WOW, where has the time gone? We’re struggling to keep up with our own lives.

After spending the weekend in Bonney Lake with Dan and Brenda we dropped back down to Centralia, WA to visit with family. We met up with Teri’s sister, Tami and enjoyed some hikes and took a ride on the Chehalis Rail Car.

On our hike with Tami, we trekked out to a river beach and admired the view. We searched for the trail to continue but found none. Upon our return to the path, Teri spotted a deer far ahead who was trying hard to get past me. It wanted to go in Teri’s direction and I hadn’t seen it standing there. Teri finally was able to get my attention and pointed to the deer and we all moved off the trail and the deer bounded in the direction of the river we had just left.

The 4 person rail car took us on a 1 hour excursion on abandoned train tracks. No steering involved but pedaling was a necessity. There was an option to use pedal assist (e-bike??) that we declined. The ride took us up along and across the Chehalis River. At the main bridge young folks were all lined up to jump into the water from about 10 ft up. I asked one of the young men how deep the water was. His response was “Deep enough” and we both laughed. Our guides showed us a place that the beavers have been working on a tree. I’m not sure how much longer the tree will remain standing as they’ve worked a very big groove into the trunk. We also had the opportunity to see some Bald Eagles flying in the area but couldn’t get photos. It was interesting to watch our guides maneuver the cars. When we got to the end of the line, they would set a platform onto the rails. The platform had a tube in the center that fit over a pipe that stuck up a short ways from the ground between the rails. They would move the car onto the platform and then spin it like a lazy susan to turn the car around for the return trip.

Teri and I took a day drive to Mt Rainier. It was a day of mixed emotions. The Visitor Center was still closed from the winter season, the cave was by appointment only and we couldn’t find a way to make an appointment and the bridge we had wanted to visit was also closed. On the positive side of things, the views were amazing. As we stopped at one of the overlooks on the east side of the mountain we could see for miles with the land changing from heavy forest to grassland to pastures. Many of the pastures were actually christmas tree farms and the trees were all lined up in straight rows with the height of the trees dependent upon when they were planted. Where we stopped we could see that the toilet building was still under snow, yes, almost 6-8 ft of snow in June!

We stopped off in a small village and visited the Main Avenue Coffeehouse and Bakery. The building used to be a motel and much of the original architecture along with the mail slots were still in place.

Another roadside attraction had us walking across a suspension bridge. You know we couldn’t pass up that opportunity. It wasn’t well publicized but we found it. A short walk from the dirt parking lot and we were at the walkway. The bridge was made of steel planks with wood and steel cables to keep it in the air but none of that stopped it from bouncing or swaying to and fro.

One day we each decided to do our own thing. Teri took a drive to Olympia, WA for some sightseeing and a hike while I rode in the Capitol State Forest. On her drive into town she was stopped for a traffic jam as the deer were taking their sweet time crossing the road. While hiking she had the opportunity to view, and photograph a Bald Eagle.

While in town we were intrigued by the King Agricultural Museum. The building and property used to be the logging mill that has since been turned into a storage facility of equipment and momentos from an era gone by. Tractors, trucks, tools, billboards all from a time that only exists in memories.

Our next stop was Cascade Locks, OR along the Columbia River. Our first outing took us to the Mt Hood Rail Car adventure. Like the last one we rode on an abandoned railway with an out and back but this time it took us to a winery. Like before, the guides rolled the cars onto the lazy susan to turn them around. Unlike the last time, we used the electric motor almost exclusively. I had done a hard ride that morning and Teri had done a hike so neither of us felt much like pedaling. Teri’s hike took her through the beautiful forest and she was in heaven right up until she saw the bear. Now she claims she saw a bear but I told her “No photo, it didn’t happen”. Her response was that she was so worried about not making noise and alerting the bear to her presence that she didn’t even think about taking a photo. I believe her. Meanwhile I took a bike ride along the Historic River Trail which was US 30. The multi-use trail has several interpretive signs along the way describing much of what had been there when the road was first built. It amazed me that this trail had once been a 2 way road for a leisurely drive along the river and that there had been a resort here at one time. But no longer. Again, just the history and the memories.

One afternoon we stopped in at the WAAAM, Western Antique Airplane and Auto Museum. The hangers were many football fields in size and filled with planes and automobiles from a long, long time ago. Most of the planes were civilian from the 1930’s to include some of the original commercial airlines. There was a small military display. The cars were from 1920 through the 1980’s. This was also a meeting place for many people. These folks all looked like they may have driven some of these cars and planes when they were first produced.

One of our side trips took us across the river to Stevenson, WA where we visited the Columbia Gorge Museum. This is a small museum that showcases some of the industry that developed the Gorge but we found it to be a bit disappointing in that it didn’t really delve into the history of the Gorge.

All this was keeping us busy so we weren’t worrying about the status of the house and the inspections. Throughout all this Kaila with ReMax Integrity in Grants Pass took care of all the details and calmed our fears. The day arrived. June 12 Teri drove to Grants Pass while I stayed in Cascade Locks. Teri met up with Kaila and took possession of our new home. The seller had done all we had asked to repair any issues, primarily the septic, and we were no longer nomads. Teri took possession of the keys and the house. We had purchased a king sized air bed for her to sleep on and she had some paper and plastic dinnerware to eat with. The refrigerator arrived on time as did the washer and dryer. But there was no furniture. Teri spent the next several days walking the yard and detailing all the yard work that would need to be done. She also met the seller, Wanona, who had stopped by and they had a great visit.

The home is a single story, ranch style home set on 2 acres of lush vegetation, manicured lawn and trees. 1/2 the property we have dubbed ‘the pasture’. This land is unwatered and has a small forest on the property. The grass is brown in the summer and naturally green during the wetter months. The previous owners had used the pasture for their donkeys and various other animals. We have found that the deer also like the pasture. The house is set on the remaining half of the property and is surrounded by lush landscape of grass, plants, trees and a fish pond with a waterfall. Initially we didn’t know there were fish in the pond due to the layer of water lillies that covered the pond. That story is one in itself. We have a private well with delicious water. There is an outbuilding that we have named the garden shed which houses all our small garden tools. The other outbuilding is a garage building with multiple separate rooms. There is a stable where the donkey was housed. A garage to fit 1 vehicle, the lawn mower and various other equipment, a shop which is now my bicycle shop and training room, a storage room and a utility room which has all the left over molding, floor tile, floor laminate and various other left over pieces. The interior of the home is 3 large bedrooms, 2 baths, a living room, kitchen and utility room. Granite countertops in the kitchen with carpet throughout the house and wood vinyl flooring in the kitchen. So while Teri was taking care of the house and basking in her pleasure of finally settling in a house in the PNW, I was busy preparing for a race. Photos are the listing photos and were taken around November.

The race was to be held over 4 days with 2 days for amateurs and 2 days for pros. I, as a masters amateur, raced the short track race on Thursday. The short track race was 6-7 laps on a .75 mile motocross course. I finished 6 laps while the leaders finished 7. There were 4 of us old geezers. I finished 4th. I can’t remember when I’ve raced this hard for this short of time, just 24 minutes. I set 2 maximum heart rate records during this ride. I am still getting acclimated to Oregon racing which is filled with steep punchy climbs. I can last all day long as I’m a diesel engine but I struggle with the short fast stuff especially with the short and steep. Friday and Saturday were saved for the pro racers with the short track on Friday and the cross country race on Saturday. On Sunday I lined up with my new friend Ed Locke and 5 other old guys to do 4 laps on a 3 mile course. When the whistle sounded, we stampeded out of the gate then made a left turn onto a steep 50 yard climb. As we passed through the transition/finish line, I was DFL. Dead Last. But I fought hard. Ed ‘Too Fast For Me’ was gone along with the others but I fought hard. As I finished the 3rd lap, I was waved off the course as I had been lapped by the leader of the entire intermediate category, not just the old guys. I finished 7th of 7. Again I set records for heart rate and power output. I was disappointed with my finishing position but not with my effort. I will be better trained for this type of riding/racing next season. On one of my trips from Washougal, WA where the race was held to Cascade Locks I stopped at one of the viewpoints, Cape Horn, to take in the magnificent views of the Columbia Gorge.

Monday arrived and Sarge and I were on the road at the crack of dawn. We pulled into home in the afternoon. It was a surreal feeling as I drove through the entry gate into the huge driveway. One of the first things we did was to make a list of all the things that needed to be done. We had already taken care of electricity, trash and internet. But now we had to arrange for vehicle registrations, change of address for banks, insurances, post office, find furniture and start making this a home not just a house.

Throughout our travels Sarge has been an interesting personality. We made the decision to keep him housed in the motorhome and not let him roam outside as he tends to get into trouble or get lost. As such he can be a lovable pain. He picks some of the most interesting times to get into our space. Since moving into the house, he has found a new love of the outdoors. He has a pet door that he knows how to use but doesn’t like to. He’ll use it to get outside, but if he wants in he stands at the back door and meow’s until we open the door. He has found several stray cats that have been using the property and has been doing his best to rid us of these cats. He’s found several favorite spots to lay and sleep under bushes during the day. He continues to hunt. His latest catch has been a couple of garter snakes. He will play with the snake until he takes it to the grass. Then, as if by magic, the snake is gone! I’ve never seen him more confused at how a snake can just vanish like that.

We spent several days unloading the essentials from the motorhome and moving them into the house. Then I flew to Phoenix. I took a taxi from Sky Harbor to Gilbert to pick up my Uhaul rental truck. I noticed the speed of the taxi was about 80 on the freeway and we weren’t being passed or passing anyone. That is one of the reasons we wanted out. Too much growth! I picked up my Uhaul and checked into my motel. The next day I met up with Kevin for a workout then emptied the storage unit and loaded it all into the Uhaul truck. That night I had dinner with my daughter and her family. Melanie, Tom, Kennedy and Brooke and I had a wonderful visit. The next evening I met up with Monica and Tim and Nichole for dinner. Again, a great visit. Prior to picking up the Uhaul I had been contacted by them asking if I would be interested in their Load Share program. Once I researched it, I agreed. This program has a renter, me, transporting a trailer from Phoenix to another location. Upon arrival I would receive a small reimbursement on my rental fee. In this case there were 4 optional locations and I chose the one closest to Grants Pass which happened to be in Eugene, OR. It also had the largest reimbursement. I picked up the trailer in Phoenix and headed for Oregon. I stopped off in Flagstaff to have breakfast with my sister and her husband, Mary and Bill and to see her new clinic. Again, a wonderful visit. I’m so proud of Mary for hanging out her shingle, Porvaznik Family Medicine.

Two days later I arrived home. But not without some adventure. As I crossed into northern California from Nevada, I drove through an inspection station. Yep, I got pulled out of line to have the Uhaul inspected. 15 minutes later I was back on the road. Just a minor inconvenience. The day after I arrived home, I worked out, emptied the Uhaul then drove the 2 hours to Eugene to drop off the trailer then back to Grants Pass to drop off the truck.

For the last week of the month we busied ourselves with starting the process of cleaning up the yard, arranging to have the carpet replaced, look for furniture, hit the gym 2 times per week, bike rides and we met some of our neighbors. Each of our neighbors homes are about 100 yards away from us but are not visible through the line of trees that surround our property.

Next month we’ll dive into the actual work we’ve been doing on the property and a trip to Bend.

Stay Safe.