01-31JUL25 - Sultan, WA

July starts off with more sunny, hot days.  Month is filled with Dan going to cardio rehab on Tues/Thur; too much mowing; endless outside garden & yard work (mainly for Corrie); and medical appointments that we never get a break from.

Friday (July 4th), beautiful day, not much done, just picking berries.  Neighborhood illegal fireworks not to bad this year and done by 11PM (maybe because Chinese fireworks too expensive?).  As to berries we have the largest amount of wild blackberries ever (several pints frozen); and the garden raised blueberries have exploded ,off of just three plants we got gallons and gallons, picking all the way to end of the month.  Even wild huckleberries have come back but still not worth effort to pick.

Sunday Dan prep’ing to go to daughter Rebecca’s tomorrow.  Monday, 07JUL, very early Dan heads to a different cardio rehab class (since he will miss normal Tuesday class); then heads to Pitre’s in Silverdale.  He will help with grandboys (Jaxson and Mason) for next Tuesday and Wednesday while they are a soccer camp during the day.  After arrival in Silverdale meets with Academy Classmate Rusty Burke for long lunch with lots of CG Academy story telling (ie lies).  Dan gets Costco gas and a few groceries then goes to Pitre’s house.

Tuesday, Dan takes boys to “soccer camp” for two hours and home; not much else done.

Wednesday Dan again takes grandboys to soccer “camp”.  After camp boys are picked up by young lady (probably a teen) who is paid by Rebecca to transport boys on Monday, Wednesday, Friday afternoons – like to pool, Defy activity center, Y, etc.  Then Dan heads to ferry and home.

Friday, 11JUL, AM preparing for drive to first game of Jaxson’s soccer tournament after Corrie has medical.  That afternoon terrible traffic to game in Maple Valley, get there 5 minutes late.  After game head to nearest fast food for quick meal and then driving to raymond’s and rebecca’s with more bad traffic (but not like earlier drive).  Finally at their house.

Saturday Raymond at Nat’l Guard drill; Rebecca takes Jaxson to two soccer games; we skip games and stay at the house.  Dan makes quick visit to “pop up” RV show at the mall, not much worth looking at, thankfully it was free.  Corrie takes Mason shopping and to lunch.  Jaxson’s team wins first game but ties second and are eliminated from championship game.  In second game Jaxson scored his first goal of the season; took two direct penalty kicks (one hitting the bar☹ and got his first yellow card ever.

 

When Rebecca and Jaxson get back we all (minus Raymond) head to few food trucks at same place that had pig roast and then to Hawaiian shaved ice place next door, best snow cones ever!!!  Sunday AM head to ferry and home.

Monday cool day before heat wave returns; Dan mows and picks blue berries.  Gets RV out of shop/RV garage for “test” drive in preparation for Thursday departure to Oregon for Mason’s soccer tournament.

Tuesday AM Dan has “check-out” session for end of cardio rehab; then goes to another RV dealer to look at used RV’s; then home in record heat to continue preparing our RV for Thursday road trip.  Plus picking more blueberries.

Wednesday, 16JUL, more record heat; not much done just loading up RV for tomorrows departure.  Thursday AM on the road in RV to Deer Park Meadows RV, St Helens, OR.  To be close to Grandson Mason’s soccer tournament in Beaverton, OR.  Some bad traffic around Ft Lewis/McCord joint base.  Drive made in 4.5 hours vs 4.  Nice small park fairly new, but town of St Helens very small.  One RV TV fubar; and Truma hot water won’t heat water☹

Friday morning just running errands.  Dan goes Roadside America sight hunting.  throughout our RV'ing Dan has used the book and now internet site "Roadside America" to find odd, excentric and just plain weird roadside "attractions" to visit and photographic.  This time he found - the site of the Halloweentown (Disney show?) festival; Troll Bridge; Peace Candle.  Complete details at: Roadside America - Guide to Uniquely Odd Tourist Attractions 

Early evening off to mason’s soccer game.  Beautiful drive on Lower Columbia River Highway (aka US 30) and over Cornelius Pass Road.  Then back to RV at 9PM and Popeye’s take out dinner.

Saturday at noon off to second game of tournament.  Tournament being held at very big, modern athletic facility, multiple swimming venues, outdoor tennis with concrete seating for viewing, baseball and soccer fields, indoor tennis, etc.  

Howard M. Terpenning Recreation Complex | THPRD

Back to RV for dog and couple hours dead time before back to tournament for third game.  So after third game (second of the day) drive back to RV for just snacks and bed.

Sunday AM up and get RV ready for hitting the road quickly.  First stop is Fred Meyers for diesel; then west on Lower Columbia River Highway, crossing Columbia at Longview, WA, and north on I-5.  Arriving at home in four hours

Monday, 21JUL, finish unpacking RV.  Dan calls Truma Hot Water.  Phone tech immediately knows issue and emails revised/simplified reset procedure to cover the almost impossible to follow book guidance on six not continuous pages in owner manual.  But even email has two corrections!?  It does work now and system reset; Dan mows; Corrie gardens.  Tuesday at lunch Dan off to latest Cardio check-up for pacemaker.  Then catches ferry to Pitre’s in Silverdale, WA; to take family to SeaTac airport tomorrow AM

Wednesday AM Dan goes to airport and drops Pitres off.  Then back to house to get Roux their dog and home to Corrie and Rocket.  Thursday AM Dan off to another Class 74 luncheon.  Last one held 29MAY2025.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday, lots of yardwork, mowing and tree trimming.  Meanwhile Rebecca, Jaxson and Mason on vacation back in Houma, LA:

Monday AM, 28JUL, Dan spends most of AM weeding and then getting ready to take Roux home to Silverdale.  After lunch Corrie returns and Dan loads up Toad with Roux and heads to Pitre’s house in Silverdale.  Small break to unload Roux and then heads to SeaTac to pick up Rebecca, Jaxson and Mason.  Then everyone back to house and sleep.

Tuesday AM Dan packs up and heads to Kingston ferry terminal.  Gets there to find out no ferry for 1 1/2 hour.  Then at Edmonds ferry terminal - long, long, train blocking the unloading of the ferry☹  Dan gets to house just in time to make his appointment with Jack Morris Tractor contractor he scheduled to “bush-hog back two acres and then grade/dress our long driveway.  Dan used to bush hog back acreage three times a year.  But now we have no tractor; and the driveway has never been done.

Wednesday more weeding flower beds and then mowing and clean up of yesterday bush hogging debris.  Thursday (last day of July) more sun, more heat.  Dan spends most of day working on straightening out pressure treated lumber used to retain small flower beds by Shop/RV Garage.

(latest pic of Bethany & Joe)