Wednesday, September 12, 2018: This is the last day of preparation before leaving "home base" tomorrow. The weather forecast was for 20% chance of rain. Instead, we got a full on thunderstorm with heavy rain for about 2 hours, so a surprise. I can only hope the rest of Oregon was getting this heavy rain too due to the wildfire danger. Yes, that is a young buck on the hill watching me as I climb to take the photo.

What got done today. The Spectrum cable TV equipment for TV and Internet was returned to the store in Roseburg. Cash was given to the lady who takes care of our mail. Cash was given to the office staff to cover our electric bill (we have an anti-mildew system which requires a small amount of electricity). Last minute grocery items purchased. All final items moved to Miss Dory like the tooth brushes, vitamins and computers. Water turned off and drained from all lines. Propane turned off. Just need to load the kayaks and head out tomorrow morning.

Tuesday, September 11, 2018: The list of jobs today were to string trim the weeds until the string trimmer was out of gas. I don't want to leave any fuel in the carburetor over the winter. I did the same with the pressure washer. Next, I moved the table and chairs into the storage shed. Next, begin moving items from "home base" into Miss Dory. The refrigerator is filling and the cabinets are getting full. Gwen has made a new quilt for Miss Dory. I have put together the equipment I need to assemble the clock kit I built for Joe and several other clock kits I purchased. Everything fits into two cases, the problem is, I have no space to put the two cases so I figure I'll carry them inside then store under Miss Dory or in the electrical hatch since the cord will be removed. Click the food photo to see a full cabinet.

Sunday, September 9, 2018: I do intend to do some camping, either backpacking or kayak camping. Fortunately I keep all my backpack gear in one location so it did not take long to locate everything I needed. What did take time was packing the gear then finding a location in the motorhome to store it.

We seem to attract stray dogs. This is the second time for this big boy to visit us. His tag shows he came from the local pet rescue. It also shows a number for this pet so I called the pet rescue and they promised to call the owner and have the owner pick up the pet. I asked the pet rescue to call me to let me know what they learned. They didn't call and neither did the owner. At dusk, the dog asked to go home so away he went. That was a couple days ago. Today, he returned looking for a cool place to stay. He stayed around for several hours but now he has disappeared again. He could use a bath and a visit to the vet. Perhaps the vet visit is the reason the owner did not call, he hopes the dog will disappear so he doesn't have to pay for a vet. If he returns tomorrow I may try to return him to the pet rescue.

Friday, September 7, 2018: I'm switching today from building clocks to beginning the duties before leaving the area to go south. So the main task today was to use a new product to clean the skirt which surrounds the fifth wheel. The skirt was installed in 2015 so it has been three years since installed. During that time some mold and mildew has grown on the skirt in the areas that never see the sun. This product promises to clean the skirt in 30 seconds and is easy to apply. I sprayed the entire circumference of the trailer. The product worked well but not exactly in 30 seconds. When you read the instructions it is suggested to use a brush "if needed". In this case, the brush was needed for most of the skirt but it worked quickly. The skirt looks new again.

Thursday, September 6, 2018: All clock assembly has been completed so I have been spending my time trying to get the clock movement working. I was successful to have it run for 3 minutes which is the current record. Unlocking the top gear allows all the gears to run smoothly as the weight descends. But for some reason, the pendulum slows then stops. I've made a video to help see the movement parts as they are running. Perhaps this will help to discover why I can't get it to run more than 3 minutes. Actually, running for 3 minutes is an encouragement to me. The materials of this kit have been superior so I suspect there is some simple reason I can't keep the clock movement running.

Wednesday, September 5, 2018: The project is continuing, the final assembly has begun. I've hung the clock on the side of the storage building to begin fine tuning. Apparently the angle the clock hangs must be within a fraction of a millimeter for it to "beat" correctly. Now is when the clock should be working but the pendulum does not continue to swing. I've tried all the adjustments suggested in the instructions but still not successful. I'm leaving it until tomorrow. Click the photo for the wall mount photo. No, the clock face and hands have not been added yet.

Monday, September 3, 2018: These are the laser cut sheets of wood clock parts for the clock kit I bought for my son Joe. Joe is having a new house built and I want a unique house warming gift for the new house. I worked all day on the assembly of the parts and I think I am about half finished. Click this photo to see my progress. I'm learning as I assembly the specialty tools I need like the small wooden hammer I built, the set of drill bits to use the bit shafts to assemble drilled parts, all the spring clamps to hold parts while the glue dries, small screw drivers, ice cream sticks to apply glue plus sand paper. I sprayed the sheets with a clear finish before beginning assembly. This may not have been the greatest idea since the finish will keep the wood glue from working well. I have been sanding the parts which must glue together so we will learn if the initial spray has saved time or cost time. So far, the assembly has been straight forward and only delayed when I must make a special tool (like the wood mallet) or waiting for the glue to dry since I don't have enough spring clamps. This kit comes from Wisconsin and the quality looks to be superior to the smaller kits I bought.

Friday, August 31, 2018: They arrived today. The wooden clock kits I ordered for our time in Ehrenburg, Arizona have arrived today. I don't dare open the boxes, but they appear to be as nice as I had hoped. The sign on one of the boxes showed the skill level to be "Expert" has me worried but I must have faith in myself. When I was a kid I assembled over 30 plastic model ships and planes from Revell kits, surely I can do this too. I am waiting for the delivery of another very special clock kit. My son Joe is having a house built and I have found a very special wood clock kit made in Wisconsin for a house warming gift. That one really needs to be completed before leaving Sutherlin so I will get the practice on his kit first. It promises to be a very special kit, premium quality, made in the USA. The other kits are made in China and in Canada. Click the photo for a larger view.

Thursday, August 30, 2018: Gwen and I are planning ahead for our time in Arizona. Gwen likes to work on jigsaw puzzles but finds it difficult because we have no dedicated place for her to work on a puzzle. So we came up with the idea of a large tray to assemble the puzzle and large enough to scatter the pieces around the tray too. Of course the tray needs a rim to contain the pieces so that is what I did today. I found the perfect base then trimmed the sides to fit. I used glue and my pneumatic staple gun to affix the sides. Click the photo for a view of the finished tray.

One of my plans for Arizona is to build a few wooden clocks from kits. To do that I need a tray similar to the one I made for Gwen to keep the pieces to the kits. So I built a second tray which will work well to keep my kits pieces safe before the assembly.

Saturday, August 25, 2018: Gary, Jeanne, Gwen and I traveled to Tillamook for the "Farmer's Market" which was well attended. We found good produce, crafts and games for the kids to play. They also had a two piece band playing a variety of tunes and the drummer sounded just like Willy Nelson.

We left the farmer's market and traveled to Bay City, about five miles to the north, for the Bay City Pearl Music Festival. Bay City combined the music with a "Rummage Sale" which included new item, craft items and used items. Click the photo to see the music group playing while we visited the festival. They sang out of tune but were having fun and had a good beat coming from the bass fiddle so enjoyable to listen to.

This is our last day in Tillamook, heading back to Sutherlin tomorrow for a dentist appointment on Monday morning.

Friday, August 24, 2018: We visited a wonderful nursery with an attached cafe today. We probably spent an hour wandering the plant displays, water sculptures and unique decorations for plants and houses. Then we had a nice lunch with fresh items from their greenhouses. Before our lunchtime adventure we hiked to Munson Creek Falls, the highest falls of the coast range. This area reminded me of the Hoh Rainforest with the thick vegetation, moss and dirt paths. This was a relatively easy hike. It is popular with a busy parking area and a number of hikers on the trail. Click the photo for a view of Gwen and Jeanne looking at the strange root pattern of a large confer. The falls drops 266 feet. The most spectacular time must be in the spring or after a serious rain storm.

Wednesday, August 22, 2018: We took this day to visit two cheese factories, a meat smoking shop, a quilt museum, a gift shop and two grocery stores. The first was the Tillamook Cheese Factory and their new visitor center. You can never see to much cheese. We chose to have lunch at the Blue Heron French Cheese Factory where Gwen specifically wanted to get a special mustard made for Blue Heron. Gwen and Jeanne enjoyed the quilt museum while Gary and I petted the goats next door. Click both photos for another view.

Sunday, August 19, 2018: We have done many activities with Lesa during her visit but one of her main reasons for visiting was to learn to make her own frames. We ended up buying a Stanley Miter Box to make an angle joint rather than a butt joint. We also used a table saw to make a rabbet to inset the picture into the frame. The photo at the left shows Lesa's first attempt at frame making. She did her measuring carefully but darn if the rabbet is on the wrong side of the angle. I told her to keep that piece as a template for the right length but re-cut a piece to get the rabbet on the correct side. It took us all weekend to make two frames but the purpose was to learn the skills, not mass produce frames. I made the 90° angle jig for her to make assembly easier.

This was a travel day for Lesa and for us too. Lesa returned to Klamath Falls and we drove to the Elks RV Park in Florence, Oregon to meet up with our friends Gary and Jeanne. We will be traveling together tomorrow to Tillamook, Oregon for some cooler weather plus kayaking.

Tuesday, August 14, 2018: Looking for ways to stay cool on a hot day, Gwen and I went to a movie at Valley River Center in Eugene (the place for several movie locations). Gwen likes action movies and this one had plenty of action. The theater didn't have the cushy chairs like many of the theaters have now but once the action started, it wasn't noticeable. The plot is to save the "current world order" from fanatics who believe a change is needed no matter the cost. The government isn't sure the IMF (Impossible Missions Force) is the right team to save the world so this four person team must fight all odds to prove they are.

Monday, August 13, 2018: Hiking around Armitage park I came across a railroad bridge remade into a walking and bicycling bridge over the McKenzie River. This was part of an asphalt trail along the shore line of the McKenzie. The trail crosses under the bridge then a stairway leads to the top. Note the Osprey next on the top left of the bridge. Gwen and I learned later that it was in use. Yesterday, there were lots of families enjoying the park with parties. There were also lots of rafters and kayaks floating the McKenzie and coming out of the river at this park. Click the photo for another view of the camping area.

Sunday, August 12, 2018: Another travel day from Charleston to Coburg, Oregon near Eugene. This time to a Lane County Park. You can certainly tell when a county has the funds to support its parks and those that don't (meaning Coos County does NOT have the funds). Armitage Park is much better kept with 50 amps of electric service plus was and sewer connection. The voltage meter here reads a solid 115 volts. This park is on the McKenzie River, a beautiful Oregon River coming from high in the Cascade Mountains. Click the photo for a satellite view.

Friday, August 10, 2018: This is a travel day from Sutherlin to Charleston, Oregon for the Bastendorff Beach County Park (Coos County). We chose this park because it was new to us and one of the few we could reserve for two nights so we could attend a guided kayak tour tomorrow. The park advertised 30 amp electric service plus water, no sewer connection. It is a prime location on the shore of the Pacific Ocean west of Coos Bay in the tiny town of Charleston. If you click the photo you will see our parking location. I first parked in the dirt to the left of a very rough and eroded asphalt. I was done setting up with the camp host told me I had to park on the asphalt because they were trying to "save the grass". There was NO grass, only dirt. So I pulled out and backed onto the asphalt but it was so unlevel I turned around and drove in forward. I still had to use my blocks and jacks to get level. I plugged into the 30 amp service and noticed my voltage meter showing only 92 volts so we used the power only to keep the batteries charged. Normally, with 30 amps, we can run the refrigerator and heat water but not this time. The voltage did vary from 88 to 108 all weekend. I was feeling sorrow for those with a residential refrigerator. This was a nice location but I would call it a "campground", not an RV park.

Wednesday, August 8, 2018: Jackie lives just down the street from us in Timber Valley SKP Park. She volunteers for about everything in the park. She owns an older Class B RV van. The scum all over her van reminded me of the scum all over the Alumascape we bought back in 2013. I asked Jackie to deliver her van to me and I would use a pressure washer (the park has one available) to clean van. It does a great job of taking off all the scum. It turned out to be a little more work than I had imagined but the van looked new when I had finished. Click the photo for a view of the van.

Tuesday, August 7, 2018: I took a bit of a hike today and tried some new software I downloaded to my cell phone. The software is designed to give a 3D view of activities. So here is a 3D view of my hike today.

Tuesday August 7: 'Timber Valley Trail'

Thursday, August 2, 2018: About a year ago a stray rock hit our Forester windshield and caused a small chip. I happened to be at my insurance company this week and remembered to mention the chip. The agent set up today's appointment with Novus Glass in Roseburg. Justin is making the repair. There is still a small blip but Novus guarantees the windshield will never crack from that point. Sounds good to me.

Sunday, July 28, 2018: While in Washington we also visited Fort Canby. Fort Canby was one of the three forts built to guard the mouth of the Columbia River. Fort Stevens and Fort Columbia where the other two. Like the three forts guarding Puget Sound, the three forts contains batteries to attack any foreign war ships who might attempt to enter the Columbia. Click these photos for more views.

Saturday, July 27, 2018: Before leaving Cape Disappointment State Park Gwen and I hiked to the Cape Disappointment Lighthouse which overlooks the mouth of the Columbia River. The Columbia River Bar is considered the most dangerous in the United States because of the currents created between the Pacific tides and the Columbia River. The US Coastguard has a lifeboat training station here to train rough water rescue internationally. The lighthouse is not longer used due to the presence of US Coastguard automatic equipment. However, there is a small station at the foot of the lighthouse which has a coastguardsman on duty 24/7 to observe the bar conditions. Click the right photo to learn the guardsman's duties. Gwen and I experienced some steep climbs to get to the lighthouse but the views were worth the climb. Click both photos for more views.

Thursday, July 26, 2018: Gwen and I drove the Long Beach Peninsula looking for oysters and the ocean. This area is advertised as the "longest beach in the world". We were in overcast and fog all day which is much better than the 100+ temperatures at the inland cities. We did walk the city of Long Beach finding mostly tourist shops with trinkets and snack candy plus video game stores and carnival rides. Seemed a little strange after visiting the art galleries and museums in the native American areas and reservations. I was the one looking for the oysters and we found them at the Pickled Fish Restaurant. We had a great view of the beach and ocean from our lunch-time table. Click both photos for more views.

Monday, July 23, 2018: Thank goodness for the Senior Access Pass. Without it, it would have cost $30 for the entrance fee to the Hoh Rain Forest, part of the Olympic National Forest. It was only a 50 minute drive from Forks to the Hoh Visitor Center. Gwen and I did three loop nature trail hikes to see the different parts of the rain forest. The Spruce, Douglas Fir and Hemlock trees were huge. Apparently getting 140 inches of rain each year is good for making big trees. There was also a large number of moss cover Maple trees. The Hoh River comes from melting glacier water from Mt. Olympus deeper in the forest. It was surprising how warm it seemed in the rain forest, we were expecting cooler weather. Click the photos for additional views.

We take a three day, two night trip to Victoria, BC Canada by Black Ball Ferry out of Port Angeles. We left Miss Dory in Evergreen Escapee park and rented a room in the Huntingdon Manor. Our room was called the "Buckingham Suite" and it was nice but not even close to one of the rooms we have experienced at World Mark with son Joe. Our hotel was very close to the inner harbor of Victoria with lots of float plane traffic plus little water taxi boats going all the time. We did about four miles of walking on the first day then 7 miles of walking each day for the next two days. We DID pay for the "Hop-on/Hop-off" bus so got to see much more of the Victoria area. This whole city thrives on tourism and there were lots of pedestrians speaking a multitude of languages everywhere we went. Food is one of the main attractions. There must have been a thousand restaurants. We did our best to enjoy fresh fish every day but found the fish at Fisherman's Wharf to be the best so went there for lunch two days. We also walked through the famous Empress Hotel and Convention Center finding we could easily sit and relax in the many lounge chairs. On the last day we visited the British Columbia Museum with a human and natural history of British Columbia. They also had a special exhibit of Egyptian artifacts and details of Egyptian life. The float on the ferry was ninety minutes each way across open water between the US and Canada. The Coho is 314 feet long but surprisingly, still did a lot of rocking and rolling. We tried to see every store in Victoria but bought only a few items for the grandkids and a couple of items for Miss Dory. The weather was perfect with clear warm days. A short sleeve shirt with shorts was comfortable. Click all the photos for more views. I also made a short video.

Thursday, July 12, 2018: This was kind of a "laid back" day so we took ourselves to a unique movie theater in Port Townsend call "The Rose Theater". Unique because it was showing a artsy movie titled "The Rider" about an injured rodeo cowboy. And unique because it was in a small room on the third floor of a historic building. Unique because it was in the "Starlight Room" with a full menu and alcoholic drinks. Also unique because of the seating style in the theater. The Starlight Room is for adults only because they serve alcohol (not because of the "R" rated movies). The photo at left shows the entrance to the Starlight Room. This is where you order from the menu and beverages. Gwen ordered a wooden bowl of pop corn and soft drinks. The room has floor to ceiling windows which are covered by heavy curtains during the movie. Click the left photo for a view of the outside of the theater. I hope we go again to see another movie before we leave.

Thursday, July 5, 2018: This was a busy day. First, we dropped Miss Dory at the mechanic to replace a rear axle seal. While that was happening we drove to Roseburg where both Gwen and I had medical appointments. After the medical appointments, lunch. Gwen had her nails attended to after lunch while I explored the nearby outdoor store. Then off to Costco where I picked up my new hearing aids. The photo was taken outside the hospital where I had my medical appointment. Landscaping has done a good job with the grounds. Click the photo for another view of outdoor decoration at the hospital.

Tuesday, July 3, 2018: Another day of Chapter 9 activities. Escapee rallies always have FOOD as a central activity and dinner this evening was no different. We have a special family in the park who likes to cook for the crowd. This evening they cooked lasagna for a whole room full of Escapee Chapter 9 members. Click the photo for a view of the room of happy lasagna eaters.

Sunday, July 1, 2018: We have returned to Sutherlin after a week at Clear Lake, Oregon. There is no communication of any kind at Clear Lake which gave us a feeling of "camping". So what do you do without the phone, TV, cell service, Internet. Gwen likes jigsaw puzzles so she assembled three during the week. I DID help a little bit but only a few pieces. We could get satellite radio so we listened to a few old-time radio shows, mostly detective shows. I prefer comedies. So now we are back in Sutherlin, back on the "grid" with Internet service. Go thing, the Wimbledon Tennis match starts tomorrow. Click the left photo for the third puzzle.

Monday, June 25, 2018: This was our last day together. Ray and Lynne are headed to Fort Stevens State Park in Astoria, Oregon then on north to Port Angeles, Washington. Yvonne is headed to Boise, Idaho then further east. We are headed into the Cascade Mountain Lakes to do some kayaking. It has been a quick but enjoyable week traveling with these friends. Click this photo for a view of the Pumpkin Patch market on Sauvie Island.

Friday, June 22, 2018: This was a travel day from Tillamook, Oregon to Hillsboro, Oregon Elks Club for RV parking. Ray and Yvonne took the last two hookup sites while Lynne and we dry camped in the parking lot. I learned that the Elks Club is only one mile from the Tri-Met Train Station. I walked there to learn where it was and how to buy tickets. We plan to ride the Tri-Met to the famous Portland Saturday Market tomorrow. Gwen and I have never been to the Saturday Market. The camp host also told us about a one mile walk to a strange little park with stick scultures. "Walk across the bridge", he said, "and the scultures are on the other side." He was right, the stick scultures are about 20 feet tall and large enough to walk inside. Click both photos for additional views.

Friday, June 15, 2018: Every year the roof of the fifth wheel must be pressure washed to clean all the dirt and scum which settles each year, especially on the north side. In this photo you can see how good the pressure washer does it's job. Unfortunately, the work is slow and the whole roof can take as long as two hours. This year I am also going to tackle cleaning especially the north side of the fifth wheel. Of course, I'll do the whole trailer but I expect the north side of the fifth wheel to be much worse. Click this photo for a wider view of the roof and the job the pressure washer is doing.

Tuesday, June 12, 2018: I spent the day trying to get a receiver welded only two inches below the existing receiver. The knowledgeable local welder told me the hitch would have to be removed to do the welding otherwise all electronics on the motorhome are at risk. The welder learned that the hitch had substantial rivets to the frame so a difficult removal. I decided the job became too complicated so switched to a hitch adaptor. I want to lower the connection to the car to be more level. Click the photo to enlarge the hitch adaptor.

Thursday, June 7, 2018: We did a quick trip to Eugene today to pick up Gwen new Eddyline Sky-10 kayak. This is the same kayak I tried in Lodi then ordered for Gwen at REI then had the kayak delivered to REI in Eugene, Oregon. It was on sale plus I get a 15% rebate at the end of the year. I believe she will like this kayak better than the touring style kayak that I own. This is a very high quality built with all the touring features such as bulkheads and dry hatches and very lightweight and easy to handle both in and out of the water. Click both photos to enlarge. The right photo is of the kayak cover we bought for her boat. The whole boat slips into the cover like you are putting on a sock.

Tuesday, June 5, 2018: A problem from the Turner Road house has followed me to Oregon. Erica, the realtor was showing the house on one of the hot days and the air conditioning wouldn't work. I asked Dorana to check on it. I gave her specific instructions of what to look for. She reported the heat pump not working. That means no power or something interfering with the thermostat. Circuit breakers were set OK and thermostat was set correctly. I told her to call Lee, the man who had installed it. I told her it had to be something simple and Lee would find it quickly so wouldn't be expensive. Lee came immediately and quickly found the thermostat wire to the heat pump was broken. Now Erica will be cool and happy. Thanks Lee.

Sunday, June 3, 2018: Several projects today but the main time consuming project was the cleaning of Miss Dory's carpet. I wanted something efficient to clean the carpets and found it at Costco at $40 less than the retail store, even cheaper than online. This one has two roller brushes rotating in opposite directions, I hope this will mean the cleanest carpet possible. The dirty water container looked pretty dirty. I worked the carpet hard with the cleaner. Even for such a small area, I didn't finish and will finish another day.

Saturday, June 2, 2018: Still traveling north into Oregon. A semi truck load of Teslas in front of me. On the way north I stopped in Medford to walk through REI (Recreational Equipment, Inc) but no purchases. Then off to the new Medford Costco reported to be one of the largest. I did make several purchases the largest item was a carpet cleaner. I'm really wanting to thoroughly clean the carpets in both of our RVs. On to Roseburg Costco to get gas so I have a full tank for the next trip.

I wasn't home long before I began the first of many projects waiting for me. The afternoon sun comes in the back window of the fifth wheel so we have a shade which needs to be installed over the back window. Then everything on the floor of the motorhome needs to be removed to prepare for vacuuming and carpet cleaning. Click the photo to see home base.

Tuesday, May 29, 2018: Our friend Ray has stopped in Lodi to visit. He is on his way south in his Allegro Red motorhome to check out the Park Sierra Escapee Park in Coarsegold, California. Coarsegold is in the foothills at 1,800 feet to the east of Fresno, California. It is one of two Escapee parks in California and one of our favorites. Rays favorite park is Jajoba Hills in southern California but it may have a long wait list so I suggested he get into Park Sierra while waiting to rise to the top of the wait list at Jajoba. He is going to check it out.

For some reason, Ray and I always have a lot to talk about and this was no different. We talked most of the afternoon then went for pizza before talking some more while I took him for a tour of Lodi.

Ray and our mutual friend, Lynne were going to meet us in Telegraph Cove this summer. Since our plans have changed, they will go alone. We may be able to travel with them along the Oregon coast sometime in June.

Sunday, May 27, 2018: Another full day today but I wanted to share with you what I did last Thursday. Every Thursday during the spring, summer and early fall, Lodi has a "Farmer's Market" on School Street, the main street of the old business district. It is very popular with lots of people walking the fair looking for fresh vegetables and other items. I happen to come across Don at an air ambulance membership booth. Gwen and I had just learned that Brook, Gwen's son David's significant other was taken by air ambulance from Crescent City, California to Medford, Oregon. That's probably 60 air miles. She is fine but the air ambulance bill came to $67,000. We still don't know how much of that bill will be covered by insurance and how much Brook will have to cover. With an air ambulance membership, the fee would be zero. It is surprisingly affordable, $300 for the "household" for five years. There are also other options but I chose the five year option. I asked for the definition of "household" and Don told me it was anyone who receives mail at the address on record, they do not have to be related. Don was a good guy, I enjoyed talking with him. I made a fairly long video of the market. Click the photo to enlarge.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018: A very busy day, more stuff into the dumpster bin until my appointment with my mother's financial advisor. I was able to get much work done with him. Then a nice burrito lunch with sister Dorana. About that time I got an offer from one of the real estate agents who looked at the house. She offered to run a three day "Open House" this weekend in a professional manner. For that, she would charge only a 2% commission if she sells it and nothing if she doesn't. My hope is to have an acceptable offer before Friday but if not, we would gladly give 2% to have the house sold this weekend. I took the rest of the afternoon to change my advertising on Craigslist, Facebook, Owners.com, Zillow plus three different Lodi Facebook selling groups. At the end of the afternoon we got our first offer on the house. It is a good offer but we need a much better offer to be able to stop the sales process and accept an offer. The dumpster bin is nearly full. I'm still looking for more to put in but fortunately, I'm not finding anything. I'm ready for it to be out of the driveway. Click the photo to enlarge.

Friday, May 18, 2018: I greeted Don from A-1 Pest Control this morning. He is doing the termite inspection for us. He wasn't looking very long until he showed me evidence of termites and explained the house would need a tent to get rid of them. "That sounds expensive." I said. He said, "Not bad, about $1,500." He continued his search and eventually crawled under the house. He will email the report to me by Tuesday with a bid to fix everything. I'm not sure what to expect. I saw lots of dry-rot when I was cleaning up and it will all have to be replaced. Later in the afternoon I worked on a Zillow ad to get the frenzy started. I've actually already had a call from someone wanting to see it. Perhaps I'll be back in Oregon before I expected.

Thursday, May 17, 2018: I began the day with cleaning the west end of the house. I needed Mom's vacuum but found immediately the brush drive belt was broken. It made me wonder how long her caretakers had been using it with no powered brush. It was quick and easy to replace. This was a vacuum my mother purchased from a television ad and paid WAY too much money for it. I believe close to $500 but of course got "free" items with her purchase. A $100 vacuum could do better so don't get tricked by those TV ads. I also used the shop vac to vacuum the corners of each room. (Click the photo to see my Dad's shop vac.) About noon "Second Hand Joe" arrived to load donations for the Boys and Girls Club store. I call him "Second Hand Joe" but don't really know his name. He took everything which had not be spoken for. That included a few furniture items, dishes, trinkets. Now, once everything else is removed from the house I can finish the cleaning. Later in the afternoon the appraiser arrived at my request. He appraised the house at $335,000 and I needed to understand his appraisal since the house needs so many repairs. He was great help. In early evening, the next door neighbor arrived to view the house saying his family was interested in buying it. My goal is to have a sales contract with a buyer we located or have it listed with a real estate agent before going back to Oregon around June 2.

Wednesday, May 16, 2018: As we go through my mother's house cleaning out drawers and closets, we find lots of old photos. This one was taken in Pullman, Washington, May, 1947. My parents were in Pullman because my father was attending Washington State University getting a degree in poultry husbandry and animal nutrition. Mom is standing in front of the "cottage" they bought for $500. My dad fixed it up. When they left Pullman they sold the cottage for $5,000. Nice profit. My dad was in the Navy during World War II so he was attending college on the GI Bill. My mom won't be 22 for another six months in this photo. I was three months old. I'm sure I was a good baby, never complaining about anything.

Tuesday, May 15, 2018: A day of errands. I took two old TVs to the Tokay Recycle place, then drove to Staples with an old printer and scanner. They took those for recycle. A little grocery shopping came next. My final stop was the Lodi Elks Club which is really in the tiny town of Woodbridge (next door to Lodi). I had three US flags which must be disposed of correctly. The Elks club will take care of them properly. I also made appointments for a termite inspection plus a second hand store which will pick up the rest of the items in the house good enough for resale. The second hand store owner drives a Mercedes so business must be good.

Monday, May 14, 2018: This was a serious work day since now I have my "hazmat" suit and the dumpster has arrived in our driveway. When I called for the dumpster I was told they had only two sizes, 20 yard and 40 yard so I chose the smaller of the two. My father had used a storage room at the back of the house for many valuable-to-him items but then had not visited that room for many years. He passed away 7 years ago and certainly no one has visited that room in those seven years. I could imagine all sorts of wild things, insects, spiders and toxic dust in there. I ordered a hazmat suit on Amazon ($8.82) and used the respirator I found in the garage. Fortunately, my brother-in-law, Ed and next door neighbor, Larry came to help and we made quick work of that storage room as well as my old garage bedroom which my Dad had turned into a "catch-all" room. I was actually surprised because it could have been worse. I thought we might fill the dumpster but only made it half full. We put several items onto the sidewalk in front of the bin with a sign "FREE" and everything disappeared quickly. Click the photos for more views.

Saturday, May 12, 2018: Noah was the first awake so I invited him to the motorhome for breakfast. He wanted pancakes so I fixed pancakes and jokingly told him I'd put mushrooms and spinach into his pancakes. Nope! But he ate several pancakes. Then I showed him the spinach and mushrooms. He decided he would eat the spinach, and ... he DID! But NO mushrooms! Click his photo! Next, Chloe came for breakfast. She too wanted a pancake so she finished off a pancake the size of her plate. Click her photo too. Chloe, Noah and their Dad had a special day planned with my sister Dorana. They dropped me off at the Enterprise Car Rental company so I could pick up a Kia Rio. Then they drove to the park for a short exercise before taking off to Dorana's house.

Friday, May 11, 2018: Hurray! Help has arrived! Doris' great-grand-children, Chloe and Noah have arrived with their Dad to help with great-grandmother's house. They always loved to visit great-grandmother because she has a large concrete driveway for them to ride their scooters. They will miss their monthly trips to Lodi.

Chloe has taken an interest in playing the piano and great-grand-mother has a piano which I have been trying to get their Dad to take home. He was reluctant due to the weight and lack of space. However, during this visit, Chloe downloaded a piano lesson APP to her iPad and began learning from it. The first night she had to be forced away from the piano to go to bed. By the time she left for home, she was proud to announce she had learned FIVE notes for her right hand, "C, D, E, F and G". Her lesson APP teach how to read music at the same time it teaches keyboarding. Dad is convinced. The piano will go home with them. Here is a short video of Chloe at the piano.

May 9, 2018: I'm parked in Mom's driveway, maybe for the last time. Mom's house will be for sale as soon as we can get it ready. My sisters have already been working hard at cleaning everything out of the house. There will be weeks of events and healing.

Sunday, May 6, 2018: Gwen and her daughter Lesa can't get enough of the beach so they are on another beach hike. The dog is Maize and belongs to Gwen's son Dave. Click the photo for another beach view.

Monday, April 30, 2018: This is my new favorite tune! In fact, I think Curtis Salgado is my new favorite artist!

Wednesday, April 25, 2018: Time to prepare for a summer at Telegraph Cove, British Columbia. I need to spend as much time kayaking to improve my skills. Fortunately Cooper Creek Reservoir is only a ten minute drive from home base. It's not a large lake but large enough. One trip to the far end and back is 4.2 miles. That is almost enough to get to Hanson Island off Telegraph Cove and back. As I build endurance, I'll have to do the lake more than once. Click each of these photos for another view of Cooper Creek Reservoir. I also did a video of the drive from home base to the lake. You'll see an older part of Sutherlin, Oregon, the route to the lake, and you get to listen to Mozart along the way.

Friday, April 20, 2018: While I said home to work on projects, Gwen went with her "Sit and Sew" group to explore the Douglas County Quilt Show at the Douglas County Fair Grounds. The girls left early this morning with the plan to explore most of the day at the quilt show. Gwen thought the show was slightly smaller than last year but it was crowded. I didn't see them again until 3 pm. Meanwhile, I repaired the fifth wheel furnace, a light switch in the fifth wheel and removed the shower "cartridge" from Miss Dory. I also scrubbed two throw rugs from Miss Dory with a brush and soap, hosed them off then hung to dry.