September catch up

 Our slow, often nonexistent internet problems have been solved.  It's been frustrating to try and post a blog, or anything else.    We don't have satellite tv so our antenna reception wasn't much better than the internet!       We were able to pull in one channel - and it's 4 affiliates.   Needless to say, we're all caught up on old Twilight Zone offerings, as well as Superman, All in the Family, the Rifleman, etc....... On the plus side, I've gotten pretty good at streaming things - when the internet worked.    Sometimes it would take an hour or more to watch a 30 minute program.     We've also learned patience.

That problem is now taken care of.    We're in Astoria, Oregon (today is Saturday) with blazing fast internet and plenty of tv.    A beautiful golf course outside Beluga's window, cooler, non-smoky air, the ocean, the river and plenty of good seafood will make me forget Superman....

Summer is over and it was time to continue our slow trek home.    We'll miss Jesse and little Annie, but - Christmas is coming, right?

piggyback ride to bed for Annie B!

Papa kissing the feet

Let me show you some pictures of the last few weeks spent north of Spokane and a bit of where we were along the way,   before I get back to the present, OK?

Since our RV resort was on the Pend Oreille River, we spent lots of time on or near the water.    Plus....it was very very hot.    One day we couldn't take the heat anymore so, on our way home from the grocery store, pulled off the road and down to the river's edge, plopped our chairs in the shallow water and swam til we cooled off.   Perfect!

over the river to Usk

logging is big business in Washington

these are remnants of pilings used to guide logs downriver to the Diamond Match Company

fluctuating river levels let us walk to and explore little islands

we spent time on a Kalispel tribal beach across from Manresa Grotto

Priest River

We pulled out of the Spokane area on Tuesday morning, heading for Peach Beach RV.   It's a small, sweet campground in Maryhill, Washington.    Our site backed up to the Columbia River and was surrounded by peach orchards.   Yum!

reflections

We were only there for one full day and we spent that day eating and drinking....surprised?      We drove up to Goldendale, where we shared a delicious lunch at the St. John's Greek Orthodox Monastery bakery.    I had Spanokopia and Dave had something round, soft, filled with chicken, and something else, and topped with sesame seeds.  I can't remember the name, and I probably couldn't pronounce it anyway!

  On our way back to Beluga, we stopped at Jacob Williams winery and did an extended wine tasting.    We've been there before and, once again, sat outside to enjoy our wine and the beautiful views.   Hmmm.   The last time we had a clear view of snowy Mt. Hood but this year, from the very same chairs, we saw nothing but smoky skies.   sigh.

2022

this year

Back to the present.....today we headed north, over the bridge and back into Washington to try and find where all the old cars were going....Since we pulled into Astoria we'd been seeing a number of beautiful old custom cars and hot rods rumbling through the streets.

 I found an address for what was billed as a "Rod Run" in nearby Ilwaco, or Long Beach so we set out on a mission.

sleeping Pelicans

It was a very cloudy day, or maybe it was fog.  I'm not sure what the difference is on the ground.   Grey and damp and cool.

low clouds over Washington

We drove around, looking.   Still seeing tantalizing cars occasionally.  Where were they going?

oyster mounds 

We saw huge piles of oyster shells as we approached the historic little town of Oysterville...

    

And we popped out at the biggest car show we've ever seen!   I read that there were over 800 cars at this venue.    Spectator vehicles lined the road for miles in each direction.   Needless to say, we didn't attend the actual show but really really enjoyed ourselves on the road outside it.    I think there were more cars driving on the road than were in the show itself!     I couldn't get a decent picture from the Jeep's windows but needless to say we (DAVE) were blown away!

As we drove back through the main street in Long Beach we were surrounded by one WOW car after another.   Parked along the street, behind us, in front of us, passing by us in the other direction.....

People sitting along the route, kids holding up "REV IT!" signs to their favorites as they passed by, and those chosen cars deafening responses.    Never has a traffic jam been so much fun!     It was one huge, loud and colorful party!

 We finished the day with a good local beer and a fresh haddock fish fry at SALT in the little port of Ilwaco.    

And, for you interested, our Taos is in the final Phase of his formal Guide Dog training in California.   We're proud of him, sweet boy...

Here's Annie!