Last Day, Lasting Memories

Today was the last day of this vacation, it's been really fun for all three of us.  I got Kathe up this morning at 5:45 so that she could see the fog roll in from the ocean.  The fog is one of the things that makes Paso Robles such a great wine region. This park has a gate that opens right into a vineyard and we went for a walk down the rows of almost ready to harvest grapes.  We went back to sleep after our walk and stayed in bed until almost 9:30.
It was a lazy start to a lazy day.

Somewhere around 11:00 they decided to go wine tasting and to pick up some wine to take back home. First, they stopped at J.Lohr and needed a hand truck to load up all the wine that's been waiting for pickup, and then it was on to Le Vigne for six more bottles.  The final stop was to a new winery called Daou Winery and that was really a wonderful surprise.  It's a beautiful setting, the highest winery in Paso Robles at over 2,000 feet in elevation.  The 360 degree view was breathtaking and the wines were outstanding.  They liked it so much they even joined the wine club!  After tasting the wines they enjoyed a gourmet lunch with a glass of wine outside in the sunshine.

We've had a great seven weeks on the road, but we are all looking forward to going home tomorrow.  I can't wait to sleep in my own doggie bed again and bark at the neighbor's golden retriever until my throat gets sore.  I know it won't be long before Kathe and Jim get the traveling bug again and we'll be off on another adventure.
Until then....

Annie

Peppers and Pots

Kathe and Jim had a very interesting day here in Paso Robles visiting Jim's cousin Charlie and his wife Marion.  The two cousins haven't seen each other in about 40 years and just recently connected after a death in the family.  Charlie is the older brother of Gary, the cousin they visited in Plymouth, California earlier on this trip. Charlie has been living here in Paso for many years since graduating form Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.

The cousins spent the day reminiscing about their childhood and the many visits to their grandparents home in Glendale back in the 1950's.  As you can imagine, they had quite a lot of catching up to do.

Charlie worked as an architect for many years after finishing school and now works for the city of San Luis Obispo as a senior plan checker.  He loves his job so much he's planning on working there for seven more years. I could tell they didn't have a dog, but the have four cats.  I love cats, and when they came to visit our house later in the day I had to check them out for cat scent! They smelled really good!

Charlie has a thing for hot peppers! He grows several of the most unusual and hottest varieties in his back yard. He pickles them and has jars of the many varieties that he takes to work for his lunch.  He also collects hot sauces from all over the world and has a huge display of them in his house.
Here is a picture of some bottles that he has collected.

He is also a very serious collector of pottery.  He has some very beautiful pots dating from 400 AD to present day artists.  It was really an incredible and beautiful display of art.  Kathe took a picture but the pots were so much more beautiful than this picture shows.

It was a great day and we plan to come back again and promised to stay in touch.

Sorry, but I Was Having Fun

I haven't posted since we left the redwoods and the Benbow RV Resort, I just been having so much fun that I haven't had the time.

We have been in Santa Rosa visiting with family for three nights  We celebrated three birthdays with lots of delicious food and a big ice cream cake.  I sat under the table enjoyed some tasty treats which happened to fall my way.  We stayed out late every night so I was too tired to work on my blog.

One of the best things about staying in Santa Rosa (besides the family) is the path along Brush Creek.  It's a short walk from Kathe's brothers house and it's always an exciting adventure for me.  You meet all kinds of dogs and their people and there is something new every time we go there.  Once we saw otters in the creek and we always see lots of nesting ducks.  This time there were white egrets every morning on our sunrise walk.

On the first morning we saw a mother and two chicks, but of course Kathe didn't have her camera.  The second day she had a camera, but just when she was about to take the picture I saw another dog and jerked the leash and camera out of her hand.  The noise made the egret fly up into the tree. This morning she finally got a shot of the bird but the sun was already up so you can hardly see it in the picture.  Where's waldo?

I know now that we are really on the way home as the drive today was almost 200 miles and that means lots of time in the crate for me.  We're staying in Paso Robles for the next three nights.  I'm going to try to have as much fun as possible.  I'll rest when I get home.

Big Trees for a Small Dog

This afternoon we arrived in Benbow, California in the heart of the redwoods.  We've stayed here two other times as we passed through the redwoods and we were really looking forward to our night here.  Just one small problem, it has turned into a KOA and there are about a thousand kids on bicycles whipping around the streets.  Also, Kathe is a bit upset that they raised the prices to just about double what we paid two years ago.







The good news is that the blackberry bushes are still here, just hacked back enough to make it difficult to reach them. And they still have my favorite doggie park and doggie wash in the way back of the park.  The old funky trailers are gone, but they have been replaced by exactly 23 "kamping kabins." It's the beginning of Labor Day weekend and it's a bit of a zoo!

After Kathe and Jim shared their lunch with me, I took a nap and they went out to explore the "Avenue of the Giants." They took a short hike in the Rockefeller Grove and took some pictures of the beautiful trees.


If you look real close in the left corner of the last picture you can see the bicycles on the top of our car.  These trees are HUGE!

Well, Kathe and Jim just got back from dinner at the historic Benbow Inn and as usual so doggie bag!

Camping on the Humboldt Bay, I Think

We're spending the night at the Mad River Rapids RV Park in Arcata, California.  It's supposed to be right on the Humboldt Bay but it is so foggy tonight that we can't see anything.  It's been foggy since we hit the coast on our trip down here from Canyonville today.

We drove down I-5 to Grants Pass, Oregon and then took the 199 Redwood Highway down through the redwood forest.  It was a very narrow highway and we had to slow to 25 or 30 miles an hour a lot of the time.  There were so many tight turns and bumps in the road that I was standing up in my crate most of the way. We traveled 199 miles today, quiet a long trip considering we have only been covering 50 or 60 miles a day for the last few weeks of the trip.

I took some pictures on the drive, but the trees are so large that the pictures can't begin to show how beautiful the drive was.  It was okay that Jim was driving slowly because that meant we spent more time in the trees.


We went out for a walk after dinner and it was so chilly that we turned on the fireplace when we got back.

I took this picture of the bay, I think! It's so foggy I can't be sure. Quite a change from the 95 degree heat yesterday in Canyonville.  Wish I had a warm sweater like Kathe.

Another Walk in the Park

I started my morning walk this morning, and came across two robins having a fight over a worm.  I went right over to help them settle their dispute and they flew away squawking and left me the worm.

Next, I found a lizard under a pine tree and I showed him the fastest way up the tree.  I walked a little further down the dog path and found some people walking 5 little puppies at the same time.  I just said hello and they all started barking like wild animals.   All this before 6:30 in the morning!
Wake up everyone!

We spent the day at Seven Feathers enjoying the beautiful trees and flowers and sunshine.  There is no rain in the forecast except for the sprinklers!  Jim was out this morning at the crack of dawn drying off the coach. And that was even after placing little covers over all of the heads to prevent the spray. He said they are ninja sprinkler heads, hidden in the grass and popping out to surprise you.

Kathe and Jim went to the casino tonight to try to win back some of the money they left there last night. Here are a couple of pictures of Seven Feathers Resort.  The big eagle is at the front entrance to the casino and the other picture is taken from the trail behind our site.

I'm a little sad tonight as tomorrow we will turn the coach south and start the trip back to California.  We still have a few more adventures, but it's always sad when you have to start back home.

No Service No Blog

I tried and tried last night to post to my blog but I never could connect to the Internet.  I fell asleep trying, so I'll try to bring you up to speed on our activities tonight.

Yesterday,  we were still at Richardson County Park in Lane County Oregon, formerly known as Nowheresville, Oregon.  I took Kathe and Jim exploring to the other loop of the campground and found some blackberries and poison oak for them. We also took a long walk part of the way around Fern Ridge Lake.  Our campsite backed up to this lake, and we walked through the woods to find the trail.  That was the best part of my day.

Kathe and Jim went for a drive in the country that afternoon and discovered a winery called "Sweet Cheeks" in the town of Crow, Oregon. They tasted the Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris that this area is known for and had a picnic on the grounds overlooking the vineyards.

This morning we left early to drive down some really bumpy and winding country roads to reach our destination of the Seven Feathers Resort in Canyonville, Oregon.  Somebody thought it would be nice to drive country roads instead of the freeway, all I'm saying is I'm glad they fastened my crate with the seat belt or I might not have made it.

We've been here at Seven Feathers before and we really love it.  When we arrived, Kathe forgot where the doggie park was but I remembered and led her right to it.  Some things are worth remembering!

The Middle of No Where, Again

I told them I wanted trees and here we are again in the middle of nowhere.  We kept driving down country road after country until we arrived at Richardson Lake, way outside the city of Junction City, Oregon.  I'm not complaining, I think it's great, but the Internet is SLOW. So this will be a short post tonight.

There is a lake just on the other side of our campsite, so tomorrow I think they might take me to the beach if dogs are allowed.  There is a place to rent kayaks on the other side of the lake, but not much else for several miles in any direction.

Good news, there are no roosters, no highways, and no trains! So dark and quiet I think I'll turn in early.

Fireworks Make Me CRAZY

First, let me say how sorry I am that my post was so short last night.  I was typing away and then someone started shooting off fireworks and my mind went blank!  Of course they gave me a tranquilizer, aka the calming pill, and that was that!

I heard that the County Fair started last night here in Salem and I guess that's where the firework noise came from.  I'm hoping that tonight will be quiet. Well, it's never exactly quiet here with the trains honking by every hour on the hour.  But, after three nights here we're all sort of used to that noise.  It wouldn't be a motor home park if there weren't train tracks or an airport right next door.

This morning Jim took all the girls to the Deepwood Estate.  It is a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian home built in 1894 and set in a 4.5 acre English garden.  It was really beautifully landscaped with several "garden rooms" in the Victorian style.  The interior of the house had golden oak woodwork and elegant Povey Brothers stained glass and hand painted windows.  Very elegant.

After the tour they went out to lunch at a place called  the "Saucy Onion", where they had a sign advertising, "world famous french toast."  The french toast was one piece of delicious french bread that was about 8 inches in diameter and two inches thick.  It was unbelievably delicious with strawberries, blueberries and marionberry syrup on top.  Two of the menu items they didn't try were the bear claw french toast and the cinnamon bun french toast.  If we were here for a week they'd go back and try those too.

Well, tonight was our finale dinner.  Our group is splitting up and heading in different directions tomorrow morning.  We cooked hamburgers tonight and even us dogs got to celebrate with a bite.

Hiking in Silver Falls State Park

One of the reasons we stopped here in Salem was to return to the Silver Falls State Park.  The ranger told us the last time we were here that this park is the most beautiful of all the Oregon State Parks.  It was really great to return and spend the day here walking three of the ten waterfall trails and to share this beautiful place with our friends.

Here are some pictures we took of the North and South Falls.

The Object of My Affection

By now everyone knows that I live and breathe for squirrels.  This is a lovely RV park in a very nice city, but there are NO squirrels here.  I am so bored, I'm starting to act like a human.  I just sit around and do nothing like they do. Oh, once and awhile Layla and I get our people moving for a stroll around the campground, but we're ready for some real rodent chasing.  I am posting this picture because keeps me on my toes and alert.  Promise me the next place will be in the woods!

Kathe and Jim went to downtown Salem today to tour the Capitol.  They got a short history lesson on the statehood of Oregon and learned about the state government.  They toured the building and saw where the Oregon state representatives and senators meet.  Here the men and women that represent the people are not career politicians, but regular folks that work part time for a short time each year.  The only one who works full time is the Governor.  Kathe and Jim were just about to climb the 121 steps to the observation area in the Capitol dome when about 40 or 50 Japanese teenagers raced up the stairs ahead of them.
Well, maybe next time.

We had a great pot luck dinner tonight with meatloaf, ribs, grilled potatoes, green bean casserole, salad and a lemon pie for dessert.  Luckily a  tiny piece of meatloaf happened to come my way.  I love pot luck dinners because everyone is so busy piling the food on their plates that they forget about me down here in the grass.

Birthday Party

Today was Kathe's Birthday!  We only drove about 50 miles today from Detroit Lake to Salem, Oregon.  It was a beautiful drive through the forest down into the city and the Hee Hee Illahee RV Resort.  We've been calling it the Hee Hee Ha Ha, but it's really a very nice park.  There is a very small dog park, but at least it has grass and a few little trees to sniff. One thing I have noticed in my travels is that when there's a swimming pool and no pine trees in an RV Park, there are no chipmunks to be found.  Guess I'll have to wait until we get back to the woods for the things I love.  Nothing like the sweet scent of chipmunk in the early morning.

Kathe wants me to say thank you for all the good birthday wishes and for making this birthday a happy one. The whole gang (except me and Layla) went out for a celebration dinner at the Red Lobster.  Kathe was still eating her crab after everyone else had finished dinner, but as you can see by this picture she sure enjoyed herself.

Day on the Lake

This morning the people left me home and went to the Detroit Marina to rent a party boat for the day. They didn't make it back to let me out until it was almost 5:00.  I had my paws crossed by the time they returned, but I was a good girl.

It was a beautiful sunny day on the lake and they all had a great time.  The boat was practically brand new and had a 40 horsepower motor. They were able to travel around the whole lake.  They stopped in two different places for Jim and Gene to fish, but only succeeded in drowning more worms. Here is a photo of Jim fishing, note that there is a fishing pole somewhere in the picture. There were more jokes and laughter than real fishing today.

The gals brought some snacks, and no one went hungry.  They snacked on oranges, grapes, cherries, plums, pretzel chips, Cheetos, pita chips, hard boiled eggs, fig newtons, oatmeal cookies, chopped salads, mixed nuts, sandwiches and some adult beverages. That sea air must really make you hungry.

With all that exercise, it's no wonder everyone is already home and in bed at 8:30.

Beautiful Detroit

No, not Michigan.  Oregon!

We had a beautiful 2 hour drive today from Sisters to Detroit Lake State Park.  Miles and miles of pine forests, then down into a valley with a huge lake.  Once we arrived at the park, we had a difficult time backing into our narrow site and Jim lost Kathe for a time.  You see, there was this tree in the way and he grabbed it and told Kathe to pull it away from the coach and stay there.  In order to keep the coach from being scratched and do what was needed, she was stuck so far back into the shrubbery that he couldn't see her.  Then, he was walking all around looking for her,  and Kathe yelled, "Hey, what are you doing, I 'm still stuck in the bushes!"  He forgot that she still holding the tree away from the side of the motor home. Anyway, we finally got into the space and here is a picture of the site with our motor home and car squeezed together.

We had a really nice day exploring the campground.  There are lots of tents and lots of families enjoying the campground and the lake.  We were one of the many campers that had a campfire after dinner.  Not that we needed the heat, it's still plenty hot and humid.  Hoping that it will cool down now that it's time to sleep.

Apparently we can't run the air conditioning as we only have a 20 amp site.  It's either the air conditioner or the refrigerator and they chose the refrigerator.

Tomorrow Kathe and Jim are going to rent a party boat with their friends so that Jim can drown some more worms.  I can't go because I don't have a life jacket.  Bummer!

High Desert Sunrise

We left the Deschutes County Fairgrounds today as the Convention has ended.  Five days of dry camping and we didn't run out of water! The title of our International Convention this summer was "High Desert Sunrise".  Here is a picture that was taken this morning on my 6:00 sunrise walk. There was a joke going around that they were going to call the convention "High Desert Sunset",  but that since there are mostly seniors attending, that wasn't such a good idea.

I have come to the conclusion that it is very hard to post to my blog when I'm traveling with my friends. There is always something fun to do and I never get started on my blog until late at night.

Today we all went back to the Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort to regroup.  Since all five coaches needed to dump, fill up with water, grocery shop and do laundry everyone was busy this afternoon with their chores.   Not too busy for a quick happy hour before leaving for dinner.

They managed to squeeze in my trip to the dog park before happy hour, but that was the extent of my activities. Truthfully, I was glad for the rest.  With all the comings and goings, pot lucks, cocktail hours, and visiting around the past few days, I've really missed my naps.




All six couples went to the famous Pine Tavern in Bend for dinner, and not one person remembered to bring home a doggie bag.

What About ME

Okay, so I haven't been posting.  It's not my fault.  I just haven't done anything except eat, sleep and go for an occasional walk the last three days. Everybody is so busy that they are ignoring me.

Kathe and Jim have been taking seminars pretty much non-stop since we got here at the FMCA convention so there's not much time for me. They have all kinds of seminars and exhibits and hundreds of brand new motor homes to see so they are gone most every day from 8:00 till 4:00. It's almost like when they were both still working!

Jim took classes about Google Maps, battery charging, tire safety, engine maintenance, and RVing to Alaska.  And Kathe took a bunch of computer and smart phone classes and a convection microwave class. They both have been shopping for goodies in the exhibit tents and drooling over the new coaches on display.

It's rained here every day except today so we finally had a pot luck dinner outside tonight with all our friends. Layla and I got to sit under the table together waiting for handouts. I only got a carrot.

Arriving in Redmond

Yesterday we arrived at the Deschutes Fairgrounds in Redmond, Oregon for the Family Motor Coach Association Convention.  There are about 2000 motor homes parked all around the fairgrounds.  This is a picture of our row, C2.  There are about 15 coaches in each row, so every where you look there's a sea of motor homes.  

I think it's an unwritten rule that everyone has at least 1 dog in their coach so there are lots of new friends to meet.  I've been exploring the new territory and taking long walks checking things out.  The good news, no roosters.  The bad news, no squirrels or chipmunks.

Kathe and Jim hosted a little dinner party for six in last night.  They had to move everything indoors because just when they were going to light the grill a huge thunder storm blew in.  It poured down for about an hour soaking everything.  Jim had to cook the steak under our next door neighbor's awning, but it turned out just fine.  I couldn't get on the computer last night because our company stayed way past my bedtime.

I don't think there is much to say about today's activities.   The first morning that we weren't awakened by the darned rooster, they had to set the alarm for 6 AM.  Both Jim and Kathe are delegates and had to spend the whole day in the Governing Board meeting which started at 7 AM. 

Sometimes I'm really glad I'm just a puppy.

Rolling on the River

Kathe says she's way too tired tonight to help me with my blog.  She says she had a rough day, but I know she was out having too much fun today and that she had one too many margaritas tonight.

The rooster woke us all up at 4:23 this morning, but they all had to get up early for their river raft adventure anyway.  A whole bunch of the people went on an all day rafting trip on the Deschutes river.  They were picked up at 8:30 this morning and didn't get home until 6:00 tonight.  Some of the rapids were class 3 so I guess it was pretty exciting.

The river was over 100 miles away so it was a very long, long day.

I spent the day with my friend Layla and her people and got to play with her toys and sleep in her bed. Great day for everyone!

Cock-a-doodle-Don't

As I told you yesterday, this is a really beautiful park.  There's a cute little farm, lots of trees, flowers and large grassy areas everywhere. There is just one teeny-tiny problem and his name is ROOSTER!

I was planning to let Kathe sleep in this morning since there are no chipmunks to chase here in civilization and so there's no reason to get up early.  Seems the rooster had a different idea.  He was  on the job at 4:53 in the morning, so that's when your day is supposed to begin.  It's no use trying to get back to sleep, cause as soon as you do he's off Cocka-doodle-doing again.  He didn't really stop until just about suppertime.
And they call this a vacation!

We are now a group of eight people and 2 dogs.  After breakfast the guys either watched the NASCAR race or went to the gun shop while the gals piled into Kathe's car for a shopping trip to the town of Sisters.

I've made six trips to the dog park today and counted Kathe's steps.  It's exactly 492 steps from our front door to the place I'm allowed to pee.  Since I make about 8 steps to her one, let me tell you my paws are crossed by the time we reach our destination.  There are signs everywhere telling you not to pee in the grass or on the flowers, so it's a good thing I can read.

Tomorrow the people are going on an all day river rafting trip.  I'm planning to spend the day over at my best friend Layla's coach.  We have a lot of mischief planned, but don't tell the rooster.   

Party Time in Sisters

It's late. We have been partying all day with our friend here at the Bend/Sisters Garden RV Resort and I haven't even taken one picture of the place.  I promise to get on the ball tomorrow and show you just how beautiful this park is.  There are large green spaces between the coaches and flower gardens everywhere.  There's even a lake right in the middle of the park.

Kathe and I have been for several walks with my BFF Layla and her people.  We are getting to know our way around this huge place.  Our site backs up to a small animal farm and we expect the rooster will wake us up tomorrow morning.  Like I need a rooster to wake me up!

The Park put on a pig roast this evening with a country western band and lots of delicious smelling food.  The people all went to the party and left us dogs home, so I didn't get to taste anything.

We are all gathering here before we go to the convention next week in Redmond.  Four couples arrived today and one more will be coming in tomorrow. So, like I said it's going to be party time for the next four days.

I took this picture of the Three Sisters Mountains on the way through Bend this afternoon.

The Wild Life

I drove Kathe crazy today.  I must have begged her 10 time to take me outside to check out the wildlife.  I start crying like I need to go out and then as soon as I get outside I chase every chipmunk I see.  Boy, she sure gets mad!  I managed to get within 2 inches of a couple of them today.  I chase them all the way to their homes and I am really having FUN!

Jim went for a long bike ride today and took this picture of Mount Baker.  Near as I can tell Kathe did nothing today.

We ran into our friends Cheryl, Ken, and Little Girl last night.  They were taking a walk in the campground after dinner and recognized our coach.  They drove to Crater Lake today and then Kathe and Jim met them for dinner tonight at the Diamond Lake Lodge.

The Internet is really acting up tonight and I better quit while I am ahead.  Tomorrow we will be in the Bend/Sisters area and meeting up with all of our Komfort Kruiser friends.

Into the Wild (again)

We just arrived at Diamond Lake, Oregon about an hour ago.  We were here about 7 years ago and it doesn't even seem like the same place.  Of course I was only two year old when we were here last but there are three times as many RV sites and about half as many trees in the resort.  Don't worry, the chipmunks are still here and I think things are going to be just fine. 

Last time we were here they had just drained the lake due to an invasive species that was sucking all the oxygen out of the water.  There were dead fish all over the place, but things are back to normal now and I can't believe how much bigger the Lake looks with water in it.  They say there are huge trout and bass waiting to be caught.  Keep your paws crossed, maybe Jim will catch one.

There is an eleven mile bike path all the way around the Lake and Kathe and Jim are going to try that tomorrow.  It's going to be a busy day as Jim says they are going fishing too!  We're here for only two days so I guess we have to squeeze as much as we can.

We drove up on the scenic highway 138 following the Umpqua River winding back and forth until we reached the Lake at an altitude of 5000 feet.  It's much cooler up here.

Hamburgers tonight if Jim finishes cleaning the motor home before it gets too dark.

Lazy days of Summer

Today was a very busy day.  Jim and Kathe went out after breakfast to pick yet another thousand blackberries.  I guess they are planning to make more blackberry cobbler.  They rode bikes to the mother load and picked until their baskets were full.  Kathe reports that now she has ridden her bike three times in a row and NOT fallen off.  I think it's a new record.

Then it was time for our adventure in the town of Rogue River.  I got my much anticipated "professional" grooming.  Guess how they removed the pine tar? By soaking my paws in mayonnaise!  Well, I came out looking pretty spiffy but as soon as I left the salon I rearranged my hair the way I like it.  See my picture.

While I was getting groomed, Kathe had a pedicure, and Jim went to the car wash.  The car wash was only $3.00, but Jim had do the washing!

We will be leaving here tomorrow for Diamond Lake.  The brochure says they have Internet, so I hope they really do.

Pine Trees are NOT Your Friends

If you're trying to track squirrels under the pine trees, look out for the sticky pine cones.  I just lost a bunch of my coat because I rolled in pine sap.  It's worse than chewing gum and no fun at all when Kathe gets out the scissors and chops off chunks of my coat.  Now, tomorrow I have to go to a dog groomer for a real bath.  I guess it's not as humiliating as being dunked in the kitchen sink.  Wish me luck, the last time I went to a "professional" groomer in Oregon I came out looking like a stupid Pomeranian.

This morning Jim went for the much anticipated bike ride down the Rogue River Greenway Trail.  He enjoyed it but said that the trail was much too short.  When it's finished the trail will connect Ashland to Grants Pass along the Rogue.  Guess we will have to come back when it is finished.

After lunch they went wine tasting again.  They keep drinking the stuff, and so I guess they have to keep buying more.  The Del Rio Winery is just down the road from the campground in Gold Hill.  The tasting room was once the Rock Point Hotel, a stage stop during the Gold Rush days.  They tasted about 10 different estate grown wines.  The 200 plus acre vineyard is on the hillside behind the tasting room.

I had a little teeny tiny bit of the blackberry cobbler that Kathe made from some of the tons of berries they picked last night just before sunset. Yummy!

Out of the Smoke and Ashland

We drove up Interstate 5 this morning through the smoke in Ashland, Oregon and arrived here at The Valley of The Rogue State Park.  We are half way between Grants Pass and Medford and apparently far enough away from the fires to actually see the sunshine. We have a large grassy site just above the Rogue River with full hook- ups, power, and Internet service.  It's still very hot so it's a good thing we have power to run the air conditioner here in paradise.

There are a few squirrels running around, but they seem to like the shade down by the river. So our campsite is secure!

After getting set up and sharing their lunch with me, Kathe and Jim took a hike on the River's Edge Trail. The trail follows the river and has thousands of blackberry bushes on either side of the path.  The berries are small this year, but there are lots of them. Kathe will probably go out picking in the morning when it's cooler. They also checked out the Greenway  Bike Trail for Jim.  I am sure he will be riding tomorrow instead of blackberry picking.

Mostly we just relaxed today and enjoyed the FRESH AIR for a change.

Ashes Everywhere

Last night, just before we went to bed we saw a big pink plume of smoke out to the North.  This morning there were ashes on everything.  The motor home, the car and even my blue chair had little white ashes on it.  We looked up fires on the computer and it looks like there is a huge fire to the northeast of our location in Oregon.  That's exactly where we are planning to go tomorrow!  We will probably change our current plan and try to avoid the fire.

There is no way of knowing which area will be impacted until we get on the road, but it looks like the way to Diamond Lake is closed.

Jim took a nice long bike ride around Lake Siskiyou this morning.  And, while Kathe worked on her needlepoint, I took a well deserved nap.  I'm not sleeping that well here with the trains running all night.

Guess what?  Acorns don't taste good.  I have been picking them up every morning only to have Kathe yell, "Spit that out!" I didn't get to taste one until this morning.  She's right, I should have spit it out.  It tasted awful.  That doesn't mean I won't try it again tomorrow just to see if I can annoy her.

Kathe and Jim decided to take a drive down  to Lake Shasta to see the Shasta Caverns.  They got stuck in a 6 mile back-up on the freeway and never made it to the caverns.  They took a detour to see how low the water level was at the Sugarloaf Arm of Lake Shasta.  Due to the drought the Lake is 40 or 50 feet below previous levels.  Very sad, especially for Jim who has great memories of house boating on the lake.

Mount Shasta City

Today was our first full day at Mount Shasta. We arrived yesterday afternoon but we spent the whole day doing laundry and trying to manage the air conditioning in the RV.  It was 95 and we tried to use two air conditioners but kept having issues with the power.  Even with all of Jim's handy-dandy power managing systems, the power and the air kept going off.  Luckily, it cools down at night and we were able to sleep comfortably. Except for the TRAINS!  Why do conductors think it's so cool to lean on the horn twenty times going through town?

Okay, so other than the heat and the trains we are having fun!  Today, after the 8:05 woke us up, we had breakfast and took a long walk through the woods around the RV park. Then Kathe and Jim then set out for a hike around nearby Lake Siskiyou.

First, they checked out the bike trails for Jim, then they went to the Lake Siskiyou Resort. They were thinking that maybe the next time we're in this area we might camp there. It was right on the Lake away from the trains, but there were hundreds of kids everywhere in the "Splash Zone."


They finally went for their hike around the Lake, but by then they were getting hungry and cut it short to go back to the RV for lunch.  Kathe got the bright idea to take the North Shore Road home.  It turned into a gravel road to nowhere. By the time they turned around and got back to the main road they had driven 6 miles out of their way and it was close to 3:00.

The pictures are shots of Mount Shasta and Lake Siskiyou, and the 6 mile drive in the woods!

Steak tacos for dinner tonight, oh boy!