Returning to My Home

I guess I really am getting older... as I approach having three quarters of a century under my belt, I realize I don't have to justify why Recreational Vehicle living was just 'not my thing.' I loved living aboard the sailboat and I naturally thought that a land yacht could be a lovely extrapolation of that joy without the hassle of dicey weather.

Well, 'landing' in Lake City, FL, was wet, wild and wretched. Aside from the emotional stuff that was going on with a son who continues to resist growing up and getting a job, even a part-time one, it was clear that my RV life could not continue with Wayne. He has his way of living and I have mine and while we will remain casual friends, the 420 sq. feet in his home (not ours, not truly shared) made it challenging.

Square dancing with the Dixie Dancers in Lake City, FL
was a high point in the square dancing journey for me;
and I reconnected with Barbara Rosenthal, and her husband.

I loved the adventure of traveling and having a companion to view the world with was pleasurable. I still want to travel and I still want to share it with a friend and so in time I will journey out again.

But for now I am back in Sequim, WA, which is actually warmer than Florida (today) and warmer than much of the southern U.S. due to a nasty storm that developed into a Nor'easter for the northeast states. I am back on my routine of painting at least two days a week (sorely missed in the space-limiting RV), and will rejoin the Y next week to shore up my activity plan.

It's very much OK that I discovered in two months something which could have made life painful for both of us had we continued. Of course I wish Wayne all the best in the new year, finding all the square dances that give him such joy and maybe more peacefulness in his grieving process as I seek peace about my son. I am grateful for all Wayne's help with getting my personal effects into storage.

As this new year progresses and my personal things finally find their way to Washington, I am planning to clarify what brings me peace and joy and I hope the same for all my readers.

Wayne and I at the St. Augustine Pier, FL, where he bought
a plank to be placed on the pier honoring his late wife.

Exploring Native Lands in Arizona

There are a lot of locations in the NW and the SW of the US to draw greater appreciation for native peoples and their lifestyles. As my partner in travel and I drove from the Olympic Peninsula south, we passed through Oregon and then Nevada and now we are in Arizona.

Northwestern states are where many of the Ratcliff clan can
be discovered; a tour guide is helpful however.

The native folks we observed in the other states were mostly of the Ratcliff clan. They can be found near water or up in the mountains where they fish and hunt quite successfully. We were really fortunate to be invited to a clan feast where Candy Ratcliff served up some delicious venison and vegetables all from their own backyard - literally. The deer was taken down in a field very near the homestead.

Then as we were leaving, another member of the clan, Willis Ratcliff, handed over some frozen trout for us to enjoy along our journey. We are truly blessed to have such wonderful connections!!

Montezuma Castle, a National Monument site protecting an
example of cliff dwellers lifestyle 700 years ago in Arizona.

Here in Arizona, the Southern Singua, an indigenous tribe that lived in the Verde Valley thousands of years ago, were farmers and peace-loving hunters and gatherers. They grew and processed corn, mined for salt, created tools and crafts, including making things from cotton.

A closer look at the home in the stone...

My telephoto lens does not give a sense of size in this view,
but the opening is easily 5 feet in height.

The use of mud and other materials created a warm and safe
abode. Thick walls hold in the heat, repel the wind and cold.

Although the limestone that supports housing of these early dwellers is soft and unstable, when they left the area, they left behind a wonderful example of their cliff dwelling lifestyle at Montezuma Castle. We toured the National Monument to get these pictures and this information.

Wise folks in archaeology realized how tenuous the site was and have protected it for decades so that others may come and enjoy it as well.

It is still considered a heritage site for the several known tribes who have, in their oral history, references to the location and periodically celebrations are held here to honor their ancestors.

Diorama of the site shows how families would have likely
lived, done their crafts, cooked, and stored their harvests.

High ledge above the Beaver River.

The Beaver River offered up fish as well as drinking water.

Another view of the cliff dwelling from the river area.

Looking closely you can see holes that were partlywalled up
in various parts of the lower end of the structure.

I used my telephoto lens to get closeups of the windows and doorways which are quite large. Ladders were once used to access the 'hotel of the tribe' and a carefully created diorama shows how the site might have looked hundreds of years ago.

No one knows why the indigenous Southern Sinaguans left the area about the 1400s, but my guess is that exploring Spaniards may have brought disease and disturbance to the enclave. It was interesting, nevertheless, to be drawn into conversation with a family visiting the area from Spain; their two daughters were quite fascinated with the tour and signed up to be Junior Rangers afterwards, promising to care for and protect such sites in the future.

Sycamore trees reach up toward the tops of the cliffs.

There are sycamore trees which Wayne thinks have several hundreds of years of growth. So some of them might have been little saplings when native folks were walking around; at any rate the seeds from those venerable trees have undoubtably helped to create the soothing trees that stand here now.

A view through the trees looks toward the Verde Valley and
the mountain range that has to be crossed to get into Phoenix.

The colors were lovely and the wind moving the leaves was incredibly mesmerizing.

I wish I could have found a spot that was away from the touring folks to do a short video of the river quietly passing by with the trees murmuring above. So glad I had a chance to experience this place of enchantment for me! Hopefully it will remain available for a long time for others to come and visit and have their own experiences.

Fall colors in the Verde Valley in Arizona.

SnowBirding 101

A beautiful maple tree in Solmar, near
Wayne's home in Sequim, WA.

The first thing about being a SnowBird (my choice of caps) is that you have to have a very sensitive ear, eye and nose for the weather.

At the first hint of frost, or the real thing, you must be ready to hoist your pack, or pump up the bicycle tires, or fill up the fuel tank for your transport (small van, large RV or boat of any size) and begin deciding what will go with you and what will stay.

Of course the size of the transporting device will determine a lot of the choices... and yet, even with a 40-ft. RV, weight is a constant concern. My Christmas tree is small, white and very light. Wayne's Christmas things are heavier, but it's his RV so he can have more latitude about what he wants to sacrifice.

There could be a reality TV show (there are so many already) about the Freezer Wars. I don't want to give up all the raspberries I harvested from my bushes this year. He doesn't want to sacrifice the cold space to fruit. I think there is merit to having plenty of butter (KerryGold) as he prefers something else to put on his toast. I was harsh about cleaning out the house food storage, noting that anything dating back to '01 really could not be put on board. He was resistant to giving up packages of things he could recall buying on sale back then. But then he was more than ready to give up a couple of pork roasts so I could have a couple of packages of bison meat. It was an interesting process. Finally the inventories complete, the freezer stuffed and assorted materials required for my cooking loaded, we can close out that exercise.

Not likely that the Seahawks 'man cave' will
be discarded, unless they disappoint greatly.

He just came in and announced, "We are going to weigh that motor home on Monday." And I said, "And then bring it back here and empty things out?"

Square dance shirt
under construction

He has all his tools, I have my art supplies. He has all his books and research materials for his ancestry project, I have a sewing machine to make square dance outfits (and some fabric, but for me - very little).

He has a camera, so do I. He has a computer, so do I. And it all adds up... every single ounce. If we were loading a boat I could just look at the waterline. In fact, I remember doing just that several decades ago as I was preparing for the journey that would take us to the Bahamas.

Snowbirds, as a rule, tend to leave their northern abodes and go south, often for months at a time. But their lives, hobbies, interests continue. For some there are groups in each location to facilitate those objectives, other folks simply find the other locations allow more time to follow those projects. But often some things must be brought along to continue, like building a quilt or working on ancestry.

And all those guilty pleasures we are storing and taking along will have a cost in fuel. I know that. Wayne knows that. And in time we may decide to lighten up by leaving more things behind... but probably not this trip.

We laughed at each other last night as we sat and watched a movie, ate some popcorn, because it really is 'home' we are settling into, taking with us. And Snowbirds do have to make a nest, along the way and at the destination(s).

Becoming a SnowBirder

After three trips (shakedown cruises on the land yacht would be a better description) Wayne and I are ready to launch into the SnowBird migration.

Our home-away-from-home is an Itasca RV.

Our dating life really began with the first trip to the Cranberry Square Dance festival in Greyland, WA, and continued with a second trip to the north eastern part of the state and most recently we visited Chehalis/Centralia to go to the state's square dance officer's meeting and dance.

The Wild Horses monument on a mesa above the Columbia
River was a great place to hike together for the first time.

Each adventure has given us a chance to test our ability to get along, work together, plan together and laugh a lot. He's a born-again Seahawks fan and has a progressive outlook about life that agrees with my own. I like how we traverse life's path together and particularly that he always reaches to hold my hand, even when hiking. He's a solid, man-of-the-earth kind of guy... very special.

So, for those of you who are not yet (or may never be) travelers by season, (or at all) this blog will continue to be what I intended it to be from the beginning, a short travelogue of places seen, impressions gained, and experiences of life for a new perspective, if you want it. For family and friends, it may be a way to keep up with "The Traveling Grandpa" and "Granny A" /aka Sandy Banks.

Accidentally we all chose purple for the color that night...
Les Kilwein, me, Ann Eilwein and Wayne in Centralia.

Wikipedia defines Snowbirds as: "A snowbird is a North American term for a person who moves from the higher latitudes and colder climates of the northern United States and Canada and migrates southward in winter to warmer locales such as Florida, California, Arizona, Texas, or elsewhere along the Sun Belt of the southern United States, Mexico, and areas of the Caribbean." 

Snowbirds use a variety of travel devices and I did once live aboard a sailboat for 8 years, mostly in southern climates. So the transition to an RV (big one at 40 feet!) is easy. But the challenge of maintaining my home in Washington (he has one as well), arranging for mail delivery, and various other tasks associated with an extended trip has kept both of us really busy for the past couple of weeks and now it intensifies as we plan to leave about a week earlier than originally intended.

Wayne, Carol and Joe looking at my art show at the bank.
I have made arrangements for these pictures to be collected
while I am away.

But flexibility is the key to survival. And packing to be flexible is an element of that... clothes for cooler weather, clothes for dancing, clothes for warmer weather, hiking, etc. Plus having my camera equipment, my sewing machine (making dance clothes) and my art supplies has me a little stressed. Weight on the RV, just like the boat, affects performance. And while I'm not willing to saw my toothbrush in half like a racing competitor I once knew, I am a lot more conscientious about this issue than Wayne might realize. My nighttime dreams are filled with designing an RV that incorporates some of these devices so that I'm not adding weight by bringing them.

Trying to hide anything on an RV of any size can be challenging, and my sneakiness is only because I want to surprise Wayne down the road with some special snack since he is the driver of the RV. I have to leave off this blog report for now because he wants to inventory the food supply... kinda silly on one hand since we have lots of shopping opportunities along the way, but he likes being able to choose off-grid experiences and having supplies to meet that need. Stay tuned... this is going to be an interesting ride!!

The First Snow Flies

Hurricane Ridge had its first dusting of snow recently, Sept. 17-18. And it feels cooler every night now. Recently there was a notice on FaceBook of a projected winter weather summary that suggests we might have a repeat of last winter in the NW.

With the limited water delivered through the summer, a heavy snow winter will not cure the dry conditions, but create some intense contrast next spring, probably leading to more fires in the forests.

An eagle flies past in a hazy twilight as I try
to get a picture of Mt. St. Helens.

There have been two major hurricanes in the Southeast and two huge earthquakes in Mexico, both of which have caused death and destruction for many. There is no question there are earth changes in progress, and a greater need to stay highly focused on what is good so that one does not become overwhelmed with uncontrollable circumstances.

What is good and getting better in my life is my relationship with a sweet and remarkably interesting man who loves to travel. We have taken three trips with his 40-ft. RV and are now preparing for the Big One, traveling south and east for the winter.

Our last trip took us to Centralia and Chehalis and allowed for a side trip to Olympia where we met some of his friends and one of mine. The RV park where we stayed was so peaceful and delightful; we walked in the woods, enjoying the beginnings of fall with large maple leaves turning colors and being dropped at our feet.

The air was crisp and finally we got some rain... it sounded just as lovely as it used to when it drummed on the cabin top of the sailboat... I lay in bed and listened to it as I watched one solitary yellow leaf dancing with each drop.

View from my window in the RV out to the
wilderness we called home for the weekend.

This was the first time I think I felt truly at ease in the RV, not worrying if I would do something wrong or minorly annoying to my travel companion. I feel as if I am getting back to my 'sailing' mode of using less water, being conscious of balancing the electrical load and planning the use of other resources.

I'm not allowed to drive the RV, but I'm very good at giving directions for Wayne to do the backing into sites. And I'm getting better at assessing if the site is wide enough, flat enough and deep enough for the 40-plus feet required.

The primary purpose for the trip was to go to the State Officers Meeting (and dance) in Centralia at the Oakville Grange and for Wayne to connect with some folks. We arrived on Thursday afternoon and I was surprised at how quickly others had put themselves into the primo spots (those with 50 amp electric and septic access) for the weekend.

I was reminded by the Tour Guide that this is the reason for leaving a site early enough to get to the next one before too late in the day.

Gordon and Sheryl Coleman with Wayne Ratcliff.

Wayne's trees - planted by him 42 years ago.

Friday we toured a lot of the area where Wayne had once been both a logger and firefighter, meeting the Colemans,
and seeing a stand of trees that Wayne had planted 42 years ago!

Wayne Ratcliff with me and Cheryl and Don Pruitt at the
Centralia dance.

Les Kilwein, Ann Kilwein, Wayne Ratliff and me with the
Shillings at the Centralia dance on Friday. 

Janet and Tony Schall with Wayne and me outside the
restaurant in Olympia.

Square Dancing today is a little bit more challenging than what I did with Duke Miller and Ralph Page in the 60's. But I am determined to get as good at it as I am at contra and ballroom. At any rate, it is keeping my brain from stagnating as I try to remember what "tag a line" or "scoot-back" or "split circulate" means. And I'm meeting some wonderful folks who keep encouraging me.

On Sunday we met up with Tony and Janet Schall from Olympia. He is a long-time buddy of Wayne's but we had such a relaxed breakfast, I felt as if I'd known them forever as well. Then we stopped to see the Pypers (Marcie and I met through her brother Stan years ago) and Marcie and Wayne connected through discussions about gardening. What a frabjous day!!

Me with Marcie Galyean Piper at her house near Olympia.

Wayne found a channel with the Seahawks
game being broadcast... they won that one.

And as we returned from our trip, it was a delightful drive back over the Tacoma Narrows Bridge (free - no tolls - heading west) with clearer skies and fresher air. The past month has been difficult with so many forest fires causing hazy skies and dreadful breathing conditions for so many.

Tacoma Narrows Bridge heading west.

Recently an enormous black rabbit (No, I'm not Alice in Wonderland in Negative) has started coming into my yard to munch on things. It is eating ALL the dandelions... curiouser and curiouser!

This lovely black rabbit keeps appearing in my yard.

See how its eye sparkles? I don't know where it lives, but
I am enjoying seeing it nibbling in my garden daily.

Square Dancing at the Cranberry Museum

I didn't even know there was such a place as Greyland and that it had a Cranberry Museum. Now I have been educated. 

On August 3, Wayne and I arrived in Greyland, which is just below Westport, the fishing capitol of Washington State (they say) on the western coast of the U.S. The day we drove in, it was still blistering hot and hazy from the fires to the north.

Cranberries on the bush, a few weeks from ripening.

Cranberry fields in Greyland, WA.

Beach

Beach walkway to waterline of Pacific O.

Driftwood and native plants.

Unique fencing along Highway 12, Greyland, WA.

The owners of the museum are also the recreators of the Fulford Cranberry harvesting machine, making a new version of a very successful invention to harvest and prune cranberries. Chuck and Gwen Tjernberg have made the museum the focus of both historical and industrial times in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties.

I learned that cranberries do not require being in a bog to grow but that flooding the land they are growing it on makes it easier to do a wet harvest. Coming from Cape Cod, it was an assumption on my part that all cranberries are harvested wet, but the Fulford machine is designed to harvest dry and prune at the same time.

Wayne (tallest one) with dancing friends.

Ocean Spray is a business which is cooperatively owned by the farmers, and berries are classed as being top quality for the fresh market or second quality which used for juices and canning. Last year the top quality berries sold for about 89 cents a pound while the second quality sold for about 30 cents a pound. Most of the berries from the dry harvest have a top quality rating, while wet harvest berries are rated second.

First shipments go to Canada because they celebrate Thanksgiving in October. If there is a late harvest, it can severely impact shipment dates with a domino effect.

We enjoyed the tour that Gwen gave us, enriched with her personal knowledge of the industry.

Later that day we met with long-time friends of Wayne’s, Ann and Les Kilwein, over some lemonade and chips in the RV. When we were packing to go, I never thought about having snacks on hand for guests, but now I know enough to have something available for anyone who might show up.

Square dancing at the Cranberry Museum, Aug. 2017.

RV life is not that different from land-living, but being more close-knit, folks are more likely to share time and adventures over food and dancing. And like sailboat live-aboards, friends are made quickly. 

There does not seem to be a disparity in relationships just because you have a larger or smaller travel home; what is the division appears to be whether you are a weekender or a ‘real traveler’ for longer periods of time. 

Round dancers include caller Randy with Mike and
Marion Freely in the back.

Eventually there comes a time when even the most seasoned of RV travelers has to give up life on the road due to health, family or financial concerns but with the membership in the square dance ‘family,’ gatherings can still happen for that connection of friendship. 

Gwen and Chuck did a skit for the final act of the three-part weekend, poking fun at all the retirees with getting-ready-for-bed issues... putting the cat out, locking the doors, etc. with the group getting a big laugh at the end. It was a lot of fun!!

Chuck gets up (again) to fulfill Gwen's bedtime request.

This is what has been happening at this camp-out; folks that Wayne had not seen for years came to share in pot-luck and/or dancing and he appeared to have enjoyed greatly renewing those friendships.

The River Hoh and Lake Quinault

Continuing the journey to Westport for the square dancer camp out, and

Kayaker with packs paddling down the Hoh.

Thanks to Friends of Wayne, who are probably scattered all over the U.S. and maybe even in foreign countries, we found a welcome at the home of Mary and Dave Christensen in Lake Quinault.

But first we stopped along the Hoh River for a lunch with an awesome view and two kayakers making their way downstream. It was already heading toward the triple digit temperatures the National Weather Service had been warning us about, so we didn’t linger.

Home away from home

Back on the road, the purple foxglove, white daisies, fireweed and other roadside flowers and weeds made a colorful quilt of colors muted by the haze from the British Columbia fires. 

Dave and Wayne were forestry buddies in the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) during the 80s when Wayne moved to Lake Quinault. When we arrived at their lovely home (which I shall sweetly refer to as ‘Mary’s Meadows’ because the smell of the budding grasses in the motor home as the dew was evaporating), there were two donkeys to greet us along with the largest Chocolate Labrador, Ollie, I’ve ever seen.

A drive around the lake was the afternoon excursion, which included stopping to see an old friend, Marilyn Wiesse, who used to cook for different restaurants and was a neighbor.

Wayne and Marilyn laughing about old times.

Wayne learned she will be heading to Yuma with her husband in the fall, so there was some chatter about meeting up again later as we waved goodbye.

Back at the Christensen’s, it was finally cooling down and the couple cooked us up some  incredible hors d'oevres of elk meat (their game) with home-made pickles (her canning) and salmon (his catch) spread over great crackers and sweet iced tea. Dinner was called a ‘gut-bomb’ of ground venison, fresh fried potatoes, vegetables and a home grown garden salad. SOOO delicious!!

View for breakfast at "Mary's Meadows"

"The Relatives"

We sat around a fire pit without the fire (it was still over 80 degrees) and talked for awhile and then it was off to the RV for the logger to saw some “ZZZZZs” while I read a few pages on my Kindle. 

The windows were open so I could enjoy the quiet sounds of a farm settling down for the night… bugs buzzing, donkeys chomping the grass, birds calling to others to nest, chickens clucking and blackberries growing. Bliss.