STILL SIZZLING

Super hot again today in Sisters! I wasn't feeling at all tip top this morning so I slept until 8:00 and I let everyone else sleep in too. I guess it's the heat, but I just didn't want to get out of bed. I've been staying inside and napping, and I don't feel like eating any treats or dinner tonight. I'm just gonna lay low until I feel better.

We had big problem today with the Nespresso machine. It was started shooting hot coffee out onto the counter. Our old one did the same thing. Kathe and Jim knew there was no hope but to replace it as soon as possible. I don't drink the stuff myself.  It seems humans can't do anything without their coffee in the morning. Lucky for them that it happen in Sisters instead of the boonies. There's a Bed Bath and Beyond, and a Macy's in Bend,  so they were able to replace it right away.

Lunch today was at the Old Mill district at a restaurant overlooking the Deschutes River. They watched the ducks

and people floating past them as they ate lunch outside under an umbrella. They walked along the river after lunch, but it was so hot that everyone agreed to go home and relax in the air conditioning.

Just a heads up! Tomorrow we will be going to Diamond Lake, Oregon for a six night stay. It's near Crater Lake, Oregon, but the internet is reported to be very spotty, so I may not be able to communicate. Jim will try to get the cell phone booster working, but who knows! Remember, we're camping!  Good news, it's supposed to be really cool there. It the 40's at night!

SIZZLING IN SISTERS

It's really hot hear today. I didn't even want to go out of the nice cool motor home at all. Of course
that isn't an option when you are a doggie! Kathe dragged me around the park several times in-between my multiple naps on the nice cool tile.

Kathe went into Bend this morning and got scalped. Her hair is now shorter than Jim's hair. Everyone keeps saying that it will grow back, but in the meantime she can wear a hat! On the way back from Bend she stopped to take this picture of the Three Sisters, the mountains for which the town is named. It's been very hazy here, we think because of the heat wave. You can get an idea of how beautiful it is here in Sisters even when it's not clear.

Once Kathe returned, the humans all piled into the car for a shopping expedition. We haven't been near a big city is so long that they couldn't resist hitting all the favorite stores. By the time they went to Costco, Whole Foods, Petco, and Albertsons it was time for a nap. There is some talk about the Trader Joe's and the Bed, Bath, and Beyond for tomorrow!

So, they didn't do much today except spend money. Kathe walked around the RV Park and took this picture of the lake that is in the middle of the park. We have camped here before, and even though they have added quite a few more sites, it is still beautiful.

SISTERS NOT BEND

It took a while to get here from wherever we were last night, but this is such a nice park, it was definitely worth the long drive on highway 97. Sorry this is so late, but if Kathe would have put down her margarita long enough to turn on my computer I would have finished my post by now.

Let me set the record straight, we are not exactly in Bend,  but Sisters, Oregon. Sisters is much quieter than Bend and there are lots of pines and juniper trees all over the place. We are close enough to go shopping in the city of Bend. There's a Trader Joe's and a Costco there, and my personal favorite-Petco!

There are so many pretty flowers all over this park that Kathe couldn't resist taking my picture in the middle of them. If you look real close you can see how enthusiastic I was about getting my picture taken. It's 96 degrees outside!


Gianni went to yet another vet here today to help Kathy

figure out how to regulate his insulin using the app that comes with the device that he's wearing. It's so confusing, but we think that eventually it's going to work out just fine. He's walking around like nothing is wrong at all and I'm enjoying my walks with him and Lady Bella so much.

TWO THINGS TO DO

In Goldendale  area there were only 3 top things to do on Trip Advisor. First up was the historical museum, but it was closed because of the Covid pandemic.

My humans decided to try the next thing on the list, the St John's Monastery and Bakery. The Monastery was established in 1995, as a women's Greek Orthodox monastic community. There are now about 20 nuns and novices at the Monastery, supporting themselves by making and selling their handiwork. In the store they have  lotions, soaps, candles, jewelry, and a variety of traditional Greek foods and bakery items for sale. They have a delicious luncheon menu, and a small dining area. Of course Warren and my Kathe had to bring something home as well as convincing everyone that this was the perfect place for lunch. We weren't allowed to take pictures inside, so they drove up the hill above the building and took this one.

After lunch they went to the third attraction, a full scale replica of Stonehenge built of reinforced concrete.  It was built in 1918 on a bluff over-looking the Columbia River. It is a memorial to the soldiers of Klickitat County who gave their lives in World War I.  Unlike the ancient Stonehenge it is aligned to the astronomical horizon rather than the actual midsummer sunrise. So it is difficult to use it as an astronomical calendar. Who knew! 

RIVERVIEW

The drive today was pretty amazing. We left Prosser and the miles of grape vines and hop vines and drove south into an area where the Yakima river flowed through the Indian reservation with lots of corn and wheat fields. Then, within a few miles of all that greenery it suddenly became a desert.

Next, we drove up and down some mountainous terrain and saw golden hills spotted with hundreds of windmills. After all that, we didn't know what to expect next. We drove downhill to the Columbia River and our RV camp, the Peach Beach Resort.

The road into the park was through a peach orchard, hence the name Peach Beach! As we checked in the camp host gave us a bag with 2 huge peaches, compliments of the orchard.  As you can see we have a really cool site, and a view of the river. It is warm here but there are lots of shade trees and grass so it feels cooler than the thermometer says it is. There are also some interesting squirrel smells that need more exploration!

Kathe and Jim walked up the road to the orchard fruit stand and bought a few more of the peaches to make a cobbler for dessert tonight!

14 HANDS

The city of Prosser is claims to be the birthplace of Washington's modern wine industry and it is located in the state's oldest Viticulture area. The tourist map shows no less than 32 Tasting rooms in Prosser. Only one problem, there was only winery that was open due to Covid. Kathy Taylor made reservations for a tasting at 14 Hands Winery for this afternoon.

It was a very beautiful site just outside of town and the tasting was in a sunny garden setting under an umbrella. The winery is named 14 hands to celebrate the wild horses that once roamed the area. They tasted four very different wines which were really quite delicious.  They even brought home a few bottles. 14 Hands is an offshoot of the Saint Michelle winery, and very popular in Washington.

There are hops growing everywhere around here as well as grapes and apples. The area hop growers supply more than 75% of the US crop of brewing's most crucial ingredient, making up more than 20% of the worlds supply. Maybe they should have gone beer tasting!

Tomorrow we head south to Goldendale, Washington and the Columbia River.

RESTFUL DAY

Even with all the people here at the Park, we managed to have a quiet, restful day. The weather is much cooler today and there is a slight breeze, so we spent much of the day outside in the shade under the awning.

This morning was the weekly Farmers Market in downtown Prosser so everyone got up early to get the best produce. They bought local corn, potatoes, squash, nectarines, squash blossoms, cherries, and fresh bread. One thing about my humans, they always seem to be shopping for the freshest, most delicious food.

The rest of the day we girls and Gianni sat outside and relaxed. We couldn't put up the "she-shed" here because they said that they had underground watering. Supposedly, but all the grass is brownish and thick so I really think that's not true. I kind of hate this grass, it sticks to my fur and now there are pieces of dried grass all over the carpet. Jim is not happy about that and neither am I.

While we were sitting around doing nothing this afternoon, Jim and Warren went for a bike ride for a few hours into downtown Prosser.  Here's a picture of our happy bikers returning!

SWEET MYSTERY

Another day here in Prosser, Washington. Our Park is filling up for the weekend and there are lots and lots of doggies moving in. We guess it is because there are no State Parks open and anyone that wants to have some camping fun has to come to a private park like this one. That has to be the reason, because there is not much to do in Prosser. Last night we were the only two rigs in this row, and tonight there are hardly any spaces left in the whole park.

Today after the umpteenth trip to a Safeway and a Walmart Superstore, my humans went to the Chuker Cherry Flagship Store and Factory. Chuker Cherries are sold at the Pike Place Market and are a very tasty candy treat. They got to sample several different cherry candies and learned a little bit about the history of the store and how the they make the various flavors of the candy. They also make many other cherry products like sauces and jams. They came home with a bag full of stuff.

Another interesting thing to do here in Prosser is a trip to

Gravity Hill or Mystery Hill. Miles out of town near a haunted grain silo there is a strange phenomenon where you park your car and put it in neutral and your car will roll uphill. It's freaky! It is actually an optical illusion on an uphill climb which is part of a larger downhill slope. As for the haunted grain silo, they were afraid to check that out.

HOT TO HOTTER

Today we are in Prosser, Washington where it's even hotter than our last stop. We drove for about 4 hours south from the pine trees in Leavenworth to an area that reminds me of the California desert. We even passed some Windmills!

This wasn't our original destination, but we were skunked out of two other more desirable places due to Covid. We were supposed to be in Yakima at a State Park for the next 4 days, and when they canceled our reservation at the last minute, the Kathies scrambled to find something in-between Leavenworth and Bend, Oregon. We will make the best of the situation. We always do!

After leaving the pine trees of the Wenatchee National Forest we saw the landscape change to ranchland and then to fruit orchards. As we got closer to Prosser we started to see vineyards and hops, lots and lots of hops. This is a picture of the hops growing on vine supports.


The name of this RV Park is Wine Country RV, because there are many wineries in this area. I hope that my humans will find at least one that is open so they can go tasting. It's going to be a long 4 days if they don't.

TRIP TO CASHMERE

Another hot day here in Leavenworth. You've heard of a 3 dog night, well this is a 3 air conditioner day. I got cooled off this morning with my weekly bath in the sink, but Kathe spoiled all that with the hair dryer. I think I look okay now, but there is so much dust here it won't last long. I went for a walk with Gianni and Lady Bella this morning and I'm happy to report that Gainni is tip top once again. I called him, "poodle leg", this morning because they shaved one leg just like a poodle when he had the IV in the hospital. Poor guy, he has to wear a glucose monitor on his chest for 10 days too. But we're just so happy to have him back again that we can't stop wagging our tails.

The humans took a drive to the town of Cashmere this afternoon while we doggies stayed home in the air conditioning. Cashmere is known for two things and they enjoyed both of them today.

First, the town is the home of the Liberty Orchard Company, the maker of the Aplets and Cotlets candy. Even with the pandemic they were still able to take a guided tour of the factory which has been producing the famous candy for 100 years. It was a private tour, just the four of them and the guide. It was very interesting, and after the tour they got to sample the candies. Of course they went shopping and bought some treats to take home.

After the candy, it was time for lunch around the corner at Country Boys Barbecue. See that pig? That's what happens when you visit that place, the food is so good that you make a pig of yourself! Even the pig wears a mask.

BAVARIA IN WASHINGTON

Here's the tip of the day-when you are very hot, lay down on the tile floor and make everyone step over you. Do not move until they offer you some food. It works! It was still in the high nineties today and Jim had all 3 air conditioners blasting all day.

I'm going to make this short, the internet here is terrible and I'm having a hard time getting my blog done.  Even my pictures are having a hard time traveling from Kathe's phone to my computer. Today there will be only one picture, if I can even get that downloaded.

It's my guess that people must come here to get away from it all, because even with cell phone boosters and hot spots galore no one seems to be able to get a strong signal. And the Park WIFI is a joke! Maybe all the people here just sit around relaxing and talking to each other.

Anyway, today all the humans went into the little Bavarian town to do some shopping. The Kathies spent time in the Christmas store and the Nutcracker Museum while the guys seemed to be interested in the sporting goods store and the German restaurants. They brought home some food from Ludwig's. There was enough food to feed the German army. Warren and Jim had to have the specialty, Schweinshax'n, while the Kathies ate Chicken Schnitzel.

WORTH THE DRIVE

Hard day today. We drove five hours, most of the way on State Highway 2. It took forever because there were so many areas of the road under construction. Many parts of the roadway were only one way, with a flagman holding up traffic. It seemed like we were stopped waiting more than we

were driving on the highway.

Add to that the fact that we got a rock chip on our windshield first thing this morning, had a malfunction indication light on the dashboard, and had to stop to deflate one of the tires that was becoming over inflated due to the excessive heat. And, we had to stop once for Gianni who had a little problem with his blood sugar. He is much better now, but Kathy and Warren have to monitor his sugar levels to keep him well.

Oh, did I mention that it was 103 today at 4:30 when we finally arrived in Leavenworth, WA. And I have my fur coat on!

It really was a tough day, but I'm not complaining! Much! Anyway here's a picture out of our front window of the Icicle River. We are parked right on the edge of the cliff. A great place to stay for the next 3 days. Like I said, it was worth the drive.

ANOTHER DRIVE ON THE ISLAND

Kathy and Warren have been on Whidbey Island before and have many great memories to share. Today they all headed South on the island to one of those memories in the town of Freeland.  It was about an hour long drive to the Greenbank Farm and Wine Shop and Farm for lunch. A lot has happened since their last visit, and not just the pandemic. Pretty much everything was closed and lunch was out of the question. The farm was to be sold to a developer but that was stopped and the farm is now the Whidbey Island Land Trust. Just a few shops were still clinging to life, but most of the visitors were just hiking the hills with their dogs. Luckily, the pie shop and the wine shop were still in business. They purchased this Marionberry pie and some dessert wine. And the hunt for somewhere to eat lunch began again.

There were so many people everywhere they went that they decided to travel back over the Deception Pass Bridge to the Shrimp Shack in Anacortes.  Big mistake, there were a

gazillion cars on the bridge and just as many people lined up outside the restaurant, and they were all too close together without masks. So, they turned around went back over the bridge and ate lunch at home. This is a picture from the bridge looking toward Anacortes.

We are waiting for Gianni to be released from the hospital tonight. He's doing much better and I can't wait to give him a big lick! Tomorrow we head to Leavenworth, Washington for the next 3 nights.

BIKE AND HIKE

A sunny Saturday on Whidbey Island. This area is so crowded, looks like everyone from Seattle has decided to spend a day at Deception State Park. By early afternoon there were "PARK FULL" signs at all of the entrances.

This morning after breakfast, the bikes and helmets were assembled and off they went for a spin around Cranberry Lake. There were a lot of cars beginning to clog up the roads and the parking lots, so the ride was short but beautiful.

After a quick lunch, my humans wanted to take a short hike in the park to the bridge. Forget about it! There was no place to park the car and there were hundreds of people walking around. No one was wearing a mask. Warren said the parking lot looked like the one day sale at Macy's, so as soon as they could, they left the park and headed out to another area of the Park. Across the highway there was the Marina and Cornet Bay. Here is a picture is looking across the bay to the Deception Pass bridge.

Still looking for a place to hike, they continued south on the highway to Dugualla Bay State Park to find the South Park Trail. By now it was too late to take a long hike to the beach so they had to be content with a hike through the trees. It was very pretty, and they had the trail to themselves.

Gianni is still in the hospital and we are waiting to hear the outcome of more tests today. Keeping my paws crossed that he will be back home soon.

ISLAND EXPLORING

It was a little foggy early this morning, but the sun came out by 9:00. It looked like everyone was going to go for a bike ride, but that fizzled out pretty quickly. After a second cup of coffee for the  humans and another stroll around the campground for me, today's plan turned into a scenic drive of Whidbey Island. There are several little towns, and attractions all down the Island. We are staying at the northern most tip of Whidbey, so there was a lot more to see.

First, they went out on the western coast of the Island to see the coast and view the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The beach was deserted and they were able to walk the beach and breathe some fresh air.

There was a bakery that the Taylors remembered in the little town of Coupeville that was next on the agenda. The bakery was open for take-out and serving delicious sandwiches. After a little window shopping and a walk on the pier they headed back out to coast.

Kathe wanted to see the Admiralty Head

Lighthouse and the guys wanted to stop at Fort Worden Historical State Park. Here is a picture of the Lighthouse, but there were so many kids climbing all over the fort that a picture wasn't possible!

Update on Gianni, he's feeling a little better. He has to stay overnight again in the hospital and we are all hoping that he will be able to come home soon.

WHIDBEY ISLAND

Things were very upsetting this morning for all of us. Gianni was so sick last night that he had to go to the veterinarian this morning. Kathy didn't want to wait until Friday and we were all very worried about him. After they ran some tests, they found out that his blood sugar was very high and that he may be diabetic. They will keep him overnight and then, hopefully with medication he will be tip top again.

While Gianni was at the vet we moved to Whidbey Island and to the North Widbey Island Resort. It's only 11 miles from Fidalgo Bay so I hardly had time to take a nap in my crate before we were checking in. We had to cross Deception Pass Bridge that connects Fidalgo Island to Whidbey Island and that was very scary! It's so narrow that I thought our rear view mirrors were going to snap off! They were working on the bridge and that made it even more narrow. Plus, there were people walking on the bridge only a few inches away from the edge.

We made it without a scratch to our destination. The sites are really close together and very narrow, so getting situated in our spot was a challenge. The only saving grace is that we are directly across the street from the entrance to Deception Pass State Park. Kathe and Jim drove over to the Park this afternoon to check out the beach and the campground. It's a huge park with over 300 campsites, all of which are too small for our coach. Kathe took this picture of Cranberry Lake which is one of the main attractions in the Park.

EAGLES AND OTTERS

Another sunny day here on Fidalgo Bay. Us doggies spent some time this morning on the grass soaking up the sun and the terrific bunny rabbit smells. I'm sad to say that Gianni isn't feeling well, so he wasn't in the mood to walk this morning. He's has to go to the veterinarian when we get to Whidbey Island on Friday. Hopefully, he will be feeling tip top soon.

Today the humans took another bike ride, this time in the other direction along the bike path and over the bay on a long wooden bridge. There were a bunch of people standing in the middle of the bridge looking down at the water. They stopped to see what was so interesting in the water. It was a pair of otters eating crabs.
They were diving up and down in the water fishing for breakfast.

After lunch we were all outside when a bald eagle flew right over us and landed in a pine tree. It was just sitting there looking at the water, when another bald eagle flew into another tree right next to the first one.

Kathe got out her cell phone and got this picture when one of the eagles flew down into the bay and picked up a fish and flew back into the tree. If you look really close you can see the fish in his beak. We have seen eagles before, but never two of them at once, and never this close up.

WHALE WATCHING

Everyone was up very early this morning. I hardly had any time to chase the bunny rabbits before I had to go back  home to guard the motor home while they all went off whale watching.

At 10:00 sharp they boarded the Island Explorer 5 for a four hour cruise out of Anacortes. It was a large modern, double hulled boat that had three decks for viewing. The boat was only running at  half capacity due to the pandemic so there was lots of room to roam around and lots of open space. It was a very clear and sunny day, but cool enough that everyone had to wear heavy jackets, hats and gloves. And of course, masks!

The crew was very helpful at pointing out the wildlife as we sailed in the calm waters near the San Juan Islands. They spotted several bald eagles and some seals before the real excitement began. After about an hour of sailing they spotted the first pod of Orcas. The naturalist guide even knew the names of some of the whales. Cookie and Oreo were out this morning and Kathy and Warren got some great pictures.

As the day progressed and the ship went farther out to sea they were able to spot a pod of Minke whales on all sides of the boat. Later they sailed to another location and found two Humpback whales swimming very close together, that's when the two other whale watching boats started watching us and it was time to go back to Anacortes. It was a wonderful day.

RIBBON OF GREEN

There are so many things I like about this place. The rabbits, birds, and gophers for a start, and a large grassy place for me to walk and explore right out of my front door. If Kathe would only get a basket for her bicycle, then I could explore a lot more as she rides along. Of course she has to get more confident on the bicycle before that could happen. She does seem to be able to stay vertical most of the time, so that's a step in the right direction.

Today's adventure was a bike ride on the path along the bay. It's called a ribbon of green because the trees grow right up to the shore of the bay. It was a five mile ride to Anacortes and back. As you can see from this picture it was a really nice flat, paved trail along the bay under the trees. Everyone enjoyed the ride.

Once they arrived in Anacortes, they checked out where the whale watching boat is docked. They have reservations for a cruise tomorrow and hope to see some whales in the waters around San Juan Island. 

They stopped in Anacortes at Anthony's for lunch at the marina before riding back to the RV Resort. The restaurant was only open for outside dining and here is a picture of the view that they enjoyed while eating lunch.

SITTING AT THE TOP OF THE BAY

Rough ride today from Gig Harbor to Anacortes Washington. Most of the drive was on Interstate 5 with all the traffic and big rigs speeding into Seattle. I took this picture as we drove right by the city. If you look real hard you can see the little tiny space needle on the left and all the tall skyscrapers of downtown. Seattle reminds me of New York City, so populated and dense with thousands of people living on top of each other. Glad we were only driving by today.

It took a while, but here we are at Fidalgo Bay Resort.  Our site faces this huge lawn area for Gianni, Bella and myself and a great view of the Bay. We are going to fly a kite one day and chase it.

There is a bike path into the town of Anacortes that runs right through the Resort. And it's FLAT. After yesterday, the Kathies sure weren't looking forward to another bike ride but this looks pretty easy and it's right along the water. The sites are pretty close together, but with this view we are happy that we are staying here for 4 days.

CLIMBING HILLS

It's our last day here in Gig Harbor and because rain was expected in the afternoon the bikes came out early this morning. Jim and Warren found a "great" bike trail here in the city and they set out to find  out how to get to it from our RV Park. It was just a short ride down the road to the trail head. According to Kathe, that was the only thing great about the ride. Here' a picture of the trail.

As soon as they started on the trail there was an 8% grade hill to climb, then came another and another one. Next came two more hills, both of them were 10% climbs, followed by another 8% grade. Up and down and up and down and up and down again. Kathe lost count of the number of climbs and then when they reached the end of the trail they still had to turn around and go back down and up again and again.

I think that even with the pedal assist electric bikes, everyone except Jim was worn out by the time they finally got back to camp. I know the Kathies were very glad to hang up the bikes. What was surprising was that all of the other bike riders on the trail, although much younger than my humans were climbing the hills with no help from battery power.

All that exercise tired everyone out and the rest of the day was spent reading, coloring, and napping!

ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER MARKET

Another day in Gig Harbor.  And another bath for me. Ever since that unfortunate experience last year when I had those bald spots, now I have to have more frequent baths. The Vet gave Kathe a new shampoo for me and instructions to use it every week when we travel. I'm allergic to something, but no one knows what. Maybe it's baths! I sure don't enjoy them at all. I almost got out of it this morning when the weather seemed to be too cool. Wouldn't you know it, the sun came out and I went right into the kitchen sink!

The humans took advantage of the sunny weather and went on a road trip to Seattle today. They wanted to go to Pikes Place Market and do some shopping. My Kathe wore a face shield and looked ridiculous, but she wanted to be safe. There were very few people in the market compared to how it would have been before the Covid pandemic. Everyone was wearing masks as dictated by the State of Washington. They bought a few specialty items in the Italian market, and ate pierogies and macaroni and cheese for lunch.

After lunch they found the "original flagship" REI, and did a little shopping there. The store is enormous, and has an outdoor bike trail, a hiking trail and a waterfall on the store grounds. Of course everyone had to wear a mask, stand 6 feet apart, and walk in a one way path throughout the store but it was certainly an amazing place.

DARK AND RAINY DAY

It started to rain this morning just after my morning walk. I took Kathe out extra early this morning at 5:30, so she missed the worst of it. Rain on the roof of a motor home is like Chinese water torture, but only if you can hear it. Note to self: it's not so bad being deaf, no fireworks, and no pounding rain drops!  So, I was just snoring away until they shook me awake for my breakfast.

Anyway, the rain kind of put a hiccup in the plans for the day. Of course Warren had an alternative plan, shopping at a specialty market called Tacoma Boys.  According to my humans they had too many delicious things. They spent about an hour just looking at all the fresh local fruit and unusual foods. They could only buy a few things because of course they still had to go to the farmers market later in the day. There is absolutely no more room in the refrigerator or freezer. This is a picture of Gig Harbor this afternoon. It's still gloomy and gray.

There has been another glitch in our plans. The Washington State Parks sent us a notice that our reservation at Yakima State Park has been cancelled. Another scramble to find a new find Park for those dates! We quickly found a place to stay in Prosser, Washington. Just one more adventure!

GIG HARBOR

We left Wilsonville at the crack of 10:30 this morning because we knew we had a long drive today. It was about 170 miles to Gig Harbor and most of the drive was on the I-5. There was a lot of traffic and big rigs traveling through the Portland area and the highway was bumpy so I was standing up in

my crate most of the way.

The drive took us over about 5 different bridges to get here, the most beautiful one was the Tacoma Narrows bridge. We were following Warren and Kathy when I took this picture of them crossing the bridge.

The Gig Harbor RV Park where we are staying is in the middle of a forest of tall trees, and far enough away from town that it's really, really quiet.  We did run into some friends here from our motor home club who were escaping from Los Angeles like we are. It's a small world! They have been here a few days and report that there is nothing to do here but relax. Apparently, due to Covid everything is closed. That's fine with us we will just chill out!

BIRTHDAY BOY

Yep, it's July seventh and it's Jim's birthday! It's a milestone birthday, his 75th. Kathe and I told him that he should tell everybody that it's his 57th, then he wouldn't be so old. Thank you to all the friends and family for the cards, phone calls, and special messages today, you all brightened his day.

Even though it was a cold and drizzling morning, it turned out to be a nice day for the wine tasting that the Taylors planned for this afternoon. They made reservations at the Blakeslee Estate Winery in the town of Sherwood, Oregon. They were the only ones there and were treated to some great Oregon wines.  It was a really beautiful setting. A large estate with beautifully landscaped gardens and a tasting room overlooking the vineyards. They sampled some really nice Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs, spending several hours in this garden paradise. Here is a picture of the birthday boy and one taken looking out the window of the tasting room.

Tonight they are planning a birthday party for Jim in the Taylors coach. Warren will be cooking some Rib Eye steaks and there will be champagne to drink and chocolate layer cake for dessert. Of course there will be vanilla ice cream too, it's Jim's favorite.

Tomorrow we leave Oregon and travel to Washington. We will be in Gig Harbor for the next four days.

THE SEARCH FOR SOMETHING TO DO

The sun never did find it's way out today, it was hidden in the clouds all day. But, at least it didn't rain. Even I didn't want to get out of bed this morning and delayed my early morning wake up call until 7:00 AM. I know Kathe appreciated that!

So, everybody just sat around drinking coffee and trying to figure out something to do today until noon. This place has nothing exciting to do at all. Even Yelp couldn't help! When you google the top 10 things to do in Wilsonville all they could only come up with three things to do. A Bullwinkle Playhouse, a miniature speedway, and a graveyard. Nope!

Warren and my Kathe wanted to find a u-pick blueberry farm, and Jim wanted to shop for some new camp chairs.  First they went to everyplace they could think of that might sell camp chairs, everywhere they went the chairs were sold out. Next, they drove all over the place looking for the two blueberry farms that were advertised on the web. What they found were two new housing developments where the farms used to be. 

On the way back to the RV Park they happened on a farm stand with fields of blueberries, peaches, and marionberries behind the building. Kathe asked if they could pick some but was told that because of Covid that wasn't happening this year. She took a picture and bought home some raspberries and marionberries in little boxes.

Tomorrow is Jim's birthday and they have reservations for wine tasting at a nearby vineyard.

PLEASANT PHEASANT RIDGE

Here we are at Pheasant Ridge RV Park in Wilsonville, Oregon. The ride today was so short that I didn't even get a chance to nap in my crate. I think it only took about 30 minutes to get here from McMinnville. It was a nice drive past large farms and vineyards. It's such a shame, so many wineries, so much wine to taste, but nothing is open.

The Park is right in the middle of the city of Wilsonville but it's very nice. There are beautiful petunia flowers on every lamp post and lots of trees between the sites. It's only a short drive to the Interstate, and there is a Camping World, Costco, and a Home Depot very near by us. 

The guys are in heaven!

It's the first time we have been anywhere near a Costco, so of course that was the adventure for today. Kathe wasn't too thrilled being with all those people, and I think that she will be staying home with me for  anymore adventures like that one. At least they stocked up on my favorite chicken, so I don't have to worry about where my next meal is coming from.

QUIET FOURTH OF JULY

Great day here in McMinnville at the Old Stone Village RV Resort. I'm having a little trouble concentrating on writing my blog because Warren is barbecuing the most delicious ribs right in front of me. They smell so good, I hope someone will give me just a little taste later tonight. The barbecue is Warrens specialty, but today he has added some wood from the grapevines he picked up this

morning on the bike ride.

It's especially a great Fourth for me because my hearing is so bad now that I can't hear any fireworks. That's just fine with me! As you know this is usually my most hated holiday, especially in Oregon where they shoot fireworks off for days and days! This year it's been so quiet that I can sleep right through them.

After a lazy morning, my humans went for a long bike ride through the grounds of the Evergreen Museum campus. There were paved bike paths along a blueberry farm and around several vineyards. They took another path that was a nature trail where they saw several deer and wild turkeys. Kathy T even found a field for flying model aircraft and was able to fly her drone until the battery finally pooped out. I'm happy to report that my Kathe remained upright the whole time on her bike and returned without mishap! A great day for everyone.

AIRPLANES AND WINE

It was a little cold this morning and it was a good thing I had my fur coat on for my morning walk. Kathe even had to put on long pants and sneakers! We really thought it would be warmer here in McMinnville, but until the sun breaks through the clouds it's really chilly.

After breakfast this morning my humans decided to go to the Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum, which is right next door to the RV Park. It's a really large complex of several buildings which house all sorts of historical planes, helicopters and space vehicles. You could spend hours there looking at all the interesting exhibits. Luckily, today it was almost empty of visitors so they were able to spend hours there without the usual crowds. The highlight of the day was seeing the restored Spruce Goose which was brought here from California.

Later in the afternoon they finally got to go wine tasting. Due to the new regulations in Oregon all wine tasting is done by reservations only. It was hard to find a place to make a reservation over the holiday weekend. Kathe and Jim were able to secure a spot at the Elizabeth Chambers winery for a tasting of Willamette Valley Pinot Noirs. It was a really pretty outdoor location with tables set several feet apart. They took off their masks and tasted six different Oregon wines in the sunshine.

THE SUN SHINES

We really like this park. I've been here before with Kathe and Jim and I remember everything! I had to pull Kathe along and show her where the dog park was, because she forgot. I'd never forget a thing like that!  I love our site, lots of beautiful soft green grass. A pleasure for all of us after the sand and pine needles of the last place at the beach. Had a little mishap last night with the sprinklers though. Who would have thought that they would be on full blast at 11:30 at night. I really got SOAKED. I didn't mind it one bit but Kathe had to get a towel and dry me off before I could get back into bed. I guess you can't have soft green grass without a little water.

Today was a another slow one, I'm surprised there are any pictures at all to show you. These are pictures of the RV Park. The sun finally came out at about 2:00. Today was wash the sheets and towels day, so of course it was also time for a bath for me. These things always come in threes. I guess having a wet dog in bed with you might have something to do with it.

The humans went into Old Town McMinnville for the Farmers Market and to do some shopping on Main Street. The fruits and vegetables and artisan breads at the market were delicious looking, so they stocked up. The Main Street stores were open for business and almost everyone in town was taking precautions and wearing face coverings.