Hanging With The Skeeters

I'm happy to say that the little town of Mariposa was saved from the fire when they took every brigade they had and surrounded the eastern side.  Unfortunately, the fire is now heading toward the little gold mining town of Coulterville.  Hoping they have time to set backfires and keep it in check.

Although there is a burn ban in Washington and Oregon, it wouldn't have mattered last night.  It rained like I've never seen or heard!!  Water came down so hard every two hours I would almost get to sleep before it roared overhead dumping gallons and gallons keeping me awake!!  The mosquitos loved it!!  They are up to 1/2 inch size, having dined on me continuous since I got here.  I heard something about a hot spoon??  Is that correct?  Because so far it hasn't done a thing for the huge itchy bumps on my legs!!

Checking out this place didn't help.  There is a big mosquito nursery in the back yard.  What is this you might ask?  It's a little red house with a large porch all around I've been drooling over since I first came here.  It's just down the street from Thousand Trails.  Wouldn't you know, with the ink still wet on the Arizona house, a FOR SALE sign went up as I was driving by.

I called them immediately just to ask the price.  $204,000 and you KNOW you want to see it!!  Yes I do.  It's the cutest little thing ever.  An old time 1930's kitchen with gingham curtains instead of cupboards.  

Three bedrooms, 1-1/2 baths, the walls are just what you would expect ... wood.  So are the floors!  Pretty tiny bedrooms with no closets (in those days you had wardrobes), but an addition that added space for a master bedroom (maybe 10x16) and a real bathroom to match, along with room for a washer and dryer. It even has an upladder.  Not upstairs ... you have to climb the ladder nailed to the wall.

I'm sure the addition is in good condition, but the piers under the porch were all wonky, so I'm sure the main house piers are the same.  It appears to be on high ground, but everything else on the three lot parcel was covered in swamp loving plants ... a mosquito nursery to be exact.  Yes I LOVE it ... just my kind of old house ... but I'm not making an offer.  Houses in Arizona require much less maintenance than here, not to mention the $100 a month for sewer and water alone, even when you are gone.

On Tuesday I went to visit Carol and Dave Krajcar who own a couple of lots in a local RV park.  Carol has been a reader of my blog and both helped me out when I was looking for a parking space up this direction last year.  How wonderful to meet people along the way and have someone to see when I get here.  We had a great visit in their park model that has everything you could ask for.  

Carol and I talked Instant Pot ... she has the same one I do ... and how often she uses it.  Makes me wish I had brought mine with me.  We're hoping to get together again when I return in two weeks.

I also got a great lesson on drones.  Dave recently bought one and posted some video on Facebook.  That's just the coolest thing I've ever seen!!  He watches where it's going on an iPad he attached to the control.  It all comes in a suitcase built especially for that model.  What a cool hobby!

I made a quick run back to Astoria to check out the quilt shop.  It was a tad foggy until I got on the bridge, when the sun came out and you could actually see.

On the way back there was the usual bridge construction flagmen.  I'm pretty sure this is a permanent construction zone.  The bridge will be maintained forever, meaning flagmen forever.  On weekends, they do get days off ... so if you want to travel and not get stuck on that slanted corner where you can feel the bridge move, go on Saturday or Sunday.

I really didn't find anything at the quilt store and the cutesy antique shop next door moved away, but down at the far end is ANOTHER store with lots of decorating "stuff".  Nothing I was interested in ... ocean doesn't equate to cowboy very well ... but I did find these letters for my Lost Horse Ranch in Arizona.

Back home, I decided to crack open that bottle of Pear Wine and see if it was as good as I had last year.  Alas, you need a wine bottle opener.  Apparently I was so excited in the Arizona house I took BOTH of mine inside and left them there.  There was no wine in the house this day.  An opener is on my list, although I fear it will take a trip back to Astoria (maybe even further) to find one.

I'm getting nervous about all this rain ... as you know, I've had a few mysterious leaks here and there.  Dan checked out everything on the roof but water has a way of appearing out of nowhere.  I'm keeping my fingers crossed ... which means I'm not looking!!!

Since my new vacuum actually arrived yesterday (to my surprise) I'll be spending the day cleaning and writing up a review.  I'll let you know how it goes!!