SUNDAY DRIVE EXPLORATION~Black Lake, Ilwaco-WA

Last night Holland suggested a Sunday drive … and this morning, David called to say he was in Naselle-WA & on his way to his beach place, in Long Beach-WA.

So - we enjoyed a nice Sunday drive, did a little exploration, and spent time with a friend before coming back home to Ocean Park-WA.

First off, we had wanted to spend some time watching waves in Seaview; but the ocean wind was blowing briskly across the beach, kicking dusty sandy grit into the atmosphere … and causing creepy appearances on the beach that looked like ghostly fingers inching forward. It was weirdly unsettling as I watched the shifting sand out the passenger window: I was glad when Holland turned around & got us out of there.

Oddities & Curiosities … between Long Beach & Seaview-WA

Big gusts of sand was airborne this afternoon, as we pulled up at the Seaview Beach Access-WA

There was so much airborne sand, that Beard's Hallow was barely visible.

Then, we drove into Ilwaco, and made a loop around the marina:

The gritty, kicked up sand along the oceanfront reminded me of the dust storms in AZ; Ilwaco-WA

WOW~seagulls & geese; Ilwaco Marina-WA

The geese really like this Ilwaco area ;-)

We are thinking that bridge & buildings in the distance, belong to the Coast Guard; Ilwaco-WA

That's the North Head Jetty - stretching out into the Pacific Ocean; Ilwaco-WA

On the way back to Ocean Park, I pointed out what looked like a small fishing Park across the Black Lake water; and asked Holland if we could try to find a way to get there. We tried 2 side roads, but they dead-ended … so, when I saw a guy dinking around with his car, I said, "Let's pull over there, and I'll ask if he knows what that place is … and how we could get there." So, that's what we did.

He did know - and we followed his directions down Sandridge Road, to get there.

This is the road we need to get where I want to go …

Black Lake; Ilwaco-WA

The Lake's edge lapped right up to the gravel road edge …

Curiosity satiated.

Well … I got here, & now I 'know'. LOL

Hmm - a walking Trail - and … of course we drove in & parked; but Betsy was purring the whole time, and we didn't stay long.

Kayak Rentals - there were several kayaker's on the Lake.

It was a very peaceful, pretty, Sunday country drive.

Directions to the back-end Hiking Trail of Black Lake.

After that little exploration, we drove to David's place; we enjoyed a lengthy chatty visit … and came home with canned fish & canned clams 😊: these we tucked away for our upcoming Road Gypsy forays.

And I made up a couple bacon & cheese Breakfast Burrito's to put in the freezer for satisfying and healthy quick grabs 👌

YUMMY!

VAL'S HUNGRY JACK BREAKFAST BURRITOS; Ocean Park-WA:  (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2025/06/vals-hungry-jack-breakfast-burritos.html)

Today was a fun 😊 & busy 😉 Day.

I have been blessed abundantly ❤️

BEAUTIFUL DAY

July 14th: Today was a beautiful day; literally and figuratively.

We had plans to do laundry before driving to Kelso to meet up with Tim, and Jake, there.

We loaded the laundry into Betsy and drove to the local laundromat … and seeing how busy it was, we meandered down to the river to sit a while hoping we'd be able to secure a parking spot as well as a few washers and dryers in an hour or two.

While waiting and watching river activities, we enjoyed the warmth of the river breeze; and discussed some more the plans we will be embarking upon sometime in the the near future as soon as the repair business concerning Independence is square away.

The day was unfolding like a beautiful day :-)

AM River visit; kayaker's … and a sailboat coming around the bend upriver, around Kalama; Austin Point~Woodland-WA

Backtracking through Main Street, we saw that the laundromat parking lot was still packed … so we decided to do laundry in the evening after returning from Kelso.

On our way to Kelso, Holland nipped into U-Neek RV's to grab an amp we'll need for the generator: our baby generator is housed in Tim's garage at the moment, and we need to pick it up so we would have it when we hit the road again sometime this month. We already have a pigtail too, but it's somewhere buried under the tipsy pyramid of boxes Holland heaved into a local storage unit.

Before we left Kalama, we stopped at the little burger bar there, to chow down on lunch burgers before continuing on to Kelso.

Both of us have eaten here over the years … but this is the first time for us here, together ;-)

Burgers in Kalama on our way to Kelso.

A beautiful day was unfolding.

Tim's place in on the way to Holland's brother & SIL's house - I read some pages of my latest read while Holland and Tim spent some time catching up on each other's lives since they last visited.

I read a bit while Holland & Tim schmoozed …

At Scott and Lana's - while waiting for Jake to pop in, Holland pointed out Mark's signature work on one of the house's ceilings (Holland talks about it, and I've been curious): I liked it, so I took a picture of it. I also like the livingroom ceiling design that Holland & Scott did in this house. I particularly like the sunburst :-)

Mark's Fan Work; his personal signature.

Scott & Holland did this Sunburst design - their personal signature work; I love the way it radiates outward from the center.

The visit with Jake, when he arrived, was fun. He asked me how I was feeling, said he'd been worried when Holland told him I'd been in ER a few days ago: I told him the ER episode was very frustrating because no one was focusing on why I had gone there … they were more concerned about making sure my social security account was charged for geriatric tests I've been avoiding, so I just unplugged and walked out.

What frustrates me more is that all the medical minions popping in and out of my ER cell KNEW I was using an emergency inhaler (I told them - and showed it to them) and not a one of them connected the dots: the breathlessness, racing heart, red rash and swollen ankle was an allergic reaction to my emergency inhaler! I could die without the inhaler … and apparently I can also die from using the inhaler (I've been commenting for months that I'm just as breathless using the inhaler, as not using it: I never considered I'd be allergic to my life-saving device); so, I've opted to halt using the inhaler.

Prayer Warriors have been contacted and will pray continually about this new development.

My life is in Elohim's hands - and I'm okay with that.

I'm expecting many beautiful days to be birthed as I move forward in my evolving life ;-)

Sulfa Allergies: https://www.webmd.com/allergies/sulfa-allergies

We visited in Kelso (with Jake, Scott, Lana, & Bleu) for about 4 hours before returning to Woodland.

The laundromat was still very busy; so we drove back down to the river where the evening breezes were balmy, the gentle lapping waves were soothing, and the beach activities were pleasant.

Back to the river for a bit while waiting for an opening at the laundromat.

Daredevils braving the ify wet sand …

Mama Osprey feeding her 2 youngsters.

As the sun was sliding down behind the hilly skyline of the evening sky, we drove back to town and were grateful to find a parking spot as well as the needed washers and dryers.

The laundromat started filling up again. Very quickly.

We waited in Betsy's cool cab during the 2-1/2 hour wash, dry, & fold laundry cycle …

Our last laundry load had been dried, folded, and packed for transport back to the motel room 5 minutes before the doors closed for the night.

Today was a truly beautiful day.

Tomorrow we go to RV PRO to take care of business, there. Hopefully, it will go well.

SUNDAY FUNDAY~Mother's Day & Holland's B.D 2024; Longview-WA

We had made plans earlier this week to go to the little church on Willow Street … but we kept it to ourselves in case our plans went sideways; the last time either of us had been in fellowship there, was around Christmas 2022 - before we married.

It was also Holland's Birthday today, so he wanted to visit with family (and Bleu) too, while in the general area - so, I dolled up a bit :-)

Sparkly from head to toe …

I had incoming Mother's Day texts all day, & Holland had Happy Birthday texts.

It was a fun time at the little Kelso church; I like the Pastor and his family … and of course, they know Holland and Crystal very well. So, after service, we visited for a while with everyone - and I was told that Holland had helped redesign and restructure the little church (front entrance: completely totally revamped & the inside also updated). I like listening to people who have known Holland in the Past talking - and revealing bits and pieces of his life before he made me part of it.

Willow Street, Kelso-WA from Ocean Park-WA; 1 hr. 47 min (82.2 mi) via US-30 E

Holland helped with this front construction.

Crystal & me.

Scott & Lana's house is the next block over - maybe 5 minutes away. Crystal joined us for a short visit with her Aunt and Uncle, and cousin Jake; and of course, Bleu was jumping all over her too, when we arrived.

Bleu

Everyone, including the dog was happy with the gathering of The Clan: it was a fun time having Holland, me, Jake and Crystal all together again ;-)

Driving through Longview, on the way back to home on the peninsula, Holland pointed out the houses on the hill that he and his brothers worked on, on "snob hill":

Holland, Scott & Tito did construction work on the pillared beige house & the houses on either side of it.

Passing through Astoria, I laughed when I saw this gypsy house in front of us:

A tiny gypsy wagon; Astoria-OR

It was a good day, today :-)

A good, relaxing drive; both directions.

A good time of Fellowship, friendship, and companionship.

A good time of easy unity - all the way around.

(((THANK YOU, Yeshua!)))

SUNDAY FUNDAY~Fisher's Landing, Yuma-AZ

November 26th: Bleu was feisty this morning; he needed to get out of the house (and away from the resort lot) to run wild.

I think he has caught my wanderlust bug ;-)

Holland really didn't want to come; but I wanted him to come - so, he came. I have periodic asthma attacks that can be severe at times, and Holland has COPD which can flare up pretty severe at times - he ignores it, but it makes me nervous to leave him alone while I'm galivanting all over the region, sight-seeing solo lobo: being together at all times is really necessary. Especially at our ages (Holland is 62 - I will be 67 the end of December).

Others think we're too co-dependent … and that's kinda true; but it's not a clingy kind of dependency, it's more of a life-saving dependency should one of us need the other's administrations (inhaler handling, drive to ER if necessary, taking care of the dog, ect.)

Our bored teen needs to run free for a while … Bleu patiently waiting for Daddy ;-)

Holland mentioned Friday that he wanted to get some things at Wal*Mart; he didn't go because of the Black Friday madness, but I figured once we were out and about, and Bleu had satisfied his need to run free; we could stop at Wal*Mart and grab some mailing boxes and wrapping paper as well as the items Holland wanted to grab. I have some holiday things I want to mail off to my gal pals in WA State; I had planned on doing this before we left WA, so I've been saving $$$ to do this. Holland does not do the 'christmas thing', so we do not have a tiny christmas tree set up: but I do want to string lights, and mail off my packages.

I don't 'do christmas' either (on this, we both agree); but I do make some holiday concessions. December is my Birth Month, and I like to string lights, and reach out and touch Friends, who light up my life all year long :-)

There isn't any place local (that we know of) where we can take our energetic boy … so, I thought I'd revisit a place Bleu and I have been to before. Holland hasn't ever been there, and I wanted to show it to him.

And I wanted it to be a surprise, so I didn't tell Holland where we were going ;-)

All I said was that we'd be going off the highway, and into the desert. He asked, "We aren't going to Quartzsite, are we?" I laughed, and said, "No - we aren't going that far; but it will be at least a 40-minute drive. Bleu needs the run … and I want to show you something."

We caught sight of the stationary balloon in the sky, over Yuma. Holland thought it was the Goodyear Blimp, but I mentioned that it never moves: not even at the snail-pace-crawl blimps move through the sky. It's weird.

Sky Balloon; we've seen this thing in the Arizona sky as long as we've been hunkered down in Yuma-AZ

By the time we got to Fisher's Landing, he had settled into the drive and was liking being there, too.

The breeze whisking across the BLM landscape was stirring up a couple of little dust devils, so Holland stayed in the truck while Bleu and I frisked about in the desert sand for a while.

The cost for boondocking (dry docking: no water (haul your own in, and move RV every 2 weeks to dump black tanks/no electricity: solar energy or generator - which has to be off by 10 P.M.) is $10 per day = per person is ridiculous  ($600 - $620 for a couple … and if they charge the dog too, $900 - $930); we can park at a mediocre RV Park with water and electricity, for less & don't mind spending a little more for Resort perks.

Boondocking is not "free camping"; boondocking is basically just giving the 1-finger salute to {the man}: you end up paying through the nose not to pay a Park fee, and the 'no rules' mindset kinds flies out the window when your neighbor is being an ass, and acting like a dog; at that point the rules everyone wants to avoid, come into play. There are some pretty sketchy people out there; and you don't want them for neighbors.

So, we have our generators, and we are fully contained … but our {wilderness experience} at Quartzsite (where we spent more than we hoped to save) is, I'm thinking, more than likely our last - unless we really have no other choice. The scenery was beautiful and freeing for Bleu - but like I said, there are some sketchy people out there. Plus, it was hard on Holland, as he was mainly doing all the heavy lifting (heavy, full water cans; heavy, full propane tanks; and hauling gas for-/oiling up the Beast generator). Holland is on disability for a work related back/neck injury, as well as COPD complications. And with my asthma and my life-long heart arrhythmia, there isn't a whole lot of lifting, and dust sucking I can do either, without draining my strength and energy.

Plus, this 44-ft. 5th Wheel RV is just about the size of a shotgun-galley kitchen studio apartment: hooking it up/disengaging, and hauling it can get intense at times - and Holland has been fielding all that: all I've been doing is tearing it down to move it from one place to another - setting the stabilizer jack legos, and tire chocks in place - and setting it up again, once we park: again, Holland has been doing all the heavy lifting stuff. So, we are staying in RV Parks & Resorts (that have room for our size RV) for the majority of our America Tour Journey ;-)

We want to enjoy our life while we still have a life to enjoy. If that means spending a little more parking $$$ … and making time for longer set-down times than anticipated, between touring moves; so be it. We have a comfortable combined income, which helps us enjoy a comfortable life on the road. We aren't living large ... but we are living a good life; and seeing places in America most people can only dream of :-)

Today we were enjoying ourselves, with Bleu, at Fisher's Landing.

Sky at Fisher's  Landing~Yuma-AZ

While Bleu and I were playing 'Fetch!', and wrestling in the desert; Holland had been scanning the area with his eyes, and saw a balloon in the distance. So, curious as we were, we drove on down the highway to see what it was; and took a few pictures of it (and I researched at home, later).

Balloon in the desert … The "Eye in the Sky" is a huge white blimp roughly 40 miles northeast of Yuma, Arizona.

Part of the US's Tethered Aerostat Radar System network:

 (http://www.fortwiki.com/Yuma_Aerostat_Radar_Site)

Hovering, while tethered by a single cable15,000 feet in the sky northeast of Yuma Proving Ground's headquarters area, is the helium-filled fabric aerostat balloon. This amazing piece of technology keeps its state-of-the-art eye focused on one thing: low-flying airplanes. Each aerostat can lift 2,200 lbs. of sensors to a height of 12,000 feet, and can detect targets out to 230 miles; providing low-level, downward-looking radar coverage. The aerostat can stay aloft for months.

The Yuma blimp is one of eight or so Tethered Aerostat Radar System (TARS) program sites, from Arizona to Florida, operated by the federal government to monitor the US border with Mexico. At each site an unmanned blimp is held aloft, two miles up, tethered by a nylon cord spooled in a winch.

Finished gawking at the desert balloon, we backtracked past the BLM site, and checked out downtown Fisher's Landing. There wasn't a lot to see, but the river area was a nice relaxing sit, before we turned the 4x towards Home ;-)

Fisher's Landing Boat Launch.

Fisher's Landing Resort: 

(https://www.fisherslandingresort.com/)

Yuma desert is ready for Christmas ;-)

Now we know what this thing in the sky is …

We stopped at Wal*Mart on the way home, and picked up what we both had on the List … and Bleu enjoyed many "Oh! I love your dog!" between pettings. Bleu is gathering quite a fan club among the various Wal*Mart stores as we tour America ;-)

When we got home, Holland made a tasty steamed kielbasa-veggie meal with a side of toasted garlic bread; and I wrapped packages to be mailed off (nothing extravagant - each one under $10) & the Angel Blanket Box, included.

Getting ready to send packages out; they'll know who it is from ;-)