Okay, now we are done...

a short stay at Izaty's, 

followed by a longer stay camping near Isabella, brings our summer/fall adventures to an end. 

It was really quite pleasant. We were able to stay in the site we had scouted last year. It is at the end of the cul de sac and not visited by many.

behind our site ran the Little Isabella River.

It is a river that a friend of mine and I walked up, in the water, to fish for bass. It is also the area where my first, and last, bear hunting experience took place.

Now, it is all about seeing the changing of the colors 

 

and listening to the crackle of a warm fire.

There is just something liberating about being able to start, maintain, and cook over a fire in the "wilderness."

Next year already beckons us north. Or it could be Betty's Pies. Sometimes my beckoning signals get mixed up.

On the Road, er Rrail, Again

Have I mentioned that we, Joyce and I are “R”etired? I hate to rub it in, but we are.

So, what does a couple of “R”etired people do with their time when they are not tending gardens or building projects to check off the “to do” list? Perhaps check an item off Gary’s want to do list? Yes, that’s it. Check an item off Gary’s want to do list.

A train trip across half the US seems reasonable, I’d say. Combine that with a Schnoor family reunion, An Oregon Ducks football game, a trip to the ocean and a test drive of the newer electric car models, I’d say that is a way to spend time enjoying the fruits of the labors past.

Taking the train means one should not rely on an iron clad schedule. By the time we arrived in Minot, ND, we were a bit more than an hour behind the posted schedule. Since Joyce and I were not expecting to be met by anyone, it did not matter to us.

We were a bit wary of the choice of train to get us to the coast. When we last took a train, Joyce had an issue with the swaying of the train. Our seats were in the upper level and the movement seemed amplified up there. This time we purchased lower level reserve seats and we could tell a marked difference. It felt more like being at road level.

Yes, North Dakota is flat, even from the view of a train window.

But, once the flat gives way to the rolling hills and eventually the majestic mountains, I always remember the reason this train trip is high on my repeat adventure list.

Of course, it is nice when the train passes through the majestic landscape when it is light enough to appreciate nature in all its glory.

The reunion? It is always a treat to visit with Joyce’s family. Good food, fun conversation and visiting with relatives who haven’t been seen in a long time, is always special.

The game? I must say, the ducks do know how to throw a football party. The duck mascot was being "moshed" UP the section across from us. Can you see it in the vid?

I love the ocean. It doesn’t matter which one it is. I love the expanse. I love the power of the crashing surf. I love the sand under my feet. I love the smell of the salt spray.

And then there was the test drive. Well, actually, there was no test drive. We had plenty of things to do, so that remains something for a later date. But, a drive up into the Cascades is a wonderful alternative. Where else in the U.S. can one find lush forest and a treeless lava field all within about 60 miles?

And, yes, a great adventure also brings me to the realization that Peaceful Pines, emphasis on Peaceful, is the place to hang my hat at the end of the day.

Hmmmm, Wait a minute, is that Puerto Rico calling?

Done, done and done

Replace the lean to beside the shed, check.

Add to and redo the retaining wall down the driveway, check.

Finish the fire ring area, which was started before the others, check, finally check.

While the other two were satisfying and look nice, the fire pit area really is the favorite finished project of the three.

It started out, more or less, as a blank canvas. I kind of had an idea of what I would like to have the finished area look. But, at times I was not sure I was going to be able to realize the vision.

The brick pattern needed to be adjusted a few times. The number of bricks from the auction, I talked about those in a different blog, were not enough to complete the project without adding a few of the type that had been used in the lean to area.

First there was the bringing in of the fill,

then the laying of the brick,
















 and finally the building of the rear step exit area. 

What actually brought it to life, so to speak, was Joyce’s designer touch. When she added the geraniums in the planters I had constructed, I knew it was a finished project.

So, I spent the Labor Day holiday just tending the fire.

And tomorrow the preparation for our whirlwind three-week adventure begins.  There are clothes to pack, campfire wood to load, golfing gear to put in place and camping gear to get into the back of the pickup.

And that does not even count the trip we are going to take before we use all that other stuff!