By this afternoon we will reach our new home for the next four months in North Pole, Alaska.  Cut short from the five months due to problems on both our end and the RV park’s end, we will still have plenty of time to explore Alaska.   Our pay for our (mostly my) working time is a nice big site, free Wi-Fi, free cable, free utilities and lots of time off to make side trips around the state.   I’ll be working two eight hour weekend shifts in the office  straight through, no breaks.  No bathroom, no air conditioner, 80 plus degrees in the little office.   John gets two hours, two weekend days.  I should survive but the heat is a killer here.   A better deal for John, he loves the heat, I hate it, but I’ll considering this time served for all the years he worked and I took early retirement, over and over again.

Tok is a strange little pass-through town with hundreds of people going somewhere.  Motorcycles leaving Alaska for the lower 48, bicyclers out for a spin from one territory to another, RV’s by the hundreds headed out in hopes of catching the “big one”, see wild beasties or just to explore and enjoy the scenery.  We had a nice spot for the night and found a hidden gem of a restaurant, Fast Eddies, just a block up the road.  After some of the other places we have dined, this place was a total surprise.  Really nice interior with comfy booths and a marvelous menu.  A bit on the pricy side but then we are in a pass-through town in the middle of the wilderness.

Stops as we traveled along our way included the local grocery, The Knotty Shop, the end of the Alaska Highway marker in Delta Junction along with “everything is bigger in Alaska” picture of mosquitoes… and unfortunately, me.  Last stop was for LilyPad’s never ending guzzling of diesel, plus the added cost of Ribbit’s gas, now no longer being a towed.

We arrived late afternoon at Riverview RV Park and set up in site 154 having both sites on either side left empty.  The park is quiet, 170 very large 70 foot long spaces, 30/50 amp throughout, perfectly situated on the river, private shower rooms, nice bathrooms and a huge deck by the river.  Someone mentioned a moose wanders by most nights so we went in search but only found droppings.  At least I’m getting closer to my picture of a moose.   Already met our next door neighbors.  A young couple with two cutie pie munchkins.  Nice people, nice place, think all will be OK.

Went in search of a welder to fix LilyPad and then drove around and found a great little health food store, Wal-Mart, the post office, Safeway and Fred Meyers.   Finally we are ready to set up housekeeping and put temporary roots down.  John is leaving to visit his mom on Monday and staying for the week.  When he returns from Florida, Hector’s Welding will fix the RV frame, the tool box will be sold and we will squish what’s left into our already overstuffed RV.

Another daybreak, another beautiful sunrise and I spent the morning training.  Afternoon was relaxing in the our RV air conditioning.  Still need to find a vet, dentist, doctor, hospital and all the other things needed to survive.

Not many big rigs in Alaska.  It is completely unreasonable to drag everything you own over these roads.  I’m still not ready to give up my breakables but the thought creeps into my mind every so often.  Our past months on the road make it a burden to unpack and pack breakables constantly but there is nothing I can do until November when we return home.   Downsizing is again beginning to look very appealing.

My first day of work.  Learning a new program and where everything is located.  Hot, sticky, sweaty, not my idea of Alaska at all.  I sure hope I can handle the heat in this tiny non-air conditioned office for 8 hours straight.

Today is our tour of the Sternwheeler Riverboat Discovery, compliments of the RV park.  Total enjoyable day.  The experience began with a stop in the 40 degrees below room.  Loved it!  After we boarded the riverboat our immersion into frontier living for a day began.  A stop at an Athabascan Indian village, watching a bush pilot in action, wildlife, Alaskan culture, the kennels of Susan Butcher and a visit to champion sled dogs in action.  A definite must see when in Fairbanks.  The rest of the day was icing my foot and resting up for work in the morning.

Travel day today.  Getting an early start as the roads are bumpy and lumpy until we reach our next stop, Destruction Bay, Yukon, Canada.  Again with the awesome scenery, a few Elk and a lone tribal horse along the roadside.   Village Bakery in Hanes Junction was our rest stop for coffee and to split a yummy blueberry scone.

While parked, we noticed that the tool platform where the car is attached was very low to the ground.   Moved to flat ground and discovered that the platform had sunk substantially lower causing the car’s front end to be lifted up.  The platform is connected to our RV and is now slanted dangerously towards the ground.  Won’t start the “told-you-so” dance yet but our situation has become seriously worrisome.   Calls to Smitty’s (who custom made the tool platform), Coach-net (our emergency road service), and local garages to find a fork lift to take the platform off.  No equipment to remove the platform so John came up with an alternative plan to lighten the load on the RV frame to keep it from further damage.  Took three hours to separate the tools from the chest and put them in the car, neither of us knowing where we would have put the heavy tool platform had they been able to remove it.  We may have been stuck in the parking lot of an old Motel for hours but what a view we had out the RV window!

Now the plan was for both of us to drive onward to Destruction Bay to find a welder.  The tool chest tops are sharp so we had a little blood drama when removing them but John’s booboo is all fixed up and away we went.

Arrived at Destruction Bay and were advised to drive on to Fairbanks to let the certified welders that work the pipe line do their thing.   Am now positive that I would have had significantly more fun taking that cruise around the world…and it probably would have been far less expensive and much more relaxing.

Overnight in a Destruction Bay roadside RV parking lot with 30 amp electricity, still having an amazing view out our windows

Morning has arrived and it is time to hit the road, each in our own separate vehicle and connected with walkie-talkies.  This is bear country.  You can tell by the scat on the side of the road, which answers the age old question, “does a bear shit in the woods?”  It probably does, but it also does it a whole lot on the side of the road.

Roads were tolerable for the first few hundred miles out of Destruction Bay.  One biker with his packs going down the road, two bikers with their packs coming towards us.  With all the wild animals, sleep deprived speeding 18 wheelers and first time RV travelers, I’m not sure if they are really brave souls or just plain nuts.

Every rest stop brought tiny winged visitors looking for handouts.  Feeling guilty about feeding wild birds but wanting to repay them for their obliging poses, I tossed out a small thimble size full of crushed oatmeal crumbs and they feasted, fighting over the last few morsels.  When I returned to the RV, one sat on the mirror watching to see if I were bringing anything else out, then flew on his way.

This is unforgiving country with roads being a close resemblance.   Bone jarring, teeth chattering, seat vibrating roads with little but a tiny salmon colored piece of plastic on a six inch piece of wood to warn you of pot holes, wide surface cracks and the permafrost heaves that would shame a roller coaster.   The roads are so bad that in some places they have given up under the pounding, announced that they were not going to hold up any longer, split in half with hunks sliding off into the wilderness.   These roads and old damaged backs are not simpatico so ice packs have become my devoted companion.

Our progress has been slow.  Eyes sweep right to look for bear and pink, sweep left to look for bear and pink, pink ahead, slow to a snail’s pace.  Resume to 50 km (30 mph), eyes sweep right, sweep left…Grizzly!   John got a picture of his butt as he ran into the woods but it still counts as a sighting, no matter how far away.  Still gazing on beautiful snow covered mountains and those Canadian tall skinny trees as we walkie-talkie our way towards Tok, AK.

Exited Canada and entered the USA, Alaska!  Beautiful scenery but not one wild anything all the way to Tok, where we will spend the night at Tok RV Village before heading to our final destination for the next five months, Riverview RV Park, North Pole, AK

Victoria Day today, a holiday in Canada so not much open except the grocery and tourist stops which was fine with us, we are certainly tourists.   First stop was the Sign Post Forest, 76 thousand signs from around the world.  Spotted The Woodlands and Conroe, lots of Texas cities representing our home state.  Looked for Rickey and Dale’s sign from 2001 but it was hiding.   Forgot to have one made, with all the confusion of moving into our RV, so we will have one made in Alaska and put it up on our way home.

Northern Lights Center was next and we watched a 360 degree movie of the Aurora Borealis filmed in Sweden and near the Arctic Circle.   At the Arctic Circle they filmed in minus 50 degrees Celsius…that’s one hundred and twenty two below!  One person setting up the camera and the other watching out for Polar Bear.   Now that’s dedication!  So worth it when you see those eerily glowing waves of light in a 360 degree surround sound theater reclining on warm comfortable seats.

The Welcome Center had a presentation on the Alaska Highway and a short film documentary on the building of the highway.  Really interesting and amazing what these men went through to complete the project.  Ate lunch at Kathy’s Home Cooking, the local place to eat and chat, then back to the LilyPad to prep for our early morning departure.

Left at the fanny crack of dawn.  Roads were worse than the last 300 miles and we had to drive slower and slower.   About 150 miles out, it turned into a gravel road and we slowed down to 20mph.  Stopping for gas, we met another couple that are from Alaska but are Escapees living in Livingston, TX  for the winter.  They come back each year to work camp.  We chatted for a while.  I shouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want to know but I asked if the worst part of the road was behind us.  It’s not.  We will hit another gravel road that lasts about 100 miles, then just before Alaska, even worse roads as no one is responsible for their repair.   And the adventure continues.

Our overnight will be in the capital of the Yukon, Whitehorse.  Set up camp at Hi Country RV.  They have some of the original machinery from the US Army that was used to build the Alaska Highway.  Not museum quality but still interesting.  It’s hard to imagine how these small machines cut through this wild and vast land in 10 short months in 1942.  Amazing feat of determination by our US Army.

Took a drive over to the Wal-Mart at 10 pm. The parking lot was lined with RV’s, 20 in all.  Notice the amount of daylight at 10 pm…it is hard to “turn off” when it’s daylight until 11:30 pm.

Running around today trying to find parts for the broken stuff on the RV.  White MacGyver tape for our unplanned peep hole, new pressure air hose for the brake line on the Ribbit and groceries.   Untrusting market made you pay a deposit for your carts.  Had some really interesting foods on the shelves that you wouldn’t see in the US.

Over to the Whitehorse Information Center for things to do in the morning and a quick trip to a jam packed little health food store for a few supplies.

Decided to stick around for another day here in Whitehorse.  First was a visit to the S S Klondike for a peek into the transportation history of the Yukon River.  Will never complain about the size of an inside room on a cruise ship after seeing first class on the riverboat.

We did a drive-by the log skyscraper and the Old Log Church, through town by the Trappers Cache (one of the original log homes), past Starbucks, up the river to the dam where the salmon ladder is located (opens next month) a stroll through the Fireweed Community Market, got a picture of one of the art walls in town, drove by a bicycle wheel sculpture near town, an afternoon walk along the Yukon River to watch the fly fishermen and dinner at the oldest building in Whitehorse, the Klondike Rib and Salmon café for some yummy reindeer stroganoff.

OMG…One of those ugly bridges on I-5 in Washington that we drove over last week collapsed today!  Guess we won’t be going home that way!  That’s the main road for 18 wheelers and motorhomes going to Alaska…am feeling blessed that we passed over safely.

Got word from our work-camping employer.   Still no water available and it is supposed to snow today.  Her reaction was UGH.  My reaction was OMG…NO water?  Yes, we have a water tank in our box-on-wheels but one week is our max and even then, we were able to drive to Flying J and shower a few times a week.  Oh yea, we’ll be livin’ the life… as stinky dirt balls!

Dawson Creek is a scruffy town.  The Mile “0” RV Park is a scruffy RV Park.  We are on an uneven site that faces businesses with the main road only 3 sites up, no fences anywhere.  Bathrooms are playhouse size, no ability to bend in the showers, no consistent Wi-Fi, not a place we will stay again.   The town’s saving grace is Wal-Mart and Safeway.  Both are small and sparsely stocked.  Everyone we meet is Alaska bound.  Spending the next two days doing household chores, groceries, washing the road grime off Ribbit and getting things back in place.   Quick stop at the Mile “0” flags that mark the beginning of the Alaska Highway.   Glad to be on our way in the morning.

Beautiful weather for our full day of travel.   Snow plows in winter causing road lines to disappear, then reappear then fade away again with only a faint yellow hue to mark the center divide.  Makes driving a big RV a bit scary.

Mountains, rolling hills and acres of farm lands with snow white shrink wrapped hay bales lining the fences.  John pointed out scattered handfuls of cows in the pasture and said, that must be where pasteurized milk comes from…cows  standing in pastures.  Yes dear, whatever you say dear.

A leg stretch stop at Tetsa for a taste of their famous cinnamon rolls.  The owner, a throw back from the 1947 era, was a friendly gent who was eager to pass on any information of service to travelers, including the condition of the roads.  He was also a jolly prankster and his thoughts were in print scattered around the small cozy café and spilled over onto his gas pumps outside.

We have passed dozens of signs for moose, elk and bear.  Still wondering when we will see the signs telling us when the next showing will be and where.   So far we have seen, but not been able to snap photos of, two wolves at the edge of the trees, one large moose standing in the river (but nowhere to stop), one large moose standing on the side of the road, one deer’s butt going into the trees and a dozen or more animal carcasses in road side ditches.  We also passed the lead trailer in a caravan who, moments before, flipped his trailer attached to his double dooly truck.  10 wheels weren’t enough to keep him grounded in his fifth wheel.   A few miles down, a reasonably new trailer lie on the side of the road, shattered into pieces.  A harsh reminder of what bad road conditions and strong winds can do if you don’t slow down and stay in control.

A light lunch and social chat with the owners of historic Bucking Horse River Lodge, mile 175, former barracks for the builders of the Alaska Highway.  It is now a restaurant, motel and cabins.   The owners have the place up for sale so they can retire.  Pictures line the walls and depict the history of the building, faded memories of all the characters that passed through, some still frequent the café.  One famous character, a 17 year old cowboy, stayed for two weeks during inclement weather on his ride from Alaska to Mexico on horseback with his dog and extra pack horses.  His journey made the national news and is talked about with reverence still.

Spent the night on a roadside province garbage turn-out.   Not my idea, not doing it again.

Fantastically awesome 9 hour drive.

A long steep winding slope into the valley and a delightful quiet lunch by the bluest lake I have ever seen.  It looked like someone had added blue coloring to the water.  The ice crunched and moaned as it broke up under the suns warming rays.

Saw dozens of signs warning us of the Bison but all we saw were hundreds of their gigantic plops for miles.  In the distance, RV’s were stopped with signals flashing, a sign that wild animals were close by.  That was the beginning of the sightings of herds all along the highway.  Some of the larger males would stand in the middle of the road, just because they could.   Saw so many of them that we stopped counting at 40 and stopped taking their pictures so as not to overload on one animal.

The Bison marked the beginning of our wild animal adventure.  From then on, it was sightings of some four legged wild thing every few miles all the way to Watson Lake, Yukon.

Another pause in our journey lead us to a warmer part of the Yukon.   At least is was warmer if you were submerged in the water of the hot springs.  Liard River Hot Springs just happened to be a short walk from the main road so we stopped to let John sooth his bones in the sulfur laced waters while I walked the many wooden boardwalks that moseyed through the area.

Today was like driving through a humongous zoo without fences.   So up close and personal you could reach out and touch them…if you were nuts enough to want that kind of trouble.   We saw a man get out of his car and approach a mama bear and two cubs.…you just can’t fix stupid.

Spent the night attached to the local café in Watson Lake, power and water included, as the RV park was not open.  No Wi-Fi or cable.  Real life had to be dealt with so the balance of the 17 hours of daylight was spent cleaning the windshield (snow on the wipers as John finished) and cleaning up all pieces of things that fell off our counters from the horribly pounding of the tires on the pot holes, bumps and separations in the roads.   This road is not for people with back problems.

Before bedtime John did a little repairing to another “it’s always something” and his handy work left us with an interesting alteration.  We now have peep holes in the night shade.

No dump station, showers cost $3.00 Canadian for 10 minutes and are tiny so we did the Girl/Boy Scout washcloth thing and went to sleep when it finally got dark.

Today, our “just passing through” location is Prince George, British Columbia, Canada and it is truly a beautiful province.  Parked for an overnight in the Treasure Cove Casino lot, dinner at the non-smoking restaurant and a few minutes of gambling in the non-smoking casino before an early-to-bed night.

Our “it’s always something” was the bracket that held up both front window shades snapping off and falling in front of my face while I was driving.   John held it up so I could see to pull over.  It is now being held up by zip ties and my cane for an undisclosed amount of time.  A little tacky looking, but what the heck…it works!  Tonight’s “it’s always something” was the generator exhaust pipe brace snapping off but that can wait to be fixed.  Last weeks “it’s always something” was our greatest fear about traveling through Alaska… trucks spitting rocks at our windshield as they sped by.  No longer a fear now that it has become a reality, a truck in Washington spit one up and popped our windshield.  The crack is slowly making its way up the middle but we are going to wait until we return to Texas to have it fixed.  What’s life without some trailer trashy appearance once in a while to keep you grounded and humble?

So far on our journey we have seen a multitude of yellow crossing signs and I am amazed at the diversity of the themes.  The regulars, deer, people, elderly and children crossing signs are everywhere but in addition we have seen Elk, Bear, Stag, Turkey’s, Tractors, Cows, Sheep, Ducks, 18 Wheelers, Tumbleweeds, Tsunami’s and one with both a bear and a stag.   Thinking that we’ll see a few more we don’t normally see when arriving in Alaska.  Canadians have several we spotted (logging trucks, Badgers, dump trucks, cement trucks, Caribou, Moose, Reindeer) mostly specific to their own country.  Disappointing that the only animals we have seen in Canada are the ones in the pictures on the signs!

Not disappointing was the scenery on the way to our next stop, Dawson Creek, Mile 0, Canada.   Across the land of the tall skinny pine trees to the expansive blankets of green fields to the rolling foothills leading up to the mountains summit, without a doubt, gorgeous times ten.

Woke up to a beautiful neutral day instead of the expected thunder showers.  Drove to the Port of Seattle and walked through the famous Pike Place Market.  Much busier today than our last time through several years ago.  The huge buckets of vibrant flowers were still plentiful although many were walking around tightly clutched by the mass of mothers.    Walked over to the park that overlooks the Port so KatieBug could walk the fish water off her paws.  Mountains in the distance were covered with snow which we will certainly encounter in the next 10 days.

Happy Mother’s Day!  Dinner at the Herbfarm for the father of the mother on Mother’s Day.   John was so excited about eating here that I got swept up in his excitement and agreed to the nine course exclusive dinner that is spread out over four and one half commentated hours.  The usual wait for reservations is six month but someone cancelled a minute before John called and we took the spot.  A set menu served with five or six matched wines, the meal drawing inspiration from each season.  Unusual produce grown in The Herbfarm kitchen gardens and farm, and from small local growers, make up the ever-changing harvest that is served, never the same twice.  The herbs are fresh picked the day before.  The menu consists of wild, foraged, native, and historic foods of the Pacific Northwest.  On the menu…wild mushrooms, exotic herbs and plants, heritage fruits, handmade cheeses, refreshing whole herb teas and rarities such as water grown wasabi root and artisanal caviars.   We will be eating with five others at a large table so it should be an interesting gastronomical and social evening.

Our tour of the Herbfarm started at 4:00pm munching our way through tiny bits of a variety of herbs as we walked through the herb garden sipping herbal teas.  We visited with the two family pigs, brothers Basil and Borage, which you can feed in-between courses.

Introductions and welcomes started at 4:30.  Not white wine drinkers, we were glad to see wines other than white.  Our table of seven became the chattiest among the room.  Our server was attentive, amusing, very knowledgeable and served in five star restaurants most of his life.  If I were to rate The Herbfarm, having eaten at many five star restaurants, high seven seems right.  Portions, although small, were an amazing morsel of exploding flavor, lingering and satisfying completely.   The owners busied around the room helping serve and keeping the conversation flowing, not that it was needed at our table.  The time passed surprisingly fast with discussions over each offering circling around the table.

Hugs and farewells, while being served our choice of as many French press fresh herbal teas or beverages as we cared to select alongside freshly made candy and cookies, ended at 9:30.  On our way out, we were all given boxes of recently dried sumac and sage organic beef jerky.   The once in a lifetime experience of total perfection in dining ended but will never be forgotten.  Thank you, Oh Wonderful Husband of Mine!

Woke up to an overcast mild day, perfect for exploring Seattle.  Little sprinkles were not a bother so we donned our rain coats, put KatieBug in the car and drove down to the Port of Seattle area.  First walking along the water and window shopping, into the famous Ye Olde Curiosity Shop then a small bite of sour dough bread before walking down the waterway to the Olympic Sculpture Park and the breathtaking view of the city, port and ocean.

A little practice of close ups with my cell phone to capture the beautiful flowers that were scattered throughout the Park before returning to the car and heading back to our RV Park.

One quick stop at Jimi Hendricks Memorial, where his parents are buried, then back to pack and ready for the next days travel through Canada.

Road Trip!   Restful nights sleep in Bellingham, a tiny town in Washington just outside of Canada.  Quick breakfast the next morning and the wheels on the bus go round and round.   On the border we passed “go” but did not collect $200.00.  We were subjected to a minor search of the RV while we waited outside, border guards decked out in surgeons gloves, questioned and then allowed into the country.

The road wound through scenery of treed forest with gushing melted snow waters cascading down into the speeding river,  mountainous desert with scrub brush and scattered burnt trees with the rushing river alongside to a valley of green grazing grasses ready for the herds as we passed through one after another tunnels carved into the side of the mountains.   Spotted the smoke from two wild fires on the opposite side of the river, one several acres and growing, one just starting.  Overnight in an RV Park I renamed Dirt Walls RV in the tiny town of Cache Creek.  Unimpressive views of dirt walls on three sides.  Silver lining…very quiet.

Our box on wheels is finally put back together.  Ozone machines are out and we are moving out of the Inn and back into the LilyPad in the morning.  We took Ribbit in for a complete clean out and when I drove up, a huge 200 pound Millie colored Mastiff came running up to the car and stuck his huge head into the window for me to pet.  When I got out, he greeted me with a slimy nudge and glued himself to me until one of the workers pulled him off saying I was in danger of being given a big dog hug.   After we left, we went back to the Inn to pack.  When we returned to pick up Ribbit, all dog hairs and nose art were gone.  The Mastiff came up and slimed my leg, laying down at my feet and chewing his huge rawhide bone until we got up to leave.  It was hard not to tear up seeing that sweet giant face.

Breakfast was a quick meal of left overs before moving back into the LilyPad, now back together but still needing a thorough wipe down.   Upon leaving the Inn, Shirley wished us good luck, safe journey and hurry back.   When we arrived back at RV Corral, John took out all our stashed bags and boxes from their storage office and I began putting things back in place.  Both of us iced our backs most of the night.  Morning is going to bring all over soreness.

Next morning the new tires were mounted and we said our final farewells to Eugene, the city where we have been kept hostage for the last eight weeks, never to set foot, paws or wheels in again for the entire length of our lives.  A short stop overnight in Portland for some family time visiting Kenny, Deborah and Dot (cats and chickens too) then in the morning, off to Seattle.  Stopping to fill up on diesel we experienced the survival of the fittest, bird style.  Blackbirds were perched on the top of the station’s building waiting for a rig to finish filling.  When the rig pulled up and the driver got out to pay, the birds flew up to the front of each rig and pecked off anything moving.  When our turn came, we were greeted by two, fighting over our supreme choice of squished bugs.  Guess our slow pace leaves the bugs in better shape than the faster rigs.

Linn County, our pathway out of Eugene, is the grass capital of the country.  Some of the fields are just fenced, some are fenced with attractive signs naming the grass growing inside.  We passed miles of fields with strange named grass all being left going to seed for sale.  After the flat lands the hills picked up again and continued until we reached Washington state.  Passing over all the rivers from TX on we saw some magnificent bridges…until Washington.  So far they have had the most uninteresting, dull structures.  They look like train track bridges.

Alligators, aptly named pieces of rig tire tread stripped off and flung everywhere across highways, are a danger that travels with you along all roads no matter what the state.  To hit one is to take the chance of smashing the front of your rig and causing the wheel to be twisted out of your hands.  The road we travel on through to Portland has dozens of giant tree haulers crisscrossing across the roadways taking their multiple ton loads to places like Zip-O-Log Mill in Eugene.  Alligators splattered on both sides of the road, some flung into the lane and when seen we call out “alligator” to keep from running them over.  Just shy of Portland, we saw a dead goose on the side of the road.  Apparently they are not as revered when they wander onto the freeway as they are on the inner city roads of Eugene.  While searching the road for alligators we heard a loud startling THUNK and saw a shadow fly up over the rig.  Pulling over on the side of the freeway we contemplated what might have happened to the front of the LilyPad being hit with something the size of a goose…John secretly celebrating the demise of one messy pooping machine.  We found nothing damaged but began looking up as well as down for the rest of the day.

Arrived at Lake Pleasant RV Park in the early pre-mother’s day evening, planning to stay the next day to visit Seattle before moving on.

Awakened again by the stomping of little monster feet, this time I counted, 48 times back and forth over our heads and several jumps off the couch onto the floor starting at 8:00 am. I spoke to the front desk again when we left for breakfast. Nothing they can do but move us.  After seven weeks of living here, it would take hours. John walked up to see if it was as loud from the hall and discovered that there are two sets of feet and just as loud in the hall. Twice the noise experience all directly over our heads. Have considered a trip upstairs to tell this guy that pay back is a female dog and his time will come. Guessing that if I do, he is so clueless that my point would be missed when the same happens to him in the future. Saturday Market is again in full swing and we plan to escape from our room and enjoy the peace and quiet of the bustling market just after we take KatieBug for her daily dog park trek.

Late afternoon and temporarily quiet above our heads as the feet and parent are gone, we spent time on the internet looking up things we want to do in Alaska. It is amazing how much activity there is in the summer. It does appear to be easier squeezing in multiple adventures when the daytime sun shines for 18 to 20 hours over dual summer months. Silently thanking Bob Tiffin for having the foresight to add blackout shades to his rigs. They will come in handy when our internal clocks say bed time, but the sun is still out at 10pm.

Morning has broken, along with peaceful nighttime silence and our overhead feet are up and running. No Sunday morning sleep in for us. Off to breakfast with hopes for multiple noisy feet and parent departures in the near future. The rest of the day spent shopping, planning for our move back into Lilypad and taking stock of all our accumulations since living in our temporary home at the Inn. A quick donation run, cooking for KatieBug and relaxing in the first quiet hours we have enjoyed since the end of last week.

Monday morning 8:00 am and blessedly quiet. Trip to the RV to check status and pick up our rental car while Ribbit gets a thorough cleaning inside and out in the morning. Last physical remembrances of Millie, her nose art on the back window, will be gone by tomorrows day end. Our move back in date has almost arrived and we are ready to get back on the road headed towards Alaska.

Before I forget…John and I would love to hear from family and friends. Comments, questions, suggestions or whatever else you care to send is as easy as a click of your mouse, top left corner under the picture of our LilyPad and will reach us post haste.

Our daily trip to the RV revealed it is right on schedule, for NEXT week.  I’m doing the “told you so” dance in-between fuming about the inconvenience and frustration.  It is good to be positive but past experience should have demonstrated that our snail man supervisor was not going to turn into super speedo overnight.  Laundry, movie and night-night once again in Eugene for the 7^th week in a row.

Morning breakfast of melt-in-your-mouth Swedish pancakes at The Original Pancake House after a rude awakening from  little monster feet stomping across the floor and throwing himself down on the floor above our head, nonstop from 6:00 am through 7:30.  Front desk refuses to respond…it’s not quiet time.

Set out to search for local color and heard about Pre’s Rock, located half way up the mountain on the blind curve of a narrow road.   We reached the large boulder that marked the spot where the local hero lost his life in a car crash.  Steven Roland “Pre” Prefontaine was an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics.  He once held the American record in the seven distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters.  He was born in Coos Bay Oregon in 1951 and died in Eugene in 1975.  The roadside boulder marks the spot of the shrine to the memory of this historic Oregon runner and is a place of reflection, inspiration and respect to runners from all over.  The grade going up the hill is steep but the view from the top is awe inspiring.

Driving in Eugene is more difficult than driving in New York City.  Bikes, pedestrians and the odd driving directions on signs can leave your head spinning.  You have to look twice and wonder, really?  And this is what you consider safe?

Morning came and little monster continues his 6:00am race track back and forth over our heads many dozens of times an hour.  Guessing the dad is deaf or clueless and lacking in parenting skills.   I’ve been whispering under my breath “must get out of here for the sake of our sanity” but my sanity seems to be more at risk than John’s.    Not sure a trip to check in on our RV and see it still unfinished will be our saving grace.   Hurrying out the door for a KatieBug visit to see her buddies at the local dog park and then the long hesitant trip to the RV to see the progress.

Slowly driving up to the back enclosed repair area, John stretching his neck to see if our slide was still sitting on the garage floor…holding our breath…and… it is in!  At this point we should be jumping in the air and shouting with joy except the wires are still splayed out on the floor, they broke one of the slide boards, the trim is still all over the floor, so much trash is sitting around that you can’t see the newly cleaned rug…and I’m trying hard to keep it together.  Along with finding out that it will probably be ready Wednesday, we find out that our tool platform, attached to the back of the RV, is unstable.  There is a possibility that it could break off, taking our car with it.  Nope, can’t put what I’m thinking down on paper.

The Eugene Marathon started early and was already in full trot when we took KatieBug to the dog park.   Oregon University’s Duck’s percussion band was playing in front of the dog park, runners going down the front and side and it sounded like the Woodlands  Highlander’s bagpipe corps was serenading runners from somewhere in the distance.  We watched the race while we walked KatieBug around the park and, not once, did we see a big foot among the runners.

Lunch at a local Café, John got a Blond Bomb Shell but nothing like the taste of the same named beer at Southern Star Brewery in Conroe where we have spent many relaxing hours sipping hops on hot summer Saturday afternoons.  I don’t carry a purse anymore so John bought himself a “murse” (man purse) to carry our stuff.  Finally, John gets to be the pack horse instead of me!

Took my first ride on my new bike today.  John and I rode a few miles down the Willamette River bike and hike trail.  After almost 8 years, I had a little trouble getting used to pedaling and sitting comfortably on a bike seat.  I didn’t fall off or run into anything so I consider the ride a success.  Baby steps.

A visit to the RV this morning to see if the parts due Monday actually came.  They are here but the estimate is still Friday at best.  After they finish, they still need to clean the multiple inches of dust and grease off counters, floors and everything left sitting out.  Then we need to haul back everything we took out of the bedroom.  We need to have the new tires put on here in Oregon…no sales tax so it’s like getting one tire free…then get everything all sorted out before we leave for Seattle to have the radiator flushed.  We are planning to take a few days off road traveling to enjoy Seattle, but that’s too far in the future to know for sure if we have the time.

Our geese neighbors now have goslings and they scurry down the same paths mom and dad did when we first arrived over a month ago.  The lake is full of winged activity and the honks of parents when someone or something gets too close can be heard even from our second floor temporary quarters.

Another day of vegetative TV watching after a visit to a new dog park, once a private horse farm.  After a few seconds of sitting, the horse flies found me so I walked the paths until I found KatieBug and John still exploring the huge new territory.

We drove to Marathon Prevost in Coburn and took a drive in an older 45 foot non-slide.  Wow, what a smooth quiet ride!  With all the stuff I’ve smooshed into the Lilypad, we won’t fit in this rolling box until we shed some “stuff” but it might be worth the shedding of more just to get this floating-on-air ride.  We won’t be changing until we return from Alaska but it will be in the back of our minds as we bounce along those Canadian and Alaskan roads on the way up.

Another visit to the RV with both of us feeling much relief that progress is being made.  We stopped to talk with the full time RVing couple that purchased the new Allegro Bus that was in make-ready next to our Lilypad for the last 3 weeks.  The four of us speaking of meeting up next year at the Tiffin Quartzsite Arizona Rally and agreeing that Bob Tiffin runs a great company.