Things might be looking up!!

So where is she now?

At this moment, my coach is resting peacefully in a lovely park in Fall City, WA, near a little river, amidst tall trees, and way too many kids! I've learned that finding space in a big city in the Northwest in the summer is almost impossible without reservations WAAAAAY in advance. Lucked into this space after much searching simply because of a cancellation.


I'm very fortunate that the problem with the generator was lousy installation work and non-existant quality control. Again. A hose was not installed correctly and was leaking each time the generator was turned on. Interesting that when the La Mesa folks found that it was low on oil, they didn't also notice that the casing was full of oil and find that curious. Grumble. So the shop I found removed it, fixed it, cleaned it, and serviced it! All I paid for was the regular service charge - everything else was warranty work! Great news!!!!

Then I had the oil changed and fluids and tires checked, so now, except for one little (?) problem, I'm ready to head 'north to Alaska'!


And yesterday, the replacement regulator for the Weber BBQ arrived, so we can eat!!!!


One little problem? Well, on the way home from the generator repair shop a couple days ago, a big truck right in front of me hit a low hanging tree branch, broke it off, and it spun back into my coach. Hit the passenger side mirror, and that's all I was aware of until I reached the RV park and couldn't open the door. 

Thankfully, Maggie was following me back to the park, so she was able to get the door open from outside. Had a mobile mechanic beat it into submission so it would open and close, but it's not quite right, and has a tendency to pop open on the road whenever I hit a bump. That's one of my goals today, to find a way to secure the door while on the road. Because it seems that it will take 3-4 days to dismantle and epoxy together and reinstall, at a cost of about $500, versus ordering a new one for more than two grandl. Unfortunately no one has the time now to do it. And we already know that ordering a part is not an efficient way to accomplish anything with Gulfstream. I'll deal with that later.


Unfortunately, all these little disasters mean that I haven't made it over to Vancouver Island to see my Auntie and cousin. I'm really sorry I've had to keep putting off the visit, but hopefully they understand. I'll get them on my return from Alaska, assuming we survive the trip!


The doggies and I are resting peacefully at Maggie's place in Bellevue, WA, enjoying the fruits of her garden (that didn't die during her little vacation with me because no one took proper care of the watering chores, as promised). She found a couple zucchini bigger than any I've ever seen - 18 inches long and about 6 inches in diameter. And tasty besides!


We saw a local community production of Annie Get Your Gun on Friday - fun and happy show!


The countryside up here is so gorgeous - all the different trees, blending their colors and shapes into a beautiful canvas. The green here is more blue green than the desert green, and even the Hawaii green, which is more yellow-green. It's richer and deeper and so very inviting. And all the water!! rivers and streams and lakes and bays. I've really missed trees and water while living in the desert.


And the wild blackberries everywhere you look - I'm in heaven! Any place you park is bordered with blackberries! The mechanic at the generator shop laughed at me as I walked the entire edge of the parking area, picking and eating every berry I could find. He said he doesn't even notice them anymore!


OK, time to head to the coach to prepare it for the next adventure. It's already stocked with three cases of champagne - hopefully that will be enough! Snoqualmie River RV Park & Campground 34807 SE 44th Place Fall City, WA 98024-0016