Holy Toledo!!!

In more ways then ONE!!!  Toledo was the destination today, as their farmers market is always on Thursday.  It's a short drive from Newport and a neat little town to explore.  I should have picked up a couple of brews ... I could have used them later in the evening!!

The drive along the bay is an interesting one at low tide with weird designs in the mud.  

All the piers you see along the way are what's left of the old railroad that ran from Toledo to Newport, hauling lots of lumber from the mills and supplies to town.  I wouldn't have had a clue, but Dan Chance is a railroad buff extraordinaire and has all the scoop on these lines.

The Farmers Market isn't really anything to write home about, but it's always nice to buy a few things to help the locals survive!!  One lady was playing a guitar to raise money for her property taxes.  Maybe that was just a good line, but it worked!!

Patty picked up some vegetables and fruit ... the Oregon strawberries looked delicious!!  Unfortunately we didn't buy enough material two years ago because the quilt store is out of business!!

One thing you won't forget about Toledo are the flower baskets.  They take them down every year, refill and rehang them for the next summer.  You will be amazed at the variety of flowers!!

Just down the hill is the Toledo Train Museum made up of several cars.  They have one of the best train book libraries that Dan spent time perusing to see what books he didn't have.  Bob, one of the docents, takes care of all those beautiful flowers you see.

In spite of our misgivings, Miss Patty snagged pieces of the plants which she surreptitiously hid in her shirt until we hit the parking lot.  Bob just laughed when Patty said she would give them a good home.

At the end of Main Street is the Kiska Sea.  She made an appearance on Deadliest Catch, but the owner didn't want to let a newby captain his boat, so the co-star went back to the Northwestern, ending the Kiska Sea's film career!!

Looking for lunch on the way back, we saw Local Ocean Seafoods, which had good Yelp ratings, so we stopped in ... after ten minutes of scouting for a parking space.  We all ordered the crab chowder with garlic and parmesan cheese.  Yummy and FULL of crab!!

Next up was a Po'Boy and fries for me ... Dan had the same and Patty tried the tacos.  The food was pretty good, but the prices sky high.  For what we paid, there should have been a WHOLE crab on this mini sandwich!!  I'm guessing we won't be back ... for lunch anyway.

While Patty and Dan headed off to watch the movie Max, I went out to find the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse.  This is one of the more unusual ones I've seen, in that the light is on top of the house they lived in.

Here it was before the Historical Society took it over.  With only four years of service, it was closed by the government for lack of money.  Almost lost to the wrecking ball, the society was created and the building restored to the beauty it is above.

With four bedrooms upstairs and four rooms downstairs, the lighthouse keeper and his family lived here until it was closed.  In the back is a staircase that takes you to the top where the keeper's quarters are.  One of the rooms downstairs was designated oil storage for the light.

There's a beautiful ocean view out this upper window.  I'm not sure how they did it with four children however ... I had to wait for ten minutes to get back down the stairs as kids played up and down the bannister.  In the basement was an interesting sight ... the entire floor is covered with red bricks of different sizes and colors.  It seems they were used as ballast on the ships coming in to the harbor.  When loading up lumber and supplies, they dumped the bricks on the beach, which were used to construct the floor.  Many of them could have come from around the world!!

This is the Yaquina Bay Bridge ... a beauty for sure ... that we cross every time we go into town. 

I made a quick trip back to the Seafood store to pick up some shrimp.  Every type of seafood they sell in their store has a tag telling you where it was caught and by what boat.  I thought a little shrimp cocktail would be perfect for dinner since we ate so much lunch.

That's when the second Holy Toledo came about.  Wouldn't you know, a 30' long trailer, pulled by an underpowered suburban came in with two adults, five ... count them, FIVE kids, two dogs and seven bicycles.  I'm pretty sure they unloaded a washing machine ... or maybe it was a freezer ... while still parked in the road.  Thirty minutes later, the engine was still running as they decided what they wanted to do while blocking traffic.

HOLY TOLEDO!!  Turn that thing off!!!  He finally got the trailer parked, then let his maybe 11 year old kid drive the suburban ... in front of my rig ... almost hitting a tree.  Engine STILL running, they unloaded the back and finally maybe a 9 year old tried to park it.  Since when do children get to drive cars in this park?????

45 minutes after they pulled in, they FINALLY turned off the engines on BOTH vehicles, including a Jeep that needs a new muffler.  Seriously??  Where's my beer ... or better yet, a margarita!!!  There have been two kid yelling arguments and one screaming match with the dog who dared to come out the open door and down the steps.  So much for peace and quiet at this park ...  I'm putting the Ranger station on speed dial!!!

Nye Beach For A Look See!!

In 1865, John Nye came to the coast after the government opened up the Coast Indian Reservation for homesteading.  There was nothing but cliffs here, except for one small stream (Nye Creek) that cut a path to the ocean which later became the turnaround.  Even in the late 1800's there were tourists coming here to bask in the sun, resulting in crowds of people listening to concerts on the beach.  Who knew??  Sounds like Woodstock of the North!!

A group of summer residents built the Summer Education Association auditorium, drawing teachers from everywhere to study science, music, art and religion.  That didn't last long before recreational activities took over and the Natatorium was built to include heated sea water bathing, roller skating, bowling and a dance hall.

Train service was the only way to get here for years, which included a short trip around the river mouth by boat.  Eventually roads were built and most, if not all of the old buildings were torn down, replaced by condos and cottages.

Not a real exciting history like many coastal towns.  To this day, it remains a quiet little area full of tourists looking for sun and sand.

Patty and I wandered down yesterday to check out one of our favorite little stores ... Tu Tu Tu Kitchenware.  For a small store, they have practically everything you could ever want, including these beautiful flowers right by the front door!!  I picked up a scoop for making cookies you can see below, a small bread knife and a new spatula, hoping they all will improve my cooking skills.

We wandered around the shops before heading towards the beach, where we were greeted by this guy at a bar doorway!!  I'm sure he's a sweetheart, but a little intimidating, as we continued down the street.  I bet he keeps the rabble rousers under control!!

A quick stop at a new quilt store was followed by someone in a black vehicle following us.  Yikes!!!  We can't see who it is due to the tinted windows!!  Finally a phone call relieved our fears ... it was Dan ... who thought it was time for lunch.  Surprise ... we just happened to be at the South Beach Fish Market!!  What perfect timing!  Their fish and chips are wonderful!!  Don't let the crowds or lack of parking stop you from eating here!!

Now sufficiently supplied with sustenance, we wanted to make a quick stop at the Thrift Store that supports animal rescue.  Patty found lots of goodies and I picked up these two glass pieces to use in making a small cake plate.  Just glue the plate on top of the vase and voila!!!  A cute cake plate for $1.00!!

We try to keep moving when on vacation ... especially when eating fish and chips and Dan's famous grilled seasoned corn and perfectly cooked steak!!!  So after dinner, Patty and I took another walk on the beach.  We didn't find much more than we did last time, but there will be many more walks.

Today we head inland to Toledo.  If you google this, you'll find Toledo Ohio, but we're not going THAT far.  Toledo has it's Farmers Market today, along with a big store full of used books, including train books Dan likes to collect, a quilt store and an interesting fact ... it used to be the home dock of the Kiska Sea, one of the fishing boats on Deadliest Catch.  Should be a fun day, even if it is raining!!

Nick's Luck Holds Out .....

It was a pretty busy day in Newport, starting with greeting Nick and Terry Russell to the park.  Nick's luck is holding, both good and bad.  Good that the gentleman who said he was leaving at 11:00, left early, leaving the best site in the park wide open, which thankfully Nick pulled in to just in the nick of time.  The bad ..... they don't have good internet or phone service here and my phone says it's supposed to rain tomorrow!!  He's a magnet I tell you!!

I visited with the new Miss Chance in the morning ... meet Missy.  She's definitely made herself at home and will roll over for anyone willing to rub her tummy!!  Snoopy even made an appearance, glared at Missy, flicked her tail and went back to the bedroom!!

In the meantime, Betty and Joe Graffis came by for a visit.  We have been playing leapfrog from town to town along the coast until we caught up here.  I know I've said this before, but you meet the NICEST people along the RV trail!!  We chatted for some time before they left to do more visiting around the park.

Then Dan showed me how to hook an air line up to the air system on my rig so I can inflate tires.  There's another trip to the hardware store in my future because I need more fittings to make it work.  While on my way here, I stocked up on Dan's favorite drink to pay for all the Dan, how-do-you-do-this favors I need from him!!

Before I could put my yarn on the loom, I needed to make this raddle to keep the yarn from tangling, not that it helped me much.  There's definitely a learning curve to weaving!!  We went to three different lumber yards looking for a piece of wood, some nails and some parts for his burnt end repairs ... not the pork kind, but the electrical cord type.  Where's a Home Depot when you need one???  Although my nails are a little on the short side, it worked just fine ... that is until I made a booboo and dropped the piece keeping it all together.  RATS!!!

The more I tried, the bigger mess I made ... sort of like my cooking!!  After a couple of hours, I finally got it straightened out enough to try threading it through these wire thingamajigs!!  It's definitely a good thing I'm not in a hurry, because I doubt this will be done before Christmas!!

I finally got a break when Patty cooked another great dinner ... taco salad!!  It's nice to have your own personal chef!!!  Her burial ground is MUCH smaller than mine!!

After dinner, she and I took a walk on the local beach looking for treasures.  It appears the tide has been lower than usual and most of the good pieces were gone.  The beach was better for playing in the sand and water!!

And photographing weird things like seagull tracks in the sand ....

And cool feathers .....

And one of thousands of jellyfish on the beach ...... watch your step!

Back at the rig I had a hankering for ice cream.   My new freezer did it's job, just like the one I have at home ... except I put too much peanut butter in the mix.  It came out a little on the sweet side.  Unfortunately it now has half a dish towel stuck to the rim.  I rinsed it out, but that gel stuff inside stays frozen for a long time, sticking nicely to the towel where I set it to drain.  You might want to pass on the next batch I make!!

There's lot to see and do here, Nye Beach being among them, followed by quilt stores, the aquarium, new restaurants to try and Jurassic World is playing!!!!!  It's going to be a busy week!!

Tweet Tweet Tweet!!!!!

No ... not tweeting on the internet ... tweeting from the trees!!  I'm not sure what's wrong with the birds here in Ocean Beach, Oregon at the Thousand Trails Park ... maybe they're eating something they shouldn't be ... but at 4 am this morning, they were singing loudly outside my window!!  That and the jet engine my neighbor has for a heater, was the end of my night and the start of the day!!

The good part about getting up this early is that there is no one else in the world on the internet, and my little one bar Sprint is working like a charm!!

I left Florence yesterday around 8:30 am, driving probably the worst section of the coastline for an RV.  The roads are narrow with lots of turns, not allowing much over 30 mph.

Since I forgot to charge the battery in my little camera, I only got a couple of pics with my phone.  I'm too careful a driver to try and get more!!  No one wants to pay for damage to one of these beasts!

Patty and Dan Chance were already at the park, staying in the dry camp area so they would have first chance at any sites that became available.  That worked out perfectly!!  They got a great site up the hill just as I pulled in, so Dan came to the gate and directed me into the only other empty spot.  This North side of the park is popular due to fewer trees and better phone reception.

The lack of parking on this side is not good for Nick and Terry who are headed this way today!!  So last night, Patty and I walked the park and discovered a rig leaving before noon, which is when we met another author full-timing on the road.  Ken Cole was his name and his wife grows the most beautiful flowers!!  I'm pretty sure by the time he leaves, Nick and Terry will be standing by to snag the space ... this time with satellite since there are no trees in their line of sight!  That's pretty important when you're camping, you know!!

Dinner with the Chances was wonderful ... home cooked and delicious!!  I also got to meet the latest Miss Chance named Missy, which they adopted from a shelter on their way here.  Pictures to come ... she's a beauty and so very friendly!  Miss Snoopy didn't like the intrusion at all, but is adapting .... sort of anyway!!  

New adventures in Ocean Beach and Newport ... yarn shops, quilt shops, farmers market ... lets get this show on the road!!!

Movin' On Up!!!

I've had a nice relaxing time here in Florence, except for that Vet visit.  I didn't really get to see all that I wanted to, but it seems you never do in RV-land.  I guess that's so when you return, there will always be something new.

This will be my last look at this part of the coastline before movin' on up to Newport, where I will catch up with Patty and Dan Chance for a couple weeks ... and I can't wait.

Having finished my very first weaving project, I wavered between washcloths or another scarf.  After two hours of trying to do the math when I'm clueless, I finally got out the second of three dvd's I borrowed from Miss Terry.  After an hour, it made a little more sense ... and just as I began calculations for the tenth time, who should knock at my door but Terry and Nick.

They moved from the Thousand Trails park on the other side of town to the lower 20 acres where phone service is nonexistent and the internet sometimes iffy.  While Nick threw the ball for Cooper, Terry and I talked about all things "thread".  While Nick scratched and played the growl game with Jessie, Terry and I talked all things shrinkage .... cotton yarn that is!!  Both Coop and Jessie were in seventh heaven having someone new to play with!!

After they left, I tested my calculations by warping (measuring out using a warp board) 428 yards.  I couldn't believe my eyes ... it came out perfectly!!  I'm hoping my weaving talent will eventually surpass my cooking skills ... it's too expensive to bury yarn!!  With the loom strapped down for travel, it will have to wait for Newport before the next step takes place.

Look out Oregon ... I'll be on the road today!!

An Oregon Fourth Of July!!!

What a GREAT celebration of America yesterday in Oregon.  I started the day early down by the wharf in Old Town Florence.  There's always parking between 9 and 10:00 am, but wait much longer and you will have a long walk.  The good news is that parking is free and you can stay for three hours.

Several bi-planes flew up and down the river pretty low, to the shock of people below!!  There was an Airplane and Car Show at the airport, but I ran out of time and they closed before I could get there.

The boardwalk was completely empty as I walked down to the end, checking out all the goodies for sale along the way.  The very first booth always has the best fruits and vegetables EVER!!  I purchased some beautiful tomatoes and corn as sweet as sugar.  There was also a display of the Declaration of Independence and every flag that has flown over these states.  I never knew there were so many!!!  Two hours later, you could barely make your way down the walkway through the crowds of people.  

This is Del Huber with Annie.  What a beautiful Kerry Blue Terrier rescue she is, the latest of five Del and his wife have adopted.  In case his name seems familiar, they have a lot in Coarsegold California, as well as spending time in Casa Grande Arizona.  Small world!!  I met Annie at the Vets office where she had a foxtail removed from her foot.  Don also makes the most beautiful wire wrapped jewelry I've ever seen, which they were selling on the wharf.

This boat had just come in to the dock, having caught several tuna which they had for sale.  I was tempted, but cooking fish, especially tuna, in my rig with my cooking skills, didn't seem like a good idea.

There was lots of jewelry, signs for every occasion, air plants, creams and smelly things ... quilts and food.  It's small but fun since all the local people are so friendly!!

Here's Saskatchewa ... hiding out under the table until a puppy came by, then she would shyly peak out from under ... what a sweetie!!  By the way, Cooper is doing much better ... keeping my fingers crossed!!

I had lunch at La Boulan something something .... bad Nancy ... she forgot to write down the name.  Right in the middle of Old Town, they have flower boxes on the windows and wine in the cooler, along with freshly made salads and this Big Fat Meatloaf Sandwich with pesto sauce on fresh baked homemade bread that was delicious!!

Down by the water is what remains of the ferry dock, which was the only way to cross the river in the old days.  It's made from old growth tree trunks that still survive.  It saw it's last working days in 1936 when the WPA built the Siuslaw River Bridge.

The pilings remaining along the river front in Old Town are from the timber industry buildings which  disappeared long ago.  Logging still survives here, but trucks do all the hauling now.

The bridge, built in the Art Deco style, still raises and lowers for tall masted ships, although not many pass by these days.

There are several little park areas you can visit close to the water also.  When I heard a lot of screeching in the air, I couldn't figure out why all the racket until I finally saw these guys.  Momma is the black one, feeding her gray baby who was VERY hungry!!!  Before I could set my camera for a faster, non-blurry picture, she flew away to gather more food!!

Flowers are in bloom everywhere, including next to a Coffee Shop where you can sit and watch the world go by.

In one of the little garden areas this Bride was getting ready to be married.  I thought maybe that was her husband to be ... but he already had a ring on his finger and was more interested in the food than the Bride!!

At the West end of Old Town is one of my all time favorite stores ... Kitchen Klutter.  LOVE this store!!  So why did I purchase a Cuisinart ice cream maker you ask??  Because I was supposed to bring mine with me.  I made note after note to remind myself ... and I DID remember to bring the bowl that stays in the freezer.  Unfortunately, I forgot the rest ... I think it's sitting by the back door along side my Rev Kite!!  Two of everything ... that's my motto!!  These little gems make great ice cream!!

Here's a couple of treasures I found.  The bracelet hooks with a very strong magnet and is made from 1952 sterling silver spoon handles ... with an added starfish.  The barely visible ring above the business card matches.  The card is from Don (with Annie above) who made the pendant from stones out of Burro Creek, an Arizona mine, which has since been closed.  This is some of the best wire wrapping work I've ever seen!  What an artist!!

There was a big fireworks party at 10:00 last night on the wharf, but I stayed home with the puppies, who don't like loud bangs!!  It was an awesome day on the Oregon Coast.  Happy Birthday America!!

Emergency Trip To The Vet .....

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!!  

I hope everyone has a safe and sane day with lots of family and fun!!  While you're at it, thank a Veteran or Service Member for making all this happen for the rest of us!  Cooper and Jessie ask that all dog and cat parents PLEASE keep your animals inside so they don't get scared of the fireworks and run away.

I had a long list of things to do and see yesterday, all of which got thrown out the window when I discovered Cooper was sick.  You KNOW he's my baby!  Yes, I love Jessie too, but she's much more capable ... kind of like Mom!!   I immediately drove to town where my phone would work and called Osburn Veterinary Clinic.  These guys are forever on my go-to list!!  In less than an hour, I was standing in front of the Vet with Cooper in tow.  Like Nick said ... there's NICE people in Florence.

Long story short, he has stomach problems, a usual occurrence in dogs that generally we pay no attention to.  His case however, requires treatment.  Lucky dog, he gets special canned food and a pill twice a day.  The cost was half of what I expected for such a thorough examination ... thank goodness I ignored those two reviews on the internet about exorbitant prices!!

With that scare under my belt, I skipped down the list to the car wash, then on to the laundry.  I don't do wash at laundromats but rarely, especially in cities with ocean access, due to the plethora of stinky, fishy clothing washed by fishermen!!  This I learned from a crab and salmon fisherman's wife!!

This particular one looked sparkly clean ... new in fact.  With no cars in the parking lot, I walked in with my rugs and blanket, to a machine that had so many lights and buttons I didn't know what to do. Thankfully, the girl came from behind the counter.  My things would, of course, only fit in the big machine, requiring $5.35 PER WASH!!

I didn't bring THAT many quarters!!  "Oh we don't use quarters ... you have to buy a card".  She took me to the back machine where I got change for my $20, then had to make the minimum card purchase ... $6.00.  But wait ... the wash is only $5.35 and I don't need to dry them.  She patiently explained that the change would be on the card for the next time I came back ... whereupon I could add MORE cash to the card to do laundry at that time.  Has anyone heard of this??  No wonder there's no one in the parking lot!!!

$6.00 later, with two rugs and one small blanket clean, I stopped in at BJ's Ice Cream store for lunch. They make all of their ice cream behind the store ... for all of their stores ... and it is amazing!!!  The peanut butter chocolate was delicious, then caramel coffee cookie caught my eye ... and my taste buds!!  WOW!!!  I scarfed down some s'mores in a flash and took some coffee home.

Back at the rig, I didn't think the park could get any more full, but it did, with rigs tucked into every corner.   There is an all day celebration in Old town, followed by fireworks, but I'm not sure if I want to brave the crowds or the traffic, since that's at the exact opposite end of Florence as I am!!

I finished my first loom project, a scarf from the class I took ... it went much faster than I thought it would.  They didn't really give me instructions on how to end it, so I just cut the threads long enough and tied them to make fringe.  I took dozens of pictures first to show how it was warped on the loom so I could start a new project.

Now comes the planning part of the next project ... and I have no idea how, other than it requires lots of math.  Since I CAN use a screwdriver, I used the new screw I purchased for 13 cents, to repair the cabinet door.  I always get so excited when something I try actually works!!!

Hoping I get this posted ... with every rig having probably one or two devices on the Elks WiFi, it's been working about as slow as a snail.  Course early rising seems to help that situation!!

Have a great fourth of July everyone!!!

And The Crazy Begins!!!

I can tell it's July 3rd because RV's and campers are driving around looking for their spots here at the Eks RV Park.  There's people up until midnight laughing too loudly, other people coming in at 1:00 am slamming their car doors and dogs barking constantly.  I'm feeling pretty good about MY puppies at this point!!

With basically no sleep for three days from my beloved trains, I stayed close to the couch yesterday.  I set up my new loom and went to town weaving, not realizing that the clacking noise was scaring the puppies into a corner in the bedroom!!  Once I slowed down and tried to be quieter, they stuck their heads around the corner to see what the new contraption was.  When opened up, it fits quite nicely with lots of room to move around.

More repairs ... I opened a cupboard door and it basically came off in my hands.  Seems the screws that hold it tight had stripped the wood.  Much as I hate to brave the crowds in town today, I need a couple screws just a little bigger around to get the door back in place.

In the afternoon, Nick and Terry Russell stopped by to check out the loom and their site for two days here at the Elks Park.  I asked the girls if they had a cancellation to let me know, and they did so yesterday.  I hear Nick needs a place to heal up from his kite flying expedition to the beach!!  He flew his new Prism Quantum stunt kite and apparently had a blast.  I brought one of mine ... the other is sitting by the kitchen door at home ... DRAT!!  What was that about having two of everything??  When I look hard into the fog, I'm pretty sure I see myself flying a new Prism Quantum!!

By dinnertime I was feeling much better, so I threw together some cowboy sloppy Joes and Mexican cornbread ... yum yum!!  Cooked in the Breville oven, it came out perfectly!!  Maybe there won't be as many burials along the Oregon coast!!

As the morning goes on, my to-do list is getting longer.  I better get cracking!!!

YIKES!!! The Ground Is Shaking!!

Little did I know what was coming down the pike in the middle of the night!!  I heard a terrible rumbling and the ground began to shake.  Both dogs jumped up and started barking!!  I was out of bed and dressed in a flash ... I was sure this was the BIG ONE!!!

Turns out it was the big one, but not the one I thought.  It was a huge train passing within 50 feet of me at a screaming speed!!!  I guess they forgot to tell me about the train tracks.  Two more times the ground began to shake and vibrate ... keeping me up most of the night.  Good thing I like trains!!

I left my rig in good hands to complete the last of the warranty work while I loaded up the puppies and headed off to Eugene Textiles for a weaving lesson.  Poor babies had to both be stuffed into one kennel.  They were so good I can't believe it ... even when people came by to pet and talk to them, they were quiet and well behaved.  I think they were just scared since mom shoved them in jail!!!

Since I arrived early, she put me right to work warping the loom ... passing 64 threads for an 8 inch scarf through those little wires, then through something called a reed that will move the cross threads (weft) into place. Lucky for me, I was a step ahead of everyone since Miss Terry already showed me this on her loom.

This is what it looks like from the back.  Honestly, I'm still not sure what I was doing ... I just did what they told me!!!  Haha!  I hope I remember how when this project is done ... thus the pictures.

After an hour or so, I had this much of my scarf done.  By then, it was time to get the puppies and myself back to the rig and pay for THAT bill.  My credit card is as hot as a tin roof in my home town!

This loom folds up to 25 inches wide and 16 deep ... fitting nicely by the dining table when I travel.  Even when set up inside, there's lots of room to walk around.  

The charges for the warranty work ... new slide seal, water drain valve and gas monitor came to $898 ... which my insurance company is paying for.  

All of the other repairs, including slide tracks coming away from the rig, cordage problems on the awning, blue tooth microphone installation, double check all outlets, adjust all doors inside and out, cover inside slide addition with carpet and reattach, adjust sewer drain vents, install locks on heavy drawers to keep them closed, repair seal on bottom of slide, clean household batteries of acid and adjust and clean jacks, came to $700.  Add to that the electricity I used with both AC units running from 2:00 until 8:00 each night. 

The babies were sound asleep by 6:00 and I wasn't far behind them ... at least until the trains came by four times last night.

SOOOOO looking forward to a quiet's night sleep and a little weaving when I get back to Florence!!  And of course BJ's Ice Cream.  It will be a nice change of pace to have ice cream for dinner instead of tacos!!

Elite RV Restoration ... Harrisburg, Oregon

When you find a good mechanic-repair-restoration place for RV's, you just HAVE to pass the word!  They don't work on engines, but can fix anything else on any year motorhome.

Up at Jessie's usual 4:30 am .... can't we sleep just a little longer??  I finally gave in and got with the program.  I planned on being out of Florence by 7:00 am, and thanks to Jessie, it was 6:39.

Hwy 126 to Eugene isn't as bad as I remember .. course I only had maybe 10 hours driving under my belt at that time.  Early in the morning, there's no traffic either, so it was a nice drive.  The only thing worth taking pictures of was the doe that ran out in front of me, causing panic mode to set in.  She perched on the edge of the highway ready to leap as I moved into the other lane and slowed as quickly as possible.  At the last second, she did a 180 and ran back into the trees.  WHEW!!!  That was really a close one!!!

Turning North on 569, better known as the Beltway, and then on to Hwy 99 North, I cruised right along and found Elite RV Restoration with no problem.  Mark and Eric met me at the door and we got right to work.  They fixed the flappers on the drain lines so it doesn't smell of sewer in the rig, cleaned my batteries and explained what I was doing wrong, adjusted the material on the door awning, cleaned the jacks and checked for hydraulic leaks, fixed the cords coming loose on the slide covers and reattached the slide cover rail that was coming loose.

After finding a place to snip a piece of carpet, I ran to town to get a piece to fit the slide addition under my chair, which they re-installed in a much more professional manner.  While there, I checked on the Schacht Wolf Pup loom I had my eye on.  Luckily ... or maybe unluckily for my credit card ... they had the exact one I was looking for ... only this was a used model, at  over 30% off.  The good news is  the lady that bought it originally, never used it at all.  The plastic wrapping is still in place.

They offered a class, but with my puppies having to wait in the hot car, that didn't sound like it would work.  "Bring them right in with you ... we love puppies"!!!  Okay then .... class starts at 10:00.

Back at the rig, it didn't take long to schedule another trip to town for a bluetooth speaker (the installer of the unit I have didn't know what it was and threw it away), found at Custom Audio for $35.  It's later afternoon now and I'm hot ... which means ICE CREAM!!  It was good, but melted before I could eat most of it.

Today they will finish the repairs, including the lower water drain valve, the slide-out seal and replacement of the LP-carbon monoxide monitor I ripped out of the wall because it wouldn't shut up, all to be covered by my warranty.  These guys are just awesome ... taking care of absolutely everything and doing a really good job!!  Besides that, I have a 50 amp hookup while here!

I will stay one more night before returning to Florence and cool weather on Thursday morning with another 48 pounds of weight (the used loom).  So far this has been a GREAT trip, even though I threatened to cancel several times because I was nervous about finding the place.  I don't know what my bill will be at this point, but I definitely recommend these guys for any work you need on your rig.