Soccer Fields and Great Seafood Buffet

When the chips are down, the buffalo is empty.

Tuesday night was Jordie’s first official soccer game of the season.  We made it a family affair as all of us watched from the bleachers.  Jordie is a junior and it is her second year on the high school varsity team as a first string starter.  She’s number 16!

It was a beautiful evening especially as the temperatures started to cool off from the highs of the day that were in the 90’s.

The ending score – 3 to 1.  They won!

Temperatures are still running in the 90’s.  Tammi and I had planned on heading to the Gorge to view the waterfalls … again.  However, we didn’t expect it to be so hot when we made those plans.  Thus, we decided to postpone the trip until it cooled down a little.  Perhaps, this will be something we’ll do next week

I mentioned a few days ago the quirky little issues I was having with Firefox.  After downloading and installing the newest version of Firefox over and over again, I finally just reset all the options to default.   I had disabled the plug-ins previously but that didn't work.  However, resetting it back to the default options, did.  Obviously I had picked something along the way that was causing a problem.  Whatever that was is gone now.  Thank goodness!

When soccer season starts it really starts.  Jordan had another soccer game on Saturday.  Her school didn’t win this time but they did play a good game.

My brother had a tow dolly he no longer needed since he had recently sold his motorhome.  So, we took a trip on Sunday to deliver it to my cousin who lives in Port Angeles.  Our point of contact was the casino just south of Shelton – about the half way point.

Selecting a casino as the meeting place was certainly smart.  It meant we had one fabulous buffet lunch.  It was a seafood buffet.  Tammi and I pigged out on clams and crab and shrimp and everything wonderful.

 

Hopefully, our temperatures will dip into the 80’s tomorrow.  At least that’s the prediction.  It’s been hovering in the mid-90’s for way too long.  We’re certainly ready for it to cool down.  We hope the weatherman isn’t wrong this time.  We need him to be right.

Labor Day is Behind Us

Those who live by the sword... get shot by those who don't.

WOW!  You can really lose track of blogs when you write a whole bunch and then you set them to automatically post instead of writing them as you go along.  That’s just what I’ve done.  Well, it’s not all my fault really.  Most of it is, however.  The deal is we have been busy doing the things that most people do.  To top it off we’ve really had intermittent internet.  I’ve tried to stay off of it when we’re in the motorhome because it’s been horrible.  It seemed to have been okay early in the morning and very late at night. Taking my computer with me when we head into town worked for responding to emails and a few blogs I read but that’s been just about it.  Without good internet it’s been hard.

Our neighborhood beggars have been active.  We’ve had many deer stop by to visit.  At one time we had over a dozen looking for a handout.  I have tons of pictures.  We also have a few resident cats that visit.  We buy deer food, cat food and dog food now.  Duchess isn’t too thrilled when they actually come knocking at the door but they try to do that.

It’s still a little slow and the satellite is even acting up.  The worst culprit was that summer vacation wasn’t over and everyone and their neighbors thought they would head to the lake.  With only one cell tower around, they used up the bandwidth that had been specifically reserved for us.  At least that’s how we viewed it.  We may actually get ready to move into town to improve reception and signal.  Labor Day did roll around and the people went back to what they should be doing … work and school.  Obviously, we’re certainly glad they’ve left but our techie items still haven't improved as we would have liked them to.

The best way to figure what we’ve done is to look back at the pictures.  That little camera is always around.  The more I use the new one, the more I’m really glad I bought it.  Eventually, the other one should be returned from the factory and it’s refurbishment. 

Selection at Mongolian Grill When the kids were little we lived close to a Mongolian grill.  We loved the selection and watching the cooks toss the food around on the grill.  Well, Terry and I tried one in Vancouver.  Terry loved it and I didn’t so much.  I guess I got turned off by the shrimp that hadn’t been cleaned, the sticky floor and orange chicken that was a poor second to Panda Express.  Maybe I’m watching too much of Gordon Ramsey.

Fabulous food and wonderful company.

As I mentioned Labor Day did roll around and this place was packed. The weather around here has been absolutely crazy.  It’s been cool through most of the summer.  Then, August is over and September arrives.  Temperatures have been registering in the upper 80’s and 90’s.  There is no relief in sight!  What’s up with this?  After the cool summer, even some of our deer friends have already shed their summer coats and are fully protected for winter in their new ones.

Sandi and Sabrina taking turns feeding Mr. Buck.

Our little community even had a Labor Day craft fair that Tammi, Sabrina and I visited.  We didn’t buy a lot but did walk away with a few crafty ideas.  I guess that’s what we need … something else to do.  We did find a few treasures though.

Craft Fair -- Tammi and Sandi are checking out items.

We barbecued, ate and did a lot of talking.  The kids (teenagers and friends really) went swimming in the pool and then visited the lake.  Every place was packed.

Cool lake waters

We’re glad Labor Day arrived.  For RVers that means campgrounds will be less packed and, of course, internet usage should be better.

Flowers, flowers and more flowers

There is a really, really huge outlet mall just south of Portland in Woodburn.  It’s a gorgeous mall decorated with flowers all around.  Michael, Sandi, Jordan and I decided to visit the mall on Labor Day.  We figured there would be huge back-to-school sales.  The sales were there and so were the people.  Finding a parking spot was a challenge in itself and the temperature was soaring.  We were out of there before many folks probably even found an empty place to put their car.

They were ready to go!

(August 27 - September 5)

Catch Up Time

All my life, I always wanted to be somebody.  Now I see that I should have been more specific.

Meal time

It’s been well over a week since I actually wrote a blog.  Now it might not seem like that since they’ve been posting every other day.  Remember that we were so busy for a while and the only way I could remember what was happening was by looking at the photos of the day and jotting down something quick.  You’ve got to agree that after a while you get a little burn-out from all of that.  I had burn out.  Boy, did I have burn out.  So, a whole week went by and the blogs just posted automatically on the date I had them scheduled.  That’s a nifty little feature.

Getting their winter coats!

It’s been more than nifty though.  Our internet has been absolutely rotten.  I’ve struggled to comment on other blogs, write emails or do much else online.  I find the best time around here to do it is early morning or late night.  ATT is the only service in the area.  Our signal strength is excellent with 5 bars.  It’s just that since it’s the only service provided, it’s been packed with users.  We’ve decided we’ll hang around until after Labor Day and if it doesn’t improve by then, we’re going to move into town ....  maybe.

Remember, the little black cat from last year?  She's back!  I'm feeding her too along with a couple companions.

However, now it’s time to try to be brief and do a catch-up blog.  We actually have been doing a lot of the same old things.  Visiting, working, enjoying family, feeding the deer and so on.

The work, of course, has been on our home base.  We had 4 yards of gravel dropped off.  Tammi came up and we spread it around.  We also sprayed for weeds, pulled some and gave up on others. 

Remember the wasp nest we got into a few weeks back?  Well, that one is now history.  We’re no longer providing food or property for their hive.  We are still feeding the deer.  They stop by to visit in the morning and in the evening. 

 

Tammi ended up getting moved into her apartment in Vancouver. The moving van finally showed up only a couple days after schedule. It took them all day to unload the truck and carry the stuff up three flights of stairs. Ugh!

This past weekend (or is it 2 weeks ago since I actually wrote this?) this place was packed with people and boats.  It’s been a crazy summer in this area.  The temperatures crawled into the mid-90’s for the first time and we didn’t like it.  We're thankful it gets cool at night.  That does help.  The boaters liked the hot weather just fine.  We prayed for Monday or prayed for rain.  We didn’t care what came first.  We just wanted something to happen so everyone would head home.  Monday got here first.  Temperatures have stayed close to 90.  Isn't fall coming soon?

Sabrina and Tammi at the church picnic we attended last Sunday.  Sabrina organizes it and the rest of us go  and feed our faces.

We also had visitors spend a couple nights with us.  The visitors were three teenage girls who took over the cabin.  You realize, of course, that it meant we also needed to do more grocery shopping before they came.  We did!

Jordie, Sandi and Molly enjoying our community swimming pool

The company Tammi relocated with announced this last week they were getting out of the Pacific Northwest for the position and the product she was in charge of.  Another UGH!  Of course, she has a few options.  She could hang around the area she has tried to get transferred to for three years without a job or she could go back to New Jersey and have a job.  This much I’ll tell you … she’s not going back to New Jersey.  It took a long time to get away from the East Coast.  Also remember that Robert quit his job in New Jersey to go along with Tammi's then exciting transfer.  New Jersey is one of the few states that does not pay unemployment to an individual who moves with a spouse who is transferred.  Another UGH!  So, keep your fingers and toes crossed that they'll both find a job and SOON!  Here's a question for you ...... is the economy ever going to improve??

Why are you taking my picture?  

Jordie hasn’t received any information yet regarding what the insurance company is going to do about the accident and her car.  The only thing she knows is that she wants another car.

Justin just sent a message along with his belongings to his mom not to send cookies.  I guess he didn’t want his chief to get them.  What do you think?  We did get the approximate date of passing review (I’ve been corrected from saying graduation) and have made car and hotel reservations for it.  Of course, everything is subject to change.

This deer thought the birdseed was for her.  It wasn't.

And, for the rest of the clan .... Lee's leg is healing fine.  He is finally in a boot cast and able to walk on it a very little bit.  He's getting pretty bored staying home and is certainly ready to get back to work.  However, that's not going to happen for a while.  Sabrina?  She's working and holding down the fort for everyone!

That’s it for now.  This isn’t as brief as I said it would be but I did get it summarized and brought life a little more current.

Jordie and Sandi -- cousins

To be finished in a few more days -- perhaps.

- August 23rd

School Registration and Joe’s Place

If you die in an elevator, be sure to push the Up button.

 

Tuesday I went to school for registration.  Obviously, it wasn’t my registration.  It was Sandi’s.  This is her first year in high school and it took two of us  (mom and grandma) to get her to school and to the orientation for new students transferring from out of the area.  It wasn’t a tough day.  There wasn’t any homework and it only lasted about a half an hour.   School starts next week and I don’t need to tell you what that’s going to mean to the RV parks  or campgrounds around the area.

I want you to know that I really struggle with the name SANDI.  This Sandi was named after my father, believe it or not.  Sandy was his nickname for two reasons.  His hair was sandy colored and it was an abbreviation of our last name.  I also know another Sandy who I occasional correspond with.  Then, there is Sandie, another good friend.  Sandie and I have spent a bit of time in our RVs together over the last few years.  So, many times I send Sandie an email spelled Sandi and many times I write about Sandie when it’s really Sandi.  Even I’m confused about this.

On the way back from school we made a couple stops.  One of the stops was at Joe’s Place.  Our property used to border one of the fields owned by their farm but that was over twenty years ago.  At that time the fields behind us were planted in strawberries.  Our kids picked strawberries from that field.  At that time the fruit trees were planted closer to the farm.  Perhaps, it was so they could watch over them and keep the neighborhood kids from picking the fruit.   At that time Joe's Farm mainly sold to local residents and local retailers.  That’s not the case today.

Today Joe’s Place is very different and has spread out considerably to include acres of fruit and produce grown for wholesale.    Much of the food is picked ripe from the vine and sold during the growing season to locals as well.  They also maintain many u-pick fields.   We stopped at the farm store and made a few purchases of vine ripened fruit, vegetables and other goodies.  

One thing I could not pass up was the strawberry rhubarb jam.  After tasting it, I can guarantee you that we’re going back for more  .. lots more!  It may not be especially cheap but it certainly is especially good!

Back at our home base, we had a lot more visitors.  The word has gotten around that we’re back and the herd has increased in size.  Our grocery bill is definitely going up! Handouts welcome.

Home Base

And, home base, again.  We have one RV spot about 75 feet long and the other about 40 feet long.  Lots of room and very unlike RV parks.  We're here for just a few weeks this time.