Picture Perfect - Double Whammy

Psalm 18:33 He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights.

Photo taken a few weeks ago at Hart Mountain Antelope Refuge.  Yes, there are deer there, too.  I used black and white focus, with just a hint of color around the forked-horn buck, standing there proudly with his growing family. For more photos, see Double Whammy.

Pic-of-the-Week for August 28, 2012, or TRUCK!!!!!!

Ben wrote a blog, and it was good enough, I copied it!  Enjoy our summer adventures.

Hola Family and Friends,

No, this blog is NOT about almost getting run over by a truck!

Very seldom do we ever talk about the not so pleasant things that happen in our lives, choosing to concentrate on the good things in our lives instead.  This time we will mention that we have had problems with our truck this summer.

The problems started while we were still in Baja.  The check engine light came on and we chose to ignore it until we could get to Oregon and have it checked by a competent mechanic.  The check engine light had come on a few times previous while in Baja, and we were always told it was a false alarm.  When we got to Oregon, we found out that the transmission cooler (part of the radiator) was leaking and that the EGR valve was sticking.  The EGR valve was probably what was causing the check engine light to come on.  The final cost of those repairs was about $2,500.

Then a few weeks later we headed to Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.  Just as we were reaching the summit of the continental divide, between Idaho and Montana, I noticed that the water temperature in the truck motor had climbed to a point near boiling.  From that point on in our travels through Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, and back into Oregon I noticed that I was losing water in the radiator.  It never dripped out, or boiled over, but it just disappeared.  I called the mechanic back in Oregon, and he said that the problem had to be a leaking head gasket in the engine.  The last few weeks before getting it back to the mechanic I was having to add about 1 gallon of water every hour that we drove.



We did manage to nurse it back to Salem, Oregon where we put it back in the shop to be repaired.  I never realized what a BIG JOB it would be to replace a head gasket!



That is right!  The cab needs to be lifted off of the vehicle before they can get to the engine and repair the head gasket!!!  Nine days later, and $3,700, and the pickup is all fixed!  Well, almost all fixed.  Today was the day that I got it out of the shop, and then I could have the tire company rotate the tires.  Hurray!  No charge for that!

Tomorrow it goes into the glass shop to have the windshield replaced!  While crossing Eastern Oregon we traveled on a state highway that they were putting down a layer of hot oil and then a layer of gravel as an overlay on the pavement.  Some guy, pulling a trailer in the opposite direction and traveling at a high rate of speed, threw gravel on my truck and chipped the windshield in 3 places.  One of those chips has now formed a crack about 1 1/2 feet long, and growing daily.  My deductible for windshield replacement is $100 so my total so far this summer is about $6,300.

Ok, enough about the bad things........

To pick up from our last Pic-of-the-Week email, after leaving Lesley Gulch we went to Hart Mountain National Antelope Refuge.  There we met up with 2 couples that we have known for many years.  Marilyn named it a "Weiner Fest" as there were 5 dachshunds there.



The dogs had a great time, and so did we!  We saw lots of Prong Horns (No, they are not antelopes.  Antelopes are in Africa, Prong Horns are in the USA.)



Birds, coyotes, and deer.





The lakes in the Warner Valley, near Plush, Oregon had a lot of water this year.



The last night in SE Oregon we did camp at an RV park that was about 5 miles from the Barry Point forest fire near Lakeview.  That night we could see the flames from that fire and the next day the winds changes and it became too smokey to see.  It was eventually a 93,000 acre fire burning a lot of forest trees.

That is about it for this Pic-of-the-Week.  We have been in Salem now for over a week and looking forward to getting out and doing more traveling.
Until next time (whenever that may be)
Tus amigos de Baja,
Ben, Harriet,  Sam and Zoey.

Things are looking UP

Yes, we heard from the automotive repair shop, and our truck should be ready by Monday.  Of course, we haven't seen the $$$$$$BILL$$$$$$$  yet.... so you may have to wake me from a dead faint when I see that.  

We are starting to make plans for the week following (Labor Day week).  Friends in Eugene have invited us to stay with them in their beautiful new home.  However, they don't allow dogs or cats indoor to walk on their beautiful new floors (don't blame them for that).  So...... we'll probably park our trailer in their driveway and stay there.  

We are missing a family get together at the coast this weekend...too many complications to get over there, and expenses.  Dog friendly motels are pricey, and we don't have sleeping bags so we can't stay in one of our relative's tents (Hallelujah!  I'm done with sleeping on the ground!)   Instead, yesterday we drove up to Vancouver, Washington, to visit my oldest sister and have lunch with her and her Italian husband. 

Vincenzo with Lucky, while Zoey and Sam Zoom around!  

My sister Sharon and her husband Vincenzo. 

He spends the summers here, and the rest of his time he teachess in Italy.  He says he'll retire in 4 years.  In the meantime, he bought himself a Shi tzu (sp) pup that he brought all the way from Italy with him.  Cute dog; very playful and anxious to play with my dogs. 

We had lunch at a McMinniman's on the Columbia River.  Beautiful setting and good food.  We didn't get a seat on the terrace, but we were as good as since our corner table was next to some open doors on two sides of us!  We enjoyed watching the boats go by, including some huge barges.  Fun day!

Today we're having company for dinner, and I'm in the process of baking a Peach Crisp.  It smells SO good!  Eat your hearts out!  Peaches are in season here in Oregon, and I can't pass them up! Shoot, I even swept and mopped the floors!!  And dusted!!!  What is this world coming to???? 

Gonna try it again

Well, it appears we'll be "stuck" here in our old home-town of Salem, Oregon a bit longer than we'd hoped.  We're stuck, because our truck is in the shop for some major repairs.  Looks like it won't be done and ready until next Tuesday, maybe, if we're lucky, Monday evening.  Sigh.....  Yes, that's the cab of our truck hanging there above everything else (good way to get to the engine compartment, I guess!!)  The problem is a leaking head gasket, and that is obviously, a major issue!

No time to go anywhere, because we have to be back on next Thursday for a visit to my dermatologist (removing some scar tissue from my shoulder) and then a wedding next Saturday.  We'll have to extend the time of our rental car and our RV space.  Sigh again.... 

 

In the meantime, we're hooking up with old friends here, maybe we'll go to the State Fair which starts tomorrow, and purchase (small) items that we need.  (No room to store the big-ticket items we need.)  We are also enjoying the fresh Willamette Valley produce, and visited EZ Orchards yesterday, one of our favorite "farm" stores.  They ALWAYS seem to be crowded whenever we go there.  

We always like to visit with George & Carolyn, especially when their granddaughter is there...she's a kick to visit with!  (I think I was blinding the poor girl with my flash!)  She's just 10 days older than our grandson.










We visited this restaurant for breakfast in the little town of Detroit on our way across the Cascade Mountains on Sunday.  It had quite the motorcycle theme, and as we were leaving, I noticed all the sculptures on the roof, and then a group of motorcyclists came in!  Perfect setup!!

I got some new trifocals early this week, and I think they finally got them right.  As far as I'm concerned (because I'm a bit farsighted), my glasses are for reading and being able to see the computer screen and the music books on my piano.  The first attempt didn't cut it, so I took them back and had them re-done.  Looking good now, I hope.  

I'm making a few changes to my blog page as I have the incentive.  It may not change much very fast!!!  Have patience with me as I learn the ropes.







 

The First Time is the Scariest

OK.  One mistake down, and lots more to go!  I wrote a blog, added a photo or two, but then it didn't publish, but just disappeared.  Well phooey!  I guess this is now the second time, so it's not as scary!  I think it has something to do with having all our photos under our combined account, and not being able to go there to our Picasa albums without logging into the other account.  Whatever.

Here's the photo I added, from my computer.  I like the options on blogger for photos, unlike Multiply.  I can enlarge the photos without losing the clarity.

  This was from our recent camping trip with friends.  We called it the "Wiener Fest 2012".  We had FIVE (count 'em) wiener dogs with us. My brother Rich (on the left) didn't have a doxie, but we let him come anyhow.  

I might even be able to add a video...

 Yep...pretty easy to use.  Now if it will just publish!!!  

Lots to learn, but I'm willing and able!

PS.  I did find that first blog, eventually!  It's gone now.  And no, the video probably won't play, because I cancelled the upload before it was completed.