Couple of days to clean, couple of days to organize LilyPad, gorgeous sunshiny morning and the call of the wineries tug at our soles and our souls. Glaser Winery also makes liquors so we planned our travels around a grouping of three, Glaser being the anchor.
As it happened, of the cluster we chose, Glaser was first. Sitting riverside, with an enormous porch overlooking the quiet flow of the Umpqua, the tastings were not free but generous and the cost was subtracted if you made a purchase.
The winery/distillery is owned by Sandra and Leon Glaser and worked by the couple, their son, and daughter Jessica, who served us.
The surroundings bring a smile to your face as soon as you open the car door. Starting with the lanky collie a.k.a. our friendly welcome committee, the spotless chicken enclosure behind us, white geese lazing on the lawn, a river rock raised stone pond, all sights reminiscent of Walton’s Mountain. The exceptional metal statue of a leaping frog perched ready to splash into the pond added a pleasant whimsical touch to the setting. The large two story country main-home, situated within a few steps of the winery cottage, brought completion to the scene. If I ever thought about owning a winery, my mind’s eye would have pictured this setting. A few sips of their coffee and butterscotch liquor and I was addicted. Feeling a little too warm and fuzzy, John drove us to our next winery.
Palotai Winery, owned by Hungarian winemaker Gabor Palotai, began this small lot winery in 2003. Defecting to the US from communist controlled Hungary in 1983, he never forgot his Hungarian roots and the winemaking lessons taught him by his grandfather. Aged in Hungarian oak, he lovingly tends his four acres and believes in the “old world” style of winemaking. The winetasting room is a small corner of his barn/bottling room.
Through no fault of Gabor’s, the winery had just reverted back to him. Our excellent luck as he made available his older aged private stock for purchase until the release of his current harvest, now being aged. Behind the barn, the Umpqua flows peacefully by, seats placed near the banks for tasters to enjoy the view with the wine.
Becker Winery was full of pleasant surprises. It didn’t start with the long drive up a dusty road, or the informal unadorned building that housed the tasting room and not with the ordinary country view from their overly warm veranda but with the flavorful authentic wine.
I remarked that none of the wines on this day’s tastings had any “hints” of flavor. Seeking confirmation, John stated the obvious, “men don’t do well with “hints”. Hints were not an oversight with Becker wines. Even John noticed the hints in each tasting. He also noticed the giant mound of friendly black Lab/Newfoundland stretched out across the cool tile floor in the tasting room, the salami/cheese/crackers on the bar and the happily chatty and informative owner.
Grown without irrigation, the vines, now 30 feet deep, produced true palatable hints of superb flavor. Heavily circled on our winery map, we will pass this way again.
On our return home, we stopped to visit former host friends Ray, Karen and their Schnauzer Baxter, planted at Eagle View, the other BLM Group Campground. Just down the road from Eagle View is Tyee, another BLM day use campground, and we stopped to visit our new host friend Diane. Wonderfully pleasant weather for an enjoyable winery tour and social visits to our BLM host associates.
Back home, our little troop of dive bombers drained one of the gallon feeders and began ferociously attacking each other for the dinner seating at the second feeder.
One sits perched near the small feeder watching us while guarding the feeder.
Early morning rise for our trip to the “big city” of Roseburg for supplies and an informative stop at the Social Security office. I am having very mixed feelings about being old enough to collect.
My little hummers are peacefully sharing breakfast as we exit LilyPad.
Stopping for breakfast, gas and groceries, then returning to Lone Pine to complete a variety of fix-it tasks before our next big group arrives.
I am happy to report that we now are surrounded by neighbors. Toby has taken over at Mill Pond and it is reassuring, should an emergency arise, to see his motorhome lights across the field. Ken and Will (short for Wilhelmina) have settled into Rock Creek a few miles down the road and appear as eager as I for social interaction. Unadulterated silence, void of all 21st century sound for the last few weeks, is a bit unnerving.
Febreze, Zero Odor, BioChem, baking soda, vinegar…all products helpful in removing unpleasant odors. When living in a box on wheels, the most minuscule of whiffs overpower the entire space and a desperate search for the cause ensues. For the past two weeks the sewer smell, mixed with dead mouse/polluted water stench coming from under the sink has been beyond illusive. No explicit word in the English language is strong enough to express my displeasure. Odiferous reek has, once again, snuck into LilyPad’s crevices and it must be quashed post haste. My 2 week long unwelcome headache continues along with related inhalation difficulties and breathing is one amenity I refuse to surrender to this vagabond lifestyle.
Searching through forums and the internet, the lone subject being “RV odors”, occupied our computers for the next several days. Not the AAV (air admittance vale) we bought new to replace them all. Not something in the basement, we took everything out and cleaned it in its entirety. John turned off the heating element and the foul odor diminished. Another purchase added to our list, another crisis quashed, time to kick back and enjoy our evening.
Rising early to meet Ariel, our fearless leader/boss, for a nature walk with all BLM hosts invited to join. John and I don’t miss the chance to socialize. John, Ray, Karen, Carol, Dale and Ariel on the trail.
Local bird calls floated down from the trees.
Susan Creek Campground trail trek began with Poison Oak as our main subject. It blanketed both side of the trail at the onset. Being highly allergic, you would think I would know what it looks like but its diversity of leaf designs and merging with other plants results in some sneaking around before poking out into the trail and rubbing its oily reaction all over an unsuspecting subject. It is the primary diet of deer in the winter so it is allowed to grow around, not on, BLM trails.
Walking along the Umpqua River, Ariel educated us in invasive species. Sweet Pea vines are beautiful but invasive.
One lone indigenous Cone Peak Lilium (Tiger Lily) poked its bloom out of the ferns.
Horsetail plants are indigenous and thrive along damp areas of paths by the river.
Lichens, sensitive to air pollution, can be a record through time of the changing patterns of our air quality. There were dozens of types on our trek but I found net lichens most interesting. They looked like giant pale green Halloween spider webs hanging from the trees.
Huckleberries, the only plant we found that produced something edible to humans. A little green now but will be bright red when ripe.
Our expedition ended at the river by the log-on-the-rock and a good time was had by all.
Ample time left over for a stop at Rock Creek Fish Hatchery before reaching home. They released fish this week and all the hosts were contacted to report any and all fishing poles brought into the area. Anyone caught fishing must be reported to the police. When they say No Fishing, they mean it!
