Before, and During, Memorial Day Weekend

May 23, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR

 

I posted a new episode today on the Oregon Dunes 4 the Summer blog.  I am having trouble posting more often than once a week or so.  The opportunity for internet usage at the campground is intermittent, and certainly not strong enough to save and post a missive.  So I have to wait to go to town, 7+ miles away in Reedsport.   It’s amazing what you learn about cell service and wi-fi service and any kind of network availability in the north woods.  I use Verizon for my cell and network service.  In Reedsport, a town of about 2,500 folks, Verizon is pushing 4G service on their cell system.  In Florence, about 15 miles north of me, a town of about 4,500 folks, Verizon is withering away with intermittent 3G service that will just drop off without any notice.  Hell, I have as good or more consistent Verizon service in the campground.  

I am told by the Verizon folks, that they are upgrading the whole wireless system on the Oregon Coast.  They started near the California line and are moving north, up the coast, a town at a time.  They finished Reedsport and are now working on Florence.  Doesn’t help get my phone calls completed or my internet usage handled.  So, if I can avoid it, I don’t try to complete anything of importance with Verizon in Florence or points north, along the coast.

So let me tell you about the fun time I had yesterday.  My normal days off are Tuesday and Wednesday of each week.  On Tuesday, I woke up about 5:30 to rain, not just any rain, but solid, heavy rain beating on the roof of Irv (my RV).  Not a problem, rain here falls heavily, lets up a bit, stops sometimes, maybe all day, maybe not, rains some more, turns to mist, and so I wasn’t worried about it.  I had plans to drive to Eugene (It is raining now, but wasn’t a few minutes ago, but had been during dinner, hard).  I had a bunch of errands to run and didn’t mind the wet.  I have a rain jacket after all.  It rained all day Tuesday.  I got back here about 7:00 p.m., had some dinner, read and went to bed, listening (like now) to the sounds of rain on the roof.  I slept well, but about 6:30 Wednesday morning, I rolled over and realized that I was not only a bit chilly, but my foot was laying on wet sheets.  Irv apparently had a leak in the roof.  And it was still raining as hard as it could.  When I finally got hold of the RV shop about ten of 8:00 a.m., I was packed, unhooked from power, water, sewer and phone (I have a landline, courtesy of the Forest Service) and ready to drive to Florence.  I got there about 9:00ish and the RV wizard showed that it was not the window (on the front of Irv), but the roof seam on the front of the motor home.  While the repair was much less expensive and somewhat easier to accomplish technically, because of the pouring rain, Irv had to be moved indoors to be dried off and warmed up (temps yesterday hit a high of about 45 – 48 degrees).  In addition to being in a hurry to get the roof problem fixed, I sort of didn’t get or fix any breakfast.  As Irv was getting dry and warmed up, I also had no way to prepare any food in Irv, nor have any transportation to a food place.  My other vehicle was 15 miles away and useless to me at that moment.  Thank god for Triple A.  The RV shop is the emergency road service Triple A go-to place and they had just gotten a call for a person who had locked themselves out of their car.  So I got to ride along and afterwards, the road service guy took me to McDonalds for a bite.  The rest of the day, until about 5:00 p.m., I spent in the RV shop waiting room, trying to stay warm and waiting for Irv to be finished and drivable.  The interesting thing is that with all the waiting, the amount of labor expended on the repairs to Irv was only two hours.  Eight hours of time, two hours of labor, 6 hours of waiting for things to dry.  Not my favorite day in Oregon. (And it’s still raining)

May 27, 2013

Tahkenitch Landing Campground

Gardiner, OR  

Today was just beautiful, sunny, some breeze, cool and the beginning of the Memorial Day Weekend.  Last evening there was just one campsite in use by some folks who are down from Portland, suffering through their first furlough day of the work year.  The couple both work for the IRS and there are five furlough days ahead for  each of the employees of the IRS in Portland…and maybe two additional if the feds can’t come to some agreement.

This morning was mostly clear and sunny.  By about 10:30 or 11:00 a.m., the day use area, boat docks, boat ramp and picnic area were in use by a couple of families, some kayakers, and folks just out for a visit.  There was a bald eagle flying around, a V of geese heading north, a float plane departing from one of the arms of the lake and a variety of boats heading out onto or returning from the lake.  Wow, real activity around the campground and the day use area.   It also looks like I’ll have some campsites in use this weekend.  For Saturday evening, there were four of 25 campsites in use, a banner weekend for the campground.  And, naturally, more rain, into the evening.

I finished up the weekend with 3 campsites used all weekend.  And it rained rather hard on Sunday evening and most of Monday.  But the campers forged onward.  Boating, fishing, hiking and sitting around the campfire between bouts of rain.  The folks told me they had  great time, but a bit damp. And some of the visitors had some success with the fishing thing...mostly trout, but some crappie also.

Thank you all Veterans and Active Duty Military for your service.  Thanks, Dad...