Sheridan Lake Part Two

5/15 - 5/21/2014
Sheridan Lake
Loon Bay Resort
Sunny/Cloudy the rest of the week

This has been a really good laid-back rally, of course we have known most of these people for the last 10 - 14 years and have been to many rallys and or caravans with most of them.  At about 4 pm or so we all gather around the fire to share stories and lies about fishing.  Everyone is heading out in different directions today, tomorrow or the next day.  Planing has already started for next year, the 10th anniversary of the group coming to Sheridan lake.

Even on a semi-rainy day this is
a beautiful place.

This is a fairly large lake

we are camped just in this

little Loon Bay

Fishing wanna be with grandpa

We had a concert one night with

Marco the owner and his

granddaughter, Venessa, sang a song

in German

Marco performs for us every year,
he is quite good and has several
CD's available.

 Audie preparing some fish to smoke.

ready for the smoker rack

The last inspection before they go in the smoker

This is the hard part, Norman has to carry the rack to the smoker without dropping anything.

There they go into the smoker, the fish will be ready tomorrow.

Judy in the front of the boat caught 3 fish in a matter of 30 min, no she is going back out there.

Hurry Norm, they won't stick around too long.

End of the 9th Annual Sheridan Lake Rally, time to take the "Loon Saloon" down.

.....and the walls came down

luckily we had a nice sunny 

day so everything could dry out.

Judy caught another good size fish and gave it to Joe and I, we fried it for dinner, it was sooooo yummy, thanks Judy.

Thanks to Audie too, when we were leaving she came running out to give us some smoked fish, it to was soooo yummy

So many great friends here at this rally, hope to see all of you next year at the 10 annual "Loon Saloon" at Loon Bay Resort.

Safe travels to all, have a blessed day.

Nancy

Sheridan Lake,

5/15 - 5/21/2014
Sheridan Lake at Loon Bay Resort, BC
Arrived with sunny skies then a little rain then a little sun

Leaving Hope, BC we headed to the Hwy 1 and then Hwy 97, up the Fraser River Canyon, it's a beautiful drive along the Fraser River and then along the Thompson River.  This way is a little slower but a real good road going through seven tunnels and about six ecco-systems, everything except a rain forest. About 5 miles before 100 Mile House we turned east on Hwy 24 for about 20 miles (34 km) to Loon Bay Resort where we met up with about 15 other Airstreamers.  This is where the British Columbia Unit was holding their 9th annual Fishing Derby/Rally. This is our 2nd time joining them here.

The first day was warm and gorgeous, then reality set in with a little rain for the next couple of days and then sun for the next couple of days but nothing has ever dampened our spirits.  The "Loon Saloon" was built using four large canapies, adding walls and then decorations of lights, paper fish that we made and then two "Campfire in a can"  and the place was toasty warm and there was enough room for six tables so all 32 of us could sit down to eat.

One of the 7 tunnels going up the Fraser River Canyon

The annual unveiling of

The Loon Saloon

at the Loon Bay Resort 

Inside the tent

Pancakes and Bangers 

for Breakfast.

Nothing dampens our spirits,
I think Deb is praying to the
"rain gods" that we have had
enough rain.

             In the states we call these     large sausages

but here in BC they are called "Bangers"

and yes they are delicious especially

when cooked outdoors in the rain.

Waiting for their table to be called
for the potluck dinner

These two little Campfire in the Cans kept the tent very toasty, sometimes so warm we had to turn one or both off.

(The tent was well vented)

Check for part 2 next time
Safe travels to all

Nancy

Heading North to Alaska

May 14, 2014
Wednesday
Clear and sunny in Olympia

Today is the first day of our next extended trip,  After a year of discussing and cussing we have come up with a three month trip going to Alaska and back.  I just hope we don't run out of time because we need to be home by August 9th at the very latest.

Leaving home, Olympia WA we traveled north on I-5 which was fairly smooth, no big accidents like they had a couple of days ago when I-5 was closed for three hours.  Fueled up in Lynden at Safeway and then headed for the Sumas crossing into Abbotsford, Canada and then on to Hope where we spent the night.

We usually stay behind the Information Center right across from Rolly's Restaurant, always very quiet and we have never been run out by the local RCMPs.  We were early so we drove over to the City Park and spent a few relaxing hours and dinner there.

Arriving at Hope, we decided to go directly to the Community Park and spend the rest of the afternoon there.

This bear is just one of the many carvings that line the streets to welcome visitors.

Hope is a one day drive for us, from Olympia so we stop here often when traveling north.

Parked in front of the Hope Community Park for the afternoon and evening.  A good place to rest and have dinner.

While relaxing in the park John came by to visit with us.  John is a retired professional wrestler and has traveled all over the world and has many stories.
John is about 6'5" and due to complications with diabetes and circulation problems he is unable to walk very far.  However he gets around town on his trike which looks like it has many miles on those tires.  John was quite a talker and visited with us for at least an hour when his wife called him to "get on home or he would miss his dinner".


Thursday we traveled on up to Sheridan Lake where we stay for about a week, and  to meet up with other Airstreamers which I will write about next.

Until then, safe travels to all

Nancy
                                                                                                                                         

The Sonoran Desert

1/26 - 1/30/14
Gilbert Ray Campground
Pima County, Tucson, AZ

A few high clouds, but still mid 70's

Gilbert Ray Campground is a Pima County Park nestled in the Tucson Mountain Park that boarders the Western Saguaro National Park and right next to the Arizona-Sonoran Desert Museum to the north and Old Tucson Studios to the south.  We will definately come back here again.  There are hundreds of beautiful hiking trails among the tall Saguaros and coyotes serenading at night.

One of the many hiking trails

Looking back at our trailer and flag.

Yesterday we toured the Sonoran Desert Museum, this has always been on our list and we can finally cross it off.

Beautiful Harris' Hawk

Barn Owl, look at that face.

Of course the Mountain Lion.

Javelina

Harris' Hawk
Considered to be the fastest bird on earth

 Look at that beak, all the better to tear their dinner apart.  These magnificent raptors live as a family group and surround their prey and then go in for the kill while one will sit on a tall branch as a sentinel.  We were able to see this as a rabbit tried to out run 4 of the Harris' Hawks.

Cute coyote

End of a beautiful day














Have a blessed day

Nancy

Mt Lemon and Awning Repair on Trailer

Tucson, AZ
1/20 - 1/27/14
mostly sunny every day
mid 70' - low 80'

Not to much going on, but we still seem to stay busy every day.  Buddy is still having ACL issues and is receiving injections every 2 - 3 days and will continue until 2/10/13.  Buddy does not seem to be in too much pain but he mostly sleeps and has to be encouraged to go outside.

The awnings for the Moho still not here yet.  Oasis RV is going to call Zip Dee to see what seems to be the problem.  They were closed down for 2 weeks for the holidays in December but they should have been caught up by now.

The roadside awning on the trailer is attached to the trailer with a canvas bead and the stitching is rotting out.  Our trailer is a 2003 so I guess 10 years is pretty good.  Anyway, luckily Joe noticed this and Oasis RV said they had the canvas bead in stock.  Lucky for us.  We took the trailer over there and they fixed it first thing Monday morning.

The stitching was actually rotting where it is attached to the trailer.  

It's kind of hard to see and actually explain the situation.  If it is not repaired the awning will actually come off as you are driving down the road.










One outing for us was up to Mt Lemon where we drove through the desert, HooDoo Rock Formations, Live Oak trees, and various deciduous trees, then up to pine trees, Pinon and Ponderosa, and finally snow just after 6,500', we continued up the mountain to the Ski Resort.  Such a difference from the desert floor.

Windy Point 

at 6,000'

This must have been a fairly 

large tree at one time.

Sky runs at top of Mt Lemon

Another ending of a beautiful day in the desert.

A visit to the Vet for Buddy

Agave Gulch FamCamp
Davis Monthan AFB
1/21/2013

Since Joe is retired Air Force we have the privilege to "camp" at the FamCamps that most military bases have.  Some are good and some are not.  Here at Agave Gulch there are about 160 spaces, all very clean, plenty of room for the trailer and truck.  The big MHs that have four slide outs are a little tight for me, but that's just me.  Our little Airstream is usually lost between the big MHs.  The laundry room is clean and very inexpensive.  There is P/W/E w/ 50 amp.  The commissary is open 7 days a week.  We were here about 12 years ago and the campground is about double the size now.  If the campground is full they have a large dry camp and you can usually get in in about 3 days.  They also have space for RVers to stay if they want a 3 month contract, first come first serve.  We will probably stay here again in the future, even though I like the State or Federal parks best.  We will be moving to Gilbert Ray Campground in a few days which is a Pima County park.  We have never been there but I have heard that it's nice.  So much for campgrounds.

Buddy, Buddy, Buddy, what can I say.  Over the last five years or so he had tissue/muscle damage to his his wrist, now it has severe arthritis that needed laser treatments,  chronic ear infections, several sebaceous cysts, thyroid, BP and heart murmur problems along with an enlarged liver and spleen.  Now he has a ruptured ACL that will require surgery and a 8 - 12 week recovery.  And of course we are in Tucson.  Of course we love our little Buddy so we are going to go home the middle of February instead of the end of March.  I would rather have him recuperate at home in cold Olympia, WA than in the warm trailer in Tucson.  Plus we are planning on going to Alaska this summer.  I notified our vet at Hawks Prairie Vet Clinic in Lacey, Wa and she is looking forward to seeing him and setting him up with a surgeon as soon as we get home.

Buddy getting in trouble last year when he chewed open a spaghetti squash.  He ate big hunks of it.

On a short little hike in the desert

Last summer at the vet's office getting ready for laser treatments.

Looks pretty cool with those protective shades.






That's about it for today, tomorrow we hope to drive to the top of Mt Lemon.

Be Safe

Nancy

Sabino Canyon

Tucson, AZ
Still at Davis-Monthan AFB FamCamp

Sabino Canyon
High 82'
low 56'
Clear blue skies

Today we drove out to Sabino Canyon.  A beautiful canyon east of Tucson in the Santa Catalina Mountains, almost right under Mt Lemon.  Sabino Canyon is in the Coronado National Forest.  The canyon is fairly narrow with many hiking trails, the main road has a shuttle bus that climbs up the canyon and crosses the river nine times for 3.7 miles, you can get off and on the tram at any one of the 9 designated stops.

There was lots of water in the creek and many pools of crystal clear water.

See the breaks in the rock wall by the road, this is for when the water flows over the road.

The shuttle bus will run even with water on the road up to about one foot deep.

Trails zig-zag all over the place.  Next time I'll ride the shuttle all the way and then get off , there is a great hike that climbs up the mountain and then continues along the ridge for about 2.5 miles and then back down to the road to catch the shuttle.

Another area is on the other side of this ridge called Bear Canyon, with many more hiking trails, even going as far as Mt Lemon, about 14 miles.

A very nice enjoyable day.

Nancy