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Thursday, June 8, 2023: My day began with a visit to the chiropractor looking for help with back and leg pain. Don't ask, I have mixed feelings about chiropractors. The rest of the day I searched through all our storage locations looking for stuff to include in a yard sale to happen on Saturday. Over 30 lots in our park are participating in the city wide yard sale.  I made sure it got advertised on the local Facebook pages. We now have at least 6 storage bins which are empty. Yes, yard sales are awful because the seller usually has many unsold items which must be stored again. However, in this case, most of the our items will be donated rather than stored again.  Tomorrow I get set up then sneak around to find treasures on the other yards.




Friday, June 2, 2023:  Gwen and I could not resist the "Barn Sale" which happens only occasionally in Roseburg. This is the type of sale with a huge inventory of unique items. Unfortunately the shopper, IMHO, must have something in mind before shopping at this particular sale.  A creative craft artist could turn much of this junk into useful art. Here is the "treasure" I found. I don't have an original idea of what I will do with the knobs, some sort of hat rack is what I'm thinking of. Click the photos for more views.





Tuesday, May 30, 2023: This has been a busy day finding materials for projects. I started with a used building materials store on the south side of Roseburg, I was looking for 1/4" plywood and 1/2" plywood, they had neither. I drove to the UPS store to return a monitor adapter to Amazon.  My next store was the Home Depot where I found bolts, pine boards and 1/4" plywood but not the 1/2" plywood. So I drove to Lowes, across the street from Home Deport. They had no 1/2" plywood either.  I gave up on materials and went to Costco with a short list of items. When I returned home I received the right adapter for my laptop. The story of the external monitor, I have no room in the motorhome for an external monitor but I will have when we are in Tucson in the winter months.  First, I purchased a monitor at an estate sale for $5 knowing it might not work. It didn't have a power cord and it accepted only a VGA cord (analog while my new laptop puts out a digital signal). I purchased a power cord and VGA adapter to fit my laptop from Amazon. It actually worked, the external monitor came on and displayed my laptop monitor. However, it was so fuzzy, nothing could be read. I returned the two cords to Amazon. I advertised the monitor on Facebook and sold it for $5, the same I had paid for it. I then bought a digital monitor from Costco for $94. However, I still needed an adapter since my laptop had no HDMI port (a huge mistake on my part, I should have never purchased a laptop without an HDMI port). Amazon had a USB to HDMI adapter advertised to operate an external monitor. That adapter arrived today. After downloading the driver twice, it worked. Now I will have an external monitor in Tucson. I already use an external keyboard and mouse so the laptop will be used only as the processor.  I have packed the new monitor back in it's box for transportation to Tucson.





Saturday, May 27, 2023: If you remember, my friend Wendell sold his Pleasure Way to my other friends Glen and Kenny Lee a couple weeks ago.  Wendell wanted something with a larger bed.  Today I got a tour of has new Concourse, also a Class B RV but a bit larger and more comfortable.  It is a 2001 model and exceptionally clean inside and out.  It also has a great deal of cabin storage although Wendell says the outside storage is limited. Click on both photos for another view.




Tuesday, May 23, 2023: The states of Oregon, Washington and Idaho have a chain store company called "BiMart". BiMart is a membership store where the fee is only $5 for a lifetime membership. Every Tuesday BiMart has a drawing of membership numbers for prizes ranging from candy bars to TVs. When we think of it we always check our membership numbers on Tuesday for some sort of prize. I happened to remember today. I checked my number, no luck. I happen to have Gwen's number written on the back of my membership card so I checked for her number. Surprise, her number was listed for one of the four larger prizes and she could have the choice of any of the four. That's when I learned that Gwen wanted a cooler.  One of the prizes was an Igloo 62 quart cooler with wheels and a retractable handle, a really nice cooler. This was a really nice prize, thank you, BiMart.






Monday, May 22, 2023: Gwen and I spent this special day with my sister Dorana plus her partner, Robin and Labrador, Gracie. We started the morning in her new Honda Touring Hybrid riding in the backseat with Abby and Gracie. We stopped at our favorite coffee and breakfast location in Glide, Oregon, The Atom.  Once we all had coffee and something to eat we hiked a mile to the Susan Creek Falls. After that hike we stopped in "Dry Creek Store" for something to drink.  Then we drove another 12 miles to Toketee Falls, a very popular falls on the North Umpqua River.  We finished our day together at McMinnemens Restaurant in Roseburg.  We were outside, at the tables on the sidewalk so the dogs could be with us. By the time we finished it was pretty cold.  Dorana, Robin and Gracie are moving on north tomorrow to eventually end up on Whidbey Island in Washington for an extended vacation. Click the photos for three more views.






Saturday, May 20, 2023: My day began by helping Bob set up a registration area for an Umpqua Velo event at Cooper Creek reservoir. It involved mountain biking a new trail around the lake. Once I finished I picked up Gwen for a trip to Oakland. Once each year Oakland has a city wide yard sale. We haven't been able to visit for years. It is usually a very big event. We walked the streets with Abby in tow.  Gwen found two treasures. Click the last photo to see the $10 picture which will hang on our bedroom wall in Tucson. The second treasure is a hand painted bowl she got for $1. Click all the photos for more views.



Friday, May 19, 2023:My day began with a visit from Tom who lives in Glide, about 25 miles distant. Tom was following up on my advertising of the Yamaha eBike. It did not take him long to recognize the value and Tom paid full price and hauled the bike back to Glide.

Gwen and I chose to visit a nearby estate sale next where she found $18 worth of treasures. I found a free standing coat rack which I took apart and stuffed into a plastic bag. My intention is to take it to Arizona because the entrance to our park model is all glass, so no place for coat hooks.

A second item I found is a computer monitor. I'm unsure it will work since it is an analog monitor and did not have a power cord. I only paid $5 for it plus ordered the power cord and computer adapter from Amazon for $22. If it works, great. If not, I'll return the cords to Amazon and toss the monitor. Costco has one for $94 which might work but it too will require an adapter cable. I don't have room for a monitor in the motorhome but will have room in Tucson.






Thursday, May 18, 2023: I spent much of the day digging through all our storage areas looking for stuff we no longer use. I would like to sell on Facebook or Craigslist the bigger items. I would sell the more specialized stuff on eBay. The city of Sutherlin is having a city wide garage sale on June 10 and at least 20 spaces in our park including us, are joining that sale day to get rid of all the little stuff.  The photo shows Gwen's kayak which has been used very little. Since I sold my kayak last year, Gwen hasn't searched for another kayak partner and is ready to give up her boat. Click the kayak to see a backpack I'm selling. This is just two of the many items I've located to get rid of.



Wednesday, May 17, 2023: Eleven years ago when Gwen and I became members of Timber Valley SKP RV park I found a new doctor at the Evergreen Family Medicine in Roseburg.  Last year, Evergreen began building a new medical building in Sutherlin which will make it much closer for me. Today, Dr. Tim, the founder of Evergreen 45 years ago, visited our clubhouse to explain what services will be available in the new Sutherlin building beginning June 2. I had already anticipated the switch from Roseburg to Sutherlin and had made my annual physical appointment to happen in Sutherlin on June 9. It was nice to hear from Dr. Tim what would be happening in the new 13 million dollar building. Dr. Tim is expecting this new building will service not only Sutherlin but all of north Douglas County including Yoncalla, Drain, Elton and Rice Hill. Click the photo to enlarge.




Tuesday, May 16, 2023: Gwen was on her way to "Sit and Sew" this morning when the Golf Cart stopped in the middle of the street.  I couldn't save her right away so we pushed the cart under a tree and left it until this afternoon. We towed the cart back to our lot. I tested each battery (there are six) first. I found one battery only registered 4 volts and should be 6 volts.  I removed that battery and took it with me to Costco to avoid the "core charge". All old batteries must be returned or you are charged $15.  I also bought battery cleaning spray plus battery corrosion prevention spray. All the batteries have been cleaned. I'll finish the installation of the new battery tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this fixes the problem. Yes, all batteries should be replaced but that would cost another $550 so I'll try this instead.






Monday, May 15, 2023:  My friend, Wendell, from across the street purchased a class B RV, fixed it all up and took it for his first trip last week. After returning he told me he was selling it because he didn't like the bed. My friends Glen and Kenny Lee have been looking for just the right RV for several years so I sent them the photos of what Wendell wanted to sell.  They liked what they saw, took it for a drive and tonight returned to buy it.  Since Glen and I do a lot of traveling for bike rides, I expect to enjoy the new RV too.  I hope Kenny Lee enjoys her new RV as much as I will enjoy it.





Friday, May 12, 2023: Every Friday there is often a guest speaker in our clubhouse. I do my best to go to the meetings when the speaker is of interest to me.  The city of Sutherlin seems to be unique among the cities in Oregon and maybe in the USA. The city is dealing with the homeless problem straight on by removing the barriers which keep the "houseless" (Sutherlin's name for homeless) in a desperate situation. The city has provided a designated camping area. Seven churches and half a dozen non-profits plus Oregon state services have formed a coalition to meet the needs of those without housing. The president of the local ADAPT nonprofit spoke of  Hastings Village, the name of the houseless area. The purpose of the village is to meet the needs of the residents of the village to get them back into permanent housing and self supporting. The village is organized with duties for the residents as well as rules which must be followed. Also present at today's meeting is the lady who created the Hasting's Village Facebook page where announcements and information is posted. I have been following that page along with 200 other residents in Sutherlin. Often the page posts the immediate needs of the village. All help provided is volunteer help. This village began 1.5 years ago and has become a model for other cities.




Saturday, May 6, 2023: After one of my road rides Gwen and I decided to take a drive into Roseburg to explore some secondhand furniture stores. Gwen happened to notice a neon pink sign advertising an estate sale with an address. The address turned out to be across town making us think it was a mistake but we continued.  It wasn't a mistake. The estate had some very fine furniture and other items. We had been looking for a cabinet I could remodel into a cabinet to hide a TV using an electronic lift. Gwen was the first to spot this cabinet in an upstairs bedroom while I was downstairs talking to the estate owner. I learned, since the sale was ending in 15 minutes, all furniture was half price. At this time Gwen signaled for me to come upstairs where she showed me the cabinet marketed $85.  When I told her it was half price, she sat on the cabinet saying "this is ours, go tell the ladies".  I did as she told me and the ladies gave me a "SOLD" sticker.

Now we had to figure out how we would get it home.  I knew we could use the trailer but it would be 45 minutes round trip to go get it. The ladies told me they would be at the sale at least another hour. We hoped into the car and ran home for the trailer. We got back in plenty of time because others were also loading furniture. A second problem was the intermittent rain but I had a nice tarp to wrap the cabinet. Click the photo to see the cabinet loaded onto the trailer. My plan is to modify this cabinet to have a hidden chamber in the back for the TV which is already in Tucson. The TV will be mounted to a remote controlled lift. When we want to watch the TV, we lift it out of the cabinet. When not watching, the TV will be hidden inside the cabinet. I'm thinking we might modify the cabinet in other ways too such as a white wash.



Thursday, May 4, 2023: Knowing I would need to do some metal cutting when renovating the trailer I purchased this corded cutoff saw at Harbor Freight for less than $20. I can't believe how much I have used it since the purchase.  The chain in the photo is a 3,000 lb test trailer safety chain which I needed to cut because it was too long. It took only 30 seconds and could have been less time had I been more aggressive. This chain is a lot heavier than most chains used to secure our bicycles. Having said that, obviously, it doesn't matter how heavy the chain, this saw can cut it.  Of course cutoff saws are also made cordless, no power cord needed. On the right is a wheel lock on the trailer. I purchased a wheel lock rather than a ball lock because I know thieves are not deterred by ball locks, they simply haul the trailer off using the safety chain.  After the purchase of the wheel lock I realized the thief needs only to bring his own wheel, take off the locked wheel and away he goes. So I used the cable lock to connect the wheel lock to the trailer chassis.  It would take the cutoff saw only seconds to cut through the cable or for that matter through the wheel lock.  I know of no method to secure property against a determined thief. As the saying goes, "my security methods only keep the honest person honest".




Monday, May 1, 2023: The final step was to add hinges to the tailgate. I painted over the bolts with flat black paint. I may come back over with gloss paint, I haven't decided. This project is complete except for DMV registration which will happen on Thursday.






Sunday, April 30, 2023: I'm getting down to all the small things to finish. The plan is the load the trailer then cover the load. Everything must be tied down securely so I have installed cargo loops to connect the tie-down straps. There are enough for five straps, three across and two front to back. The center photo shows the 2" ball coupler. It is a very old style. This style has a locking mechanism to keep the coupler from unthreading which would release the ball. The locking mechanism on this coupler is missing. I have improvised by threading a lock nut onto the tightening knob. It will never accidentally unthread this way. I still need to install the tailgate hinges but can't do that until tomorrow.  I decided to connect the trailer for a test run. The lights work perfectly and the coupler works perfectly. What didn't work was the new safety chain. It is a total of four feet long with a hook on each end. I figured 2 feet for each side would be enough but I was wrong, it was short. I disconnected one side to make the other side longer. I will learn on Thursday if a single safety chain is acceptable. The trailer towed perfectly at freeway speeds. I would like to test with a full load and may get that chance since several of my friends are already finding things they need to move using my trailer.  Click each photo for more views.






Saturday, April 29, 2023: After my bike ride this morning I spent the day doing something special for the trailer. I saw this yesterday on another trailer which gave me the idea. I need a place to keep trailer accessories handy. Someplace for the hydraulic jack, tie down straps, a few tools and a can of "Tire Fix" since I don't have a spare. Click the photos to see the progression of this project.






Thursday, April 27, 2023: Another full day to renovate the utility trailer. All sidewalls and floor has been painted. All metal parts have been painted a second time. The old lights have been removed and new lights installed. Once the paint was dry I began to assemble. Everything went back together easily. The only step left is to install tailgate hinges and the tie-down loops. I need lots of bolts so that project will wait until my next trip to Roseburg. Click the photos for more views.




Wednesday, April 26, 2023:  My trailer renovation continued today. My first thought was the upper shackle bolt support must be cut off and replaced. I drove to the Great Northern Trailer Manufacturing company where I got the new axle. We discussed all the options and finally convinced me to try to drill the rusted shackle bolt out of the support. I began with a small 1/16" bit for the first hole. I then switched up 1/32" to the next size bit. I did this over and over until the last six bits. I jumped only 1/64" larger each bit for the last six bits. It took 3.5 hours to finally get to the last 1/2" bit.  Click the left photo to see the old bolt gone from the upper support. The right photo shows the shackle and bolts assembled and painted. Behind that photo (click the photo) is me starting to paint the side boards.







Monday & Tuesday, April 24-25, 2023: These last two days I have been working on the trailer hoping to make it safe for a trip in the fall to Tucson.  I had a local trailer manufacturer replace the axle because the original axle was so old the bearing could not be packed. I still want to replace the shackle bolts. They easily came off the right side so I replaced and greased these nice new bolts.  The left side, however, has not be so easy. The top shackle bolt is so badly rusted it is frozen inside the tube. I have been soaking with a penetrating oil which claims to "free rusted parts".  I will keep at it tomorrow hoping to finally get it free. Click all three photos for more views.




Sunday, April 23, 2023: The rain has returned today. While we were in Arizona for the winter a new fast food restaurant moved into Roseburg. IN-N-OUT Burger seems to be a very popular restaurant. There is always a line and the parking lot is always full.  We had tried IN-N-OUT Burger years ago and couldn't see the attraction.  We were there at an odd time, 2 pm which should have been a slow time but there were a dozen cars waiting and the parking lot was nearly full. I took about 15 minutes for our food to arrive. I ordered #2 of 3 combination choices. It was a cheese burger, fries plus a drink for $7.85. If I had ordered my favorite at Carl's Jr it would have been an Angus burger with fries and a drink for $11. So maybe the low price is the crowd draw. The Carl's Jr. meal would have been far better. The IN-N-Out Burger was surprisingly good for the price.

It was presented well, included a tomato, lettuce, and special sauce. The fries, however, were surprisingly bad since they say the potatoes are cut and fried on premises. These tasted more like potato powder than freshly fried real potatoes. Perhaps I'm use to seasoned fries. So we are still baffled at the popularity of this restaurant. There must have been 30 employees working and they all seem well organized. The inside was exceptionally clean. So maybe a combination of the low price, organization and cleanliness keep customers returning. Click the photos for more views.


Thursday, April 20, 2023: It's another rainy day in Oregon. Fortunately Catherine (Cat), the current owner of the property we purchased in Tucson, has sent us some photos of the desert just behind our park model. The left photo was taken at dusk. Cat told us of all the solar lights she had installed but we have never seen them working. The path on the right in that photo leads deeper into the desert and the nearby Pantano Wash.  The photo on the right is of the Mesquite Tree which was nothing but branches when we visited in March.  Cat had told us how it would leaf out and create wonderful shade to sit under to enjoy the desert and do some reading. She sent the photo to show exactly what she meant. Thank you, Cat, for the photos.  I've been following the Tucson weather. No rain with daytime temperatures between mid-70s to mid-90s. Night time temperatures between mid-40s to mid-50s. So even with warm daytime temperatures, the nights are cool.



Friday, April 14, 2023:  Today was the first clear day we have had since arriving in Oregon. I took advantage of the clear weather to begin getting the trailer ready for some changes. I first thought it only needed paint but after looking at the under carriage, I plan to replace shackle bolts and add additional "U" bolts to the axle where it connects to the leaf springs.  In a previous life I had experience with shackles breaking and with a wheel separating from the trailer due to dry bearings. I will have the bearings packed after I complete my work. Today, I removed the side and back panels to make it easier to paint. I'm away all day tomorrow and the rain is returning on Sunday then everyday next week so this project will be on hold until the rain stops again.





Wednesday, April 12, 2023: When we became members of Timber Valley ten years ago there were several organized events which we both could enjoy organized by  2 or 3 individuals. As time went by those events faded away. That's one of the reasons we enjoyed Rincon Country West in Tucson. There were lots of organized events which we could participate. Now we have returned to Timber Valley and found ONE individual who likes


to cook, Chef Dennis. He has organized several meals before and after our arrival. One of those was the Easter day brunch. Today it was soup and sandwich. The meal included fresh tomato soup (not from a can) with fresh baked bread for a toasted cheese sandwich. This was followed by a fresh baked chocolate chip muffin with cream cheese frosting. The fee for the meal was $3. Chef Dennis gets help from the garden club which also benefits in a small way toward their gardening activities.  Chef Dennis is leaving Timber Valley for a month to visit friends. I'm guessing the whole park will miss him.




Monday, April 10, 2023: In the fall when we travel to Tucson for the winter we will not be taking the motorhome. We need a method to transport much more than what we can carry in our Subaru. I checked U-Haul and learned a rental trailer would cost more than $700. I began a search for suitable trailers to buy.  I learned the ideal trailers sold for $2000-$4000. I found this one for $600. The seller says he "rebuilt" it, packed the wheel bearings, added new tires. On my inspection it is going to need more than paint to be sure it will make the trip to Tucson without trouble.




Sunday, April 9, 2023: When we were in Tucson at Rincon Country West every two week the woodshop gang would fix breakfast as a fundraiser and charge $6 per plate. Today, the Garden Club at Timber Valley SKP Park fixed a wonderful breakfast charging only $5 per plate.  Chef Dennis is in charge of the kitchen but he had plenty of help from the Garden Club. This was a very popular meal with most everyone in the park participating one way or the other.

The club also did a 50/50 raffle. Gwen did not buy tickets but I did. While I was on Zwift in the shed, Joan delivered the winning pot to Gwen. Yes, we won $90 from the 50/50 raffle. Click both photos for more views.




Wednesday, April 5, 2023: The first Wednesday of the month is the Umpqua Velo meeting night. We are discussing future ride routes, how to support the youth mountain bike team, special ride events and even mentioned the 2023 Vineyard Tour which will happen in September. When in Tucson I joined the Cactus Cycle Club and went on two of their rides. I feel much more comfortable with the UVC. The Oregon folks will talk to me while no one spoke to me from the CCC. I made sure I talked with the new folks at this meeting.


 


Saturday, April 1, 2023: A traveling day from Sparks, Nevada to Sutherlin, Oregon.  This was our longest travel day but we were doing our best to dodge the storms. We were lucky to get to see Mount Lassen as highway 44 meets highway 89. As we drove further on highway 89 toward McCloud, California we enter a small storm cell which lasted about 30 miles. Once we reached Interstate 5 the weather began to clear giving us dry roads all the way to Sutherlin.

 
 
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