The Ray Adventures

It seems the computer is messing with me again!

We can't believe it's time to hit the road for our scenic trip back to Rockport. We're just like the beautiful migratory birds that winter on the south Texas coast, heading toward warmth and seeing old friends again.

We've had quite a summer here, arriving April 15th to some unusually warm spring weather for Oregon. We were quite busy readying the house for it's ultimate quick sale. We got back into the swing of our usual routine, biking, cards, Red Hat group, getting together with family, old friends and former neighbors.

Memorial Day we had our last family get together at the house with all four kids and several of the grandchildren. We capped the day off with a slide show of last years trip across the mid-west, east and south, we had a captive audience.

We had the dining room slide repaired - a three week ordeal, our good friend Carol graciously let us stay with her - and we're still friends!

July 24th we celebrated Gary's 70th birthday at Chris and Micah's new home, they have done an amazing job of turning a "big-time" fixer-upper into a lovely home. We had an eclectic group of family and friends with about 30 people attending. Chris and I had fun coming up with our theme - Texas. She is very creative making signs and decorations. Our menu was Texas caviar, Chex Mex, made with taco seasoning, a taco bar and our friend Hollie made an "older than dirt cake". We had a pony keg of one of Gary's favorite craft beers, watermelon lemonade and Texas iced tea. The day was very hot - their deck faces west so shade was at a premium. The faint of heart stayed inside in the AC. Thank you Chris and Micah for sharing your home, it was a wonderful party.

The last weekend of July we spent five days at Trail Bridge reservoir on the McKenzie River with Dan and Charlene, friends from Bend. Our new inflatable kayak works real "slick". We paddled down to the earthen dam and up the river, one of two that fills the reservoir. While paddling we spotted an Oregon Fish and Wildlife truck stock the lake with trout, the water is so clear we could watch them adjust to their new "digs". Later we were out in the middle of the reservoir, we noticed smoke in the hills above the campground then about that time a ranger came by and got everyone off the lake. He said a helicopter was going to dip a bucket in the reservoir, as it turns out they used another reservoir up the mountain. We drove up to Clear Lake, about 10 miles up, to hike around. We were told it was 5 miles - well Gary had his Map My Walk app tracking the walk, turned out it was 6.2 miles the length of a Volkswalk. We were "spent" by the time we got back to the resort where we gobbled down sandwiches and Pepsi. We also hiked around the mountain to the dam, wow what a view! Luci was happy, we let her off leash, she "sniffed" her way to the top.

The first part of August we stayed close to Salem. We are staying at a 55+ Mobile home park that has an area for seven RV's right beside the busy street. Tall cedar trees protect us from the sun but unfortunately not hoodlums. One afternoon after circling the park four times (a mile around) on my bike, I parked my it in the empty driveway next door. While I was inside and Gary was on the other side of the coach a ******* teenage Mexican boy came through the cedars and was making off with my bike - the neighbor lady started hollering at him. (She had her bike stolen earlier in the summer) The pedals got hung up on the brush so he dropped the bike and ran. A week or so later he or somebody came by at night with bolt cutters and made off with my bike but left Gary's "cheapie". We went to the bike shop the next day to order a new bike. While there Gary bought a bigger cable, probably worth more than his bike. Two nights later they came back with bolt cutters and snatched his. How do you spell ANGRY? My new bike is in but we're not picking it up until the morning we leave.

The last week of August was very busy, Wednesday Gary and Luci left for Trail Bridge reservoir, I spent the night with Carol then Thursday morning Carol, Charlotte and I went to Seattle to the Seahawk/Cowboy preseason game. Seahawks won 27-17, it was fun, after 20 years with season tickets I have missed the excitement of going to the games. I do like traveling better. It was late after the game so we had a bottle of wine and room service for dinner about midnight. Friday morning we went down to Pike's Public Market Place, we had breakfast at the Athenian, the Sleepless in Seattle movie had a scene with Tom Hanks having lunch at the counter. There is a plaque where he sat. The restaurant overlooks the Wharf and Puget Sound. Delish! Plus our waiter was fun.
After checking out of the hotel we drove to the Ballard Locks, just as we arrived they announced a free tour, I've been there several times, it's always fun watching the fancy yachts traverse the shipping channel. Construction on the Hiram M. Chittenden locks began in 1911 to form a shipping channel from Puget Sound through Lake Union to Lake Washington, now it is one of the busiest shipping channels in the world. It was quite an engineering feat, they had to prevent salt water from entering the lakes and also keep the lake levels constant. The fish ladder was designed to use attraction water, fresh water flowing swiftly out of the bottom and in the direction opposite for fish to migrate to their spawning grounds. We lost all sense of time, before we knew it, it was three! It's not a good time to leave Seattle on a Friday afternoon. Traffic was heavy, it took us 6 1/2 hours to get to Salem normally a 4 hour trip. I had planned to drive to Trail Bridge that evening, well, I thought better of that, it would have been midnight before I got there. I left a little after 7 and got there a couple of hours later, right after Gary, Chris and Micah left for a 2 hour hike.Darn! After lunch we took the kayak and canoe up to Clear Lake to geo cache around the lake. We picked up 5, paddling from one end to the other, the kayak isn't fast but lots of fun. The kids raced ahead of us to (usually find the gc). Before dinner we played a game of Mexican Train. After dinner we enjoyed our nightcaps sitting around the campfire. Sunday morning we gc'd in the area along the McKenzie River. We discovered a fish byway that we'd never have known if geo caching hadn't taken us there.

Hollie and Earl came to dinner Friday night, I bbq'd a whole chicken with potatoes and zucchini on the "barbie"too. I made homemade cheesy biscuits. I sure fooled them they thought I was a good cook.

This afternoon I'm going to an Oregon game with Carol while Gary washes the coach. Pretty good deal huh? It's time to start organizing and packing up. See you along the trail.

Enjoy the pic's.

TTFN

Gary and Pam