Eugene, Oregon...

Newport Oregon
cloudy, rainy, windy  high 51, low 42

We are back at the Coast again after a short little jaunt to Eugene, OR for pleasure and a little business.  Eugene is situated right along I-5 and just over the Coast Range from Newport.  The drive is a simple (for me!) trek of 2 hours through the Range and down through fields of grass seeds, daffodils, and sheep ranches.  I enjoy the ride as it runs along tree lined roads and next to little farms. Along the way we saw a doe and a fawn then later a coyote.  Of course there are lots of ducks and geese in the rivers.  We used to get excited and point them out, not so much anymore.  

We stayed at Premier RV Resort in Coburg just North of Eugene.  It is right off the Interstate so there is the road noise, but if you have a little imagination you can pretend it is the ocean noise we are used to.  It was a nice park with some full timers, and some travelers passing through.  The full timers are separated from the travelers which makes sense.  The sites were big and the park was well kept.  At check in they provide a mint for your pillow and dog treats for your pups.  There were two dog play parks and a little pond.  We saw lots of frogs and salamanders.  Kids were fishing in the pond, but I didn't see them get any fish.

We stopped in Junction City to place our order for the new furniture and decide what other goodies we wanted to update the coach.  We decided on a jack knife sofa in the leather to match the captains chairs and a reclining loveseat in a chocolate leather.  Countryside Interiors spent lots of time with us and even brought the floor sample out to the Beast so we could see what the loveseat would look like.    I'm considering wood valances to update the windows, new light fixtures, and a new one bowl kitchen sink and faucet.  If I get the new sink I'm hoping the install will also fix my broken countertop.  I did an oops and left a metal recipe box on the little bar in the kitchen.  A stop sent it down behind the slide out.  It was one of those "What was that?" sounds.  Seeing nothing out of place, it was forgotten until we tried to bring the slide out out.  Snap! went the counter top.  We were able to retrieve the box and bring the slide out out, but not without a gap in the counter.  So now we have a little crack in the sink area.  Stuff happens and I have forgiven myself for my error, but I hate seeing it every time I do dishes.  

We spent the afternoon with Skylar, a Junior at University of Oregon.  Sky is the son of one of Eric's oldest friends and has also been the best kid.  We had a great lunch at an Indian Buffet by the campus and enjoyed some brews at First National Taphouse, an old bank converted to a bar.   We stopped at Voodoo Donut, a crazy doughnut place with crazy combinations.  You can get M&M's and Butterfingers on your doughnuts.  I opted for a Voodoo guy, a very large Voodoo doll shaped doughnut with chocolate frosting and a maple bar with bacon.  Sky got a dirty old bast**d, a doughnut with oreo's and peanut butter drizzle.  Eric opted for a peach fritter and an apple fritter.  It didn't stand up to Moose is Loose fritters but they were good.  Skylar gave us a quick driving tour of the area before heading back to his studies.  He is a great guy and will be successful.  His parents should be very proud of him.

Voodoo Donut in Eugene

So I forgot to photograph my voodoo doll, and almost forgot to take a pic of this one!

Bumper stickers are very popular here

Eric signed up for the Dive Team at the Oregon Coast Aquarium.  As part of the training, he had to do a few additional dive courses.  Eugene Skin Diver's Supply put the courses into a weekend of training just for the volunteers.  It was intense and lots of physical tests.  He was very busy and tired at the end of the course.  We spent an additional day to recoup before heading back to the Coast.  This weekend is his check out dives at the Aquarium.  Too bad it is cold and wet and windy, I feel really bad for him.  He came home very cold last night as the water temperature is low fifties, high forties!  After this weekend, he can then go as a diver and help clean the acrylic, vacuum the sea floor and feed the fish.  I am glad he found something he likes to do and can keep up with his diving.  

The weather has been a lot of sun and a  lot of rain.  One day it is wonderful warm sweatshirt weather and the next it is cold and wet with wind.  The wind has not been so bad as to bring in the slides, but still enough to shake us.  Today will be windy again and we have all ready had a big downpour of rain with hail.  It makes getting the pups out for their walks a challenge as you must time it between rain.  Not complaining though since it makes everything green.  The only bad thing is my tulips are trying so hard to stay intact.  After one wind gust I looked out and there were tulip petals scattered all over the grass.  It was kind of sad, but they will be back next spring.

On Friday we got together with other owners in the clubhouse for wine and pizza.  We tried a new pizza place in town and it was really good with fun combinations.  For the first time we didn't need the fireplace on.  It was chilly walking back to the Beast but so much better than winter.  It is nice to have seasons and I look forward to a summer with reasonable temperatures.  

Gidget enjoys the sunshine

Another beautiful sunset

I think there is a silver lining in there!

This next week is supposed to hit 70 degrees!  I am very excited and can't wait for the sunshine.  Right this second I am watching another squall coming in from the ocean.  Time to batten down the hatches!

Where did the time go?

Pacific Shores Motorcoach Resort
Newport, OR
54 high, 43 low, Sunny!


After realizing it has been over a month since I last updated the blog, I thought "Holy Cow!, Where did March go?"

We set off for Salt Lake City after watching the weather for a few days.  Wind was going to be a factor, something I hate.  We spent a few days with my folks in Central Oregon and headed off early to avoid a storm coming in.  We stopped for a quick overnighter in Idaho and took our time going into Salt Lake City.  We decided to try the KOA in Salt Lake instead of Pony Express.  The first night the trains blew their whistles I thought oh boy, we made a big mistake.  After the first couple of nights, we didn't even notice them.

We needed to go through our storage unit and transfer some of our stuff to our new unit closer to Newport.  A few trips in our car and a quick sweeping and mission accomplished.  I continue to be amazed at what little of our old lives we have left as we sold just about everything.

Our daughter is a teacher and her class decided to select the country of Palau for their Cultural night.  Eric and I spent three weeks there a few years ago with our friends on a sailboat.  It was the most amazing place to dive we have been.  The students were interested in Pilau's ban on commercial fishing and why it is so important to their economy and future.  I created a slide show of the amazing sharks and sea life we saw and one of the island of Peleliu so Eric could talk about the country's role in WWII.  Her students are very bright and had lots of really good questions.  Their section of Cultural Night was very colorful and they did a great job!

St. Patrick's day calls for Guinness and Irish song!  We got tickets to the Young Dubliner's, an Irish band that is not so young anymore.  Eric and Ashley had a good time, Nick and I thought it went a little long.  The concert ended at around 1am and we didn't get home until almost 2.  I haven't been out that late for a while.  It is fun to get out and enjoy life!

Our Seattle friends popped in for a visit on their way home from Arizona.  It was really fun seeing them and we always have a good laugh with them.  We tried a Himalayan restaurant and wow was it good.  Definitely going again when we go back in May.  We went to the Temple and strolled the outdoor mall across the street.  I had been having trouble with my i-phone camera so I stopped in to see if they could fix it.  The camera could not be fixed so a new phone was required.  Lucky for me, it was the day before my warranty expired so all was covered.  Usually for me it is the other way around!

After a too short visit we started watching the weather to go back to Newport.  We caught a good window on a Tuesday, stopped in Burns, OR for an overnighter and then off to Bend.  We love my folks place and I am glad I am closer to them than I have been in years.  The weather for our visit was not so great as we had snow and freezing temps.  If it wasn't snowing it was raining and the sun was shining.  Spring had not yet sprung in Central Oregon yet. We enjoyed our visit and spent time enjoying eating out and we went to the movies and saw Noah.  I can't remember the last time I was so bored.  It just wasn't my thing I guess.

We have been back in Newport for a week or so.  We have been busy getting things organized and just enjoying the beach again.  We have had some rain, but mostly sunshine with the temperatures going up.   We took a ride to Portland to look at the Allegro Bus we were seriously thinking about buying.  After looking again and looking at the price tag that comes with it, we decided to put a purchase on hold.  The prices are just way too high for me to feel comfortable with.  Instead we decided to replace our chairs with a sleeper and a reclining loveseat.  Certainly will save serious cash!

Gidget enjoying the sunshine

Trees are popping out with buds

My Rhododendrons are blooming

On the way back to Newport from Portland, we stopped at Duck Pond Winery.  We have driven past several times but this time we thought a stop was in order.  Eric took care of the pups while I did the wine tasting.  Lucky Me!  I ended up with a case and a half since they all taste so good.  I also signed up for their wine club which means I have to go visit them 4 times a year.  I think I am OK with that!

We also stopped at this little tulip stand in McMinneville and picked up more tulips and some berry popovers for breakfast.  I can't wait for all the fruit stands to open!

All around the resort projects are getting completed.  The biggest one for us was the road in front of us.  It needed some repair so they tore the whole section up and repaved.  It only took a couple of days and it really looks good.

Spring is here!  Our tulips are popping out, the hydrangeas are blooming and the rhododendrons are blooming!  Love being able to plant flowers and have them last.

So that was March in a nutshell.  April is here and we'll be off to Eugene as Eric has some dive certifications to take.  I think I'll do some quilt work while he is in class.  We are starting to do some preliminary planning for next winters travels.  Any places we just can't miss on the East coast?  Let us know by leaving your comments!  Happy April!