Good-Bye Sutherlin! (Florence, OR)

We finished our three month stay in Sutherlin and have moved back to the coast before moving north.  We fell into a routine the last couple of months - shopping in Roseburg, Dan's trips to the gym while Sandy quilted, and walks around the park.  We are ready to get back on the road! 

So, have we decided which park will be our home base location?  No, we are going to wait a little longer on this decision.  We are #32 on Timber Valley's waiting list.  We are moving up much faster than we had planned.  We were thinking more along the line of being #1 about three years from now.  If we decline our first offer, we will go to the bottom of the list.  Which isn't too bad.  There are only 84 people on the waiting list right now.  Of course, that can change by the time we are #1.  In the meantime, we are in the 200s for Saguaro's waiting list in Benson, AZ.

The weather is starting to wear us out with the constant fog and overcast days.  The cold damp days seem to be seeping into our home and bones.  We both long for a full day of sunshine.

Even our cats are acting a little lethargic.

We have a lot to consider.  Costs, locations, family, and weather.  One thing we are considering is escaping the bad weather.  Hot summers in Benson and cold dreary winters in Sutherlin.  It would be easier to travel during the late spring than it would be to travel during the late fall when the weather tends to be less predictable.  We can always wait out spring rains and winds, but snow and ice might be a little harder to deal with while traveling south.

We spent a couple of hours at the Sutherlin's water reserve.

Dan had just parked the car when this raptor popped up.  We were not sure he knew we were sitting in the car.  He was so close that Sandy was afraid she would scare him off if she tried to get out of the car to take his picture.  This one was taken through the windshield.

Sure enough, he flew off when we got out of the car.

He did not go too far and Sandy managed to get a few shots before he flew farther down the lake.

We do love the area.  Lots of green pine trees, rivers, lakes, and wild life compared to the desert browns, sage brush, and cactus.  The desert does have plenty of wild life though and it is dry most of the year.  Sigh!  Decisions! Decisions!

We are going to miss our feathered friends.  They have been some great entertainment, but we will not miss their calling cards.  Talk about watching where you step!

Happy Trails!