A Blog is a Diary–Right?

Dear Diary,

I know its been nearly a month since my last entry but I have excuses! Between crabbing, clamming, viewing and just plain laziness, the time has simply slipped away. Far faster than it should I'm sure.

You'll be happy to hear that during this lapse no serious injuries to ourselves nor breakages to our home have occurred. I won't count the two times I slipped and fell into the creek or the time I had my back to the surf and got slapped by a wave. Getting soaked isn't an injury and the part of my body that hit the ground first has oh so plenty of cushioning.

We are hosting and awaiting parts for one slide's gearbox which began shedding teeth faster than a meth addict. The slide remains in so our bedroom is just a little more cozy for the time being.

Today, October 31^st we have two seminal events occurring that have me reminiscing of past times. The first is a far too fast approaching 60^th birthday. The second is Chris and I have reached the magical threshold of being the senior park hosts present and will be assisting in the training of a brand new host who arrived last night.

As I do look back it has been one glorious ride! Sure there were a few potholes in the road but overall there is not much I wouldn't do again - not just because I'm a slow learner!

I treasure 20 years spent in the Coast Guard working in a variety of assignments, all with some of the finest men and women you could ever meet. A few of us remain connected and each contact with them is a reminder of just how fortunate I am to have met and now know them.

I also fondly recall nearly 20 years as a 911 dispatcher. Another group dedicated to helping people who are experiencing their worst moments. Despite the seriousness of the job there were fun times and I do cherish them. Most of all, I do miss the people I had the privilege to work with.

By any measure we are still rookies at this full-time RV'ing thing and I must say it is shaping up to be another 20 years of wonder and joy.

And perhaps the occasional sticky slide.

Stuck In a Rut?

And what a happy rut it is.

We're back at Sunset Bay for the fourth time and the place continues to amaze and entertain us (mostly the campers do the entertaining). This fall the weather has really cooperated with sunny days, cool nights and an occasional drizzle to keep us honest.

One of the questions we're always asked is why we return year after year instead of exploring the country. Aside from economics we have been very fortunate to have been able to work with outstanding people in gorgeous surroundings. I hope our past, present, and future photographs convey just how wonderful the places we've visited have been. Unfortunately, mere photos can not capture the smells, sounds and the caressing breezes.

Like our visit to Charleston Bay where a fellow camphost is putting out the pots for the day. Can you hear the seagulls? How bout the buoy in the distance or the sea lions barking from the floating dock. Today was a warm one but the breeze from the ocean made it oh so pleasant while bringing with it a salty freshness to the air.

Back at the campground the host K9's made sure we were doing the job right. That and making sure I had the correct number of treats for a tour of the park. (Minus 2 for the inspection toll.)

So in a rut? Not hardly. Consider it more of building new memories in places we call “home”.

We have done something a bit different this fall though. During this past summer we found the numbers of RV'ers on the road have increased by an order of magnitude making finding spots to stay somewhat problematic. To combat this (okay, my bad, its all on me) we have changed stride and instead of spontaneous routes and stops where there is always a question of whether there will be space available, have actually broken down and made – dare I say it? PLANS!

Chris learning how to prepare fresh caught crab.

Much as I hate a teaser, I’m going to have to do it. Plans have been made but at this point I hesitate to give specifics simply because nothing is carved in stone - yet.

In general, our 2018 schedule will be filled with visits to Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah and yes, we'll be returning to Oregon. Our intention is that for every campground we have hosted at in the past will be counter balanced by ones we have not and in some cases even camped in.