First Passage

12/13/2010

As I begin this missive about our first passage of the season, we are about 25 miles off shore and about 70 miles from our destination. Once again we have gone “too fast” (when you are speaking of sailboats this is an oxymoron) so instead of trying to negotiate the dicey little entrance at Mazatlan in the dark we have decided to heave to and bob around for a few hours. We can have a leisurely dinner, catch a short nap, watch a couple episodes of Boston Legal and arrive after sunrise tomorrow.

This has been an interesting trip, and not just because we have a dog on board, although that has certainly been a new factor.

When we backed out of the slip in San Carlos Saturday morning Abby was in the cockpit saying good bye to “Auntie Linde” and “Uncle Ken” from “Rosebud” and wagging her tail at the novelty of having her house moving. It was a beautiful, calm sunny morning and Abby’s nose and ears were working overtime to take in all the sights and sounds passing by. A few hours out of San Carlos we finally had enough breeze to unfurl the jib. The seas were a nice, comfortable 1-2 ft and we romped along at 6 knots as all of us began to ease into our sea legs. As the day went on, Abby began to realize there was nothing but water around the boat and began to do a lot of pacing in the cockpit. When the sun set and it was full dark she decided she’d had quite enough of this adventure and was on her way over the side. Fortunately, she (like us) was on a tether. At that point she went below and that is where she has stayed until today. She may have had a bit of Mal de Mar or just been afraid but she parked herself on the settee (where I sleep when we’re underway) and did not move for two days. I can’t say I blame her.

After dark on Saturday, the wind started picking up and the seas followed suit. Before long we were rolling through 3-4 ft swells and surfing down good sized breaking waves. I have always said that I don’t know which I like less, daytime when I can see what is coming or night time when I can’t, but it was definitely a little un-nerving for my first night in many months. The waves would come up on the starboard quarter and lift “Faith’s” stern like a huge hand. As it rolled under us, the boat would, quite literally, surf down the face and we’d see speeds of 8, 9 and even over 10 knots from that push. I must say, I decided to be exceptionally grateful that we have a center cockpit. I can’t even count the times we could easily have been “pooped” (this is when waves break over the stern and into the cockpit…where you are sitting) if we had an aft cockpit. Chris had checked the gribs (weather predictions received via internet or single sideband) for several days before we left so we knew the wind would likely stay around 10-15 knots until late Monday. What I had forgotten was the seas build as the wind continues to blow. They were following (coming from behind) so it wasn’t uncomfortable but, for my “warm up run” (as we used to say in skiing) I had more hoped for glassy water. Sigh…

We stand 3 hour watches and, once again, I managed to get the “last watch before sunrise” which is my least favorite. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will continue to draw that watch until it is no longer my least favorite but I shall continue to complain about it. My 10pm-1am watch brought a beautiful half moon that didn’t set until after midnight, and when it did, it would turn on its side like huge, orange smile and slide slowly into the Sea. It was every bit as dramatic as the sunsets at sea are.

Both of us have suffered from the cold. The long underwear was left behind in the storage unit since we just knew we wouldn’t need them anymore. Hah! My ensemble for night watches has consisted of the only pair of jeans I have on board, a t-shirt, 2 sweatshirts and a fleece lined windbreaker. Since the knit hat I had on the trip down the Oregon coast is also in the storage unit I was thankful that one of the sweatshirts has a hood! It certainly isn’t as cold as the original trip down from Portland but, with the newly thinned blood we have acquired, it was plenty uncomfortable.

About 10:00 this morning the temperature dropped noticeably and shortly thereafter we found ourselves in a fog bank. Good grief. Fog in Mexico is not unheard of but exceptionally rare this time of year. It is also one of my least favorite things. On went the radar. Aha! There they were! Numerous shrimp boats just lurking about and waiting for night time to sneak out and surprise us!

Once the fog burned off we have been treated to a beautiful day with flat water, no wind and the occasional sea animal (I saw a whale and Chris has seen dolphins) to break the monotony. Abby is feeling better. She ate a little something, spent some time in the cockpit and has hauled almost all her toys out and made us play “fetch the obnoxious squeaky toy” with her. She doesn’t know it yet but tomorrow she will get to go for a walk in a new place where there are lots of cats and iguanas to get excited about.

Time to leave...already?

12/10/2010

It’s getting busy around here. We’ve been in San Carlos for over a month now and are getting anxious to be on our way. So are others. Some have overstayed to get their FM3’s, others to resolve newly found boat issues. We have been here this long mostly because it was cheaper to purchase a month of moorage than it was two weeks. But…that said…We are not the first to admit that we have enjoyed the luxury of putting the boat together at a more leisurely pace than in past years. Getting the boat ready to live and cruise on after its been on the hard for 5 months is not an easy job, especially given the fact that we are both over 60. Somehow it seems like each year the sails get heavier, the engine room gets smaller, the ladder gets higher and our joints get noisier. We’ve also both had to get through a nasty flu bug that was followed closely by head colds.

Still, San Carlos isn’t exactly the worst place in the world to just hang out for a while. Especially when we have a lot of friends, old and new, to socialize with, a dog who needs to learn how to live on a boat and a number of new eating establishments that must be investigated.

Tomorrow morning it is our turn to begin this year’s sojourn. It is cooling off by the day here and we’ve even had to purchase a small space heater to keep the chill off at night so it is clearly time to get south. Next stop will be Mazatlan…a 3+ day trip. It looks like we’ll have good weather but it is still a long passage to begin the season with. Personally, my preference is short hops. You know…day trips! Alas, there are just places you can’t get to that way. Besides, Christmas is fast approaching and we really must be in Mazatlan before the guests from Vancouver to share the holiday with us.

Stay tuned for further adventures of the good ship “Faith”, her dedicated crew and the soon-to-be-salty sea dog, Abby!

What would I do if I couldn't cruise anymore?

I really love cruising…both land and water, but especially water. It is an immense freedom to carry your entire household with you no matter where you go and not be rooted in one particular spot.

When I sold my house to buy “Faith” it was much more difficult than I had anticipated. For so many years I had dreamed of ‘selling the house and the stuff and sailing off into the sunset’ that I was taken quite by surprise at the emotional distress I suffered when it came right down to the act of giving up my cute little house and most everything I had accumulated in the previous 20 years of living. I had carved myself a very comfortable little niche and, even though I wanted very much to go cruising, it was a niche I felt great trepidation about leaving. Every dream, though, has its price. Since I couldn’t afford both a house and a large cruising boat it was imperative to shake off the chains of dirt living. If I didn’t, I would forever be doomed to the land of “what if…” and “I wish I’d…”

As I begin my third year of gypsy living, my occasional musing comes down to “what would I do if I couldn’t do this anymore? I don’t think I could ever go back to a “normal” lifestyle. There are pieces and parts of this style of living that are pretty difficult. Putting the boat “to bed” for a summer in dry storage and then putting it back together in the fall so we can leave requires a tremendous amount of hard work and it is usually fairly hot here in Mexico so that adds to the equation. Still, the rewards of seeing new places, meeting new people and enjoying some incredibly beautiful moments in life makes it all worth it.

Chris & I have begun a discussion during the past year about what we would do if we became physically unable to keep cruising. Anyone who sails knows that it is an activity that requires a fair amount of physical strength and coordination. Thus far we are still capable, but now that we are both over 60 we must face the fact that “something” could happen to one or both of us that would leave us in a much different position.

We have seriously evaluated a number of small Mexican towns that are particular favorites of ours and discussed finding a nice little palapa of our own in one…maybe with a smaller day-sailer close by. The down side is that it would mean we’d be in one place most of the time. Over the past couple years we have discovered that, while we both love being able to stay in one spot for a while, after a few weeks the “itchy-feet virus” seems to hit pretty hard and pretty soon one or the other is suggesting a new destination only to discover that the other person was just thinking that same thing.

We have also talked of getting a trawler (power boat) in order to continue cruising. Many of our friends have done just that. They are still living on the water and going where they want but it involves much less stress on your body. The down side is that trawlers are generally quite a bit more expensive to purchase and run.

Another option that has been discussed is getting a larger travel trailer or RV and just doing our traveling on land. That, too, is much more expensive than water cruising but still brings some wonderful rewards. The down side is that, as we’ve discovered, people who RV aren’t nearly as open and friendly as those who cruise on water (except, of course, for Canadians who have to be some of the nicest, friendliest people on the face of the earth). Nothing personal against RVer’s. It has just been our experience (at least in the U.S.) that they seem to stay in their own little plot and don’t really enjoy the camaraderie that cruisers do.

Just as an aside, we have some ideas why that might be true. First of all, cruisers don’t tend to have TV so they spend a lot of time together socializing, playing games, helping the local communities and each other, exploring (mostly on foot or by bus) etc. Secondly, water cruisers have a morning net wherever they go. Each day the cruisers who are in residence in a particular place come together via the radio to address possible medical emergencies, welcome newcomers, say goodbye to those who are leaving, exchange information about needed parts & repairs, find out about the weather (this is BIG when you are traveling by sailboat), learn about social events, trade things, and just generally get acquainted and help each other. That’s something the RVer’s don ‘t have. Also, all the cruisers understand that anything can happen when you’re “out there” (as Captain Ron said) and while we are all truly on our own, we are also truly all together. If ever someone is overdue or has an emergency, the entire community is on alert and ready to step in with whatever help they can provide, so, as a group they tend to become very connected, very fast.

So…what would we do if we couldn’t do this anymore? Well, I honestly don’t know for sure, but I’ll bet we’d find some way to stay on the water from time to time and continue traveling. The one thing I’m pretty sure we wouldn’t do is sit and vegetate.

It's Still Camping!

OK. For the longest time I thought that restroom facilities in marinas were the iffy-ist you could find but I stand corrected. RV parks have it all over marinas. During our travels this season Chris & I have begun to judge RV parks by their restroom facilities and, quite honestly, it boggles the mind what some people consider adequate. They run the gamut from “rustic-doesn’t-even-come-close” to luxurious 5-star-hotel-ish accommodations. As a woman who has never been a big “camper”, one of the aspects of traveling as a way of life I’ve had to get accustomed to is the fact that you are almost always using someone else’s bathroom. I have friends who always shower in their RV’s or on their boats but taking a shower in a closet where every cup of water must be rationed and the amount of hot water available is minuscule is something I prefer to do only when necessary. I don’t mind as much on the boat since the trade offs make it worth the slightly more primitive lifestyle, but, somehow, it seems to me that when you are staying in a land based “mini-town” I tend to expect a bit more in creature comforts.

So…on to the facilities: The park we stayed at for much of the summer had lovely showers. There were two buildings…a small one in the front (with one shower) for the “transients” and another at the back of the park for “long termers”. This second building had 5 showers in it. Each was a separate small room with a locking door, a shelf for your “bag of accouterments” and a couple hooks for towel, clothes, etc. The shower curtain was large enough to cover the entire shower entry (so the water stayed inside the stall), there were shelves inside for shampoo, etc., and there was ALWAYS hot water. In the main restroom area there was a large sink/countertop and mirror with 3 sinks and 3 outlets. Perfect. These people know how to run an RV park!

This summer we discovered state and federal parks where camping is available. There is good and bad to this. The good is that these are usually beautiful spots that are well maintained. There are camp hosts to provide guidance and do general cleanup and the park rangers make sure “rowdies” don’t disturb everyone else or cause a nuisance. Restrooms…well, sometimes they are wonderful and sometimes they are what you would expect at a campground. One place we stayed was in a lovely old growth forest at the edge of a lake. It was a beautiful, peaceful place and we would have been happy to stay longer if we’d had the time. The one thing I did balk at was, after paying over $30/night, the showers still required quarters. Another very nice state park had free showers but they were in a building open to the elements. Oh, they had doors and were private enough, but with cement floors and no heat it was a challenge getting naked and waiting for the water to heat up. This would have been fine in Arizona but Oregon is an entirely different climate zone…even in the “heat” of the summer!

One of the RV parks we pulled into in Arizona looked fine from the outside but the restrooms were brutally backward. There were clearly a number of “liveaboards” in this park so I was shocked at the facilities. The women’s room had a door that stayed open all the time and anyone walking past looked directly into the shower area which was only hidden by a very old, nasty, torn shower curtain. Beyond that there were 2 stalls…only one of which had a shower head and that was so low it hit me about tit level (too graphic?) so hair washing was a real trick. This restroom had two toilets but neither door had a latch and the sink did not work. Mind you, the nightly cost was higher than a number of better parks that we stayed at.

We found a real gem in, of all places, Bakersfield, CA. The park itself was beautifully laid out with nice, wide, paved driveways, level spaces, a strip of grass and picnic table for everyone and the cost was less than most. And the restrooms were amazing! The shower facilities were totally separate from the bathrooms and each of the 5 or 6 showers were beautifully tiled, had a locking door on the outside and a glass door on the shower stall. There was room to put a bag, hooks, shelves in the shower, unlimited hot water and a shower head that delivered lots of water above my head! The large vanity area was at the far end of the room and separated by a partial wall that kept the mirror from fogging up from steam. And it was impeccably clean.

We have begun keeping notes on the good, the “OK for one night” and the awful for future reference. Suffice it to say that part of the “experience” of traveling seems to be the unknown challenges one will face at the end of a long day of driving when you make that first walk to the shower to wash the stress and dust off.

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Trip

Last stop on our way south. Tomorrow we will be sleeping in San Carlos and getting ready to morph back into our water-people selves.

We have been busy, busy, busy finishing up that “to do” list in San Diego and here, in Tucson and I think we have finally reached the end of it. Although...Rosie just posted on Facebook that she was eating those mini Hershey bars on night watch and now I’m thinking that sounds like a great idea so I think we’ll pick some up before we leave here!

In between all the shopping and visiting, we did manage to get in a day of just plain touristy fun by taking in the Sonora Desert Museum here. It is an amazing place and, even with my snake phobia, I enjoyed walking around on the pathways through all the cacti and succulents and getting a chance to see some of the flora and fauna close up. They have quite a few animal exhibits there and we took most in but as the day wore on (and got hotter) we decided to return again another time to see the Javelinas rather than walk another long and winding road to their enclosures.

First thing…right off the bat…of course…Chris had to take me to see the snakes-behind-glass. Eww. I HATE snakes!! I dutifully looked at them all and then decided that, in addition to the run-of-the-mill rattlers I now had to worry about walking under bushes where a vine snake might be waiting to drop onto me. Sheesh. Well, just when I thought we were done with the snakes, we walked around the corner and there was a woman HOLDING a snake. My cue to exit the building, which I did. Chris insisted it was “just” a King Snake but, again, I have no interest in getting close to slithery reptiles.

Once out of that building we ran into a docent who told us all about the cute little Kangaroo Rat she had in a cage and then another that had a tiny Raptor on her hand. From there we wandered through the desert and just about the time I’d start to get tired of seeing cactus and watching for rattlesnakes we’d come upon an animal enclosure. The Bighorn Sheep were very stinky but the head guy in charge posed and I got a perfect shot of him. The Mexican Wolves were beautiful and appeared to be very well fed. We saw a Bobcat foot hanging down from a crevasse but the kitty himself was apparently snoozing. I love the little Prairie Dogs. They are so cute and they chirp almost like a bird. The Ocelot and the Coatimundi were hiding but the Desert Tortoise was stretching and enjoying the hot sun.

There are so many different kinds of cacti I can’t believe it but I think my favorites are the Saguaro and the Cholla (aka Jumping) Cactus. The Desert Museum is right in the middle of the Saguaro National Park so the drive there gives you the opportunity to see lots of them. I was surprised to find out that there are also a number of different kinds of Agave plants...one real stunner is the Queen Victoria's Agave. I also didn't know that the Century Plant is an Agave that only blooms once (at about 15 years of age) and when the bloom dies the entire plant goes with it.

The Museum has two walk-in aviaries which were great fun…especially the one that is specifically for Hummingbirds. I must have taken 50 pictures but those little devils are so fast that I could only catch them when they were sitting still…which they actually do more often than I’d have thought. There was a Parrot in the general aviary that was just sitting in a tree muttering to himself the whole time we were there. I wonder if he was someone's pet at one time and now misses the conversation.

One of the very cool things they do is they have a Raptor Free Flight twice a day where they release several breeds of birds of prey and give a talk about each bird’s characteristics while the audience gets to see them hunting in the wild. Chris & I were watching from a viewing station on top of a small building and a Gray Hawk landed on the roof in front of us. It was a beautiful bird and just as I snapped a picture of it, it went tip toeing across the roof and the photo shows that. Whoo hoo!

As we walked past the River Otter enclosure we came upon a beautiful grouping of flowers that were alive with butterflies. I have no idea what species they were but they were all busy slurping up the nectar and didn't seem to mind having their pictures taken though, like the Hummingbirds, it was hard to catch them fully extended.

We went early and by 2:00 we were ready to head for lunch and a beer. Our old joints were beginning to talk pretty loudly to us. I do hope we get a chance to go back next year as there is still a lot to see. I recommend it if you are going through Tucson, but go in the morning before it gets cooking hot!

New Kid on the Block

Meet Abby…the newest member of our family! Yes. Chris finally relented and the transformation has been very interesting.

If you don’t already know, I spent almost 30 years of my “other life” (before sailing) raising and showing dogs. I began with Cocker Spaniels and gradually switched to Pugs. My daughter got into Italian Greyhounds and between the two of us we usually had somewhere around a half dozen 4-legged “kids” running around the house at any given time. During those years Amanda and I finished quite a few Champions and earned numerous obedience degrees with the dogs. Most of our spare time was spent grooming, training, raising puppies, driving to/from shows and exhibiting. It was all fun and we spent a lot of quality time together. Amanda still has a houseful of dogs but after my divorce, I began to develop new interests (skiing, travel, sailing and dating among others) and I gradually got out of the dog biz. I worked my way down to just two house pets but never thought I’d be without a dog. In 2005 the last of my homebred Pugs died and all I had left was one rescue Pug who was fun and good company. When I bought “Faith” in 2006 and moved aboard, the marina didn’t allow dogs so I had to find Louis a new home. Over the past 4 years it has been pretty nice not having to think about anyone but myself (and Chris) when making plans but still…I have had to get my tail wags and slobbery kisses from OPD’s (other people’s dogs.

During the past two years I have been sort of babbling about wanting to get a dog but Chris has consistently reminded me of the difficulties inherent in our lifestyle. Still…other people on boats have dogs and seem to manage OK. Being the ex-breeder that I am, I knew Pugs would have some trouble with the heat in Mexico (although I’ve met several who live on boats there and seem to be fine) so I began researching other breeds for compatibility. It looked like a Chihuahua or Papillion would fit the bill nicely and began the discussion. Chris never said “no” but he was always reminding me of the difficulties a dog would present.

I wasn’t seriously looking for a dog but every so often this summer I’d check out a breeder or rescue service. Oddly, Chris was regularly looking at and sharing photos of rescue Chihuahuas that were available! Clearly he was warming up to the idea.

When we were in Sutherlin (OR) I found “her”. A darling Chihuahua mix named “Chi Chi” who was in the shelter in Ashland. From her photos she looked like she had great attitude and we decided to stop and check her out, knowing full well that she would likely be going home with us. Well…not so much. “Chi Chi” was cute alright but she was much too afraid of everything. The staff warned that she’d been a stray and had taken 3 months to catch. They felt that if she was ever off lead she would bolt and I agreed. However, on our way in from the parking lot, we had met a darling pup who had just become available so we asked to see her. The staff brought her in and it was all over.

Abby couldn’t come home with us until she’d been spayed so we had two days to begin gathering all the necessary paraphernalia. Was I ever surprised when Chris said, "This (having to wait) is worse than Christmas!" Mr "a dog will be too much trouble" was sooo excited. When we picked her up at the vet’s office she was very quiet and, aside from a short visit with the “Rosebud” clan, she just wanted to sleep. The next day we began to see an occasional tail wag. It’s been all positive from there.

Abby has been with us for 9 days now and she’s a member of the family at this point. She is pretty, she has attitude and she’s very smart. She is pretty much housetrained at this point and will wake us up if she needs out at night. She has adjusted well to all the traveling (and we have been on the road over half the time she has lived with us) and doesn’t seem to be distressed when we start packing up to leave…probably because she knows the house will be there when we arrive. She has learned “sit” and “wait” and is working on “down” and Chris is beginning to work on tricks (oh boy). Next hurdle will be living on a boat.

Stay tuned!

Musing

What a beautiful trip south this has been so far. We’ve camped in old growth forest, where the only noise you hear is the soughing of the wind through the trees. We’ve stayed at the beach where we were 10 steps from toes in sand and crashing ocean waves. We’ve camped beside a pristine lake with rolling hills, glorious sunrises and sunsets and good friends close by. We’ve meandered through the redwoods imagining ourselves in movies with Ewoks and dinosaurs. I hated to leave the coast route that twists and turns through Oregon and California behind and head over to I-5 again but, alas, all good things must come to an end and our lazy, “no schedule” leg means it is now time to make some time.

Here is the big surprise. While the secondary (?) roads in California are in great shape (albeit narrow and twisty) the same can’t be said for I-5. After a day on that thoroughfare my insides feel as if they have been in a blender. It is clear that the infrastructure of this beautiful state (and, yes, a good deal of California is quite beautiful) is suffering severely from the current economic crisis. They are not unlike other states that are struggling to keep things going but the roads have clearly taken a big portion of the “hit” when the budget got cut.

Eureka was a big surprise to me. We’d stopped there on our way southbound in ’08 but with no ground transportation we couldn’t leave the marina so I don’t know what the town looked like at that time. What it looks like now is, basically, sad. It is easy to see that most of the businesses are hanging on by their fingertips as even the buildings look unkempt and neglected. This is an old town filled with beautiful old homes with lots of gingerbread and unique features but so many are in need of painting and maintenance. And then there is the large number of homeless people wandering the streets and going through dumpsters. It only takes one look to see that many have never been in this situation before. They look dazed and shell shocked and overwhelmed with hopelessness. If California is anything like Washington, the Social Services are also being cut and cut and cut so they probably aren’t getting much help from that program either. From the outside, Eureka seems to be sort of a microcosm of the problems that are happening all over country these days.

OK…I think this has gotten a little too melancholy so I will move along. I just can’t help but be thankful that we are able to live the life we do. Chris and I are by no means wealthy, and it costs us much more to live when we are in the States than when we are in Mexico, but we still have all the necessities of life. And we have our health. Too many of our friends and family are struggling with serious medical issues and all we can do is pray for them, hold them close in our hearts, and be thankful for what we have.

Only one of the reasons we keep on cruising:

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2010/10/16/1330911/pismo-fatality-freeway-pedestrian.html

Life is so very short and none of us knows how much time we are allotted. Please take the time to do something that pleases you every day. Take a trip to a place you’ve always wanted to see…make cookies with a grandchild…call in sick and spend a day doing whatever you want…connect with an old friend…or just sit and watch a beautiful sunset. Life is a gift…use it wisely. And never forget to tell the people in your life you love them.

Crater Lake

We’ve been on a rather zig-zaggy course since we left Vancouver and, thus far, have only managed to cover about 160 miles since the 29^th because of the slow pace but its been heaven being able to just stop or take detours whenever we want without a deadline looming.

We arrived in Sutherlin on Thursday after a beautiful drive down a “new” back road. We saw tons of Elk and came close to running out of gas but what is life worth without a little excitement? After getting the trailer set up Chris & I met my daughter, Amanda, and her husband and boys for dinner. We had a nice visit but it was a weeknight and Amanda had been working 6-10’s of late so we made it an early night. It turned out that Anthony, my grandson, had no school on Friday so we decided to take him to Crater Lake the next day. The original plan was to drive up there after we’d left Sutherlin but this seemed like more fun. We are nothing if not flexible!

We picked Anthony up at 9:30 and were off. The drive to the top takes about 1-1/2 hours and Anthony kept us entertained with a running commentary about football. This is his year of playing and he is clearly having fun. He plays both offense and defense so is on the field throughout most of the games. Of late he’s been watching Sports Talk so he was able to bring us up to date on how all the teams are doing this year, which players have been traded to which teams and the whole lowdown. Mind you, Chris & I have little or no interest in football so we got a good education. Fortunately, Chris has some knowledge of the principle players and teams so he was able to keep up our side of the dialog.

The drive up to Crater Lake follows the North Umpqua River and meanders through farmland and forest in fairly equal parts. In a word, it is a gorgeous drive. This River is strewn with boulders and rapids abound so there are few places where one can imagine even a raft safely navigating. We saw no one fishing from boats but quite a few men in waders were readying their fly fishing gear for the day.

At about the 6500 ft level the trees became much sparser and we found ourselves driving through a moonlike terrain that is quite beautiful. This is the “Pumice Desert”. It consists of rolling hills that are covered with pale reddish colored pumice. A few clumps of trees stand here and there but, clearly, nothing much grows in pumice.

As we approached the first viewpoint, we passed a sign I couldn’t resist photographing. I have long been a fan of the Darwin Awards but this really brings it all home. The big red “DANGER”, followed by “Falling Will Cause Injury or Death Stay Back From Cliff Edges” says it all. It is hard to believe that people can be that stupid but, of course, some of them are.

Our first glimpse of the Lake nearly took our breath away. It is close to impossible to find words that adequately describe this gorgeous place so I will just leave it to the photos. I was stunned to learn that the Lake was first discovered by gold miners back in the 1800’s. I wonder if any of them fell over the edge?

There are no native fish in the Lake but over the years 6 different varieties have been introduced and two types (Rainbow Trout and Kokanee Salmon) still live in the cold water. Because they are not indigenous, fishing is encouraged and there are no limits. The only restriction is that no live bait may be used. Chris is an avid fisherman so before we left town he dug out his new pole and purchased some lures in anticipation of showing his new grandson the ropes. Turns out there is only one place you can actually get to the water and that entails a hike down a trail with a 700 ft elevation drop. As the brochure clearly states, coming back up is like climbing 65 flights of stairs. This is at an elevation of 7,000 ft where walking across a level parking lot can leave you panting like an asthmatic during haying season. Having done my share of skiing, I was pretty clear about what the hike and the climate would be like so I brought a book along. Thus armed I would be able to wuss out and sit in the car while “the boys” were off bonding. They never even contemplated that trail. Five minutes of standing in the viewing area with that cold breeze burrowing down inside their sweatshirts and they quickly decided a trip to the gift shop and lunch in the lodge was a better idea.

We had a great day and deposited Anthony safely home with plenty of time to back to the RV park and pay for another night. Next morning we were sitting at the 50 yard line watching 9/10 year olds playing football. I hadn’t been to a game since my kids were little and I’d forgotten how much fun it can be (when its not raining or snowing) to watch these intense young players. Anthony’s team won with a score of 7-0 and he and he and Amanda were both happy that we had stuck around to be there. Well…who wouldn’t? I think it is in the “Book of Rules for Grandmas and Grandpas”, isn’t it?

Travelin' On

It’s that time of year again and we have begun the annual southward migration back to the boat. I know she is patiently awaiting our arrival and anxious to get back into the water. We left Vancouver September 29^th and this year we are taking the scenic route. In addition to the numerous stops on the list to visit friends and relatives, there are some new places we’d like to see as well. Besides, the weather in Mexico is still pretty warm so we aren’t in a big hurry to get into that. Our first stop was Astoria, just because. We spent so much time there in ’08 waiting for the bar conditions to be conducive to crossing that it was like revisiting an old haunt. It was awfully nice, though, knowing that all we had to do was climb into the truck and drive instead of heading out into the cold, intimidating Pacific this time.

Driving the coast route is a wonderful choice in this part of the world. The scenery runs the gamut between deep forest and breathtaking ocean views. Coastal towns of grayed shake buildings that huddle together in small inlets, atop shifting sands or perched high up on sheer cliffs with waves crashing at the bottom are interspersed often enough that there is little chance of driving too fast and missing the view.

A few miles down the road, in Seaside, we stopped for a couple days to spend some time with our friends, Rod and Debo. We had a nice visit, did a little shopping and walked the spectacular beach that goes forever. In this area the powdery sand and row upon row of frothy breakers seem to go on forever. The day we arrived the tide was way out and we walked for what seemed like miles looking for a whole sand dollar to take home. Alas, between the number of people who scour the beach for treasures and the sea gulls who eat the animals inside, all we found were halves and pieces.

After two days in Seaside it was on to Pacific City…about 50 miles farther south…and a much different beach. This tiny place is off the well used path (hwy 101) but is worth taking the bumpy ride to get there. Again, the sand is soft and fine, but here the waves pound around a rocky outcropping and onto a somewhat sheltered beach area. Holding court in the middle of this area is Haystack Rock. Here is where dorymen have launched and landed their boats since 1927. There were no dories working while we were there so I purchased a CD and Chris & I were appropriately impressed with their daring as they row over and through huge breaking waves. It brought back a few memories of Astoria bar crossings caught on tape…scary! This beach is also a big favorite with surfers and it was fun to sit in the brewpub on the beach watching the breakers and the surfers while we enjoyed the excellent food and beer. The trailer was just a short walk across the street so no worries about driving.

Yesterday we continued the drive to Florence and in and it is such a beautiful drive along the coast road. The highway is mostly lined with beautiful evergreens but regularly opens to spectacular views of the Pacific and miles and miles of beautiful beaches.

Today we are in one of Oregon’s beautiful state parks, snuggled down in the trees, waiting for the coffee to finish perking and just beginning to move around a bit. This state has wonderful camping available (for RV’s as well as tent campers) in most of their parks and most have yurts and/or cabins for rent as well. The rates are quite reasonable nd thus far we have had little trouble finding a vacancy. Our biggest challenge thus far has been getting into some of the spaces as the roadways are quite narrow and the other campers tend to park their tow vehicles such that it is sometimes difficult to maneuver around them. I’m not quite sure why they do that as there is plenty of room to get them clear off the road but it seems to be their preference. It just makes it more exciting to get the trailer backed into the space. Fortunately, Chris is pretty darn good at that.

This park, the Jessie M Honeyman Park, is just outside Florence and practically across the street from Chris’ brother, Lee’s, home. It is lovely area in the forest with trails, a lake or two and the main attraction, the huge sand dunes just beyond the trees. October 1^st is the first day of the “Discovery Season” which means that the ATVer’s are allowed to drive their vehicles directly from the campground onto the dunes instead of having to take highway 101 around to another area. I couldn’t even guess how many of these sand buggies are here but at 7:52 am they were already starting them up and heading out for a day of play. Sand racing isn’t something I have a lot of interest in but those who do it (and that includes my son and his family) love it.

We’re off to visit Lee and Julie and see their pictures from Ireland & Scotland. Can’t wait!

Next stop...Canada!

After leaving Cathlamet we drove to Port Townsend where the trailer would be parked in Sue’s driveway while we went to Canada for a week. From there we went to Port Angeles. I grew up in this town and an old family friend, Kathryn, was kind enough to put Chris & I up for a night, allow us to store the truck in her garage while we were gone and drive us to/from the ferry.

Tuesday morning we were excited to get on the ferry but my hopes for beautiful views of the Olympic mountains and Canada during the crossing were dashed. It was raining. Nuts! The heavy fog hung just a few feet above it so all we were able to see was gray fog and gray water but at least the water was calm so the ride was pleasant.

As we disembarked, Angus & Rolande were there to pick us up and the next week was a whirlwind of activity as they attempted to show us as much as possible of their part of the world. Chris has already detailed many of the places and activities we enjoyed so I won’t duplicate that but I must spend a little time on Butchart Gardens.

In my “other” life, I had a friend who taught me a little about gardening and, as I came to realize how cathartic and rewarding it can be to get dirt under your fingernails, enjoy home grown vegetables for dinner and have fresh, beautiful cut flowers in the house all summer, I moved from trying to keep the yard presentable to actually enjoying doing the work.

Since I moved onto the boat I can honestly say that I have not missed mowing grass or weeding or spreading barkdust hither and yon but I do, truly, miss my flowers…especially the roses.

Butchart Gardens was a place I had always wanted to see and it was every bit as gorgeous as I had envisioned. It was originally a lime quarry owned by Mr. Butchart whose main business was making cement from the limestone. When the quarry was exhausted, Mrs. Butchart devised a plan to make something beautiful from an ugly pit and she succeeded famously. This is still a family endeavor and they are constantly adding new objects d’art making the gardens even more beautiful.

Everywhere we turned there were different displays and types of gardens. The Japanese Garden with its Bonsai trees, moss covered stonework and lily-covered ponds was quiet and soothingly meditative. Strolling through the Italian Garden with its statuary and ponds almost makes you believe you are in the heart of Rome. The Rose Garden (one of my favorites) was in full bloom and I was thrilled to be able to remember the names of quite a few varieties. When I was gardening I had quite a few rose bushes and was always surprised when friends complained that they were hard to grow. They are actually among the easiest plants I’ve had and if you keep cutting the blooms they reward you with an entire summer of beauty. The “Sunken Garden” is the real piece de resistance and it is stunning.

I was surprised how many flower names I remembered…and what simple ones I had forgotten. Since Chris is from Arizona there were many he was seeing for the first time and it was kind of fun to be able to rattle off the names and characteristics of quite a few. One of his favorites was the Dahlia with all their different varieties and vibrant colors. I never had enough yard space to grow Dahlias but have always loved them from afar. Over the years I have seen a lot of different varieties but even some of these were new to me.

By the end of the day I was just itching to spend money at a nursery and work in a garden, but, alas…the trailer doesn’t have a yard.