Deep Thoughts....

Because we are sort of kicking back and enjoying our down time here in Washington state I haven't had much to write about.  No hikes, waterfalls, mountains passes, river rafting or any other great adventures.....just doctors, labs, and general business matters that have been ignored for the past 13 months.

So today I bring you to deep inside the mind of Russ Ranger for my 'Deep Thoughts".  We'll see where my mind wanders as we go.

Can you see the deep thinking.......

I think I have an addiction.  I already have itchy feet....I'm ready to pack-up and wander for another 12 months.  Maybe I have caught whatever nomads and gypsies are afflicted with.  After 18 days back home I am wondering what I am missing down the road.

It's only 2 months and 13 days until we enter Mexico for our winter stay.  That's 74 days to travel down the West Coast to Tucson.  This year we are going to follow the coastline down through Oregon and California.  When we get to San Diego we will turn left.

So here is your assignment.  What should we see in Oregon and California?  Neither of us has ever been to the National Parks in California. 

After river rafting on the Colorado and in Glacier we want to do a river in Oregon.  Any suggestions?

Its been over 20 years since we have been to Disneyland.  Anyone know of any deals?

What's your favorite Oregon lighthouse or coastal town?

I'm ready to hit the road but we are going to stay here until the end of August, so I have plenty of time to think and plan.

Planning life is good.... doing it is better.

It's time to find a bigger waterfall.

Frisbee Dog

So I haven't written for 13 days, sorry but I didn't have much to say.  Still don't.  Coming back to our home town feels like vacation.  We are enjoying relaxing and kicking back.

Right now we are on our second weekend at Kitsap Square Dance Center in Gorst, Washington.  We come out here to dance and enjoy a few days at the RV hook-ups.  Eva likes the acres of lawn and is learning new skills.

Eva has always liked to play fetch, so I've decided to turn her into a "Frisbee Dog".  I have run her legs off the last two days.  She loves the chase.  She loves it so much she forgets to return the Frisbee at times.  She'll learn, she's smart.

You want the Frisbee, you come and get it.

The first weekend we were out at KSDA we brought our grandkids, Roseta and Jake along.  It was a fine time in the sun.

Three lazy youths.

But it was not all laziness.  Jake wanted to earn a little money so I put him to work.  He washed the roof and I washed the rest of the motorhome.

I believe in child labor, he like cash.  Deal.

Roseta and Terri spent hours doing the gardening around the dance hall.  Yes, she also earned her pay.  They're both fun to work with and both work hard.

I think the pattern is set, we'll be in daughter and SIL's driveway during the week and go to KSDA every weekend to dance and enjoy the setting.  It's nice to have a 60 site RV park all to ourselves.

That will change on Labor Day weekend when the place will be full with dancers and the Oldtime Fiddlers Association sharing a weekend of live music and dance.  It is my favorite weekend of the year and I am glad to be back in town to enjoy it.

It's time to go outside for some Frisbee time.

Life is very good.

Chase that disk.

Back to Washington

We are back in Tacoma, Washington staying in Robby and Tammi's driveway.  We're enjoying the fine weather, the grandkids and their new swimming pool. 

I'm working through my "to-do" list of projects and doing a deep cleaning of the motorhome. 

As we clean out all the basement storage compartments we are purging the things we haven't used much during the last year on the road.  I have been able to cross off about half of the 35 items on my list but as I cross off a few I keep adding more to the list.  It's just like living in our old house, the list is never completely done.

The last time I wrote we were going on a whitewater rafting trip in Glacier.  It was a blast and we both got soaked but never were thrown out of the raft.  When we finished Terri's first words were, "Let's do that again."  Another day we will do another river, probably when we are in Oregon this Fall.

We did the drive home from Montana in two days.  Great mountain scenery through Montana and Idaho, but just I-90 the rest of the way with 100+ degrees through Eastern Washington.  Too warm to enjoy anything but the air conditioned interior of the motorhome.

The trip home was warm enough to make the ice cold
streams of last week seem appealing.

Our plan for the next month is to be lazy and enjoy Washington's several week long Summer.  We'll stick around until an undetermined date in September and head South when the rains start here.

We have lots of friends and family to visit and a bunch of doctors appointments to keep.

Life is good..... and it's nice to be back after a year on the road.