The last couple of days have been average days, almost like we had when we had a stick house(we don't go to work however).
We started on Tues. by getting our oil changed and having the Honda checked over. We found out we need to get new tires. We might wait until we get to Oregon, because they have no sales tax (and the Mo-Ho needs tires too...).
After that we drove to Sequim to shop and do our laundry. We have a small combination washer/dryer in the MoHo, but it only holds a couple of shirts and one pair of pants at a time. So we still go to the laundromat for the sheets and towels. While we were in Sequim we went to Costco (which John always likes ), then onto the laundromat. John sat in the car and read his book and waited.
Then we headed back to the MoHo for dinner and to feed Pearl. We're currently watching a mini-series called "War & Remembrance". It's quite good, but it's long, using 12 video tapes.
Wednesday John had an appointment for a bone density scan. Linda & the doctor thought it would be good to check this for the future. We won't know the results until his doctor appointment on 10-9. It's an easy test, so everyone, not just women, should get one when they reach their 60's.
Linda took John back to the MoHo for a final appointment with his physical therapist, and then ran some errands and grocery shopping. The therapist gave John some written instructions on exercises to do when he can put weight on his leg. He's going to have to learn how to walk again, and build some muscle back into his right leg. We've been very blessed with a great medical team here in Port Angeles.
So now we're sitting here listening to the Dodger-Cub game. We're having a little trouble deciding who to root for because of our son Matt. He's a very devout Cub fan, to the extent that he wears his Cub's jersey when he goes to a Dodger game. Linda & John are old Dodger fans, going way back to when they were dating and going to the nose bleed seats at Dodger stadium. So whoever wins the series will be great with us.
We don't have anything planned for the weekend because the weather is supposed to be cold and rainy. But we're seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, so a quiet weekend might be good.
Showing posts with label Olympic Nat'l Park. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Olympic Nat'l Park. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Bad News & a Change in Plans
For the last couple of weeks John's right leg has been bothering him. It's more in the thigh muscles and it hurts when he does a lot of walking. We thought it would be a good idea to get a doctor to check it out before we left the campground so we went to the ER in Port Angeles. They took X-rays and examined him but didn't see any problems, so they gave him some prescription ibuprofen.
We were able to get into see an Orthopedic Doctor on Wed. 8-27, and they concurred with the ER's diagnoses. They recommended physical therapy, so we made some appointments in Centralia, WA, the area we were moving to next.
Then on Sat., 8-30, John woke up with extreme pain in his right leg, and he couldn't put any weight on the leg. On Sun. we made another trip to the ER. This time they were very busy, and John had to sit in a wheelchair for 4 hours waiting (he was in real pain). After the Doctor examined John, he just gave him some strong pain medicine but didn't order another X-ray. Linda asked if they could do a MRI, so they said they would schedule one. Because it was Labor Day weekend, they couldn't schedule one until Thurs., 9-4. John didn't get out of bed until Thurs. morning because his leg hurt so much.
The MRI was in Sequim, about 45 minutes away. Linda drove him there and got the wheelchair out to transport him into the MRI. The results were very obvious to the technician, but he couldn't tell us anything. He just told us to head for the hospital in Port Angeles. When we got there we found out John had a hip fracture. And they checked him into the hospital, because he was going to need emergency surgery. We tried to figure out how it happened, and the only thing we remember is John falling on his butt while walking the campground. Down near the lakeshore the path changes from asphalt to gravel and that's where John fell. He didn't feel any pain at the time, so he continued to do a lot of walking, and that's must of aggravated the hip. What was probably a small crack eventually developed into the major fracture.
We were a little nervous about the quality of care we would receive, but we were very satisfied with an excellent Doctor and really caring nurses. We couldn't have received better treatment if we were in a large city.
John had surgery on Friday, 9-5, and everything went well. He was released from the hospital on Monday, 9-8, and went back to the motorhome to recuperate. Linda arranged to have the MoHo moved to a campground closer to Port Angeles. Another campground host at the park, who has a motorhome, drove it out of Fairholm campground to the Heart of the Hills campground. It is on the same road that Hurricane Ridge is on . It's only 5 miles to Port Angeles, and we have good cell phone coverage and good Internet access. The only thing missing is TV, but we're getting use to that.
We're still here waiting for the hip to heal. John can't put any weight on his right leg, so he's using a walker. We have a visiting nurse and a physical therapist who come to the motorhome for treatments. And the weather is getting colder and more overcast. We've definitely got cabin fever, but there's not much we can do until the doctor releases John. We're watching a lot of old movies, John's reading about a book a day, and listening to our satellite XM radio for news and baseball games. BTW, the Cubs and the Dodgers are in the playoffs. The good thing is we can turn off all of the election hype.
We were able to get into see an Orthopedic Doctor on Wed. 8-27, and they concurred with the ER's diagnoses. They recommended physical therapy, so we made some appointments in Centralia, WA, the area we were moving to next.
Then on Sat., 8-30, John woke up with extreme pain in his right leg, and he couldn't put any weight on the leg. On Sun. we made another trip to the ER. This time they were very busy, and John had to sit in a wheelchair for 4 hours waiting (he was in real pain). After the Doctor examined John, he just gave him some strong pain medicine but didn't order another X-ray. Linda asked if they could do a MRI, so they said they would schedule one. Because it was Labor Day weekend, they couldn't schedule one until Thurs., 9-4. John didn't get out of bed until Thurs. morning because his leg hurt so much.
The MRI was in Sequim, about 45 minutes away. Linda drove him there and got the wheelchair out to transport him into the MRI. The results were very obvious to the technician, but he couldn't tell us anything. He just told us to head for the hospital in Port Angeles. When we got there we found out John had a hip fracture. And they checked him into the hospital, because he was going to need emergency surgery. We tried to figure out how it happened, and the only thing we remember is John falling on his butt while walking the campground. Down near the lakeshore the path changes from asphalt to gravel and that's where John fell. He didn't feel any pain at the time, so he continued to do a lot of walking, and that's must of aggravated the hip. What was probably a small crack eventually developed into the major fracture.
We were a little nervous about the quality of care we would receive, but we were very satisfied with an excellent Doctor and really caring nurses. We couldn't have received better treatment if we were in a large city.
John had surgery on Friday, 9-5, and everything went well. He was released from the hospital on Monday, 9-8, and went back to the motorhome to recuperate. Linda arranged to have the MoHo moved to a campground closer to Port Angeles. Another campground host at the park, who has a motorhome, drove it out of Fairholm campground to the Heart of the Hills campground. It is on the same road that Hurricane Ridge is on . It's only 5 miles to Port Angeles, and we have good cell phone coverage and good Internet access. The only thing missing is TV, but we're getting use to that.
We're still here waiting for the hip to heal. John can't put any weight on his right leg, so he's using a walker. We have a visiting nurse and a physical therapist who come to the motorhome for treatments. And the weather is getting colder and more overcast. We've definitely got cabin fever, but there's not much we can do until the doctor releases John. We're watching a lot of old movies, John's reading about a book a day, and listening to our satellite XM radio for news and baseball games. BTW, the Cubs and the Dodgers are in the playoffs. The good thing is we can turn off all of the election hype.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Sol Duc Falls Hike
Time is running out as we plan to leave here the day after Labor Day. There's still a few sights we wanted to see. One of them is the Sol Duc falls. Sol Duc is the name of the river that starts in the Olympic mountains and runs into the Straits of Juan du Fuca. It's a premier salmon & steelhead stream. The river forms a canyon that runs up to the mountains. The road follows the river up the canyon, past the Sol Duc Hot Springs Resort, and ends at the trailhead for the falls hike.
The Sol Duc Resort includes cabins, an RV park, and a swimming pool and the hot springs. It's very popular, and the campground is often full.
The trail is a pretty level run up to the falls area, about a .8 mile one way. It wanders through old growth Douglas Fir. The falls themselves are different in that they flow sideways into the canyon.
You can hike above the falls to get closer to the river. Here's a picture of John sitting on the rocks enjoying the sights & sounds.
Here's a shot back down the river showing the water shooting across the canyon. We visited the falls in August, so you can imagine the volume of water in the spring when the snow starts melting.
If you would like to look at other photos, click on the link below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/SolDucFallsHike#
The Sol Duc Resort includes cabins, an RV park, and a swimming pool and the hot springs. It's very popular, and the campground is often full.
The trail is a pretty level run up to the falls area, about a .8 mile one way. It wanders through old growth Douglas Fir. The falls themselves are different in that they flow sideways into the canyon.
You can hike above the falls to get closer to the river. Here's a picture of John sitting on the rocks enjoying the sights & sounds.
Here's a shot back down the river showing the water shooting across the canyon. We visited the falls in August, so you can imagine the volume of water in the spring when the snow starts melting.
If you would like to look at other photos, click on the link below:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/SolDucFallsHike#
Monday, July 14, 2008
Hoh Rain Forest
About 60 miles west of our campground on Lake Crescent is the Hoh Rain Forest. This is one of the largest temperate rain forests in the world. The road follows the Hoh river up into the Olympic mountains, leading into the rain forest.
It's about 14 miles inland from the coast, gaining slightly in elevation. The further you drive along the road, the larger and closer the trees are together and the deeper is the moss. There's a visitor center, campground, and hiking trails. We got there in time to join a ranger led walk through the Hall of Mosses.
We learned a lot about the different types of moss. The forest receives 12 feet of rain a year, but very little snow because it's so close to the ocean which keeps the temperature above freezing. We also saw examples of nurse logs. These are logs on the ground from trees that had fallen due to winds or age. New trees grow on the logs, and as the nurse logs rots away, the new trees roots extend down to the soil creating unique root structures.
It was very interesting and a great learning experience. As you can see, there's a lot of different areas in the Olympic National Park which allows for a very diverse visiting experience.
We had a great sunny day, which is very unusual weather wise. If you want to see some of the other photos, please click on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/HohRainForest#
It's about 14 miles inland from the coast, gaining slightly in elevation. The further you drive along the road, the larger and closer the trees are together and the deeper is the moss. There's a visitor center, campground, and hiking trails. We got there in time to join a ranger led walk through the Hall of Mosses.
We learned a lot about the different types of moss. The forest receives 12 feet of rain a year, but very little snow because it's so close to the ocean which keeps the temperature above freezing. We also saw examples of nurse logs. These are logs on the ground from trees that had fallen due to winds or age. New trees grow on the logs, and as the nurse logs rots away, the new trees roots extend down to the soil creating unique root structures.
It was very interesting and a great learning experience. As you can see, there's a lot of different areas in the Olympic National Park which allows for a very diverse visiting experience.
We had a great sunny day, which is very unusual weather wise. If you want to see some of the other photos, please click on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/HohRainForest#
Marymere Falls Hike
Today we decided to do a short hike to Marymere Falls. The hike starts at the Storm King Ranger Station on Barnes Point, where the Lake Crescent Lodge is located. This is also the area where we get our mail and a lot of the rangers live in park provided housing. The hike is about 3/4 mile one way, and it follows Barnes Creek back to the falls. Here's a picture of one of the wooden bridges over the creek.
And here's our intrepid party braving the bridge. You'll notice that Lois is carrying a hiking pole. Linda and I bought those for our hiking trips and it really make a difference when walking on the gravel paths. Plus, if a bear attacks you, you can hit him with your pole just before you become his dinner.
Here's a view of the falls. It doesn't have a lot of water, but it is very pretty and makes a beautiful sound as the water falls. At the very end of the hike there's a pretty steep path to get to this view, and it's all on wooden platforms.
After we hiked back to the trail head, we moseyed over to our favorite spot, the Lake Crescent Lodge. Linda had packed a very good lunch that we ate outside sitting in the nice shade with a beautiful view of the lake. We spend a lot of time at the lodge because they have wifi internet access and our cell phones work here. It's about a 5 mile drive from the Fairholme campground, but it seems longer because of all of the curves in the road around the lake.
If you would like to see more of our pictures of the hike please click on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/MarymereFallsHike#
And here's our intrepid party braving the bridge. You'll notice that Lois is carrying a hiking pole. Linda and I bought those for our hiking trips and it really make a difference when walking on the gravel paths. Plus, if a bear attacks you, you can hit him with your pole just before you become his dinner.
Here's a view of the falls. It doesn't have a lot of water, but it is very pretty and makes a beautiful sound as the water falls. At the very end of the hike there's a pretty steep path to get to this view, and it's all on wooden platforms.
After we hiked back to the trail head, we moseyed over to our favorite spot, the Lake Crescent Lodge. Linda had packed a very good lunch that we ate outside sitting in the nice shade with a beautiful view of the lake. We spend a lot of time at the lodge because they have wifi internet access and our cell phones work here. It's about a 5 mile drive from the Fairholme campground, but it seems longer because of all of the curves in the road around the lake.
If you would like to see more of our pictures of the hike please click on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/MarymereFallsHike#
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Hurricane Ridge
One of the major highlights of the Olympic National Park is Hurricane Ridge. The road leaves Port Angeles at sea level, and about 17 miles later you're at 5,000 in the heart of the Olympic Mountains. What's amazing is that it's a good road without bad curves. Here's the view back down to the Strait of San Juan de Fuca and Port Angeles.
When you turn around and look towards the South and West, you can see the beautiful peaks and glaciers of the Olympic range.
It's called Hurricane Ridge because of the extreme weather at the top. At any time of year you can experience 75-85 mile per hour winds. In the winter, the snowfall averages 30 feet. Needless to say the summer season is short. We visited the ridge in the middle of July and there was still some snow on the ground. Of course Lois and Linda had to play. Some women never grow up-and that's a good thing.
There's a visitor center, gift shop and snack bar. Linda packed us a delicious lunch and we ate outside on the deck of the visitor center. At the same time a ranger was giving a talk on the area, so we even had entertainment during the lunch.
It's a beautiful setting and we learned a lot about how the mountains were formed, the animals that lived in the areas, and the weather conditions. If you would like to check out the current conditions at the ridge, they have a webcam with a nice view of the mountains. Just click on the link http://www.nps.gov/olym/photosmultimedia/hurricane-ridge-webcam.htm
As I sit here writing this, there is cloud cover at the campground, but the webcam shows blue sky up on the ridge.
The ridge is open year round and there's a lot of trails for hiking there, plus in the winter they have cross country skiing and snowshoeing. If you would like to see all of the pictures of our day on Hurricane Ridge, please click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/HurricaneRidge
When you turn around and look towards the South and West, you can see the beautiful peaks and glaciers of the Olympic range.
It's called Hurricane Ridge because of the extreme weather at the top. At any time of year you can experience 75-85 mile per hour winds. In the winter, the snowfall averages 30 feet. Needless to say the summer season is short. We visited the ridge in the middle of July and there was still some snow on the ground. Of course Lois and Linda had to play. Some women never grow up-and that's a good thing.
There's a visitor center, gift shop and snack bar. Linda packed us a delicious lunch and we ate outside on the deck of the visitor center. At the same time a ranger was giving a talk on the area, so we even had entertainment during the lunch.
It's a beautiful setting and we learned a lot about how the mountains were formed, the animals that lived in the areas, and the weather conditions. If you would like to check out the current conditions at the ridge, they have a webcam with a nice view of the mountains. Just click on the link http://www.nps.gov/olym/photosmultimedia/hurricane-ridge-webcam.htm
As I sit here writing this, there is cloud cover at the campground, but the webcam shows blue sky up on the ridge.
The ridge is open year round and there's a lot of trails for hiking there, plus in the winter they have cross country skiing and snowshoeing. If you would like to see all of the pictures of our day on Hurricane Ridge, please click on this link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/jchuber1/HurricaneRidge
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Lois Comes For A Visit
Linda's Mom, Lois, came up for a visit for two weeks in July. She had never been to the Olympic National Park, and we planned to show her all of the highlights of the area. We're really looking forward to exploring the towns and attractions in the area. We'll probably wear her out with all of the jaunting around.
We've discovered our campground deer. She's a doe with a fawn that was born this season. The rangers have told us that the birthing season was late this year because of cold and the rain. We've seen her almost everyday as we walk the campground. There are so many trees that there's not enough light to get a decent picture, so this is the best I could do.
We've had a lot of questions about how we spend our evenings. We rejoined Netflix to get some DVDs sent to us, and we were able to get a local library card. The library here has an excellent selection of videos, plus we can request books & videos from the other branches. We have our XM satellite radio which we listen to for news and of course Dodger baseball games.
Linda has been doing some hobbies such as beading and needlepoint. She also has been doing puzzles. This is one of the toughest ones she has attempted. It seems simple because it's only 9 pieces.
But all of the animals have to match. She started on it back in SD last year, then put it away. We discovered it again when we were reorganizing the cabinets in the coach, so she started on it again. Hours later she succeeded!
What's funny is that she tried another one and finished it in about 10 minutes. She's also become a Sudoku addict, working on the puzzles daily from the local newspaper.
With Lois here we start working our plan. Our first place to visit is Hurricane Ridge, one of the highlights of the Park.
We've discovered our campground deer. She's a doe with a fawn that was born this season. The rangers have told us that the birthing season was late this year because of cold and the rain. We've seen her almost everyday as we walk the campground. There are so many trees that there's not enough light to get a decent picture, so this is the best I could do.
We've had a lot of questions about how we spend our evenings. We rejoined Netflix to get some DVDs sent to us, and we were able to get a local library card. The library here has an excellent selection of videos, plus we can request books & videos from the other branches. We have our XM satellite radio which we listen to for news and of course Dodger baseball games.
Linda has been doing some hobbies such as beading and needlepoint. She also has been doing puzzles. This is one of the toughest ones she has attempted. It seems simple because it's only 9 pieces.
But all of the animals have to match. She started on it back in SD last year, then put it away. We discovered it again when we were reorganizing the cabinets in the coach, so she started on it again. Hours later she succeeded!
What's funny is that she tried another one and finished it in about 10 minutes. She's also become a Sudoku addict, working on the puzzles daily from the local newspaper.
With Lois here we start working our plan. Our first place to visit is Hurricane Ridge, one of the highlights of the Park.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
Our First Visitors
We had our first friends visit us here at Lake Crescent! Our good friends Paul & Kathy Ross drove up from Albany, OR, for a weekend. The last time we had seen our good friends was at the wedding of their oldest son, Matt, in Austin, TX, last fall. Here's a picture from the wedding with the entire Ross family.
We've known the Ross' since we moved to Oregon back in the early 80's. Paul came up to replace John at the distributor John was working at before he went back to work at Gallo. Paul & Kathy's boys were about the same age range as Matt, so we spent a lot of time together as families. When we left Oregon to go back to California, we kept in touch with the Ross' and when we get together it's like we were still neighbors.
We met at the Lake Crescent Lodge for lunch. The lodge dates from 1916 with cabins, motel type rooms, and the Roosevelt fireplace cottages. It has an award winning restaurant with a view from the table out over Lake Crescent. The food is outstanding, if a little expensive, and the ambiance is thrilling. And the weekend was very sunny and clear, so the views were outstanding.
After lunch we went back to the campground where we spent the afternoon catching up on what's been happening in our life's since last fall. Paul helped John walk the campground and greet all of the new guests. They both seem to enjoy getting out around the campground and enjoying the views and the lake.
Linda prepared her famous Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas which we all enjoyed, then we played Mexican Train into the evening. The next day we met back at the Lodge for their breakfast buffet, then back to the campground for more conversations. Finally, Paul & Kathy had to leave for the long drive back to Albany, about a 4 hour drive.
We really enjoyed the visit and it brighten our days at the campground. We promised to visit again when we leave after Labor Day and head into Oregon.
We've known the Ross' since we moved to Oregon back in the early 80's. Paul came up to replace John at the distributor John was working at before he went back to work at Gallo. Paul & Kathy's boys were about the same age range as Matt, so we spent a lot of time together as families. When we left Oregon to go back to California, we kept in touch with the Ross' and when we get together it's like we were still neighbors.
We met at the Lake Crescent Lodge for lunch. The lodge dates from 1916 with cabins, motel type rooms, and the Roosevelt fireplace cottages. It has an award winning restaurant with a view from the table out over Lake Crescent. The food is outstanding, if a little expensive, and the ambiance is thrilling. And the weekend was very sunny and clear, so the views were outstanding.
After lunch we went back to the campground where we spent the afternoon catching up on what's been happening in our life's since last fall. Paul helped John walk the campground and greet all of the new guests. They both seem to enjoy getting out around the campground and enjoying the views and the lake.
Linda prepared her famous Sour Cream Chicken Enchiladas which we all enjoyed, then we played Mexican Train into the evening. The next day we met back at the Lodge for their breakfast buffet, then back to the campground for more conversations. Finally, Paul & Kathy had to leave for the long drive back to Albany, about a 4 hour drive.
We really enjoyed the visit and it brighten our days at the campground. We promised to visit again when we leave after Labor Day and head into Oregon.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
We Settle into a Routine
We're beginning to understand our new jobs, and how to do them. We've actually started to get into a routine, like our bad old days when had to "work".
Our day starts out with letting our dog, Pearl, outside and then feeding her breakfast. Then we move on to our breakfast, which we usually share with Pearl. Oh to live a dog's life. We listen to our XM radio to catch up on the news on the Fox News Channel.
Then Linda goes out into the campground to pull the tickets of those campers who are not staying for the next night. These have to be organized, and compared to the audit sheets we do everyday. Then we take a walk around the campground to check for any fires left going, or a messy site. We like to keep all of the sites clean for new customers. Linda usually sweeps out the restrooms. We don't have to clean the restrooms, but she likes to make sure everything is tidy. And then we take off to do something during the middle of the day on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
After we get back to the campground, we feed Pearl, and then check the boards for new check ins. We record these on the audit sheet and then walk the campground and check if the campers are in a tent or an RV. We also greet all of the new arrivals, answer any questions on the Park or the area, and hand out the Park newspaper. We remind them of the campground rules which include no gathering of wood, no food left out at night, and quiet hours from 10:00pm to 6:00am. We also check to make sure everyone has paid for the night.
Our routine changes a little on Tuesday because we have to meet with the ranger to collect the money envelopes and get them ready for deposit.
On Fridays and Saturdays our campground get very busy, especially if the weather is good. Most of the campers are locals from the Port Angeles or Squim. They are mostly tent campers. Usually the campground is full by 4:00pm, and we have to tell people where they might find a site at other campgrounds. We also do the money collection with the ranger on Saturdays. It always surprises us how many of the campers move on Saturday after staying Friday night. Usually it about half of the sites become available on Saturday morning.
That's our normal week. We do a lot of walking up and down the hills of the campground, which we enjoy and it's helping us get into better shape. There's nothing difficult about it, but we work with some great people from the National Park, and we've met some very interesting people who for a short time were our guests.
Our day starts out with letting our dog, Pearl, outside and then feeding her breakfast. Then we move on to our breakfast, which we usually share with Pearl. Oh to live a dog's life. We listen to our XM radio to catch up on the news on the Fox News Channel.
Then Linda goes out into the campground to pull the tickets of those campers who are not staying for the next night. These have to be organized, and compared to the audit sheets we do everyday. Then we take a walk around the campground to check for any fires left going, or a messy site. We like to keep all of the sites clean for new customers. Linda usually sweeps out the restrooms. We don't have to clean the restrooms, but she likes to make sure everything is tidy. And then we take off to do something during the middle of the day on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.
After we get back to the campground, we feed Pearl, and then check the boards for new check ins. We record these on the audit sheet and then walk the campground and check if the campers are in a tent or an RV. We also greet all of the new arrivals, answer any questions on the Park or the area, and hand out the Park newspaper. We remind them of the campground rules which include no gathering of wood, no food left out at night, and quiet hours from 10:00pm to 6:00am. We also check to make sure everyone has paid for the night.
Our routine changes a little on Tuesday because we have to meet with the ranger to collect the money envelopes and get them ready for deposit.
On Fridays and Saturdays our campground get very busy, especially if the weather is good. Most of the campers are locals from the Port Angeles or Squim. They are mostly tent campers. Usually the campground is full by 4:00pm, and we have to tell people where they might find a site at other campgrounds. We also do the money collection with the ranger on Saturdays. It always surprises us how many of the campers move on Saturday after staying Friday night. Usually it about half of the sites become available on Saturday morning.
That's our normal week. We do a lot of walking up and down the hills of the campground, which we enjoy and it's helping us get into better shape. There's nothing difficult about it, but we work with some great people from the National Park, and we've met some very interesting people who for a short time were our guests.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Fairholm Campground, Olympic Nat'l Park
We're starting to settle in here at our volunteer position at Olympic National Park. We're starting to get the routine down, understanding our duties, and making our site more liveable. We had a few problems getting the coach level. Our MoHo has air leveling, which we love. And we've never had a problem getting level-until now. There's a definite slope towards the back of the motorhome. After a day out of level, John decided to try to find a more level position in the space. Did we mention that we barely fit in this space? So, with Linda outside giving directions, and John doing the old forward & back, John almost sunk the front wheels into the mud! You know, a 40' motorhome doesn't bend in the middle like a trailer. We finally got out by putting some boards under the front wheels and carefully avoiding the trees. Whew! John though he was going to have to call a tow truck to get us out, but we were finally out and back on the pavement in front of our site. Now the only problem was to back into our site again without getting stuck. With Linda's good directions, and much patience, we made it back in. Then we got more boards and put them under the back wheels-WOHO, we're level. John doesn't plan to move the MoHo until we leave-and that's going to be tough enough just to get out of the site.
Here's a picture of our site. It's pretty big, but then again we're pretty big.
Everyone who walks by just stares at it. Most of the campers here are tenters, or have small trailers, campers, or Class C type of motorhomes. So they all wonder how we got in here, and how we're going to get out.
You'll notice a new addition to the setup, we've purchased a screen room, so that we can have dinner without the bugs. Of course it isn't setup perfect because of the slope, but we think it's going to be pretty nice-if the weather ever warms up.
As we mentioned, we're on Lake Crescent. It's 8 miles long and we're on the western shore. There's a small store, boats & kayaks to rent, and a boat ramp. There's a small dock next to the boat ramp where John has done some fishing. We use the beach and dock for our cell phones and to get on the Internet. It's only about 300 yards from our campsite, but we get fair cell phone reception there. We get no cellphone reception at our site. But don't hesitate to call us and leave a message. We love hearing from everyone, and we promise we'll call you back!
It's hard to see in these pictures, but the lake is kind of turquoise in color. It's very clear like Lake Tahoe. It's 685 feet deep in the middle. There's a special species of trout called the Beardsly Trout. So the lake is catch & release, which pleases us both. He's only had a couple of strikes so far, but he hopes to catch at least one before we leave.
Now we have a new issue-mice. In all of our travels with the MoHo, we haven't had any bug problems. But we now have a major problem. So far, we've captures 3 mice. But we know there's still more coming in because the MoHo is warm, and it's been abnormally cold outside. So we're going to town to try all kinds of different measures to solve the problem. We'll let you know how successful we are.
Here's a picture of our site. It's pretty big, but then again we're pretty big.
Everyone who walks by just stares at it. Most of the campers here are tenters, or have small trailers, campers, or Class C type of motorhomes. So they all wonder how we got in here, and how we're going to get out.
You'll notice a new addition to the setup, we've purchased a screen room, so that we can have dinner without the bugs. Of course it isn't setup perfect because of the slope, but we think it's going to be pretty nice-if the weather ever warms up.
As we mentioned, we're on Lake Crescent. It's 8 miles long and we're on the western shore. There's a small store, boats & kayaks to rent, and a boat ramp. There's a small dock next to the boat ramp where John has done some fishing. We use the beach and dock for our cell phones and to get on the Internet. It's only about 300 yards from our campsite, but we get fair cell phone reception there. We get no cellphone reception at our site. But don't hesitate to call us and leave a message. We love hearing from everyone, and we promise we'll call you back!
It's hard to see in these pictures, but the lake is kind of turquoise in color. It's very clear like Lake Tahoe. It's 685 feet deep in the middle. There's a special species of trout called the Beardsly Trout. So the lake is catch & release, which pleases us both. He's only had a couple of strikes so far, but he hopes to catch at least one before we leave.
Now we have a new issue-mice. In all of our travels with the MoHo, we haven't had any bug problems. But we now have a major problem. So far, we've captures 3 mice. But we know there's still more coming in because the MoHo is warm, and it's been abnormally cold outside. So we're going to town to try all kinds of different measures to solve the problem. We'll let you know how successful we are.
Monday, June 09, 2008
Where Are John, Linda, & Pearl?
Well, the Huber's have moved back to the 40s. Everyone knows that John likes Big Band music like Glenn Miller, but he didn't have to choose a spot to volunteer for the summer that technology wise takes us back to that era.
We're in beautiful Olympic National Park, camphosting at Fairholm campground on Lake Crescent. It's a great spot, but in a grove a tall fir trees. The nearest town is Port Angeles, WA, which is about 45 minutes away. The only issues we have is that we're so far from town and civilization that we have no cell phone, no Internet, and because of the trees, no television. Talk about getting back to basics! So we're watching DVDs, listening to the XM radio, and reading. And the weather has been cold. Who says we're having global warming. John's working on fixing the problems, but right now we have to walk down to the lake to use our cell phones. So if you call us leave a message and we'll get back to you. We actually have a mail address here:
John & Linda Huber
Olympic National Park
341-2 Barnes Point Rd.
Port Angeles, WA 98363
So if you want to see John & Linda stay married after the summer, you'll have to come visit us up here. The closest airport is Seattle, and we'll even come pick you up. Or you can drive up I-5 and take Hwy 101 at Olympia North.
We're in beautiful Olympic National Park, camphosting at Fairholm campground on Lake Crescent. It's a great spot, but in a grove a tall fir trees. The nearest town is Port Angeles, WA, which is about 45 minutes away. The only issues we have is that we're so far from town and civilization that we have no cell phone, no Internet, and because of the trees, no television. Talk about getting back to basics! So we're watching DVDs, listening to the XM radio, and reading. And the weather has been cold. Who says we're having global warming. John's working on fixing the problems, but right now we have to walk down to the lake to use our cell phones. So if you call us leave a message and we'll get back to you. We actually have a mail address here:
John & Linda Huber
Olympic National Park
341-2 Barnes Point Rd.
Port Angeles, WA 98363
So if you want to see John & Linda stay married after the summer, you'll have to come visit us up here. The closest airport is Seattle, and we'll even come pick you up. Or you can drive up I-5 and take Hwy 101 at Olympia North.
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