EARLY TURKEY FEED 11/17/2012

While Jed and Kate were here visiting our Gold Beach Branch had a Pre-Thanksgiving Dinner.  We were all very excited as we had about twice as many attend as we usually have for our Sunday Services.  There were about 55 people there celebrating time together.  We are pleased to be here.  It is such a friendly group of people.  We have been well welcomed here during these last few weeks we have been here.  We are integrating is quite well.

  There goes Ann to get more food and there goes Kate, making new friends!!

 Here's three of us.  Mom, Dad and #3 son, Jed.  A fun night!

ANOTHER GREEN HORNET ATTACK!! 11/17-20/2012

Several days prior to Thanksgiving, while Ann and Wayne were busy on the coast trying to purchase a house, Green Hornet and his parents showed up at our trailer!  They had flown out from Hurricane stricken, rain soaked and wind demolished Manhattan for a little R & R from the east coast and to spend some time with us on the holidays.  They rented a cabin overlooking the beautiful Gold Beach Coast and we all settled in for a few days of Green Hornet play.

 Grandma was in seventh heaven and it really seemed like Green Hornet remembered her from a couple months ago.  They had a lot of fun making noises, giggling and learning correct baby language....Ohhh da wanna do-do?  Izzle wazzle doo dah!  Mup mum mup dopey snew do? And so forth!

 This is the way the ladies ride.  Try tray tree tree.  This is the way the farmers ride.  Hobbilty Hoy, Hobbilty Hoy!  This is the way the gentlemen ride.  Gallopy trot, gallopy trot, gallopy trot!

 Ohhhhhhh!  Ohhhhhhh!  Ohhhhhhhhhhhhh!

 I love you.  Do you see a tree?  See Grandma smile?

 Green Hornet loves his Sophie that Grandma gave him!!

 Green Hornet was drooling, chewing, pulling all fingers to his mouth and so forth.  Guess the new teeth are coming in!  Poor Sophie!!!

 Then at the end of the few short days, it was time to say good-bye!

 And off the family went back to Medford to get ready for Thanksgiving Day!  We will join them tomorrow!

STILL ON THE OREGON COAST 11/3/2012

In Wayne's search to follow the sun and continually wear shorts, tee shirt and flip flops, he never thought he would end up wintering on the Oregon Coast.  But it is November and we are still here.  Though we have been up and down this beautiful coastline several times in the last couple months, we seem to be focusing in the Gold Beach area.  We resurrected out 1998 Camry that has been sitting at Wayne's brother's house for a few years to cheapen the fuel costs as we drive around looking for where to settle.  Our second favorite spot to sit for free is just north of the mouth of the Rogue River.  The first favorite place to sit for free is near Pistol River another 8 miles further south.

 Here. we can sit for a few days, without hook ups, have a beautiful view and it's free.

 The view out our dining room and living room windows, looking south west, are of the mouth and jetty of the magnificent Rogue River as it empties in to the Pacific Ocean.

 Looking south east out the same windows, we see the Gold Beach bridge spanning the breadth of the Rogue.

 And it's free!

But, sitting here without hook-ups and without a generator, eventually runs our batteries down.  And figuring we would be here awhile looking at houses and then figuring if we decide on a house and make an offer, we would be in the area a few months waiting for it to close, we decided we'd do something we haven't done in our travels...we paid for a site in an RV Park for three months and would stay in one place.

  We are permanently anchored until mid January of 2013 at Turtle Rock RV Park just a mile south of Gold Beach. Oregon.  This is our spot from which we go out to find what we are looking for.  We have even put out our new sign next to our trailer.  Wayne's bother's wife, Linda got this for us a few weeks back.  We are quite proud of it!

 A couple people have commented on it's unique beauty and our moniker we put on our fifth wheel, "Our Haven From Slavin' ".  This was the phrase Wayne's parents had painted on the back of their motorhome.

We have friends in the neighborhood that have entertained us while here on the coast.

 It is fascinating to watch these young bulls battle for the breeding rights of the herd.  Stan and Dave, I will not tell you where these are located!

 It is nice being just a couple yards from the beach where Hunter Creek enters into the Pacific Ocean.  This is looking back at the RV Park.  You can see part of our trailer under the bridge on the far right of the picture.

 We walk on the beach almost daily.  Here is Ann bundled up on one of those walks.  Behind her you can see Turtle Rock.  Can you see the turtle head and shell?

 This is the view from our back living room window, looking out where Ann was standing.

 We love walking.  The sound of the surf, the fresh air, the gulls flying overhead and the pelicans skimming along the tops of the waves all  make for a nice place to be.

 Ann is always looking for a curious piece of driftwood, shell or rock to bring back for her collection that is developing out on the picnic table.

 Wayne was sitting on a log while Ann wandered and when he turned around at the sound of Ann approaching, saw this shot, her being framed in the roots of the log.  Had to get a shot of it.

 Then one of us together without being framed in.

Anyway, so we are on the Oregon Coast, staying near Gold Beach, OR and we have finally made an offer on a house.  We are now waiting for things to clear with the bank and such.  We may or may not get it.

UPDATE 10/17/2012

Another pictureless update!  Since the last entry, we have been on the coast looking for a home and been to Medford for doctor, legal and family visits.  Not much news, except we have been busy, busy, busy!! Too much so to take pictures, I guess!  Life is good though!

HOME HUNTING 9/18/2012

Have been busy since we left Chehallis, WA going down the Oregon Coast looking for a dream home overlooking the Pacific Ocean.  These things are really expensive!!!  Gotta find a cheaper one!
 
Been looking from Florence south.  Tonight we are in Bandon, just below Coos Bay, and have found a few potentials along the way, but nothing that pushes a decision yet.
 
Ann is the researcher and decision maker.  Wayne is the driver and nay-sayer for structural challenges.  This is exhausting work!!  But the scenery is wonderful!
 
Will be in Medford no later than the end of September.

GREEN HORNET ATTACK!! 9/4-13/2012

Well, on Tuesday, September 4, we headed north to Corvallis, OR, but on the way north, we completely enjoyed the Oregon Coast we have grown to love.  It seems as though it is always beautiful on the Oregon Coast!

 

Sunsets are so gorgeous when you are on the coast!  Anyway, we headed inland at Florence and then headed north in Eugene, OR, stopping for the night in a K-Mart parking lot in Corvalis, OR.  On Wednesday, we did some shopping/errands and then headed up to Chehalis, WA.

Just south of Chehalis, WA and north of Toledo, WA we pulled off the freeway about 10 miles and checked into the Chehalis Thousand Trails Preserve, parking in a beautiful spacious site for a few days of laundry, reading, campfires and relaxing as we waited for Jed, Kate and Green Hornet.

 

They stopped by Friday, on their way south to visit our #4 son, Sean, and his family down near Portland.  We fed them a late lunch and they rested up a little before finishing the drive south.  It is hard to travel with little ones, so we were more than glad to provide a resting place for them....especially if they let us play with Green Hornet a little!!  Here's Kate and Green Hornet resting inside our trailer.

Isn't he a handsome little bugger?!!!!

A few days later, on Sunday, they came back and we settled them into a little cabin on the preserve and we parked next door to them.  It was the beginning of a few days of chillin' with grand child #12!  We love it when our kids take the time out of their busy lives to spend time with us. Is Good!!

Besides playing with Green Hornet, we did what the Cowleys do best when they get together, cook and eat!  Here's Jed putting together his tin foil dinner to put on the campfire.

The fire was burning down into a good bed of coals.

Here's Ann starting her tin foil meal.

And here's Wayne putting all 5 of our creations on the coals.  Makes your mouth water, doesn't it!!!

A watched pot never boils, but 9 minutes on each side only allows a little sitting by the campfire time before it is time to eat!!

While we waited we all took turns holding Green Hornet and watching his reactions to all the stimulus from his first campout in the woods.

He seemed to enjoy all the attention and the outdoorsy smells and sights!

A smiling baby always makes everyone else smile!

My turn!  No My Turn!!

Then, after dinner an evening was spent teaching Green Hornet his consonant sounds.  It is amazing how he is starting to mimic sounds and it seems like he is starting to try to communicate.  He is fun to watch!

What is almost as much fun, is watching Jed's reactions as Green Hornet trains his Daddy on how to entertain him!!

Then the next morning we are right back at it again.....waiting for our own turn with the little guy!  Must be nice to be so popular!!

One day Jed wanted to go pick black berries, er.... Kate told him she really would like a black berry pie, er.....Ann offered to make a pie, well anyway, we went black berry picking.

  The berries were thick and it took us little time to pick a gallon of them!  We kept a lookout for bears, but we only had one spectator.....

,,,a small fawn that kept an eye on us awhile as it tried to figure out what we were doing.

Then, when we brought the berries back, while Ann made the pie, Jed told his son stories about what a great pie maker his grandmother is!

Walllaaaa!!  Ready for the oven!!!

And, Ohhhhh, it was soooo good!  While the pie baked, Jed's barbequing skills came in to play.  He bbq'ed chicken and baked potatoes on the grill outside the cabin.

Green Hornet was busy watching his Daddy while his Mommy looked on lovingly.

The chef and his son!

Then in the soft lights of the cabin we ate from Jed's skills and then after dinner, we ate fresh black berry pie ala mode'.

Anyway, by Wednesday, September 12, we were all 10 pounds heavier and sorrowfully had to say good bye to Jed, Kate and Green Hornet.  They left in the morning, we moved our trailer back up on the hill to near where we were before they arrived, set up and spent the day relaxing, paying bills, doing laundry and reading.  Tomorrow or the next day, we will head back to the Oregon Coast to head south towards Medford.  Good Family, Good Times, Good Food!  Life is good!!!