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.