My How You Have Changed!!

If you've been reading my blog of awhile, you'll recognize this picture.  This is 6 week old Lexi, a little ball of furry fun.  When the keeper put her in my lap, she immediately crawled up to the top of my head for a higher vantage point.  I can't even begin to tell you how much fun she was!!

I'm thrilled to announce this is Lexi today and she is still at this facility.  It's so cool to see her again all grown up.  In the lynx world, two females usually stay with one male, so Lexi has a built in family right here.

She's fully mature now ... just look at those feet!!  At this point however, you can't have her on your lap.  Although there is no government money at all in this facility, they DO have to follow certain State rules about people getting close to mature wild animals.  Lexi has her eye on a deer that wandered by.  

She's really dialed in here.  That natural instinct to chase and catch prey never leaves them.  Her telltale ear feathers show she's a lynx.  And SOFT .. oh my gosh, she is SO SOFT!!!

There were two baby bears here last year, this one being Clyde.  They were found abandoned in the wild, rescued and brought here because they were so young.  By the way, all of the critters here are handled with dog collars and leashes, just like your pets.  Since they were so young, they were still drinking milk.

This is Bonnie ... as in Bonnie and Clyde ... both black bears, but Bonnie has a brown coat.  I got to pet her while she was having her snack.  Once these guys get bigger, they are not allowed around the public.  Not that they would hurt anyone, but they COULD.  

THIS is Bonnie today.  WOW ... in one short year she grew into a brute!!  The elderly bear that lived in this compound passed away, so they decided to keep Bonnie and have her raise a family.  

Not having an immediate home for Clyde, they kept them in the same area.  In no time, like normal siblings, they didn't get along AT ALL ... and so Clyde was transferred to another facility.  Bonnie grabbed a huge piece of grass in the above picture, then sat down at her dinner table and ate it.

"Yeah, I like it here .... they take good care of me.  I've even got a climbing gym to work out on and my own private swimming pool."  Bonnie is almost four feet tall and I'm sure weighs in the neighborhood of 300-400 pounds.

Here's the newest addition, Ruckus.  He came by his name naturally.  He sure can make a ruckus!  Unfortunately, he was WAY too rambunctious on this day.  If they don't mind (and he didn't) they are returned to their compound without the milk treat.  Yes, he IS biting her arm, although not hard.  He kept wrapping his legs around her, which I think scared her a little.

That made him want to play even more.  Yup ... his mouth is wrapped around her arm again and that's not allowed.  Back in his quarters, he created an even bigger ruckus by climbing up the wire and showing off for the crowd.  Ruckus is slowly being introduced to Bonnie.  They close her off and let him romp throughout her territory and swim in her pool.  Hopefully she will get used to him through his scent before they put them together.

There's even MORE pictures coming tomorrow.  Yari the snow leopard is up next.   In the meantime, I drove rather leisurely down the coast to Eureka California.  I made reservations at an RV park so I could take my time.  I'm sure glad I got those windshield wipers on because it poured down rain from Bandon to Gold Beach.  

My favorite stretch of road is from Port Orford to Brookings, although it is the worst section of road.  Most of Hwy 101 has been repaired with only two stop lights on the entire trip.  Not repaired well mind you, just drivable.  One particularly bad section I had to navigate at 5 mph because a bicyclist jumped in front of me on a terribly narrow one lane steep section.  I doubt he will do that again since I was literally on his butt all the way up the hill, overheating all the way!!  I realize they are "cars" too, but really dude ... let the cars go by first.

So here I am at a VERY noisy RV park (road traffic is terrible), but with pillows, quilts, levis and backpacks stuffed in the windows, I slept pretty good.  I'm paying $84 for two nights so I don't have to stress over finding a spot at the Elks Lodge.  Today I'm going to go find the fairgrounds where you can also stay ... just to check it out.

Last night's dinner at Samoa Cookhouse was an experience like no other.  I'll tell you all about my new friends tomorrow.

A Yawning Good Morning

It's a perfect day in my book when I get to see these babies.  This is why I stop in Bandon at the West Coast Game Park Safari every single year without fail.  I'm there when the door opens and always stay several hours.

Unlike other parks, this is a small walk-through facility that for the most part, raises hand fed babies.  Although my preference would be for these guys to be in huge condos out in the wild somewhere, these animals have all been raised in captivity.  Their babies, and babies from other zoos, are hand raised in the keepers homes, just like your puppy or kitty.  Upon return to the zoos, they make wonderful examples of why we should work harder to keep them alive in the wild.

This huge lion kept tracking something overhead.  Although I looked up, I didn't see anything, but am guessing there was a big bird in the tree.  These animals never lose their natural instincts, even when hand fed.  They are always looking for that next meal.

It was a little early for lions ... they are NOT early risers.  Noon probably would have been a much better time to get up.  

Maybe he was just showing off his canines for the neighboring lioness.  There apparently was something in the air that he didn't like, because he immediately walked around like the regal King he is and sprayed everything in site.  Yes I got pictures ... no I'm not showing them.  

The Queen of the Day was next door.  Every so often you could hear loud huffing going on.  I think the King was trying to impress his Queen.

It didn't work.  She was just as bored as he was!!

So who's got the bigger teeth?  I could have sat and watched them all day, but the tigers had just crawled out of bed too.

If you come around 10:00, they are usually up and roaming around, ready to eat.  In the afternoons, they lay out in the sun and do what we would do ... nap.

This white tiger is actually the same as the Bengal tiger.  If a baby inherits a recessive gene from each parent, it will be white.  Otherwise, it will look just like the big guy above.  Several babies have been born here, all hand fed and exchanged with zoos for other babies.

The same is true for leopards.  The female here is black ... a recessive gene.  The male looks like the leopard you expect, covered in spots.  At 21 years old, she has had several sets of babies, either two black or two spotted at a time.  Unfortunately, they didn't come out to play.

There's SO much more to see, including capybaras, American bison, camels, the biggest elk I've ever seen, and lots more "kitties".  Unfortunately, this time of year is when the birds lose their brilliant feathers, so the peacocks were a little lacking in beauty.  

This is the latest Eurasian Lynx baby.  Native to Siberia, Asia and Europe, she is just 8 weeks old.  She doesn't even have a name yet, so if you've got a good idea, let me know and I'll pass it on.  About 12 inches tall, she's still learning how to manage those long legs.

Obviously she loves her "dad".  This nice guy takes all of these babies to his house where he litter box trains them and raises them to maturity.  He does play with them (with what else, a feather on a stick) but doesn't allow them to bite or attack him or his pant legs.  I want his job!!!

She is very similar to the Canadian Lynx that you are more likely to see in Washington or Canada ... or here.  Lexi is the lynx I held on my lap and petted last year.  You won't believe how she's changed.  

To keep from having hundreds of pictures (I took 300 on this day), I'll show you Lexi tomorrow, along with Yari, Bonnie, Roscoe and Ruckus.  You're gonna love them!!!

Windshield Wiper Weary

I like to plan ahead.  Not that I carry THAT much in extra parts and pieces, but I DO carry windshield wiper blades.  I have since learned the secrets to working wiper blades.  Keep them off the hot glass and covered if there's a LOT of sun.  It deteriorates them dramatically.

I knew they were in bad shape when I left California, after all they are four years old.  I even tried to replace them, but couldn't seem to get the old ones off.  I actually did replace them once ... and they came off easy as pie.  I just couldn't remember HOW that happened.

I called my friend who owns a Tiffin also and who happens to be in Montana.  Push the little clip he said.  I pushed and pushed but they wouldn't budge.

I tried again in Seaside and in Florence.  What I SHOULD have done was ask the guys at Elite to help me.  I forgot.  So here I am in one of the biggest downpours I've ever been in.  I got whaled in Winchester Bay big time and again as I came into Bandon.  I needed to get serious about those wipers since about 12 inches of blade (right in the middle of course) was peeling off.

As I was messing with them, a nice gentleman came out of his fifth wheel and asked if I needed help. I said okay and held my breath.  I thought he was going to rip the entire arm off the rig.  I tried to keep quiet, but finally said there was a little pin to push.  At last, he got them off ... which I grabbed instantly because you need to get the new ones on in exactly the same direction.  Finally, in a hail of "I got it's", the new ones were in place.

Sadly, I STILL don't know how to get them on and off.  I think I'll practice when I get home.

In spite of wanting to hit the West Coast Game Park Safari, I had laundry to do.  Sheets in particular.  I really need to get an extra pair.  What an exciting afternoon!!

With nothing but meatloaf (there's one more in the fridge), I headed out to my all time favorite fish and chips house, the Bandon Fish Market or Fish and Chowder House, depending on which side of the building you look at.  Awwwwwww ... not a single person in line!  I'll be in, out and eating in a flash.  Or NOT!  It seems their printing machine wasn't working so well and I had to wait while six orders ahead of me were cooked and delivered.   No matter ... my phone is working like a champ.  Funny how we, rather "I", have gotten so addicted to my phone.

There is enough here for seven meals for me.  Unlike the meatloaf, I DON'T get tired of these leftovers.  

Halibut ... I tried their cod once ... there should be rules about fish and chips with only halibut being allowed.  The cole slaw is hiding in the bottom!  It was SOOOOO delicious!!

And then the rains came down.  Good grief Charlie Brown!!  It felt like Kansas during that tornado!!  It even scared Jessie right in to my lap!  I prayed the roof held up.  Unfortunately, it's supposed to rain all day today, although THIS time I hope the weather guessers are wrong.  I'm going to the Game Park come H or high water!  

I did get the shock of my life this morning when I took the dogs out.  The guy next door has an unruly, barky medium sized dog.  I was up at my usually 5:00 time to let my puppies out when no other dogs are around, making for less noise.  Wasn't I shocked to see his lights come on and his door open, whereupon his dog came barking LOUDLY and running my direction.  

I hollered loudly too ... HEY YOU'RE LOOSE ... GET OUT OF HERE!!  It came running right for my dogs.  Luckily I got them inside the rig just as she hit my steps.  There would have been a major dog fight!!  So do I complain to him?  to the office?  or do I just keep my mouth shut.  If his dog is running around loose, that means he's also NOT picking up after it, know what I mean??  I just hate it when people are irresponsible!!  Do you think he did it on purpose???

Maybe some fish and chips will make me feel better!!

And The Skies Opened Up!!!

It started out being a nice, although overcast, day.  Just as I opened the door to head off to the 13 mph winds on the beach for a little kite flying, the rain came down .... and came down .... and continued for the next several hours.  So much for kites.  Being electrocuted is not on my bucket list.

The good news is it will knock down the fires and clear the air, making that thing called breathing, much easier and less stinky!  I'm certainly glad I got those roof leaks repaired.

In my last ditch effort to kite fly the day before, I drove the long round about route to the sand dunes again.  This is the last of four trails I tried to navigate to get on the beach.  It's actually as steep as it looks!!

The other side was ten times as bad, only down hill.  I stood on top, looking both directions for an easier trail down.  

This was it.  Yes, it's that high and that steep.  To make matters worse, there was no wind to speak of.

For the last time, I slid down the UP trail and admired the view as I landed back at my Jeep.  RATS!! I guess there won't be any more kite flying this year, unless there is some amazing transformation in my home town.

It rained hard on and off most of the day.  Totally over the meatloaf muffins, I tried to come up with something different.  I had a package of OreIda mashed potatoes and figured potato pancakes would be even better.  I was wrong again.  If you think they taste kind of like plastic in their original form, they are even worse in this form.

I'm sad to admit they were buried in a lovely grave on top of the hill close by.  I did choke one down along with some more meatloaf.  Four meals of ground beef in a row is three too many!!

Right now it's pouring buckets and buckets of rain.  It's so loud I can barely hear the television.  I certainly hope it lets up before I have to leave in a few hours.  When the weather guessers say there's a 10% chance of rain, it means LOOK OUT CHARLIE ........

I'm off again to greener pastures, hoping the rain doesn't follow me.  My next stop is one of my all time favorites.  I'm also very excited that soon I will have both my phone and internet services working as I climb out of the hole I've been camping in.  

The Dreaded Laundromat!!

Names have been changed to protect the innocent.  In my humble opinion, there's nothing worse than having to go to the laundromat.  I would almost rather wear dirty clothes.  After two weeks in Florence Oregon, I'm running out of levis.  The top half is covered .... SO many shirts in my closet.  I actually HAVE a washer and dryer in my rig, but there's no sewer hookup here, so I'm stuck with trying to find a decent place to do laundry.  I'd rather use a rock in the river.

Why you ask?  Well back in the dark ages when a husband lived in the same house as I, we visited his family in Northern California.  Dad was a commercial fisherman.  Not wanting to put anyone out, we took our dirty clothes to a local laundromat.

Funny, when they came out clean and dry, they smelled kind of funny ... horrible in fact.  That's when I learned that all along the coast, the fishermen's wives cracked the whip and made the fishermen who came in after two weeks on the water, wash their OWN clothes at the local laundromat.  It doesn't matter how much detergent or bleach you use, all that fish oil and sand stay in the machines.  Once home, the wives then wash them again.   I vowed never to use a laundromat near the ocean!!

Yet here I am ... can you tell? ... sitting on the absolutely gross couch, afraid to touch anything.  If anyone in the building sneezes, I'll catch either a cold or the flu.  My body's resistance left along with my figure several years ago.  If you lost a sock, they are hanging on the wall.  Just take one.

There is another brand new, fabulous laundromat in town, but you have to put a minimum amount on the credit card you buy, then insert that in the machine to get it going.  The last time I tried that, I left $5.00 on a card I thought I would never use again.  Washing was $5.50 a load.

When I drove up to THIS one, there were very few people inside as I wandered around with my basket trying to decide which machine to use.  Little ones were extremely dirty and $3.00 a load.  These shown below were $3.50 and the big machines $4.50.  I took the "just right" size.  

As I turned around, I almost bowled over a nice lady with a big scowl on her face.  Yeah, I wasn't happy to be here either.  I threw the clothes in and slammed the door.  It bounced back and hit me in the knee.  You have to close the door and turn the handle she said.  Okay then!!

Now try to figure out what all those symbols mean on the top doors where you deposit your detergent.  The nice lady came over and pointed to the front of the machine while reading it to me.  I can run a D9 caterpillar, but washing machines stump me.  Of course the dispensers are disgusting with loads of leftover detergent and fabric softener.  I should have brought rubber gloves.

Fifteen minutes and fourteen quarters later (one at a time), it sprang to life.  I took a seat by the television and stared at the above wall.  Hanging there was the story of this laundromat.  WAY back in the day, the owner had a truck which he used to pick up and deliver laundry, washing things in his own machines.  Finally, he bought several more and opened a storefront.  His family now runs this establishment.

I kept an eye on the machines (I actually used two) and once the bell rang, I stuffed everything into my laundry bag ..... WET.  Even though I can't use my washing machine, I can still use my dryer.  I survived laundry day, and to my great relief, the now dry clothes don't smell bad at all.  YAY for clean clothes!!

Although I wanted to fly my kites, the wind didn't cooperate.  I drove all the way to South Florence, then all the way back north to the very end of the Jetty (where you do NOT need to pay for a parking pass), only to find NO wind.  Not even a whisper.  I drove all the way back home.

Having not much in the house to eat ... I was getting tired of Subway sandwiches ... I whipped up some potato salad and meatloaf.  The salad was a big mistake.  For whatever reason, my stomach has decided it doesn't like mayonnaise.  I might get by with one meal, but two .... NEVER.  I can't seem to get that through my head.  

At any rate, if you use the most fat free hamburger you can find and put it in muffin tins, it makes these cute little portion-controlled muffin-burgers.  There is usually so little fat, it doesn't boil over, but just in case, I placed it on a pizza pan.  They were mighty tasty, if I do say so myself.  A BIG jump over all-bread sandwiches from Subway.

Although it's supposed to rain today, I'm going back out to the Jetty to test the winds.  This may be my last chance to get in some practice before heading back South.  I can't believe it's that time already.  How time flies!!!  Thankfully, I'll have a hookup and won't need to patronize the dreaded laundromat again!!

By the way, those tires I got were 275/80R 22.5 for those that asked.  Yup ... unlike most RV tires I've seen, these are BIG truck tires.

It's Only Money!!!

My wallet died an awful death and my bank account is drained dry.  Repairs on these big rigs are NOT cheap, NOT inexpensive and NOT even reasonably priced.  They are through the roof.  The thing for me however, is I try to get things done by people who know what they are doing so I don't have to worry so much.

Although I was sure my extended warranty was going to cover SOMETHING, it didn't.  In spite of Elite's expertise at GETTING things covered, they said I had no chance in H-e-q-q that the warranty company would relent.  RATS!!  I sure wish I could do some of this stuff myself!!

The Lifeline AGM's were $2,000 with an additional $300 tacked on to clean out the battery box, repaint everything and replace all the cables that were damaged.  Not being one to just take it at their word, I made them show me absolutely everything.  I was a real pain in the patootie I'm sure, but those nice guys just take it in stride.

The slide repairs, hydraulic arm replacement, roof leak repair (and check of entire roof) along with four other minor things, came to $1,100.  Yeah, add that up and you'll need oxygen like I did.

Lucky for me, only four trains went through my rig from 10:00 pm till 5:00 am.  I actually got a little sleep.  As I put the slides in, I saw the seal around one was sticking out.  WHAT??  I showed it to the guys, who grabbed a ladder, cleaned it all up and re-glued it to the slide.  I tried to pay them, but they said no.  I didn't argue!!  I'm going to buy a bottle of that Loc-Tite glue.

From Harrisburg, the drive down South of Eugene was great until the smoke hit.  That's not fog, it's thick acrid smoke from the burning fires.   Just a half mile further at my turnoff, it became really hard to breathe and only got worse as the day wore on.

Eugene Superior Tire on I-5 is the place to go if you are using the FMCA Michelin Advantage Program.  I was pretty nervous, not knowing a thing about these guys, but with Elite's recommendation, I figured to give it a shot.  NICE GUYS!!  And HANDSOME!!  Good heavens ... they must only accept applications from good looking guys.

This is a TRUCK shop.  Unlike the Quick Lube oil change places, you drive your OWN rig into the slot and walk around the shop all you like.  As you can tell by the pictures, I stayed inside with the puppies, but kept an eye on the proceedings with my mirrors.  As I suspected, they had a terrible time getting those bullets off the front wheels.

While working on mine, they completely replaced the tires on a logging truck (full of logs), a heavy haul truck, a logging truck with no load and a truck trailer combo, not to mention a one ton truck in the parking lot.  By the way, I checked the DOT code -- 3417.  That's the 34th week of 2017, so I guess they are fresh enough!!

So here's the deal.  Michelin gives FMCA corporate discounts.  You go online to FMCA, pick which tires you need from the list, then call a dealer from the authorized list and order your tires, making an appointment at the same time.  Next, you call Michelin and get your credit card authorized.  Make a note of the cost of those tires while you are on the website, because you will not see that again.

When I arrived, they double checked the credit card and I received an invoice with no dollar amount. That was rather nervous worthy.  Be sure and check your credit card account that the actual amount charged is what was on the website.  Three hours later, I gave them my card again, and they charged me $380 for installation, which included two new valve stems, balancing and disposal of the old tires.  Although I didn't think they were that bad, one guy said at least two tires had big chunks out of them and they were checking badly.

The tires were $559 each.  Yup ... add that one up too and my second heart attack was imminent.  I know you can buy cheaper tires, but I've had such good luck with the original Michelins, I didn't want to change.  What the heck ... it's only money and those new tires could mean the difference between a smooth ride or a big wreck.  Aren't they pretty???  Luckily, I've been saving up for this since I bought the beast.

Back in Florence after a heavy traffic filled two hour drive, the puppies and I relaxed in our spot while I added up the cost of this rig over the seven years I've driven her.  She's averaged $2,000 a year in repairs, including the tires, oil, filters and all that stuff.  I'm not sure if that's good or bad, but what else am I going to spend my money on?  On the other hand, I just put my wallet on a diet!!

I'm here for a couple more days to be sure the tires hold air ..... not really, just kidding ..... due to lack of reservations at my next stop as I head South again.  I'm going to try and get in some kite flying if the wind will cooperate.

Two Dogs In A Too Small Car With Too Many Trains!!

When you need repairs, you go to the pros!  Elite RV Restoration in Harrisburg Oregon is the best.  Having worked for Monaco for many years before they closed down, these guys know their business.  Previously, they repaired a section of slide allowing my recliner chair to sit comfortably, and the slide to glide across the floor.

This time, the section underneath my bedroom slide was sliced to pieces by the rollers.  Why?  Because when they built it originally, they missed the mark, allowing the roller to roll on unsupported flooring.  Cool, right?

As soon as I arrived and unhooked, they had her in the shop, fixing the floor, adjusting and lubricating all my slides, replacing blown out hydraulic arms on the bay doors and adding to the back slides to prevent water from coming inside on the carpet.

After introducing them to Jonathan, who had to remain in the rig, the kids and I took off for town.  Jon requires the "Do Not Touch" lecture.  There's no use losing your finger to a bird who will pretend to love you before snipping it off at the knuckle.

There's nothing like two dogs, me and all my computer/backpack junk in a too small car.  They weren't exactly happy with their accommodations!!  

Not that I was hungry, but I figured a Micky D breakfast sandwich would at least pass some time.  If I remain perfectly quiet, the puppies will sleep.

You're right, that didn't last long.  Wide awake and raring to go, I found a nice shady parking space beside Safeway and very close to a Fire Station.  I figured that was safe enough ... except for those strange people who keep going by on skateboards and looking in my windows.  Don't worry, she was locked up tight and I was packing.

An hour passed.  I only had six to go!!  This little tree squirrel kept me occupied for awhile.  Thankfully the puppies never saw him, or I would be deaf from all the barking.

I watched a couple of videos on my computer, played every game on my phone and drank two bottles of water meant for the puppies.  Finally a long walk to the Fire Station grass kept us occupied for another thirty minutes.  I'm NOT good at waiting.

I figured it was just as easy to sit in the car at Elite as it was to sit by Safeway.  Upon arrival, I immediately noticed my inside floor alarm screaming bloody murder ... not so good for the super hearing bird inside.  I ran in and reset it ... three times ... opening the vent and hitting the fan switch before it finally took a break.  It seems it smelled the alcohol and cement used in the repair.

Oh ... I almost forgot.  Just for the heck of it, I asked about Interstate AGM batteries.  Yes they could get them for the same price as Arizona, but without the sales tax.  My house batteries have gotten me six good years, along with a truckload of white acid gunk that removed all the paint from the slide-out box, despite constant baking soda cleanings.  

It's clean as a whistle now, repainted and full of AGM's for $333 each.  I know ... pricey, but worth it in my opinion!!!  Hopefully I won't be bothered by those darn batteries again.  It's a good thing I had it done here.  Apparently when you change over (at least on my rig), the inverter has to be re-programmed.  Who knew??

The under slide repair consisted of adding plates across the bottom area where the rollers go.  Now I can put even MORE quilting fabric in the overhead bins above the bed.

The other leak in the ceiling was from the Satellite Dish installation where the dome used to be.  Apparently there was a screw that came out, leaving a hole big enough to let a little water in when there was a huge downpour.  It happened once, which was enough for me.  It's now plugged.

As for TOO many trains, I have to sit overnight and let the slide repairs cure.  I'm about 25 yards from the railroad tracks with crossings on both sides of me.  That means train whistles and vibrations beyond belief as they travel through my bedroom and out the front window.  No matter, these guys are worth the loss of one night's sleep.  If you need anything repaired, call Eric or Mark and make an appointment.  Unfortunately, they don't do engine repairs, but they are master carpenters and magicians when it comes to everything else.

I'll be on the road this morning to get brand new tires.