Merry Christmas!

We hope this finds everyone surrounded by loved ones enjoying this wonderful time of the year.

This year has been a mixture of great joy and sadness for Sandy and Dan.

Our sad news is the loss of Sandy’s Mom. In November, Pat was diagnosed with Pancreatic Cancer. She decided not to take treatments to prolong her life. She moved in with Sandy’s cousin Linda who invited her to stay during her illness. All three of Pat’s children were able to visit her at the same time while she stayed in Vancouver Washington. In less than six weeks, Pat was in a coma and passed away quietly on December 16. Pat will always be remembered for her sense of humor. Even when she was in pain, she would joke about being ready to party after her nap.

We are so thankful to Sandy’s cousin Linda and her husband Bill for easing the pain for Pat during this difficult time. We do not know what we would have done without them. It was great getting reacquainted with her cousin and her family. We fell in love with their cute dog, Emily. It’s a good thing we have five cats. Otherwise, Sandy would have been stuffing Emily into one of her bags when we left.

Our joy is our full-timing lifestyle. We are still enjoying our life on the road. Gail and Don, owners of American Sunset RV where we are work-camping put together a Christmas potluck party for all the work campers and monthly residents. Don roasted two very large rib eyes while the rest of us brought lots of delicious side dishes. No one left the party hungry. As a matter of fact, there was so much left over, we had lunch the next day. Tasted twice as good the second time around. Yum! Sandy has decided she likes this new tradition of holiday potlucks. She doesn’t have to do as much cooking, but gets to try new dishes and walks away just as stuffed.

It doesn’t look like we will have a white Christmas here in Westport Washington, but that’s okay. We prefer the wet to the cold. Between waves of rain, we took our friends to the State Park to look for whole sand dollars. It was very cold, but the sun was peeking through the clouds making the time on the beach feel extra special.

We decorated the coach’s dashboard with a 2-foot tree and some small Christmas favorites. Of course, the cats think the tree is there for their entertainment. They like batting at the decorations and leaning on the tree when we are not looking. The windshield has also been decorated with flashing LED lights powered for 150 hours by two AA batteries.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and a Happy New Year!

Thanksgiving in Westport

Happy Thanksgiving!

We spent our Thanksgiving with co-workers and other campers. We had a wonderful potluck spread with two large turkeys provided by Gail and Don, the campground owners, and all the trimmings provided by attendees. Oh! And pies, lots of pies! There was sweet potato, strawberry/rhubarb, and our favorite – double chocolate pudding pie. Yum! Sandy made her Herbal Rice dressing, a cranberry relish, and a chocolate pie.

Well, we have not been blown away from the high winds and we have not needed our kayaks to get to work just yet, but it is only November. For the past week, we have had 35-40 mph winds with gusts up to 60 mph. Our Bluebird (motor-home) does give a little shake once in a while. Thank goodness it is built very solid and sits low to the ground. We feel very safe and cozy during these storms. We have also had up to 20 ft ocean swells. The waves have been washing over the jetty near the marina and flooding the road. Sandbags are everywhere.

The cats are staying entertained by watching the hummingbird. We are amazed this tiny hummingbird can fly in such bad weather. He feeds all day long no matter how bad the winds are blowing. They cats are starting to get along a lot better. We try to get them out for walks when the rain slacks off for a short time. Dusty would walk in the rain if given the chance.

We are attaching a picture of a buck deer from the tent area of the campground, and several pictures of our Thanksgiving dinner.

Happy Halloween!

BOOOOOO!

Wow! October is almost over!

It’s hard to believe we have been in Westport for over a month already. So far, the weather has not been as bad as we thought it would be. The temps have been in the high 50s to low 60s – very nice. There have been plenty of overcast days with rain and wind, but the sun eventually shows up and dries us out. We manage to get out to walk the cats, putter around the rig, walk along the beaches, watch surfers, and to explore the surrounding areas.
On Friday, we woke to heavy rain and winds, so we decided it was time for a trip to Elma. We ate breakfast at the Rusty Tractor and visited a variety store with lots of fabrics. Since that did not take long, we soon found ourselves on our way to Olympia to do some more shopping. We went to a farmer’s market and bought some apples. Delicious! We got our fill of shopping at all the major chains: Target, Borders, PetCo, etc. Felt good! Doesn’t help save money for Alaska though. Speaking of Alaska, we got our Milepost 2009 so we can start doing our research for our trip. It’ll be time to go before we know it.

Hummingbird feeder for the cats. For those who like to hear about Sandy’s quilt adventures, she has started her own quilt blog. You can find the link on the right under My Blog List.
Dan has a new Panasonic DMC-ZS3 digital camera. It takes very sharp pictures. A quick point & shoot that is light weight and easy to carry in his pocket. Except for the hummingbird photo, all the pictures are from the new camera.

Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

A Whale of a Quilt Show

We drove around Grays Harbor to Ocean Shores so Sandy could go to a quilt show and visit their quilt shop. The quilt show may have been small, but it had some beautiful handwork on display. She thoroughly enjoyed the quilts, listening to quilt talk, and checking out the vendors’ booths. She took lots of pictures for her quilting friends. You can see them in Whale of a Quilt Show in Webshots.

Here are a couple of pictures of Sandy’s quilt that she has been working on. The Koi have been appliquéd using the turn under as you go technique. She is adding water lilies now.

Work-Camping in Westport, WA

We are settled in Westport, WA until spring – when we may decide to head for Alaska. We started work-camping for American Sunset RV. We will be working two 6-hour days every 7 to 10 days. I know it’s rough but someone’s got to do it, right? The only thing we are not looking forward to is rain. It can rain up to 16 inches in some winter months, but we are prepared with rain gear. It is not unusual to have standing water from heavy rains. The standing water does go away as the tide goes out, but that will leave a wet and muddy area. Dan made a porch out of a pallet and outdoor carpet so we can wipe our feet and will not be stepping out the door into puddles.

The town is small and doesn’t offer a lot during the off season, but the beach, two state parks, and the marina will keep us entertained. We have already spent some time watching surfers and kite surfers. The kite surfers are very good, cutting through the waves at high speed and occasionally rising more than 10 feet into the air. Lot’s of energy flowing in the waves and winds. Oh, and there is a quilt shop within a mile of the campground. Guess where Sandy will be when she disappears. If you love to fish or clam dig or eat seafood or just watch sunsets, you could not pick a better spot.

We met our co-workers and they are very nice. They are all full-timers. Most of them have more experience than we do with the work camping.
We spent one evening sitting around our fire with a couple of our new friends on a beautiful evening. We have been going for walks along the docks looking for sea lions and seals. One dock system is over 1/3 mile to the end. Sometimes we go to the state park to walk along the beaches and look for whole sand dollars and shells. There is also a 2.5 mile pathway between Westport’s lookout tower and the lighthouse state park. The path is a lot of fun to ride our bikes. This is the first lighthouse we have been to that allows people to climb to the top.

It is so nice to go to sleep at night listening for the sea lions barking, the fog horn, and crashing waves.

Wheels Waves, Seaside, OR

Ah the smell of salt air mingled with car exhaust, the crashing thunder of waves blending with rumbling car engines vibrating off Seaside’s downtown buildings. Even the weather was cooperating – no rain! If you love cars, this was the place to be. Most of the cars were older than 1962. Chevy, Ford, Chrysler, Dodge – you name it, they were probably there. Most were modified hot rods and hand built customs. They lined the streets, the alleys, and the convention center’s parking lot.

Starting around 1 pm, our plan was to spend a couple of hours looking at the cars, have an earlier dinner, and go home. It took us almost five hours and I don’t think we saw all of them! Around 6pm, the cars started a Cruise parade. It was a blast! Taking us back in time to our teenage years.

We also drove down the coast of Oregon on Hwy 101. We stopped in Cannon Beach and at Hug Point so we could walk the beaches. Sandy has uploaded pictures of the Wheels & Waves car show along with a couple of the beaches we visited while staying in Seaside, OR.

Olympic Peninsula, WA

Since leaving La Conner, we have been staying in the Olympic Peninsula area of Washington and hiking the trails in the Olympic NP. We started with Hoodsport, WA, a very small town on Hood Canal. We spent one evening visiting with Sandy’s sister, Shirley who lives nearby. They have not seen each other for a long time so they had a lot of catching up to do - including meeting Sandy’s niece, Christy.

~On top of Hurricane Ridge

We hiked a couple of trails on the east side of the NP, but some were closed due to fires or washouts. Washington’s west coast has been suffering from a drought.

We found our next home to be more interesting. We stayed in Sequim while visiting Port Angeles and Forks. We hiked the trail to Hurricane Ridge on a crystal clear day. We saw Mt. Baker, Mt. Olympus, and across the strait to Vancouver, BC. Beautiful views! We also went to the Olympic NP beaches just south of La Push. We walked through old forest, down a very steep hill to rocky beaches. Like the sign said, “where mountains meet the sea”. There is no better description! The beaches were unchanged by man and so beautiful. After La Push, we ate lunch at Forks, WA. We saw only one sign that vampires do live – exist? – here and that was a treaty sign outside of La Push and Forks. Yep, Sandy got a picture of the sign as proof. (The book series Twilight used Forks as the setting.)

We also hiked through the rain forest. It is very, very green, and moist with lots of huge trees that we could not fit into a photograph.

We have less than two weeks left before we start work camping two 6-hour days per week in return for full RV hookups in Westport, WA. We will use our remaining time in Long Beach, WA and Seaside, OR. We are less than a quarter mile from the beach. We can smell the salt in the air and hear the ocean waves at night. We are going to be work camping in Westport from September through April at American Sunset RV. This will be our first experience as work-campers. Dan will be helping with outdoor assignments while Sandy will be working in the store/office. It’ll be interesting and we will keep adding to our blog while we are there.

Is Hitch Adapting to His New Home?

We think Hitch has adapted quite well. But, if you were to ask Dusty or Squirrel, you might get a different opinion. They would prefer Hitch would go hitchhike with another family. “Go away kid. You’re bothering me!”

~Do you need directions?

We on the other hand, find him quite amusing to watch. A little spastic at times with way too much energy, he runs full speed from one end of the coach to the other then back again! 5 to 10 times – back and forth. If someone is walking by, they must think we have a miniature elephant in here. He is very heavy footed. The entire time he is running, he is making strange meowing sounds and terrorizing the other cats. He chases his own tail, climbs walls, and squeezes through a 2-inch opening behind our couch. Of course, he will not be able to squeeze behind the couch for much longer. He is quite the chowhound, cleaning up the other cat’s dishes along with his. He is growing very fast.

We started taking him outside for walks on the harness and leash. He loves it and begs to go out everyday. He takes us on walks down the campground roads. He loves to climb trees, go under bushes, and hunt for squirrels. He gets a little nervous with diesel trucks, big rigs, and loud people. Otherwise, he is doing quite well on the leash. Dan took him for a couple of short rides in the car. He doesn’t mind being in the car and tends to act like a dog. Running from window to window trying to see everything at once, but his main love is being outside.

He is our best traveling cat when we are moving the rig to the next campground. He sits on the dash, watches the windshield wipers going back and forth. He occasionally helps Dan drive by standing on the steering wheel or he helps navigate from the back of Dan’s chair. He shows no fear as we travel down the road. He is a born traveler. He’s a keeper!

~I can elevate and make a face at the same time!

La Conner Quilt and Textile Museum

Sandy could not pass up the opportunity to visit a quilt museum inside the 1891 Tudor-style Victorian Mansion called Gaches Mansion. The exhibits rotate every three months. There were three exhibits: Color Me Wearable and Fiber Quest. The third was of traditional quilts along with many local quilts and aprons. Sandy has added a Webshots folder of the Quilt Museum and some of the quilts.

She also found a quilt shop in Anacortes called Fabric Plus. No surprise there! She fell in love with the Native American design called Raven Salmon. The designer Lisa Moore has a different approach to quilting designs. Sandy wanted to share this with her quilting friends so here’s the link to her website: http://www.quiltswithatwist.com/ Enjoy!

We spent one day driving south on Whidbey Island. We visited a few of the State Parks and stopped in Langley for a late lunch. Ft. Casey was very interesting with the 6-inch guns and the old lighthouse with a couple of - you guessed it! - quilts.

There also pictures of La Conner and Whidbey Island in the new WebShots folder. We will be in Hoodsport on Tuesday. We are excited to see the Olympia National Park and the other side of Puget Sound.

Puget Sound Area and Family

We have been visiting with Sandy’s family and seeing the sights around the Puget Sound area. Sandy’s Mom was able to visit with all three of her children together. It has been almost nine years since the last time they were all together. Jay and CJ drove in from Illinois. Steve and Deb live nearby in Everett. This was our first time meeting CJ. We hope she liked us as much as we liked her and we did not scare her away. On our first day, we spent most of the day at our campsite watching the War Canoe races, catching up, taking pictures, and of course, eating. The next day, Steve took Jay and CJ along with us to some great waterfalls in the Snoqualmie area. We did a little hiking, a little picture taking, and had a great time visiting with each other. We got together for dinner in La Conner on our last day. Good food, good views, and great company. Who could ask for more?

We are staying at Thousand Trails La Conner, which is on the Swinomish Indian Reservation. It is heavily wooded and a real maze of campsites. We have access to Skagit Bay so we were able to get in a little kayaking. The day was a little chilly, but the bay was like glass at low tide. While kayaking a seal was peeking at us from a distance. It must have been a little curious because it surfaced a couple of times very close to our kayaks. So close we could see the lashes around its eyes. Dan tried to get pictures, but the fella was a little too fast for him. There are a couple of Bald Eagles living nearby as well. They like to sit in the tree above the beach area.

When we visit Sandy’s Mom, we cross over Deception Pass Bridge. The bridge connects Whidbey Island to the mainland and is 180 feet above the water – give or take a few feet depending on the tide. Every time we cross over the bridge, the weather makes it look different. Of course, there were a couple of times when we could not see anything with the dense fog. We stopped at all the parks near the bridge. All the pictures for the bridge and parks are in Deception Pass folder. There are a couple of pictures of Chuckanut Drive going north to Bellingham as well. We will remain in this area until August 18th, and then head further west.

White Water Kayaking

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Get your own

Washington State

Woohoo! We are back in our old home state. Well, we used to call Washington home, but not since 1975 as we have been on the move with the Air Force. Of course, that doesn’t stop us from reminiscing, going to our old haunts, and visiting family.

Starting on the east side of Washington, we visited with Dan’s parents, his sister, Sue and her husband Forrie in Spokane. We spent some time catching up with everyone. We spent a couple of hours at the Spokane Riverfront Park. We strolled along a very wide path with one side marked “For Wheels Only”. What a great way to keep pedestrians from being run over. The Looff Carousel was celebrating its 100th anniversary. Dan’s dad used to ride this beautiful old carousel as a child.

~Looff Carousel

We then moved on to central Washington where we first met in high school, got married and well, the rest is history, right? We stayed in a Thousand Trails Park in Crescent Bar on the Columbia River. It was very hot! All our cats went belly up – to keep cool, of course. Crescent Bar is a thirty-minute drive from Wenatchee, where we spent our teen years. It is also where Dan’s uncle lives. It was good to see Jerry and Anne along with their daughter and their two granddaughters. When we weren’t visiting with them, we were checking out some of our old haunts. Yep, it is true – you can never go home, but the foothills and the river views were just as beautiful as we remember.

Our next stop was another Thousand Trails Resort near Lake Wenatchee and 15 miles from Leavenworth. This is a very large park with forested trails and large grassy areas. It is more like camping in a state or national park than a private campground. We were so busy hiking in the woods, checking out the lake, and visiting with Sandy’s brother Steve that we did not spend anytime in Leavenworth. Steve and Deb drove out from Everett to spend the day with us.

After lunch, we all climbed into Steve’s jeep with plans of taking pictures of waterfalls. Steve found two waterfalls – one on the Little Wenatchee River and the other (our favorite), on the White River. It is glacier fed and very beautiful. Sandy and Steve spent quite a bit of time taking pictures while Dan and Deb wandered around looking at the sights.

After dinner, we sat around just catching up and snacking on mini Hershey chocolate bars and nuts. To keep ourselves entertained we were feeding a chipmunk some peanuts. Much to our surprise, the chipmunk turned out to be a chocolate connoisseur. We were saying good-bye to Steve and Deb, when we realized the chipmunk was on the picnic table and he was munching on a dark chocolate bar. Just as Dan reached for the bag the chipmunk threw down the bar and did a head dive back into the bag. He had a second bar in his paws, but dropped it when he realized Dan had picked up the bag with him in it. He did not go far so Dan had to put the bag away. We are sure the chipmunk was looking for a Mr. Goodbar!

We next drove over Steven’s Pass to our new stop in Monroe, again at a Thousand Trails Park. Our current resort is not as large as the last, but does have an adult only pool and spa, as well as family pool, and access to the Skykomish River from right in the campground – very nice with the hot weather we are experiencing. The Steven’s pass highway 2 is very scenic with mountains all around, waterfalls, tall cedar and pine trees, and a beautiful azure Skykomish River. Dan decided to stop along the way so we could dip our feet in the icy river. While taking in the river views and relaxing, we saw two white water kayakers coming down the river. Sandy managed to get some great action shots of one kayaker. She has put the sequenced pictures together in a slide show.

Next stop La Conner and visiting Sandy’s Mom.

Lack of Space Challenge: Full-Timing Travel Quilter by Sandy

Have Fabric, Will Travel!

I thought I would share some of my space saving tricks along with tips given to me. Dan & I started traveling last March and I have learned a few things during this time. I have figured out a way to quilt inside and outside.

1. Where to keep my iron and ironing board:
In the back of my closet, I have mounted an iron/ironing board holder. I also bought a short ironing board for easy storage and use in our limited space.

2. Where to keep my rulers, mats, and other hanging tools:
I have inserted several ‘L’ shaped hooks inside the closet on the doors and on the walls. Anything with a hole for hanging is now on a hook somewhere inside my closet.

3. Lighting is not very good for up-close needlework so add an Ottlite to save your eye-sight:
I have had a freestanding Ottlite for over 5 years and I cannot live without it. I was worried about my light bulb getting broken while traveling.
I attached a Velcro wire-organizer to the wall near my favorite chair. I can detach my Ottlite if I want to use it somewhere else or leave it attached to the wall.

4. I made a custom sized pocket organizer for traveling. I did not use Velcro since the arms on the passenger seat are open and I can slip the loops over it. I use safety pins when I sit in my favorite chair. Now I can have spools of thread, scissors, thimble, and reading glasses in one spot. And, I don’t lose my thread nor my scissors under the chair. I also keep my keys and cell phone in the organizer. Now my purse stays in the closet.

5. I bought a drink holder with trash bag while on a quilting retreat in Chama, NM last year. It has a clamp and can be moved to any table. I find this very useful inside and outside. Threads and scrapes do not blow-away thanks to the trash bag and I don’t spill my tea!

6. I also want to show you our computer center. Dan converted our dining table into a more space-saving storage area for our computers and accessories. Not to mention, the expanded countertop space. We have a bookshelf at the end of the counter. It also holds our printer/scanner, safe, paper, and printing supplies. Our laptops go on the top shelf when we travel. I also use the area for sewing. There is plenty of room for Dan’s laptop and my sewing machine. (that's Hitch being helpful)

7. I added a wall basket near me to hold pens, another pair of reading glasses, earphones for the computer, etc.

8. I keep my fabric in labeled Rubbermaid containers. I have been using Space Bags to hold more material. But if the bag gets a hole in it, well, let’s just say the container doesn’t close as well. Even with holes in the Space Bag, I feel the material is better protected from dirt, bugs, and rodents. Yes, we have already had one mouse in our rig. He is gone now.

9. My sewing machine has its own travel case on wheels. It is well protected so it can be stored below. The case has enough room to hold two small tin cans. One filled with rotary cutter, quilt safety pins, and good-grip gloves. The other is for sewing on the machine. It has a magnet for holding my straight pins, measuring tape, and small scissors (2nd pair). I also use the lid as a catch-all while sewing – spools, bobbins, scissors, etc.

10. I bought a 3x4 foot oak board for a sturdy cutting surface. I have to admit some of the picnic tables have seen better days. Dan rounded the corners and I sanded it down. I did not glue my cutting mat to the board since the board is stored below with items on top of it. I keep the mat in my closet. I also have a mat/ironing pad folder for the small projects like paper foundation piecing. The folder fits well on the kitchen counter with only one of the sink’s covers in place.

11. If you did not see my pictures in Webshots, here is my new design board – again thanks Cher for giving me the idea. It is not perfect, but it is better than nothing. I am using straight pins to keep the wind from blowing away my blocks. When I get a chance I plan to get some felt to glue to the backside of my oak board. One side will be for cutting and the other side will be for my appliqué designs.

12. I found a sturdy, but very light folding table online: This table has come in handy a couple of times when the campground’s picnic table wasn’t the best or non-existent. I use a dining room chair instead of a folding chair when sewing outside. So far, I have only done my sewing outside when we have a cemented site.

13. I like to hand-quilt, so I also have a freestanding 29-inch hoop. I am storing the hoop and my quilt under our sleeper sofa. I wrap the quilt in an old sheet to protect it. If I ever get a chance to sit outside with my hoop, I plan to use the sheet as a rug to protect the material from the ground. I don’t want to take the feet off for storage, so the stand is stored between the passenger’s chair and the first livingroom chair.

Here are a few more tips that I was given years ago:
1. Always cut the thread from a spool at an angle. It makes it easier to guide the thread through the eye of the needle.

2. Don’t wet the thread; wet the eye of the needle instead. The thread swells when wet. Yea, I wouldn’t try this trick on my sewing machine. I could see me explaining to hubby with a swollen tongue – no, I did not get my tongue pierced without talking to you…!

3. One more tip from a traveling quilter I met in South Dakota. She opted out on having a washer/dryer in her rig. Now her laundry closet is filled with fabric and quilting supplies. As much as I loooove my fabric, I cannot live without my washer/dryer. The machine is small, but I wash almost everyday so the dirty clothes do not pile up. I only use the campground’s laundry rooms when I have large items to wash.

Endnote:
One of the biggest problems I am facing with full-timing and quilting is not having enough time! Setting up and breaking down takes time when projects and tools are spread throughout the rig. So to shorten the setup and breakdown time I found being organized is a big Plus! Something I am still working on with my new lifestyle.

-I try to label everything!
-1 and 2 gallon Ziploc bags with blocks and patterns together.
-I have organized materials by project, by color, and by backings. I should pin a note to the material packets as to what project I was thinking of using them for when I bought them. Have you ever bought material and later wondered why? That’s me – short-term memory here!!
-In the storage below, I have my sewing machine, table, thread cases, and two tubs right next to each other. I can pull everything out from one spot.
-Looking through all of my storage areas periodically helps refresh my memory of where I put things. This is quite frequent these days!