of us. Know they are sure-footed, thankfully, for it bounded over the road barrier on to a hill that, I know, went straight down! It happened so fast! I knew it wasn't a deer, but it didn't have the 'big horns' - but (I'm told) that's because it was a female.

As we drove, the temperatures continued to take a downhill spiral. Wasn't long before Roger said, "I do believe that is snow hitting the windshield!" Sure enough! It didn't last long, but the clouds were hanging so low, we couldn't see the mountains. Driving on, and then it began to snow again . . . this time harder! Now, folks, this is JULY 10th! We passed several 'pull-over' areas, but what was the use? We couldn't see anything! So we kept driving. We saw signs about glacier activity, but it was so cold - and we were in shorts & capris & sandals - that we decided we would just add this to the list to do 'next year'. . . and kept driving. The snow continued to 'come & go' but by the time we passed Ice Center, it was coming down so heavy it was accumulating and the temp was showing 31 degrees! It was beautiful, though!

Finally, I had to stop for a much needed bathroom break. I asked Roger to stop at the next 'level' wide spot in the road, cause I couldn't put it off any longer. He saw a spot ahead, and there was a car & some bicyclers already there. We pulled over, and had hardly got stopped, when one of the young women came running up to the truck. I rolled down the window and she said, "Could we please get a ride on in to Jasper? We are freezing!" Although we are not supposed to take on riders, we could not say "No" to these folks. They were so grateful that we had stopped, that we didn't have the heart to tell them that we really had just stopped for a bathroom break! Seems the car had stopped to help, but 4 people and 4 bikes would not even begin to fit in the car. So the guys got three of the bikes in the back of the truck and one in the fifth wheel. One couple rode in the car and the other couple climbed in our back seat. What a delightful afternoon it made as we drove the 60 miles or so on in to Jasper.

We even had some lukewarm coffee left in the Thermos to share - and we cranked up the heat, to help them thaw out. They were two young adventursome couples that had taken a week off to bike the Canadian Rockies. The snow had definitely NOT been in the weather forecast. They had camped out just north of Ice Center the night before and had awoken to snow on their tent. They made the attempt to ride out of it, but after three flats on the bikes, they were frozen and the girls had made the decision that it was time to call a halt to this 'adventure!' It was time to ask for help - and they couldn't thank the 'big yellow truck' enough for rescuing them!

They filled us in on all kinds of info about the area, and we will definitely make it a must if we make it back here next year - hopefully in better weather. When we dropped them off in Jasper, they even wanted to get a picture of their 'rescuers', complete with the rig. Just mark that up to some good 'ol KOA public relations!

One of the things we noticed as we drove was how 'milky' the water looked - almost a seafoam green. Our new friends told us that was due to it being water from a glacier - it pick up a lot of silt, etc. that makes it that way. They then told us to watch for a spot just outside of Jasper where two streams join - one glacier fed and one a spring fed. It is neat to see the waters meet and the spring water is so clear, while the glacier stream is so murky that there is a definite 'line' where they meet. And sure enough we spotted it as we finished our drive on in to Hinton, AB.

Thankfully we had scheduled a day off in Hinton, and that day (for me anyway) was spent sleeping. Roger claims I had 3 or 4 naps . . . I wasn't counting! It just felt good to rest.

A beautiful park here - full to the brim - and an easy review to do. Sunday (7/13) found us trekking west, back in to Briish Columbia to the Clearwater/Wells Gray area. Another good bit of driving, but today was THE day - as Roger finally got to see his black bear.

Trucking along, when a bear lumbered out in to the road. Roger & I both saw it at the same time, and Roger begin to slow down. The bear spotted us and picked up his pace to get across the road. No time for pictures, but it was still a thrill, as this was the first bear we have seen in all our travels.

No time this year for sightseeing here in the Wells Gray area, but we'll add it to the list of places to come back too. New owners here and we enjoyed a delicious full breakfast in their restaurant before hitting the road, headed south to Sicamous, BC.

Sicamous is in lake country - it is the "house boat capital' of BC. We got to 'connect' again with one of the other FSR teams, but only for a very few minutes. They were leaving Sicamous as we arrived.

Monday found us headed south again - back to the good 'ol US of A. But, turned out, we had many mountains to cross before we got there! Looking at the map, I decided we should head south a bit then take an 'freeway' to yet another 'freeway' that would land us just north of the Lynden, WA KOA. What I didn't know was that these 'freeways' took us - basically - straight up - and straight down. Don't know if it was my 'tired' catching up - or just what - but before the end of the day, I was in tears. It might be ok if we were just in a car, but knowing that we have 15,000 lbs plus 'pushing' us down those mountains, scared me to tears. So glad that is behind us.

I've complained about the mountains we've had to drive here in the US, but they are NOTHING compared to those. Unreal! And to 'add' to the excitement, as we pulled through the toll booth, we saw two RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) standing by a car that was in the ditch. The 'unsettling' thing, was that they were getting rifles out of their trunk as we passed. Then just a ways down the road, we had to go through a 'road block' and were stopped and questioned by the police. Seems there was some kind of 'man hunt' going on. Since we hadn't made any stops since the toll both, they passed us on through.

Finally we found our turn off to the border. Everyone seemed so friendly, but, as luck would have it, we got the 'greenhorn' border patrol. After consulting with the border officer in the next booth over, he directed us to "pull over and go inside". OK. The guy inside explains that we now have to 'pay' a fee to cross in to the US, since we are 'commercial'. I smiled sweetly - (really) - and said, "You know, I just have to say, that we've been crossing the border for the past 6 years and NEVER have we been charged a 'fee'!" His answer to that was, "Well, you just got lucky!

Not that it has to come out of our pocket - the company would pay it - it's just the principal of it all! I got in one parting comment, that it is not like we are transporting goods - it's just 'paperwork' we do! He consulted with his supervisor, and, once again, we were told we were free to go.

Still doing a review a day, we worked our way down the Washington coast (Lynden, Burlington & Concrete). Friday, July 18th, was another travel day, but this time it included a ferry ride from Coupeville to Port Townsend. The ferry cost us about $60, but well worth it, when it saved us from having to drive completely around Seattle - many miles and much traffic. Once we hit dry land at Port Townsend, it was a short drive over to Port Angeles, where we will actually get to park the rig for three nights.

Although the rig gets to sit still, we don't. Up early to catch the 7:15 shuttle from the KOA to the Victoria Express walk-on ferry to Vancouver Island. It was packed, but the hour-long ride was fairly smooth. Had to cross the Canadian border - again - but this time we were not in yellow shirts and not in our yellow rig. Told them we were just coming over for the day to 'visit friends'; true, we hadn't 'met' these friends just yet - but every KOA owner is a friend!

Picked up our rental car, stopped for a bite of breakfast and then 'attempted' to find our way out of Victoria. On our second try, we found TransCanada Highway 1 and headed out to the KOA. Pretty little park here - and, indeed, new friends. Spent the day with them doing the review, then headed back in time to stop for a leisurely supper, before turning in the rental car and catching the ferry back across to Port Angeles. This time the crossing was not as smooth, and when we hit the tidal swells, my Dramamine 'jumped ship'. I was a bit 'green' by the time we hit dry land again and so ready to be back to the rig. Think it took me all of about 30 minutes to get in my night gown & recliner. Roger woke me up about 11:00 to go to bed.

Then yesterday (Sunday, July 20) we slept in and 'vegged' the morning away. Got around and did our walk-about later in the afternoon. Not a full day 'off' but almost. This morning we will meet with these folks about 9:00 and then drive 5 hours down the coast to Bay Center.

The days are beautiful, the nights cool enough that the heater is running once again. That's the Washington coast for you!

Four Months Finished . . . Two to Go!

We had an uneventful 4th of July - but nice. We took that drive from Yakima down to Richland. We had thought we would do a bit of 'furniture shopping' but everything was closed up. These towns are definitely NOT Oklahoma City with Mathis Bros!

Ended up at Sacajawea State Park - a beautiful area - where the Columbia & Snake Rivers meet. We found a small museum open and had a nice chat with the volunteers & a park ranger. We were really looking for directions to the Ice Harbor Lock & Dam; we got that and much more. We spent some time in the museum and strolling around. It is rather sobering to realize that you are actually standing on land were Lewis & Clark once camped.

We then trekked on to the lock & dam and it was just as I remembered it - only we could not get down to the ladders as I had back in 1967. In talking to the locals, we can thank "9/11" for that. Roger got some shots, but 41 years has taken its toll on the salmon population. There are all types of programs afoot to remedy that now - forty-one years too late.

Drove back to Yakima and found our supper a bit 'overcooked'. I had left a pork loin on low in the oven, but something went wrong. Guess I didn't have it wrapped good enough and all the liquid cooked out. But - gravy will 'save' anything, so I whipped up a bit and salvaged supper. As 10:00 p.m. rolled around we broke out the lawn chairs and walked over to the dike separating the campground from the Yakima River. We had the 'best seat in the house' for a really nice 30 minute fireworks show the City of Yakima put on at the fairgrounds, just 2 miles away.

Saturday was another gorgeous day, and we tried our luck at furniture shopping again. Not but two stores in the Yakima area that carried Lazy Boy recliners (BOTH the chairs in the fifth wheel are completely broke down!). Our first stop I found - and fell in love with - a gorgeous red leather one. Of course, my 'champagne taste' on a 'beer budget' always gets me. We cussed & discussed, Roger did some 'bargaining' - and we still decided to run our other errands and 'think on it'. And, as always, after letting the 'moment' age a bit, a cooler head prevailed and we decided to look further.

The second store had MUCH better prices, but not near the selection. But, we decided that - for now - Roger could be happy with a dark brown leather (at half the price) and I'll get my red leather another day. It is SO NICE to once again have a comfortable chair to relax in. Basically Roger gets it in the evenings - and I claim it in the mornings before we start our day.

Found a Super Cuts and I got a needed trim, while Roger picked up some printer ink cartridges and tried to find a supply of Diet Coke. Funny, in the North East we always had trouble finding my Diet DP, but out west it is the Diet Coke that is tough to find. Never did find it in Yakima.

Sunday afternoon found the campground a bit of a 'ghost town' with the holiday weekend coming to an end. We put on our yellow shirts and went back to work. Turned out to be a bit of 'an exercise in futility' for we learned the campground is to be closed in mid-September. The Bureau of Land Management has purchased it. It will be 'returned to its natural state' and then used to widen the Yakima River as part of a flood control plan. What a waste - but the owner basically had only two options: take their buy-out offer OR they would 'take' it. At least they feel they got a 'fair offer' and they are ready to retire anyways.

Monday found us trekking north to Leavenworth, WA. Off the beaten path, but what a lovely area. Nice visit there and then it was on to Winthrop, WA. Another gorgeous park with great folks. Wish every park was as good as these two.

But, now it's time once again to cross the border into Canada. We have been hassled so many times when crossing the border, that we have really come to dread it. It shouldn't be that way, but we weren't surprised when we, once again, were asked to pull over and check in with the 'officer in charge'. We were in our 'yellow' and we clearly stated the purpose of our visit. When that was not satisfactory, Roger stated that the border patrol officer in Ontario had told us that as representatives of the franchisor (KOA), that we had the right to come in to Canada to inspect our franchisees.

BUT, this guy didn't like our use of the word "right"! So we got to stand and listen to this guy lecture us that "we didn't have any right to come in to Canada - it was a privilege! When asked exactly what we 'did' during an inspection, Roger then made the almost fatal mistake of saying that 'we do everything from check water temperature to GFI outlets'! Wrong thing to say! The border officer then stated that if he 'really wanted to' he could refuse to let us enter Canada, for in doing 'actual work' we were taking jobs away from Canadians. At that point, I was ready to say, "Ok, fine . . . we'll just turn around, call the Home Office, and let them send someone else in to do these visits! That's four less parks for us to have to do - and a week earlier we could be back in Oklahoma!"

He then told us to sit down, he was going to 'run some checks'. About that time, I noticed his supervisor walk over, they had a bit of a conversation, and he decided that 'he would let us in THIS time!' How nice of him! So we surrendered our one onion and half bag of potatoes, and we were allowed to go.

And, believe it or not, he tried to tell us that we were pulled over due to a 'random' selection! Do they really believe themselves!?! I might believe it if we weren't grilled EVERY TIME we cross the border.

I told Roger that they just must not like his looks! Whatever it is, it is NOT random!

Continued on to Revelstoke, BC. We were traveling Highway 97, and what a mistake. Much to our surprise, it was almost solid 'towns' from the border until we got about an hour from Revelstoke. It was a beautiful drive, but so much "stop & go" that it took us almost 8 hours to go 298 miles. We even got a call from the campground, as they were getting worried about our late arrival.

Once we got there, we had a 2-hour walk-about to do, for this is a large park. Had to get it done before dark, so we parked the rig, threw some chicken pot pies in the oven, and got started. Sat down to supper about 8:45 p.m. (so much for eating early) and then about 9:30 there was a knock on the door. Our hosts were feeling so sorry for us, that they brought us ice cream bars for dessert, since we had missed their ice cream social.

At least the weather was unseasonably cool. Up till midnight getting the report done and we met with them over breakfast the next morning. Thursday (July 10) dawned gray & cold, and by 10:00 a.m. it was pouring rain. Another long days drive ahead, as we trek along the Canadian Rockies to Hinton, Alberta.

So much for being hot!

We Finally Found the Heat. . . and It's HOT!

I've been complaining all spring long about being cold, but not any more! Our time on the Oregon coast came to an end, (where we were experiencing temps in the high 50's & low 60's) and we headed 'inland' - just 100 miles or so - to Salem. The temperature that day hit a 101 degrees - and it was 99 degrees in our fifth wheel!

We melted! It was so hot that we postponed doing our walk-about until 8:30 that evening, but it didn't help much. That was much too drastic a change in a 24 hour period. But it looks like the heat is here to stay. Thankfully, we only had the one day of 100+; after that it has just been in the 90's.

In spite of the heat, as we drove from I-5 over the Cascade Mountains to Sisters, Oregon, we once again traveled through the mountain tops with snow all around us. A special 'treat' was coming 'face to face' with a pair of fawns standing in the middle of the road. One can only imagine what they must have thought to see a 'big yellow monster' bearing down on them. We were going slow, anyways, and after a moment of 'deer in the headlights' they bounded up the mountain. They were so young that they still had their spots.

It is just hard to comprehend how it can be so hot in the valley and so cool in the mountains that all of the snow hasn't melted.

A night in Sisters, then up and over a bit to Culver, Oregon, before we crossed the Columbia River and set foot for the first time in Washington. Still lots of mountains, as we made our way to the Ellensburg KOA. Drove right by the Yakima KOA on our way, but we'll be back there to spend the holiday weekend. We didn't want to 'waste' a day (that's one more park DONE) - so we drove on 40 miles north and got the review done at Ellensburg.

On the way through Yakima, we made a supply run at the local WalMart. Now we have shopped our share of WalMarts, but NEVER have we ever seen one as busy as this one. The parking lot was so full, that there wasn't a spot - (spots, actually) - for our fifth wheel. Luckily we found street parking behind a semi. I'm sure it was partly because it was the 'first' of the month - and the holiday weekend.

This morning we dropped back down the 40 miles and are settled in for the long weekend at the Yakima KOA. Wasn't sure just what we'd find here, but was pleasantly surprised to find two fishing ponds - and the Yakima River. Roger just might get some fishing in! As we drove in to the entrance I noticed 'something' sticking up in the pond. I was trying to figure out just what it was, when I realized I was 'observing' the tail ends of several ducks! They were 'ducking' their heads in the water, feeding, and all I was seeing was their tails sticking up in the air!

In fact, once we got settled in to our site, we discovered a mother duck nesting on some eggs in one of the flower barrels near our site. She sits so still that from a distance she looked like a statue. We would never have noticed her, had the owner not told us about her.

Roger had quite a time getting his satellite TV dish set up. Wouldn't you know that the one spot I picked to 'sit' for 4 days - he would have trouble shooting through the trees! After an hour+ and a good bump on the head when he hit one of the slide outs, he got it. When it comes to his TV reception, he NEVER gives up.

Think we'll do a bit of sightseeing over the weekend. Plan to drive over to Ice Harbor Dam to see the 'fish ladders'. I saw them back in the 60's on a trip with my folks - and have never forgotten them. Hopefully we'll find a fireworks display in the area.

But for now, we are out of our yellow shirts! Now if we could just loose the yellow truck & trailer for the next 3 days!

The Many Faces of the Oregon Coast

Wow, the days are going by in a blur! This year it
is definitely more 'work' and not much 'play'!

But we can't 'waste' being on the Oregon coast, and took time to see four of the 11 lighthouses. We actually saw two others, but the timing wasn't right (towing a 38' fifth wheel) to pull over and take pictures. School is finally out here in the Northwest, and traffic is picking up in the tourist areas. But that's OK - we know where they are now and will catch them next season.
Our first KOA on the Oregon coast was Oregon Dunes. This park would be the 'favorite' of Randy, Wes & Nick - for it is right in the middle of the Oregon Dunes National Recreational Area and the park caters to 'off-road vehicle' enthusiasts. Miles and miles of sand dunes; so many that they look like little ants swarming over the dunes. Just south of that park, we found the Cape Arago Lighthouse. The light is the hardest to get a picture of, for you can not get close. The above picture is actually 'cropped and zoomed' - but you can still get a feel for the beautiful rocky coastline.


Then it was north a bit to the Umpqua River Light. Along this part of the coast, the sand dunes have flattened out a bit, but you could still here the 'buzz' of the dune buggies as you gaze out to sea.


Then a drive south to the Bandon/Port Orford area, where we find a KOA that is indeed situated right in the middle of an enchanted forest. Beautiful area! A small park, in great condition, and we unhooked and spent the afternoon driving further south to Gold Coast. A beautiful drive! This area is famous for myrtlewood and there are many shops along the drive selling everything you can imagine made from myrtlewood. This wood is mentioned in the Bible (Isaiah 55:13) and it only grows in southwestern Oregon and in Jerusalem. It is actually a type of evergreen.

Recommended by the KOA, we stopped at a little shop and spent a time getting a 'tour' and chatting with the owner. It is actually 'home' for four artisans and although it doesn't look like much from the outside, it was a 'gold mine' inside with all the beautiful art work. This was not your 'usual' souvenir shop! I found - and was fascinated - by some beautiful baskets (that's my weakness!) woven of pine needles. We saw huge slabs of wood with beautiful carvings of all types of animals. Exquisite work, but very much out of our price range. But the little proprietor was so patient - and quite a story teller - that we thoroughly enjoyed our time, without spending a penny.

Cape Blanco is just a few miles from the KOA. A beautiful light - the view is spectacular - and the wind is ferocious!


Just one night there and then we head back north all the way to Lincoln City. We made a stop just north of Bandon at the Coquille River Light.


Along this stretch the coast 'changes' once again. I would LOVE to have a few pieces of this driftwood, but Roger wasn't thrilled with the idea of transporting it for the next 2 months!










Our drive north was beautiful - but long. With all the little towns full of tourists and the up and down and side to side roads, our 175 mile trip took the best part of the day. Another park in great shape and our 'find' there was Mel's Diner - right on the park. We 'made a date' for breakfast (it was delicious!) and then we headed back south a bit to the Waldport/Newport area.

Wow! this park sits right on the bay - what a view! The wind was still with us, but the views made it all worthwhile.

Columbia, Oh, Columbia!

On Thursday (6/19), we crossed the border into Oregon - and lost an hour again! We had two nights in Pendleton - home of the Pendleton Wool mill - where they make those famous blankets. A nice little park here - one that is new to the KOA system.

Getting to stop for 2 nights is something of a treat for us. And to make it even better, we got to meet up with one of our other teams for a late lunch on Friday. It's not often that Pendleton, OR is the perfect meeting place where folks from Oklahoma and New Hampshire meet up! But here we were in Pendleton - and they were traveling from Pomeroy, WA - on their way to Mountain Home, ID. We hadn't seen them since last fall in Phoenix, so we had a lot to catch up on. Thankfully, it was mid-afternoon - so the waitress was very patient & understanding. We talked so long that by the time we ordered our meals, she told us we could have lunch OR dinner! Roger & I definitely got the good end of the deal, for they still had to drive on to Mountain Home - about 250 miles - and they lost an hour when they crossed over into Idaho. All we had to do was drive back to the campground and crash for the evening.

But it was back on the road again this morning. The highway took us about 150 miles straight west to Cascade Locks. We followed the mighty Columbia River that divides Oregon & Washington. The further west we got, the more beautiful it got. Just as we were approaching The Dalles, we found a wide spot in the road and pulled over. As always, I needed a bathroom break - but we got an added bonus with getting a bit to stop and admire the view of Mt. Hood. Roger grabbed the camera and got the mountain - and The Dalles dam - all in one picture.

Train tracks run along side the highway - on both the Oregon & Washington sides. This is a major east/west train route, and I'm sure we will be reminded of it often tonight, as the campground sits right next to the tracks. Right now it's kind of charming to hear the trains, but we will most likely find it not so charming by morning!

Idaho Almost Behind Us . . . On To Oregon!

With the pace we are keeping this year, our 'voyage' up and through Idaho didn't take long. Since my last writing from Glendale, Utah, we journeyed north to Moab, Utah - home of the Arches National Park. This is still area we covered during our first year with KOA in 2002.

Moab is also where Russ & Randy spent some time back in 1996 building cabins. I'm happy to report the kabins are still in fine shape! In 2002, the park was being visited by a sand storm; this time the weather was much more cooperative.

But, before we made it to the KOA that day, we had our second 'blow out' of the season. Took another hunk of fiberglass & metal out of the fifth wheel skirting, as well as costing us our sewer hose & connectors. Thankfully it didn't knock a hole in any of our holding tanks! I mentioned to Roger as he was 'doing his thing under the trailer' - that at least we had the good fortune to be broke down in the middle of some very beautiful country - this time! We were also able to pull off at a very wide spot in the road, so it wasn't near as nerve-wracking as the first time! A Utah highway patrolman actually stopped to check on us. He stood and watched Roger rigging up the jack, made the comment that Roger certainly had the tools to handle it, and then left him to it!

Made it into the KOA, where we were greeted warmly by the owners. Very nice park - as desert parks go. We're just not big desert fans - but still have to admit, the red rock formations are beautiful. Called first thing the next morning and found the local tire dealer had our tire in stock, so Roger made a quick trip into town to get a new one, before we hit the road headed to Vernal/Dinosaurland KOA. No north/south interstates to be found in the eastern part of the state, and it seemed like we were going UP the whole day. No traffic to speak of, and that is one thing Roger is enjoying about this season. Much less traffic than the East Coast!

Got a bit turned around, missed a sign, but finally made it to the KOA. Despite my 'pledge' not to weight the trailer down with 'goodies' from the KOA stores this year, I'm finding that I can't resist a few special 'Christmas' gifts. So many of the KOAs are really turning their stores in to very nice gift shops, with some unusual gift items! Roger always 'gripes', but hands me his wallet!

Then it was on to Flaming Gorge, right on the Utah/Wyoming border. We got there and Roger was setting up his DirecTV when we got hit with a 'micro burst' of wind. The area had been having them all morning. THAT was a new experience! Another beautiful park and an easy review to write. The owner is a very nice lady that we have known over the years, but has been going though some frustrating times. She was 'wound up' and we just settled in to let her get it off her chest. Two hours later, she hugged us and said our visit was better than any 'high dollar therapy session!' No two visits are the same.

Back on the road . . .still climbing . . . to Bear Lake, UT, which is right on the Utah/Idaho border. This is another gorgeous area - the lake water is an awesome aqua color that is undescribable! We've never seen anything quite like it! One minute you say the water is blue, the next green . . .gorgeous! It is a BIG summer recreation area, especially since it is not too far from Salt Lake City. The folks have done an awesome job here! We were even offered the use of the 'Super Site', complete with it's own private hot tub. Just might have taken them up on that, but we happened to arrive on the worst day (weather wise!) of the year! The wind was blowing 50-60 miles an hour, it was COLD, misty rain . . . just plain miserable! We opted to unhook and do most of our walk-about in the big yellow truck! In fact, the morning before we got there, they had two inches of snow! Now this is JUNE, for goodness sakes! Thankfully not many write-ups and we were able to get this one done in short order. The forecasters were calling for night time temps in the 20's, but thankfully they were wrong. Think it only made it down in the high 30's, for our water didn't freeze! I DID NOT SIGN ON FOR THIS KIND OF WEATHER IN JUNE!

Next stop, Montpelier Creek, Idaho - one of our favorite parks. It's a small park, but such a gorgeous natual setting, with a trout stream running through it. Really nice new owners here, and we were invited to join them and their work kampers for pizza after we completed the review. The weather was improving, but still cold enough to require a jacket for the walk-about. But by the time we left the next day, the forecast was for the 70's . . . and the sun was shining.

On to Pocatello . . . and a bit of a break for us. This is very much a 'metro' park, sitting behind a gas station/convenience store. Not much for 'atmosphere' but with the Father's Day weekend ahead of us, we have to 'hole up' somewhere. Knocked the review out on Friday as soon as we arrived, then went out to supper with the folks to "ButterBurrs". Little place where they make their food from 'scratch' and bake their own breads and pies. Roger 'frogged his sides' on a double portion of chicken fried steak; I had the same, but the 'half' portion. Their home-made bread sticks are the equivilant of about 2 hot rolls! And then I finished it off with a slice of their 'secret recipe' oatmeal pie! Yummy! Roger stuck to his old tried and true - chocolate cream pie.

It is rather ironic - in 2002 we did their first review as KOA owners at this park - and now in 2008 we did their final one. The park is selling and the new owners will take over within the week. These folks are ready to retire and just spend time enjoying their grandkids - and their cabin in the mountains. We wish them well.

So, for the weekend we 'holed up' in earnest. Roger spoiled me Saturday morning and walked up to their breakfast tent and brought me breakfast. I'm not one for 'breakfast in bed', but I did enjoy 'breakfast in my recliner!'. I did manage to get dressed that day, but never set foot outside the trailer. Then Sunday came, and we both ended up wasting the entire day. We were the ultimate description of 'couch potatoes', and neither one of us stuck our heads out! The US Open golf tournament was on and we both really got into watching it. Tiger Woods truly makes golf fun to watch! Now some folks would think two days of 'nothing' is boring, but when you roll every day like we do, doing NOTHING is pure luxury. I wouldn't want a steady diet of it though.

With our batteries fully recharged, we headed north to Craters of the Moon/Arco, ID. This is the first city in the world that was lit with atomic power! Never knew it existed before we had a KOA here! It was a good thing we were rested, for we arrived at the park just before noon. The folks came over to the KOA rig and sat and visited with us until Tiger won, did the walk-about with us, and then took us to supper. It was non-stop from 1:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m.! Think that broke a record! Very nice folks, have put a lot of work into this park and are anxious to make it work. That was just a bit too much togetherness for me.

The next morning our drive south to Twin Falls, ID took us through the Craters of the Moon national park. Wes & Nick would love this! It is a HUGE area, lava rock everywhere. It's easy to understand how it got its name.

From cold to HOT! Temps are in the 90's as we did this walk-about, and although we try to avoid using the A/C, we gave up when the inside of our trailer hit 91 degrees. We LOVE these parks that are in such great shape, and we had a great visit with the owners as they treated us to dinner at their Outback Cafe - a set up much like we had at our park. A girl could get plumb spoiled out here with all these generous owners!

In fact, it's time to wake up Roger and hit the shower. They have insisted we join them for breakfast before we break camp and head up the road for our last Idaho KOA - Mountain Home.

Then it's on to Oregon!