Travels with The Rayman

So, while the Rayman ventures out to the grocery store, I will take to the keyboard.

Another interesting day in the great Northwest, boys and girls.  The sun made an appearance and Beau had an appointment at the beauty parlor.  He was getting a bit, well, ripe.  It was time for a trim, a bath, and various other procedures that groomers do to the canines among us.  And his appointment was high noon which actually is a great time to venture out because the mornings can be quite nippy here.  The afternoons are warm as the ground heats up.

We dropped off our Beaumeister and headed to Silverton, OR which is south of where we are staying.  Most of the trip was on two lane road and we followed it to the beautiful Oregon Gardens of Silverton.  So much fun to see different plant species presented so beautifully on this multi-acre preserve.  Admission for us old codgers was $10 a head.

We wandered through a conifer exhibit.  Conifers that we had never seen before.  Weeping varieties, miniature models, tall skinny trees that looked somewhat anorexic.  Some were green and yellow.  On purpose.  It was sort of a Grand Central Station of conifers and it held our interest.

The grounds also had water features with water in them!!!  And beautiful bushes with flowering flowers (oops, repeating myself).  Lots of lavender, and rosemary.  I plucked some rosemary for my lamb dinner tonight.  Rosemary also might finds way into the potatoes.

But I digress.

We saw a snake!!  A blackish one slithered across our path and into the shrubs.  That was very exciting.  It was only about 14 inches long.

They also had a grove of white oak trees, a strand of oaks that was very impressive.  The granddaddy of them all was a 400 year old specimen.  99 feet and looking healthy as a horse.  Bad comparison but you know what I mean.

The place had a shuttle but we hoofed it (in keeping with the horse reference).  The weather was mild and it was perfect for wandering around the grounds.  While we walked, we discovered an area for ideas on how to garden if you own a cat or dog.  Actually, the whole property is dog friendly.  And where was Beau?  at the beauty parlor.  Probably sitting in a cage waiting for various intrusive acts to be performed on him.  Oh, well, we had 4 hours to kill so this seemed perfect.

There was also a house on the property.  A Frank Lloyd Wright house.  We went to see it but it was closed.  Didn’t know you had to arrange ahead for private tours.  But that was the case.  What a bummer.  It would have been interesting to see.

After walking all around, we grew hungry so we went into the visitor center and discovered that they were serving fresh baked pumpkin pie made from the pumpkins they grew on the property.  That’s we had for lunch.  It was outstanding.

On the way back from our foray to Silverton, Rayman got anxious about getting the dog on time.  He said, “Well, it’s 45 minutes to four.”  Really.  He said that.  In all my days, I don’t think I have ever heard anyone tell time like that.  He is amazing.  I think it’s his dyslexia.  Such a refreshing new way to tell time, don’t you think.  Instead of 3:15, it was 45 minutes to 4.  Very inventive and thinking outside the box.

He left for the store and I may not see him for hours.  The rush hour traffic here is horrible.  Main  highways have stoplights every mile or so.  It’s bumper to bumper.  I wanted to stop on the way to pick up Beau but he said no.  Bad decision.  Oh, well.  Rack of lamb at 8 has a ring to it.  Good thing we had that pumpkin pie or I might waste away to nothing before my next meal.

Today we were to play golf but nature intervened by producing a cloudy, cold morning.  We decided that golf would not be much fun with the weather at hand so we opted out for a trip down to McMinnville, OR to visit the Aerospace and Air Museum.

I saw and read about everything from a plane much like the Wright Bros. invented, to the latest dazzling aerospace wonders.

The Spruce Goose was there and looking fine.  She towers over all in the great hall.  And then there were the Titan missiles, the cockpit of the astronaut’s capsule, and everything in between.  It was interesting as much as it could be for a woman of a certain age.  Guys get all goo goo over this machinery.  I look at all those tax dollars and just moan.

However, I did learn that Oregon was bombed by the Japanese in WWII.  The only place in the U.S. that was hit by the enemy.  And I found out how they deal with human waste in the Shuttle.  There were many pictures of good looking astronauts.  All white men.  I didn’t see Sally Ride.  I didn’t see Amelia Airheart (mispelled intentionally).  They also left off the part of story where Howard Hughes goes bonkers.  And what about that woman astronaut that wore diapers so she would not have to stop on her quest to find her man?  That was interesting but they left that story out of the museum.  So many ways to spice things up to give people a laugh.

They did have pictures of a Soviet woman that went into space.  And because the Russians beat us to the punch initially, their history was in clear view.

I did not see a monkey.  Didn’t a monkey go airborne for the good of the order?

There was a section of planes that all painted black.  AeroNoir if you will.  Rayman worked around SR-71s when he was in the Air Force and one of those black planes was an SR-71.  Quite stealthy looking, if I may say so myself.

There were planes used for training.  Planes used for bombing.  Planes for reconnaissance, planes for snatching capsules out of the sea.  Planes for spying.  Planes for droning.  My, oh, my.

As we were getting ready to leave, there was an exhibit quoting the second amendment about the right to bear arms.  Really?  It had to get political?  That was a turn off.  As a person that grew up around guns and took a hunter safety course, I think it is reasonable to expect that some people should not own guns.  And I see no reason to own an AK-47 for anything other than killing people.  I also think it is a public safety issue to let anyone own a gun.  But, let’s not ruin the tone here like that exhibit obviously did for me today.

After we visited the first terminal of planes (giant hangers is a better description), we walked Beau for a while and then went to La Rambla, a Spanish tapas restaurant in McMinnville.  We eat there every time we visit that cute little town.  Had fish stew.  OMG.  And green beans with blue cheese and hazelnuts.  Oh, and the wine.  Broke down and had wine with lunch.  Muy bueno.

Then we went back and visited the space hanger.  I found it more interesting, I think.  More contemporary, certainly.  It occurred to me that there are people that deny we ever landed on the moon.  Conspiracy theorists.  Can’t understand that.  These are some of the same people that swear you cannot trust the gov’t to do anything right.  But, wait.  if they can’t do anything right, how is it that they would be able to perpetrate the hoax so effectively?  Just sayin’

So, that was the day of flying machines.  Tonight we will watch movie in the Dog House.  Watched an old Gene Wilder movie last night with Donald Sutherland, Start the Revolution Without Me.  It was a gas.  It was a rip on the French Revolution.  King Louis the XIV dressed in a rooster outfit, mumbling that he thought it was a costume party.  One of the bad guys was Count Escargot.  Silly, funny, silly.  In keeping with war time motif, we will watch Syriana tonight.  Rayman will follow the plot line, I will stare at George Clooney!!  Yes, ladies, you know what I mean.

It’s Thursday night here in the Northwest.  I’m in the back of the Dog House blogging having thoroughly beaten Rayman at Scrabble tonight with mostly vowels.  My first hand  drew had 4 “o”s, an M and 2 “e”s.  I spelled “moose”.  And then I drew about a dozen “i”s.  The whole game was like that.  Twice, my hand had not one consonant.  However, some how, I eeked out a solid victory.

Rayman is out front watching the end of a football game.  Beau is sleeping next to me.  He had a big day.  We drug him all over the place.  Today’s venue was house hunting in Washington state, in the Vancouver area.  Our main interest was some new homes that are green, eco homes.  It took us a while to find them.  The first address was a new site they were just starting to build on.  Boring is all I can say.  Then we plugged in the next address and we ended up near the Columbia River in a questionable neighborhood.  Ends up, that’s where their “corporate offices” are.  We went inside and asked where we could see an actual model.  Finally, we drove to the new model.  It as very nice.  The houses with the view were all the two story houses.  That’s a non-starter for us.  No more stairs.

We then drove more or less willy-nilly around Camus, WA.  Found some lovely hilltop homes that were way too big.  I feel like Goldilocks.  “My, what big houses you have.”  Oh, well.  It was a lovely day for a drive.  And we managed not to get lost.  Must be losing our touch.

I’m in the mood to talk about food.  Yesterday we played golf in Wilsonville at a lovely development that we would considering living in EXCEPT for the freeway noise.  It is too close to the freeway and the prevailing winds moved the noise to the houses.  Too bad.  The golf course was comprised of 3 courses of 9 holes each.  They were short courses so it only took about 3 hours to play 18.  Nice.  I like the concept a lot.  Just because it was short didn’t mean I couldn’t lose balls, get in the bunkers, go in the water, hit trees and sundry other faux pas.  It was great fun and after we finished we went to California Pizza Kitchen for a late lunch (3 ish).  Ordered chopped chicken barbecued salad and a flat bread with bacon and Brussel sprouts.  Yummy for a chain restaurant.  Also fast and very convenient.  For dinner we had ice cream and chocolate.

Today, after we returned from our house hunting, I brined some skinless, boneless chicken breast and thighs.  Also made some tziki which is yogurt, garlic, cucumber, dill, lemon juice and lemon peel.  Then after Rayman cooked the chicken, he roasted one ear of corn and two pita breads.  We then stuffed the pita bread with the chicken and the tzini and boy, was that good.  Had it with some watermelon on the side.  Some of the simplest things are so delicious.

Here’s the link for both.

http://http://www.seriouseats.com/2012/06/hot-to-grill-boneless-skinless-chicken-breast.html

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/easy-tzatziki-recipe.html

This Saturday we are going to return to Vancouver to cook dinner with Ryan and Tamara.  Almost all recipes are from a cookbook Ryan gave me for xmas last year.  Hazelnut crusted salmon, a celery root and apple salad, and wild rice cakes and asparagus.  Polishing it off with a plum torte which is really more of a plum cake.  Got that recipe from the NYTimes yesterday.  It happens to be the most sought after recipe they have ever published.  I’m expecting good things here, folks.

Rayman has dry skin on his thumbs.  It is driving him crazy.  The only known remedy is to sleep with cotton gloves on after gooping up the thumbs.  Then he has to avoid water and soap on those poor thumbs.  This is driving him to wear little “thumbettes” of pretty blue latex.  He cuts the tip of the thumb off two latex gloves to do this.  It does look, uhm, interesting to the casual observer.  And i think he bought latex gloves that are too small.  He just huffs and puffs to get them on and off.  He dons the full set when he is going to work in water, like squirting the Dog House, washing the car windows, that sort of thing.  My recommendation that he buy larger gloves went completely unappreciated.   But until these thumbs heal themselves, he is consigned to protecting them against egregious soap.  I am now the main dishwasher, which is not my favorite thing to do but for the good of the order, it is what I must do.   Of course, I am part of the problem because I insist on using dishes that are dishes, not plastic or paper plates.  I enjoy a good meal on good dishes.  Call me crazy, I know it’s true!!!

Didn’t take any pictures today.  So, drats.  The blog is a bit of a bore, I’m afraid.  Perhaps tomorrow.

So many things have been happening.  Where to start?

As many of you know, we bought a new RV.  It came with growing pains.  It seemed to us like it had less storage, but now I think not.  It’s just different storage.  So, we have become space planners buying plastic see through boxes at a rapid rate to put our provisions in so that I can see them when I am cooking.  Spices in one.  Dry goods in another.  A regular tidy Tilly exercise.

My friend, Nancy, who is also traveling in an RV, recommended an electric frying pan for cooking outside.  Think bacon, fish…etc.  So, I bought one on-line.  It is bigger than the state of Texas.  What in the world was I thinking?  It now lives under the bed.  I better throw a party so I can use it.  What the heck can I cook in it?  Looking for ideas here, kiddies!!

The new digs are delightful.  A faux fireplace that blows out hot air.  An ice maker.  What they won’t think of.  Rayman is impressed with built in vacuum and the big tires.  Huge Michelins which I am happy about since we have precious cargo on board.  I’m taking about Beau here!!

We have USB plugs everywhere.  And three TVs.  OMG.  We hardly ever watch TV.  However, speaking of TVs, I think Saturday Night Live needs me.  Wouldn’t it be a hoot if they had the Dancing Trumpsters (think Dancing Itos).  Lead by the Trumpeter Swan himself.  Oh, the fun they could have with that idea.  They are missing the boat here.

Part of our draw to Oregon is that my cousin, on my dad’s side, is moving here because her two fabulous daughters live here now.  It would be great fun to have family around and now that Uncle Ralph is gone, the idea is catching on.  That and Ryan, our son, lives here too.

We met up with Ryan on Thursday for Mexican food at a Portland restaurant that required about a 30 minute standing in line wait outside on the sidewalk.  Por Que No?  was the name of the place.  Cute, inventive and the Mexican food was good and inexpensive.  We were undoubtedly the oldest people there.  Gosh, that feels funny.  Seems like just yesterday…

Then on Saturday, we met Ryan and his lady friend, Tamara.  They had just returned from Burning Man where epiphanies were realized amid sand storms and nudity.  What does it all mean?  Makes Woodstock seem quaint.  And makes me feel old.  Anyway, being with the young adults was really fun.  Tamara is a landlord several times over and just bought her 3rd house.  Works for the State of WA Transportation Department after a career in TV (behind the scenes).  After we stuffed ourselves with pulled pork, brisket, and ribs, we walked the neighborhood (Alberta) and saw one of the houses she owns nearby.  Also visited the McMinnimus Kennedy School which is now…Well, don’t take my word.  Here’s the link.

http://www.mcmenamins.com/KennedySchool

Then on Sunday, we attended a birthday party for Portland’s newest residents, Cenk and Kristen’s twins.  They turned one on the 10th.  New house.  Great neighborhood.  Lots of people came.  A cousin that hales from Alaska and now lives in Lake Oswego (not the lake itself, but the town of).  Her partner, new neighbors with children, sister Ali and her betrothed, Bernat (from Spain).  It was a hoot.  Again, we were the oldest people in attendance.  I picked up Ezgi, the one year old twin girl and she burst into tears.  Such a touch I have.  Emre, her brother was more sedate but I admittedly did not hold him.  It would have shattered me.

In between all this, Rayman and I have been driving through neighborhoods that surround Portland.  We also met with a realtor to talk about where in the world the one story houses are located.  They are a dying breed up here.  Most houses are two stories and a full basement.  It was an instructive meeting that still has us talking and scratching our heads.

Who knows what will become of us.  This much is clear.  There are lots of trees with lots of leaves that will be falling in another month.  Who rakes up those leaves, anyway.

Beau is happy.  He went riding around with us today.  Tomorrow, he won’t be so happy.  We’re off to play golf!!!  Can’t wait.  He will be bored as a post but we must get out and play a bit too.  Most of our dinners/travels only last a few hours.  Golf is a 6 hour deal by the time we drive to and fro and play.

You may think this is all fun and games.  But I’ve been busy talking to the painter of the rental house I am sprucing up to sell.  It’s on Ocean in Cayucos.  Eddie the painter, called me at least 3 times a day every day while he painted the place inside and out.  He was great.  I will miss our calls.  His check went out in the mail today.  He had a crew and they did the whole thing in about a week or so.  I hope it looks great.  The pictures do.  I highly recommend his work.  My friend, Diane Wyatt, will be meeting with the carpet salesman tomorrow and will help pick out the carpet that will be installed.  A shout out to her for her help.  And to Melissa, my pedicurist.  She and her husband picked out the inside wall colors for me.  Silk Stockings.  Uhm.  I picked the exterior paint before I left.  I don’t know what I would do without friends like these.  Thanks, guys.

Time to close.  Beau needs a walk and so do I!!!

Hi Ladies and Gentlemen,

So, I penned this blog a few days ago(Sept 8th) but it sounds relevant so I will share it with you.

It’s our first full day in Portland, Oregon.  We landed here yesterday afternoon.  Under sunny skies and half a talk of gas in the Dog House.  The way we got here was via highway 20 out of Sisters, Oregon headed west.  Then we veered off and headed northwest on highway 22.  A beautiful drive that had us following along a river for many miles as we descended from 4500 feet to 125 above sea level.

There was plenty of trees to see, however, there was a stretch of highway that I’ll refer to as Cutback Mountain.  Or Burnedback Mountain.  Looks like the area had either been ravaged by fire or clear cutted.  Or both.  Not very attractive.  However, the rest of the ride was a visual delight.  We saw reservoirs, rivers, road kill and rest stops.  The West is so special.  Beautiful rides on the backroads.  A truly magnificent mash up of miles that delight the eyes and the nose.  The smell of conifer in the air.  The whiff of skunk.  Oh, dear.  Poor skunk.  And poor raccoon.  And poor deer.  And poor opossum.  We saw them all laid out flat on the blacktop.  Just glad we didn’t have to witness their demise.

And what is it with deer crossings?  How do they know where the deer cross?  The sign says, Deer Crossing Next 18 Miles.  A sign like that strikes fear in my heart.  OMG.  The Dog House cannot be stopped on a dime.  Or a deer, for that matter.  To ponder the outcome is to induce a sense of panic.  What if Bambi bolts out into the street?  Okay.  That’s a question I cannot answer.  So, let’s just hope those deer steer clear.

While wandering north on 22 we drove through agricultural land.  Fresh, berries, eggs, corn, peaches for sale.  We saw wineries here and there.  And then we saw a sign for the Frank Lloyd Wright house and a garden.  While we’re here, we’re gong back to visit there.  It looked lovely.  And Silverton was a cute little town.  Another place to snoop around when we have time.

Eventually, the road #22 gave way to the freeway.  And on to the Interstate 5 we roamed.  And before you knew it we were in Tigard, OR where the RV park is located.

We only got lost once, a new record perhaps.  And here we will be until Sept 25.  Then we need to move so the plan is to perhaps head north to Washington, the state.  Until then we will be in an RV site that has the Tualatin River running beside it.  It’s a bit noisy because of the highway traffic near by, but we can live with that as the highway is above us in the form of a bridge that spans the Tualatin River.

The fun news is that our friends, Al and Charlie, are here until Saturday.  So, they had us to their RV last night for a delicious salmon dinner with all the trimmings.  Steamed rice, broccoli cooked perfectly, salmon with pesto and tomato on top.  And a great salad to finish off the piece de resistance.  For our part, we brought wine and a pie from Sisters bakery.  Charlie (that’s a she) asked Al to put the pie in the oven to warm it.  She thought he had turned off the heat.  When it was time for pie and ice cream, Charlie discovered that Al had left the oven on 400 so the pie was more than a little hot when it emerged.  We let it cool off for about 2 hours.  Just kidding.  For a few minutes and then ate it with great gusto.

Al and Charlie at breakfast.

Over dinner we made plans for today.  They took us on an adventure today using public transit.  We rode on a bus, a streetcar, a trolley, and streetcar.  We walked delightful neighborhoods and took in the sights, including all the great people watching.  The first place we went was Pine State Biscuit restaurant.  It was so good that we ate around 9 something, it’s 3:30 now and I’m still full.  Just saying.   Yummy.  A certain amount of waddling occurred after eating all the food.  Quite a meal.  Then we just walked around the neighborhood looking at how it was arranged.  Portland reminds me of a European city.  You live in a neighborhood and you get to know it quite intimately.  Each neighborhood has it’s own groceries store, bar, brewery, ice cream shop.  The Wal-Mart affect is not evident in Portland.  Lot’s of small shops.  Quaint, cute, interesting.  Here’s some pictures.  If I could live in a neighborhood like these, I think I could be more than happy.  The diversity is refreshing.  The vibe in young and that’s a good thing.  Fun time was had by all.

Al bought the tickets for the transit system on line and then just flashed his phone as we jumped on the various modes of transport.  Very slick.  And each bus stop had a sign telling you the time of the arrival of each bus/trolley.  They really have this down and the ridership is impressive to this visitor.

Tonight we meet Ryan, number one son, for dinner.  Very much looking forward to that.

And the beat goes on.

At the mouth of Skull Cave.

What a wild and beautiful landscape we found ourselves in yesterday.  The Lava Beds National Monument is a must-see and do park.  Out in the middle of no where near the Eastern Oregon border, it can be found just south of Tulelake.  Did you know Tule is a reed like plant?  The Modoc indians made their canoes out of it and worked the lake way back when.  When the Indians inhabited the area, the lake was 75% bigger than it is today.  The settlers, after running the Modocs off their land, drained much of the lake for agricultural crops which are still there today.  However, the birds don’t seem to care.  Tulelake is a stop off for thousands of birds that migrate up and down the great state of California.  When you look out at the lake, you see some birds early in the season…or perhaps they are the ones that hand out here all year.  Don’t know.  But we did see lots of birds.  From afar.  I should get myself some good binoculars.

However, that’s just part of the story.  The Lava Beds National Monument is fascinating.  It has, guess what?  Lava beds.  Black, dark rock (unscientific explanation) scattered throughout the landscape.  And a neophyte “geologist” would just love this spot.  Are you reading this Gary?  You can imagine the lava spewing forth and hardening into the various shapes that are present in the Beds.  And beside the Beds, there are cones and other odd geological wonders.  We climbed up to a cone and peered down into it and it seems like a bottomless pit.  And there are caves.  The caves are rated easy, moderate, and difficult.   We took easy.  And it was deep and cold and had very small steel stairs down to the bottom where a floor of ice could be observed.  On the ceiling, there are bats.  Couldn’t see them very well.  But they live in the caves and the Park Service is trying to save them from a bat virus that has already killed 6 million of those darling little creatures.  While not the prettiest of creatures, the lady at the visitor’s center expressed their important in the ecological web of life.  We left convinced that bats are cool members of our earthly society.

Entering the cave.

Lava beds.

We tromped all over the park.  And confined ourselves to the one cave.  We only had the day and there were battlefields and other things to see.  Plus, it was about a 45 minute drive from our RV campground to the park.  We should come back.  The place is other-worldly and bleak, and beautiful.  You cannot see a telephone pole.  There are no houses.  It is remote and out of the way.  And so oddly different.  We loved it.

After returning from the park, it was usual routine.  Feed Beau.  Walk Beau.  Fix dinner.  Eat dinner.  Only thing different was that we watched TV.  Our satellite worked!!  How, I don’t know.  But it did.  After one show, I went to bed and continued my read about the Mob in Cuba.  A true story.

This a.m. we got up and got going.  We drove from the RV park near Lava Beds to Sisters, Oregon.  What a beautiful little town.  Population about 3,000.  With the Sister’s Mountains nearby and visible, it is a very picturesque community.  We are here for 3 days.  The only adventure we had was finding a gas station and getting gas.  Our digital devices let us down.  By the time we were on fumes, we turned off the main highway and ended up in a residential area.  There we parked while we searched to the nearest, cheapest gas.  When you are buying 56 gallons, you need to be aware the price/gal.  Anyway, we found a place and headed off for it.  This meant retracing some of our path and two left turns.  Left turns are not my fav in an RV.  And today every vehicle in the state of Oregon was on the highway.  We finally found the station but the driveway was so narrow, we had to unhitch the car in order to leave the station.

The long and short of it is that we escaped the gas station and drove to Sister’s RV park.  A dandy place.  Lot’s of gardens, a lake, trees.  So many trees we can’t use our satellite tonight and that’s why I’m blogging.  TV keeps us from doing so many things.  We are much better with less of it.  Especially during this election cycle.

But I digress.

So, we pitched our tent, so to speak, and Rayman washed the outside of the windows while I dusted (2 Swifter’s) and dusted the floor.  This new RV has a built-in vacuum cleaning system but this p.m. was not the time to try to figure it out.  Everything is so complicated.  Patience is required so tomorrow is the day to fool around with the vacuum.

The entertainment system may be the end of me.  OMG.  The people that write and produce the DVD that explains everything…have some explaining to do.  It has taken me 4 days to figure out how to turn on the radio.  Really.   The RADIO.  So you can imagine how frustrating it is to try to get the TV to work, the blu-ray to work, the surround sound to work.  In a word, we haven’t figured it out.  And may never.  You figure with all the buttons and options one can select, there must be about 3,000,000 variations.  And we have to figure out the right one.  Good luck with that.

It took two days with help from our friends to figure out how to turn on the ice maker.  This thing is complicated.   Space age meets stone age.  We’re stoned and lost in space!!

Tonight we had Aidell’s sundried tomato sausages, corn on the cob and eggplant…all grilled to perfection by Rayman.  I prepped and planned.  He cooked.  I cleaned up.  And here we are.  In a beautiful spot with fresh bread from a local bakery in Sister’s for tomorrow’s Labor Day breakfast of bacon and eggs and toast.  Life is good.