"Isn't It Funny How Time Slips Away"

Millie, Carol, Alice and I went on a Cruise to Catalina Is and Ensenada, MX. We had so much fun. Carol drove us to Long Beach for 4 days of Fun in the Sun. But, it really wasn't that sunny. I'm looking forward to another Cruise. What can I say...I'm hooked.

Stanton Camp helped Ben celebrate his 92ed birthday. He has lived in camp for over 30 years. Because of Ben we have beautiful trees, plants, and organized rock gardens. We helped entertain at his party along with Ken, Dixie, Delana, Hollywood, Don, and Millie. Gifts were given and cake and ice cream served. Ben will tell us the rest of his story at his 95th birthday party.

Joy-el and I decided to teach line dancing on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. This is a picture of our group. I am so proud of them. They learned 9 beginner dances in a relatively short time. I'm going to miss this group. Some have already left camp.

On Valentine's Day we had a wonderful dance in the Opera House. Willard and Don were the DJs. They played requested 50's music. About 40 attended. I danced till I almost dropped. Oh what fun we all had. Thanks to Millie and Dixie for making it so special.

We have participated in quite a few jam sessions here at camp. Lately we have been playing on the Opera House porch along with Millie, George, Ken, Don, and Hollywood. We've even had a small audience most of the time.

We bought a small lot at North Ranch last week. If Willard can get to his gold claims on his ATV from North Ranch, we will probably stay on our lot next winter. We need to do some landscaping before we take off for the summer. But first we go to St. David, AZ to soak in the hot tub, fish, and golf for a few weeks. Then we will head for Montgomery, TX for an Alfa Rally. After the rally we will head back to North Ranch for about a month to build a retaining wall, and do some landscaping on our lot. North Ranch is an Escapees Park located just south of Congress, AZ. We love it in this area during the winter, but we want to be more free to travel in the winter if we wish. Stanton does not give us that option because the rules state that you lose your site if you move your rig or leave for an extended amount of time. North Ranch is only about 10 miles from Stanton, so we can visit our wonderful friends that live here during the winters.


We went to the big yard sale at North Ranch and Willard bought another guitar. It is a 1962 Gibson. Now we have 2 bass guitars, 3 guitars, a clarinet, fiddle, pickin' stick, and key board, three amps, mikes, etc. Unbelievable! But, we do love to play our music. It soothes our soul.



We are beginning to prepare to travel. I can't wait to see what happens next.


We went to dinner and to see Rex Allen Jr. at the Wickenburg Entertainment Center the other night with Bill and Karen. They gave us the tickets as a Christmas gift. It was a great performance. Thanks again Bill and Karen.




Red Hat activities: We had a caravan of 20 Red Hatters join the North Ranch Red Hatters in Surprise, AZ for lunch and shopping in early January. Then we had two Scrapbooking and Craft parties in the Opera House in camp. In February our outing was lunch at Golden Corral in Surprise, AZ. Some went to the big Flea Market, some went to Wal-Mart, and some went back to camp. Today we prepared and served the Wickenburg Museum Ghost Town Tour group. Eighteen group members toured our little ghost town and devoured our lunch menu of Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Potato Salad, Cold Slaw, Baked Beans, Veg plate, and Carrot Cake.



Tomorrow we are having a weiner roast behind our rig after Bingo. Millie's granddaughter is coming to visit and we are going to celebrate her arrival. We tend to find any excuse to have a party.



I finished this 30"x40" oil painting, finally. It's hanging over the "bar" in the Opera House. Some wanted a nude, but I have no training in painting people, so I just covered up the parts I thought I'd have trouble with. The nude painting that was there earlier was returned to its owner. Someone asked if I could paint a picture to replace the nude and I said I'd try. This is the result of my efforts.

Early January 2008

My calendar is already filling up for January. Several of us went to Prescott to go shopping. Willard just can't figure out how we can shop for 11 hours. We did spend about an hour eating breakfast and lunch. But, the rest of the time we were shopping til we dropped. It was fun.

Last week Willard and I drove over to Laughlin. We had breakfast in Kingman at Cracker Barrel then went on to The Colorado Bell Casino. I played in a Poker Tournament. Didn't do too bad. Willard played nickle Keno. We had lunch at the In and Out Burger place and shopped in the Factory Outlet stores. We got back to Stanton after dark.

Thursday we went to Surprise, AZ and had lunch at Red Lobster. Then we went to Target, Bath & Beyond, Michaels, and of course, Walmart. Got back after dark.

Friday we rode the ATV to Willard's gold claim to move the dirt around so it would dry out for dry washing the next week. It was a nice ride - round trip about 22 miles. I love to ride in the desert.

Today we didn't go to Church. I just layed around watching movies on TV. Willard played Bingo this afternoon while I cleaned the rig. Then we went to a going away party in the Opera House. Mary and Allen are leaving in the morning heading back to East Texas. Tonight I'm trying to catch up on my Blog and plan our Red Hat Outing on Tuesday. We are going to Surprise for lunch and shopping at the Outlet Mall north of Phoenix.

Tomorrow I am going with a group on a bus to Laughlin. We're leaving at 6:00 in the morning and won't get back until about 10:00 pm. Willard is going to work his claim.

On Thursday is my line dancing class. I'm the teacher and there are about 8 ladies that are regulars. We have class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. On Monday nights I usually play Cribbage (but I'll be gone tomorrow). I play Texas Hold'em several nights a week. And Willard and I try to practice at least 10 songs every other day. We now have 55 songs on our Song List. I can't believe Willard knows that many songs from memory. Amazing!

As you can see, we lead very busy lives. I love this lifestyle!!!! JB

2007 - A Whirlwind Year's End

We were so excited about going to Ogden, UT this year for Christmas to be with our family. We had 6 family members missing and we missed them surely. The rest of us had a wonderful holiday. There were 12 of us to enjoy Christmas at Joey's and Beth's home. A blizzard envaded Christmas Eve. But, it didn't slow us down. We spent the day shopping, watching movies, eating, playing games, working jigsaw puzzles, eating, shopping, laughing together, and eating. We each opened a gift on Christmas Eve before bedtime. We all received new PJs. The kids went to bed early. Dan sang Christmas songs to them, as each one entered their own dreamland. The jigsaw puzzle was finished. Then Santa found us. Early Christmas morning, we all gathered into the livingroom where lots of gifts and stuffed stocking were waiting to be claimed. The little ones played with their new toys while their older siblings gathered up their gifts and began packing to
go back to Cedar City. Dan and his family left after breakfast and the rest of us went back to bed. We had a quiet Christmas afternoon and evening. The next morning Willard and I headed back to Stanton, AZ.

The December GPAA Outing was underway when we arrived. Our camp swelled up to about 400 prospectors and family members. Vendors set up their tents, the ladies in the kitchen began cooking, the prospecting equipment was set up and the work began. Rehearsal for the New Year's Eve Melo-drama was well underway. It was cold, but that didn't stop the campfires at night, the auction, light parade, and the New Year's Dance. The gold was divided up amongst those who worked and the camp was soon back to normal.

GOOD BY 2007....HELLO 2008. I wonder what will happen next????

What Happened to November?

Well, my Blogging Buddies are wanting me to update. I'm attempting to try and remember all that we did in November. It was a busy month to say the least. We have been busy with the Gem and Mineral Club activities (meetings, the Gem and Mineral Show in Wickenburg, and outings to find rocks). I found some beautiful Apache Tears in a wash near Agila, AZ. Other club members found big beautiful geodes farther up the hill. It was a great outing.

I have been busy with the Stanton Red Hat Goldminers. About 25 of us caravaned to Prescott, AZ for Brunch and shopping. We donated our raffle money to a Red Hat group being started at a Prescott Care Center. The money will be used to help the ladies make their hats. We also had an Avon Party here in camp.

I have been learning to play Cribbage. I didn't know I was so weak at adding quickly in my head. My mind is drained after two hours of play. The group is so patient with me. It's a great brain exercise.

I've also been playing Texas Hold'em here at camp. There is a game every night. I play several times a week while Willard is watching his football games on television. It's fun. I've won some tournaments, but lost more.

Willard has been spending a lot of time working jigsaw puzzles lately. We have had several days of rain which shut down the dry washing for gold. And it's been too cold to metal detect. So, he shifted to inside activities during the day.

Of course, we play music: sometimes in our rig for our own enjoyment and sometimes with a group at a jam session here in camp. We play for a GPAA Christmas Party tonight. I think we will be the background music. It will give us practice playing up on a stage. We hope to play in the Escapees Escapade Ham-A-Rama in Wyoming this summer.

We have made plans to attend an Alfa Rally in Conroe, TX in April. We are from the area and will be visiting friends and family while there. Willard has a brother and niece in Alvin, TX and I have a sister in Santa Fe, TX. We have one nephew that lives in the Woodlands and another in the Houston area. We are looking forward to the visit.

We will spend Christmas in Ogden, UT this year. Our son, Joey, will be home several days before and after Christmas. He is usually traveling with the basketball team during the holidays. Dan plans on coming and bringing 4 of his kids from Cedar City, UT. It's been several years since we have all spent Christmas together as a family. We will leave our rig at Stanton. I'm just praying for fair weather on our travel days.

I have declared Wednesday as Jean Day. I go into town by myself for most of the day. The first Wed. I get my hair done; 2nd Wed, I get a massage; 3rd Wed. I have a facial; and the 4th Wed. I have a pedicure. I do a little shopping, see the doctor (if I need to), and just do what I want to do. It's been great.

I still have to wash the clothes, cook the meals, pay the bills, and clean the rig. But, that's life! I have been working on a few children's stories. I have one manuscript trying to stay out of a publisher's slush pile. Willard wonders why I have taken on these writing projects. I've been wonding the same thing. I've been reading the book, You Staying Young, trying to learn how to slow down the aging process a bit. It's been an interesting read. Hope I can put into practice some of the "must dos."

Merry Christmas to all our Blogger Friends. Hope to see ya on the road. Travel safely.

JB

October's Over Already?

I am just dumbfounded when I look at a calendar these days. Where do the days go? I can't believe we have been in Stanton over a month already. Time is racing through my life. Perhaps it's because we are so busy: we have entertained groups in camp three times already; Millie played her guitar and sang with us at the Pot Luck Supper last Friday night; we have been to yard sales; bought a Pace trailer for storage here at Stanton; purchased a desk, free standing table, coffee table and two chairs for our motorhome; we gave Keith our booth (he just loves it; I have joined a writing group at North Ranch and take line dancing lessons there; we are having our first Red Hat camp activity on Tuesday; Willard has found some gold; we sold the Santa Fe house and gave Elvin's kids his equity; Charles, my brother, got married yesterday; I won at Bingo this afternoon.

It's been great meeting new friends and rekindling old friendships here at Stanton. Life is great.

Western Horizon St. George RV Park

I can't believe we have been here a week already. Willard golfed in Cedar City on Tues. and Wed. We attended Trevor's football game Wed. afternoon. Trevor is a good little football player as linebacker and full back. They won their game and the coach gave Trevor the game ball because he was the reason they won. He stopped their extra point. After the game we took the grandkids out to dinner. Cassi couldn't come with us though because she was working at Lynns.

We've managed to do some shopping and spending some time in the hot tub. I'm not sure how long we will be here. We really miss taking Duster for walks in the early morning and late evenings. Our hearts cry as we watch others walking their dogs. But, time heals all things. So, I'm sure we will be fine. We don't want another pet while we are living in our motorhome. It does tie you down.

We Made it To Southern Utah...again

The past few weeks have been quite the busy time. We arrived at Joey's driveway on August 26. As soon as we arrived, Joey left for Boise with the Weber State University football team. Four days later he came home for about 4 hours then left for Calgary, Canada with the basketball team. So, we didn't see him much. Now he's in California. But, we did enjoy being with Beth, Melissa, and Jason. Of course, they were working or attending classes most of the day. We managed to keep busy. That's never a problem.

Bill and Karen came up for one day. We went shopping, geocaching, and had lunch and dinner together. We really enjoyed the day just goofing off.

Willard had his yearly medical exam and some lab tests done. He's as healthy as a horse. I had a retina check-up and I'm healing just fine. I can't believe how long it takes an eye to heal (years).

We attended Jason's farewell and said good-by as he entered the Mission Training Center in Provo, UT. We won't see him again for two years. He was all excited and we were all in tears. He heads for Portugal in about 6 weeks. He will be able to send emails to family and friends on Fridays, so we are looking forward to them.

We went to Charlie's Service in Sunset, Ut to have our rig serviced. We added a few goodies and had some items tweaked. There was a group of Alfa See Ya owners there. It was so much fun meeting them. What a great group of people. We got a tour of about 4 rigs to see how they personalized them. I got so many ideas. I can't wait to make some changes in ours. We had Happy Hour and a Birthday Pot Luck last night. Two of the gals had birthdays. We entertained during the Happy Hour for about 30 minutes. Then we wanted to get to know the group better, so we put our instruments away. I think they enjoyed our music. No one left or threw tomatoes.

We had (1)the oil & filter changed, (2) the transmission fluid and filters changed, (3) a new P-seal installed around our bedroom slide out, (4)the Fantastic Fan in our bedroom repaired, (5) a bigger motor installed on our livingroom slide out, (6) blue lights installed at our entry way, (7) a support put under our awning, (8) sink covers made, (9) a 12 volt socket installed in the dump compartment., and (10) some dings fixed in our windshield. And all of this in one day. Amazing. We will be making an annual stop here from now on.

Now, we are in Hurricane, Utah near St. George. We will be here for two weeks, before heading for Stanton for the winter. Willard will be going to Cedar City to golf with his buddies. I will check on my merchandise in the antique store, visit some friends, and we will try to have lunch with several of our grandchildren. Bill and Karen plan on visiting with us on their way to Quartzite, AZ. There is a hot tub here that we plan on taking advantage of. The pool is too cold for me. Not sure whether we will entertain or not. They already have someone scheduled.
All is well...

Inside Our Rig

I was bored one night, so I decided to take pictures of our home. We are quite comfortable.

This is where I write, send e-mail, and do my banking, etc.

This is our livingroom. The front door is to the right of the TV

This is our kitchen.

This is looking toward the bedroom. Willard's asleep, so I didn't take pictures of the bedroom.

Our Memories of Blue Bucket (Aug. 2007)

After Duster passed away, we left Soap Lake and headed to Blue Bucket to lick our wounds by keeping busy. To our surprise, Andra and Tom moved in next door. We were sure glad to see them. We never touched base in Washington as planned. Tom & Willard worked a couple of days recovering concentrates for Frank to pan. Willard had to use Tom's dry washer, since he left his at Stanton. In the evenings we shared many of our meals and put together several jigsaw puzzles. On Aug. 11 we hauled our chairs out in a field near camp away from the street lights to observe the meteor shower, Perseids, which brings a fiery show to the August sky. Well, about midnight we got tired and went back to our homes with cricks in our necks from staring up into the sky. We did spot several streaks across the milkyway, but the real show was supposed to be after 2:00 A.M. (too late for us). The next night, we put quilts and pillows in the back of the pick-up, popped some popcorn and headed back to watch the show. Andra and I lay on our backs on the quilts and pillows. We observed more meteors that night and we were more comfortable. The guys sat in their chairs. Duh! But, about midnight we relented and went to bed. Again we missed the "big" show. For more info on the Perseids go to http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0725/p13s01-stss.html

On another day we crammed in our Toyota and headed for a quilt show near La Grande. It was so interesting. What talent these people displayed. I took some pictures, attend an emblishment class, and just enjoyed the beautiful quilts. Afterwards we went shopping at China-Mart. On the way back to Blue Bucket we had a wonderful Prime Rib dinner at The Steakhouse in Hains. It was a wonderful day.

We left Blue Bucket stuffed with memories. Tom and Andra plan to leave this weekend and head back to their home in Florida to put their boat in condition to tour the Islands in the Spring.

Now we are in Wendover waiting for the Make-A-Wish ATV group to arrive tomorrow afternoon. It will be good to see the group again. On Sunday we head for our son, Joey's, home in South Ogden, UT where we will get yearly health exams, visit the family, and service our rig.

Oh yea, I played in two Poker Tournaments this week. I placed 10th (in the money) at Jackpot and 18th in Wendover. Both tournaments had about 50 participants. Not bad for a Granny.

This morning we got up early and visited the Bonneville Race Way. Go to http://www.utah.com/playgrounds/bonneville_salt.htm to get the whole story. We also drove up the hill and over the dale to view the area the Donnor Party crossed on their way to California. Click here to view the route http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/donner/maps/index.html

All is well at the Bass'............

We're Back at Blue Bucket

We were greeted by the ducks in camp. These Quackers are in our front yard enjoying the sprinkler on a hot afternoon. It's good to be back for a couple of weeks. I finally got my Lesson 9 finished with The Institute of Children's Literature. And I critiqued a manuscript in my Critique Group. Now on to my next assignment and story. I plan on finishing some sewing projects and practicing my clarinet. Of course, Willard and I will play our music in the afternoons. We cooked pork chops on the grill and served them with potatoes, broccoli, and ice-cream for dessert. "There's nothing like homecooked meals," we say as we finish the meal. Right now Willard is in the club house working a jigsaw puzzle. And I'm puttering around the rig, catching up on my e-mails, this blog and watching television. It's nice to be in a familiar place with several friends and potential new friends. All is well....

Leaving Soap Lake

Last night Willard and I entertained at WH Soap Lake Resort. About 25 people were there. We received a lot of great comments afterwards. We have now entertained at St. David, AZ; Indio, CA; Stockton, CA; Huntington, OR; Ogden, UT; Ocean Shores, WA; and Soap Lake, WA. What a blast!

We have had great times and sad times here at the WH Soap Lake Resort. The people are so friendly and have made us feel like family. There were lots of activities going on each day. We enjoyed our walks in the beautiful park, the hot tub, wonderful meals on Saturday and Sunday, the Ice Cream Socials, various classes, the TGIF parties, the laser light show at the Grand Coulee Dam, the trip to the Baverian town of Levenworth during their Art and Music Festival, and the new friends we have met. This is a resort we would surely come back to.

A Sad Day in our Home

Duster's Obituary

Our sweet little Duster passed away on August 2, 2007. He had a tumor in his prostrate and couldn't eliminate his waste. Surgery was not an option, and we couldn't let him suffer. It was a very difficult decision.

Duster was such a joy for us. He loved to travel to new places. And he always greeted us with a wagging tail no matter how long we left him alone. Our guests were greeted at our door by him. Willard and Duster took several daily walks. He liked meeting other dogs on those trips around the RV parks or neighborhoods. Duster rarely barked. He knew he was not to bark in RV parks. And he loved kids, especially his grandkids. We will surely miss him.

We're Finally High and Dry

We are now in Soap Lake Resort which is about 50 miles south of Grand Coulee Dam. The climate is much like we're used to. It's a nice park with a pool, hot tub, lots of activities, and very nice people. We are going to rest up and dry out for a few days before we go exploring. Our plan is to stay here two weeks before heading south. You can find out more about Soap Lake by linking to <http://www.soaplakewa.com/> I finally downloaded a few pictures I took a couple of days ago. You should be able to see them in the last post.

Headed for Dry Ground

The sky is falling and falling and falling!

Lots of logging trucks on the road.

Leaving the ocean side and into an inlet.

Look Ma, the sky is blue.

Well, we got sick of the rain, so we left Ocean Shores this morning. We traveled through the Olympic Rain Forest. It rained on us the entire trip. It had its own beauty. I'll try and download some pictures tomorrow. We met lots of logging trucks, passed several winerys, and got glimpses of the Pacific Ocean. We couldn't see Mt. RAINier because of the clouds.

This afternoon we arrived at Diamond Point RV Resort just east of Sequim. It doesn't rain as much here and is just beautiful. There is blooming lavender everywhere. They have an annual Lavender Festival in Sequim. The sunset was breathtaking. We went to a Casino for dinner and I played Texas Hold'm. I won $112. Willard played a Keno machine and came out about even. In the lounge they had a nice dance floor and a Small Band playing Big Band music. It was a joy to watch a full dance floor filled with senior citizens. They were wonderful dancers. We danced a few dances, but both of us were so tired we decided to call it quits and head back home. We walked Duster and enjoyed a nice rainless evening. I would come back to this area again.

We are going to leave early in the morning and try to get to Black Diamond, WA. It is near Flaming Geyser State Park east of Seattle.

Rain Greeted us at Ocean Shores WA

We arrived at the WH RV Resort in Ocean Shores, WA last Wednesday. I have no pictures to post because IT HASN'T STOPPED RAINING SINCE WE GOT HERE! That was 4 days ago. But, we are determined not let this gloom get us down! We have found some good restaurants and drove around the area to orient ourselves. And, we did drive down to the beach to look at the Pacific Ocean through the raindrops. Of course, we stayed in the truck with the heater on full blast. A few young brave tourists were running through the ankle deep waves, as their grandparents huddled together shaking their heads.

We went to WalMart and got Willard a Jigsaw Puzzle to work. He has it spread out on the table. I discovered a web page for writers and have immersed myself in the discussion form. I've also tried to work on several manuscripts. There's not much on TV, so I have been reading a couple of books. Willard tried metal-detecting here in the park between rain storms, but the mosquitos almost carried him off. And poor Duster can't find a dry place to pee.

"It will be nice next week," the locals say. "But, this rain is normal."

Tomorrow we hope to visit the Olympic National Park, if it's not raining. But, we understand it is the only rain forest in North America, so I think I'll take my umbrella along, just in case. Here is their web site if you're interested: http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/olympic/.

Last evening, Willard and I entertained a group of about 30 here at the resort. They seemed to like our music. About halfway through the program a man jumped up, removed my hat and proceeded to pass it around the room. They filled it with money. We in turn donated it to the park's Fun Fund. Our goal is to entertain in at least one RV park in 49 states (Willard won't fly to Hawaii). So far, we've played in Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, Oregon, and now Washington.

Mount St. Helens

Mount. St. Helens





Today we drove about 35 miles to view Mt. St. Helen. It was a great trip. Great views. And an eerie feeling. It was hard to believe that the destruction occurred 27 years ago. A new forest is emerging. And time heals all. The pictures above are of Mt. St. Helen. It was about 9677 feet before the eruption. Now, it is 8365 feet in elevation. To find out all about Mt. St. Helen go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_St._Helens

I hope you can see all of this downed timber. It was everywhere. But, as I said earlier, the forest is coming back. And this too shall pass.

This is one end of Spirit Lake. That is not water you see, but thousands of logs still floating at one end of the lake. It looked as if you could walk across it.

I just loved this view of the river at the base of Mt. St. Helen.

HWY 12 in Washington

The drive down highway 12 was an awsome mountain drive. It was exciting with steep grades and hairpin curves. We were headed for an RV park in Randel, WA. to spend a few days. Here

are a few pictures of that adventure. We were glad to get to the park. Willard was so drained after driving today, we decided to stay in Randel two days. Glad we have a disel and lots of power. No more worries about traveling mountain roads.

I thought this was a great way to block those rocks in slide areas. The blocks are made of rocks wrapped and shaped with wire. They were all along HWY 12 in Washington.

On the Road Again

Sunday, July 15 - We are spending the night in Pioneer RV Park in Hermiston, OR. The area is rolling plains and farmland. It seems they grow lots of grain and potoatoes. The sunset was beautiful this evening. Tomorrow we will cross the Columbia River and into Washington tomorrow. We plan on staying in the Mt. Helen area for a few days before heading for the coast.

Memories

I was thinking about our 49+ years together and found this scrapbook page that I thought I'd share. From left to right: I'm pregnent with our first child, Robbie ( June 1959); Willard and I ready for the 1958 Senior Prom at Alvin, Texas; Willard and I at the Galveston beach (abt. 1957). Guess we weren't interested in the waves; Willard and I hugging in our Snyder Street home in Alvin, Texas (abt. 1968); Willard and I at our home in Norwood, Co. (abt. 1974). This is only a small fraction of our wonderful memories. We have had such a great life, and we did it our way. We still follow the beat of our own drummer. Here's to many more wonderful years together.

(Click on the picture to enlarge, but it takes a long time to reload.)

Memories of Blue Bucket 2007

This a picture of Willard and I 49 years ago on July 11. It's hard to believe we have been married that long. We didn't do much celebrating: had lunch in Baker City, went on a drive up in the mountains. The BIG celebration is next year. We will have our family reunion and celebrate our 50th Wedding Anniversary at the same time at Joey's home in Ogden, UT.

We met this wonderful couple from Florida. In the picture you can see Tom (far left), Willard, and Andra (far right). Andra and Tom invited us over twice for delicious meals Andra prepared. We invited them over for hamburgers, then for hot dogs. We also met in Ontario for dinner at a Mexican restaurant. We drove our Tacoma and they rode their motor cycles. Tom helped trouble shoot and fix several things in our rig. He is a real Handyman. Not only is Andra a wonderful cook, but she creates beautiful wearable art and quilts. She made us a really neat pillow for 4th of July. And she helped me to start a quilted pillow. They left Wed. and we really miss them. I'm sure we'll met them again on the road.

This is the gold Willard recovered at Blue Bucket. It's quite a bit considering he didn't spend much time prospecting here. He used his high-banker to acquire the gold.

On July 4th we went to Huntington, OR for the parade and picnic in the park. Usually there is a band playing and we enjoy listening to them. Well, this year we asked where the music was and they said they didn't schedule a group. So, we ran back to camp and got our guitars, amps, etc. and entertained for about an hour. Most stayed to listen and no one threw tomatoes, so we felt pretty good about our performance. After that we came back to camp to have grilled steak, potato salad, tomato and cucumber salad, and watermelon at Tom and Andra's. It was a good July 4th.

We played in about 3 jam sessions in Baker City, OR. It was so much fun and we learned a lot. I took a few bass lessons with Tim. Practice, practice, practice.

Tomorrow we plan on heading for the Washington Coast for about a month. So, we are packing our rig and preparing to travel. It's amazing how many things we can drag out in such a short period of time.

Blue Bucket Camp in Oregon

Looking out my front door. I like to go walking south down this road. It wanders by a creek and up the hill. A great morning walk. The road going north leads you into the main part of camp. We are parked in the last sight south of camp. We can play our music and not bother anyone.

The picture below is of our camp at Blue Bucket, OR. Willard and Duster are relaxing in the front yard. Yesterday we had to go to Ontario to get some gasoline for Willard's high banker pump. Of course, we had to stop in at WalMart to get a "few" things. The temperature is in the mid-80's during the day with a nice canyon breeze. Nights are in the upper-50's. It's very relaxing here. Willard prospects for gold early in the morning and has been putting together a puzzle in the Club House. I seem to be busy all day and well into the night, but I can't for the life of me name anything constructive that I've done. I did wash clothes, we grilled steaks last night for supper. I also baked a potato and warmed up some green beans. I've been on the phone a lot, and at my computer finishing up some projects. Time just slips away, and Willard's hungry again. We plan on staying here for awhile (maybe a month or more). But, you can never tell. We might just hitch-up and move on within an hour's notice. That's the beauty of this lifestyle.

This link, http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OR-BlueBucket.html ,tells the story of "Blue Bucket."

Missoula, Montana

We had a wonderful week visiting my brother and Nancy in Missoula. We fit just fine in his big driveway. Even though it rained several days, we managed to enjoy the hot tub most afternoons. In the hot tub we caught up on family news, shared experiences, and just enjoyed being together. Charlie fixed some of the meals, I fixed one, and we dined out for the rest.

Of course, we shopped. It seems like we always need something. Or are they really wants? Anyway we went to Cosco's, Home Depot, Lows, Linen and Things, Wal Mart, Ross' and looked at some new and used motorhomes at Bret's RV.

We tried to tour the Smoke Jumper Facilities, but they were closed. We visited the museum there, watched a video and then Charlie took us to meet some of the people he used to work with. I really enjoyed seeing where he used to work. In his younger days Charlie was a Smoke Jumper, working out of Missoula. Then, he helped coordinate people and supplies for fires in many other parts of the States. Now he is retired. Maybe I should say semi-retired. He helps out with the big fires whenever he can. That's why we try to visit him early in the summer. In May he was in Minnesota helping with a fire. Soon after he got home, we showed up at his door step. We had told him we were coming for a visit, but wasn't sure when, since we have no real schedule.

Willard and I went to a Casino while Charlie and Nancy had another commitment. We won some and lost some. Their Casino's are very different from the ones we are used to.

Brandy and his lovely family came over Saturday afternoon and Charlie cooked hamburgers on the grill. We enjoyed getting to know Charlie's grandchildren. One is 2 1/2 years old and the other is about 13, (both girls). We went out for breakfast with them the next morning.

On Monday Willard and Charlie golfed. I stayed home and did my own thing. I also fixed dinner. We went to Wendy's for lunch.

As usual I forgot to take pictures while in Missoula. I took this one with my cell phone at the Farmer's Market where Nancy and I went on Sat. morning. I bought fresh cheese, butter, eggs, breads, Swiss chard, lettuce, radishes, cucumbers, onions, and some fresh flowers. I could hardly carry it all back to the car.

Trip to Helena, MT

We visited with our friends, Bill and Karen, in Helena, Montana. They invited us to park in their son's yard next to them. They were so gracious and we had such a great exhausting three days.

The family attended his high school graduation. They made shirts to wear to graduation: Chad's Grandpa, Chad's Grandma, Chad's Mom, Chad's Dad, Chad's Big Brother, I'm Chad. And they rang cow bells as Chad received his diploma.

We took a boat tour down the Missouri River to the Gates of the Mountains, the same river Lewis and Clark traveled. We also saw Man Gulch where 13 young smoke jumpers gave their lives to a fire back in 1949.

We went to a baseball game to watch Chad play.

It was a nice sunny day. We had a great time.

A trip around Helena on a tour train was another wonderful activity. We learned so much about the history of Helena and enjoyed seeing the beautiful homes built in the during the gold rush days.

Each evening we dined on barbecued hamburgers or elk steak, mushrooms, salads, etc. After dinner, we would sit in the hot tub to relax guaranteeing a good night's sleep.

Tim took us to a quaint little restaurant to have a Piglet Sandwich. It was like a hamburger, but the meat was deep fried pork. Delicious!

One morning we went to the Farmer's Market. We bought some jellies, syrups, gifts, and vegetables.

And one afternoon we went to Houser Dam to prospect for sapphires and gold. While sitting on a rock along the water a little downey chick came out of the brush, waddled by us unafraid, making its way to the swift river. In he went, paddling down stream all alone, leaving us with many unanswered questions.

We also went Geo Caching. We found two Caches. This picture shows us finding and Karen recording one Cache. One thing great about this activity is that it gets you out and about in just about any area you visit.

We wouldn't have missed this visit for the world. The Coulter family went out of their way to make us feel at home.

Jean relaxes as Willard and Bill pans for gold. (Photos by Karen)

Pine View Reservoir

Joey, Beth, Jason, Willard and I took our boat up to Pine View Reservoir to take in a little sun and do a little fishing. It was a beautiful day with a wonderful view. No fish, but a relaxing time together. Life is good.