Adventure 142: Spokane, Washington/Home Sweet Home/End Year One

Real time.

After a night of dreaming about winning millions at the gaming tables at the Wild Horse Casino in Pendleton, Oregon, we awoke to the reality of frozen rain. It was actually good news because it meant our decision to press on yesterday was the right one. We took advantage of the weather break to play the final round in our ongoing cribbage tournament. Amazingly enough, the Wily Cager prevailed due to superior skills, excellent luck, and a winning smile. The overall tournament result ended in a tie (How fitting). We've had a journey full of laughs, only half of the stories made at Judy's expense (And I usually made those up for the sake of  reader interest-I mean who among you didn't root for Judy). We wore out two decks of cards, and the new deck, which is barely broken in, remains at the ready for future adventures. We finally pulled out late in the morning after the freezing rain let up. We drove quite slowly (45 MPH) for about forty miles because the road was slippery and there were a couple of crashed semi-trucks in the ditches (It's always a bad sign when the professionals are crashing). About the Tri-Cities the temperature warmed up to 34 degrees and the roads dried out visibly, so I increased our speed to normal levels. The forecast had predicted bright blue sky and it proved to be accurate as we made our way toward Ritzville on highway 395. Actually, our traveling mercies couldn't have been better. The day before the area received close to ten inches of snow, but today everything was excellent, especially for winter traveling. We cruised into Spokane (Quite surreal actually), mid afternoon. We took Frac right to the Airstream dealer so he could winterize it. It is winter here (Some of you may have heard of it). I'm actually trying to break up with winter because I think summer is hotter. That's a joke, but I'm serious. The Airstream folks will keep Frac for as long as we need. I plan to fly to Seattle Thursday to continue supporting my cousin as much as I can. Judy will fly over at the time of the service. It feels good to be home. We did our usual post trip ritual: unpack the truck, read the mail, feel thankful, etc. All in all, we put 12, 533 miles on Fric. Less miles were put on the trailer, but my guess is that we put over eight thousand miles on it. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, we're thankful nothing untoward happened, and above all we felt adventurous. This will be the last post until we take  Fric and Frac out again. I've heard that Spring is on the way. I tell people that I'm glad they've read the blog. It's been fun knowing there's somewhat of an audience out there. I can only say two things in closing. First, if you are harboring any thoughts of taking a great adventure of your own: Don't wait. Second, Life is good, especially today. Bye for now.

 The Bunny's yard will start to take shape soon.

 Flowers will bloom.

 Herbs will sprout.

 Tomatoes will  climb.

 We'll sit on the sofa.

 Or maybe the leather chair.

 We might even share this easy chair.

 We'll even water the Christmas Cactus.

But mostly we'll enjoy our Home Sweet Home.

Good bye for now.

Adventure 141: Wild Horse Casino/Pendleton, Oregon

The early morning's promise.

For non gamblers, we sure seem to be spending quite a bit of time near casinos. The good news is that we've yet to push our first "play" button. We left Jackpot right after dawn this morning and cruised an easy forty miles for the first highlight of our day. We invited ourselves to the Hooley's for breakfast. They were gracious (As always), and spread a scrumptious farm breakfast before us. Gary and Loey Hooley, their daughter, Sarah, their two sons Isaac and Andy, along with Loey's sister Pat and her husband Tom were in attendance. And of course, there were cows, dogs cats, peacocks, and everything else a city slicker like me can attribute to a farm. We met their family a couple of summers ago when we acted as chauffeurs for Miss Kate Friesen (Daughter of the late Miss Jane and Kelvin), who spent the summer working on the farm. For those of you trying to keep score, Miss Jane is Judy's youngest sister. At any rate, we visited the Hooley's again a summer ago and were treated to  healthy farm living, lots of back road driving, and a kind of peace that most people just long for. We were excited to spend the morning with them, and our time with them lifted our spirits all the way to La Grande (And perhaps beyond, but I was quite tense by then). After La Grande, we decided to white knuckle it over Deadman's Pass because even though it was foggy, the temperature was as warm as it would likely get. The fog did prove imposing. At one point I had less than thirty yards of visibility (That was when the three big rigs passed me one after another like three big fat pigs). I welcomed the trucks passing me, thankful they didn't bump into me and grateful their tail lights gave me a reference point I hadn't had. Awhile later, we pulled safely into the nearly empty RV park behind the Wild Horse casino and hunkered in for the night. For dinner, we enjoyed pancakes and the farm fresh eggs Loey gave us as a parting gift. Safe, warm, and sated, we're thankful for the traveling mercies we had today, and it looks like we may be graced with some tomorrow as well. Today, Spokane received about six or seven inches of fresh snow (The WSDOT cameras are dismal, especially when I stop to think I was in Palm Springs two days ago). However, the weatherman says that high pressure is building and tomorrow will be cold but sunny. We'll pray for that, and I'll refrain from my usual quip about weatherman (No I won't: They are always right; they're just never on time). No matter, the weather is just another thing I'm not in charge of. I'm just thankful I kept it together over Dead Man today. Happy Hardt, one of our good friends, commented that my stories on the blog (I sometimes make stuff up) could come back to haunt me. Maybe she is right because the Wily Cager was on fire this afternoon, winning back to back games, which resulted in an overall tie for the entire adventure. Tomorrow morning we will play for the glass trophy, the champion's ring, all the marbles, and the rest of the cliches as well. No pressure, but cheating will definitely occur. Either way, we'll rest tonight knowing that life is good, especially today.

 Fric and Frac park outside the shop in the back of the Hooley's.

 A portion of their land. It may look peaceful now, but in short order they will ramp up the growing season.

 The Hooley's home: They will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the farm this June.

 I'm sure these two are named Fric and Frac.

 The Hooley family (Plus Judy minus Andy who hadn't arrived yet).

 After the Boise basin and into Baker City, the morning was clear and easy.

 As we approached the Blue Mountains, the weather really was as good as we could hope for.

 Believe it or not, this was the best visibility we had crossing Deadman's Pass.

 Fric and Frac nestled safely in slot 61 out back of the Wild Horse Casino.

A view back at the fog shrouded mountains.

The Wild Horse casino in the background. I don't know the folks in the motorhome.

Adventure 140: Jackpot, Nevada/Saguaro RV Park/Cactus Pete's Casino

Morning light in Las Vegas

Since the cribbage gods blessed me with a heart warming victory this morning (Skunk; I lead 2-0 in the Beeline Open), I feel obligated to admit that my Bunny was NOT gulping wine out of a big gulp cup last night. She had a very small, even demure, sip of the grape with dinner. And those of you who believe that she table danced like a Vegas Show girl have never been to an MCC sale. Remember, I make stuff up, sometimes just for fun. We had an uneventful, but long drive (445 miles), from Lost Wages, Nevada to Jackpot, Nevada (Our "lost" chance to gamble). We're safely tucked into the Saguaro RV Park, which is nestled conveniently next to Cactus Pete's Casino. The bargain price of the place is lost on us since we won't be leaving any of our cash in the casino. I did walk through the place. The machines were chirping, the bells were ringing, the cards were shuffling, the patrons were puffing, the ATM machines were humming, and the ever cacophonous music was blaring. When we got here, the parking lot was quite full of cars with Idaho plates. My guess, since Twin Falls is about forty miles away, that many Idahoans come to Nevada for a Sunday afternoon of miracles. The only miracle I was happy about was that the Casino's hot tub was clean and working. I relaxed in the steaming water for about a fifteen minute session. It felt pretty good. I'd be happy for another small miracle that the weather will cooperate with us and keep the snow off the pavement as we move forward. We go over the Ladd Creek Summit tomorrow; it's an area that can have variable weather. It's also snowing profusely in Spokane (It is February, after all). We plan to make La Grande tomorrow after a brief stop in Filer to see Gary and Loey Hooley. Loey is Kelvin Friesen's cousin. They are fine, warm folks and excellent farmers who are about to exit winter into their busy season. It's fun to talk with them. We still plan to get to Spokane mid day on Tuesday, so I'll have enough daylight to winterize Frac. If all goes well, I'll be back in Seattle by Wednesday. In terms of miracles more meaningful than pushing the winning button on the slot machine, Douglas told us that Nora received Last Rights, Anointing of the Sick, Penance, and the Eucharist this morning. The miracle part is that she was fully aware of the gifts. For us Catholics of Rome, this offers much peace. For Judy and me, as we cruised the straight, dry road of northern Nevada, it offered us a chance to weep. Maybe the salted tears will help the sage brush grow. Beyond that, it's more proof that our Lord is a Lord of mercy. Who else could offer such peace? And peace is good, especially today.

 Cool clouds wisped themselves over the mountains.

 They kept dotting the landscape all morning.

 Amazingly, the road wound us through a rocky canyon.

 The road even took a bend or two.

 We were gifted with snow capped mountains on both sides of us all day.

 The Ruby Mountains.

 Home Sweet Home in Jackpot, Nevada

 I'll bet a hundred on the chance of no snow from here to Spokane.

 This curvy orange symbol is the closest thing to a Saguaro around here.

There art thou happy, rubber ducky. Hot tubs and dancing girls, what more could a guy ask for?

Adventure 139: Las Vegas, Nevada/Hitchin' Post RV Park, Motel, and Saloon

Seatac was quite busy at 6 A.M.. The plane was full.

Kudos to my Bunny. Even limping (Douglas shot four of her toes off yesterday for cheating at cards) she's better than most people. She arranged for us to board a jet plane this morning at 6 A.M.. She coaxed our daughter to get up (Libby is not a morning person) to drive us to the airport. She negotiated a return on some of the money we paid to store the truck and trailer. She cleaned the refrigerator (While I did the shopping), She made lunch. She ably navigated us through the morass of freeways northwest of Los Angeles. She took pictures along the way. AND she danced like a Vegas showgirl on the picnic table after we set up the trailer. What a gal!  We arrived in Cathedral City about nine thirty in the morning. We were on the road before eleven, and we pulled into Vegas about four thirty. We're tucked in safely at the Hitchin' Post RV Park in the north part of Las Vegas. I've always been amazed that through the miracle of flight a person can begin the day in one place and be just about anywhere on the globe by night fall. We live in the best of times. Our trip was uneventful. I think it was actually a blessing to be traveling the roads we traveled today on Saturday. The only really thick traffic was near downtown Las Vegas, which we traversed right about rush hour (If there is such a thing in Las Vegas). Tomorrow, we plan to leave as soon as the rosy fingers of dawn raise the veil of light. By nightfall, we should be as far as Wells, Nevada. I've never traveled the road we will drive tomorrow, but my guess is that it will be us, the truckers, a few fellow adventurers, and the desert critters. We won't see them, but they'll notice our shiny silver bullet zipping by. Douglas reported that Nora had as good a day as possible. Her sister Peggy, a nurse by profession, arrived, and was able to provide some loving sisterly care. Judy and I commented, simultaneously as it turned out, that it felt good (If a little strange) to be back on the road. It will feel good to tuck ourselves into our little corner bedroom. I have to say, also, the desert heat feels good, as does the sun. We watched another excellent sunset before we had dinner at the Hitchin' Post Saloon tonight because the walk was short, and we didn't want to cook. It was quite good,and it was warm enough to eat out back in the beer garden, which was good because the smoky saloon odor was so strong it brought back my dishwashing days at the Pancake Paragon where I had to clean up after nasty, filthy, disgustingly puking, chain smoking drunks (What a guy wouldn't do for $1.25/hour). Tammy, the bartender and our waitress told me that in Las Vegas, a person can drink alcohol twenty-four hours a day! it seems ironic that the first sign a traveler reads as he crosses the Nevada border is This is a zero tolerance state. All I can say is, "Boy am I glad I'm not drinking." Guys like me who have no off switch live dangerously in places like Las Vegas (I think they made that into a movie). No worries, the Bunny did our drinking tonight, and the beer garden behind the saloon was very pleasant. In the course of dinner, Judy swilled down a glass of red wine that was the size of a big gulp (They don't mess around in Vegas), and now she's sleeping it off. Watching her "carp out" as we call it reminds me that life is good, especially today.


 Pulling Fric and Frac out of the storage unit in Cathedral City, California.

 "Sin City" is somewhere over them there mountains.

 Fric and Frac were humming with the big boys today. California drivers allow no indecision, hesitation, or pokiness. Pedal to the metal today!

 We had quite a bit of company heading to Las Vegas. I'm sure we're the only ones who didn't leave any money behind at the slot machines.

 This is the largest thermometer in the world. It commemorates the hottest temperature on record (125 degrees).

 We saw no signs indicating what these shiny things were. There were three installations of some wort of solar gathering. Very bright.

 Though time seems to have passed this place by, it is well run and very clean.

Twilight in the desert is most always pleasant.

 Our spot for the night.

 My art shot of the pine cone show girl dancing (Judy declined my invitation to film her dancing).

 A nicely prepared ribeye dinner, which we shared.

If you look closely, you can see Judy's hand making a move toward the glass (Notice the Wily Cager smile).

Adventure 138: Seattle, WA/Post I

Hey, Map Boy! Where's Waldo?

Early morning errands helped fill the spaces of our minds this morning. We took Elizabeth's car into the shop for a check up and an oil change. While we waited for the car to be serviced, we walked to our longtime favorite Seattle eatery, the original Dish Cafe in Ballard. We have eaten twice at the new Dish near Elizabeth's house this past week, but as is often the case, the original is much better. Maybe it's the trauma of trying to keep up with the older sister. Emotional trauma can cause all sorts of mischief. Today, for example, my Bunny, otherwise known as Waldo, left her phone on the front seat of Elizabeth's car. It's really hard to hear the phone when it's over a mile away. We called the Subaru dealer and they said they'd put it in the glove box. I thought, "Good, that should make it so much easier to hear." For those of you who don't know Waldo (Wally), he famously loses things as he travels. The gimmick is to find his backpack, his ax, his binoculars, or whatever else he's lost along the way in the midst of incredibly detailed scenes. The books play to the obsessive/compulsive nature of just about everyone who has ever had the misfortune of picking one up. I'm not sure Wally carries a cell phone, but since I'm making this stuff up, I guess I can add one. I do know that making sure Judy has her cell phone has been number one on our checklist during this adventure (We've become as dependent on it as any junkie is to his "stuff"). It didn't really matter this time because we used my phone to call the car dealer (While not smart, my old flip phone is a reliable backup, and I almost never lose it). After LIbby's car was finished, we drove over to Douglas and Nora's to continue the vigil of Nora'a passing. She was up briefly today, long enough to receive two visitors. One was young Miss Kate, a close family friend. It felt good to watch Nora's smile as she held Kate's hand. The other was her co-worker Graham, who has been on Nora's team for over fourteen years. Again, his genuine love added a measure of solace. Nora managed about a half hour before she retired. The visitors left, and to pass the time, Douglas, Judy (The Wily Cager), and I played cribbage. As Douglas is my witness, the Wily Cager tried every cheating trick she knows (We're so proud of her), including a new one when she forgot to deal me any cards in the three man game we were playing. Douglas is a registered gun owner, so he pulled out his nine millimeter pistol, and while I  held Judy's legs over her head (She's really flexible), he shot two toes off of each foot. Her balance was a little impaired afterward, but she promised not to use any more creative math, especially when playing cards with a couple of toothless Idahoans like me and Douglas. Actually, we had a good afternoon playing at cards. We let a meaninglessness game act as a foil for some good humor. It's either laugh or cry at this point. We did a little of both. Nora, who is with us less each day, rested peacefully in the next room. Late in the afternoon, we left in order to let Elizabeth into her apartment. She has just one precious set of keys, which is good because it makes her apartment building that much more secure. After she got home from work, we drove over to Ballard to a BBQ joint named the Bitterroot. It was medium. We topped the evening off with a bowl of frozen yogurt for dessert. Tomorrow morning, Elizabeth (Not a morning person) will drive us to the airport so we can begin the process of recovering Fric and Frac. Our plan seems no crazier than any other stupid human trick I've ever done: Fly to Palm Springs Saturday; drive to Las Vegas Saturday night; drive to Wells, Nevada Sunday night; drive to Baker City, Oregon Monday night; drive to Spokane, Washington Tuesday night; return to Seattle/Queen Anne, Washington Wednesday; continue to relish the fact that life is good, especially today.

 This eatery, The Dish Cafe, is on Leary Way in Ballard. It consistently prepares an excellent breakfast experience.

 The Dish places Aardvark hot sauce on each table, but they offer a plethora of other choices to be enjoyed by a knowlegable connoisseur. 

 May I speak to Waldo?

 Thin gruel notwithstanding, I continue to drink the hard stuff. No butts about it.

 Fitting on the eve of a fourteen hundred mile power drive that we should eat in a restaurant with a map for a menu.

Though passable for Seattle, this weren't Texas, Dewie.