Use it or Loose it

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Yesterday CB and I went bowling, how tuff can it be? My mind remembered from 30 years ago how to do it but the body refused to follow; how embarrassing! Today I am feeling aches and pains that are different from the aches and pains I normally have. They say that older people loose mobility and I am a prime example, 66 and the first time I have really felt like I was getting old; or am I there?

I have not put out a blog in awhile; my brain is atrophying (cobwebs). When I get away from writing it is difficult to start back up, my batteries are below 12 volts. But the sun is out today and I plan to charge back up and get some UV rays for this old white body.

Living and working here at the park we are getting to know the good, bad and the ugly! Yes there are some people here that are downright bad and ugly. I have never understood how some people join something and immediately want to change it. When the majority rejected massive change, the new comers became mean spirited and have upset the peace and tranquility. Why don’t they act like adults and just pick up their marbles and go home (and stay there)!

Fortunately the good people far outnumber the bad and make this place what an Escapee Park was meant to be, like a big warm family living and working toward the good of all. (IMHO)

The grass is greener

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I think God did certain things to reward those who persevere; such as a warm, dry winter for those who put up with searing heat in the summer; brilliant color for those who endure cold, rain and grey skies.

Those of us lucky enough to enjoy the best of both truly are blessed. After staying warm and dry in Arizona all winter, we travel to the Pacific Northwest and drink in the beauty of the flora and fauna. Here where the green mountains meet the blue ocean on a sunny day, makes you feel almost intoxicated. The bright explosion of color displayed by bush, tree and groundcover feeds the soul.

Add to that all the deer (Port Townsend claims to have as many as 700), bear (we saw one scamper across the road in front of our car), the Orcas with their sails slicing thru tranquil waters, a large herd of Roosevelt elk and all the yummy crab, Salmon, halibut, shrimp, clams, oysters……………….. lunch time!

Yes, We love it up here. We are busy making new friends; the Elks have shrimp, fish and chips every Thursday for $7.00, and it is excellent! Wednesday night is Bingo, the only time I have heard old ladies swear. We play pegs and Jokers Monday nights, and enjoy free lunch from Rachael every Thursday. Saturdays and Sundays 9 to 4, Connie works in the office and I ride the golf cart around, park people, clean and stock the bathrooms, laundry room, occasionally mop the kitchen, take all the garbage to the dumpsters, sort mail, run a backhoe and other fun stuff. For our 12 hours of work (24 total) we get our lot with a shed, a refrigerator/freezer, electric, propane and an hourly wage. What is not to like? Especially because we have fun and make new friends!

What do they do?

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Tom and Suzy Davies came up for a few days so we showed them around Port Townsend. With more than fifty turn of the century homes, this little town is a showcase of old world craftsmanship. Many of these large well kept homes were built for wealthy sea captains and merchants.

Everything here embraces what the town was originally; one of the most important sea ports on the west coast. The ghosts of old sailors from wooden ships with square sails anchored out from the beach are at home here, they are familiar with the old homes, buildings and seafaring work still being done in some of those old buildings.

We visited the sail loft where people were busy making sails for various vessels. How many sail makers do you know? Shoes were not allowed here, the wood floors are as smooth as glass, so as to not snag the fabric. We watched intently as they hand stitched ropes, gussets and all sorts of things I could not begin to describe. Everyone was so nice and patient with us as they explained the art of sail making; sails are not just flat, they have surfaces like wings on an airplane.

Week three

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We made it through our third weekend and we are liking it more and more. Getting to know people better is, for the most part, making our life up here much more enjoyable.
We just missed the tulip season but the rhododendrons are in full bloom, they are, in my opinion, one of the many good reasons to live here in the Pacific Northwest.
In the RV community a person's status has nothing to do with what a person did when they were working, but more like Dr. King said " the content of their character". We made an assumption that because one of the guys carried a tape measure, he was a carpenter, he turned out to be a Doctor. We are all the same here.

Tom and Suzy Davies are coming to see us for a few days, wouldn't you know it looks like rain.  

It's the Humidity!

I am not sure the egg or the chicken came first, but if they grew up in Washington they were definitely bigger; check out the picture, both are large eggs but the ones from here are about 20 percent bigger than the ones we brought from Arizona. Do you think it is the humidity? After all everything grows when it is watered. Click on the date for the rest of my post!

We  wrrrk'd our first weekend and survived! I volunteer for the maintenance committee on Thursdays; male bonding and using men's toys for three hours. Tractors, riding lawnmowers, chain saws, felling trees (timber!); Tim Taylor would love it. The best part is Rachael, our 90 year old cook, fixes lunch for us lumberjacks, yum yum eat em up! Click on the date for the rest of my post.

The view from our front windshield encompasses the office, the entry road, and allows us to  keep an eye on all comings and goings. The cart is my trusty steed to carry out my various and sundry duties here at SKP Evergreen Coho Park. I would say the average age here is about seventy, but it is slowly getting younger and we are getting older. Our name on the list for a lot should come up in about two to three years so we will be almost seventy, but the new seventy is fifty five, that means you who have not retired won't be able to do so until you are about seventy five.?  (:   But keep up the good work, our SS checks depend on it. Look on the bright side, when you are that old the new 80 will be only about 70!
About 30 to 40 percent live here year year around and love it. Rain? What rain? Oh, by the way, high humidity keeps the wrinkles away; Sun City...............? Bah humbug!

A cool misty kiss.

The weather here is cold and rainy (a welcome relief from the 105 of Surprise), but the welcome reception here upon our return has been as warm as a mother's breast.

1,474 miles and seven days since we left the 105 degree heat of the desert, some say it is a dry heat but then so is your oven and I am not climbing in one anytime soon. We are at last here in our wonderful Western Washington weather, 50 degrees and raining, yes it is a wet cool, and unlike the oven I can simply put on a few more clothes to be somewhat less miserable. We are actually enjoying the rain, something rare back in Arizona, we are also getting our green fix; we love it here!

The Olympic peninsula, where the ocean meets the forest, and Japanese trinkets float ashore; they are really pretty at night, bobbing up and down, all aglow with radiation. Actually they have reached Sitka Alaska; hopefully we will not get any this far south.

We have signed up to be weekend managers here in Chimacum, Washington, at the Escapees Evergreen Coho RV Park for five months, which at our age is a fairly long time. We loved doing it last year for six weeks and we have to be somewhere doing something, right?

We are sad that we have missed the World famous tulip season by less than a week, poor planning on our part. Fruit trees are blooming in abundance and popping with color against the green of everything else and the rhododendrons are ready to light a fire of color thru out. This area was called the blue hole by sailors of old, for the opening in the clouds; we are dryer than the rest of Western Washington (or less wet).

This is what Willy was singing about, we love it!
The day before we left Arizona it was 105 degrees, we are now in Jackpot, Nevada and it is snowing. With a high of 50 and low around 30. Cactus Pete's Casino and RV Park is a full hook-up park normally, but with this being early in the season the water is turned off, we are glad we have plenty water on board.
This morning we discovered thick layers of ice on the slide out covers, so slide out not slide in. I had to get the ladder, climb up above the slide outs and remove all the ice; all this in 26 degrees (wind chill factor). I tripped and fell on my frozen butt ( I'm only telling you this because if I didn't, Connie would!). So I am hobbling around a little more than usual, but I will live.
We are now half way to Chimacum, Wa..  I can almost taste Rachael's chocolate cake.

Backyard desert bloom

 Wow! Our backyard has exploded with color, Cara seems to enjoy it, I know we do.
We are counting down the time until we leave for our summer home in Chimacum, Washington; 25 days until we wend our way across Arizona, Nevada, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.
     Stay tuned!!!!!

Cabo San Lucas

Hola Amigos y Amigas.................

We are back from an amazing trip to the land of Tequila and Sunshine; Cabo San Lucas!

These are some pictures of our repast at the Tequila's Sunrise Restaurant, accross from the Hotel California (of Eagles fame). This was the best meal we had, hands down; from the real Margarita (not a Gringo Slush) to the guacamole, salsa, salad with cucumber pickles, exquisite fish tacos, Ancho chilies stuffed with beef, pomegranites and cheeses and lastly the dessert. This was perhaps the best dessert I have ever had; chocolate cake topped with flan, drizzled with chocolate syrup and (wait for it)........................Tequila! It tickled the taste buds with just the right amount of sweet and a touch of sour; I will forever try to copy it!

Our three bedroom villa was large and lavishly appointed, from hot tub to infinity pool which overlooked our Pueblo Bonito property and the Pacific Ocean, Land's End and the Sea of Cortez was about a mile away as was the town and marina of Cabo.

Lifestyles of the rich and famous, we had but to call and someone would come pick us up
and take us anywhere on the property; spas for steam and massage therapy, four restaurants, a
consierge just to name a few. From the main lobby to get to the beach and associated bar
the ride was by large gas powered, eight passenger golf carts which I named "Mr. Toad's
Wild Ride; we would hurdle down a twisting, narrow alleyway, coming upon another going
the other way had a pucker factor of seven.

Summer's eve.

Our time at the Escapee’s Evergreen Coho RV Park has come to an end for this year; we have made some new friends and learned a whole lot about running an RV park. We look forward to coming back next year in May for five months; we hope you will join us.

Our first stop was Portland, Oregon for a couple nights stay at the Columbia RV Park. Connie bought a McIntosh desktop computer, she had wanted to get back to Mac for a long time; and we saved state tax by buying it in Oregon.

We plan on being home in Festival about the 14th of October giving me two weeks to get ready for Halloween. I am just a big kid at heart; I love setting up my village of graveyards, ghouls, skeletons, witches and all things that go bump in the night. Next month it will be pilgrims, pumpkins and brightly colored vegetables, and we will be giving thanks for all the good things in our lives.

Coming up in mid-November will be Disneyland with Bryan, Gary, Blanche, Blanche’s kids Julie, L. Kae, and Raymond. Between now and then we will be having our fall brunch, hoping to see a lot of you there.

Christmas takes about two weeks to put up the tree, ornaments, an army of dolls and a little mistletoe. You can be sure St. Nick will be standing watch over packages wrapped in shiny green and red paper, tied up with bows of golden ribbon, each with a promise of something special inside. We will be wishing all our friends and family another year of good health and well being.

Dave

History, art, wood, water and friend.

Today we went to the Wooden Boat Show in Port Townsend, Washington. People from all over the world come to this event. An entire building is dedicated to the craft and art of wooden boats. The smell of fresh sawn wood and linseed oil brings back my fondest memories of my Dad; him and me building a small boat from scratch.

The biggest draw is boarding and viewing wooden boats of all description. The most intriguing of all was the Destiny with its storied past. Built in 1934 for Randolph Hearst and later sold to Howard Hughes, two of the wealthiest men of their time.

We came aboard and wound around below decks until we came to the kitchen in the forward most part of the ship. There we met Dawn, the new owner (pictured), we had a great time comparing notes; we were very much alike and quickly became friends. She and her husband sold their five coffee shops to buy Destiny and go see the world.

Port Townsend Washington is home to the Blue Moose Cafe, it is down by the dockyards
and looks very seedy. Inside is very small and very old, not what you would associate with
good food. Recommended by some locals we discovered a real gem. The sandwich I had was a double decker with toasted raisin bread, sliced apples, ham, cheddar cheese and sweet hot mustard, it was de-lish, as Rachael Ray would say.